Harry, Draco, and Ron

Marvolo Sat In His Latest Business Venture In The Post-War Economy. In His Fifth Year He Had Used The Money From The The Family Vault To Fund and Operate Various Business Ventures. Such Ventures Included But Were Not Limited To A Butterbeer Factory and A Number Of Private Wizards Restaurants and Café's. The One He Was In At Present Was The Latest, But Grander. The Place Was Located In Hogsmeade, Built To Act As A Social Club Of Sorts For Parents, Former Or Graduated Students, and Teachers Alike. Twenty Four/Seven Service and Protection, Collectively The Cafè Had More Protection and Anti-Trespessing Charms Than The Ministry's Of Magic In Britain, USA, and China Put Together. Today The Premises Actually Had A Specific Anti-Entrance Charm Active.

Rita Skeeter Was The Queen Bee Of Exaggerated Gossip News, and Marvolo Did Not Want Her Present In Any Shape Or Form To Inform On His Marriage Plans Publically. Marvolo Actually Had A Wizards Restraining Order Against Skeeter, Requiring Her To Be No Less Than A District and A Half Away. Draco Sat With Marvolo, Since Both Were In A Relationship With One Of The Greengrass Siblings, Draco Dating Daphne's Younger Sister. The Papers Had Dubbed The Two Relationships As The Matches Of The Century. Draco Had Mellowed Even Grown As A Person, Enough That Marvolo Trusted Him To Help Run Some Of His Businesses

The Mood Was Tense and Silent, Two Slytherins and Gryffindors Sat Across From Each Other, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley On One Side, While Draco Malfoy and Marvolo Gaunt Sat On The Opposite. ''Thank You For Accepting My Invitation, I Know We Don't Have The Best History Together, We Four, But I Hope This Can Change.'' Says Marvolo. ''Speak For Yourself, Your The Only Slytherin We Remotely Trust, No Offense Malfoy.'' Says Ron. Draco Goes to Bite Back, But Swallows His Words. ''Ron, This Is My Establishment, Meaning You Have To Adhere To The Rules Of Conduct Required To Enter, The Fact You Aren't Being Manhandled By The Goblin Administrators Is Because I Instructed Them Not. So Please, Hold That Fiery Tongue Of Yours.'' Says Marvolo, Comically Indicating To Five Goblins Holding Clubs With The Sign "Rule Breakers Will Be Punished, Weasley's In Particular" Hanging Above Them.

''Oh Bloody Hell, You Set That Up Just For Us?'' Asks Harry. ''What Can I Say? The Look On Your Faces Was Worth It. But In All Seriousness, I Asked You Three Here For An Important Mattter. Marriage.'' Says Marvolo and All but Draco Do A Double Take At His Words. ''Marriage?'' Asks Ron In Horrified Disgust, Or Whatever His Reaction To His Yule Ball Robes Were After Seeing Harry's. ''I Plan On Proposing To Both Daphne and Tracey Tomorrow, and I Want You Two To Come, But More Precisely, I Want You To Be My Best Man Harry.'' Says Marvolo As Weasley and Potter Exchange Glances. ''Here's My Adress, You Can Find Me There From Four Til Six, Otherwise I'll Be At The Ministry With Harry, Doing Auror Training.'' Says Marvolo, Before Getting Up and Departing. ''Try To Keep It On The Down Low, Last Thing We Want Is It Going Public.'' Says Draco As He Follow's Marvolo.

Marvolo and Draco Were Sharing A Glass Of Gaunt Butterbeer. Bottled In The Factory Outside Little Hangleton, Where The New Gaunt Estate Stood. The Factory Used Muggle Technology To Mass-Produce Butterbeer. The Machinery Was Separate From The Production Facility Of Butterbeer Iteslf, So As Not To Cause Disruptions As Was Common When Magic and Technology Mixed. The Butterbeer Was Produced In A Second Facility Outside Little Hangleton, Where Many Butterbeer Flavours Were Tested, Made, and Then Sent To The Café's and Restaurants In Marvolo's Portfolio. The Three Broomsticks Also Got Regular Shipments Of Their Products.

