Disclaimer: I am borrowing from the creative mind of J.K. Rowling.

Summary: In the Wizarding World blood status is an important factor in society. A civil war was fought under the guise of blood purity. In some cases entire bloodlines came to an end. With war orphans and nearly extinct families left in the aftermath wouldn't this have created an emphasis on preserving family?

Warning: This story is T for a reason. There is crude content, foul language and violence in the story. If this offends you, don't read it.

Thank you to my beta Zarathustra46. If you have not read Vows, you should check it out. There are now three parts to the series. They are Vows, Duty and Honour. I have them listed as a favourite on my profile page and in my community, Melverne's Picks.

A/N: If you have read Hogwarts School of War Wizardry (a story I posted but removed), most of it has been incorporated into this story. For more details on my ideas about the Harry Potter universe see my profile page. I am always looking for a good Harry Potter story to read. PM me if you have a suggestion to add to my community, Melverne's Picks.

Thicker Than Mud

Chapter 1: In Memory of

Time: Spring 1991

Place: The Burrow, Ottery St. Catchpole and Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire

Arthur was up before the sun peeked over the horizon. He rubbed his face wiping the sleep from his bleary eyes and groaned to himself. This year had been busier than most at work. Most of the magical community was anticipating the return of their saviour, Harry Potter. The-Boy-Who-Lived had disappeared Halloween Eve after surviving a killing curse from You-Know-Who. His absence had served to stir the mystery to legendary proportions. As a society, they were enraptured by everything Harry Potter. Every paraphernalia imaginable was being offered by the vendor's in Diagon Alley. He even had a collectible trading card sold with chocolate frogs.

The solid gold cauldrons that had been endorsed by the boy seemed a bit much to Arthur; Harry had most likely never even stirred a pot let alone a cauldron. However, it was not the over zealous well wishers that had spurred Arthur's hectic schedule. Cursed items were being put back into Muggle circulation. He hadn't seen so many dark items for nearly a decade. At the current trend it was quite possible that they would need to add another person to the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Department. Fortunately, there had been no deaths just poor Muggles being taken advantage of. If one of the Muggles died, Arthur was sure his department would grow.

The overtime pay was a boon with their soon to be four children at Hogwarts and five the following year. Their vault would be emptied in the course of the next three years. Molly's inheritance from her brother's had been enough for her to stay at home and raise the children. Her home making skills had stretched their galleons by eating at home, knitting various articles of clothing, harvesting the garden and orchard. There were even a few goats for milk and a chicken coop for eggs. The children were taught to pitch in at an early age. As a family there were nearly self sufficient, it was the cost of tuition and supplies for school that nearly emptied their vault each fall. The dwindling hair on Arthur's head and sleepless nights argued that being the head of family and despairing land owner was not all that great. They didn't have much beyond the Weasley land but they were happy.

He could have taken the easy way out and sold their property. The land was their greatest asset and had been in the family for centuries. It was located upon an extremely powerful magical reservoir. The quintessence flowing through the land fuelled the formidable wards of such strength that many sieges of war had broke upon them. The stone fence surrounding their land kept out intruders of baleful intent. It had kept the family safe during You-Know-Who's uprising just as it had against the previous Dark Lord, Gellert Grindelwald.

A powerful Muggle-repelling charm kept the boundaries of their land hidden from the Muggle world. Their humble home had been greatly expanded by magical means creating a living space which was much larger on the inside than it appeared. The hotchpotch assembly of the home itself defied Muggle logic and the laws of gravity. The warding stones, Muggle-repelling charm and magically powered home was a testimony to the power in the Weasley land. Children raised in magically rich environments tended to be more powerful witches and wizards, which was one of the reasons that majority of the Wizengamot was comprised of old families that owned magically potent land.

Numerous offers had been made over the years to purchase the land. The exorbitant amount of galleons would have provided enough for all of them to live quite comfortably through the end of his days. Yet Arthur stubbornly held onto the land as the family continued to scrape by year after year. As a land holder and pure blood wizard Arthur was allowed to vote at the Wizengamot. Headmaster Albus Dumbledore had generously offered to pay the tuition of one child each year in exchange for being the Weasley proxy. This was a benefit they were very grateful for.

