BurningFlames - Harry Potter and The Smallest Change

Harry Potter and the Smallest Change
Story: Harry Potter and the Smallest Change

Storylink: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13958111/1/
Category: Harry Potter
Genre: Adventure/Fantasy
Author: BurningFlames
Authorlink: https://www.fanfiction.net/u/760958/
Last updated: 09/30/2021
Words: 258715
Rating: M
Status: Complete
Content: Chapter 1 to 55 of 55 chapters
Source: FanFiction.net
Summary: What would the Wizarding World be like if Severus Snape convinced
Voldemort to attack the Longbottoms instead of the Potters that fateful Halloween? How
would Harry's life have turned out with a loving and supportive family? What would
Neville be like as the BWL, having grown up in the spotlight, like Dumbledore had
feared in Canon? Harry/Fleur. Hufflepuff Harry.
*Chapter 1*: Prologue
Disclaimer: I own none of the things you already know of.
Harry Potter and the Smallest Change.
Prologue.
Severus Snape sat at a long mahogany table in the dimly lit dining room of Lestrange
Manor. Around him at the long table sat the Inner Circle of the Death Eaters. Toward the
head of the table sat Rodulphus and Rabastan Lestrange, Bellatrix Lestrange and
Lucius Malfoy. Those who were highest in the Dark Lord's esteem.
The Dark Lord Voldemort stood at the head of the table. He was a handsome man who,
if you ignored his crimson eyes, would appear the equal of any Lord of the Ancient
Houses.
'My friends, this is an auspicious evening. Tonight, we will destroy the House of
Longbottom, those who have fought so hard against our noble cause.' Voldemort
announced with a cruel smirk as his crimson eyes roamed up and down the table.
Severus could feel the Dark Lord's mind entering his own as crimson eyes met Severus'
own cold, black eyes. He stilled his thoughts and pushed the feeling of anticipation to
the forefront of his mind; moments later, the Dark Lord's mind moved on and Severus
gave an internal sigh of relief.
'The three Lestranges have helped to map out the wards surrounding Longbottom
Manor. None have breached them before, but thanks to their efforts that will no longer
be true come the dawn.' Voldemort purred and expressions of cruel anticipation graced
the faces of each of the Inner Circle.
The large doors to the dining hall opened with a screech of weathered iron hinges to
reveal Peter Pettigrew, one of Severus' school bullies, the Marauders. Severus withheld
a snarl with difficulty at the sight of the pudgy, rat-like man. Instead, a tightening of his
jaw was the only outward sign of his displeasure.
'M-my Lord. I-I bring news.' Pettigrew gasped. He leant forward and rested his plump
hands on his thighs.
'Why are you late, Wormtail? You know what happens to those who displease their
Lord, don't you?' Voldemort hissed, his voice low but clear, the only other sound in the
room came from Peter's gasped inhalations.
'T-the Potters have moved from Potter Manor, my Lord.' Pettigrew continued, his beady
eyes darted about the room; perhaps looking for shelter from the Dark Lord's wrath.
Severus withheld a smirk at the thought before his black eyes moved to Voldemort,
whose crimson eyes bored into Pettigrew's.
'Where are they now Wormtail?' the question was soft, but Severus heard the man's
eagerness and his heart pounded in his chest.
'My L-Lord, they hid the Potters under the Fidelius Charm.' Peter took a breath and
coughed, still catching his breath.
Severus held in the sigh of relief that threatened to escape his lips.
Voldemort's eyes narrowed at the rat-like man and his crimson eyes flashed, the
muscles in his neck twitching as the Dark Lord held his temper at bay.
'Who is the Secret Keeper?' he hissed, danger in every syllable.
'I am, m-my Lord.' Peter stuttered.
Severus' eyes widened and his heart thumped hard in his chest. No, he couldn't let this
happen.
Voldemort's gaze settled on him for a moment before he turned back to Pettigrew.
'Tell us the Secret, Wormtail.' Voldemort commanded, and Peter straightened.
'My L-Lord, the Potter's live at Four Moor street, Godric's Hollow.' Peter declared.
Severus saw a gleam enter the Dark Lord's eyes and his world started to crumble
around him. He could not let Lily die. His mind raced as he considered and discarded
plans at a speed Rowena Ravenclaw would have envied.
Severus stood, drawing shocked expressions from the Inner Circle and the narrow-eyed
stare of Voldemort as his chair scraped along the stone floor.
'My Lord, do you require aid with the wards of Longbottom Manor?' Severus asked,
knowing that his life was measured in seconds. But he had to make it appear that
attacking the Potters personally was a show of weakness.
Voldemort's gaze bore into his mind and Severus pushed anticipation to the forefront of
his mind again, hoping to survive the Dark Lord a few moments longer. A minute passed
as the Dark Lord's glare settled on Severus. Finally, the Dark Lord turned to gaze down
at Bellatrix.
'Bella my dear, you will lead an attack on the Potters now that we have the Secret to
their hiding place. You will take your husband and his brother.' The Dark Lord's voice
was quiet, and the assembled Death Eaters hung on his every word.
Voldemort's gaze fell on Severus again before a small smirk crossed his face.
'You will also take Severus, Wormtail and Barty. Six of you should be more than enough
to handle the Potters.' Voldemort finished before he gave Severus one last dark look.
'I will handle the Longbottoms.'
A/N: Welcome all to my latest work. It's been awhile since I posted Harry Potter and the
Ebony Throne and I've spent that time writing this and working on a number of other
projects. This story will cover Harry's life from early childhood up until after Hogwarts, as
such this story will involve multiple time skips, its going to be long enough without me
diving into the minutiae of every day. So if I skip over a period of time, its safe to
assume that events occur similar to canon, or nothing interesting happens. It is
complete, I'm just struggling to make it look as nice on this site as it does in Word.
*Chapter 2*: Chapter 1 - Childhood
Chapter 01.
A five-year-old Harry Potter sat in the lounge room of Potter Manor. The room was large
and decorated in rich, warm tones. Mahogany floorboards and a comfortable yet tasteful
lounge suite surrounded the centre of the room where a rug covered the floorboards.
This rug displayed the Potter coat of arms, a rearing griffon and lion separated by
quadrants with a rampant Stag on either side.
Beside him sat his sister, Holly, who was three and a half. The siblings both had black
hair and green eyes. Holly held a stuffed sheep in her hands; but her eyes were on the
stuffed dragon that sat abandoned on the couch on the other side of the room.
'Hawwy, I wanna Dwagon.' Holly said, pointing at the dragon on the couch.
Harry sat less than a metre away from her and held a stuffed black dog named Padfoot
in his little hands. He looked up at Holly and smiled at her; he reached out with one
hand toward the couch behind him and a moment later, the dragon shot across the
room into his outstretched hand.
Harry handed it to Holly with a smile and turned back to his dog.
Lily Potter stood in the middle of the doorway into the dining room, her eyes wide. One
hand covering a gasp while the other rested on her protruding belly. She was pregnant.
'Harry dear?' she said, and Harry turned from his stuffed dog and looked up at her with
a question in his eyes.
'Do you know what you just did, honey?' Lily asked, and Harry shook his head.
'Did I do something wrong Mumma?' he asked, worry in his eyes.
Lily shook her head with a soft smile and looked down at him.
'No honey, what you did was amazing. Can you do it again for mummy?' she asked,
drawing the attention of both children.
'What did I do Mumma?' Harry asked, his face scrunched up into a frown.
'You summoned the dragon from the couch for Holly. Can you summon the stuffed
Moony from the couch too?' Lily asked, pointing at a stuffed Wolf toy that sat beside a
stuffed Stag with impressive antlers.
Harry blinked at her, confused. He turned to see Holly beaming at him, and he smiled.
He turned away from Lily, toward the couch, and reached out a hand toward the stuffed
Wolf.
His face scrunched into a frown and his outstretched arm shook with effort.
Nothing happened.
He slumped with a sigh and turned to Lily.
'I can't do it Mumma.' He admitted, eyes downcast.
'You did it a minute ago, but it's okay, honey. We can try it again another time.' Lily
ruffled his hair, then she straightened, holding her belly with both hands.
'Who wants lunch?' Lily said as she patted her belly.
Holly's hand shot up, a wide smile on her face.
'Me, me.' She called, bouncing in place.
Harry wore a frown and stared down at his hands before he nodded to himself. He held
his arm outstretched toward the stuffed Moony on the couch.
Harry didn't notice Holly staring at him in wonder as his messy black hair moved about
as if in a breeze. He did not notice Lily's wide smile as she watched him.
Harry's eyes narrowed and the stuffed Moony shot across the room like a bullet; it
pushed him to the ground when he tried to catch it. Holly leapt on him with a giggle,
crushing him in a tight hug, and Harry held her close to his chest while Lily looked on,
her eyes twinkling.
Lily turned away from the children to hide her grin and took a step into the dining room.
'Who wants chicken in their sandwich?' she called.
A six-year-old Harry sat cross legged in front of his Uncle Remus. Harry emulated the
werewolf's closed eyes as the two sat in silence on the grounds of Potter Manor.
Lush, green grass surrounded them as they sat in a section of the lawn. Nearby, the
decorative gardens provided a burst of vibrant yellows, pinks, and blues. The soft sound
of crickets in the evening the only sound around them.
'Uncle Moony, why are we sitting like this?' Harry asked, his eyes closed.
Remus grinned and gave a soft chuckle.
'Harry, I've told you before. I'm teaching you how to meditate. I learnt how to do this in
India a few years ago and I think it will help you find your centre.' Remus replied, his
voice low and soothing.
'But I'm bored. Why can't I go play with Holly?' asked Harry, and he opened one eye.
'Because Harry, I'm not around as much as I'd like, and your parents think it's important
that I teach you this skill.' Remus said, and Harry huffed.
'Okay, Uncle Moony, if you say so. I'll try harder.' Harry said and closed both his eyes
again, then let out a long breath.
A few minutes later, the world around him seemed to fall away as Harry sunk further into
his mind. The scent of pine filled his mind and a sense of calm he'd never experienced
before filled him.
'Good Harry, now, focus on that feeling of calm. Sink deeper into it.' Remus' voice
sounded far away, but Harry followed it.
He revelled in the feeling of calm and embraced it. Inside his mind, it seemed like a ball
of light shone, like he was looking into the sun with his eyes closed.
'Harry, where you are now is your magical core. I want you to visit it every day.
Eventually you'll be able to call it up without meditating.' Remus' far away voice echoed
in his mind and Harry nodded, lost in the light of his magic.
A few minutes later, Harry opened his eyes and collapsed onto his back, letting out a
deep breath.
'Good work Harry. I need you to keep practicing that until I'm able to come back. Can
you do that?' Remus asked, and Harry looked up at the werewolf and grinned.
'Yeah, Uncle Moony, I can do that.' Harry gave a tired smile before laying back down.
A seven-year-old Harry stood beside Holly in Diagon Alley, peering into the window of
Quality Quidditch Supplies.
Lily stood behind them holding a one-year-old Charlus Potter in her arms. Baby Charlus
had the beginnings of a mop of the same red hair as his mother and brown eyes like his
father.
James Potter stood beside his wife, his finger caught in Charlus' grip, a wide grin on his
face.
Diagon Alley shone in the bright winter sunlight, white snow on the roofs, and Christmas
decorations on almost every surface. Giant candy canes acted as signposts for shops,
and Wizarding folk of all sorts filled the Alley.
'Hold on you two, no going anywhere without one of us with you.' Lily called, her soft
voice drawing Harry's attention, who turned back to her, turning Holly with him as he
held her hand.
'But mum, it's the new Cleansweep. Don't you see how shiny it is?' Harry asked before
turning to James.
'Dad, don't you want to see how fast it can go?' Harry asked, and Holly nodded eagerly
beside him.
James pulled back from Charlus, his finger still help captive by the baby.
'You know we can't buy every new broom that comes out, you two.' He started, drawing
a smile from Lily.
'But maybe we can have a look?' James finished and Lily huffed and rolled her eyes.
Harry and Holly shared a grin before turning back to the display broom in the window.
Holly pointed at a Christmas tree inside the shop through the window, covered with
Quidditch themed decorations.
'Harry, look at the tree. It's covered with cool decorations. Dad would love them.' She
whispered in his ear, and Harry grinned at her.
His hand dipped into his pocket and pulled out a single galleon.
'Do you think this will be enough to get something good?' he whispered back, careful to
keep the coin hidden from their parents behind them.
Holly beamed and gripped his hand. She tugged him toward the entrance without their
parents noticing.
Loud cracks around the Alley broke the festive atmosphere, followed by screams as a
dozen black-robed figures appeared around the Alley, firing spells at anything that
moved.
A bright red spell shot past Harry's head and he gripped Holly's hand tighter. He drew
her inside the store.
'Holly, quickly, we need to hide.' Harry hissed and Holly nodded, her eyes wide and her
face paler than he had ever seen.
As they entered the store, Harry could see no customers or staff. He shrugged and
figured they left when the scary people outside arrived.
The room had several racks on the far side of the store holding Quidditch Jersey's from
both the national and international leagues. To Harry and Holly's left, brooms filled the
wall, ranging from the older Cleansweep models to the newer Comet series.
A bright blue spell crashed through the window next to them and Harry's inspection of
the store ended. He squeezed Holly's hand in his.
Harry pulled Holly into the far corner of the store, hiding in the display of international
Quidditch Jersey's.
Moments later, Harry, who was peering out from between two red Bulgarian team
jerseys, saw a black-robed man enter the store. The man's robes clung tight to his body,
like they were too small. The man bore slicked back, grey hair, and a brutish, hairy face.
Harry's eyes widened as he recognised the man from stories that he had heard his
Uncles Moony and Padfoot telling.
Fenrir Greyback.
Fenrir cocked his head to the side and sniffed, a long-drawn-out inhalation, like he was
sniffing the air as a dog would.
From his hiding spot, Harry gasped as he remembered Moony doing the same thing
when playing hide and seek with the two Potter siblings.
The man was searching for their scent.
Fenrir turned toward them, and his grey eyes lit up. Harry held Holly close as the man
took a step toward them.
'I'm going to have a lot of fun with two quivering children. Especially those who don't
know how to hide properly.' Greyback whispered. His voice carried through the silent
store with ease.
Harry looked down and saw his shoes covered by sunlight; they weren't covered by the
Jersey's they hid behind.
He kissed Holly's forehead.
'I'll protect you; I promise.' Harry whispered as he stepped out from their hiding place to
face the werewolf.
Fenrir froze, his eyes widening as Harry strode out to face him.
Tears ran down Harry's face and his nose dripped; his knees shook even as his green
eyes bore into the towering man in front of him.
'Leave us alone.' Harry demanded, though his voice quavered, and tears slid down his
jaw.
Greyback laughed, a deep throaty laugh. Then, an instant later, he rushed forward and
grabbed Harry's head, and lifted him in the air. The werewolf's large hand squeezed
Harry's head, and he felt it would explode as the man's werewolf enhanced strength
crushed his skull like a grape.
But Harry felt his magic roiling inside him like a storm. Magic that his mother had been
teaching him to control for years. The same magic that Uncle Remus had been teaching
him to connect with through meditation.
It begged to be released; it was like an enraged dog on a chain, straining to break free.
Harry broke the chain.
He opened his eyes and pushed his magic out in front of him; he pushed it through his
hands, pointing them at the werewolf that held him.
A moment later, a pulse of invisible force burst out from Harry's hands. Fenrir Greyback
flew through the air and crashed through the display window out onto the street, where
bright lights shot toward him and he apparated away seconds later.
Harry fell to the floor of the Quidditch store, his head throbbing and a burning pain
pulsed through his hands. He leant forward, his breath coming in great heavy gasps on
his knees.
Holly rushed out of her hiding place and wrapped Harry in an embrace, crying into his
neck.
'Harry, I was so scared.' she sobbed and clung to him tighter.
Harry returned her embrace.
'Holly, it'll be okay. I will always protect you, no matter what.' Harry whispered into her
neck and looked around the room and blinked.
The shop was destroyed. Everything in front of him was torn apart, like a bomb had
gone off, leaving everything in ruins. But behind him, the store was untouched. Harry
blinked at the devastation and saw the connection in an instant.
His magic did this.
James and Lily rushed into the store a moment later. Lily stood in the doorway, her eyes
taking in the devastation with Charlus in her arms, while James rushed forward to pull
his other two children into a hug.
'Are you two, okay? What happened in here?' he asked, and Holly burrowed further into
Harry's neck.
Harry met his father's eyes, and his reply was little more than a whisper.
'I did this.'

A month later, Harry sat on the couch in the lounge room at Potter Manor with Holly
burrowed into his side. She hadn't been away from him ever since the attack on Diagon
Alley. She had only slept in her bed if he joined her, otherwise she could only sleep in
his arms.
Harry looked up to meet his mother's eyes. She looked exhausted. Her eyes were red
and puffy as her gaze shifted down to Holly once more.
Harry shifted, waking Holly from her doze, and pulled a brass locket from his pocket. It
held a floral design, appearing to be made of vines weaved together. He spun it in his
hand in front of her, and Holly's eyes never left the pendant.
He pushed a button on the top of the pendant, where a chain looped through a small
ring and the pendant opened to reveal a picture of the two of them sitting on that very
couch.
Harry's eyes darted to his mother, and he smiled at her in thanks for a moment for
taking the picture, then his eyes returned to his sister.
Harry handed it to Holly with a smile.
'It's for you. It has protective magic on it. Mum made it for you, and I pushed my magic
into it so that wherever you are, all you have to do is hold it and you'll know I'm there.'
Harry whispered, and Holly took the pendant and held it close to her chest.
'Thank you, Harry.' She whispered, tears in her eyes before she hugged him.
A ten-year-old Harry sat in his mother's study in Potter Manor. Bookshelves lined two
walls of the study, while muggle picture frames hung on one long wall. The picture
frames showed the family's friends and family. One picture showed James and Lily with
their three children, while another picture showed Harry and Holly next to a lake.
There were half a dozen pictures from a wedding, showing Sirius and Amelia Black.
One was of Harry and Susan from the wedding day, one of the three Marauders, one of
Amelia and Lily with wide smiles on their faces.
Sheets of paper, covered with complex arithmancy and rune sequences, lined the walls
around the picture frames, all attached to the wall with powerful sticking charms.
Lily sat at her desk nearby, looking over the sheets of paper which littered it. Harry
stared at a sheet of paper in his hands with a frown on his face.
'Mum?' Harry asked, his head cocked to one side.
Lily leaned back in her chair, stretching out her muscles and she gave a relieved sigh
when her joints gave an audible pop. She turned to Harry, who sat on a cushion on the
floorboards behind her. A sheet of paper in his hands.
'Yes honey? What's wrong?' she asked, watching him.
'What is this writing? It's not English, or Latin.' Harry asked, then frowned and pointed at
another section of the sheet with complex arithmancy equations.
'This looks like maths, but nothing like what you taught us.' Harry continued; his frown
still present.
Lily turned to face him in her chair and let out a sigh.
'Honey, that's some of my research on enchanting. It's a branch of magic that uses
runes and arithmancy to create a permanent effect.' She said, her words coming slowly,
as if she was trying to be careful with what she said.
Harry's frown deepened before he put down the sheet of paper and met his mother's
gaze.
'Mum, I want to learn enchanting.' Harry met Lily's eyes, and she grinned down at him.
'Honey, you won't learn enchanting until after Hogwarts. You'll learn runes and
arithmancy there though.' She said, her smile turning sad.
Harry shook his head.
'No, I want to learn it now. I want to make Holly something to stop her nightmares.'
'Honey, why not just ask me to do it?' Lily replied, a small frown on her face.
'No, you already have too much to do already. Besides, it's my duty to protect Holly.'
Harry said, a determined glint in his eye.
'I promised I would protect her.' He continued.
Lily gave him another sad smile before letting out a sigh.
'Okay, I know that look in your eye; you're not going to let this go, are you?' she asked,
and Harry shook his head.
With another sigh, Lily stood from her chair and walked over to the bookshelf near the
door. She made a soft humming sound as her index finger played over the spines of the
books sitting on the shelf. Then she gave a soft 'ah-ha' and turned back to Harry,
carrying a black leather-bound book in her hands.
Once she sat in her chair again, she held out the tome to Harry, who took the heavy
book from her with a quiet grunt.
'Harry, that is a book that will give you a good understanding of runes. Enchanting
requires runes to work.' Lily said, and Harry nodded as he looked down at the cover of
the book.
'An Introduction to Ancient Runes.' By Laurenzoo.
'Harry, you know that you don't have to be responsible for Holly, don't you? Your father
and I will do that. All you need to do is enjoy being a kid.' Lily said, her voice soft as she
watched him.
Harry was silent for a minute, staring at the cover of the runes book before he let out a
deep breath.
'Mum, I promised her. I know you and Dad will try to protect us. But I promised her, on
that day in Diagon Alley when we were attacked, that I would always protect her.' He
ran a hand through his messy black hair, raising his emerald gaze to meet her own.
'To protect her, I'm going to have to be better. Not just with my wandless magic like
you've been helping me with, but when I'm not nearby.' He paused and frowned as he
struggled to find the right words.
'I need to protect her, even when I'm not near her. I know that when we go to Hogwarts,
we won't always be around each other. So, I need to find a way to protect her when I'm
not there.' Harry declared and Lily drew in a ragged breath before sliding off her chair
and gathered him in a hug.
'Oh honey, you don't need to do any of that. Hogwarts is safe, nothing will happen to her
there.' She said, holding him close.
'No mum, it won't. Because I won't let it happen.' Harry whispered before standing,
holding the runes book close to his chest as he left the room.
He did not see Lily's worried gaze follow him out of the room.
*Chapter 3*: Chapter 2 - Christmas 1990
Chapter 02. Christmas 1990.
Harry, age ten, stood in front of an ornate mirror in his bedroom. He wore dress robes,
and he ran a hand down his side; the silky fabric smooth under his fingers, a scowl
marred his face.
'Darling, you need to do something about your hair; but otherwise, you're quite dashing.'
Said his mirror in French.
'I can't do anything about my hair, not even Dad can do anything about his.' Harry
snarked back at the mirror in French, his eyes narrowed at his reflection in the ornate
gold rimmed mirror.
A chuckle from behind drew Harry's attention. He turned to see Holly leaning against the
door frame with a wide grin. She wore jeans and a green jumper with a reindeer on it,
and her eyes were filled with mischief.
'I still can't believe you learned French to argue with a mirror. Why do you insist on
arguing with it every time it insults your hair? You can just ask mum for a new one you
know?' Holly said with a small frown.
Harry turned back to the mirror and his scowl deepened.
'But that would mean admitting that Dad wins. He made the mirror speak French and
insult my hair. If I get mum to replace it, it'll just show him that he wins.' Harry huffed,
and Holly laughed.
'So what? Dad always wins with pranks unless he tries to play one on mum.' Holly
grinned and clicked her fingers at him.
Harry huffed again and turned back to face Holly.
'I don't want to go to this stupid ball. I want to stay here with you and Uncle Moony like
we used to.' Harry complained.
Holly's grin grew wider, and she moved forward to wrap him in a hug.
'I know you don't want to go hang out with stuffy purebloods all night.' Holly soothed,
rubbing his back, and Harry sighed.
'It's not just that though Holly, they're all uptight and their stupid children are too. It's bad
enough that we had to attend Draco's birthday.' He said, the scowl returning.
Holly laughed.
'It wasn't that bad, at least the Malfoy's made sure the cake was nice.' She said, and
Harry scoffed.
'They should have made sure their son wasn't a prat.' He muttered.
Harry let out a breath and smiled at Holly.
'It's only a few hours, then Dad will bring us home.' He said, more to convince himself
than her, and Holly rolled her eyes at him.
'Mum will be there too. Don't forget that Uncle Sirius and Aunt Amelia will be with you
guys too.'
'Yeah, you're right.' Harry agreed, and Holly smiled before her face fell.
'You'll look after Susan tonight, won't you? You know Christmas is a hard time for her.'
Holly said, and Harry nodded, his expression grim.
Voldemort killed Susan's parents during the war on Boxing day, she'd been with Aunt
Amelia since then.
Harry pulled Holly into a hug, then released her with a smile.
'Let's go down to join the others.' Harry said, and Holly nodded.
'You look nice by the way, very handsome.' Holly said with a grin before running out of
the room with a grin.
Harry shook his head with a soft chuckle and followed behind her, ignoring the
disapproving huff of the French speaking mirror.
Harry stepped off the stairs from upstairs into the lounge room and saw the three
Marauders. His father and Uncle Padfoot wore dress robes like his own, while Remus
lounged on one of the couches in jeans and a hoodie.
Sirius held a small child in his arms, only two years old. His Heir, Orion Black.
Orion struggled in Sirius' grip as Harry stepped into the room and held out his arms
toward his quasi-cousin. Harry took Orion from Sirius and held the child who grinned up
at him. Beside him, Holly stood and beamed at the child, who held her finger in a tight
grip.
Harry turned to the two well-dressed men in the room as he rocked back and forth with
Orion in his arms.
'Where are the ladies?' Harry asked with a frown.
James grimaced.
'Lily and Amelia are up in the master bedroom getting ready, Susan is in her guest room
as well.' James replied.
Harry saw the grimace and cocked his head.
'What did you do, Dad?' Harry asked and turned to face Sirius as he and Remus
laughed.
'James went up there about half an hour ago to hurry them up, only to get cursed by
both witches who he hadn't known would get ready together.' Sirius smirked at James,
who scowled.
Harry turned back to his father, an incredulous expression on his face.
'Really Dad? Of course they'd be getting ready together, they're like sisters.' Harry
shook his head at his father.
Holly gasped beside Harry as Orion tugged on her pendant that Harry had given her
years before. She gently took the pendant from Orion's grasp and winked at Harry.
'Speaking of sisters, I'm going to go help Susan.' Holly smirked at Harry and ran
upstairs, disappearing down the second-floor corridor a moment later.
Harry turned back to the three men who were staring at him with wide smiles.
'What are you guys smiling at?' he asked, and narrowed his eyes, suspecting a prank.
'It's cute that you're so good with kids and women.' Sirius grinned and Harry glared at
him.
'Kids, settle down. There's no point getting worked up before the party.' Remus said with
a smile.
Harry sat down on the couch beside Remus with a scowl as Orion burrowed into his
chest.
'Are you ready for the night ahead, Harry?' James asked.
Harry rolled his eyes.
'I am ready to be officially seen as Heir Potter in all the stuffy pureblood circles and I will
behave as such.' Harry said, his half smile belying the sarcasm in his tone.
The three Marauders grinned at him.
'Are you looking forward to the party?' Sirius asked and Harry shrugged.
'I've never cared for parties. But I'll look after Susan while at the party.' Harry replied.
Sirius sighed.
'Harry, this is a party, and you should relax and enjoy it. You don't need to be so serious
all the time.' Sirius said with a smirk.
Harry gave the man a deadpan stare.
James and Remus snickered, and Sirius huffed.
'Damn kids, too smart for their own good. At least let me make the pun sometimes.'
Sirius grumbled.
The grumbling stopped when James backhanded Sirius' shoulder, who froze and looked
past Harry up at the stairs.
Sirius' jaw hung slack, as did James'.
Harry blinked before turning to Remus, who only smirked at his friends. He gave Harry a
wink and motioned with his head for Harry to turn around.
He did and Harry saw his mother walking down the stairs wearing a long, deep red
dress, almost black, which brought out her rich red hair. Behind Lily strode Amelia
wearing a similar style dress, but in a midnight blue that brought out the blue in her
eyes.
From the corner of his eye, Harry saw his Father and Uncle staring at their wives like
idiots. He tossed a cushion at his father, who blinked as if waking from a dream before
he hit Sirius' arm.
A moment later, the two knelt at the bottom of the stairs in front of their wives.
'Your beauty outshines the brightest star, warms the coldest heart and brings tears to
the driest stone. You look amazing.' Professed both men at the same time, each holding
their right hand to their heart.
Harry smirked as both Lily and Amelia shared a grin before leaning down to kiss their
husbands.
'All right, get up, you two. We don't have time for that sort of thing.' Lily said, taking
James' hand and led him away from the stairs to stand by the couch where Remus sat
with Charlus on his left.
Amelia took Sirius away and together they stood by the fireplace.
Remus coughed and leaned forward. He took a sleeping Orion out of Harry's arms
before he nodded at the stairs. Harry turned around again and saw Susan at the top of
the stairs, her face redder than her hair. Her dress was similar to Amelia's but was a few
shades lighter.
Harry stood and moved toward the bottom of the stairs as she walked down. He ignored
the grins sent his way by James and Sirius with practised ease. At the base of the
stairs, Harry bowed to Susan and kissed her outstretched hand, a greeting of Heirs.
'You look pretty in that dress, Susan; it really brings out your eyes.' He grinned and her
face turned a brighter shade of red as she gave a shy smile.
A bright white flash came from their side and Harry spun to face it, moving in front of
Susan, shielding her with his body. He saw James holding a camera with a wide grin on
his face.
Harry glared at his father.
'Come on Harry, you can't blame me, it was a perfect photo opportunity for the two love
birds.' James beamed at Harry and Susan.
Susan gasped, her hands covered her blushing face.
'No, it's not like that at all.' She cried.
Harry noticed the knowing looks the room gave him, even his mother and Aunt Amelia.
He expected as much from the Marauders, but not from his mother. He settled on
glaring at the two women for their betrayal.
Lily moved to stand before Harry and Susan and wore a soft smile.
'Please don't get upset, you two are just so cute together.' Lily said, only for Harry to huff
in reply.
Holly's arms wrapped around Harry from behind and her head poked out from near his
elbow.
'Leave Harry alone.' She demanded, and Harry turned to smile at her. He pulled her into
a hug.
Harry grinned down at Holly and saw Susan's still red face. He gave her a smile and
turned back to the adults in the room, clearing his throat.
'Uh guys, when do we need to be at the party?' Harry asked, as much to start the
evening as to distract the adults from teasing him and Susan.
James looked down at his watch and shrugged.
'We can arrive anytime, really. We'll be fashionably late as it is.' He said, turning to Lily,
who nodded.
'Okay guys; let's head off. Are we all ready?' James asked the group.
Harry turned to Susan, who smiled at him and felt Holly take his other hand.
The adults gave Remus a wave, which the werewolf returned before walking across the
room to the fireplace.
James stepped forward and took a handful of Floo powder, tossed it in the fireplace and
stepped inside, calling out.
'Longbottom Manor.'
James was followed moments later by Lily, then Amelia, then Sirius.
Harry turned to Holly and kissed her brow.
'Hey, make sure Moony doesn't leave any pranks in our rooms, won't you?' he asked,
earning a smirk from her. She wrapped him in a hug before releasing him. She gave
Susan a wave and ran over to Remus, jumping onto the couch beside him, waking up
Orion in the process.
Orion started to cry.
'On that note, we're going now. Have fun Uncle Moony.' Harry grinned and held out an
arm for Susan, who took it with a smile.
'Shall we go?' Harry asked and Susan smiled up at him.
'Yes, we shall.'
Together, Harry led Susan to the fireplace and held an arm out toward it.
'After you.'
Susan grinned and took a handful of Floo powder and tossed it into the fireplace. She
stepped into the emerald flames and met Harry's gaze.
'Longbottom Manor.' She said and disappeared.
Harry followed suit and, as he shot out of the fireplace, he smacked his head on the
stone floor and groaned.
Susan helped him to his feet with a small shake of her head.
'Harry, all you need to do is twist as you enter the Floo, against the spin.' She whispered
as he stood.
Harry's eyes widened as he noticed James and Sirius pointing and smirking at him from
the other side of the room.
'I'll get those two back for never telling me.' He growled and Susan put a hand on his
shoulder and gave it a soft squeeze.
'It's okay, you know now. It's no use being angry at them right now.' She whispered, and
Harry met her worried blue eyes and sighed.
'Yeah, you're right. Sorry Susan.' Harry admitted before planting a smile on his face and
offering her his arm.
'Shall we go mingle with the stuffy purebloods?' He asked, and she grinned.
'Yes, we shall.' She nodded, taking his arm in her own.
Together, the two walked further into the ball room. There were hundreds of people
mingling in the central area of the room, on the dance floor. Around the outside of the
dark polished wood dance floor dozens of small circular tables stood, each with four
chairs around them.
Harry scowled as he noticed a table on the left of the room which held Draco, along with
Pansy Parkinson, Daphne Greengrass and Theodore Nott. All four were Heirs or
Heiresses and while none of them were outright aggressive toward him, none had been
particularly friendly either during the last pureblood get together he'd had to attend as
Heir-apparent.
Harry led Susan to a table on the right-hand side of the room where one of Susan's
friend sat alone. She was a blonde girl, Hannah, Heiress of House Abbott. Harry pulled
out a chair for Susan, who sat down with a small smile at him and he took a chair on her
other side, opposite Hannah.
'You two look very cute together.' Hannah grinned, and Harry rolled his eyes.
'It's not like that, Hannah.' Susan blushed, covering her face with her hands.
'Why does everyone say that?' Harry asked, earning a small shake of Hannah's head
before she turned to Susan.
'Thanks for sitting with me. I didn't want to sit with the Boy-Who-Lived.' Hannah
admitted.
'Why does he have to be here?' Harry groaned, and Hannah chuckled.
'Harry, this is his home. Where else would he be?' Susan said, an eyebrow raised.
'Sue, look over there.' Hannah said, tapping Susan's shoulder and pointing her other
finger subtly at a boy on the far side of the room.
The boy was their age, slightly chubby, but carried himself with more importance than
even Draco.
Entering the room, surrounded by fawning adults, was Neville Longbottom, the Boy-
Who-Lived. Behind him strode the formidable figure of his grandmother, Madame
Augusta Longbottom, complete with her odd-yet-intimidating Vulture hat and imperious
expression. The two Longbottoms wore red and gold robes and Harry smirked at the
message they were shouting to all those present.
We are Gryffindor.
Even before Neville was sorted into the house. Harry's smirk fell as he wondered what
would happen if Neville ended up in another house.
From the corner of his eye, Harry noted Draco's gaze was rooted on the Boy-Who-
Lived. The blonde boy's eyes narrowed as they followed Neville's every step.
Greeting the Boy-Who-Lived stood a rather short, plump man with a pointed black beard
wearing light blue robes. Beside the man stood a silver haired girl, likely his daughter.
She stood close to the man, as if afraid of leaving his side.
She looked about the same age as Harry, though she was shorter. She wore a sky-blue
dress that matched her eyes, which narrowed as her father greeted Neville Longbottom,
shaking the boy's hand.
Neville gave the girl a wide smirk as he kissed her outstretched hand, as befitting an
Heiress. However, the girl's lip curled in distaste, and she pulled her hand away from
him.
Harry gave an internal chuckle at the scene, wondering who the girl was to show her
distaste so openly for Neville. He knew he would not be able to get away with being so
open about his own feelings toward the boy.
Harry watched as the two Longbottoms approached their table. Susan reached out her
hand and patted Harry's and he took a breath, planting a false smile on his face.
'Potter.' The Boy-Who-Lived sneered, standing beside Augusta, whose eyes narrowed a
fraction toward her grandchild.
Harry stood and held out a hand for the boy to shake. The greeting was traditional for
Heirs to give one another when of equal status. He was aware that this would be
perceived as an insult to both Neville and likely his grandmother, but it was technically
true. Neville held the title of the Boy-Who-Lived, but he didn't hold an Order of Merlin or
anything of the sort which would elevate him above Harry.
Harry would not bow to the arrogant child and he ignored the narrowed eyes of the
Madame Longbottom on him as he waited for Neville to shake his hand.
A few tense moments later, Neville took his hand and Harry withheld a grin as Neville
tried to crush his hand with his own.
'How are you doing this Christmas? Are you looking forward to Hogwarts next year?'
Harry asked, while matching the pressure Neville used in their handshake.
Harry was careful to not cross any lines in his conduct with Neville. He knew it would
cause a lot of trouble for House Potter if he made any mistakes in his dealings with the
Boy-Who-Lived. But so far, he had done nothing but be pleasant to the wizarding
world's celebrity.
'You really shouldn't have bothered introducing yourself as the Potter Heir. The family
will be in ruins if you ever take over.' Neville sneered, releasing Harry's hand and
stepping back.
'Neville.' Madame Longbottom said, a warning in her tone as she placed a hand on his
shoulder.
The Boy-Who-Lived sighed and turned to Susan, who sat watching the exchange. He
gave her a barely concealed sniff of disdain before he bowed and kissed her
outstretched hand.
'You would do better to spend your time with a true pureblood. After defeating You-
Know-Who, I would be the best option for a young lady such as you.' Neville said,
standing straight and looking down at the redhead.
Susan narrowed her eyes for a moment, before standing and giving a small curtsy, the
minimum to remain polite.
'I'm happy as I am. Thank you. But I appreciate the offer.' She said.
Neville scowled, sent a glare at Harry, and ignored Hannah entirely, then stomped away
in a huff.
Harry turned to Madame Longbottom. He bowed to her and kissed her outstretched
hand.
'I apologise for not being closer with your grandson Madame.' He said, and a tiny smile
flickered across her face.
'You are a polite young man; I look forward to getting to know you better in the future
Heir Potter.' She said before the imperious expression covered her face once more. She
nodded at the two girls, who curtsied in return before she turned to follow her grandson.
Alone again, Harry turned to the two girls and let out a sigh.
'Susan, will you be okay with Hannah if I go take a walk? I need some fresh air.' Harry
asked and Susan blinked.
'I'll come with you.' She offered. Harry shook his head with a smile.
'No, you two should spend some time together. I'll be back soon.' He said, giving a smile
to Hannah, who grinned and waved at him.
Harry smiled at Susan, who returned it, her cheeks reddening.

