FicWad

Time to Live 22
By Loralee

Disclaimer: not mine

Leaving On a Jet Plane

Harry and Neville sat in a VIP lounge in Heathrow Airport waiting for the rest of their party. Neville had his nose almost pressed to the glass watching the planes take off and land. He was thoroughly enthralled, much to Harry's amusement. Not that Harry had been much better off his first time in an airport, not so very long ago.



The door opened and Hermione bounced through the door, trailed by Luna. Harry had sent Dobby around to collect the luggage and take it directly to the villa, so they only had their carry on bags with them.



"Hey, Hermione, Luna, how are you?" said Harry as he was enveloped in Hermione's hug. As Hermione released him Luna focused her attention on him.



"May I have a hug also, Harry?"



Harry grinned a little self-consciously but nodded and Luna threw herself at him the same way Hermione had. Luna released him and turned to Hermione and hugged her.



"I can see why you like that so much. I feel all warm and fuzzy now." Luna then walked over to Neville and threw herself into hugging him. She caught him unawares from behind, however and his forehead smashed into the glass of the window.



Hermione rolled her eyes and Harry tried desperately to stifle his laughter as Neville turned to Luna with an odd cross eyed look on his face and Luna smiled happily.



"Did you get that situation with Ginny and Mr. Weasley resolved, Harry?" asked Hermione turning back to him.



"Oh, yeah, Remus spoke to them. Ginny wrote me a letter and apologized and Mr. Weasley agreed to let her come with us. It didn't seem fair to punish her for having a bad day."



Hermione snorted, "A bad day?"



"Well, if she gets left out I can see where there would be a lot more bad days in the future," said Harry with a small grin.



"Yes, I can agree with that. So, you do have our tickets and everything, don't you? What flight are we on?"



"Uh, about that..." he didn't finish the sentence as the door opened to admit Susan Bones and a man Harry didn't recognize.



Susan looked around the room and came over to Harry and Hermione leaving the man standing by the door.



"Hi, Harry, Hermione, how are you? I was afraid I was going to be late. Auntie Amelia insisted that I be escorted and Auror Markison parked clear on the other end of the airport."



Harry laughed, "The Weasleys aren't here yet. They always run late, no matter where they're going. So I told everyone to be here a half hour early." Susan smiled and Hermione just huffed a bit. "Besides we aren't taking a commercial flight after all, so we have a bit of leeway."



"What do you mean Harry?" asked Hermione.



"I had trouble getting a block of seats on a decent flight. So I asked Picklock about travel agencies and instead he recommend a charter flight."



"Oh, Harry you are going to be broke before you get out of school," said Hermione with a frown.



Harry shook his head, "I told you not to worry about it Hermione. I have plenty of money but I'd rather you did mention it to Ron."



Hermione nodded and Susan looked puzzled but she didn't have the chance to ask as the Remus Lupin, Ron, Ginny and Mr. Weasley came in just then.



"...must say this is a most fascinating place, I may bring Molly sometime for a stroll." Mr. Weasley was saying to Remus as they came in the door.



"Harry, mate this place I great, did you see all those food places in the hall back there, Remus wouldn't let us stop. Is there going to be food on trip?" asked Ron.



"What's she doing here?" Ginny's voice was loud and obnoxious and effectively silenced the room. Mr. Weasley looked started and then flushed. Susan who Ginny was staring at paled.



"She is my friend Ginny, I invited her. What's your problem?" said Harry in a hard tone.



"Oh, uh," Ginny was starting to blush now, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound that way. I was just surprised. I thought it was just going to be us, you know, you and I, Ron and Hermione. I'm sorry Susan."



Susan, after a quick look at Harry nodded and said, "No problem."



Mr. Weasley cleared his throat and pulled a piece of broken ruler from his pocket. "I had an international portkey made for emergencies, Remus, Harry. It goes straight to the kitchen of the Burrow. If there are any problems don't hesitate to use it." He was looking straight at Ginny as he said it and she hung her head.



