"My responsibility is to the House by way of its Lord," he explained. "Not its Regent. Plus, after a long time considering the issue - years - I've come to firmly believe that the Regent, the current Lord's mother, has been deliberately not trying to find ways to cure her son and daughter-in-bond; but, especially, her son.
"I believe she quite likes the idea of being the Head of one of the Seven and doesn't want to let go. It's a big step up from her House of birth, the Rosiers - who are only an Ancient House."
"So you believe she's deliberately keeping the Lord of the House in hospital and untreated so she can remain in charge?" asked Monica.
"Exactly."
"Isn't there anything you can do?" asked Wendell.
"There is and I've done it," he replied.
That's when he explained exactly what had happened the previous night. He also explained how the Healers sent from Gringotts had the Lord and Lady awake, but barely, within moments. And how, once they knew they could be healed, they were snuck out of the Hospital and into Gringotts's own in secrecy.
"You kidnapped them," frowned Wendell.
"No," he firmly replied. "As I said earlier, the Charter not only tells me I should act, it directs me to actually act. If I did not also firmly believe the Regent would not try to block me, I would have just had the healers heal them in situ and left things alone. But, I'm also responsible for the safety of the House, which is why they were removed from that location to a secure treatment centre."
Wendell sat back, thought a moment and asked, "And this was completely legal?"
"Absolutely," he replied. "However, Madam Longbottom is going to go spare when she discovers it was me who did it."
"How will she know?" asked Monica.
"Because, I'm also going to make sure she knows it was me," he replied. "Well, it would be better to state I'm going to make sure her grandson, my friend, knows it was me and that his parents are safe."
"That's a big risk," said Wendell. "She might try to kill you."
"No, but she will try everything else," he disagreed. "Having me arrested, having me censured by the Wizengamot, reporting to the Daily Prophet I've kidnapped her son and daughter-in-bond, that sort of thing. She will try everything in her power to force me to hand them back over to her.
"The problem for her, though, is it won't work. Besides me being legally in the right in this, where they are now is under a lock-down that will not release until the early hours of Tuesday morning. They're under time dilation. Which means, after seventy-two hours of outside time - three days - thirty six days are going to pass inside the chamber. When they come out they're going to be healthy, hearty and hale.
"Then, if I'm right and I believe I am, Augusta Reeves Longbottom née Rosier is going to have to face the wrath of her Lord. She will be brought to task for all the things she has done in the name of the House of Longbottom that weren't in the best interests of the House of Longbottom, after all."
"Does this endanger my daughter?" he asked.
"No, not at all," he easily replied. "No pureblood, which Augusta Longbottom is, would ever think of interfering in a Betrothal. Even during the height of war, that was a definite no-go area for all."
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
After the previous day's 'up', today was a 'down' day for Ron Weasley. Yesterday's Daily Prophet had Harry Bloody Potter being torn apart by the newspaper. Today, they were all on their knees begging his forgiveness and blaming some old white haired git for telling them lies.
"Hey, Mum?" he asked. "In the Prophet, where it says some manipulative old white haired git told them lies about Potter, who do you think they were talking about?"
"They were talking about Albus Dumbledore, Ron," she replied, not even looking up where she was cooking extra bacon. "I would have thought that would be obvious."
"And it's Lord Potter, Ron," said Arthur. "The young man has attained his Lordship now. You have no right to just call him 'Potter'."
As Ron sat there moping, the hand associated with his name on the clock clicked back to 'In Danger'. This time with a loud 'Dong!' sound. The hand had been charmed so the adult Weasleys would know if it moved to point to the wrong spot on the clock.
His mother spun on the spot and screeched, "RONALD BILIUS WEASLEY!"
Ronald, half-terrified, stared back in fear and his clock hand immediately moved back to 'At Home' with a 'Ding!'
"Ron," sighed his father. "If you don't get that jealousy, resulting anger and foolish determination to open your mouth and say what you shouldn't under control by Christmas, you're going to your Aunt Muriel's the very next day. Am I clear?"
"Yes, Dad," he mumbled.
"Louder, son!"
"Yes, Dad," he quickly and more clearly stated.
"If paddling your behind until it is redder than your hair won't fix it, maybe your Aunt Muriel will be able to."
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
After figuring out his grandmother was upset about something relating to his parents, Neville had been hanging either about or in the welcoming hall of the Hall, waiting for her to get home.
When she finally arrived back, after having been away for almost two hours, Neville was just walking back into the hall.
Standing just inside the doorway, he waited for her to clear herself of soot before he quietly said, "Grandmother."
Turning on him, Neville could see she was still angry and, yes, even a little frightened. That expression suddenly disappeared. "Neville," she said. "Good morning."
'Wow; those Occlumency barriers went up fast,' he thought.
"How were things at... ummm... well, how about that?" he quietly said. "I don't know, because you never actually told anyone where you were going. Actually, you never told anyone you were going anywhere at all."
Snapping her head to stare at him, she snapped, "Don't take that tone with me, young man."
"You left here without telling anyone, especially me, you were even going out," said Neville. "You just disappeared. Not a word, not a note, not even giving the house elves a clue as to your destination, why you'd be there or when you were likely to return.
"I'm not the one who needs to apologise for their tone, grandmother. I was moments away from contacting the DMLE and reporting you a missing person. And I'd have been right to do so."
Augusta tried to glare her grandson down, but failed. Since he'd acquired his own wand and found out it was her intransigence about him using his father's wand was almost completely the reason behind his poor showing at school for the first three years, he had started showing a lot more backbone. She knew he knew she failed him miserably in that.
She sighed and more quietly said, "You're right, Neville. I should have at least let Fluxy know to let you know where I was going, so you wouldn't worry when you rose."
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