He turned and left the two, moving toward the drinks table, and saw nothing but glasses
of pumpkin juice for the children. Seeing that there was nothing else, he took a glass
and moved toward a balcony off to the left of the room.
Harry walked past Draco's table and saw the boy glaring at Neville, and Harry smirked
as he stepped out onto the balcony.
In front of him were the grounds of Longbottom estate. It was a stunning sight, the
snowy grounds were lit by small orbs scattered around the grounds; it lent them a dim,
almost twilight effect, even if the sun had long since set.
He took a deep breath before letting it out, watching his breath mist in the air as it
crossed an invisible ward line that kept the cold out. It was a ward that most of the noble
families had, and Harry was familiar with the one surrounding Potter Manor.
A sigh came from beside him and he blinked, he'd thought he had been alone. He
turned and saw the silver haired girl he'd seen earlier stood nearby, only a metre away.
'I'm sorry for interrupting you, miss. I'll leave you to your solitude if you wish.' Harry said,
and cocked his head to the side as he noticed the girl looked sad.
The girl shook her head before sighing again.
'What is wrong? Why do you look sad?' he asked.
Her eyes narrowed. She looked about to speak before she shook her head and stared
out over the grounds once more.
Harry blinked, confused. He shrugged and turned to the grounds like her and leant
forward on the stone railing.
'My name is Harry Potter; it is my pleasure to meet you.' He said and grinned as he
stared out onto the grounds, not at the girl beside him.
'What made you dislike Neville? I noticed your reaction earlier when you were
introduced to the wonderful Boy-Who-Lived.' Harry continued, sarcasm dripping from his
final words.
The girl scowled and Harry grinned. He thought it made her look cute.
'Once ze Boy-Who-Lived 'eard my family name, 'e got ze zame look in 'is eye zat most
purebloods in Europe get.' She said, her English coming with difficulty and her French
accent was almost too strong to understand.
Harry cocked his head to the side.
'It must be an unpleasant expression to upset you so much.' Harry replied in French,
though his accent butchered the melodious language. The girl stared at him for a
moment before Harry laughed.
'Neville has always been, difficult, since the first time we met.' Harry continued, smiling
at the silver haired girl before he turned and looked out at the snow-covered grounds.
'How so? Has he always been, like he is now?' the girl asked after a few moments.
Harry sighed.
'I met him on his eighth birthday. It was the first time Madame Longbottom allowed the
Ministry to host a national party for the Boy-Who-Lived's birthday.' Harry started and
noted the girl's eyes locked on his and he turned to face her.
'I mentioned in conversation with him that night that my birthday was the next day. He
snapped at me that I had to stop trying to steal his spotlight.' Harry grinned, and the girl
blinked.
'Really? What kind of person says that?' she said, and Harry shrugged.
'He then told me that the Potters had once been as royalty amongst the English Nobility,
but ever since my father married a muggleborn, we have betrayed our noble lineage.'
Harry paused in his imitation of Neville's speech, his jaw tightening.
'What did you do?' the girl asked in a whisper.
'I walked away. If I'd stayed, then I think I would have broken his nose. That probably
wouldn't have ended well for my family.' Harry admitted, and the girl scowled.
'It must have been terrible.' She said.
'Oh, I got over my surprise at finding out the Boy-Who-Lived was a spoilt brat. That's
one reason why I don't like these sorts of parties. I don't enjoy having to mix with all the
uppity purebloods.' Harry admitted, then turned to stare out at the grounds once more.
The girl smiled at him before turning to glance back into the hall. She sighed.
'I have to go now. My Papa is looking for me.' She said and Harry turned back to her,
giving her a smile.
She hesitated for a moment before giving him a small smile.
'You have been the only interesting conversation I've had on this island. My name is
Fleur Delacour.' She said. Harry grinned.
'I have enjoyed our conversation, Miss Delacour. We could write to one another during
the year if you like. I always wanted an excuse to practice my French.' Harry offered.
She frowned for a moment before nodding, a hesitant smile on her face before she
nodded again.
'I'll be awaiting your letter soon then, Mister Potter.' Fleur said.
A moment later, the girl was gone, leaving Harry standing alone on the balcony. He
turned back to stare out over the grounds.
Then her name hit him. Delacour.
They were one of the French Nobility, almost royalty. Delacour was the name of the
French Ambassador to the English Ministry of Magic.
He remembered the pureblood lessons of his childhood taught by his father that he'd
reviled. In them, he'd learned that different countries around Europe had their own
hierarchies of magical families.
The Delacour's were among the most powerful in France.
Harry groaned and wondered what he'd stumbled into and whether it would get his
parents in trouble.
A few minutes later, Harry entered the ball room to see Neville sitting in his chair beside
Susan. Both Susan and Hannah looked extremely uncomfortable as Neville chatted at
them. Harry figured the boy was telling them how great he was.
Moments later, Harry stood behind Susan, resting one hand on her shoulder.
'Brother, how wonderful to see you again this evening.' Harry greeted; his voice tight.
Neville froze, his face growing an impressive shade of red.
Both Susan and Hannah jumped to their feet and smiled at him.
'Did you two want to get a drink? I'm parched.' Harry suggested with a grin. Both girls
nodded in relief.
Together, the three left Neville at the table, spluttering and red faced as he watched
them leave.
On their way to the drinks table, Hannah leant in close to Harry and nudged him.
'Why did you call him brother?' she asked. Harry smiled at her and continued to the
drinks table, taking one for each of the girls before taking another for himself.
He led them away from the table to lean against the wall on the right of the ball room.
'His mother was my godmother before she died. In another world, we would have grown
up as brothers.' Harry said and Hannah stared at him.
'Then why does he seem to hate you so much?' Hannah asked, and Harry shrugged.
'No idea, I've done nothing to him that I know of.' Harry admitted, then looked at his
watch.
'I wonder when we'll be able to go home?' Harry asked, and both girls laughed.
'You really don't like these parties, do you, Harry?' Hannah asked, and Harry's lip
curled.
'No, I would really rather just be at home.' Harry said, and Hannah patted his shoulder.
'I'm sure it won't be too much longer. Besides, now that you're back, you can chat with
us until it's time to go.' Hannah grinned and Harry sighed, which earned a laugh from
Susan.
An hour later, Hannah left with her parents. Leaving Harry and Susan sitting alone as
their eyes grew heavy.
Twenty minutes after that, James and Sirius appeared behind them.
'Oh Prongs, it's so cute. Do you think we can unite the families?' Sirius slurred.
'There will no more talk of that Sirius Black.' Hissed Amelia while Lily stood beside her.
Both red headed women glared at their husbands.
'Padfoot, you're in trouble.' James slurred back.
Lily turned to Harry and Susan.
'Susan, you're staying at Potter Manor tonight. The both of you are free to Floo back
whenever you like.' She said before glaring at James.
'We're going to have to take these two back ourselves. I don't think we can trust them to
apparate or use the Floo.' Lily continued, and Harry nodded and rubbed his eyes.
'We'll head home now, mum. I'm sorry about those two.' Harry nodded at Sirius and his
father, who were leaning on each other and looking like they'd consumed far too much
alcohol.
'Yes, well. They're going to regret it tomorrow, that's for sure.' Lily growled before
smiling at Harry and Susan.
'We'll see you at home.' Lily said before turning to take James by the ear, eliciting a yelp
as she dragged him away.
Harry turned to Susan, and she nodded.
A minute later they Flooed back to Potter Manor and Harry fell asleep in his bed a
minute later while Susan slept in her guest room next to his.
*Chapter 4*: Chapter 3 - First Year, Pt 1 1991
Chapter 03. Hogwarts' first year, Part 1. 1991.
Harry woke up to see green eyes staring at him.
He gave a shout as he scooted backward, and hit the headboard of his bed, scattering
pillows as he retreated. A moment later, he blinked as his mostly asleep mind caught up
to his body and realised Holly sat beside him on the bed.
Holly's eyes were dull, nothing like normal, and they were rimmed with red.
She'd been crying.
'What's wrong Holly?' Harry yawned, and she shot at him, wrapping him in a hug and
pulling him down on his back again.
'I don't want you to go to Hogwarts.' She sobbed into his neck as she squeezed him
tighter.
Harry blinked and let out a groan as he realised it was September first. Today, he would
leave Holly for the first time, and he wouldn't see her until Christmas.
He pulled her closer and hugged her as his throat closed a little. Tears welled in his
eyes as she continued to sob into him.
A few minutes later, Holly pulled back, wiping her nose with her sleeve as she sat on
him.
'If you're not here, who will help me? Who will be there when the nightmares come?' she
asked in a small voice.
Harry's heart broke a little as he looked into her watery eyes.
'Mum and Dad will Holly. But I'm going to need you to look after Charlus and Orion while
I'm gone.' Harry choked out, struggling to contain his own emotions.
'You'll need to make sure Dad and Uncle Sirius don't get up to too much trouble. Mum
will need your help to keep them in line.' Harry continued, brushing a stray hair out of
her eyes as she nodded.
She fell upon him and crushed him in another hug.
'I'm going to miss you.' She whispered, and Harry nodded into her hair.
'Me too.' He murmured, and she pulled away to arm's reach where he took her pendant
that he'd given her when she was six.
He pressed the button at the top and it opened to reveal the picture of the two of them
on the couch in the lounge room. Harry smiled and looked up to meet Holly's eyes, the
same as his.
'When I'm at Hogwarts, I'm going to learn how to enchant things like mum. Then I can
do more than just channel raw magic into this for you.' Harry whispered, closing the
pendant, and letting it go.
'It really helps, you know. Just feeling your magic close by when I wake up from the
nightmares. It's enough to send me right back to sleep.' She whispered back, her eyes
lost in thought for a moment before she blinked and shook herself.
She leapt off him and patted his legs twice.
'Get ready, Mopsy almost has breakfast ready.' Holly grinned before running out of the
room at top speed.
Harry chuckled in the now silent room, stretching his muscles.
He glanced around himself, smiling a little as he saw his trunk lying on the floor beside
his bed, he'd packed it the night before.
He saw his desk near the window, a pile of letters he'd received from Fleur in a neat
stack on the left of the desk. They'd been corresponding weekly since Christmas, and
he'd discovered that she didn't like her school very much. Apparently, the other students
ignored her or picked on her for being smaller than the others, which Harry thought was
dumb.
Harry got out of bed and moved over to the cupboard to see his clothes for the day
sitting ready for him. He grinned at the thought of Mopsy sneaking through the house at
night and picking out the best clothes for them all to wear.
Harry walked past the ornate mirror on his way out of his room, headed toward the
bathroom, his grin widened. He ignored the French speaking mirror and realised that he
was looking forward to the Christmas ball this year, he could see Fleur again and maybe
he'd be able to cheer her up.
After his shower, Harry joined the rest of the family downstairs in the dining room, where
Mopsy dished out large servings of food with a wide grin on her face. Her large ears
flopped around her head as she bopped around the room, listening to the radio, which
was blaring out muggle tunes for the family.
Harry didn't understand how his mum had got the radio working inside the Manor, but
whatever it was, he was determined to find out, eventually.
Harry looked around the dining table and grinned at his dad.
'Thanks for staying back later this morning, Dad.' Harry said, drawing James' attention
from eyeing Mopsy, who was refilling Charlus' plate for the second time.
'This is the last time I get to see you for four months, kiddo. I have to leave soon but I
wanted to have a proper goodbye.' James gave a soft smile and got out of his chair,
moving to Harry's side, and pulled him into a hug.
Harry melted into the embrace and turned to look at Lily.
'I don't want to go.' He croaked, tears in his eyes.
Lily rushed to his side and joined the hug, kissing his forehead and squeezing him tight.
'It's okay, honey. Everyone is going to be fine; we'll all be waiting for your letters telling
us all about your time in Hogwarts.' She whispered, Harry noted the hitch in her voice,
like she was fighting to hold back her own tears.
Harry sniffed and wiped the tears from his eyes before Holly rushed around the table
and threw herself at him. She wrapped him in a tight embrace, her long black hair
mixing with Lily's red.
Harry looked up at James, who had released him and smiled down at him with a soft
expression.
'I'll make sure everyone is safe, Harry. All you have to do at Hogwarts is enjoy it.' James
said with a chuckle.
'And if that means reading all the books in the library for ways to defend your sister,
then so be it. Though I would rather you just play Quidditch and Chess like a normal
kid.' James grinned before giving a little chuckle.
'Maybe start dating Susan?' James added with a hopeful expression.
Harry glared at his father, who looked back with an innocent look, betrayed by the
mischievous glint in his eyes.
Lily and Holly released Harry, both giving him a kiss on the cheek as he glared at
James.
Harry sighed.
'Thanks guys. I feel a little better now.' He admitted.
'Crying is for girls.' Charlus accused with a pointed finger at Harry, who scoffed.
'If that's the case, little brother, then you're the biggest girl of all.' Harry replied and
Charlus scowled, which deepened when the others laughed.
James coughed.
'Hey kiddo, are you ready to leave?' he asked, and Harry nodded.
'Yeah, I am.' Harry said, his voice still melancholy.
James knelt in front of Harry and lowered his voice.
'Harry, be wary of Professor Snape. He and I had a few, altercations when we were in
school.' James said, Lily raised her eyebrows at him.
'James, you bullied Severus.' Lily corrected.
His father nodded, looking down at the floor and sighed.
'I'm ashamed about that.' He murmured and Lily knelt beside him, looking into Harry's
eyes.
'Severus and I were friends until our last year at Hogwarts. We got into a huge fight. We
have spoken little since then.' Lily said, and Harry nodded.
'Sniv-Snape was always one to hold a grudge and I don't want to be the cause of Snape
taking out his grudge on you.' James said, a hand on Harry's shoulder.
Harry grinned.
'It'll be okay, if it gets too bad, I'll just get you to come apologise to the man.' Harry
grinned and James paled.
Lily smirked at James before smiling at Harry.
An hour later, Harry stood on platform nine and three quarters with Lily, Charlus and
Holly. It was ten thirty, and they were waiting for Sirius to arrive.
Harry stared at the bright red train, one hand holding Holly's. People filled the platform,
families sending their children to Hogwarts, either for the first time or returning to the
school.
Holly's hand tightened around his and he tore his gaze away from the train, down to her.
Without a word she pointed at the platforms Floo station where Sirius emerged with
Orion in his arms. Susan right on his heels.
Harry smiled and wrapped his arms around Susan as she leapt at him for a hug, Holly
joined in too.
'Oh Harry, I'm so excited about today. But scared too, you know?' Susan gushed and
Harry nodded.
'Yeah, I know exactly how you feel.' Harry squeezed her and the three-way hug ended.
Sirius and Lily moved to them and took the three in an embrace. Sirius kissed Susan's
brow and Lily did the same to Harry.
'You two be careful this year. Don't get into trouble and make sure you have fun.' Lily
said, her eyes moving between Harry and Susan, who both nodded.
'Don't do anything I wouldn't do.' Sirius grinned and Harry rolled his eyes.
'Padfoot, that doesn't really mean anything coming from you.' Harry groaned, and Susan
giggled.
The train's whistle blew, signalling a last call to get on the train.
Harry pulled Holly into a tight hug.
'I love you and I'm going to miss you.' Harry whispered in her ear, and she clung to him
tighter as she sniffled. He released her, and Holly turned to Susan.
'Look after him, won't you?' Holly asked, and Susan blushed and nodded.
Harry waved at his family and with his trunk in hand, he led Susan to the train. A few
minutes later, they claimed an empty compartment. Harry lifted their trunks above them
and out of the way before sitting down opposite Susan. Together they waved out the
window at the combined Potter/Black group, where not a dry eye was seen.
As the train started moving, Harry watched a small red-haired girl who looked to be
Holly's age, running beside the train, trying to keep up with it. A few moments later, the
girl disappeared into the distance.
A heavy silence filled their compartment as Harry and Susan met each other's eyes.
Both had tears sliding down their cheeks. Harry stood and moved over to sit beside
Susan, wiping the tears from her face with his thumb.
'This is the first time I've been away from the family. I'm worried about them.' Harry
admitted.
Susan nodded.
'Me too. I mean, I've stayed at Hannah's before. But that's different.' Susan whispered;
her gaze dropped to their clasped hands.
'I even miss Sirius. It took a while to get comfortable with him after he and Aunt Amy
started dating.' She paused, still staring at their joined hands.
'But now, it's kind of like it's always been like that. It's like they are both my parents.' She
whispered; guilt clear on her face.
Harry pulled her into a hug.
'We are family and family help each other. You've never really known your parents,
which is horrible. But it's okay to see others in their place.' He soothed, holding her
close as she cried silent tears.
'I don't think your parents would want you to be sad and refuse happiness.' He
continued, rubbing her back in soft circles.
'I think your parents would be happy to know that you feel comfortable enough with Aunt
Amy and Uncle Sirius to call them parents. With them not here, I think they would love
it.' Harry finished and Susan nodded into his chest as her tears continued.
Harry continued to rub her back in small circles, until ten minutes later her breathing
evened out and she fell asleep on his lap. He smiled down at the sleeping red head and
used his wandless magic with his spare hand to open his trunk and levitate a book down
to him.
He sighed at the amount of work he'd put into his wandless magic over the years. His
mother was always telling him to practice it, that it was something most people cannot
do.
An hour passed in near silence as Harry read. The turning pages and Susan's deep
breathing being the only sounds in the cabin, apart from the standard noise that came
from a running train.
Every few minutes, a student would poke their head into the cabin, only for Harry to give
the silence motion, a finger across his lips. They would disappear moments later,
leaving Harry to return to his book, the 'Standard Book of Spells, Grade One'.
A bushy haired girl entered the compartment a few minutes later, an air of misery
hanging in the air around her. She sat down, not paying attention to her surroundings,
and Harry quirked an eyebrow at the sight.
The girl looked up and with a start, she seemed to notice him watching her.
'Eep.' She let out; her eyes wide.
Harry gave a soft grin, putting down his book and motioning the girl to silence while his
other hand lay protectively over Susan's shoulder.
The girl leant forward in her seat.
'C-can I stay in here?' she asked, and Harry held his grin, nodding. Then picked his
book up and continued reading, using wandless magic to turn the pages.
A few minutes later, Harry felt the girl's attention rooted on him and he closed the book,
placing it back on the seat beside him. He looked at the bushy haired girl, meeting her
gaze.
'My name is Harry Potter.' He said, then he motioned to the sleeping Susan on his lap
with a nod of his head.
'And this sleeping lady is my, cousin, Susan Bones. This is the first time we've been
away from our families.' Harry continued as the bushy haired brunette gave a shy smile.
'My name is Hermione Granger.' She said and Harry's eyes widened, not recognising
the name.
'Sorry, but are you muggleborn?' Harry asked, cocking his head to the side.
Hermione froze across from him, her eyes grew wide, and tears formed in her eyes.
'No, no. It's just that I didn't recognise your surname. I have nothing against muggles or
Muggleborns, my mum is one. I just have met no one who knew about the muggle
world, apart from mum of course.' Harry explained, a little faster than normal.
A confused frown settled on Hermione's face, and she blinked away her tears.
'So, you're not going to insult me then?' she asked, suspicious.
Harry's eyes narrowed, before he schooled his expression, unconsciously tightening his
grip on Susan. He let out a sigh before forcing a smile onto his face.
'Hermione, the wizarding world is unfortunately quite far behind the muggle one in some
ways. There are laws and behaviours in the wizarding world that were stamped out of
the muggle world for generations.' He began and Harry hid a grin at the girl's eyes that
were wide, soaking in the knowledge.
'In time, I plan to change that, but for the time being, the magical world is going to seem
quaint at best. Outright hostile at worst.' Harry paused as Hermione blinked and
frowned, deep in thought for a moment.
'How do you plan to change that? You're just one person.' Hermione asked, and Harry
nodded.
'You're right. I am just one person. However, one thing that the magical world still has
are Great House's, Noble House's.' Harry explained as she cocked her head.
'But, but they don't exist anymore? The Nobility was phased out over the last few
hundred years, apart from the Royal Family, but they don't have any actual power.'
Hermione recited and Harry grinned.
'You'll be meeting many of the Heirs of these Houses during the year at Hogwarts. It
seems there will be many of them arriving at the school over the next few years.' His
spare hand ran through his hair.
'See, here's one of those things that's different between the two worlds. Noble families
are still in power. Did you go to Diagon Alley to get your supplies?' he asked, and she
blinked.
'Yes.' she replied, slow and suspicious, a small frown on her face.
'The entire wizarding world is kinda stuck in the sixteen hundreds, when the magical
world split off from the muggle one. So most of the muggle world's ideals that you know
and think of as natural haven't taken root in this world.' Harry explained, then let out a
sigh as he watched the girl puzzle through the new information.
Harry looked down at Susan and brushed a stray strand of hair from her face with a
smile. He looked back up at Hermione to see her almost bursting with questions. He
raised his palm to quiet her.
'Hermione, most wizards don't seem to understand that cars can travel faster and
further than a horse.' He said, and her mouth fell open.
Harry's face fell, he met her gaze and sighed.
'Most wizards know nothing about World War Two. But more importantly for them, they
don't know how it ended.' He said, his voice low.
She was silent, her face a mixture of confusion and horror as she covered a gasp with
her hands.
'How could they not know about the biggest waste of life in human history? Or Nuclear
Weapons?' she spluttered. Harry shrugged.
'At the same time as World War Two, there was a dark wizard by the name of
Grindelwald who tried to take over the world. He was controlling Hitler and that the
wizard side of the war triggered the muggle side.' He explained, and she gasped again,
her hands still covering her mouth as she paled.
'Wizards triggered the War? Why isn't any of this in the books I got for school?' she
whispered, face pale.
Harry gave a hollow chuckle.
'According to my parents, Hogwarts' idea of History is all about the Goblin Rebellions, of
which there were many.' Harry said.
'B-but, all those lives.' She spluttered.
Harry nodded, giving a deep sigh.
'And that brings us back to my earlier point. I intend to change all that.' He declared, she
gaped at him.
'How?' she asked, he grinned.
'Do you remember what I said about Noble families?' he asked, she nodded.
'I am an Heir to one of the Great Houses, as is Susan, who is an Heiress.' He paused,
smiling down at the sleeping red head.
'After school finishes, most of the Heirs will follow their parents in running their Houses
and I intend to drag the wizarding world into the modern age.' A fire burned in his eyes,
and he saw the same in Hermione's.
'I want to make sure that the wizarding world knows that if the muggles wanted to wipe
us out, they could without issue.' Harry declared, and she gaped at him.
'But why would they?' she asked.
Harry gave her a melancholy smile.
'There is a thing called the Statute of Secrecy. I can't remember when it started, but it
was the sixteen or seventeen hundred's some time.' He paused, and she grinned.
'Oh, I remember reading that somewhere, I believe it was sixteen eighty-nine.' She
smiled, and Harry beamed at her.
'You remembered that so quickly? Geez, that's impressive.' Harry grinned, and she
blushed and looked down at the floor.
'Anyway, it was a law created to cut off the wizarding world from the muggle one, hiding
us from them.' Harry continued, a small smile still on his face as her blush slowly faded.
'That's why everything in your world looks so old?' Hermione asked.
'Our world, Hermione. And yes, but it seems that wizards typically lack the initiative to
better themselves, at least according to my mum.' Harry let out a breath and reclined
back in his seat.
Hermione let out a breath and stared at him.
'This is a lot to take in.' she admitted, Harry nodded.
'Yeah, it is, I'm sorry for throwing everything at you, I just wanted to help.' He smiled,
she grinned back.
'Thank you for giving me a crash course on the wizarding world. I appreciate it.' She
said, Harry smiled.
'Any time.'
The rest of the trip occurred in relative peace. Harry and Hermione discussed their
textbooks and kept on a light-hearted discussion after their previous deep conversation.
As the sun fell behind the mountains in the distance, signalling only an hour or so left in
the trip, Susan groaned and woke up. She turned her blue eyes up to Harry, who
grinned at her.
'Evening sleepyhead.' He said, as she blushed.
'Hey, if you need a good sleep then I'm happy to be a pillow.' Harry chuckled as she
ducked her head.
A few seconds later, her blush receded, and Harry put a hand on her shoulder, gaining
her attention.
'Susan, this young lady sharing our compartment is Hermione Granger. We have been
having a wonderful discussion on our upcoming classes.' Harry explained and Susan
smiled before she froze, a fresh blush covering her face.
'Oh, I am so embarrassed. I'm sorry, Hermione. I am Susan Bones, I'm sorry I was
asleep.' Susan apologised and Hermione smiled.
'It's not a problem at all, Susan. Now, Harry said that you think you're going to be a
Hufflepuff?' Hermione said and Harry smirked.
Susan blinked before a wide smile covered her face.
'Oh, yes. My Aunt was a Hufflepuff, and my parents were too.' She trailed off, and Harry
squeezed her hand.
'Our kinda-cousin is a Hufflepuff in her seventh year as well.' Harry added, earning a
smile from Susan.
'Kinda-cousin?' Hermione parroted.
'Yeah, she's great. I'm actually pretty surprised she hasn't come in to embarrass us
already. Oh well, I'm sure she will make a point of doing that in the next few days.' Harry
grinned.
Hermione smiled at the two of them before leaning forward.
'So, Harry. What house do you think you'll be in?' Hermione asked.
An hour later the train arrived at Hogsmeade and outside they met Hagrid, a massive
man who greeted everyone with a beaming smile. He took the first years to the black
lake and into tiny boats. Harry shared his with Susan, Hermione and Hannah.
He introduced Hannah to Hermione as the little boats followed Hagrid's almost comically
small boat.
Harry stared; eyes wide in awe at the castle on the hill above them. It was lit with
candles, and it evoked a feeling of timeless majesty. The feeling only grew as their
boats glided over the inky blackness of the lake.
Once inside the castle, Hagrid led them up to the entrance hall to Professor
McGonagall. The stern-faced woman had them wait outside until she returned.
Harry watched with an amused grin as Draco picked a fight with a red-haired boy, who
had to be a Weasley. Sure enough, Draco insulted the Weasley boy and Neville
defended the orange haired boy.
Harry shook his head in disbelief as Draco offered friendship to Neville, only to be upset
when the Boy-Who-Lived rebuffed him. He had to stop himself from face palming,
Neville would have had to be an idiot to take Draco up on the offer in front of the entire
year who had just seen Draco bully another student.
Harry shook himself from trying to understand the mind of Draco, Harry turned to smile
at Susan who looked to be having the same thoughts as him.
He rubbed her back in soft circles.
'We're going to be okay. Whatever house you're sorted into, we'll always be family.' He
whispered, and she smiled at him, nodding.
'Thanks Harry. You're right.' She murmured, leaning into him for a moment.
Moments later, Professor McGonagall led them into the entrance hall and Harry shared
a smile with Hermione before nodding to the ceiling of the great hall.
'You were right on the train; the ceiling really looks amazing.' Harry said and Hermione
beamed at him.
Another student asked Hermione about the ceiling and Harry turned away, as she
repeated the discussion she'd had with Harry and Susan on the train.
A few minutes later, the sorting started, and Harry watched with interest as the hat
sorted students.
Hannah and Susan went to Hufflepuff. Hermione went to Gryffindor, and she smiled and
waved at him from her new house.
He watched, along with the rest of the hall, as it sorted Neville into Gryffindor after only
a few seconds of deliberation from the hat.
Finally, it was Harry's turn, and he sat on the chair as Professor McGonagall placed the
hat on his head.
'Very interesting.' A rumbling voice echoed in his head, and Harry blinked in surprise.
'What is, uh, sir?' Harry thought, and he heard laughter in his head.
'You could fit in any of the houses. It's all here in your head.' The hat spoke before going
quiet for a moment.
'You have the ambition to change the world. You are studious and you will fight
whatever comes to protect those you love.' The hat paused again, and Harry quirked an
eyebrow as he looked up at the brim hanging over him.
'But no, all these traits that would put you in the other houses all have their basis in your
loyalty to your loved ones and willingness to work at your goals.' The hat somehow gave
a long whistle in his mind.
'There is nothing you wouldn't do for the ones you love. So be it.' The hat said, its
presence leaving his mind.
'Hufflepuff.' It called out for the room to hear and cheering erupted from the house of
Badgers, none more so than Susan and Hannah.
After dinner, two prefects, named Cyril Meakin and Erin Renshaw led the first-year
Hufflepuffs out of the great hall and down a flight of stairs. The two explained the
kitchens were beneath the great hall and the Hufflepuff common room was just down
the hallway from it.
They walked past the kitchen, pointing out the painting of the fruit bowl which was the
entrance.
'How does anyone get into the kitchen if the entrance is a portrait?' Ernie Macmillan, a
brown-haired boy standing a few metres away from Harry, asked.
Erin turned to face the first years and gave them a soft smile.
'Hogwarts kitchens are run by an army of House Elves. They don't need doors to get
around, they just pop around the castle as they see fit.' She said, her long black hair
hung halfway down her back and her blue eyes sparkled at the first-year students.
'If you don't know what House Elves are, then we will explain once we get inside our
common room. I'm sure you guys want to get to sleep after your long day?' she
continued, grinning as half of the first years nodded.
Cyril motioned for them to follow him and led them past the kitchens and into a corridor
on the right-hand side of it.
Harry blinked as he saw a pile of barrels in a recess on the right of the corridor. Cyril
walked over to them and turned to face the group of first years.
'This is the entrance to the Hufflepuff common room.' He said, motioning at the pile of
barrels.
Harry blinked.
'We can get inside by tapping a specific pattern on a specific barrel. Like so.' Cyril's
hand moved over the barrels and stopped on the one that was two from the bottom, in
the middle.
'If we play a little drum beat on it to the tune of 'Helga Hufflepuff.' The hidden door will
open.' Cyril tapped the barrel like a bongo drum to the beat, bum-bum bum-bum-bum.
A deep creaking sound came from behind Harry. He spun to face the left-hand wall of
the corridor, which opened to reveal an entrance about two metres wide and three high
out of the stone blocks that made up the school.
The first years stared at the opening and Erin laughed from behind them.
'Now guys, remember that you need to tap that barrel in the right tune. If you do the
wrong barrel or the wrong tune, the lids will burst and drench you in vinegar.' The
female prefect said with a wide grin, turning to smirk at Cyril, who groaned.
'Yeah, that really happens guys. In my first year, I sneezed mid-way through the tune
and got it wrong. I was covered in vinegar, it was not pleasant, trust me on that.' Cyril
admitted with a wry grin.
Harry couldn't help the smirk on his face and turned to look into the common room.
'Come along little Badgers, we'll show you the common room.' Erin said as she walked
into the room, followed by the first years and Cyril.
Once inside, Harry gaped like the other first years as his gaze roamed over the room. It
was large, circular, and earthy, with a low ceiling. Round windows let in moonlight that
streamed into the cosy looking room. Harry could make out dandelions and rippling
grass out of the moonlit windows.
'It's like Bag End in Hobbiton.' Harry breathed and Susan squeezed his hand, they
shared a grin at living their childhood dream. Lily had read them 'The Hobbit.' when they
were younger, and they'd adored it.
A boy who stood on Harry's other side blinked at the room.
'Yeah, you think he based Bag End on this?' he asked, and Harry shrugged.
Erin grinned at them.
'Yes, for those muggleborn or otherwise familiar with muggle literature, Tolkien knew of
the magical world. He was a squib and had some friends in Hufflepuff.' She turned to
Cyril, who nodded.
'Okay everyone, time for bed. Boys follow me, girls, you follow Erin.' Cyril said and
walked over to the left of the room where a rounded doorway led to a corridor that led
left, away from the corridor.
Cyril waited until all the boys were standing in front of him.
'Come along.' He said with a yawn and moved into the corridor.
'This corridor is the boy's dorms. This first door is you guys, first years. The other doors
lead into the other years, pretty simple.' Cyril explained, then paused after pushing open
the door into the dorm room.
'Simple rules for Hufflepuff. No boys in the girl's dorms. This applies to the girls too; they
can't go into the boy's dorms. Also, no fighting. You will receive a full set of rules
tomorrow morning. But for now. Bedtime.' Cyril said, then motioned them into the room.
Cyril waved then walked down the corridor as the first years entered the dorm room, the
door closed after they were inside.
Inside, Harry saw five beds in a large circular room, evenly spaced and rather spacious.
Rather strange for a stone castle, the plastered walls bore rich redwood beams spaced
throughout. They seemed to go all out on the Hobbit hole motif.
The other boys fought over their beds, but Harry took the one placed right of the door
and as he sat down, the bed sunk down as his trunk appeared out of thin air. With a
grin, Harry stood and opened his trunk, finding everything was in its place.
To the right of his bed was a desk large enough to hold all his writing supplies. He
frowned as he saw a pile of parchment sitting on the side of the desk and sat at the
chair in front of it. Harry peered through the drawers and under the parchment and let
out a groan.
They had no paper, no notebooks or sheets of paper like he was used to. He sighed as
he noticed the ink pot in the desk's corner.
Harry stood and moved back to his bed, idly noting that the other boys had gone quiet
and the curtains around their beds were closed. He assumed they were trying to sleep.
Quietly, he opened the trunk and dug through its contents until he found his notebook
and a dozen pens.
With a grin, he moved back to the desk and took a seat. He tore out pages from the
notebook and, using the paper, wrote a letter to his parents.
Hey Mum, Dad.
I just wanted to let you know that I've arrived at Hogwarts, and I've been sorted into
Hufflepuff. I haven't seen Nym anywhere yet, but I'm sure I'll see her tomorrow. So far, I
haven't really talked to any of my house mates except Susan and Hannah, who are both
in Hufflepuff with me.
I'm writing this on paper from my notebook because they don't even have paper here!
You could have warned me. I would have brought my stash along with me. Will you be
able to send me some paper to write letters with and some notebooks too? I think I'm
going to use a lot of them while I'm here.
Hogwarts really is beautiful, especially at night. I guess I'll see it during the day
tomorrow.
Anyway, that's about it for now.
I love you guys,
Harry.
He put the letter aside and pulled out another torn sheet of paper to start a letter to
Holly.
Hey Holly,
It's my first night here, and it really is a beautiful place, you're going to love it once you
get here next year. I haven't really talked to anybody yet, but that'll happen tomorrow, I
suppose.
I'm in Hufflepuff and it turns out the common room is pretty much like Bag End in the
Hobbit. Apparently, Tolkien was a squib. Anyways I miss you and I hope that you're
doing okay.
I love you,
Harry.
Harry placed the letter on the one to his parents before taking another sheet of paper,
one of the less torn ones, and started his last letter for the night, to Fleur.
Hey Fleur,
How is being back at Beauxbatons? I hope everything is well there and that the other
students aren't being too much of a bother.
This is my first night at Hogwarts and it really is beautiful here. The castle is ancient and
every stone almost throbs with magic, it's amazing. But it's way too large for the amount
of people here, there's so much wasted space. The corridors are massive and cold,
nothing like how you described Beauxbatons to me. I wish I could see it, then I could try
to give you a better comparison.
Anyway, I was sorted into Hufflepuff, the house for the loyal and hardworking. Other
houses apparently think of us as the ones who won't fit in the other houses, the rejects.
But I think I'd much rather surround myself with friends who are loyal and hardworking
over those from the other houses. But we'll see, maybe this whole separated house
system will end up making sense.
Though I doubt it.
I'm actually looking forward to the Christmas ball this year, but only because it means I'll
be able to speak to you in person again. Letters are fine, but I enjoyed our talk.
Maybe you'll be able to help me speak French without butchering it next time?
That's all from me for the moment. I'm sure my next letter will be more informative.
Your friend,
Harry.
Folding the three letters up, Harry blinked as he realised Hedwig would be up in the
Owlery. He was so used to her being in the room with him he hadn't considered how
she would get down to him here in the basement of a castle.
Sighing, Harry placed the letters in his trunk, ready for the next day when he would head
up to the Owlery, wherever that was.
He curled up in bed, and let out a deep breath then closed the curtains around his bed,
and cast an alarm spell on his watch that his mother taught him years ago. Harry rolled
over and went to sleep.
Harry found Nymphadora Tonks, his quasi-cousin, the next morning. He entered the
common room while the artificial windows still showed moonlight streaming in and saw
spiky pink hair in front of the fireplace.
Harry strode over and sat down next to his cousin on the couch she was on, reading a
book.
'What are you reading, Nym?' Harry asked and the seventh-year girl jerked back, away
from him.
'Harry? What are you doing up so early?' she said, her hair cycling between white, red
and pink as she caught her breath.
'Me? I'm getting ready for my first day of magic school. Why are you up so early?' Harry
asked with a wry grin, eyeing the book she held.
Nym narrowed her eyes at him before throwing the book aside and she wrapped him in
a tight hug.
'Little Harry, you finally made it to Hogwarts. You're going to love it here.' She beamed.
Harry grinned as he relaxed into the hug, knowing he couldn't escape it even if he
wanted to.
'Nym, you still haven't told me what you're reading this early.' He murmured in her
embrace, wrapping his arms around her middle.
She pulled back, twisting in place to pick up her book before showing him the cover.
'Auror's Handbook. 1978 edition.'
Nym grinned, flipping through the pages.
'Your dad gave me his copy of his Auror training manual so I could prepare.' She
grinned, her hair changing between pink and red.
Harry smiled.
'Well, I think you'd make a great Auror Nym. Can I help you with anything now that I'm
here?' Harry asked and Nym scoffed.
'You're a bit small to be a sparring partner kid. But I would appreciate a test subject for
Potions, old Snape is a nightmare.' She scowled as she looked back at the book in her
hands.
'I'll do whatever I can to help you Nym, family helps each other.' He grinned and Nym
scoffed, rubbing his messy hair with one hand.
'I think we should make that the unofficial Hufflepuff catch phrase.' She smirked before
pulling him in for another hug.
Harry enjoyed the hug and as she pulled away, he couldn't help the smile on his face.
'Alright kid, stick close to me until your classes start, I'll show you around a little. Family
helps each other after all.' She said with a wink.
The first few days of class rushed by as Harry and the rest of the first-year students fell
into a routine of classes, meals and spending time in the common room after classes.
He had Defence Against the Dark Arts with the Ravenclaws. Professor Quirrell was a
weird guy who Harry struggled to understand through the man's stutter. So, he spent
most of the class beside Susan and Hannah rereading the Defence textbook and
making notes in the extra notebooks his parents sent him.
Potions class was also with the Ravenclaws. Harry found out quickly that Professor
Snape held a smouldering dislike for him. But other than the glares he received from the
Professor, he behaved like a grumpy, oily man. Honestly, Harry was happy of the man's
behaviour as it helped justify in his mind his image of his dad being a good person.
Potions would never be his forte, but it was clear to everyone in the room, including the
grumpy Professor that Harry worked the hardest and was among the best at the subject.
Snape seemed to look for something to target him for, but his work was as close to
perfect as Harry could manage. Resulting in the Professor settling with just glaring at
him.
Harry enjoyed Charms class with the Slytherins. During his first lesson he found the
Slytherins all took one side of the room, while he sat in the middle and the other
Hufflepuffs took the opposite side. He wondered why the green and silver students
segregated themselves but shrugged it off as none of his business.
Coming in behind the rest of the students, Harry saw Daphne Greengrass enter the
room and take a seat beside him. He noticed all the other vacant seats were on the
Hufflepuff side of the room and shrugged. He had never really spoken to Daphne, he'd
known her from various pureblood events, but she'd always been hanging out with
Draco and his group, who Harry tried to avoid if possible.
Harry gave her a soft smile as she sat and she blinked at him, surprised.
'What's wrong? You seem surprised Miss Greengrass.' Harry asked, cocking his head.
'Just, well, I didn't think you would have appreciated me sitting next to you is all.' The
blonde girl murmured as she unpacked her class supplies onto her desk, occasionally
shooting him strange looks.
'Why wouldn't I? You've never said or done anything harmful to me or anyone I care
about.' Harry said as if it was obvious. Daphne stared at him; her eyes wide.
'But Draco said…' she trailed off and looked down at her desk.
'Draco said what Daphne?' Harry asked, his voice soft as he watched emotions playing
over her face.
Harry glanced around and saw no one paying attention to them, nor did he see
Professor Flitwick anywhere.
'Draco said that your family hated mine, for what happened in the last war.' Daphne
whispered and Harry frowned.
'What do you mean? Your family mostly stayed out of it, didn't they?' he asked, and she
twisted to meet his gaze, her eyes wide.
'Besides, Draco doesn't know what he's talking about, he never has.' Harry scoffed,
drawing a slight upturn of Daphne's mouth which could almost be construed as a smile.
'But…' Daphne started before catching herself and she sighed.
'I am sorry for the misunderstanding.' She murmured and Harry gave her a soft smile.
'How about we see how the class goes and see how we go from there?' Harry proposed
and Daphne nodded, a small smile on her face before she turned to the front of the
class where Professor Flitwick was climbing atop a stack of books.
The class passed by faster than Harry had expected with Daphne for company. He
found she had a talent for the class, and she helped to explain the deeper concepts
behind the Lumos charm he hadn't found in his textbook.
After that first class, Harry and Daphne sat next to each other every lesson. Harry
enjoyed the time spent with the blonde Slytherin, she was smart, and they competed
over who got the spell down first.
Harry had Herbology with the Gryffindors. He enjoyed sitting with Hermione during
these classes while Hannah and Susan sat beside them. However, Harry soon learned
that Neville and Ron were almost as bad as Draco and his friends Crabbe and Goyle.
With narrowed eyes, Harry watched Neville and Ron insulting Professor Sprout behind
her back and most of the members of the class.
In one class, Harry left Hermione alone for a minute to ask the Professor something and
came back to find the bushy haired girl penned up against the table with Neville and
Ron on either side.
'What's wrong know-it-all? Without Potter around you have no friends left. Though why
even he would hang around you I don't know. Maybe he's just as useless as I always
thought.' Neville taunted.
Harry could hear the Boy-Who-Lived only because he approached from behind the
group, unseen by them. Hermione hadn't noticed him because she was distracted by
the two boys tormenting her.
'Brother, why are you bothering Miss Granger?' Harry asked, ignoring Ron completely.
Neville turned to glare at Harry, his face turning red.
'None of your business Potter.' The Boy-Who-Lived snarled, Harry cocked his head.
'Well, it is actually. Hermione is my partner in Herbology.' Harry said and Neville's face
turned an interesting shade of purple. Ron stepped into Harry's way.
'What's wrong Potter? You should thank us.' Ron said, gesturing to Neville.
Harry blinked, looking between the two boys and Hermione who gave him a shrug.
'Why exactly should I thank you Ronald? From what I can see, the two of you are just
making a nuisance of yourselves. Is there something I missed?' Harry asked, giving a
small frown.
Professor Sprouts voice cut in.