By the time Arthur completed his morning ablutions, Molly had set the table for two. They shared an intimate breakfast in the early hour, relishing each other's company alone. During this time it was all about them. Problems were shelved in favour of a relaxed morning together. Molly hugged Arthur before he leaned in for their parting kiss. "Farewell and be safe, husband," Molly said as Arthur floo'd away.

Alone once again, Molly took a seat at the table waiting for the Daily Prophet to arrive. It would be an hour or two before her children roused themselves to come down for breakfast. Who could blame them? It was their summer holiday. None of them were layabouts (thank Merlin). They all preferred to be done with their chores early, so they could enjoy the rest of the day. Normally she wouldn't be up so early except for Arthur's schedule. He worked his overtime in the morning in order to be home at night with the family. Dinner was a family affair at the Weasleys. It was the one meal that had a specific time.

o~o~O~o~o

"Tah Gideon and Fabian," Molly slurred her salute. She tipped back her red head and gulped down the drink. It burned all the way down. Molly turned her head to the side with a wince, waiting for it to hit her stomach then shook her curly ginger head with a growl. The heavy shot glass was slammed down on the kitchen table followed by a chink and splash as she prepared for the next round. "Best brothers evah!"

Five wide eyed children watched from the door in concern. They had never seen either of their parents get so deep in their cups that they slurred their speech. It was disconcerting for them to see. Their father sat at the table in silent company raising his glass of tea in response to his wife's toasts. Nodding his head or giving short verbal affirmations to his grieving wife. He had taken to tea after the first three shots. With a house full of children one of them had to be sober in case they were needed. Molly hadn't even noticed nor would she have minded. It was the company her aching heart craved.

Molly fingered the tumbler slopping some of the fire whiskey onto the table. She stretched her arm across the table and laid her head on the cool surface. An idle hand gesture overturned the shot glass and sent it rolling onto the floor. "To 'ell with 'em. Damn G'ffindor trait. Good lads they 'ere. Best brothers evah," she repeated followed by a frame-shuddering hiccup that sounded more than a little watery.

"Alright Mollywobbles off we go. Let's get you to bed. It'll be alright in the morning, dear." Arthur said coaxing her out of her chair. He gently helped his inebriated wife to her feet.

The family of red heads scurried from the door and jumped onto the living room furniture, feigning ignorance. With the path clear, Arthur walked with a supporting arm around his wife's ample waist and one of her arms thrown over his shoulders. He glimpsed at the worried faces of his children as he half-carried Molly up the stairs. "Least you 'ad the sense to stay out'o'it, my darling man. Could'na bear'd to lose ya too." She patted his cheek tenderly as they swayed precariously on the steps.

There were times when Molly lost control of her temper, usually when one of them did something monumentally stupid that could have hurt somebody. When her fiery temper flared they all covered their behinds and ran from the woman. Molly was surprisingly swift and could beat feet with the best of them. To their horror, not one of her children could outrun her in a short race. The mischievous twins often tried. Even purposely switching themselves around didn't work. Their attempt to trick her just resulted in an ample use of the wooden spoon on both of them. Their mother was quick as a whip and fleet of foot, a terrifying combination to her children.

Arthur once commented that she was forced to hold her own with her brothers. She could even get the drop on them. The seldom mentioned uncles had been professional duellists who stopped running the circuit to become hit wizards for the ministry during the war. Their battles against the Death Eaters were legendary. As hit wizards they did not investigate crimes like Aurors, they showed up for the business end of things. When there was a fight brewing, Gideon and Fabian were called in. In the end, it took ten Death Eaters (five apiece) to get the brothers and when the smoke had cleared only one wizard had lived. The lone survivor had been severely injured and easily captured by the Aurors. He was questioned under Veritaserum. The red haired brothers had been ambushed by the ten Death Eaters and even then only one of the attackers had lived.

The fight that had claimed their lives had been costly to both sides. The brothers had a running record that topped Mad Eye Moody's at the time and they had to be stopped. Voldemort had sent some of his best combatants to make sure the Prewett brothers were eliminated and he had lost every follower that had been committed to the battle. Only the Longbottoms and Marauders were as troublesome to him.