Among The Most Popular Brews Were Peppermint, Strawberry, Watermelon, and Lemonade Flavoured Butterbeer. The Butterbeer That Draco and Marvolo Were Sharing At Present Was Of The Strawberry Lemonade Flavor, One Of Their Combination Butterbeers.

''You Think Potter'll Go For It?'' Asks Draco. ''I'm Not Sure, If He Does It Will Heal Old Wounds, If He Doesn't It Could Ignite More Old Problems Anew. Tell Me, Did You Hear About Lovegood? Started A Relationship With.....Wait For It.....Newt Scamander's Grandson.'' Says Marvolo As He Slightly Chuckles As Draco Chokes On His Butterbeer. ''To Think, Seven Years Ago, We Were Rivals and Roommates, Now Look At Us. We're Both Dating A Girl Whose Sister Is Dating The Other, We're Business Partners, Friends, and On Amicable Terms With Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley.'' Says Draco. ''The Feelings Mutual Draco.'' Says Marvolo As He Turns Away From The Window. ''Where Will You Ask Them?'' Asks Draco. ''I Think The Place It All Began Would Best, Professor McGonagall Has Agreed To Call A Special Great Hall Meeting To Honor The Fallen More Personally, and To Allow Me The Opportunity To Propose.'' Says Marvolo. ''Trust That Astoria and Myself Will Be There. Along With Our Parents.'' Says Draco Trying Not To Vomit While Saying The Last Sentence. ''I Appreciate It, But If I Propose, Astoria Is Going To Want To Know If and When You'll Propose To Her. We're Both Only Children, and Both Daphne and Astoria Have A Blood Curse On Their Line, I Can Arrange For My Deal WithThe Ministry To Include The Two Of You If You Like?'' Sugests Marvolo. ''I'll Let You Know.'' Says Draco With a Veiled Smile.

Marvolo Stood With Select Veterans Of The Battle Of Hogwarts As The Ministry Officials Pinned Medals and Citations To Their Robes. When That Was Done, McGonagall Spoke. ''I Would Now Like To Direct Your Attention To The Slytherin Table, Specifically Miss Daphne Greengrass and Miss Tracey Davis.'' Says McGonagall As Marvolo Walked Done Past Hermione and Ginny, Both Of Whom He Winked and Smiled Flirtatiously At, Before Arriving At The Two Girlfriends Of His At Slytherin.

With Creeping Smile, He Got Down On One Knee and Held Out Two Wedding Rings To Both Girls. ''Daphne Greengrass, Tracey Davis, Would You Two Be My Wives?'' Asks Marvolo As Both Girls Take The Rings and Wrap Them on Their Fingers, Before Taking Turns Kissing Him. Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Yes Even Gryffindor Cheer The Newly Engaged Threesome On, as Marvolo Leads Them Up To The Teachers Area, and Walks Over To Harry. ''Harry Potter, We Are The Brightest, Bravest, and Most Resourceful Wizards At Hogwarts- No Offense All Hermione,'' Says Marvolo Pausing To Let The Laughing Students Stop. ''But We Were Never Truly Enemies, In Spite Of Everything Being What It Was, So, I Leave Me My Medal and Citation With You, Until The Day You Feel I Have Truly Earned Them. You Are My Sole and Only True Equal Harry Potter, and A Good Man.'' Says Marvolo Taking His Medal and Citation Of His Robes Before Shaking Hands With potter and Handing Him The Medals Awarded Him As A Show Of Respect.

His Piece Said, Marvolo Leaves The Great Hall With His Fiancée's In Tow. Astoria and Draco Follow Them. The Slytherin and Gryffindor Students Sat In Disbelief, Unsure What To Make Of Marvolo's Two Declarations, But For Harry He Knew What His Answer Would Be. ''Three Cheers For Marvolo Gaunt and House Slytherin!'' Shouts Harry As The Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws and Gryffindors Cheer Slytherin and Marvolo In Particular.