'Is there a problem over here?' the Herbology Professor asked, hands on her hips as
she stared at the four.
'I'm not sure Professor, I was trying to return to my partner and Misters Longbottom and
Weasley were in the way. You might have more luck than I in this situation.' Harry said a
moment later, not letting either boy get a word in.
Professor Sprout narrowed her eyes at the two boys.
'Longbottom, Weasley, come over here. I need to correct some of the answers you gave
in the quiz.' Without further word, the woman turned and moved to the front of the room.
Harry turned and quirked an eyebrow at Neville, motioning with his head to follow the
Professor.
With a scowl, Neville followed the Professor, with Ron trailing behind.
Harry turned back to Hermione and moved beside her.
'Are you okay?' he asked, his voice low, and she nodded but looked like she would cry.
'I didn't think those two would go after you so hard. Is it always like that?' Harry asked
and Hermione lowered her gaze to the floor, a single nod her only answer.
'I'll help you. I dislike bullies. Have you already told a Professor?' Harry said and
Hermione nodded again.
'Okay, well we'll have to find another way to stop this kind of thing from happening.'
Harry said, placing a hand on her shoulder.
The rest of the class passed by, with Hermione not saying a word.
Harry had Astronomy with the Slytherins, and he quickly noticed that Daphne had a
talent for it, much like with Charms. He noticed she didn't sit with the other Slytherins,
the house of serpents didn't seem to fit the Greengrass Heiress well. Harry introduced
her to Susan and Hannah who welcomed her with zeal.
On their first session of Astronomy, Harry partnered up with Daphne and worked in
silence for a few minutes, setting up their equipment. She paused as they finished
setting up and looked at him.
'Harry?' she asked, her voice only a whisper.
Harry turned and looked at Daphne in the moonlight, her blonde hair almost silver and
he smiled.
'What's up? Did you want to try the telescope first?' Harry asked and Daphne shook her
head, frowning.
'I just wanted to apologise for how I've thought of you for the last few years.' She
started, her blue eyes darting around, watching their surroundings.
Harry smiled and moved closer to her.
'Daphne, your thoughts are nothing to apologise for. If you used to think bad things
about me, that's fine. I just hope you don't anymore.' He paused, looking in her eyes.
'I'd like for us to be friends.' He said, a small smile on his face and Daphne blinked.
'Are you sure? Won't it make things hard for you to have a friend in Slytherin?' she
asked.
Harry withheld a sigh.
'Daphne. I already think of you as my friend. You're intelligent and I think you'll get along
really well with my other friends.' He paused again, looking around them for a moment
before sighing.
'I also think that you need some friends, it's clear to me that you're not very comfortable
in Slytherin.' He whispered and her eyes widened.
'H-how did you know?' she hissed, a frown marring her face.
'Maybe the fact that in the few days we've been at school I haven't seen you spend time
with anyone in your house?' he smiled, and she deflated.
'But it's okay. If you would like to, I would like it if you would spend time with us, Susan
and Hannah would like it too.' Harry grinned and Daphne quirked an eyebrow.
Harry pointed over to another part of the tower where Susan and Hannah worked
together in their star gazing.
'Susan has always told me that friends are better when there's more of them.' Harry
smiled and Daphne nodded, then looked down to the stone floor.
'It is nice to have intelligent conversation I suppose.' Daphne murmured and Harry
frowned in mock confusion.
'Why do you think that? Draco seems to be the crème of the crop?' he grinned, and
Daphne glared at him.
'Please don't even joke about that, that boy is an idiot.' She growled then sighed.
'I suppose we should get to work for class?' she asked, and Harry nodded.
'You're right, now, which constellation should we start with?' Harry asked, looking down
at the chart, then up at the sky.
Hufflepuff shared transfiguration class with the Ravenclaws. He didn't find anyone of
particular interest in the class and so sat with Susan and Hannah. The three paid rapt
attention to the stern Deputy Headmistress, taking copious notes and Harry worked
hard to make sure the three of them were at the top of the class.
In their first lesson of practical magic, Harry sat to the left of Susan who had Hannah on
her right. McGonagall stood at the front of the class. He watched her transform her
matchstick into an elaborate silver needle and his eyes shone with excitement, much
like the rest of the class.
Then it was their turn and Harry watched out of the corner of his eye how Susan and
Hannah dove right into the exercise. The other students around him waved their wands
in exaggerated motions and Harry held back a groan, hoping no one would blow up their
matchstick like he'd heard happened in Hermione's class that she'd had earlier in the
week.
Harry closed his eyes and pictured the elaborate needle the Professor had created. The
textbook had mentioned in passing that visualisation was key. McGonagall had
mentioned it too, but only in passing. But it was her needle that made him reflect on the
matter. If it were a part of the spell to turn the matchstick into a fancy needle, then
everyone would get it. But the Professor told them only that it was a needle, and the
textbook he'd read before class had done the same.
His eyes still closed, Harry pictured the elaborate needle and imagined the matchstick
turning into it.
'Is there a problem Mister Potter?' Professor McGonagall asked from behind him.
Harry opened his eyes, blinking at the light in the room.
'No Professor, I was trying to visualise the transformation.' He said, twisting in his seat
to look at the stern woman.
'Then carry on Mister Potter.' She said but made no motion to move.
Harry held back a sigh and turned to his matchstick, closing his eyes again and
performing the spell with an image of the elaborate needle in his mind.
With his eyes still closed Harry heard a small intake of breath from behind him. He
opened his eyes to see the elaborate needle from his mind in front of him on his desk.
A moment later, a gasp from Susan beside him drew conversation in the room to a stop.
'Congratulations Mister Potter. It has been quite a few years since one of my students
got the spell correct on their first try.' Professor McGonagall said, leaning over and
picking up the elaborate silver needle.
'See here class, Mister Potter has completed the transformation. What's more he made
the needle to his own specifications. Though while it is by no means required for today's
class, this is what I was hoping to see.' She placed the needle back on Harry's table and
moved to the front of the class.
'I would like to see the rest of you continue to try the spell. I will move around the class
to assist those who would like it. Mister Potter, please continue to experiment and make
it so that you can do the spell immediately.' She commanded, and the class focussed on
their assigned task.
Harry stared at his needle, burning it into his mind.
'Harry? How did you do it?' Susan whispered beside him. He turned to see both her and
Hannah watching him.
He gave a small grin.
'I pictured it in my mind, imagined how it changed from the wooden matchstick into the
silver needle.' Harry said and Hannah stared at him.
'Silver?' she asked, and Harry blinked.
'Yeah… but how did I make it silver?' he whispered, picking up the very silver needle.
That wasn't supposed to be possible. Silver and Gold were both metals that were
difficult, if not impossible to create with magic.
Harry blinked, the image of Fenrir Greyback in the Quidditch shop flashed in his mind.
The werewolf had stood in front of Holly and himself, moments away from killing or
capturing them.
Harry's hand tightened around his wand, and he came back to himself, seeing the silver
needle in front of him. Silver was deadly to werewolves, and an idea had just popped
into his head for dealing with the werewolf the next time he encountered him.
He ducked down, twisting in his seat to rummage through his bag. Harry pulled out his
notebook and a pen, noting down a dot point on a fresh page.
'Learn how to transfigure random stuff into silver projectiles.'
'Learn how to propel silver projectiles like bullets.'
Harry smiled at his notebook for a moment before putting it back in his bag. Sitting up
again, he smiled at Susan and Hannah and turned back to his needle.
History of Magic was with the Gryffindors. While the rest of the class slept, Hermione
and Harry read the textbook and did their own self-study, whispering to each other in
inaudible murmurs. They found Harry was right on the train, the textbook mentioned
nothing other than Goblin Rebellions, much to Hermione's distaste.
The first week of classes passed by in a rush and Harry woke up early on Saturday
morning, eager to find a place in the castle to practice magic in peace. He'd completed
his homework each night while the rest of the house were spending time with friends
and playing games. Harry sat with Susan and Hannah and worked while they shared
their time between study and relaxing.
Harry wandered the halls of the school, no idea where he was going or what exactly he
was looking for. He walked past the kitchens and continued his aimless wanderings for
an hour.
He let out a sigh and looked at his watch, he'd missed breakfast and now he didn't know
where he was. Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
He was lost somewhere in the bowels of the castle with no way of knowing how to
leave.
'Hogwarts house-elf please?' he called out and with a pop a house-elf appeared in front
of him wearing a little white pillowcase looking outfit. The creature looked happy and
bounced in front of him, its large ears flapping around it.
'How can Kipsy help the young Potter, sir?' the house-elf, Kipsy, asked, its eyes wide.
Harry smiled at the creature.
'I'm lost. I was exploring the castle and looking for a place where I can practice magic,
somewhere hidden and out of the way. But I ended up getting lost, can you help me?'
Harry asked and Kipsy frowned in thought.
'How about the Come and Go Room, sir?' Kipsy asked, its head cocking to the side.
Harry blinked.
'Come and Go Room? What's that?' Harry frowned and Kipsy's eyes shone as the
creature bounced up and down with excitement.
'The Come and Go Room is a room in the castle that us elves use sometimes during the
summer when there're no students to clean up after. It changes depending on what you
ask it for.' Kipsy explain and Harry gaped.
That sort of room would be perfect.
'Thank you Kipsy, that would be exactly what I'm looking for. How do I get there?' Harry
asked, Kipsy looked like it would start vibrating if it were any more excited.
'I will pop you there young Potter sir, if you be liking that?' Kipsy asked and Harry
nodded.
Before Harry knew what happened, Kipsy placed a hand on his arm and Harry stood in
a different corridor.
The stone was lighter and natural sunlight lit the corridor, though he saw no windows.
Beside him hung a portrait of a wizard who looked to be teaching trolls to dance. Harry
froze and peered at the portrait, he wondered why someone would even think to try that.
The trolls wore pink tutu's and gave him a mental image he immediately tried to purge
from his brain.
'Young Potter sir? We is here.' Kipsy declared and Harry looked around, seeing no
doors.
'What do you mean? I don't see any rooms around here, just this weird portrait?' Harry
said, jerking a thumb at the portrait behind him. Kipsy vibrated as it seemed to hold itself
from bouncing in place.
'The Come and Go Room is a hidden room sir. If you walked back and forth three times
right here, thinking of what you want the room to be, it will appear to you.' Kipsy near
shouted, a beaming grin on his face.
Harry frowned at the creature then knelt in front of it with a soft smile.
'Thank you Kipsy, you've been a great help. But why do you seem so excited about
showing me this?' he asked and Kipsy blinked its bulbous eyes at him.
'Oh, young Potter sir, we elves love this room and you is the first student who has asked
about it. We is excited to show a student the wonders of the room. Students rarely call
for us, most don't know we is even here.' Kipsy said, before glancing around them.
'I must be goings, sir. Enjoy the room young Potter sir.' Kipsy nodded and popped away,
leaving Harry standing alone in the corridor.
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He didn't even know where he was in the
castle anymore. Harry sighed and cleared his head.
'Okay, so walk back and forth three times, thinking of what I want the room to be?
Sounds easy enough.' Harry murmured, ignoring the fact he was talking to himself for
now.
Harry paced in front of the portrait, going in a line of about two metres.
'I need a place where I can have the time to train.' He repeated in his mind as he paced.
On his third pass of the portrait a heavy 'clunk' echoed from the wall opposite the
portrait and Harry turned to face it. A moment later a door appeared from out of
nowhere. It was a simple wooden door, and he wondered if it was invisible before, or if it
actually didn't exist.
Magic was weird.
Harry opened the door, entered the room, and froze. The door closed behind him, and
he stared at the wide-open area. Large enough to fit at least fifty people. On the far side
of the room stood a dozen target dummies in front of the wall.
An old dark wooden table sat in the middle of the room with a single book placed on it.
As he walked toward the table, Harry marvelled at the room. It was big enough to do
whatever he wanted, and the dummies would provide him with something to use as
target practice. As he approached the table, he peered at the cover of the lone book. It
was made of black leather and was as thick as his arm, written in gold lettering was a
single word.
'TIME.'
Harry frowned and opened the book and turned the page.
Welcome to the Room of Requirement.
If you are reading this book, then you have discovered the true purpose of this room.
This is how the four of us grew to prominence in the wizarding world of our time. As I
write this, I don't know what has become of us and our legacies, but at least Hogwarts
and this room has survived so that you can read this.
This room can create whatever environment you want it to. It is intuitive and will create
whatever you will it to create.
But it is more than that.
The true purpose of this room is to provide an area where time itself flows at a different
rate to the rest of the world. When using this time dilation, time will flow at one third of
the speed of the outside world.
In effect this means that for every four hours you spend in here, only a single hour will
pass outside of this room.
The rest of this book will explain the other aspects of the room in greater detail.
Also, by now you are probably wondering how you can read this. The room makes the
books it creates readable to whoever is controlling the room.
Make use of this room.
Rowena Ravenclaw.
Harry stared at the book, the fact that the Founders created the room didn't surprise
him, the entire castle was. But that he had a book in his possession which was written
by one of the Founders made his brain hurt.
Harry turned the page, it suggested that he imagine a switch or something similar that
he could use to turn the time dilation on and off.
Harry frowned for a moment before he grinned, and a large red button appeared beside
the door. With a chuckle, he walked over and pressed the button, which glowed. He
walked across the room to stand a few metres in front of the target dummies.
Harry spent the next few hours practising all the spells he'd learned in classes that
week. He cast them over and over until he was confident he could do so with little to no
effort.
Harry sighed as his stomach grumbled, disrupting his thoughts.
'Oh, I wish I didn't have to leave this room to eat.' He groaned, and as he finished, a
house-elf popped into the room, with a silver tray filled with different sandwiches. The
little creature placed them on the table in the centre of the room and popped away.
Harry blinked at the newly arrived food before his stomach growled again and he walked
over to the table and took a sandwich. He made quick work of the tray of food and sat
back, looking up at the ceiling of the room and wondered how far he could push the
limits of the room.
'I wish I had a book on spells.' He murmured and a stack of books appeared on the
table beside the empty tray.
A wide grin covered Harry's face as he reached over and took the top book and peering
at the faded leather cover.
'Hamp's Book of Curses.'
Harry spent hours in front of the dummies, casting curses at them and making notes in a
notebook about each of the spells.
Hours later, Harry lay down on the stone floor, exhausted. His breath came in deep
gasps and his eyes were heavy. Groaning, he pushed himself to his feet and stretched
his muscles.
'Bed.' He grunted and a comfortable looking four poster bed appeared off to the side of
the room, away from the dummies and the table laden with books.
'I wonder what the time is outside this room?' he mused, and a large clock appeared on
the wall beside the red glowing button.
The clock read twelve o'clock and a little rectangle in the middle of the clock read
Saturday (PM).
Harry grinned to himself before collapsing on the bed, still clothed and fell asleep.
When he woke again, Harry looked up at the clock which read three PM Saturday and
grinned.
He went back to studying spells, only stopping to eat, sleep or go to the bathroom which
disappeared after he finished.
Harry left the room when the clock read Monday six AM. He left the room, and the
doorway disappeared as he entered the corridor. Shaking his head at the weirdness of
magic, Harry moved left from the portrait of the dancing trolls and after a few minutes
came across the central staircase and he smiled, he knew where he was now.
He peered over the railing to find he was on the seventh floor. Filing that information
away for the next weekend, he walked down the stairs to the Hufflepuff common room.
As Harry walked through the mostly silent castle, he mused that in the time he'd spent
away from the outside world, inside the room he'd spent a little over seven days learning
and practising spells. He'd forgotten how many times he'd exhausted himself by casting
spells and fell asleep.
Walking into the common room he saw Susan and Hannah whispering in front of the
fireplace, both in their pyjamas.
Harry made his way to them and sat down beside them, only to get crushed in a hug
from both girls.
'Harry, where have you been? We haven't seen you all weekend. Nobody has.' Susan
hissed.
Harry blinked; it hadn't occurred to him that life still moved on outside the room. Though
now that he sat opposite the tear-stained face of Susan it should have been obvious to
him.
'I-I was practising spells and lost track of time.' He offered, lamely, as Hannah glared at
him. Susan's face was just heartbroken.
'I thought something happened to you. I was so worried when you didn't show up on
Saturday night. Then when we didn't see you at all yesterday.' Susan trailed off,
sniffling.
Harry ran a hand through his hair.
'I'm so sorry Susan.' He paused and looked to Hannah.
'I'm sorry Hannah. To both of you for making you worry. I was perfectly safe and just lost
track of time.' He whispered, and both girls stared at him, incredulous.
'You lost track of time? For an entire weekend?' Hannah hissed.
Harry ran his hands down his face and groaned, even to him it sounded like a stupid
excuse.
'Susan, you know how much I want to get better and protect everyone right?' Harry
asked and Susan's bloodshot blue eyes looked up at him and she nodded.
'I found a place in the castle where I can do that. I was so excited about finding it that
the room was all I could think about. Honestly, I didn't even think about what was
happening outside.' He trailed off and Hannah cocked her head, confused.
Susan stared him in the eye for a few seconds before pulling him into a hug.
'Are you sure you were safe?' she whispered into his chest and Harry smiled and
nodded into her hair.
'You're going to go back there next weekend, aren't you?' she asked, and Harry paused
for a moment.
'I want to, yes. But if you don't want me to then I won't.' Harry replied, knowing that if
she asked him not to then he would hold to his promise, as much as he would hate it.
Susan pulled back and their gazes met for almost a minute where Harry could almost
feel her searching for something. She sighed and pulled him back in for a hug.
'No, this is important to you. I don't want to stand in the way of it. Just be careful Harry.'
Susan murmured and Hannah stared at the two of them, shock written all over her face.
Harry tightened his grip on Susan and kissed her temple.
'Thank you, Susan. It means a lot that you trust me to do this.' Harry smiled.
Hannah cleared her throat.
'Uh, Harry. We kind of told the Professors you were missing yesterday.' The blonde girl
admitted, and Harry groaned.
'Damn, though I don't know why I'm surprised. I would have done the same if either of
you disappeared.' Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
'Oh well, I'll have to tell them I got lost or something, not that it would be a lie.' He
admitted and Susan chuckled into his chest.
Harry grinned down at Susan and met Hannah's gaze.
'I went exploring before breakfast on Saturday and got lost in the lower floors. It's a
maze down there.' Harry explained and Hannah snorted.
'Only you Harry would get lost in a castle and have a fun time.' Susan muttered and
Harry grinned.
'Yep, that sounds about right.' He pulled away from Susan and stood.
'I've gotta go have a shower and get ready for classes, wait for me for breakfast?' he
asked, and Susan smiled and nodded.
With a wave, Harry moved over to the boy's dorms and got ready for the day.
Chapter 04. Hogwarts' first year, Part 2. 1991.
Harry felt out of place, falling back into the school routine of classes and homework. But
over the next few weeks, he developed a routine which helped him to handle everything.
Monday to Thursday, he spent time with his friends and studied for classes. He
completed his homework and made to-do lists for the weekends. Each morning, he
would wake up early and explore the castle and the grounds. Friday night after dinner,
he would go up to the Room of Requirement to continue his time-enhanced training.
A discussion with Hermione in History of Magic made him consider incorporating