Luna flinging herself onto Ron and hugging him broke the tension. Hermione laughed, as Ron shouted, "Geoff Luna, what's the matter with you?"



"I like Hermione's way of greeting people, Ronald, don't you feel all warm and fuzzy now?" said Luna vaguely, eyeing Remus Lupin next.



Ron shook his head and then caught sight of Neville, whose forehead now sported a large purple bruise. "Blimey Neville, that's some bump what happen?"



"I feel all warm and fuzzy," said Neville dryly.



Harry couldn't contain himself any longer and burst out laughing.



"Excuse me, Mr. Potter?" said a man wearing a blue uniform. When he saw he had Harry's attention he continued, "If your party is ready we can get you through security and board the aircraft."



"We're having a party?" asked Ron in surprise.



Hermione rolled her eyes and Harry broke into laughter again.



"No Ron, he means follow him," said Hermione.



"Well, why didn't he say so?" Ron whined plaintively, following Hermione.



The group moved to follow the uniformed man with Remus, after a hasty goodbye to Mr. Weasley and the Auror still standing by the door, bringing up the rear.



They went through a wizard security checkpoint. The uniformed wizard scanned their carry on bag and then asked for their wand, which he placed on a scale. He glanced at the parchment with an auto quill next to the scale and handed back the wand and bag. The man seemed bored until he came to Harry. He hadn't really looked at any of them other than to note in passing that they were teens. As he glanced at the parchment he took a closer look and then he looked up at Harry's face. Harry saw his eyes flick to the scar and them the man gulped. He almost dropped Harry's wand when he handed it back



"Hav... have a g g good trip, Mr. Potter, sir," he stuttered.



Harry smiled at the man and thanked him but grimaced after he turned away. Everyone else was staring at him and he shrugged slightly. He turned back to the security desk when the man's tone changed dramatically.

"Papers?" he snarled at Remus. Remus' wand was on the scales and he already had some papers out. "There is a fee for your sort to leave the country."



"Is there a problem?" Harry asked, with steel in his voice.



"Oh, no problem Mr. Potter just a matter of the proper fees for egress."



"Fee? Hmm, Mr. Lupin is in my employ so I guess any fees are my responsibility. How much are they?" Harry voice was polite but his eyes were flashing.



The guard gulped and looked down at the paper in his hand.



"Oh, no Mr. Potter that is all right I see the fee was paid in advance." He stamped the paper and handed both, papers and wand, to Lupin with a sickly smile.



"Come on Remus, we would want to miss our flight time, would we?" said Harry, with one last glare at the guard.



Harry noticed that everyone was still staring at him but the man in the uniform got them moving again and eventually the arrived at the gate to their plane. At the door onto the plane the uniformed man turned to them.



"There is a warded lock box just inside the cabin. Please place your wand into the box as you board. Magic and electronics do not mix well especially at high altitudes."



Ron balked, "I don't think we should give up our wands. He could be some Death Eater in disguise, Harry."



"Ron, put your wand in the box or we will miss the World Cup," said Hermione, in McGonagall's no nonsense tone of voice.



Ron goggled at her, "That's right scary."



He placed his wand in the box as he passed and glared suspiciously at the man in uniform.



Ron chose a window seat facing the rear of the plane and across the aisle from Neville who had also gotten a window seat, then groaned when Luna sat next to him. Susan sat across from Neville, facing forward and Ginny sat next to her. Remus sat just across the aisle from Ginny facing Ron and Luna. Harry sat in next section back facing forward. Hermione eyed the seat next to Neville and then sat beside Harry with look in her eye that Harry didn't like.



The man in uniform locked up the box and then stood in the front of the cabin to speak.



"My name is Roger Case, I'm the steward on this flight. After we take off you'll be free to move around the cabin, there will be drinks and snacks available, there is also a restroom at the rear of the cabin. If you have any questions feel free to ask."



"I didn't see you put your wand in the box. Why do you get to keep yours?" asked Ron.