The Storm Of Questions Regarding The Weddings Were As Large and Loud As They Were Instant and Long, Marvolo Only Ever Stated He Wished To Complete Auror Training Before Finally Marrying. The Guest List Was Limited To Friends, Family, and Hogwarts Professors. A Few Other People Of Note and Renown Would Be In Attendance, But Otherwise Nothing Special. The Wedding Was Set To Happen At The New Gaunt Estate, Built Atop The Ashes Of The Old Gaunt Shack and Much Of The Surrounding Garden. Of All The Guests There Were Four He Insisted On Having Present, Hagrid, Professor Flitwick, Hermione and Kingsley Shacklebolt. Kingsley Was In Effect, The Closest Thing Marvolo Had Ever Really Actually Had As A Father-Figure Or Such A Thing. His Own Father Was Still In Azkhaban So Far As Marvolo Knew, Or Cared To For That Matter. So This Of Course Required Kingsley To Attend Naturally.

Marvolo and Harry Were Facing Off In Auror Training, Because They'd Been Chosen As Partners Should They Both Pass. In Their Hands Wrre Their Wands, Harry's Old One and The Elder Wand In Marvolo's Hand. The Two Couldn't Agree How To Deal WIth it, So The Dueled Over The Wands Fate, Which Was Won By Marvolo After A Skillful Use Of Two Wands. Marvolo Had Chosen To Split The Elder Wands Power Three Ways. Harry's Phoenix Feather Holly Wand, Marvolo's Red Oak Dragon Heartstring, and Hermione's New Wand Of Cherry and Unicorn Hair. The Three Supreme Cores Of Ollivander, The Power Of The Elder Wand Divided, and The Three Strongest Wizards Hogwarts Produced In The Current Decade Made For A Potent Trio.

The Three Wands Were Connected, Kind Of Like Wands With Cores Derived From The Same Source, But More Precisely and Strongly. Marvolo Used His Elder Wand As A Duelling Wand, Which He Paired With His Secondary Wand Of Manuka and Thunderbird Tail Feather Stock. He'd Acquired This Wand Recently, After His Original Acacia and Unicorn Hair Wand Was Destroyed By Harry. It Was A Gift From New Zealand Wandmaker John Cornelius, A Dutch Immigrant To New Zealand Who Embraced The Culture and Local Nature Of His New Home, After The Muggle World War Two Began and Displaced His Family From The Netherlands. Marvolo Had Simply Given Him Directions, and The Man Gave Him The Wand As A Gift.

According To Ollivander and Flitwick, Manuka Wood Was Known For Enduring The Passage Of Time Unlike Any Other, and Being A Sturdy Wand Wood Best Used For Charms and Transfiguration. The Wand Itself Was Reasonably Supple, Which Was Something Opposed By The Wand Wood's Characteristic Endurance. Nevertheless, It Suited His Twin Wand Duelling Style Perfectly, He Could Quickly and Drastically Hex, Disarm, or Blast An Opponent With His Elder Wand, Or He Could Create An Impenetrable Shield Charm With His Manuka Wand.

''Alright, Nothing To Drastic Or Lethal, Just Sparring Between Partners.'' Declared Flitwick, Who Was Presiding Over The Initial Display Of Combative Magic To Determine The Best Training Regimen. Both Harry and Marvolo Bowed and Raised Their Wands Before Walking Ten Paces and Then Twirling Around Firing Magic At Each Other. ''Flipendo!'' Says Harry Using The Knockback Jinx, But Marvolo Had Already Thrown Up A Non-Verbal Protection Charm. The Jinx Doesn't Even Tickle Marvolo's Shield. ''Bombarda!'' Says Marvolo Using The Blasting Charm Against Harry, Only For Him To Be Shielded By Marvolo Casting A Second Non-Verbal Protection Charm On Harry. ''Very Good Marvolo, You Predicted Harry's Move, Shielded Yourself Before Attacking, Only To Raise A Shield Against Harry To Limit The Damage Your Blasting Charm Did Him.'' Flitwick Praised Marvolo, Before Turning To Harry.''Your Spellwork Was Excellent Mr. Potter, But You Failed To Factor In Marvolo's Cunning Intellect and His Use Of A Second Wand.'' Says Flitwick. ''Actually Professor, Compared To Our Last Duel, Harry's Form has Shown Great Improvement, I Named Him My Only True Equal For A Reason.'' Says Marvolo Speaking Up For Harry.