muggle training methods into his weekends.
On the weekends, he spent the entire time in the Room of Requirement, training his
body and his magic to be prepared to protect Holly and his other loved ones. The first
'day' in the Room of Requirement, Harry used to get ahead with schoolwork, working
through his textbooks doing self-study. He spent the remaining time in the Room
learning new spells and exercising using muggle exercise machines the room provided
at his request.
Harry sent constant letters back and forth to his parents, Holly, and Fleur. He stored the
stack of replies in a specific draw of his desk, secured with locking spells he learnt in the
Room.
After a month at the school, the Room of Requirement looked much different from when
Harry first used it.
It was at least the size of the Great Hall. It had a running track around the outside, with
target dummies lining the wall opposite the door. In the centre of the room sat a
collection of muggle exercise machines. Some worked his upper body, others his lower
body. Other machines worked muscles he didn't even know he had until he used them.
Harry made sure to not overdo his physical training. He was still a child, after all. The
many books the room provided about physical training stressed the importance of not
pushing his young body too hard, or else he could damage it beyond repair.
Magically, he trained himself by casting spells at the dummies, using this time on the
weekends to learn any spells he came across during the week, and those he read in the
books the Room provided.
It was a common occurrence for Harry to be lying on the ground, covered in sweat after
target practice, or using the muggle machines.
A few times he questioned why he was putting himself through all this effort, pushing his
body and his magic so hard with this gruelling routine. But every time the doubt crept
into his mind, he remembered the time in Diagon Alley when he met Fenrir Greyback,
when he and Holly and been so scared. He thought about what would have happened
to them if Harry's magic hadn't repelled the werewolf. He wondered whether they would
have been killed or abducted and turned on the next full moon.
That thought, or one like it, would flash in his mind every time he doubted himself.
With every week he spent at school, he noticed that his magic came easier to him. His
spells came faster and were cast with more power. Every week of classes he found that
the assigned work came easier to him, with how he worked ahead on the weekend and
magic felt more natural to him the more he used it.
In his classes, he noticed both Hermione and Daphne scowling at his quick
improvement, with no extra effort as far as they could see.
On his fifth weekend in the Room of Requirement, he realised that sometimes, he put
more magic into his spells. If he pushed more magic into a spell, it would be a more
powerful version, but he tired himself out faster than normal casting.
Harry frowned at the log hanging from the ceiling of the Room. Three logs hung from the
ceiling, all in a line. Each log was as thick as he was. He drew his wand and narrowed
his eyes as he focussed his magic on the left-hand log.
'Diffindo.' Harry called, firing a severing charm at the log. It struck the log and left a deep
gouge in it. The cut was only a few centimetres deep but spread across the entire log.
Harry turned to the middle log and took a deep breath. He focussed his magic and
readied himself to use it to overpower his next charm.
'Diffindo.' Harry called, forcing his magic through his wand, overpowering it. His wand
bucked in his hand and his aim was off. The spell still hit the centre log, but twenty
centimetres too high.
However, the charm sheared the log in half, the lower section fell to the stone floor with
a loud crash before it fell on its side and lay still.
Harry gasped in deep breaths as the draw on his magic faded. He felt lightheaded for a
moment before he caught his breath. He sat down on the floor for a few minutes before
he took a deep breath and stood, and pointed his wand at the third log.
'Diffindo.' He said, and unleashed his third severing charm, but he followed it up with
another and another until finally, after at least two dozen, the bottom section of the third
log fell to the floor, cut in half.
But the draw on his magic was nowhere near as heavy. He sat again and stared at the
two fallen logs, wondering why it took so much more magic to cut it half with one spell
than it did to do it with two dozen normal strength ones.
He pulled out his notebook and scribbled his thoughts down with a pen he drew out from
the same pocket as the notebook.
Harry's rigorous routine at Hogwarts was broken almost two months after starting
Hogwarts. It was Halloween and Harry was returning to class after taking a bathroom
break. He heard someone sobbing as they ran around a corner away from the Charms'
classroom.
Harry narrowed his eyes and remembered that Hermione had Charms at the moment.
He ran to the corner the sobbing person had run toward and saw a mane of bushy hair
disappear around another corner.
Hermione.
He ran down the corridor and where it intersected with another, he paused. He looked
down the three corridors.
Harry sighed.
He wished he had the marauders map his dad and Sirius told him about. Harry ran
forward and searched for Hermione, hoping that he'd find some clue where she'd gone.
As he ran, he wracked his mind for spells that could track people and came up empty.
He made a mental note to research tracking spells in the future, then continued his
search.
It was almost two hours later, and Harry still wandered the halls searching for his bushy
haired friend. He was sure they were missing the Halloween Feast, and Harry wondered
if she had maybe just gone to her common room.
Then he heard a scream.
Harry drew his wand and ran toward the scream. A minute later, he heard a crash as
something huge was nearby. Its heavy footfalls made the ground vibrate as he drew
near.
A deep rumbling roar of something echoed down the corridor, and he figured it also
made the thumping footfalls. A deep crash sounded nearby, and Harry's gaze was
drawn to the door of a girl's bathroom.
Harry ran to it and as he stepped inside, he froze in place.
In the room stood a Mountain Troll. In its right hand, the monster held a club the size of
a canoe. The creature was at least twelve feet tall and its head almost reached the
ceiling. The thing roared and swung its club at the toilet stalls, which exploded, sending
shards of porcelain and wood splinters throughout the bathroom.
Water sprayed out of the destroyed toilets and sinks and covered the floor with a layer
of water.
Harry ignored that, though.
He heard a scream again and his eyes zeroed in on a cowering, bushy haired girl who
hid under a sink in the corner of the room.
Hermione.
Harry growled.
He'd read about Trolls before he'd gone to Hogwarts. He'd read about the many
creatures that could conceivably harm Holly and he'd made copious notes about the
creatures and how resistant to magic their skin was.
Harry narrowed his eyes at the massive creature.
'Hermione.' He called, drawing her attention, and inadvertently doing the same for the
Troll.
Hermione stared at him with tear-stained cheeks and the Troll blinked at him, its simple
intelligence recognising him, likely as prey.
'Get out of here as soon as you can once I start casting.' Harry shouted before he
turned to meet the enraged gaze of the simple creature.
The Troll took a step toward him. The ground shook with the impact and Harry took a
steadying breath and drew his magic to him. A plan came to him, and he wanted to
discard it as foolish, but after a few more seconds, nothing better came to him.
The creature took another rumbling step and let out a deafening roar.
'Distract it for a moment, I need it facing you for my plan to work.' Harry shouted at
Hermione.
The girl looked terrified, but at his words, she nodded and stood, ignoring the tears
streaming down her face.
'Flippendo.' She shouted and a jet of blue light shot out of her wand, hitting the Troll in
the back of its bald head.
Harry blinked in surprise; they hadn't covered that hex in class yet.
The Troll roared and spun around. It swung its club backhanded and destroyed the rest
of the toilet stalls as it turned to face Hermione, who quailed under its wrath.
Harry darted forward. His time in the Room of Requirement had improved his speed and
agility. He leapt onto the creature's back, springing off a ruined bathroom stall beside it.
He wrapped a hand around the creature's head and took hold of its protruding brow
while his other hand crammed his wand up the creature's nose.
Before he could allow any doubt into his mind about the only plan he came up with, he
acted.
'Diffindo.' He screamed, pouring as much of his magic into the spell as he could gather.
His wand bucked in his hand; the recoil of the overpowered spell pushed his hand away
from the creature's face.
His spell not only incapacitated the Troll like he'd hoped, but it also burst out from the
back of the creature's skull and cut into his shoulder, almost removing it from his body.
Harry fell back on the floor with a splash, the water spraying through the room from the
ruined toilets and sinks mixing with the blood pouring from his wound, staining the water
that covered the floor red with blood.
Harry saw his wand fall to the floor in front of the Troll, its body swayed in place.
The creature had only half a head after Harry's spell.
Harry clutched his wounded arm and screamed in agony; blood gushed through his
fingers as he stared in horror at the swaying corpse of a twelve-foot Troll. It teetered
backward, but then fell forward, landing in the bloody water pooling at its feet. Blood
gushed out of its half skull to mix with Harry's.
Hermione rushed over to him. She held her wand in her hand and stared at the blood
flowing through his fingers.
'Harry, I-I don't know what to do. Please don't die.' Hermione cried; fresh tears poured
down her face.
A pair of gasps came from the doorway, and Harry turned his darkening gaze toward
them to see Neville and Ron staring at the dead Troll in shock. Then a moment later, the
Professors arrived.
His vision grew darker and Harry saw McGonagall and Snape standing behind the two
Gryffindors, along with Professor Quirrell.
Harry blinked once before darkness claimed him.
Harry woke to a white room. Though he was still dizzy, he noticed a white-haired
woman fussing with the sheets on his bed. Harry groaned and tried to sit up, but white-
hot pain flared from his shoulder, and he fell back on the bed with a hiss, his right hand
going to his left shoulder. As his hand touched his shoulder, the white-hot pain erupted
again, and he tore his hand away with a gasp.
'Mister Potter, please just rest. We haven't quite fixed up your shoulder yet.' The white-
haired woman tutted as she waved her wand over his body, then focussed on her,
waving over his shoulder.
'Where am I?' Harry croaked; his throat dry. The woman huffed before waving her wand
at something behind him.
A glass of water floated in front of him, and he took it with his right hand.
He drunk the whole glass with greedy lips.
'You're in the Hospital Wing of Hogwarts and I am Madame Pomphrey.' The woman
announced as she went back to work on his shoulder.
'Normally students don't find themselves here so quickly.' She tutted, leaning over to
inspect his shoulder and frowning.
'You've been asleep since last night. It's Friday afternoon now.' Pomphrey explained,
and Harry sighed.
Harry waited until she had finished waving her wand over him.
'When can I leave, ma'am?' Harry asked with as little impatience as possible.
The woman didn't fall for it.
'You'll leave when I release you, young man. You're just as bad as your father. Besides,
now that you are awake, the Professors will have some questions for you. They should
be here soon.' She said before leaving his bed.
'Your wound is closed, but because the damage was so extensive, I'm afraid you'll have
a scar. Magic has its limits after all.' Madame Pomphrey explained, and Harry shrugged,
then stared at his left shoulder.
There was no pain.
He touched it, ran his fingers across the fresh, pink skin. The scar was a straight line
between his chest and arm, and Harry saw how close he must have been to cutting his
arm off with the spell he used to kill the Troll.
The door to the Hospital Wing opened and Professor Dumbledore walked into the room
with more vigour than a man half his age. Behind him came Professors McGonagall,
Snape, and Quirrell. The four Professors stood around Harry's bed; Dumbledore, and
McGonagall with expressions of disappointment. While Snape sneered and Quirrell
wore an expression Harry couldn't quite place.
'You are lucky to be alive after your foolish actions, Mister Potter.' Dumbledore
admonished a moment later. The man's blue eyes were hard as they stared at him.
'Why do you believe my actions to be foolish Headmaster?' Harry challenged, his eyes
narrowed.
The four Professors stared at him in disbelief, their mouths agape.
'I had been searching for my friend Hermione since she was bullied in class by her
housemates.' Harry paused, looking hard at Professor McGonagall.
'We missed the Feast, where I assume the Troll's presence was announced. So how
were we supposed to know there was a Troll in the castle?' Harry paused again, this
time meeting Dumbledore's gaze.
'A place that was supposed to be the safest place in Britain. I've never seen a Troll
before coming here.' Harry said, looking around the Hospital Wing.
'And why exactly is my head of house not here with you? Professor Sprout should be
present if I am to be interrogated.' Harry kept the Headmaster's blue-eyed gaze.
'Why are my actions considered foolish when all I'd done was to find a friend in need
before fighting a creature that shouldn't be in the school to begin with?' Harry growled
and silence filled the room.
On the left of Harry's bed, Professor Snape's face twisted into a look of grudging
respect, tinged with a dash of amusement. McGonagall stared, speechless, as Quirrell
looked almost pained at the situation.
Dumbledore nodded once.
'My apologies, Mister Potter. I admit I didn't have the entire story before jumping to
conclusions. I thought you had gone after the Troll.' Dumbledore said, each word
coming slowly, like he was carefully choosing his words.
Harry blinked at the old man before he scoffed.
'Why would anyone sane go searching for a Troll?' he asked, incredulous, and received
a few awkward glances in return.
McGonagall cleared her throat and broke the awkward silence.
'What happened in the fight, Mister Potter?' she asked.
Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
'It was a stupid plan, but it was the best I could come up with on the spot.' He admitted
before he took another breath and explained the events that occurred after he entered
the bathroom.
The four Professors stared at him, mouths agape.

Snape cleared his throat, his black eyes narrowed on Harry.
'So, you say that you sent an overpowered Severing Charm at the Troll from inside its
nose to bypass the magic resistant skin?' Snape questioned.
Harry nodded before groaning, one hand shooting up to press against his forehead. His
brain felt tender.
Snape blinked.
'You are nothing like your father.' The sallow man declared and at Harry's blank look,
the man sighed.
'That is a good thing.' Snape said before he swept away from the group and left the
Hospital Wing, his cloak flaring out behind him.
A few seconds passed in silence.
'Does anyone else know how to do that?' Harry asked.
Quirrell sighed and shook his head, following Snape. Which left Professors McGonagall
and Dumbledore standing watch over Harry's bed.
'I'm afraid young Mister Potter, that only Severus knows how to be so dramatic.'
Dumbledore said and Harry blinked at the man wearing bright purple robes with orange
stars.
Professor McGonagall huffed and left the Hospital Wing.
Dumbledore sighed.
'Fifty points to Hufflepuff for courage and determination in the face of danger, to protect
a friend.' The old man closed his eyes for a moment before taking a broken wand out of
his pocket and placing it on Harry's bedside table.
It was his Holly and Phoenix feather wand.
Harry stared at it in horror.
'We found it underneath the Troll. The creature collapsed on top of it and crushed it.'
Dumbledore paused as Harry fought to retain his relatively clear mind thanks to years of
meditation with Remus.
'I have contacted Mister Olivander to come to the school, seeing as it is a quiet time of
year for him.' The Headmaster pulled out a fob watch from his robes, checking it before
returning it.
'He should be here any moment.'
Seconds later, the somewhat creepy wand maker entered the Hospital Wing with his
piercing gaze on Harry.
As the wand maker approached Harry's bed, the man gave Dumbledore's knobbly wand
a distrustful look before he turned back to Harry. When the old wand maker's gaze fell
on Harry's wand, a look of heartbreak crossed his features.
Not saying a word, Olivander moved to the wand. He picked it up and looked at it from
all directions.
'This wand is damaged beyond repair. The Phoenix feather is broken.' Olivander
announced.
Harry's heart sank.
Olivander turned to Dumbledore, a calculating expression on his hawk like eyes.
'Perhaps, Fawkes would deign to replace the feather for young Harry here?' Olivander
asked, his gaze boring into Dumbledore's.
Dumbledore nodded once and a moment later, in a burst of flames, a Phoenix exploded
into the room.
Harry gaped at the majestic bird of fire.
The Phoenix, Fawkes, trilled a cheerful note at seeing the Headmaster and the wand
maker. Then its black eyes fell on the broken wand in Ollivander's hands, and its song
turned mournful.
Tears sprang to Harry's eyes as the song tore at his emotions. He wondered if he was
feeling the bird's emotions or if it brought out his that he fought to control.
The Phoenix landed on the end of the bed; its black eyes locked on Harry's. The large
bird hopped onto the blanket and a few moments later, it had moved until it was only
centimetres from Harry's face.
As the Phoenix's gaze pierced him, Harry felt like the bird was peering into his soul. It
was not a pleasant experience.
With a happy chirp, Fawkes leant its head over Harry's wounded shoulder and released
a single tear. As the tear fell on the scar, it faded until it was little more than a
discolouration.
Harry blinked as the Phoenix disappeared in a flash of flames, leaving behind a single
tail feather on Harry's chest.
Olivander leant over and picked up the feather with a wide smile.
'Well, young man. I will return tomorrow with a new wand for you.' The wand maker
announced. He tucked Harry's broken wand into his robes, along with the new feather.
The man left the room in a hurry.
Harry turned to the Headmaster.
'How is Hermione, sir? She wasn't hurt the last time I saw her.' He asked.
'Miss Granger is fine.' The old man gave a tired shake of his head.
'Misters Longbottom and Weasley led the Professors to the bathroom, which they'd
been told that Miss Granger holed herself up in since an altercation in Charms.' The
Headmaster started.
Harry nodded.
'Yes, the two boys were likely the ones who made her runaway crying in the first place.'
Harry said.
Dumbledore narrowed his eyes at Harry, disappointment clear in his gaze.
'You should be more appreciative of those who were instrumental in your rescue.
Anything else just smacks of petty jealousy.' The Headmaster rebuked.
Harry quirked an eyebrow at the grandfatherly disappointment on display. He released a

frustrated sigh. There was no way the Headmaster would hear anything to impugn the
honour of the Boy-Who-Lived.
Instead, Harry shrugged.
The door opened to the Hospital Wing, to reveal Hermione with a bright red face.
Dumbledore clapped his hands.
'Wonderful timing Miss Granger, I believe Mister Potter was quite worried about you.'
The old man smiled at the bushy haired girl before turning to Harry.
'I leave you in Miss Granger's capable hands.' The Headmaster announced before he
left the room, whistling a jaunty tune.
Harry shook his head at the Headmaster's strange behaviour before smiling at a silent
and still red Hermione.
'I'm glad you're safe.' He said, a smile on his face.
She mumbled something he couldn't hear.
'Can you repeat that, sorry?' Harry asked, and his smile grew wider.
Hermione took a deep breath and met his gaze.
'Thank you for saving me.' She said, and he shook his head.
'Think nothing of it. It's what friends do.' He says and Hermione made to say something,
but the doors opened again.
Neville strolled into the room, Ron behind him.
The two boys stood on either side of Hermione.
'Are the two of you feeling okay?' Harry asked, raising an eyebrow at the boys.
'I'm glad we arrived in time. According to the Professors, you would have died a few
minutes later.' Ron's face paled.
'You were bleeding, a lot.' Ron looked a little green.
Harry stared at the red-haired boy.
Neville smirked at Harry.
'You know what, Potter? You probably owe us both a Life Debt now. So much for the
Heir of the House of Potter. At this rate, you'll owe Life Debts to half the school by the
time you inherit the House.' Neville's smirk widened as Harry turned his gaze on the
Boy-Who-Lived.
Harry stared at the boy; disbelief clear on his face.
'Hermione probably does too actually, without me and Ron arriving with the Professors,
who knows what would have happened?' Neville crowed.
Harry turned a reassuring smile onto Hermione, who had grown pale. He shook his
head once before turning back to Neville.
'Who was the one who caused the situation in the first place? Why was Hermione in that
bathroom, Brother?' Harry asked with narrowed eyes.
Neville turned red and his jaw tightened.
'Ron, we need to go.' Neville snapped, then turned to Hermione and raised both
eyebrows.
'Are you coming, Hermione? We could use your help; goodness knows that we're not as
good a student as you are.' Neville admitted, looking anything but contrite.
Hermione's eyes widened in surprise as she looked between Harry and Neville for a few
seconds. Harry met her gaze, and she looked torn before she nodded to herself.
'Feel better soon Harry.' She said, then followed behind Neville and Ron as they left the
Hospital Wing.
As they walked out of the door, Harry heard Neville's voice.