Their mother's good humour had vanished that morning at breakfast when she opened the Daily Prophet. She had broken down and shed silent tears with the paper gripped in her hands. It had distressed the children terribly. While his siblings either fretted over Molly's sadness or tried to soothe her, Ron had simply floo'd their father to come home.

Once their parents disappeared up the steps the siblings bolted for the kitchen. Percy was the first to the table and snatched up the paper. The twins stood on either side of him leaning in to see the articles. Ginny elbowed her way to the front. "Budge over, I want to see too." She wasn't normally pushy but as the youngest and the only girl, Ginny had to sometimes fight to get her share or turn.

Ron lingered in the back, standing on the tips of his toes; he was just tall enough to peak over his older brother's shoulders. He put a hand on Percy's right shoulder and the other on one of the twin's left shoulder and pulled himself up a bit higher so he could see better. Percy shuffled the paper and read the headlines out loud. "This year is the class of 1998, which will herald the first year of Harry Potter The- Boy-Who-Lived. See page nine for back to school specials celebrating Harry Potter's eleventh birthday."

"That's not it, you twit." One of the twins spouted.

Ginny whinged, "Does it say anything else about Harry Potter?"

Ron shook his head at his sister's question. It was embarrassing to witness her obsession with a boy she'd never even met. He thought about the series of pictures Teen Witch printed of Harry Potter. It didn't matter that the only pictures they had were baby pictures. All summer they kept publishing fuzzy obscured pictures of supposed sightings of Harry Potter. There were even several pictures that had an aging charm to show what The-Boy-Who-Lived might look like at various ages.

I might be sharing a room with the bloke this year. I hope she doesn't want a signed pair of his underpants like they talk about in her girl magazines. There is no way I'll help her with that! That's just gross. She better not ask him either! Geez, that's all he needs is to know my little sister is a rabid fan girl. I can't believe Mum would rather have her read that rubbish with Luna than let her play Quidditch with us.

"In memory of..." Percy sat the paper down on the table and took a step back letting the littlest Weasleys slip through. There were several pages of those who had been lost during the rise of You-Know-Who. On the first page were the best known and most valiant. James and Lilly Potter were mentioned first, of course, but mid-way through the page they found their Uncles. Only Bill and Charley were old enough to remember them. Bill said that the brothers were very successful in the duelling circuit. Every year a Weasley was born the brothers opened a vault for their newest nephew and put the purse of whatever tournament they won into it. The winnings had been big enough to pay for their first year at Hogwarts. When they had died while in the line of duty everything they had earned was left to Molly. It had been enough to finish putting the two oldest through school and help pay part of Percy's tuition. Bill and Charlie had continued the tradition and sent a part of their wages home to help out the nearly destitute family.

After settling Molly in their bed, Arthur returned downstairs to find their children in the kitchen huddled around the Daily Prophet. He watched them a moment as he considered what to say. "This is a hard memory for your mother. She was very close to her brothers." They were just as close as the lot of you are.

Silence answered the Weasley patriarch and he cleared his voice before continuing. "They were good to all of us. When I joined the Aurors they quit touring and came home. I had just finished training when Gideon and Fabian signed up. There was no need for them to do that. They were international duellers and could easily have continued their tours. Nothing was ever said but I believe they joined the ranks to keep an eye on me for Molly. During that time nobody was joining the Aurors. Understandably, it was a very hazardous occupation. It was pure coincidence that two famous duellers joined at the same time a position opened up for the Misuse of Magical Artifacts Office." Arthur's voice was thick with irony when he said this.

"Gideon said I should apply for it. Fabian said I had a family and that needed to be my priority. Against all odds when everyone was looking for a desk job to get off the streets and out of the fight, I was given a promotion straight out of training. Your Uncles became hit wizards to be called in for the hazardous fights."

"Mum couldn't have bear'd to lose you too." Ron said softly repeating what he had heard their mum say earlier.