Case smiled, "I don't have a wand. I'm a muggle. Now if you'll fasten your seatbelts, I'll inform the pilot that we are ready to leave." He turned away.



"Blimey and he seemed so normal," said Ron.



"Oh, honestly, that boy!" muttered Hermione.



Harry just grinned, "Don't ever change Hermione."



Hermione looked at Harry carefully and then said, "I don't think I've ever seen you so relaxed, Harry, you look good."



"I feel good, Hermione. We are going to have fun, I'm with people I care about, who care about me, what's not to feel good about?"



"You're spending to much money," she said very quietly.



Harry glanced ahead to make sure Ron couldn't hear them.



"I have more money, Hermione, than any dozen people could spend in several lifetimes. Please don't worry about it. I want to spend a little of it on my friends."



"But Harry this plane..." Harry cut her off with a sigh.



"Hermione, listen...my dad left me a book. The Potter Family secrets he called it. Some of the things in it are funny. Some are just plain odd but the point is that one of the traits, I guess you could call it, of a Potter is investing in what other people call harebrained ideas." She tried to interrupt but Harry slapped his hand over her mouth. "I'm talking. One of my ancestors helped provide funds for a completely innovative idea. It was the idea of educating wizards together in a school instead of individually via apprenticeships.

In return for the money he provided, he asked not for repayment but for his heirs to be educated for free. His friends thought he was nuts but my Hogwarts education is tuition free." Harry grinned at her scandalized expression.



"I always figured you were the heir of Gryffindor or something," she whispered.



Harry shrugged, "There are a lot of people who can claim descent from one or even all of the founders, after a thousand years it doesn't really matter any longer, does it?"



"Power, titles, or control of the school?



"No I checked, the founders didn't have titles when they started. Gryffindor wasn't even Godric's real name. There was a Slytherin family but Salazar wasn't the heir, he was like a fifth son. Both lady founders took other names when they married. The property that Hogwarts sits on is held in trust, in perpetuity by the Goblins. Hogwarts itself is protected under the Magical Sentient Act that protects ancient, self aware, magical artifacts."



Hermione stared at him. "I want to know how you found this out but we are getting off the subject."



Harry's grin faded somewhat.



"Ok, well to make a long story short. Potter's invest in odd things. They also have a reputation for going above and beyond. They fund their squib relations instead of disowning them. I have distant cousins in Australia, Canada, the US, Ecuador and Bolivia. All descended from squibs that left Britain. The Potter Trust funded their education in the muggle world and gave them enough money to start businesses or buy property. The only catch is if they die with out heirs everything reverts to the trust. If their children or grandchildren have magic the Trust kicks in and they get a vault like mine. They can go to Hogwarts for free or they can attend another school elsewhere. My great grand father's youngest brother was a squib. He learned to fly in WW1 and after the war wanted to start an airfreight company in the muggle world. He got his brother to invest in the crazy scheme."



"Oh," Hermione gasp, "YOU own this plane." Harry shook his head.



"No, not really, I do own a lot of stock in the corporation that owns it though. Gringotts uses them for moving magically sensitive cargo and Picklock made the arrangements. Now before you start on the Villa, where we will be staying. The Potter Trust owns it and most of the year it's rented to Wizarding tourists a week or two at a time. There is a caretaker that lives on the property and acts as host to the people who rent it. He has been told not to tell any one that I own it. Ok? Will you keep my secret?" he turned his eyes on her and made a begging face.



"Give it a rest, Potter," she said and punched him in the arm, "Of course I'll keep your secrets. Don't I always."



"Harry," Remus called, "Would you and Hermione like to sit up here with the rest of us? There is enough room."



"Yeah, what are you two whispering about back there?" said Ginny.



"I want to know when we are going to leave," whined Ron.



Then he squeaked as the plane began to move.



Harry grinned at Remus and said, "It will have to wait until we are in the air now, Mooney."



Revised 1/18/07