'Say Hermione, what do you know about Cerberus'?'
Harry rolled his eyes and sighed. He hoped Hermione wouldn't come to regret her
choice. He knew she was desperate for friends in her own house. But to follow your
bullies?
Harry shrugged to himself. Better the devil you know, he supposed.
Harry relaxed back into his bed, letting out a groan as he settled. A few minutes later,
Hedwig flew in through an open window, almost as if she knew she was needed. She
perched on the end of his bed stared at him with amber eyes.
Harry leaned over the bed, and found he had nothing to write on.
'Hogwarts House-Elf please.' Harry called and a moment later, a pop sounded, and a
House-Elf stood next to his bed.
'How can Wonty help the young Potter, sir?' it asked, and Harry smiled at it.
'Would you be able to get me some paper and a pen to write some letters?' he asked,
and the little creature just stared at him.
Harry sighed.
'How about some parchment and a self-inking quill?' he asked, and the little creature
beamed and popped away and reappeared a few seconds later with a stack of
parchment and the self-inking quill.
'Thank you very much Wonty.' Harry smiled and the little creature disappeared with a
pop.
Harry wrote a letter to his parents first, telling them what happened, and that he was
okay, but needed a new wand, which should arrive tomorrow. He wrote a letter to Holly,
telling her what happened while leaving out the scary parts and trying to make it sound
like an adventure.
Harry wrote a third letter, this time to Fleur, telling her what happened, but going into
more detail about the Professor's reactions to him saving a student from a twelve-foot
Troll. He told her he was looking forward to Christmas when he would see her again, if
she was still going to the ball, of course.
Looking down at his letter to Fleur, he had to admit that he was ranting a little about the
Professor's but shrugged.
Harry looked up to call Hedwig, but at some stage the Snowy Owl had moved beside
him, and he smiled at the bird, certain she could read his mind. He gave her the letters.
'Okay, so deliver the ones for Holly and my parents first, then deliver Fleur's, okay?'
Harry asked and Hedwig gave a bark that Harry was sure was along the lines of 'Of
course I'll do that.'.
The bird took off out of the window and Harry was alone again.
His letters written and sent away, Harry lay back in the bed and gave in to the need for
sleep.
Harry opened his eyes. Sunlight shone in through the windows and an obnoxious bird
sung on the ledge of the open windows. He groaned and looked around himself. He
froze as he saw his father sitting in a chair beside the bed, looking like he hadn't slept.
James' head hung in his hands, his palms pressing against his eyes.
'Hey dad.' Harry croaked and James jerked back and stared at him for a moment before
crushing him in an embrace.
'Harry, I'm so glad you're okay. We got your letter last night and rushed straight here.
Your mother is in the Headmaster's office. I'm surprised we can't hear her from here.'
James tried to joke, and Harry sighed.
'I didn't want to worry anybody with the letter I sent you guys.' Harry admitted, and
James scoffed.
'That ship sailed a long time ago kiddo.' James paused and cocked his head to the side,
looking at Harry with an intense gaze.
'You've grown.' James said.
Harry grinned.
'That's what kids do.' Harry smirked.
James grinned and shook his head.
'Okay kiddo, can you tell me the entire story?' James asked.
Harry sighed and nodded.
Harry told James the story starting from the seeing Hermione running out of her Charms
class until he wrote the letter the night before. Lily arrived in the Hospital Wing mid-way
through the story and, as he finished, the two shared a look that Harry had seen many
times before. It was a look that shared an entire conversation.
James ran a hand through his hair, holding Lily's hand with his other.
'Hogwarts is going to be watched closely from now on, Harry. There is something fishy
going on and we considered pulling you from the school.' James continued, but was cut
off by Harry.
'I want to stay.'
Lily smiled at him.
'We will not pull you out. Your father will have Aurors stationed at the school for safety.'
Lily explained and Harry beamed at her before the door to the Hospital Wing opened.
Olivander walked into the room, Dumbledore beside him and together the two old men
moved to Harry's opposite side. Once he stopped, Olivander drew a wand out of his
robes and presented it to Harry.
'Young Mister Potter, I have enjoyed remaking your wand. It is still Holly and Phoenix
feather, much like it was before. However, the wood has been reinforced, and it now
contains both feathers, the old broken one and the new one.' The wand maker wore a
rather creepy smile as he handed the wand to Harry.
Harry held the wand and felt warmth flood through his body as his magic reacted to the
new wand. It was above and beyond anything the wand had triggered before it broke.
'This wand is now undoubtedly my greatest creation. As far as I am aware, only one
wand on this island is more capable.' The old man declared and glanced toward
Dumbledore for a moment before turning back to Harry.
'The bucking you experienced with your old wand shouldn't be an issue with this one. It
was caused by the wand not being able to keep up with the pure magic flowing through
it.' Olivander explained and Harry only stared at his wand.
Harry blinked and tore his gaze from his wand.
'How did you know it used to buck?' Harry asked and Olivander only smiled in answer.
Beside his bed, James, and Lily stared at Harry with wide eyes.
Harry cleared his throat.
'Thank you, sir, for fixing my wand. I don't know what I would do without it.' Harry smiled
at the man, who only nodded.
Harry turned to his parents.
'How is Holly doing?' he asked.
Both his parents glanced at each other and gasped.
'Oh my god, James, we left her and Charlus at home.' Lily breathed; the colour drained
from her face.
Both leapt forward and embraced him.
'We love you and we'll see you soon, I promise.' James said.
'We have to go; your siblings have been alone all morning.' Lily said and kissed his
cheeks.
They both stood back and gave Dumbledore a fierce glare before they ran out of the
room.
Harry blinked as the door closed behind them and turned back to Olivander and
Dumbledore.
Olivander gave a soft grin.
'I believe we can expect great things from you, Mister Potter.' The wand maker said
before he and the Headmaster left the room.
Madame Pomphrey walked into the room and glanced up at the clock on the wall. She
turned back to Harry and waved her wand over his brow. She sighed.
'Okay Mister Potter, you seem to have recovered. You can leave, but I don't want you to
do anything strenuous for the rest of the weekend.' Pomphrey declared, giving him a
stern stare.
Harry beamed and climbed out of bed. He tested his arm, stretching it and found no
pain.
He grinned and turned to the white-haired woman.
'Thank you, Madame Pomphrey. Don't take this the wrong way, but I hope not to see
you anytime soon.' Harry smiled, and the Matron laughed.
'Same with you Mister Potter, now off with you.' She shooed him, and he rushed out of
the Hospital Wing before she could change her mind.
He went straight for the Room of Requirement and spent the rest of the weekend in the
room, testing his new wand and returning to his research and training.
On Monday morning, Harry sat at the Hufflepuff table in the Great Hall. Daphne sat next
to him.
Not many students were in the Hall and Daphne stared at him with narrowed eyes.
'What were you thinking? Risking yourself for a girl who doesn't even appreciate what
you did for her.' She hissed, careful to keep any eavesdroppers from hearing her.
'It's okay. If Hermione wants to make friends with her housemates, I'm fine with that.
She doesn't owe me anything.' Harry shook his head.
Daphne scoffed.
'You know that she actually does, right? A Life Debt no less.' Daphne asked, and Harry
groaned.
'I told her to ignore it. That closed the issue, didn't it?' Harry said, drawing his fingers
down his face.
Daphne rolled her eyes.
'Were you truly raised as an Heir? Life Debts are things that Heirs should know about.'
She quirked an eyebrow.
Harry clenched his jaw, then sighed.
'I paid little attention to them to be honest.' He admitted.
Daphne groaned and brushed a stray hair out of her face.
'Harry, Life Debts are important. Magic itself binds the two people together, not against
their will, really. But it makes it so the person who is owing will feel obligated to return
the Life Debt.' She paused, a finger on her chin.
'Sometimes it's a marriage contract, or money, or business. Sometimes they are just
friends for the rest of their lives, the owing party trying to be there to repay the Debt.'
Daphne explained, and Harry ran both hands through his hair.
'How do I get rid of it, if it's even there?' he sighed.
Daphne grinned, mischief in her eyes.
'You'll have to marry her or get her parents to pay you.' She smirked.
'Life Debts are dumb.' Harry grumbled.
'The Gryffindor doesn't even appreciate it.' Daphne said.
Harry sat back in his chair, covering his face with his hands, and let out a groan.
'Daphne. She appreciates it.' He said, earning a raised eyebrow in question.
'What do you know about Hermione?' he continued, dropping his hands, and looking her
in the eye.
Daphne blinked before frowning.
'She's a bossy know it all that is admittedly good at classes. Not as good as either of us,
but still good.' she said, the words came slowly as she considered them. Harry gave her
an encouraging smile.
'Go on.' Harry urged.

Daphne blinked again and was silent. She frowned, deep in thought, then sighed.
'I don't really know anything more about her.' She admitted. Harry smiled and nodded.
'That's what I assume most people see in her. Consider what those traits would lead to
in social situations?' Harry asked and Daphne's eyes widened as she stared at Harry.
'She would likely not have any friends.' She breathed.
'Yes, and what effect might that have on her personality?' he probed.
Daphne closed her eyes and gave a heavy sigh.
'She would likely turn to the popular crowd to fit in, and who is more popular than the
Boy-Who-Lived?' she answered and raised an eyebrow toward Harry.
'How long did it take you to figure her out?' she asked.
Harry ran a hand through his hair, he'd researched some psychology during his first few
weekends in the Room of Requirement.
'A few weeks.' He murmured, and she gave him a strange look.
A moment later, Susan and Hannah sat down opposite them with bright smiles.
'Good morning, you two. Already eaten?' Hannah grinned, bubbly as always.
The next month and a half passed without fanfare. Hermione distanced herself from him
in their classes together, sitting instead with Neville and Ron. Harry told Susan and
Hannah what happened and told the two Hufflepuffs to stop glaring at Hermione at
every opportunity. He told the two that Hermione could make whatever choices she
wanted to; they would still be friends if she came to him for help.
Hannah rolled her eyes at him, but Susan gave him a long look and nodded before she
dropped the subject.
Harry's weekend training continued. He pushed himself harder once he realised he

wouldn't have access to the Room over the upcoming Christmas break.
The Monday morning that the students would leave for Christmas break arrived and
Harry walked into the Great Hall, walking past Hermione, showing a large tome to
Neville and Ron.
'That is light reading?' Ron asked, incredulous.
'Hush Ronald, I found out who Nicolas Flamel is. He created the Philosopher's Stone.'
Hermione crowed to the two dumbstruck boys.
Harry shook his head as he went to sit beside Susan for breakfast.
*Chapter 6*: Chapter 5 - Christmas Break 1991
Chapter 05. Christmas break. 1991.
Harry sat on a seat inside one of the cabins of the Hogwarts Express, on his way home
for two weeks. Beside him sat Susan, and across from them were Hannah and Daphne.
They'd been on the train for a few hours and Harry couldn't help looking at the door
every few minutes, as if expecting someone.
'What's wrong, Harry?' Susan asked, disrupting the previous conversation between the
three girls.
Harry sighed and gave a sad smile.
'You always know my moods, don't you?' Harry admitted.
Susan blushed while Hannah grinned at her.
'I guess I'm just a little sad that Hermione hasn't joined us, or even stopped by to say
hello. But I suppose if she did, we'd have to put up with Neville too.' Harry shuddered,
echoed by the two Hufflepuff girls, while Daphne's lip curled.
'I have to admit, Hermione grew on me after her first impression.' Hannah admitted, and
Harry smiled.
Daphne sat forward, looking eager to change the subject.
'What are your plans for Christmas?' she asked, and Hannah's eyes shone.
'Oh, oh, oh. My big brother is coming back from the United States. He's a spell creator,
working for their Ministry.' Hannah gushed, and Harry raised an eyebrow.
'Why did he have to go on the other side of the world to do that?' he asked, and Hannah
beamed.
'Apparently our Ministry doesn't approve of anything that could be dark. Which pretty
much means new.' Hannah explained, and Harry frowned.
'Do you know what kind of spell he's working on?' Harry asked, and Hannah shrugged.
'Not really, something about digging tunnels.' She said.
Harry sat back with a thoughtful expression while Hannah gave him an odd look.
'What are you thinking, Harry?' Hannah asked.
'Oh, just that a tunnelling spell could be really useful. I bet Gringotts would be interested
in it if they don't already have something like that.' Harry mused, and Hannah grinned.
'I know, right? I'm going to ask him about it over the break.' Hannah said, before turning
to Daphne.
'What are you doing over the break, Daphne?' Hannah asked.
Daphne sighed and tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear.
'Apart from the Ball, probably spend most of my time with my little sister, Astoria. She
will join us at Hogwarts next year.' She said, a fond smile on her face as she stared out
of the window.
Susan shifted in her seat.
'Oh yes, the Ball. I'm excited about it. Harry, isn't Holly coming this year?' Susan asked,
and Harry grinned.
'Yeah, she is. I think she'll love it, it's okay with you guys that she hangs out with us,
right?' He asked, and the three gave him smiles in return.
'I'm looking forward to meeting this sister of yours that you don't shut up about.' Hannah
grinned and Harry huffed.
'I don't think I'm that bad.' Harry grumbled, pausing as Daphne scoffed.
'Please, I think I may know more about your sister than I do about my own.' Smirked,
Daphne and Harry groaned.
'Why did I make friends with girls again?' Harry asked.
Susan patted his shoulder.
'Because you don't get along with guys.' She said, and Harry let out a sigh.
Later that afternoon, the Hogwarts Express pulled into Kings Cross station and the
students piled out of the train to see their families.
Hannah was the first to see her parents and gathered Daphne and Susan into quick
hugs before capturing Harry in a hug.
'See ya at the Ball guys.' Hannah grinned, waving as she dragged her trunk toward her
waiting parents.
Daphne was the next to spot her parents and gave Susan and Harry hugs.
'I hope you two have a pleasant holiday. We'll catch up again at the Ball.' She smiled
and left, pulling her trunk along behind her.
Harry and Susan made their way closer to the Floo station, where they saw James and
Sirius, along with Orion. Orion reached out for Harry upon seeing him, and Harry took
the child in his arms.
Over the years, Harry had developed a sense for pranks and the amusement of his
father and Sirius.
That sense was pinging.
He looked at the two adults and saw their wide grins. They looked far too amused for
Harry's comfort. Harry shared a glance with Susan, who ran a hand through Orion's
thick hair.
Harry turned back to the two adults.
'What is so funny?' he demanded.
'Well, it's just that you two are a little young to have kids already.' Sirius said, holding
back laughter.
Harry's eyes widened and turned to meet Susan's equally wide eyes; her face turned as
red as her hair. He turned back to the laughing men and cocked his head to the side.
'How did you two know what happened at school?' Harry asked, deadpan. Susan
gasped beside him, and the two men froze, and the colour drained out of their faces.
Harry winked at Susan and led her to the Floo entrance. He held Orion close to him as
he went through the Floo to Potter Manor and Susan followed a moment later.
'I'll be back in a moment.' Harry said, still holding Orion, and he walked upstairs.
Harry went up to his room and dumped his shrunken trunk on his bed. He couldn't
unshrink it himself, so he'd have to wait until the spell faded or he got one of his parents
to do it. He shrugged to himself and carried Orion back downstairs to Susan.
Harry took a seat on the couch beside her and placed Orion down between them. The
child grinned up at the two first-year students.
'Mopsy.' Harry called and the little house-elf popped into the room beside the couch.
'I is glad to be seeing the young Master again sir, how can Mopsy help?' the elf asked.
'Can you please get us something to eat?' Harry asked and Mopsy nodded and popped
away.
A moment later, a platter of sandwiches appeared on the coffee table and Harry
reached out to take a sandwich, offering it to Susan, who took it with a small smile. He
then took one for himself.
'Harry?' Susan asked, her face red.
'Yeah?' Harry said, cocking his head to the side.
'Why did you imply we did… things… at school?' she asked, her face redder than he'd
ever seen before.
Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He turned on the couch to face her.
'I am truly sorry, Susan. At the time, I meant it as a joke. But after thinking about it, it
was in poor taste, and I apologise for sinking to the level of Dad and Sirius.' He paused
and met her gaze.
'I am sorry. Please forgive my lapse in judgement.' He asked.
Susan smiled and took his hands in hers.
'You're forgiven Harry.' She said, before a small frown appeared on her face.
'But why would that be the first thing that came to your head to joke about?' she asked.
Harry sighed and rubbed a hand down his face.
'It was the thing that would mess with them the most, but-' he paused as the two
Marauders popped into the room, still white as sheets.
Harry stared at them.
'Did you two take all that time just standing in Kings Cross like statues?' Harry asked.
Susan smothered a giggle beside him, their hands still joined.
James blinked.
'There will be absolutely no funny business between the two of you until you're at least
fifteen.' James shouted; Sirius nodded emphatically beside him.
Harry glanced at a bewildered Susan before turning back to James.
'It was a joke.' Harry said in a deadpan.
James and Sirius gaped at each other, then to the kids, then back to each other.
Harry leant over to Susan.
'I think we broke them.' He said in a stage whisper.
Susan giggled before she stood from the couch and took Orion into her arms. She
walked over to Sirius and took his arm.
'Come Sirius, we need to get back home so I can drop off my things. We are coming
back for dinner, right?' she asked.
James and Sirius stared at each other, lost.
Harry grinned at Susan.
'I'm sure you are. We'll see you in a few hours.' Harry grinned. He turned to Sirius and
gave him shooing motions.
A white-faced Sirius left the Manor with Susan and Orion.
Leaving James staring at Harry.
James looked like he would say something, before thinking better of it, and disappeared
upstairs, a bewildered expression on his face as he walked up the stairs.
Harry let out a sigh and took another sandwich from the platter. He settled on the couch
and pulled out a notebook. Harry turned to a blank page.
He started a list of what exercises he could do over the Christmas break. He had a lack
of gym equipment, the Room of Requirement, and his wand.
'Running, push-ups, sit-ups, wandless magic.' He wrote, then stared at the page for a
minute.
'Research Occlumency.'
Harry had come across mention of it in the Room while conducting other research. He
was sure that either the Potter or Black libraries would have some information. From
what he'd read, it seemed similar in some ways to the meditation he'd been working on
with Remus for most of his life.
Harry sat on the couch, brainstorming in peace for an hour before the Floo burst to life
on the other side of the room.
Holly exploded out of the fireplace and a moment later threw herself into his arms.
Harry laughed and held her tight, but after a few moments he grew worried as his shirt
grew wet and he felt her trembling in his arms.
He pulled back, keeping her in his arms as he peered at her tear-streaked face before
crushing her against his chest. Harry made soft soothing sounds and rubbed her back
with his hand.
'I'm home now, you're going to be okay.' He whispered, kissing her hair.
Harry looked up to see Lily standing a few metres away, tears also in her eyes as she
watched the siblings reunite.
Charlus stood beside Lily and looked about to laugh before his mother covered his
mouth with a hand and shushed him.
Harry pulled Holly closer to him as she clutched tighter to his chest.
He smiled at his mother and Charlus.
'I'm glad to be home, I've missed you all.' Harry said with a smile before his gaze fell on
the silently sobbing Holly in his arms.
Charlus grinned and wormed away from Lily's grip, and made his way to sit on Harry's
other side. Lily smiled and sat opposite her children.
'How was school after Halloween?' she asked, and Harry grinned.
He told them about how fun Hogwarts was, much to Charlus' amazement.
An hour later, Sirius returned to the Manor with Susan and Orion. Remus arrived a few
minutes afterward, and James came back downstairs once he heard the other
Marauders in the lounge.
Amelia arrived soon afterward and together the extended family caught up with what
had been happening since Harry and Susan left.
'Harry, Harry, Dad got me a training broom.' Charlus beamed and Harry raised his
eyebrows before he turned to James.
James grinned.
'Yeah, Charlus is a natural at flying, just like his old man.' He paused, mischief in his
eyes.
'At least this son actually likes Quidditch.' James complained, and Harry laughed.
'Flying is great. I can't deny that. But I don't really get why everyone loves Quidditch so
much.' Harry said, receiving faux disappointed expressions from James and Sirius.
Harry turned back to Charlus.
'We'll have to go out for a fly while I'm here. I'll show you how to really fly, little brother.'
Harry grinned and Charlus leapt off the couch and ran to the stairs.
'Charlus, hold up. You can show Harry your broom tomorrow. We're going to be having
dinner soon.' Lily called out and Charlus stopped, one foot on the stairs, before giving a
heavy sigh and trudged back to sit beside Harry.
Harry smirked; it was as if Charlus had just been told that he could never fly again.
Sirius leant over to James as the group sat in the lounge room after dinner.
'Susan has competition for Harry.' Sirius stage whispered as both men smirked at Holly,
who hadn't spoken or moved since burrowing into Harry's embrace.
Harry just stroked Holly's black hair as Susan continued telling the extended family
about their time at Hogwarts.
'Harry always disappears on the weekends. None of us know where he goes though.'
Susan said, and James and Sirius' eyes lit up.
'There's even a betting pool going on with our friends regarding where he goes.' She
continued, and Harry gaped at her.
'Really? Since when?' Harry stared at her and she grinned.
'Since Halloween really.' She said and Harry sighed and ran his free hand through his
hair.
He looked up to see excited grins on the three Marauders' faces, while Lily and Amelia
looked on with worry.
Orion squirmed in his place between Harry and Charlus, he'd fallen asleep half an hour
before.
'It's really not that exciting, everyone. I've just found a room in the castle where I can
practice my spell work and exercise.' Harry explained, and the Marauders' faces fell at
the revelation.
'When I go back to school, I'm going to start looking at Runes and Arithmancy. I think
I'm far enough ahead in my normal classes to branch out a little.' He continued. Harry
grinned as he saw how Lily and Amelia beamed at him.
Sirius and Remus patted James on the back.
'There's still hope in Holly, Prongs.' Remus said, then paused, the two other Marauders
turned to Holly, who still clutched Harry's side.
'We can put our hopes in Charlus.' Sirius amended, as the two Marauders looked at a
sleepy Charlus.
Harry chuckled before a yawn escaped him.
'I think I need to go to bed. Can someone take Orion, I don't want to wake him up.' Harry
asked and Susan stood to take the sleeping Orion in her arms.
Harry looked at his mother, and she smiled. She looked down at Holly in his arms and
nodded to him. He smiled at her and stood, picking Holly up with him. His time
exercising in the Room of Requirement coming in handy.
He made his way to the stairs, carrying Holly with him.
'Good night all.' He called; Holly stirred against his chest.
As he reached the top of the stairs, he heard Holly's small voice for the first time in
months.
'Can I stay with you?' she whispered and clutched at him tighter.
'Of course.' He whispered back, bypassing her room, and moved to his.
Once in his room, he placed her on the bed, and he moved his still shrunken trunk to the
ground and changed into pyjamas from the cupboard. He frowned at how small they
were on him now.
He climbed into bed and Holly snuggled into his side and fell asleep in minutes.
Harry held Holly in bed as he heard her breathing steady out and her body relax. He
kissed her brow before sleep finally claimed him.
Screams tore through the room, ripping Harry from a dream forgotten in an instant.
Harry shot up in bed and saw Holly clutching her head and tears flowing from her eyes.
'No, no, no please no.' she murmured.
Harry wrapped his arms around her and held her close. At first, she struggled against
him, but a moment later she stilled and let out a sigh and burrowed into his chest.
'Are you okay?' Harry whispered.
She shook her head and remained silent.
'Did you want to talk about it?' he asked, and she froze.
After a minute of silence, he heard her voice in only a whisper.
'It was the same nightmare. The one in Diagon Alley where we were attacked by Fenrir
Greyback.' She breathed; her eyes squeezed shut.
'But instead of you saving us, Greyback killed you.' She sobbed, gasping for breath
against her tears.
Harry held her close. He felt her body trembling in his arms.
'I found a place in Hogwarts. It's an amazing room that nobody knows about.' Harry
started and her sniffles paused as she listened.
'I have told nobody but you. When you get to Hogwarts next year, I'll show you
everything. I'll always protect you Holly, no one will ever hurt you.' He whispered in her
ear.
Holly's breathing slowed as she calmed.
Harry held her pendant in his hand and focussed on channelling his magic into it. It was
a skill he'd been developing even more since he'd discovered the room. Channelling
more magic into his spells to overpower them worked in much the same manner as
recharging her pendant.
A minute later, the pendant was warm to the touch as it held his magic. Though it would
dissipate over time like the last time he charged it.
If he enchanted the pendant, then it would hold magic for longer periods of time.
'There, all done. That'll last until I go back to school at least. Then I'll do it again.' Harry
murmured as he watched her eyelids droop.
'I love you, Harry.' She whispered before sleep took her.
'I love you too Holly.' Harry replied, kissing her brow as sleep overcame him.
The first week of the Christmas break rushed past as Harry woke early each morning to
exercise. The first morning, Holly sat against a tree beside the pond on the grounds of
Potter Manor. She sat and watched Harry as he ran around the grounds, before doing
push-ups and sit-ups until he collapsed.
The second morning, she joined him and even though it made his morning training take
longer, he took the time to help her until she collapsed beside him and watched as he
finished his routine.
The third morning saw James helping with Harry's morning training. After finishing his
routine, Harry stood in front of the pond while James and Holly stood ten metres away.
James fired tickling charms at Harry, who dodged out of the way as best he could.
What spells Harry couldn't dodge, he blocked by using his wandless magic to pull
objects in the way. He used small stones and clumps of dirt as shields. His control over
his wandless magic was still lacking, but it was enough to perform simple summoning
and banishing spells.
Holly sat on the ground beside James, exhausted from her morning routine, but laughed
as Harry got hit with tickling charms every few minutes.
By the fifth day of break, Sirius joined in the morning routine and, along with James,
both fired tickling charms at Harry who struggled to avoid multiple spells headed his
way. At the end of the morning training session, Harry summoned Sirius in the path of
one of James' charms, ending with a cackling Sirius which triggered the others to join in.
After his morning training finished, Harry would head inside to shower and get ready for
the rest of the day. He would spend a few hours with Holly and Charlus. But he spent
most of the day with Lily in her study.
Harry walked into his mothers' study a week into the break. He'd borrowed Holly's
pendant after their morning routine, and he'd just showered and wore a tired smile on
his face as Lily turned in her swivel chair and grinned at him.
'Well, you finally made it in here, did you? I thought you were avoiding me.' Lily smiled
and quirked an eyebrow.
Harry laughed. He shook his head as he sat down on the floor.
'No, I just didn't want to upset Holly and Charlus by not spending enough time with
them.' Harry said before taking a breath.
'Mum, I want to learn about enchanting now. I want to make it so when I channel magic
into Holly's pendant, it stays there.' He declared and Lily's eyes widened.
'Harry, what do you mean, channelling magic into her pendant? Since when have you
been able to do that?' she asked.
Harry shrugged.
'Since I got it for her, I suppose. I charged it before I went to Hogwarts.' Harry said and
Lily groaned. Her face fell into her hands.
'Harry. I don't think you understand quite what you've managed to do. They don't teach
how to channel magic into an item until you get to your OWL year in Ancient Runes.' Lily
said, shaking her head.
'Okay, how about this? I'll create a rune sequence for you to engrave onto her pendant.
Then when you charge her pendant with your magic, the pendant will retain it.' Lily
offered, and Harry beamed at her.
'Are you sure mum? You'd teach me how to do that?' Harry gasped and Lily grinned.
'Well, I'll teach you how to do it and give you a few lessons to get you started. But you'll
have to read more of my books if you want to learn more than that.' Lily warned.
Harry jumped up and looked around the room.
'Which books do I need to read? Can you point them out for me?' He asked and Lily
laughed.
'Are you sure you shouldn't have been a Ravenclaw?' she joked before she stood and
moved to her bookshelves that lined most of the walls.
She flicked her wand and a dozen books came free of their places on the shelves and
sat in a pile in the corner.
'There, those will give you a good grounding. Now give me a few minutes while I design
something for you to put onto her pendant.' She sat back at her desk and pulled out a
notebook, much like Harry's, and got started.
Harry rushed over to the corner where the stack of books sat and took the top one off
the pile and started reading.
An hour later, Harry lay on his chest on the floor as he used his mother's enchanting
tools to carve a rune cluster, designed by Lily, into a strap of leather. A dozen copies of
the rune cluster were present on the leather strip, each one neater and clearer than the
last.
The cluster comprised four Nordic Runes encased in a circle. In the top-middle position
sat an Ansuz rune, which looked like an 'F' with the two horizontal lines pointing forty-
five degrees downward. Beside it on the left sat an Inguz rune, which looked like a
diamond from a playing card. Beneath the Ansuz rune was a Gebo rune, looking like an
'X'. Finally, a Sowulo rune took its place on the right of the cluster. It looked like a
reverse 'N'.
Lily leaned over his work and chuckled.
'Good work Harry, that's perfect. Now doing it for real is the same, but we use this tool
here to engrave into the copper of the pendant.' She handed him a tool. It looked like a
wooden toothbrush, if the brush head was a thin steel spike.
Later that evening, Harry handed Holly her pendant back, and she stared at the rune
cluster carved into the back of the copper pendant. The floral motif masked the cluster
from sight, unless one knew what they were looking for.
Holly put it around her neck and clutched the pendant in her hands as tears slid down
her face.
'Thank you, Harry. I can feel your magic now. It has got this slow pulse, like a heartbeat.
It is incredible.' Holly whispered as she pulled Harry into a hug.
While Harry was caught in Holly's embrace, he missed the shocked expression James
gave to Lily.
'He enchanted her pendant himself?' James whispered.
'Yeah, he did. He achieved in an afternoon something that took us months to do at