''Hmm, Having Witnessed That Duel, I Must Agree With Your Assessment Mr. Gaunt. I Think I Now Know What Training Would Suit You Both Best. When Facing A Dark Wizard, Mr. Gaunt Should Take The Lead and Mr. Potter Should Act As Support. Therefore I Suggest You Focus On Defensive, Healing, and Distraction Type Spells Mr. Potter.'' Says Flitwick. ''Thank You For The Advice Professor.'' Says Harry. ''My Pleasure, I'm Actually Quite Thrilled To Assist You Both In Your Auror Training, As Your Both Great Former Pupils.'' Says Flitwick. ''It Us We Who Should Be Thanking You Professor, For Taking The Time To Help Us At All.'' Says Marvolo As Kingsley Shacklebolt Appears. ''Minister Shacklebolt, What a Pleasant Surprise! Come To See The Pride Of Gryffindor and Slytherin Facing Off In a Rematch? Sadly, If This Is So, You've Just Missed The End.'' Says Flitwick. ''Actually I'm Here To Speak With Marvolo. Can I Have A Few Minutes?'' Asks Shacklebolt. ''Of Course.'' Flitwick and Marvolo Say In Unison.

Walking Away From Flitwick and Harry, Shacklebolt Hands Him A Letter. ''From Your Father, In Azkhaban.'' Says Kingsley. ''That Man is Dead To Me.'' Says Marvolo Before Casting Incendio On The Envelope. ''Your The Only Father I Have Minister.'' Says Marvolo, Before Kingsley Hands Him Another Letter. ''What's This?'' Asks Marvolo. ''Your Mother's Alive, She's Asked To Meet You.'' Says Kingsley. ''My Mother Died In The Last War.'' Says Marvolo. ''No, She Was Kept In Magically Induced Coma and Was Kept In Saint-Mungos. She's Been released and Has Asked To See You. Your Eighteen Now Marvolo, You Don't Have To Visit Her If You Don't Want To. ''Do The Bulstrode's Know? Or Milly For That Matter?'' Asks Marvolo. ''Yes, They've Been Told, Miss Bulstrode Wanted To Tell You ButI Felt It Would Be Best If I Told You Myself.'' Says Kingsley As He Hands The Lettter and Departs.

Opening The Letter, Marvolo Reads It Uncertainly....

Dear Marvolo

I Will Understand If You Don't Want To Talk Or Meet Me, But Know I Never Wanted To Give You Up. You Were My Son, The Sole Reminder Of What Your Father Used To Be, and The Most Precious Thing I Had. It Would Mean A Lot To Me If You Could Meet With Me, I Hear you Graduated Hogwarts and Are Already Engaged To Two Lovely Girls. I Just Want to See You, We Don't Need To Speak, Just Meet if Possible.

_I Want You To Know I Couldn't Be More Proud Of All Your Accomplishments During Your Hogwarts Tenure, You Possess All The Skill Of Salazar Slytherin, But None Of His Taint. _Enclosed With This Letter, You Will Find A Picture Of Us With Your Father. The Sole Memento I Had Of Our Brief Time As A Family. It's Yours.

Sincerely

Your Loving Mother,

Octavia Bulstrode

Marvolo Sat In Silent Thought, Before Breaking Down In Tears As He Stared At His Family Photograph. Never One To Show Such Emotion, The Letter Brought Up Long Buried Feelings He'd Forgotten Years Past.

(Author's Note: Sorry For The Reference MickGessitt, Needed A Name and Person Established Here and Elsewhere and Your Mentioning Of The Mother Was The Only Thing In Recollection, Since This Was Finished But Not Published At 02:06 am In The Morning)