Arthur nodded his head to Ron and gave a proud little smile knowing that he understood the enormity of their Uncles' sacrifice. The others looked from Arthur to Ron as they began to understand what was being said. As one they crowded around their Dad and hugged him. They were grateful to have him in their lives and not as one of the many who were honourably mentioned in memory of.

o~o~O~o~o

The shaggy haired gangly youth walked the hall peering at the line of family pictures mounted on the wall. He stopped to watch his Uncles whom were currently striking an intimidating pose. The two red haired men were leaning back to back with their arms crossed. Each of them held a wand that was ready to be used. A glint of daring shined in their eyes as they watched the young boy gaze at their picture. The ginger haired lad raised a hand to touch the plaques beneath their picture. Fabian and Gideon leapt apart and levelled their wands at Ron. A shower of brightly coloured sparks sprang forth from their wands and they smiled at their nephew in good humour when he gave a little jump back.

"Order of Merlin, for bravery in service during these dark times." He tentatively ran a finger along the glass box enclosing their wands. Everything in the Weasley household was used until it literally fell apart. With a house of seven living on the wages of one provider, it was necessary to make the most of what they had. The wands of Gideon and Fabian were the exception. His mother's brothers were honoured in their house for the sacrifice they had made. A magically expanded trunk in the attic held all of their trophies from the duelling circuit. There were so many it wasn't practical to keep them out on display. Mum sometimes gets teary eyed when she walks by this picture. I don't think she wants more reminders of her brothers around the house. When Bill and Charlie left they had our uncles' battle robes fitted for them. The alterations cost more than buying a fancy new set of robes would. Bill said there were some serious runes of protection woven into them. As a curse breaker for Gringotts he would know. With them leaving the country, Mum wanted them to be well protected.

The Prewett's line had been nearly extinguished during the war. Bill was the Steward to the Prewett family as the eldest male descendant on his mother's side. If a magical male Prewett was not produced Bill would inherit everything. While the Prewett's were a pureblood line, they did not have great wealth. There was some land with a cottage on a modest sized vineyard, which was leased out for a small income. There was just enough quintessence to maintain the wards, Muggle repelling charms and the household charms. By no means was it even close to the power in the Weasley land. He was granted one vote in the Wizengamot. A vote that was also exchanged for the yearly tuition of one of Bill's brothers, just like the Weasley vote.

The only other living Prewett was his mother's cousin and he was a non magical (squib). Lewis Prewett was a nice enough chap that worked as an accountant in London. He still had ties to Gringotts since he worked the Muggle side of the currency exchange in the Wizarding world. Arthur and Lewis got along famously. Whenever Lewis stopped by for a visit he always brought Arthur a popular Muggle item saying it was the rave of England. As a favour, he helped Arthur with their taxes. With no children of his own and being a squib, Lewis forfeited his title and Bill remained the head of the Prewett line.

William Arthur Weasley, first of the seven Weasley offspring, was the next person on the wall. A good looking bloke with the trade mark red hair and freckles of the Weasley family, smiled in a friendly manner at Ron. Bill wasn't just smart he had a backbone. His fang earring and pony tail was worn with pride even in front of his Mum's disapproving eye. It wasn't just good grades alone that landed his Head Boy status. Bill was well liked by his peers and got along with everyone.

Beneath his picture hung a plaque for being the Head Boy of Hogwarts next to his award for receiving twelve outstanding OWLS. The bottom two plaques held his badge for each year that he served as Prefect. Bill was promptly snatched up by Gringotts as an apprentice curse breaker. When he became a journeyman, Bill opted to take up residency in Egypt to work on the tombs in the pyramids.

He is the standard we are measured against. Mum thinks the world of Bill, their first child and nearly perfect in her eyes. Percy idolizes him and hopes to follow in his footsteps. The twins walk their own path but sometimes Mum hurts their feelings when she rants about grades. Bill was all set to pack up his awards when he left but Mum talked him out of it until he has a place of his own. Fred and George offered to Owl them to him after their first year grades came home. The scolding they received shook the pictures on the walls.

Ron's eyes drifted over to the next frame. The red haired young man in the Gryffindor Quidditch robes gazed back calmly. He was much stockier than any of his brothers. Charlie had finished with above average grades, not on par with Bill's, but nothing to be ashamed of either. Surprisingly, Charlie was an amazing Seeker at Quidditch. The best ones were often sleek and small in size. It gave them an edge in speed. However, Charlie used his size to disrupt the plays from the opposing chasers in his circuit to find the golden snitch. Once he locked on to the target of his search, Charlie was like a juggernaut in the air. He just ploughed right on through everything in his path. The smaller fliers steered clear of the flying menace.