school.' She whispered back.
Harry woke on Christmas eve with a smile on his face. The thought of seeing Fleur
again after a year filled him with an anticipation that surpassed that which he'd felt about
going to Hogwarts. Of course, seeing Fleur again didn't mean he would leave his sister
for months at a time, which may have been what made it so exciting.
Holly rushed into his room, still in her pyjamas and leapt on him, tackling him in a hug.
'Good morning Harry. Are you excited about the Ball tonight?' she gushed, and Harry
laughed.
'Yeah, I am, now let me get up so I can have a shower.' Harry grinned, ruffling her hair
as he made his way to the bathroom.
Once he got back from his shower, Holly sat at his desk.
In her hands she held a pretty, silver pendant. It was shaped like a vertical rectangle
and had a vertical rune cluster carved into its surface.
Four Runes made up the cluster, moving down in a straight line. First was a Wunjo
rune, looking like a 'P' with the curved part instead being pointed. Second was a Dagaz
rune, like two triangles laying on their side, their tips touching. Third was the Teiwaz
rune, looking like a 'T' with the horizontal parts each pointing down at forty-five degrees.
The final and bottom rune in the vertical cluster was the Gebo rune, which looked like an
'X'.
Harry grinned at her as she stared at him with wide eyes and a crimson blush, being
caught holding the pendant.
'Do you like it?' Harry asked, and she nodded.
'Who is it for? It's not yours. It's too pretty.' Holly asked, and Harry laughed.
'It's for one of my friends. She doesn't have too many friends at her school and some
people even pick on her.' He said as he moved to sit on the bed near her.
Holly's eyes grew wide, and a look of horror crossed her face.
'Will the pendant help her?' she breathed.
Harry smiled and pointed at the vertical rune cluster.
'Here, look at the cluster I carved into the silver here. This is supposed to protect her
and make her feel happy.' He said, trailing a finger down the cluster.
'When she holds the pendant in her hands, it should allow her to feel my friendship and
remind her she's not alone.' He explained.
Holly held the pendant in her hands and closed her eyes.
'It works, it really works. I can feel how much you care for your friend. It feels so nice
and warm.' Holly whispered before opening her eyes and placing the pendant back on
Harry's desk with near reverence.
'You must really like this friend to make her a pendant like this.' Holly said and turned to
Harry. He grinned and leant forward to kiss the top of her head.
'I only make pendants for my favourite people.' He said, and she beamed up at him
before she gasped.
Holly took his hand and pulled him from the bed and toward the door.
'Breakfast is ready.' She called and Harry huffed.
'Why didn't you tell me earlier?' he grumbled, but followed her downstairs without
another word.
He marvelled at the change in her over the last few days. She had been in such a
horrible state when he'd got back, but since then, she had returned to her normal self.
Mostly.
As the two entered the dining room, Lily beamed at them. She wore a horrible
Christmas jumper; it was dark green with light green Christmas trees and red bow-
wrapped bicycles and boxes covered the jumper.
'Good morning, you two. Are you excited about the Ball tonight?' Lily grinned, gesturing
for them to take a seat.
Harry gave a small grin.
'Yeah, I am, but I think Holly might be more excited.' He nodded at Holly as she
bounced in her seat, a wide grin on her face.
'Yes, well, this is her first Noble's Ball. But you'll look out for her, won't you?' Lily asked,
worry creasing her brow.
Harry scoffed and took a piece of toast to put on his plate.
'I doubt I'll take my eyes off her.' Harry said, spreading butter over the toast.
'I can look after myself, Harry.' Holly pouted and Harry grinned at her.
'Of course you can, but I'll be right there with you so you won't have to do it alone.' He
took a bite of his toast.
Holly frowned at him before she sighed and dug into her breakfast while Lily watched
them both with a smile.
After breakfast, Holly ran upstairs to shower and Lily turned to Harry, her soft smile
turning into a soft expression he couldn't place.
'Mum?' he asked, and she smiled.
'I'm proud of you for helping your sister. She's been a completely different person since
you left for school.' She started, pausing to take a drink of orange juice.
'But you come back for a few days and she's back to normal, if a little clingier than
before.' She admitted.
Harry nodded, smiling.
'I thought as much. But now that the pendant will retain its magic, it'll keep her
company.' He paused, a frown on his face. He looked up and met his mother's eyes.
'She's always been with me. When I left, it was like a part of me was torn away.' He
admitted, and ran a hand through his hair.
'I could deal with it by distracting myself with schoolwork, and Susan and a few other
friends. But Holly hadn't been able to do that.' He trailed off before a smile crossed his
face. Harry met his mother's eyes, the same as his, again.
'I have an idea that might help.' He grinned before standing and running through the
lounge and up the stairs to his room.
He ran a finger over the books that Lily had given him, helping him to stock his own
bookshelves, much like her own. But these books covered magical theory and Runes
and he'd been collecting them since they had discovered his talent with wandless
magic.
Harry picked out a book on the basics of magical theory. This book had helped when he
was younger to understand how to channel his wandless magic through his hands,
though it was not the intent of the author to do so.
He ran downstairs to see Lily giving him an amused smile.
'Where's the wrapping paper, mum?' he called from the bottom of the stairs, across the
lounge room.
Lily laughed.
'In my office, beside the desk.' She called back.
Harry rushed into her office and found the wrapping paper, exactly where she said it
would be. It was bright red with snitches on it. He shrugged and, with a wave of his
hand, he cut the paper with wandless magic.
He reached over to find the sticky tape dispenser and wrapped the book.
Harry grinned as he held the wrapped gift. It could never be accused of being well
wrapped, or even neat. But he grinned, nonetheless.
He walked back out to the lounge and moved toward the stairs, intent on putting it in
Holly's room.
'You don't want to up there Harry.' Lily's voice came from the dining room, an amused lilt
present.
Harry turned a quizzical look to her before he realised the sound of the shower had
stopped. He blushed and ducked his head.
'Thanks mum. That could have been awkward.' Harry said and Lily smirked.
'Come over here and leave the present on the table for her.' Lily said, and Harry did as
he was told and sat across from her at the table.
Lily sipped her juice.
'Why are you excited about the Ball tonight? Last year you were dreading it.' She asked,
and Harry smiled.
'I made a friend last year and I haven't seen them since last year.' He said and Lily
cocked her head to the side.
'Who is this friend? I didn't know there were any kids there that didn't go to Hogwarts.'
She asked, and Harry laughed.
'Her name is Fleur.' He grinned and Lily stared at him.
Harry blinked and leaned forward.
'Are you okay mum?' he asked, and Lily's face fell into her hands.
Harry got out of his seat and moved to sit next to his mother. He rubbed her trembling
back.
'Are you okay, mum? It's okay, I haven't done anything to annoy the Ambassador or his
daughter.' He said and her trembling body stilled before she burst out laughing.
Her hand slapped her leg as her laughter filled the house.
Holly ran down the stairs, followed by Charlus a moment later, both staring at Harry with
looks that shouted, 'what happened?'.
Harry shrugged at them and stared at his now cackling mother.
The Floo exploded to life and Susan walked through. A moment later a pop sounded,
signalling Sirius and Orion's arrival. Sirius' gaze fell on the cackling Lily, whose hands
were clutching her stomach.
Sirius sent him the same look his siblings gave him and he could only shrug in answer.
Susan walked to Lily's other side and put a hand on Lily's leg as she struggled to
breathe through her laughter.
'What's happening, Aunt Lily?' Susan asked.
It took another minute before Lily composed herself under the watchful gaze of the
room.
Lily beamed at Harry before turning to face Sirius, whose confused expression turned
guarded.
'What?' he asked, suspicious.
Lily grinned and looked back at Harry, putting a hand on his shoulder.
'Harry did something last year that his father has been trying to do for years and nobody
else knew.' She boasted.
Sirius leant around Lily to look at Harry.
'Pup? What is she talking about?' the marauder asked. Harry shrugged.
'I only said that I was excited to see my friend Fleur again, I haven't seen her since last
Christmas.' He repeated and pointed at the decorated Christmas tree in the corner of
the lounge room.
Presents surrounded the tree, piled up on top of each other.
'Her present for me is in there.' Harry explained and Sirius blinked while Lily wore a
smug grin.
Harry looked between the two, while Susan and Holly looked between the two adults
and Harry.
Susan moved to Sirius and took Orion from his arms.
Now free of his burden, Sirius fell to the floor, his bark like laughter filling the air for a
minute. As he finished, he wiped a tear from his eye.
Sirius turned to Harry and beamed.
'This has got to be one of the best pranks ever, and it was unintentional too.' Sirius
grinned.
Harry blinked and turned to his mother for answers.
Lily gave him a soft smile and patted his leg.

'I'll tell you tomorrow.' She said and Harry shrugged.
'Okay. You guys are weird.' Harry said before turning to Susan.
'Did you want to go upstairs and hang out?' he asked, and she shook her head.
'It's going to take all day to get ready for tonight. I should start soon.' Susan smiled and
Harry frowned.
'Really? All day?' he asked, and Holly smacked the back of his head.
'Really Harry? Of course, it's going to take all day. She needs to help me too.' Holly
huffed before she made her way to Susan's side.
'Come on Sue, let's leave Orion with Sirius while we go get ready.' Holly said and Susan
nodded with a grin, she handed Orion back to Sirius and the two ran upstairs and
disappeared.
Harry looked at the two adults.
'How do they move so fast?' he asked, and Sirius chuckled.
'Who knows? You'll likely never find out.' Sirius said and Lily scoffed.
'Boys.' Lily groaned before placing a hand on Harry's shoulder.
'Harry, there no point in you getting ready so early. Why don't you do some study or
something until your father comes home?' she suggested, and Harry nodded.
'Yeah, I think you're right. See you guys later.' Harry grinned and left the dining room
and headed upstairs.
A minute later, Harry plucked a book of Runes from his bookshelf and fell on his bed to
read.
Harry looked up from his book as he lay in bed and blinked. It was getting dark outside.
He put the book down on the bed and listened.
The amount of giggling coming from Holly's room had long since faded and faint
conversation drifted up the stairs from the lounge room.
Harry stood from his bed and placed his book on the desk as he walked toward the
door. He moved down the hallway toward the stairs and poked his head out around the
corner.
His father and Sirius stood on opposite sides of the main couch where Remus sat and
mocked them for their suits.
Harry turned and moved back to his room to get ready for the Ball.
He dressed, tried, and failed to tame his hair and glared at his mirror as it critiqued his
hair in French. Before leaving his room, he took the wrapped box containing Fleur's gift
and a brief note explaining its use. He tucked the gift in his pocket and gave himself a
last check before heading down to join the Marauders, along with Charlus and Orion.
Harry entered the lounge room and scooped a waiting Orion into his arms. He grinned
at Charlus who tugged on James' pant leg.
'Charlus, you're getting too old to be carried around.' James complained, but complied,
nonetheless.
'Never.' Charlus denied and latched onto James' neck, drawing a chuckle from the other
Marauders.
James tried to disentangle himself from Charlus for the next few minutes before he
succeeded. After putting Charlus down on the couch next to Remus he turned to Harry.
'So, Padfoot tells me you know the French Ambassador's daughter? How did that
happen?' James asked and Harry moved to stand in front of Remus, handing him Orion.
Harry moved to lounge on an overstuffed chair.
'We chatted for a while, and she wanted me to write to her during the year. What's the
big deal?' Harry asked, his gaze moving from James to Sirius.
Both men wore wide grins as they shared a glance before turning to face Harry.
'It's the Potter charm, it works every time.' James boasted while Sirius scoffed.
'James, it took almost seven years for the Potter Charm to work for you.' Sirius shot.
James waved a hand in dismissal and beamed at Harry who quirked an eyebrow, still
waiting for an answer.
James blinked and looked toward Sirius and Harry could almost see the silent
conversation taking place.
Harry turned to Remus who shrugged, giving him a look that said, 'You're on your own.'.
He turned back toward James and Sirius who grinned at him.
'What about Susan?' Sirius asked, Harry cocked his head.
'She's family. But what are you guys talking about? You're not making sense.' Harry
huffed.
The two men shared another look before James sighed.
'Sirius will explain it to you when you're older.' James said, as if dispensing the wisdom
of the ages.
'It's your job as a father.' Sirius snapped, before both men turned to Remus who put his
hands up.
'I'm the only one without kids, it's not my job.' Remus explained.
Harry stared at the three men, shaking his head. He turned his gaze to the stairs as a
door opened out of sight. He took a nearby cushion and without looking, tossed it
behind him. Judging by the surprised squawk, it was his father that got hit.
Lily and Amelia walked down the stairs, enjoying the stares from their husbands.
Harry watched the small smiles on their faces as he noticed both women wore green
this year, but Lily wore a crisp, bright green while Amelia's dress was darker.
Harry thought they looked prettier this year than the last but wasn't sure if it was just him
being older. He gave an internal shrug before he smirked as Lily approached James.
'Is the cushion for me my love?' she asked, an impish grin on her face. James looked
down in shock at the cushion and tossed it away.
Harry smirked again as Remus shouted when the cushion hit him in the face.
Harry turned back to the stairs as Susan and Holly left her room. He made his way to
the base of the stairs and grinned at both girls as they made their way down the stairs.
Holly wore a deep red that contrasted with her eyes. Her polished copper pendant
shone atop her dress as her green eyes shone. Susan's dress was a midnight blue that
complemented her hair which was put up in a complicated looking knot.
Harry kissed both girls' hands as they stepped off the stairs.
'You two look great, it was worth the whole day.' Harry grinned as the girls giggled and
each wrapped him in a tight hug.
'Okay everyone, time to leave. I have a big night planned with Charlus and Orion.'
Remus called out and all eyes turned to Charlus who blushed and shrunk down under
the scrutiny.
Harry chuckled and offered his arms to the girls. Together, the three moved toward the
Floo before Harry stopped.
He turned to his parents.
'Where are we going this year again?' he asked, and Sirius let out a single bark like
laugh in the ensuing silence.
Lily covered her silent chuckles with a hand.

'We are going to Malfoy Manor dear.' She said and James scowled beside her.
Harry chuckled and led the girls through the Floo.
On the other side, Draco waited and wore a bored expression.
'Greetings to Malfoy Manor this yule.' Draco droned, as if he'd done it a hundred times
already, which he probably had.
'Greetings Heir Malfoy, thank you for hosting us this year.' Harry greeted with a nod of
the head, a polite greeting between Heirs. The girls curtsied but were not required to do
anything else as Harry had already greeted the other boy.
Harry led the two girls past Draco toward the Ballroom before leaning to whisper to
Holly, but still loud enough for Susan to hear.
'Draco can be a bother, but we can usually rely on him be distracted by the mention of
the Boy-Who-Lived or a Weasley. If you ever get stuck in conversation with him.' Harry
said and Susan covered a giggle with her hand.
'If you speak of the Devil, he shall appear.' Muttered Susan as Neville exited the Floo.
The three turned to watch as Draco looked to be tempted to throttle the other boy
instead of greeting him.
'Are they always like that?' Holly whispered. Susan rolled her eyes.
'Unfortunately.' She muttered.
Harry led the two girls to the drinks table and was glad to see different types of juice this
time.
'What type of juice?' he asked.
'Pumpkin.' Said Susan.
'Orange.' Said Holly.
Harry grinned and claimed two orange juices and a Pumpkin juice from the table.
Standing at the table already was Hannah beside her mother.
'Greetings this yule Lady Abbot, Heiress Abbot.' Harry greeted with a grin, juices still in
hand.
Hannah turned along with her mother and smiled at Harry.
'About time you guys arrived. I'll go take the girls to a table.' Hannah grinned, taking the
glasses of juice from his hands and moving toward Susan and Holly a few metres
behind him.
Harry, now empty handed, moved forward and kissed Hannah's mothers outstretched
hand.
'I've heard all about what happened on Halloween Mister Potter. I'm glad you were there
to help the muggleborn witch, Hermione, was it?' Mrs Abbot said and Harry nodded.
'Just Harry my Lady. And yes, she is a friend. There's nothing else I could have done in
the situation.' He replied, and she smiled.
'Enjoy your Christmas Harry. Wish your sister well from me.' She said and with a last
smile, she left.
Harry turned to get another drink and made his way to the table Hannah had taken the
girls to.
The room was massive, almost the size of the Great Hall at Hogwarts. Tall windows on
either side allowed moonlight to stream in from one side. Candles lit the Ballroom,
floating high above. The centre of the room was made of polished dark wood while the
stone of the rest of the room held dozens of small circular tables. Each table large
enough to hold six in comfort.
Unlike the Longbottom's Ballroom, the Malfoy's did not have balcony's that led out to the
grounds. There was one way in and out of the room, a large double door which Harry
had led the girls through when they arrived. The entrance hall, with the Floo was on the
other side of the doors.
Harry moved to the table the girls had claimed and found Daphne sitting with them,
without a drink.
'Here Daphne, have my drink, I'll go get another.' Harry said with a smile, and she
smiled back, a tinge of red on her cheeks.
Harry turned and moved back toward the drinks table. As he reached out to take
another drink, he heard a lilting voice from behind.
''Arry?'
Harry turned to see Fleur, he grinned and stepped toward her, taking her hands in his
and kissing them both. The silver haired girl smiled up at him, she looked much the
same as she did the year before.
'I've missed you. It was nice with the letters, but there was always something missing.'
Harry said, still holding the girl's hands.
She gave him a radiant smile which he returned.
'Did you want to come meet my friends?' he asked, and she blinked.
'Oui, I'd like zat.' She said, her voice soft.

Harry quickly took two drinks from the table and handed one to Fleur who grinned at
him, one hand still holding his while they each held a drink in the other.
Harry led Fleur to the table of his friends.
Upon reaching the table, the four girls stared at Fleur in surprise.
'Hi guys, this is my friend Fleur. We met last time at the Christmas Ball and have been
keeping in contact since.' Harry introduced before pointing out each of the girls at the
table.
The five girls stared at each other for a moment before Fleur turned to Harry, her eyes
downcast.
'Maybe zis waz not ze best idea. I am sorry 'Arry.' She said before moving to stand.
Harry scoffed and held her hands before turning to the four girls, wearing a half smirk.
'My friends and family are the greatest people I've met. They wouldn't dream of making
you feel uncomfortable.' He said.
Holly blinked and stood, she moved to Fleur and pulled the other girl into a hug.
'Welcome to the group Fleur.' Holly said, guiding Fleur to sit between her and Harry.
Susan looked sad but leant forward.
'How did you two meet? Harry said it happened last year?' the red head asked, and
Fleur blinked at her.
'It waz when we were both outside on ze balcony.' Fleur started, stumbling over her
words.
'I am sorry, my Eenglish iz still not ze greatest.' Fleur admitted and Susan gave her a
soft smile.
'It's okay, I can't speak another language, it must be difficult.' Susan said.
Holly smirked at Harry behind Fleur's back.
'What is it about Harry that you like most?' Holly asked and Harry rolled his eyes.
Before Fleur could speak Harry interrupted.
'Forget that one. What do you want to do in the future?' Harry asked, and he noted a
flash of gratitude in the silver haired girls' eyes.
He'd already asked her this question in their early letters, and she gave him a smile in
thanks.
'I want to be an Enchantress. I 'ave always loved creating zings and I enjoy Runes and
Arithmancy at Beauxbatons.' She smiled as she spoke, and Harry couldn't help but
smile too.
'Oh? Did Harry tell you that our mother is an Enchantress? And did you know Harry has
always wanted the exact same thing as you?' Holly said, a wide grin on her face as
Harry struggled to contain the blush threatening to spread across his cheeks.
Fleur smiled at Harry who rubbed the back of his head with a grin.
Daphne's eyes narrowed.
'What does a Veela see in an Heir of an Ancient and Noble House?' the Slytherin asked,
and Fleur's eyes widened.
''Arry iz my best friend and I don't appreciate your insinuations.' Fleur said, her voice
cold.
'What does an 'eiress of a traditionally dark family zee in familiez traditionally aligned
against 'er own?' Fleur asked, her head cocked.
Harry groaned and Holly tapped his shoulder, gesturing with her eyes to the dance floor.
Harry nodded with a smile.
'Fleur, would you like to dance?' Harry interrupted the two girls before anything further
could be said.
Fleur blinked and gave a slow nod.
Harry turned to the other girls.
'We'll be back once everyone has calmed down.' He smiled at them and offered a hand
to Fleur who took it with a wide smile.
Harry missed Holly glare at Daphne as he led Fleur to the dance floor.
Once on the dance floor, Harry pulled her in for a slow waltz to match the music.
'Are you okay?' he asked, his voice only a whisper. She sighed as she moved in perfect
sync with his steps.
'I 'ad 'oped to get along wiz your friends. I don't 'ave any of my own.' She admitted, and
he spun her.
'Why is that?' he asked, glad she was a better dancer than him. He'd been taught like
an Heir should, but he'd never been interested in it and so he'd learned the bare
minimum.
'Ze boys in my year are more interested in ze girls 'ho are more mature.' She murmured.
'You're plenty mature.' Harry frowned, and she wore a sad smile.
'I am in my fourth year 'Arry. I may look like I am ten, but I am fourteen.' Fleur admitted
while he spun her again.
Once she came in from the spin, he held her close to him.
'That doesn't matter, what matters is that you are a good person. One that I am glad to
call my friend.' He smiled at her as they continued to dance.
He saw a tear escape down her cheek, and he reached up to wipe it away. She beamed
up at him before she embraced him and placed her face against his firm chest.
Harry smiled down at her and from the corner of his eye saw Fleur's father watching
them, a small smile on his face as they slow danced.
'Your father is watching us. Should I be worried?' he whispered, and she giggled into his
chest, then she pulled away, a blush covered her cheeks.
'Not yet Harry.' She murmured in French before leaning back against him.
Harry smiled down at her, not seeing the glares from his table, nor the wide grin from
Holly.
'Did you want a drink?' he asked, and she nodded, pulling away from him but keeping
one hand in his.
Harry led Fleur toward the drinks table and got one for each of them.
'I think I am ready to go back to the table now, if you like?' Fleur said and quirked a
perfect silver eyebrow.
Harry smiled and nodded.
'Okay, lets head back then. By the way, your English has got much better. Good work.'
He grinned, and she blushed.
'Well, I wanted to learn it zo I might meet your friends.' She admitted, and he squeezed
her hand.
They approached the table and Harry saw Neville sitting in his chair, the girls all looked
uncomfortable in his presence.
Beside him, Fleur sighed.
'I would really prefer not to deal with that boy again.' She muttered and Harry chuckled.
'I envy you; I have to put up with him daily at school.' He replied in French, his accent
less painful than it was the year before.
As they approached the table, Harry didn't notice their hands still holding each other.
The girls smiled at him at his approach and nodded to Fleur. Harry paused off to
Neville's right.
'Neville, how is your night going?' he asked and Neville turned to glare at him.
'I saw how Draco behaved earlier, disgraceful.' Harry continued, shaking his head in
faux disappointment.
Neville scowled, he looked ready to say something, before he looked down and saw
Harry and Fleur's joined hands.
The Boy-Who-Lived huffed.
'You know what Potter? You're right.' Neville growled before he stomped away from the
table toward Draco where the blonde boy sat at a table chatting with his Slytherin
friends.
The five girls stared at Harry for a moment, open mouthed.
He grinned and led Fleur back to her seat and retook his own beside her.
'You just have to know how to deal with Neville.' Harry grinned and Holly scoffed.
'You said the same thing about Draco too.' Holly argued and Harry shrugged.
'I did say that didn't I?' Harry mused.
The group fell into light discussion for the next few hours.
Fleur sighed.
'I'm zorry, but I 'ave to leave. Papa iz looking like 'e iz ready to go.' She said, downcast.
Harry stood and helped her up, he turned to the rest of the table and smiled.
'I'll be back soon.' He waved and led Fleur away from the table.
Once they were out of earshot Harry glanced at Fleur.
'I think that went rather well, after a rocky start.' He said, and she nodded, gracing him
with a bright smile.
'Oui, your friends are wonderful. I wish I 'ad friends like that.' She trailed off and Harry
took her hand with a smile.
'But you do. They are your friends now too.' He grinned at her stunned expression as he
led her toward her father.
Once they reached the French Ambassador, Harry released Fleur's hand and bowed to
the man as he smiled down at Harry.
'Greetings Mister Ambassador. It is my pleasure to meet you, I'm glad I could entertain
your daughter this evening, she is a good friend, and I am proud to call her as such. My
name is Harry Potter.' Harry said in French as he bowed.
'No need for that young Heir Potter. I am glad that you took my daughter into your circle
of friends, I appreciate you helping her to fit in.' Fleur's father said, a kind smile twisting
his lips.
The man turned his gaze on Fleur and raised his eyebrows as she blushed beside
Harry.
'My name is Dominique Delacour, please call me Dominique. My daughter has told me
much about you Mister Potter.' Dominique said, smirking at Fleur whose eyes widened,
and she paled.
'Please call me Harry, sir. I hope Fleur has only said good things.' Harry said and
Dominique laughed, his eyes twinkling.
'Only the best things Harry.' The man smiled and Harry returned it.
Out of the corner of his eye Harry noticed Sirius and James staring at him, their mouths
agape.
The two spoke for half an hour before Harry paled.
'Oh, I'm sorry Dominique. I've kept you from leaving, my apologies for delaying you.'
Harry said, bowing to the man again.
'Oh, nothing to worry about young Harry. It's the best conversation I've had all evening.'
Dominique smiled.
'Thank you for humouring me sir.' Harry nodded and turned to Fleur, taking her hands in
his and kissing them.
'I look forward to seeing you again.' He whispered and drew his gift for her out of his
robes and placed it in her hands.
Harry gave a short bow to both Delacour's as they turned to leave.
Once they were gone, he went back to the table with the girls, and they interrogated him
for the next hour.
Finally, the night ended, and the Potter and Black contingent returned to Potter Manor.
Harry came through the Floo in front of Holly and Susan to find Sirius and James sitting
on the couch with wide grins on their faces.
'Did you have a good night, Harry?' Sirius smirked. Holly wore a smirk that matched
Sirius' while Susan looked a little lost.
Harry sighed and collapsed on the couch opposite his father and Sirius.
'Say whatever it is you two need to say so I can go to sleep.' He groaned and Holly
giggled as she sat beside him.
James' grin faded as he leant forward on the couch.
'Do you know what you did tonight?' he asked, and Harry blinked.
'I had fun with my friends?' Harry replied and Sirius face palmed.
'You just aligned the House of Potter with the French Government and announced that
the House had no interest in Blood Purity.' James explained and Harry stared at him,
then at Sirius.
Harry cocked his head and looked to Holly who shrugged.
'But we don't care about Blood Purity?' he asked, and James face palmed.
The room was silent for a moment until Amelia's voice sounded through the room,
having popped in a few moments before.
'Politics is a delicate game to play Harry.' Amelia said, a soft smile on her face.
'Huh?' Harry replied with as much eloquence as he could manage. Amelia face palmed.
Sirius leaned forward.
'These parties are where a lot of political activity occurs. By introducing the daughter of
the French Ambassador to your group of friends, all Heiresses, you have displayed your
intention of closer ties between the two nations.' Sirius paused, looking to James who
nodded.
'And because you forced your friends to accept her, you showed that House Potter is
taking this action seriously.' James continued.
Harry blinked.
'While politics is annoying, it is important.' James said.
Harry blinked again.
Amelia smiled.
'Fleur seems like a nice girl, but in the future, you might want to be careful about the
political consequences of your actions. You are the Heir of House Potter after all.'
Amelia explained.
Harry groaned and his face fell into his hands. Holly rubbed his back.
Harry looked up at James.
'How much damage did I cause?' he asked, dreading the answer.
James grinned.
'This time, you've done nothing wrong. But next time, please try to be more careful.'
James said and Harry nodded.
Harry took a deep breath.
'Okay, on that note, I'm going to bed. See you all in the morning.' Harry announced as
he moved toward the stairs, only for Holly to spring up beside him and lead him upstairs.
Outside his door, she pulled him into a hug.
'I think Fleur was really nice.' She whispered in his ear before going into her own room.
Christmas morning came and Harry woke up with Holly jumping on him, Charlus beside
her. After getting out of bed and getting ready, Harry met them downstairs in the lounge
with the rest of the extended family.
Holly gave him a framed muggle picture, the same one that was in her pendant, of the
two of them of the couch when they were younger. Harry held her tight in thanks as he
took hold of the present to him from Fleur.
He removed the wrapping paper with the care of an operating surgeon, he paused as
the ambient noise in the room faded and he looked up.
'Harry, just tear the paper.' Holly said, her eyes glued to the gift.
'Come on Harry, tear it off.' Charlus called from his spot between Lily and James on one
couch.
'Hurry up Harry, you're the last one to finish.' Called Sirius from the other couch beside
Orion and Amelia.
He sighed and with a smirk and continued to remove the remaining wrapping even
slower than before.
'Harry.' warned James with a twinkle in his eyes.

Harry sighed again and tore the rest of the paper off to reveal a thin, blue leather-bound
book. The front cover had a single word embossed in silver on it 'Veela.'. He opened the
book, and a letter fell out onto his lap. Closing the book, he took the letter and read
through it, Holly peered over his shoulder.
Dear Harry,
Merry Christmas!
I felt the book might need a brief explanation. It was written by my Grandmother, and it
is the same one that she gave to Papa when he became friends with Maman. Papa
always told me to only give it to my closest friend and I would know when it was time.
Also, you are officially invited to visit my home in France during the summer if you want
to. If you decide to visit us, let me know and I'll make sure Papa is free when you come.
I wrote this before the Ball, but I am sure we had a great evening. I hope to see you
again in the summer.
Fleur.
Harry finished the letter and smiled.
'So, what is it?' Sirius asked and Harry looked up from the letter to meet the Marauders
gaze.
'I've been invited to Fleur's house in the summer. I can go right?' Harry asked and
turned his gaze toward James who gaped at him. Lily rolled her eyes.
'Of course, you can honey.' Lily said with a smile before turning to Remus and Sirius.
'Okay you two, help James pack up. Amy and I will kick Mopsy out of the kitchen for
Christmas lunch.' Lily ordered, and the Marauders nodded, earning a smirk from Amelia
who stood along with Lily.
After Christmas, Harry's routine during the holidays grew more intense. His morning
exercise pushed him harder than before and through it all, Holly grew more and more
his shadow. Each day that passed drew them closer to Harry's return to Hogwarts, and
both knew it.
When their morning exercise was complete, the two would head inside to work on
Runes. Harry helped Holly through the introduction to Runes book he'd given her from
his own collection.
Neither saw the worried expression on Lily's face as she watched them studying
together for days on end.
By the last day of break, Harry could avoid every tickling charm sent his way by James
and if it were both James and Sirius, then he was able to avoid most of them. A
celebratory lunch of sandwiches made by Mopsy followed the achievement.
Finally, Harry stood on platform nine and three quarters with the extended family.
Harry held Holly in an embrace while Susan hugged Orion.
'I'll be back before you know it. The pendant will help. But if it doesn't, let me know and
I'll make you a new one.' Harry whispered into her hair, and she nodded, hiding her
tears from him.
The train's whistle blew, and Harry sighed as kissed Holly's brow.
He stepped away from her and smiled at the rest of the family.
'See you all soon.' He said, before turning and walking onto the train, Susan in front of
him.
Chapter 06. First Year Part 3. 1992.
The trip on the express had been uneventful with Susan, Hannah and Daphne joining
him in the cabin. The four discussed their holidays in peace and arrived at the castle
with the rest of the students.
During the welcoming Feast, Harry noticed Neville clutch the scar on his forehead as he
stared up at the staff table. But otherwise, the day passed without issue.
After the Feast, Harry lay in his bed in the Hufflepuff dorms. Held above him was a letter
from Fleur that he'd read a few times already. It had been waiting on his desk when he
arrived. He assumed a House-Elf took it from Hedwig when she returned from her trip to
France, while he was still on the train.
Dear Harry,
I enjoyed the ball a great deal. You never told me you could dance that well; I was
expecting to have sore feet or have to cover up your missteps.
Thank you for introducing me to your friends and for standing up for me. I am sorry you
had to do that; their initial rejection reminded me of how my old friends abandoned me.
Why did you never tell me you want to pursue enchanting like me? I think you will be
great. I adore the necklace you gave me. Did you have help with it from your mother?
My parents think it is wonderful work.
Your sister Holly reminds me of my sister, Gabrielle. Though, much to my disgust,

Gabrielle is obsessed with your Boy-Who-Lived.
You are a true friend Harry, one that I am proud and honoured to have.
Fleur.
Harry smiled as he tucked the letter away inside the book on Veela she'd given him.
He'd already replied to her letter, and he would read the book on the weekend. But until
then, he needed to get some sleep.
The next few months passed quickly for Harry and before he knew it, it was time for
finals. Harry was one of the few Hufflepuffs to be confident. Though his confidence
largely came from having close to nine months of extra time to study and train thanks to
the Room of Requirement. He was mostly done with second year material in his self-
study in addition to his training.
He sat in the library with Susan and Hannah. It was a Wednesday night, and the three
were revising for their Charms' final the next day.
Harry noticed Hermione enter the library. He had seen little of her since the Troll
incident, she'd been book ended by Neville and Ron since then and neither boy was
fond of Harry.
Hermione pushed Neville in front of her while Ron trailed behind her, the three of them
under the watchful gaze of Madame Pince.
After what looked like a torturous journey through the library, Neville stopped in front of
Harry, not meeting his gaze.
'Potter-' he flinched as Hermione's elbow shot into his ribs.
'Harry. Can I speak to you in private?' Neville asked, he sounded like it was the last
thing he wanted to do.
Harry quirked an eyebrow and looked at Hermione, who was biting her lip, a sure sign
she was nervous.
Harry shrugged and turned back to Susan and Hannah, who watched in silence.
'I'll be back soon.' He said and stood, following the three Gryffindors out of the library.
Once out in the corridor, Harry leant against the wall and watched the three with care.
He raised his eyebrows at Neville, waiting for the Boy-Who-Lived to begin.
Hermione nudged Neville again with her elbow and he sighed.
'You're beyond me in classes and magic in general. It's clear to everybody.' Neville
admitted.
Harry frowned, waiting for Neville to continue, which he did after another elbow from
Hermione.
'Damn it, Hermione, stop that.' He hissed before looking into Harry's eyes.
'We need your help.' Neville admitted.
'What do you need my help with?' Harry asked, but his eyes were on Hermione. The
question was clear to the boys, 'Why does Hermione need my help?'.
Neville scowled before being elbowed again.
'We need your help to protect the Philosopher's Stone. Snape is going after it as we
speak.' Neville hissed, glancing around to make sure they weren't overheard.
'Hermione demanded we bring you along because you're brilliant. You're the best in our
year and the only one who's not a Professor who could beat a Troll.' Neville growled.
'Why don't you talk to a Professor, or the Aurors about this?' Harry asked and Neville
scowled.
'We already went to old McGonagall, she ignored us. We can't find the Aurors,
apparently they left with the Headmaster.' Said Ron.
'But we know its Snape and he is going there now. Choose right now, come with us or
not. Either way we're going.' Neville hissed.
Harry sighed and looked at Hermione's worried gaze.
'I'll go with you.' Harry said, looking at Hermione, again making it clear who he was
going for.
'But I need to go tell Susan to take my stuff back to the dorms, I'll be just a moment.'
Harry said, leaving the three Gryffindors in the corridor.
He walked through the library and leaned over his chair, he met the gaze of both girls.
'Those three are about to do something really dumb, and I'm trying to keep them alive. I
need you two to go to Sprout and Flitwick. Tell them that those three are going to
protect the Philosopher's Stone from Professor Snape.' Harry declared, and the girls
stared at him.
'Yes, I know it sounds dumb. But please, get the Professors there as soon as possible.
I'll slow them down as much as I can.' Harry said, and both girls nodded.
'Oh, and take my stuff back with you?' Harry asked, and Hannah scoffed.
'Just go before they leave you behind.' Hannah said and shooed him away.
He joined the three Gryffindors in the corridor outside the library and followed them to
the third floor where Neville led them to a perfectly normal looking door. Except Harry
heard music drifting through the door, and the sound of heavy breathing.
'We're here.' Neville said.
Harry looked at Hermione, who was chewing on her lip.
'What do you know of what is on the other side of that door?' Harry asked.
'A giant bloody dog is what's on the other side.' Ron hissed.
Harry blinked and turned toward Neville, quirking an eyebrow.
'It's Hagrid's pet Cerberus, named Fluffy.' Neville supplied.

