Unexpected Gifts

Chapter IX

December 12, 1995
Potter Manor, Caithness, Scotland

Harry and Daphne invited several families to the manor for the holiday. Neville and Susan and their small families were going to join, naturally, but the Abbotts, Zabinis, and Finnegan families were invited.

Harry figured it was time that he and Seamus reignited the Alliance between their clans.

He had also invited the Grangers, paid for their transportation when Ben Granger tried to argue about the distance and was now looking at his family tapestry.

Daphne stood beside him, her eyes following the many branches and lines of names. She smiled at him, his eyes being stuck on a small family that was only recently added to the tree.

Robert Buckul, his wife Elaine Buckul, and their twin son and daughter, Bell and Rami Buckul.

The Potter Family Tapestry was littered with years of births and death, and it told them that the Buckul twins were going to turn eleven in January.

The Buckul family wasn't on the tree until they took up their role as Lord and Lady, but they quickly traced Elaine to one of the cadet lines that was thought to have been killed. The line was lost as an orphan, something Harry resonated with deeply.

He didn't know what to do about them until they were laying in bed the previous night.

"It might be a little illegal but why don't we go introduce ourselves to them? We'll explain the situation to Amelia and Professor McGonagall in the morning." Daphne suggested from his side late into the night.

"What would I say to them though?" He asked her, "I never knew that I even had family out there."

She smiled at him and rubbed his arm soothingly, "I'm going with you, Harry. I'm going to stand beside you and introduce myself as your wife."

He snorted lightly and smiled at her, "Who am I to say no to that?" He placed a kiss on her head as she curled herself into him more.

The conversation led them to have a two-way portkey to Glasgow set to leave during the afternoon.

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Once the world came back into view, Harry and Daphne found themselves in an alley between rows of cottages.

Walking out of the alley and onto a cobbled street, Harry let out a breath. He was using the Potter family magic to guide him to the Buckuls and shook his head lightly.

Daphne slipped her arm into his, squeezing it in a comforting way, and gave him an easy smile. "Come on, let's go restore our family."

"You make this a lot easier, you know." He chuckled to her as they began to stroll down the street.

They were dressed in thick muggle pants and shirts, their robes wrapped closely around them. They wore traveling cloaks with hoods in case it either rained or snowed.

They were mostly ignored, although some people eyed them carefully. Those that did gathered that they were people of wealth. Some likely would've tried to cause them trouble, because of Daphne's beauty, and the look of their clothes, but they took one look at Harry's Potter ring and some knew what it was. Others, were tempted to make trouble but Harry seemed to exude power around him.

It took nearly an hour to find a small cottage with a middle-aged man tilling the front garden, collecting root vegetables. He noticed their approach to the house and leaned on his rake, "Sir!" He called.

"Afternoon, sir," Harry nodded at the man. "Are your misses and children home, Mr. Buckul?"

The man tightened his look at Harry as he tightened his hold on the rake, "What does my family have ta do with ya, lad?"