There were just two plaques beneath his picture both of them were from his last two years at Hogwarts. As the team captain, he had led the Gryffindor Quidditch team to victory two years straight. Charlie also had a thing for animals and was often found in the company of Hagrid at Hogwarts. Dad thinks Hagrid's fascination of dangerous creatures rubbed off on Charlie. Now he works in a Romanian dragon preserve. I think Mum would have liked it better if Charlie had accepted the offer to play Quidditch for England. Gryffindor hasn't won a single game since Charlie left. The Gryffindor's were practically drooling when Percy showed up. Everyone had assumed he was going to be the next Weasley Quidditch prodigy. Bill had laughed and told the Quidditch fanatics that Percy took more after him than Charlie and to wait for the next two Weasleys.

Percy peered down his nose at Ron as he moved over to the next frame. The spectacles perched upon his face furthered his air of haughtiness. There were no plaques beneath him. Instead, his grades had been framed and mounted around his picture along with the letter announcing his position as Prefect. Percy had indeed taken after Bill. He had received an Outstanding in every class and was returning to Hogwarts as a Prefect this year.

The twins had surprisingly let the issue of Prefect alone until Percy warned them that he would not take it easy on them just because they were related. Percy certainly is book smart but he doesn't have an ounce of common sense. He would have been better off to stay on friendly terms with the twins than goad them like that. Just like I nod and pretend to believe their nonsense spells, like how to turn Scabbers yellow. It takes more than a corny rhyme and the flick of a wand to cast a spell. And really, wrestling a troll to get into Hogwarts! How gullible do they think I am? Now they won't rest until Percy breaks. I just hope Percy doesn't take his frustrations with the twins out on me. Unfortunately, the fifth year Prefects work with the first years.

Naturally, the twins shared a picture. They wouldn't have had it any other way. The identical siblings chummed around with their arms around each other's shoulders. Once in awhile they would throw up the rabbit ears behind the other brother's head. Ron felt a bit jealous of the twins. They shared a room at home and a dorm at school. Wherever one twin was found the other was not far. Bill said they had been that way from the day they were born. The only time they cried was when they were separated. The two were the best of friends. That is why Percy is so reclusive. Charlie was the athletic type and closer in age to Bill. He also didn't have the same interests as Percy. The twins, well they have each other. They're fun to be with but it's obvious to everyone that you are with two of them, everyone except Lee Jordan anyway. At least I will be able to keep my grades above theirs. I'm sure I can manage better than the acceptable grades that they finished with, I hope so anyway.

His own picture was hung next and the two Rons watched each other cautiously. I look all gangly. My hands are huge and my cowlick is sticking up. Everyone is going to make fun of me, I bet. My only claim to fame will be as the last Weasley boy to attend Hogwarts, at least for awhile anyway. Ginny will be the only one after me. Six boys and the first five were all in Gryffindor. What if I get sorted into another house? What if nobody likes me?

The last picture was of Ginevra Molly Weasley, Ginny. She was sitting beneath the whomping willow in their front yard. Normally you would steer clear of such a tree, but this was Weasley land and it was warded to protect their family. The enormous sentinel was positioned close to the house for defence. It would attack any foe that was fool hardy enough to come knocking on their door. The tree had even been charmed to be resistant to fire, as well as, blasting and cutting hexes. Between the tree and other defensive plants, if anyone managed to clear the wards and approach the house they would be in for a wicked surprise.

She turned another page of the double sized Harry Potter special of the TeenWitch magazine as she leaned against the trunk of the whomping willow. A leafy branch tickled her ear and fluffed the ginger locks over her eyes playfully. Ginny laughed and batted at the teasing limb. After threading her long red hair behind her ear she leaned back against the guardian of the Weasley home.

Arthur's hand settled on Ron's shoulder in a comforting manner. They stood together watching Ginny's picture. "Ginny is going to miss you this year. It's going to be hard for her to be all alone."