Harry let out a deep breath.
'A Cerberus?' Harry asked. They nodded.
'Named Fluffy?' Harry continued.
More nods.
Harry sighed.
'Did Hagrid tell you anything about his demon dog?' He asked.
Hermione gasped, drawing looks from her two friends.
'Hagrid said that music will put it to sleep.' Hermione breathed.
'Who else knew?' Harry asked, and they shook their heads.
He raised his eyebrows at them.
'I can hear something.' He said.
The three Gryffindors glanced at each other before Hermione groaned.
'I've been far too distracted lately. I'm an idiot.' She sighed. Neville stared at her.
'You two boys are slowing her down.' Harry sighed. The two boys scowled at him.
Harry pointed at the door they could hear the music playing through. Neville gasped,
followed a few moments later by Ron.
Harry patted Hermione's shoulder.
'Fluffy should be asleep if you can trust Hagrid.' Harry said, and Neville moved to open
the door.
Behind the door, a massive three-headed dog slept, a Cerberus.
The four entered the rather small room and Harry pointed at a trap door near the
Cerberus' front paws. Hermione smiled at him.
As the two other boys opened the trap door, Harry turned a sad look at the three-
headed giant dog. They had trapped it in this room, barely big enough for it to stand for
who knows how long.
'Harry.' whispered Hermione and Harry turned to see the two boys had already gone
down the trap door.
Harry nodded and followed.
Neville got them through the Devils' Snare without issue, apart from Ron freaking out a
little.
The next room saw Ron running toward the broom.
'Stop.' Harry hissed, and Ron froze.
'Hermione, which key do you think we need?' Harry said as his emerald eyes narrowed
up at the keys fluttering above them.
'Um, there, that one. It has got a damaged wing.' She pointed up at a rather ornate
looking key with a bent wing.
Harry sighed and used his wandless magic to pull the damaged key to him, something
he'd been able to do since he was a little kid. Key in hand, he gave it to Hermione, who
opened the door to the next room.
Once they walked into the next room, Harry remembered he was trying to slow them
down.
He sighed, and admitted to himself that he was having too much fun. This room was
dedicated to a massive chess board and Harry watched Ron play a remarkable game of
chess.
The red head struggled to win the match without risking any of the four pieces that they
were standing in for, but ultimately sacrificed himself to win the game.
Hermione rushed to Ron's side, along with Neville as the boy lay unconscious.
'Does anyone know any healing magic?' Harry asked, and the two shook their heads.
Harry sighed and made a mental note to add healing magic into his weekend training
regime.
'Okay, well, we can't help him then. We'll have to move on to the next room, unless you
want to give up? We can get him to the Hospital Wing if we turn back?' Harry asked,
and Neville glared at him.
'Coward. You just want to run away.' Neville snarled.
Harry sighed.
'I'm giving you the facts Brother. We can leave and take him to the Hospital Wing, or we
can move ahead and leave him here.' Harry said, eyebrows raised.
Neville growled.
'Enough.' Hermione hissed.

'He has a pulse, so I think he's just knocked out, he'll be fine for us to leave him here.'
She continued, and Neville's jaw clenched before he stood and stomped toward the
next room.
Harry put a hand on Hermione's shoulder.
'You, okay?' he asked, and she sighed.
'How did we get ourselves into this mess?' She muttered before moving along behind
Neville.
Harry shrugged and moved behind her. He froze as he stepped into the next room to
see a dead Mountain Troll in the centre of the room. Blood covered the far wall of the
room and a football sized hole oozed blood onto the stone floor from the creature.
Harry stared at the corpse of the Mountain Troll, but unlike the one he killed, someone
had killed this one through its magic resistant skin. A feat far beyond anything he could
yet do. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up and felt a cold sweat form as he
considered the power required to murder a Troll with such obvious power.
Neville moved through to the next room, followed by Hermione and a thoughtful Harry.
The room had a desk with a riddle and a selection of potions in vials lined up nearby.
Behind the desk burned a wall of fire. Hermione stepped forward, and after reading the
riddle, pointed at one potion.
'This one will get us through the fire.' She said. Then Neville moved forward and drank
the whole thing.
'Go back and care for Ronald. I'll try to keep Neville from doing anything too stupid.'
Harry murmured and Hermione gave him a long look before nodding.
Harry cast a Flame Freezing Charm on the wall of fire and walked through it.
Neville stared at him in disbelief.
'This is my destiny, Potter. I am supposed to be the hero. I am the Boy-Who-Lived.'

Neville snarled.
'You are just a lesser son of a fallen House. You have no business being here.' Neville
ranted while Harry just sighed.
Four figures rushed through the still frozen flames, and Neville stared at them in shock.
Professors Snape, McGonagall, Sprout and Flitwick all moved to stand in front of the
two first-year students.
'Thank you for coming so quickly, Professors. Somebody is in the next room where they
shouldn't be.' Harry said and Sprout moved to place a hand on his shoulder.
'You two stay put. We'll take care of it from here.' Professor Sprout said with a small
smile.
She turned and together, the four Professors entered the next room.
Neville glared daggers at Harry.
'You betrayed us, traitor.' Neville snarled and Harry laughed.
'I just saved your life. Whoever is in the next room isn't Snape, and they killed a Troll
through its thick hide. We wouldn't stand a chance against them.' Harry explained.
The castle shook as loud crashes and bangs came from the next room. A scream of
pain echoed through the closed door, and Neville paled.
Harry quirked an eyebrow at the other boy as the castle shook again. A crack appeared
in the stone wall between their room and the next one.
Neville gulped; his face white.
The shaking settled.
'Neville, go flip that table over and get behind it in case they lost.' Harry ordered, and
Neville turned wide eyes on him.
'Go.' Harry hissed, and Neville scurried over to the table, pushed it over and hid behind
it.
Harry moved beside the door, ready to ambush anyone who came through.
A few tense, silent minutes passed until the door opened and Flitwick limped through
the door. Harry let out a sigh of relief.
Behind Flitwick came Sprout, who clutched her right arm to her side.
After Sprout came a levitated Quirrell, the man was stunned and bound in tight ropes.
Before Harry knew what was going on, a black mist tore free of the Defence Professor
and circled him for a moment. The mist released a constant soul tearing scream as it
floated in the air until it flew toward the exit, passing through Neville as he stood from
his hiding spot and pointed his wand at the screaming mist.
Neville dropped to the floor, unconscious, as the black mist escaped.
After the incident regarding the Philosopher's Stone, Harry went back to the Hufflepuff
dorms and filled Susan and Hannah in on the adventure.
A week passed by until Hermione cornered him in the library on the final night before
they returned home for the summer.
She was pale and looked like she hadn't slept in a week. The bags under her eyes and
her more-wild-than-normal hair spoke volumes about the stress she was under.
'Harry, can you please visit Neville in the Hospital Wing?' she said, her voice soft. Harry
looked up from his book and met her gaze.
'Why would that be a good idea? You know he hates me for whatever reason.' Harry
asked, and Hermione's gaze fell to her shoes.
'Something is wrong with him. His confidence and easy-going attitude are gone. I'm
worried about him.' She whispered, and Harry sighed.
'Okay, I'll try to help him. But remember, whatever happens, it was your idea.' Harry
muttered and closed his book.
He stood and returned the book to its shelf before moving to Hermione's side.
'Shall we go?' He asked, offering her his arm.
She smiled and looped her arm through his.
Ten minutes later, Harry entered the Hospital Wing. Hermione waited outside for him to
give the two boys some privacy.
Harry moved to the end of Neville's bed and watched the Boy-Who-Lived shovel the
mountains of sweets left for him in his mouth.
Neville paused and looked at Harry as he watched him. Harry wore a small smile as
Neville lowered his gaze down to his crisp white blanket. He had to admit that he
enjoyed how awkward Neville clearly felt.
Then Neville sighed.
'You're the better Wizard Potter. My Gran has had experts train me for the past few
years in combat tactics and spells, even muggle exercise.' Neville growled, bitterness
filling his voice.
'But even then, with all of that, I can't keep up with you. I can't even keep up with
Hermione.' Neville admitted and slumped.
Harry sighed and took a seat at the end of the bed. Any amusement he'd felt from
Neville's situation had shrivelled away to nothing.
'Don't worry about that. I have my reasons for working so hard. All you need to do is
your best. No one can ask for more.' Harry said, and Neville gave a bitter sigh.
'Dumbledore told me earlier, he said that Voldemort isn't dead. He said that he would
come back some day.' Neville said and Harry stared at him.
'I need to prepare for when that happens.' Neville continued, he straightened once more
and met Harry's gaze.
Harry stood and nodded at the other boy.
'I will help you if that monster returns. House Potter will do what we can to stop him.'
Harry said, and with a final nod, left the Hospital Wing.
He returned to the Hufflepuff common room to spend time with Susan and Hannah
before they would return home the next day.
A/N: Thanks to Griffinhawk who asked why Hermione didn't get Neville to tell the
Aurors. I just added a little bit saying the Aurors weren't at the school, like Dumbledore.
*Chapter 8*: Chapter 7 - Summer 1992
Chapter 07. Summer. 1992.
The train ride was quiet as Harry sat in their cabin, telling Susan, Hannah, and Daphne
about the discussion he'd had with Neville the night before.
'Wait, You-Know-Who is still alive?' Daphne gasped.
'Dumbledore told him that?' Hannah asked, her eyes wide.
'Wait, did he say that You-Know-Who was possessing Professor Quirrell all year?'
Susan asked, and the three girls paled.
Harry blinked and ran a hand through his hair.
'Yeah, when you put it that way, we were taught by a Dark Lord all year. I wonder how
much he had to restrain himself? I mean, murdering a bunch of kids probably would
have been tempting for him.' Harry mused, and Daphne threw a cauldron cake at him.
'Harry, be serious. This is scary.' She hissed and glared at him when he caught the cake
and took a bite.
'I know it is Daphne. This is me trying to make it less scary. And failing, obviously.' He
trailed off at the glares from each of the three.
Susan sighed.
'So, what are we going to do about this?' she asked, and everyone looked at her.
'What?' Susan asked, glancing between the three sets of eyes locked on her.
Harry laughed.
'Well, now I suppose we tell our families. We can't do much about You-Know-Who still
being alive. But we're all from influential families.' Harry mused, and Hannah clicked her
fingers.
'Of course, if our families work together, maybe we can make it harder for You-Know-
Who to return.' She declared, and Harry smiled.
'I think that's a good start. Our families working together in the Wizengamot will be sure
to make waves.' Harry said, but gave a soft smile to Daphne.
'But I know that right now that might be difficult for all of us. So, all we can do is try. We
tell our families what happened and go from there.' He said, and the girls nodded.
Daphne looked at the floor.
'I'm sorry guys, I don't think I'll be able to convince my father to work with your parents.'
She said, and Hannah, who sat beside her, wrapped an arm around her shoulder.
'It's okay Daphne. Like Harry said, all we can do is try. No one can ask more than that.'
The bubbly blonde said, and the Slytherin nodded.
'Yeah, I suppose you're right.' She murmured, but melted into the embrace.
Susan looked out of the window and Harry followed her gaze.
He saw London in the distance.
'Okay guys, I'm going to leave you to get changed. I'll come back in a few minutes.' He
stood and left the cabin.
Harry stepped off the Hogwarts Express an hour later, Susan, Hannah, and Daphne
around him. Harry saw Remus and Sirius waiting for them on the far side of the
platform.
Holly held Orion's hand and stood beside Remus while Charlus stood on Sirius' side.
The two Marauders were joking around and pointing at the train, not having seen Harry
and the others yet.
Daphne turned to the others.
'Have a pleasant summer, I expect letters.' The Slytherin declared and the other girls
smirked while Harry nodded.
Daphne hugged the girls, then embraced Harry.
'I'm going to miss you.' She murmured, and he squeezed her tighter before he pulled
away with a grin.
'Me too Daphne. Enjoy the time with your sister. I know you two are close.' Harry
whispered and Daphne nodded, a wide smile on her face.
With a wave, Daphne left the group to find her parents. Harry turned to the group and
Hannah leapt on Susan, pulling her into a hug.
Once Hannah was finished with Susan, she pulled Harry into a hug.
'Look after Susan over the summer, won't you?' she asked, and Harry nodded.
'Always, she's family. I'll always look after her.' He said, and Hannah pulled away from
their embrace, a strange expression on her face. She almost looked sad.
Hannah stepped away from the two.
'Have a good summer, both of you. Send me letters, okay?' she said before turning and
dragged her trunk into the crowded mass of people.
'Harry.' Hermione's voice called from behind and he turned as the bushy haired witch
pushed through the crowd, out of breath.
Hermione pulled him into an awkward hug, which he returned.
'Thank you.' She whispered, her cheeks red, before she pulled away.
Harry turned to Neville, who gave him a sullen nod, while Ron ate a cauldron cake.
Harry smiled and shook his head at the red-haired boy.
The three Gryffindors moved away, but Harry found himself in another hug, this one
threatening to suffocate him.
'Harry, I missed you so much.' Holly said, as she squeezed him.
'Air.' He gasped as he looked around for help, only to see Sirius and Remus laughing at
him while Susan covered a smirk with her hand.
Finally, Holly released him enough to breathe, and she pulled the smirking Susan into
the hug along with her.
Remus stepped forward and put a hand on Harry's and Susan's shoulders.
'We're all having dinner at Potter Manor, but you guys are headed home first.' He said
the last part to Susan, who nodded.
Harry watched as a jovial Sirius led Susan and Orion away and, after sending Susan
through the Floo, apparated away with Orion, who was still too young to use the Floo by
himself.
Remus, with Charlus attached to his leg, grinned down at Harry, who had Holly attached
to him.
'Okay, you two, we're headed back to your place. Your parents were too busy today,
unfortunately.' The werewolf explained, and Harry shrugged.
That evening, after dinner, the extended family sat in the lounge as Sirius and James
grinned at Harry and Susan.
'So how was your year?' James asked and Sirius scoffed.
'Forget that. Did you see any good pranks?' Sirius asked and James nodded beside
him, apparently having decided Sirius' question was better.
Susan leant forward and grinned.
'Well, Harry had an eventful time protecting the Philosopher's Stone from You-Know-
Who's spirit.' She said, and the room fell quiet. Harry stared at her before he face
palmed.
They'd sent letters to their family about it, but the adults had asked them to not tell the
younger ones.
Susan turned red as the attention of the room fell on her, the adults held expressions of
disbelief while the children's faces held confusion.
'That, is not a topic for the younger ones to hear. So perhaps we talk about your finals?'
Amelia suggested and Susan nodded, then looked down at the floor, as if she took an
intense interest in it.
Harry lay a hand on her shoulder before he looked around at the extended family.
'Finals were okay. We spent a lot of time in the library studying before them.' Harry
started, then frowned.
'I almost think the exams went too well, they seemed easy so I'm a little suspicious.' He
admitted and Susan turned to him, her blush mostly gone.
'No, you're just so far ahead that they seem easy to you. Hannah and I had to really try
with those exams. Without your help, I don't think we would have done so well.' Susan
asserted, and Harry shrugged.
The rest of the night passed with the extended family catching up after two of them had
been away for so long. But it wasn't long before the children got too tired to continue
and everyone turned in for the night.
The next morning, Harry finished his morning routine, covered in sweat. Holly stood
beside him in much the same condition. The two stared out over the pond and toward
the snow-capped mountains in the distance.
'Holly, I'm impressed you kept up your exercise while I was at school.' He grinned,
catching his breath as his muscles ached.
'Of course I did. It turns out I actually enjoy doing this routine. It helped to keep my mind
off you being gone.' Holly admitted between taking large gulps of the cool morning air.
'I figured you two would be out here.' James said from behind and they both turned to
face him.
'Sit down you two.' James said as he sat on the green grass.
Harry and Holly took a seat in front of him.
'What did we do wrong?' Harry asked, and James laughed for a moment before he
sighed.
'No, you did nothing wrong.' James said and looked hard at Holly for a few seconds.
James sighed again and looked back at Harry.
'I want you to tell me everything you can think of about the Philosopher's Stone
incident.' He said and Harry sighed and nodded.
Holly watched Harry with wide eyes as he related everything he could think of about the
incident to the two of them.
As Harry spoke, Holly took his hand and squeezed it. He turned a smile toward her for a
moment before he continued.
When Harry finished, he held a white-faced Holly into his chest as she clutched at him.
James closed his eyes and ran both hands through his hair, then he opened them, and
brown eyes met green.
'Do you want to increase your training?' James asked and Harry blinked.
'Yes.' Harry replied, succinct.
James stood and waved his wand, he conjured a pile of small rocks, each the size of a
golf ball.
'Your job is to dodge, like you did in your Christmas break.' James said, before turning
to Holly.
'Holly, I need you to help me out. You need to throw these stones at your brother.' He
said, and Holly's eyes grew wide.
Harry laughed and kissed Holly's brow, then stood. He moved to stand in front of the
pond about ten metres away.
'Ready?' Harry asked and Holly nodded, holding a stone in her hand.
Her green eyes met his, filled with worry.
'It's okay Holly, I need your help with this.' Harry said, and she nodded, though she still
looked like she had misgivings.
An hour later, Harry collapsed to the ground, covered in sweat, and he struggled to
catch his breath. Holly wore a wide smile as she threw a final rock that hit his foot.
James had been tossing Stinging Hexes instead of Tickling Charms this time and the
extra motivation pushed Harry further than he thought possible.
James conjured a towel and Holly took it before she ran to kneel beside Harry and
wiped his brow.
Harry watched as James moved over to sit near his children.
'Harry, every day you can avoid every rock and spell, we'll move a metre closer.' James
said, and Harry gave a weary nod before his head fell back on the cool grass.
'I'm proud of you. I'm proud of how you protected your friends and how you thought
through the problem and came up with solutions instead of rushing in like I would have
as a kid.' James said, a small smile on his face.
'You would still do that now, Dad.' Harry groaned.
James laughed.
'Once a Gryffindor, always a Gryffindor, I suppose.' James grinned.
Harry tried to laugh, but could only cough as he regained his breath.
The three sat in silence for a minute before James shifted.
'Is there anything you want to do over the summer?' he asked, and Harry met his gaze.
'I have an invitation to visit Fleur's family in France at some stage, which I would like to
do.' Harry said and James blinked.
'How is an international Portkey organised?' Harry continued, still lying on the grass.
James smirked.
'You must have done something right if you were invited to the Ambassador's estate.'
James said, a twinkle in his eyes.
Harry shrugged.
'Fleur is my friend.' Harry said as if it answered everything, which in his mind it did.
James laughed.
'Okay kid, discuss with your friend when the best time is for her, and I'll get the Portkey
sorted.' James grinned and stood.
James left the two siblings and walked toward the Manor, chuckling all the way back.
Harry turned to Holly.
'Do you know what he was on about?' he asked, and she shrugged, then pulled him up
on his feet.
'You need a shower.' She said, crinkling her nose.
A week later, James and Harry stood on a hill that overlooked Potter Manor and the
grounds. Held between the two was a piece of rope.
Harry frowned at the piece of rope with a healthy dose of suspicion.
James grinned.
'The rope is the Portkey. This one will take us directly to Delacour Mansion in France.'
James looked at his watch before he grinned at Harry.
'Hold on to your breakfast.' James said and Harry glared at him as a strange hook-like
sensation grasped his navel and pulled him from his home in a flash of sound and light.
It seemed like only moments later when the swirling sounds and lights stopped.
Harry opened his eyes to find he was lying on green grass in a heap while James stood
beside him, cackling.
Harry smelt a soft pine scent in the air and felt a warm breeze brush past his face.
He looked around.
They were on a hill overlooking an impressive white stone mansion which stood a
hundred metres away. Trees surrounded the mansion on three sides.
They were on the only side of the mansion without trees.
As his gaze roamed, in the distance, he saw a shining blue lake glittering in the sun.
There was not even a single cloud in the sky, and he stared at the lake, he'd never seen
one so large and inviting.
He pushed himself up to his feet and brushed himself off as his father laughed at him.
James flicked his wand and cleaned him off.
Harry turned back to the mansion and saw four figures, three with silver hair that shone
in the bright sunlight and one with dark hair.
In the middle of the three silver haired figures stood Fleur. He could tell it was her, even
from a hundred metres away. Her beaming smile stood out like a beacon.
On Fleur's right stood a girl who looked a lot like Fleur and seemed about the same age,
but with Veela, you couldn't tell until they hit their maturity. Harry assumed the other girl,
almost a mirror image of Fleur, was her sister Gabrielle.
On Fleur's left stood a tall woman, who looked like an older Fleur. She was beautiful,
even from this distance.
Beside the woman stood Dominique. He wore a smile that Harry could see from that
distance with ease.
A few minutes later, Harry stood in front of the assembled Delacour family, James
beside him. James gave a small bow, which Harry hurriedly mirrored.
A flash of a smile crossed Fleur's parents' faces at the slight awkwardness of Harry's
bow.
'Lord Potter.' Dominique greeted and shook James' hand before he turned to Harry.
'Harry.' The older man said with a smile and Harry grinned, shaking his hand.
'Dominique, I'm glad to see you again and to finally meet your family.' Harry said and
missed James' wide eyes at the informality.
Dominique gestured to the woman beside him.
'This is my lovely wife, Apolline, and my youngest daughter, Gabrielle. Fleur, you
already know.' Dominique grinned and Harry leant over and kissed Apolline's
outstretched hand.
'It is a pleasure to meet you all. Fleur has told me so much about you.' Harry said.
Dominique grinned and turned to James.
'Lord Potter, may I show you around while Harry and Fleur catch up?' the Ambassador
asked, and James nodded.
'Just James, sir. I try to avoid political situations if I can.' James admitted and Dominique
chuckled.
'James then, let's head inside.' Dominique smiled and turned to a pouting Gabrielle.
Apolline knelt beside Gabrielle.
'The Potters will be here all-day honey, so you'll have plenty of time to get to know
Harry.' Apolline said in French and took the youngest Veela's hand.
With a final pout, Gabrielle walked with her mother and disappeared through the door
into the mansion.
James gave Harry a wink before he followed Dominique inside.
Harry smiled at Fleur, and she took his hand.
''Arry, it is so good to see you again.' She murmured, and Harry grinned.
'It's wonderful to be here. It's so warm and your descriptions of this place didn't do it
justice, its beautiful here.' Harry smiled as he met her cerulean gaze.
She smiled back, then tugged at his hand.
'Come, I will show you the grounds of the estate. There is much to show you.' She
grinned, and Harry could almost feel her enthusiasm.
Together, the two walked the grounds of the Delacour estate.
They always stayed within sight of the mansion and Fleur showed him the stables, filled
with horses.
She led him to a particularly impressive chestnut-coloured horse.
Harry stared at the massive creature. It was taller than him and he marvelled at the
shine of its coat.
''ere 'Arry. Use this.' Fleur handed him a brush, and with her own, she ran the brush
down the magnificent creature's coat.
Harry copied her motions. The chestnut-coloured horse turned its black eyes on him
and blew out through its lips, shaking its long black mane.
'It's stunning.' Harry breathed, he'd never seen a horse before.
Fleur beamed at him, her blue eyes sparkling.
''is name is Ganache, Gabrielle named 'im.' She said, and Harry stared into Ganache's
dark eyes and felt an intelligence in them he rarely saw in magical creatures, let alone
mundane ones.
'He is wonderful.' Harry marvelled, still brushing the marvellous coat.
Fleur put a hand over Harry's, stopping him from brushing further.
'Come, there is much more to show you before we return to the others.' Fleur said, and
Harry nodded.
With a last look at Ganache, Harry followed Fleur out of the stables, hand in hand.
She led him through multi-coloured gardens that held wonderful aromas.
'Tell me about your school. You 'ave mentioned it in your letters, but it is not the same.'
She asked, and Harry smiled.
He told her of the imposing power projected by the school, the heavy stone that made
up the battlements. He told her of the dark corridors and the pervading sense of magic
in the air.
As they talked, she led him to a boulder overlooking the lake in the distance. Behind
them, trees obscured the mansion and made the area feel like a hidden glade.
'Tell me about your adventures. Again, the letters cannot do them justice.' She asked
and Harry gave a soft smile. She squeezed his hand.
He told her of the Troll, then the incident involving the Philosopher's Stone. Harry looked
down at her hand as she clutched his, her knuckles white.
He looked up into her tear-filled eyes and pulled her into an embrace.
'I'm sorry Fleur, I didn't mean to upset you.' He murmured, and she wrapped her arms
around him.
Sobs wracked her body as she cried into his chest.
Her tears soaked through his tight shirt, and he rubbed her back. He murmured soothing
words into her ear, like he did with Holly when she was upset.
'I don't want to lose my best friend.' She whispered and tightened her grip on him.
'You're my best friend.' She repeated, and Harry squeezed her shoulders.
'You won't lose me, Fleur. I practice every day so that I can protect the people I care
most about.' He whispered and paused for a moment before he pulled away to meet her
teary gaze.
'You are one of those people.' He said, and she stared deep into his eyes.
She nodded.
'I will hold you to that Harry.' She said with a small smile.
Harry smiled back.
'How did your year go? You don't write much about your time there. Only what
everything looks like.' Harry said, and her bright eyes faded. Her hold on him tightened.
Fleur sighed, she looked away for a moment before she took a deep breath and met his
gaze.
'My year mates exclude me. They do not let me sit with them or join them in activities.
They call me names and treat me like I am beneath them. I am alone at Beauxbatons.'
She murmured; her eyes never left his.
Her once vibrant blue eyes grew dull, and Harry saw the sadness in them.
'Only the Professors talk to me, but they cannot stop the girls from calling me names
and excluding me from study groups. They do not do it while the Professors are around,
of course.' Fleur said, and Harry pulled her into a hug again.
He rubbed her back with one hand and stroked her hair with the other.
'Your classmates must be stupid. They have to be, to be mean to such a great person
like you.' Harry said, and she pulled away.
She looked into his eyes.
'Why are you so nice to me? The other boys tell me they do not want to 'ang out with a
leetle girl and the other girls are just mean.' She asked, and Harry's heart broke as he
held Fleur in his arms.
'Fleur, we've been sending letters to each other for more than a year now.' He said, and
she nodded.
'In that time, I've gotten to know you. You're brilliant and kind. You love your family and I
know you would do anything for them.' Harry continued, and she nodded again.
Harry smiled.
'Thanks to the book you gave me about Veela, I understand a little about why you look
younger than me, and that's fine. It's a part of you, that's not something you can change,
nor do I think you should want to.' He continued and let out a breath.
'What I'm trying to say is that you're one of my best friends, even though we have only
spent time together in person a few times, I feel like we know each other more than
almost anybody else.' He admitted with a small smile.
Fleur blinked at him, tears in her eyes, and threw her arms around him.
'Thank you, Harry. You're so good to me, I don't know what I did to deserve you.' She
whispered into his neck, and he smiled.
'You were just yourself.' He said and held her until she released him a few minutes later.
Once she released him and wiped her tears away, she smiled at him.
'Should we re-join the others? I would like to show you our 'ome.' She said and Harry
smiled.
'Not just yet. I wanted to tell you about something I've been working on.' He said.
She cocked her head to the side.