Ron nodded his head mutely in reply to his father and tucked his hands in his pockets. His throat felt oddly thick. I'll have to be sure to write her a couple of times.

"Have you talked with your brothers about Hogwarts?"

His red head nodded again. "Yes, sir, Percy just told me to work hard and not clown around like the twins. The twins had plenty to say, ninety percent of it's bullsh... er. I think they were just pullin' my plonker. I was thinking about owling Bill or Charlie instead."

"I might know a thing or two," Arthur offered.

Ron sighed in relief and turned to his father, then unloaded. "What's a good charm to lock my trunk? I don't want the twins or anyone else to do anything sneaky. Can I try out for Quidditch my first year? What if I'm not a Prefect, Head Boy or Quidditch Captain? What if my grades are miserable? What if... What if I don't get sorted into Gryffindor?"

When Ron stopped to get his wind back Arthur chuckled, "Now that is a list. I can teach you to ward your trunk to keep others out. Mind you it will only keep out the curious but a really determined person will find a way around it. Percy might be able to help you find something more potent in the Hogwarts library. First years are allowed to try out for Quidditch, if cleared by Madam Hooch. However, it has been a very long time since a first year made the team."

Arthur watched Ron, trying to tell if he was addressing his son's concerns. When Ron's cheeks flushed and he ducked his head, Arthur knew he had. After a moment he then raised his hand to the back of Ron's head and pulled him close. He kissed the top of Ron's head before answering the last question. "Your family will be proud of you and support you, no matter what house you are sorted into. Just be yourself son, you have nothing to be ashamed of."

He peered up at his Dad and returned a tentative smile. Well the twins can be determined alright. Hopefully they will sod off after just a couple of pranks. So it's doubtful that I will make the Quidditch team, I can still try out. Then they will at least know I am interested in playing. I'm not too keen about sharing a room with a bunch of other blokes but I'll survive.

"What about hazing and pranking the first years? The twins told me some pretty awful things. Like putting a sticking charm on the seats in the loo or hexing students in the halls. Will I have to polish their boots and run errands for them?"

"So they still have the first years doing service for the seventh years?" Ron nodded his head to this. The prats told me I would have to serve them.

"In my seventh year, I had my first year boy press my robes and shirts, polish my boots, run notes to your Mum, and bring me breakfast. That was the best part not having to get up so early for breakfast. As long as your seventh year boy is a decent chap it shouldn't be too bad. There's not much to be done about the pranks though. The Professors do their best to keep things like that to a minimum. If anyone hurts you, tell your brothers and Head of House immediately. Percy is a Prefect this year and I think that will discourage others from harassing you too much. I will have a word with the twins about teasing you."

"No, don't do that. I would rather take my chances with Fred and George than have you talk with them." Ron urged in a panic. Their pranks are pretty funny. They only get bad when you make them mad. If the twins are right about Percy, than it is more likely that I will be a target because of what he does as a Prefect. I know he means well but sometimes I don't think he gets it. Percy can sometimes be pretty stuck-up and the twins can be down right mean.

o~o~O~o~o

"Another one! How many times are they going to make his card," Draco complained loudly before tossing the collectible aside.

Narcissa tipped her head back at the outburst from her only child. She frowned at her son as she threaded her satin smooth hair away from her face. Draco was not prone to such displays of impropriety. He had been reared as an aristocrat. As the heir of two powerful houses Draco would one day have more influence than even his father.

Ignorant of his mother's glare, Draco held the squirming chocolate frog in his hand, relishing the feel of it struggling to be free before biting its head off. Once its head was removed the frog ceased struggling. Now that the enchantment animating the frog was broken he set aside the half eaten treat. Draco was used to eating much more expensive chocolates and didn't particularly care for the plebeian taste. If it weren't for the trading cards and playing with the animated frog, he wouldn't bother. As a bonus, his mother thought it was disgusting when he chewed off various parts of the frog. Watching her go pale and see her lips tighten disapprovingly was a reward in itself. As a result, when he asked for chocolate frogs she would often offer to take him to a Chocolatier in France.

He turned his attention to the discarded collectible. A wizened old man with a long white beard looked up at the lacquered blond haired boy who had cast him upon the ground. He righted the pointy purple hat with blazing gold runes and straightened his matching purple robes. The Headmaster's eyes began to twinkle benevolently when Draco picked the card back up. A silent O of shock lit the venerable wizard's face when the boy flipped him over and slapped him back down on the floor.

In an arrogant voice Draco read the back of the card:

"Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts (born 1881): Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the Dark Wizard Gellert Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel (creator of the Philosopher's Stone). Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and ten-pin bowling."

"Did you hear that Father? Albus Dumbledore is considered the greatest wizard of modern times," he said carefully watching the patriarch for his reaction.

A regal man with meticulously groomed blond hair turned his gray eyes upon the product of his loins. "If it is printed upon a child's trading card, then it must be true." He answered in a convincing tone.

Perfectly aligned white teeth greeted his father's sarcastic answer.

Looking through the stack of trading cards, Draco found the other new card in his collection. It pictured a young couple holding a baby. He turned the card over to skeptically read the back in a more subdued tone:

"Harry James Potter (born July 31st 1980): The first wizard to survive the Killing Curse, earning the title of The-Boy-Who-Lived. Famous for defeating the most dangerous dark wizard of all time, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

Now Lucius and Narcissa were both observing their son with more interest.

"Ha! Who would believe that a baby could beat any wizard? It's just silly to think he could defeat the Dark Lord," he said confidently. His smile broadened when the patriarch nodded in approval.

Were the cards printed in anticipation of Harry Potter? What was the point of another edition of Albus's card? Someone approved of the new prints. I wonder who and why? Lucius debated the relevance to himself.

"What is new about the Headmaster," he asked his son.

"Well the whole bit about Nicolas Flamel and their alchemy accomplishments. What's the Philosopher's Stone?"

"There is only one in existence that we know of and it was created by Nicolas Flamel. It grants the owner immortal life and can turn any metal into gold. The Wizengamot limited the amount of gold he could create because of the affect on the economy. The Philosopher's Stone was an extraordinary creation. It is curious how the card states that Albus is the greatest wizard of 'modern times', Nicolas Flamel's achievements were by far greater and I believe upon his return to France in the eighteenth that a Dark Wizard was defeated. There have been no further uprisings since then. France has enjoyed a golden era for the last three centuries," Lucius answered distractedly.

Why mention Nicolas Flamel now? I know that in the late eighteen hundreds a French solicitor representing Flamel sued any publication mentioning his name. He did not need the money. It was to repress any knowledge of him. So why risk his wrath? What is the significance of the timing? Is it just an attempt to cash in on the boy's fame? Diagon Alley is having a week long sale in celebration of Harry Potter's eleventh birthday. There has been absolutely no mention of 'The-Boy-Who-Lived' since he disappeared October 31st, 1981. Supposed sightings are occasionally reported but there are no pictures or credible witnesses. It is like he is a myth; not even the ministry has an address for the Potter boy. I spent a substantial amount of gold trying to find out what happened to Narcissa and Andromeda's cousin. Perhaps it is time to try another approach.

The young wizard turned his attention back to the stack of collector's cards and pile of unopened chocolate frogs when he saw his father begin to brood. It was never a good idea to interrupt the man when he was deep in thought. As he began to open the next treat his mother interrupted him.

"How would you like to visit France this afternoon, Draco? We could stop at the Chocolatier you like and get you some new tailored dress robes. The awful school robes we are forced to dress you in for Hogwarts will not do for any of the events we attend," Narcissa invited her son. I will also get to have another afternoon with you before school begins. The last eleven years have gone by far too quickly.

A/N: Ron is out of character. I like a good Weasley bashing as much as the next person but I thought it would be good to mix it up. It has always bothered me that Harry's 'best mate' was such a self centred bore.

Story Recommendation: Harry The Hufflepuff by BajaB, story id 6466185 and Harry The Hufflepuff part 2 by BajaB, story id 7330591. Brilliant comedy, one of the few stories in the humour genre I have enjoyed. If you prefer something more serious, read Fugitives of Azkaban story id 3595986 by BagaB or The Substitute story id 4641394 by BajaB.

Thank you for reading the chapter. A great deal of time and effort has been committed to this story. The biggest reward you can give is a review. All comments are welcome.

-Melverne