'What is it?' she asked, a little light returned to her cerulean eyes.
'My dad and uncle have enchanted mirrors they used in school to communicate during
detentions.' Harry started, and her eyes widened.
'I think we could make our own so that we can communicate with them instead of using
letters constantly.' He continued, and she frowned.
'Why not use your Papa's?' she asked, and Harry laughed.
'I am worried that they'd listen in to our conversations or something. Those two are
always playing pranks and getting up to no good.' He grinned, and she nodded.
She turned her gaze toward the lake in the distance and stared at its glittering surface.
Harry followed her gaze and noticed dozens of tiny muggle boats on the surface.
Harry watched her and would swear that he could hear the gears turning in her mind.
Fleur turned away from the lake and met his gaze.
'I think we should do it. We will learn 'ow to create these mirrors and then we can talk to
each other every night.' She declared, and Harry grinned.
The two spent the next few hours on the rock, discussing how they could create the
mirrors and get them to work over such a long distance. But Harry's stomach grumbled,
distracting them.
Harry blushed.
'Sorry.' He mumbled, and she laughed.
It was the first time he could remember hearing it, and the sound brought a smile to his
face. Her laugh was wild and free, filled with joy, and he couldn't help but feel happy.
'We should 'ead in and see the others. I'm sure they are wondering where we 'ad gone.'
Fleur said, grinning widely as she watched him rub the back of his head.
'I suppose you're right. I hope they're not worried.' Harry said and Fleur took his hand.
'Non, I think Papa will know we are fine.' Fleur led them away from the rock and toward
the mansion.
As they walked and the mansion loomed over them at their approach, Harry looked over
at Fleur, who wore a wide smile.
'Your English has gotten much better since Christmas.' Harry said, and she beamed at
him.
'You noticed?' she asked.
'I 'ad Maman enchant my mirror to speak to me in English to 'elp me. Like you said your
Papa did for you.' She admitted and Harry laughed.
'Well, he wasn't exactly doing me a favour, it was a prank because I didn't know any
French at the time.' Harry grinned, and she blinked.
'But that is 'orrible.' She gasped, and Harry laughed.
'Oh, it was annoying for sure. Having to learn a new language to figure out how my
mirror was insulting my hair this time. But it had its uses.' He finished with a smile, and
she nodded, returning the smile.
'Oui, I suppose you are right. Now, let us 'urry back, there is more to show you.' She
said and pulled him toward the mansion looming over them.
She opened the door, and he followed her inside.
Harry stared at the room. The inside of the mansion was sheer opulence and Harry
could hardly believe such a place existed.
Potter Manor was large and had been in the family for over a thousand years, but in
terms of sheer grandeur, it was outmatched by far by Delacour Manor.
Harry gaped as the entry hall was about ten metres wide and twenty long. The entire
room was decorated with white marble, flecks of blacks and greys wound throughout the
room, which gave the room an almost royal appearance. Gold trimming lined the room
and drew the eye to carved designs in the marble that met the architraves along the
ceiling.
Harry stared at the room and Fleur let out a short giggle as she tugged at Harry's hand.
'You act as though you've never seen a Manor before. Do you not live in one?' she
asked, and Harry chuckled.
'Well, yes I do. But this is stunning. It's so much more elegant than my place.' Harry
admitted, and Fleur beamed at him.
'You like it?' she asked, and he grinned.
'It's amazing.' He asserted.
'You don't think it's too much?' she asked, her voice held hesitation in it.
Harry stopped his examination of the room and turned to Fleur.
'No, I don't. This is another part of you, Fleur. You don't have to be embarrassed about
it.' He said, and she met his gaze again.
'Are you sure?' she asked, her voice quiet.
'Of course.' He smiled and squeezed her hand.
'Now, are you going to show me around?' he asked, and she nodded, her smile
returning.
She led him through a door on the right of the entrance hall that led to another room.
The only way he could describe this room was that it was a staircase room.
In front of them, an ornate staircase led up to the next floor, before it branched off both
left and right.
'The stairs to the right lead to my room and Gabrielle's room, along with a few guest
rooms.' Fleur said, pointing up and to the right.
'Maman and Papa's room is to the left, along with a dozen other rooms.' She gestured
vaguely up the left side of the staircase.
The ornate stairs were about three metres wide and kept to that size when they
branched off in either direction. They were made of the same marble as most of the rest
of the house as far as Harry could see. Above the stairs was a wide window that
showed the brilliant blue sky outside.
The walls held paintings of landscapes and people in heroic poses. Most looked to be
muggle artwork.
Harry followed Fleur as she led him through the room, they moved past plinths that held
ancient looking urns and statuettes. He paused next to a statue of a robed and winged
woman holding a spear in one hand and a lion pelt in the other, made entirely of gold.
But Fleur pulled him forward, and he hurried to catch up.
She led him through a set of doors and entered a dining room. It was smaller than he
expected, it held a table for ten and decorative works of art hung from the walls. The
room had marble floors and warm wood walls.
Sitting at the table were Dominique and Apolline on one side, with Gabrielle. Opposite
them sat James.
The adults all looked grim, and Gabrielle wore a confused expression.
The occupants of the room turned toward the two, their hands still held together, and a
wide smile grew on Gabrielle's face.
'Fleur, are you and Harry getting married?' the youngest Veela asked, voice full of
excitement and innocence.
Harry and Fleur both blushed while James laughed.

'Gabrielle, you can't ask questions like that.' Apolline scolded but could not hide the grin
she wore.
The room fell silent except for James' not so silent chuckles.
Apolline cleared her throat. She sent a glare toward Gabrielle before she smiled at
Harry.
'How did you like the grounds, Harry?' she asked, her sky-blue eyes twinkling.
Fleur led Harry to sit beside James and took a seat beside him, facing her parents.
'You have a wonderful estate, but I think I like the boulder overlooking the lake the
most.' He said then blinked in surprise as the elder Delacour's gave him knowing grins,
while Fleur blushed beside him.
'That spot has always been Fleur's favourite as well.' Apolline explained and Harry
turned a grin to Fleur whose blush receded, and she returned the grin.
Dominique cleared his throat, the grim expression they'd all worn earlier returning.
'I'm sorry, Harry, to jump to the chase as it were. But I would like to hear from you what
happened at the end of your school year.' The man asked and Fleur gasped beside him,
her hand held his tight under the table.
Harry grimaced, not wanting to tell the story again so soon, but unable to refuse.
'Should Gabrielle hear it too?' He asked, and Gabrielle bristled.
He smiled at her.
'My sister Holly wasn't told the full story straight away either.' Harry explained to the
youngest Veela, and she beamed at him.
Gabrielle turned toward her parents, who shared a look that carried a conversation.
'You can stay Gabrielle.' Apolline said, though she looked like she'd rather send her
away.
Gabrielle grinned and wrapped her arms around her mother's waist.
Harry sighed and told the story of the Philosopher's Stone incident. Dominique stopped
him multiple times to explain what Harry thought of as minor details, but Dominique
gave a solemn nod after each explanation.
After retelling the story, Harry let out a deep sigh and felt drained. A small hand
squeezed his, and he smiled at Fleur. He squeezed her hand before he turned back to
Dominique.
Dominique sighed and ran a hand down his face while he held Apolline's hand with his
spare one.
'You must understand why we had to tell you?' James said and Dominique sighed
again, nodding.
'Officially, I can't do anything to assist in the destruction of the Dark Lord, not until the
British Ministry admits to his continued existence.' Dominique explained, looking pained.
James cringed.
'That's unlikely, with Minister Fudge in power. It is an open secret that Lucius Malfoy
bribes him and so the Minister does what he says.' James admitted and Dominique
groaned.
'I knew about the bribery, but I've never been able to prove it. But with the Dark Lord still
alive, in some manner, there are bigger issues.' Dominique said.
Dominique smiled at Harry before turning back to James.
'Harry seems to have played a part in stopping the Dark Lord on this occasion. From the
story and my own impressions, the Boy-Who-Lived doesn't seem to be a highly trained
young man who could conceivably defeat the Dark Lord were he to return.' Dominique
looked at Harry, a question in his eyes.
Harry gave a slow nod.
'Neville has been trained, but as a student, he is likely about fifth overall and so far,
doesn't show any extraordinary powers.' Harry said, then paused and frowned at the
dark wooden tabletop.
He ran a finger along the polished surface.
'Since Neville came to me for help, it's probably likely that he is, above average, even
with his extra training.' He admitted and Dominique nodded as if he had come to the
same conclusion as Harry.
Dominique smiled at Harry and turned to James.
'I hope it is not beyond my place, but I would ask that Harry joins us here at this estate a
few times over the summer for some special training.' He asked, taking great care with
his wording.
'If Hogwarts has been hosting the Dark Lord for a full year, who knows what the next
year will bring. I would feel more comfortable if I could put Harry through his paces, so
to speak.' Dominique continued, then sent a small smirk to Fleur.
'I am sure that Fleur would appreciate having a friend nearby as well.' He added.
James stared at Dominique.
Harry grinned at Fleur's hopeful expression and squeezed her hand; she turned a
beaming smile toward him before she turned it toward her father.
'Y-yes, of course. That would be great.' James stuttered; his eyes wide.
'Thanks dad.' Harry whispered so only James could hear.
His father only nodded.
The rest of the day saw the two families getting to know each other and before Harry
knew it, the sun was disappearing behind the mountains.
Dominique shook James' hand as the two families walked outside to stand in front of the
mansion.
'Until the end of the summer, I hope Harry will join us every Saturday. The rest of the
Potters are more than welcome to join us as well.' Dominique said, before he smiled at
Harry and Fleur.
'I would like to strengthen our family's bonds for the future.' He continued, and Harry
saw both James and Dominique look toward him and Fleur.
Harry blinked. What did that have to do with them? Wasn't the Dark Lord the one they
were joining to face?
Harry hugged Fleur goodbye.
'We'll work together on the mirrors and get them working, but until then, we at least have
Saturday's together.' He said, and she beamed at him.
'Come on kiddo, we have to go, or your mother will worry.' James said a few metres
away.
Harry nodded and released Fleur to join his father.
They held the rope and Harry watched Fleur's face fall before the strange hook-like
sensation tugged his navel and he returned home in a wash of light and sound.
The rest of the summer passed with Harry and Holly spending almost every waking
moment together. Every Saturday, Harry went to the Delacour's estate, joined by Holly
and one of his parents.
He loved seeing Holly and Gabrielle become friends and his parents grew closer to the
elder Delacour's.
A few times, all the Potters went to Delacour estate and Harry loved seeing both Lily
and Apolline rolling their eyes at James and Dominique's antics as they grew closer and
relaxed away from their jobs.
Apolline and Lily were both enchanters and found they had a lot in common. Harry and
Fleur often sat in on their conversations when Dominique and James weren't testing
Harry's limits with different training exercises.
Harry's birthday came and Fleur gave him an emerald pendant with small runes etched
into its surface for protection and Harry loved it, he never removed it.
The summer break passed quickly and soon it was time for Harry to return to Hogwarts,
but this time, Holly was joining him.
*Chapter 9*: Chapter 8 - Second Year 1992
Chapter 08. Hogwarts, Second Year. 1992.
Harry sat on the Hogwarts Express with Holly and Susan on either side of him. Across
from them sat Hannah and Daphne.
The cabin door opened to reveal a red-haired girl and a blonde girl with radish earrings.
The blonde girl stared out of the window with a blank expression while the red-haired
girl wore a scowl which she hid with a struggle.
'Can we join your compartment? We promise we won't be a bother.' The red-haired girl
asked.
'My brothers told us to leave them alone and some Slytherin students have already
picked on us.' The redhead continued, looking like she might either attack someone or
burst into tears at any moment.
Holly got up from beside Harry and made her way to the two girls.
'Of course, you can join us. Come in, please.' Holly said and turned her gaze to Harry,
who smiled.
He stood to put the two girls' trunks in the racks above them.
'My name is Holly Potter, it's a pleasure to meet you.' Holly said and held out a hand,
which the redhead took with a smile.
'I'm Ginny Weasley, and this is Luna Lovegood.' Ginny grinned and sat down in the
corner seat, furthest from the second-year students.
Holly sat next to her while Luna sat opposite them.
Harry moved over to the window seat and Susan shifted to give Holly and Ginny more
room.
Holly leaned forward in her seat.
'So, do you two know each other already?' she asked, and Ginny looked at Luna.
Luna gave a dreamy smile.
'We were good friends when we were younger, but we drifted apart after my mother
died.' Luna said. Her voice lacked any emotion.
Harry blinked, staring at the small blonde girl.
'I'm so sorry to hear that, Luna.' Holly gasped as Ginny looked down at the floor.
'Oh, it's not your fault. Unless you're secretly a Primping Hartfang.' Luna said, her wide
eyes on Holly before she slow blinked.
'No, I don't think you are. They have small bristles along their forearms, you know?' she
continued, oblivious to the stares she received from the others in the cabin with her.
'I've never heard of Primping Hartfangs before. But I suppose I'm not an expert on
magical creatures.' Harry admitted and Luna turned her blue-almost-grey eyes on him,
and he withheld a shiver that went down his spine.
'Nobody knows about them, only Daddy does. But even he hasn't seen them before.'
Luna explained, her face blank as she spoke.
Luna pulled a magazine out of a shoulder bag and started reading.
Harry watched the girl read for a moment until he saw the title of the magazine, 'The
Quibbler.'.
Ginny sighed.
'I'm sorry, I said we wouldn't be a bother.' She muttered, and Holly placed a hand on the
redhead's shoulder.
'And you're not.' Holly assured and looked around the cabin.
Harry held back a laugh as Daphne and Hannah sent Holly baffled looks. Susan
reached out to pat Holly's shoulder.
Harry leant forward.
'So, Ginny, tell us about yourself? What house do you think you'll be in?' Harry asked,
and Ginny beamed at him.
'Oh, Gryffindor for sure. All my brothers were sorted there, and Neville Longbottom is
there too.' She said and Daphne groaned opposite Harry, her face falling into her hands.
Harry laughed.
'Neville? You know him then?' he asked, and Ginny flushed as red as her hair.
'W-well, n-not really. But he came over to our house over the holidays. He and Ron
were telling me about how they saved their friend Hermione and some guy from a Troll
last year.' She gushed, and the cabin fell silent as the girls turned their gazes toward
Harry.
'Oh? That sounds like a great story. But maybe we should leave that until later, we've
heard that one before.' Harry said, struggling to hold back his grin.
'Really? But it was a great story. Oh, well, did you hear how he defeated You-Know-
Who at the end of his first year?' Ginny asked, and Harry laughed.
Susan shook her head and Daphne looked like she was struggling to hold on to her
temper. She shook with repressed rage and clenched her jaw.
'Um, maybe you can tell us that one later, Ginny.' Holly said, before clicking her fingers.
'You said all your brothers were in Gryffindor. How many do you have?' Holly asked,
and Hannah let out a breath.
Ginny blinked and looked like her favourite toy had disappeared.
'Oh, I have six brothers. Bill and Charlie finished Hogwarts and moved away; Percy is in
his sixth year.' She paused, tapping her fingers on her cheek.
'Fred and George, they're twins by the way, they're in their fourth year now.' She sighed.
'Then there is Ron. We used to be really close, but then he left for Hogwarts and now he
wants nothing to do with me.' She explained.
'Wow, that's a lot of brothers. How did you put up with them all? I have two and this
one's enough to worry about.' Holly said, winking at Harry.
Ginny blinked, then looked between Holly and Harry.
'Wait, you two are siblings?' Ginny asked, and Harry nodded.
'Yeah, the resemblance is pretty close, considering.' Harry shrugged, and Ginny gaped
at him.
'But, you're not being mean to her?' Ginny said, turning to Holly.
'Why isn't he mean to you? That's what brothers do.' Ginny whispered, and Holly patted
her leg.
'Not all brothers are mean. Mine's the best.' Holly grinned and Susan laughed.
In the corner of the cabin, Daphne groaned.
'Please don't tell me you two Potter's are going to tell each other how great you are? We
had enough of that last year with Harry telling us how amazing his little sister was.'
Daphne growled.
Hannah laughed beside her, and Harry turned to Holly.

'I didn't think I was that bad.' Harry muttered, then turned to Hannah.
'I wasn't, was I?' he asked, and Hannah covered her mouth as she continued laughing.
'It sounds like you were, judging by that reaction.' Luna deadpanned and Harry sighed.
'Why am I friends with girls?' he groaned, and Susan patted his head.
'Because you don't get along with guys.' She chirped, a bright smile on her face.
'Okay, okay, that's enough.' Hannah said, not hiding her grin at Harry's predicament.
'Susan, how was your holiday?' she continued, and Susan turned away from Harry.
'Well, we spent most of the time at Black Manor. Normally we spend a lot of time at the
Potter's over the holidays, but Harry was busy for most of the time.' Susan explained
and turned to Holly.
'What was happening at your place, anyway?' Susan asked Holly, who grinned.
'Well, Harry and I went to France each weekend to spend time with Fleur and her
family.' Holly started, Daphne's jaw tightened, and her eyes flashed but made no other
sign of what she thought about the news.
'But apart from that, Harry showed me how to exercise properly and was teaching me
Runes and Arithmancy.' Holly grinned.
Hannah gaped at Harry.
'How were you teaching her Runes and Arithmancy? We don't even have those as
classes yet?' she asked, incredulous.
'Well, I've had a bit of time to do some self-study. They interested me so I borrowed
some of my mum's books, she's an enchanter.' Harry replied, and Daphne groaned.
'Really? So not only are you better than all of us in classes, but you've got enough time
to study classes we don't even take?' Daphne asked and ran her fingers through her
long hair, then blew a stray strand out of her face.
Harry cringed and rubbed the back of his head.
'Well, yeah, I suppose it sounds crazy when you put it like that.' He admitted, and
Daphne groaned.
'I don't think it's crazy at all, Harry Potter. My mother taught me some Arithmancy before
she died, but she always told me to be careful when using it to create new spells,
otherwise the Primping Hartfangs will get me.' Luna interrupted without looking up from
her magazine.
'Wait, creating new spells?' Harry asked, his eyes wide.

Holly and Susan groaned.
'No creating spells Harry.' Both girls snapped and Harry jerked back against the wall.
'I wasn't going to, I swear.' Harry held up his hands in surrender.
The sorting sent Holly and Luna to Ravenclaw while Ginny was sorted into Gryffindor.
The next night, after dinner, Harry sat in the library with his friends, including Holly,
Luna, and Ginny.
'Thanks again for helping us you guys.' Holly said as she looked around the table,
smiling at the older students.
'You won't be thanking us once we make you study every night.' Hannah grinned before
she turned to Ginny.
'Are there any subjects that you're having trouble with?' she asked, and Ginny blinked.
'No, I don't think so, we've only had one day of classes after all.' Ginny said, and Susan
smiled.
'You're right, what about classes you're interested in?' Susan asked, and Ginny held her
chin in thought.
'Do you know what classes Neville Longbottom likes? Maybe if I like those too?' Ginny
asked and Daphne groaned, drawing the gaze of the youngest red head.
'Maybe we should just touch on the different classes and prepare these three for
everything until they really get started in their classes?' Harry suggested, which earned
relieved sighs from Hannah and Susan.
Each night, the group met up in the library after dinner and worked together on
homework or helped the three new girls.
On Friday night, Harry led Holly to the Room of Requirement and, as they stood by the
portrait of the dancing Trolls, Harry turned to Holly.
'Do you think you can remember how to get here by yourself?' He asked, and she
frowned for a moment before she nodded.
'Yeah, I think I'll be able to do that. Where is this fancy room?' she asked, and Harry
grinned.
'Watch closely.' He grinned and walked back and forth three times, thinking of his
training room.
On the third pass, the door opened in the wall.
Harry took Holly's hand and led her into the room. It was about the size of the Great
Hall, with a running track around the outside. Inside the running track stood a dozen
muggle exercise machines and an elaborate desk. On the far side of the room stood
training dummies that looked pristine, like they hadn't been destroyed hundreds of times
by Harry's spell practice.
'Oh my god, Harry, this is amazing.' Holly gushed.
'I-I don't know where to start.' She breathed and Harry grinned and pressed the large
red button beside the door.
'For four hours that we spend in here, an hour goes by outside. So, take your time to
explore. I can show you anything you like.' He grinned and walked over to sit at the
desk, he pulled out his notebook from his robes.
For the next half an hour, Harry watched out of the corner of his eye as Holly moved
around the room, peering at the exercise machines and the dummies. Then she made
her way back to him, looking lost for words.
Harry thought of a couch, like one from home, and one appeared behind Holly.
'Did you just conjure that?' she asked, eyes wide.
'No, I just asked the room for it.' He laughed.
She blinked and rubbed her eyes.
'How is this possible?' she asked, and Harry smirked.
'Magic.'
Holly groaned.
'Harry, this room is amazing. It's no wonder why you've gotten so good that you could
do all that training over the summer with Fleur's and our dad.' she breathed, looking
around the room.
'Hey, if you ever need me on a weekend, Friday night to Monday morning. This is where
I'll be. I'll drop whatever I'm doing and help you.' Harry said, and she turned to him, a
wide smile on her face.
'Oh Harry, you're the best big brother ever.' She said, and he laughed.
'I don't know about that. But if you like, you can join me?' he offered, and she shook her
head.
'No, I'll only slow you down. I'll try to keep the others from getting curious and finding
out.' She said before frowning.
'I'm actually kind of surprised that they haven't already.' She said, and Harry rubbed the
back of his head.
'Yeah, about that. Susan and Hannah almost sent out a search party that first weekend,
but they agreed to leave me be on weekends after that. Though it was a close thing I
think.' He admitted, and Holly scoffed.
'Yeah, that sounds about right.' She smiled before she stood and stretched.
Harry joined her, and she led them toward the door.
'Okay brother, I'll leave you to it. Now I know where you are if anything goes wrong. Be
safe.' She whispered and pulled him into a hug.
She released him and left the room, leaving Harry free to return to his research.
The second week of classes began, and the group continued to meet in the library to
study together. After the session, Holly, and Luna stayed behind with Harry, who waved
the other girls off with a smile.
'What's up, you two?' Harry asked, and Holly clenched her jaw.
'Luna and I are being bullied by the students in Ravenclaw.' Holly began, and Harry's
eyes narrowed to slits in an instant.
'Even some Prefects are in on it. We've gone to Professor Flitwick about it a few days
ago, but it changed nothing.' Holly explained, and Harry took a calming breath.
'Luna is different from the others, but that's what makes her special, it's no reason to
bully her.' Holly continued.
Harry remembered what Fleur told him about the other students bullying her and his
blood boiled. He looked at Holly and then at Luna, who stared off into space.
'It's the Nargles that take my things.' The blonde girl said, and Harry blinked, only just
noticing that she only wore one radish earring and none of the hair clips she'd worn
during the first week of school.
'Nargles, you say? These Nargles wouldn't happen to wear Ravenclaw robes, would
they?' Harry asked, his voice low, and Luna nodded.
Harry turned to Holly.
'I want a word with the Ravenclaws.' He said, and she blinked.
'Are you sure, Harry?' Holly asked. He nodded.

'You are my sister and Luna is a friend, and friends are like family.' He explained, and
she smiled, before nodding and she turned around.
'Follow me then.' Holly said and moved away from the library, Harry, and Luna close
behind.
Ten minutes later, after walking up a spiral staircase to the fifth floor, the three stood in
front of a door with no handle. The door had a knocker in the shape of an eagle.
Holly stepped forward and knocked twice on the door. A soft voice echoed around them,
with no obvious source.
'Which came first, the Phoenix, or the Flame?' the voice asked.
'A circle has no beginning.' Luna spoke up and Harry blinked as the door opened to
reveal a wide, circular room, airier than any other room he'd seen in Hogwarts, though
he supposed he could make the Room of Requirement airier if he wanted.
Graceful arched windows punctuated the walls, which were hung with blue and bronze
silks. It was dark outside, but if it were day Harry was sure it would provide a stunning
view of the surrounding mountains. The ceiling was domed, and stars twinkled in it. The
carpet echoed the ceiling, in a midnight blue with stars twinkling underfoot. Bookshelves
lined the walls, while tables and chairs littered the centre of the common room. In a
niche on the opposite side of the room stood a tall statue of a woman, made of white
marble.
Harry stepped into the Ravenclaw common room, Holly, and Luna flanking him.
As he entered, the inhabitants of the room turned to see a non-Ravenclaw in their midst.
A group of older students moved toward them like a thunderstorm. Harry saw the anger
in their eyes, and it was not entirely directed at him, the intruder.
'You two girls will regret sharing the noble house of Ravenclaw's secrets with an
outsider. Even if it is a 'Puff.' Said one of the boys. The boy wore the Head Boy badge
pinned to his chest, and he towered over Harry.
Harry glared at the Head Boy, almost twice his height, and stood between the boy and
the girls behind Harry.
'The bullying of these two stops now.' Harry commanded and whispers spread through
the common room like wildfire.
The Head Boy laughed.
'How are you going to stop it, kid?' he sneered, and Harry's eyes narrowed to slits.
'The bullying will stop.' Harry repeated.

His heart pounded in his chest and his legs shook, making him glad he wore robes.
The Head Boy stopped laughing and leant down, so he was face to face with Harry.
'Or what?' he snarled.
'Or I will make you stop.' Harry declared, his eyes never leaving the older boy's.
Laughter echoed through the common room. The Head Boy stood up straight and
chuckled.
'Tell you what kid, if you can beat me, I'll make the bullying stop.'
'Agreed, shall we start now?' Harry asked, and the room fell silent.
Behind him, Holly stared at him in shock and Luna blinked at him with wide eyes.
'Sure kid, we can start now.' The Head Boy said as he stepped away.
He moved ten metres away while the other students in the common room backed away
to form a circle around the two.
Harry held his wand and took deep breaths to slow his racing heart.
'This kid thinks he can beat a seventh-year in a duel?' one student in the crowd called
amid laughter.
Nobody noticed a younger Ravenclaw sneak out of the common room.
'Begin.' The Head Boy called, and Harry leapt into action.
'Stupify.' Harry called, shooting a bright red jet of light at the other boy whose eyes
widened before he put up a shield, wordlessly.
Harry narrowed his eyes, making a mental note to learn to cast soundlessly.
'Flippendo.' He called, only for it to be shielded by the other boy.
Harry's spells picked up, but he saw within the first few seconds of the duel that, in
terms of spell repertoire, he was outclassed. He dodged the other boys' spells, which
the Head Boy sent without uttering a word.
Thanks to his training with Holly and their father over the summer, dodging was second
nature to him. Avoiding the other boys' unknown spells was easy, and a Protego shield
protected him from the ones he couldn't dodge. But he couldn't win a duel by defending.
Harry took a deep breath and figured he'd try something he had been playing with in the
Room of Requirement.
'Aguamenti.' Harry shouted, overpowering the Water Making Charm and a thick jet of
water shot out of his wand like a firehose.
The blast of water pushed the Head Boy to the ground under the pressure of the
overcharged spell, along with a dozen spectators, when the recoil of the spell pushed
Harry's aim off course.
'Glacius.' Harry shouted a moment later, overpowering the Freezing Charm to freeze the
pooling water, trapping the Head Boy in ice, but also hitting those in the crowd whose
wet robes from the previous spell froze solid, trapping them too.
Harry fell to his knees, gasping for air as he reeled from casting two overpowered spells
so close to one another. Sweat poured from him and he stared at the effects of his
spells.
He had encased his opponent in a chunk of ice, along with a half dozen of the crowd
who stood behind him. Harry shook his head as his eyes grew heavy.
A loud bang echoed through the room and drew everyone's attention to the diminutive
Professor Flitwick, whose face looked like a thundercloud.
'What is going on here?' he squeaked.
Harry only saw the Professor from the corner of his eyes, but even he could tell the man
was enraged.
Holly stepped forward before any of the older students could.
'Luna and I have been bullied since we started here, sir. We saw you about it a few
days ago.' Holly started, and Flitwick turned to meet her fiery gaze.
'Nothing changed, so I told my brother. He took it upon himself to have words with the
people bullying us. These words became a duel, that if Harry won, the Head Boy said
that he would stop the house from bullying the two of us.' Holly explained, her words
came out in a rush.
Flitwick's gaze roamed around the room, and he gave a heavy sigh. He turned to Harry,
who was still on his knees.
'Return to your house Mister Potter, I wish to have a few words with my Eagles.' The
Professor instructed and Harry nodded and struggled to his feet.
Holly and Luna rushed to his side and helped him to the door.
'I'll be okay, you two. Standing up was the hard part. You should be here for this and tell
me about it tomorrow, okay?' he muttered, and Holly nodded.
'Thank you, Harry.' Holly whispered, kissing his cheek.
'Thank you, Harry Potter. I hope the Nargles leave us alone now.' Luna said, and kissed
his other cheek.
'Anytime girls.' Harry grinned and stepped out of the Ravenclaw common room.
It took him half an hour to return to the Hufflepuff common room and he only barely
made it before curfew, walking in with a minute to spare. His usual brisk pace slowed to
a shuffle, often supported by the stone walls of the school.
Susan and Hannah rushed to his side and helped him to a couch.
'Harry, are you okay? What happened?' Susan asked.
Harry took a deep breath and told the two what happened and once he finished, he
sighed.
'I only won because he underestimated me. He didn't think I could overpower my spells
or cast anything more than a Lumos for that matter.' Harry begun.
'But, how can you do any of those things?' Hannah asked and Harry turned heavy eyes
on her.
'I practice on the weekends.' Harry grinned before falling to his side, fast asleep on
Susan's lap.
The next morning, as he sat down for breakfast with Susan and Hannah, Hannah
tapped his shoulder.
'Harry, look at the points jars.' She said and Harry turned his head to see the Ravenclaw
house points total was empty.
Harry blinked and glanced toward the Ravenclaw table and saw the Head Boy, who he
still didn't know the name of, wore no badge, nor did the other Prefects.
Holly and Luna came and sat with them, under the collective gaze of the Ravenclaw
table, and Harry narrowed his eyes at the other students. Harry slung an arm over
Holly's shoulder.
'Are you okay?' he asked, and Holly nodded.
'Nobody has said anything. But I can feel how much they resent me.' She muttered, and
Harry squeezed her in his one-armed embrace.
'I can remind them not to bother you?' He whispered, and Holly glared at him.
'Harry, you were good in that duel. But you only won because he underestimated you.
You wouldn't be able to do it again and they all know it.' She hissed and Harry's face
fell.
'I just wanted to help.' Harry muttered, and she smiled at him.
'I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you.' Holly said and Luna leaned forward, looking at
Harry.
'The Nargles are afraid of you now, Harry Potter.' The blonde girl said in a dreamy
voice.
'I hope they are. Please let me know if the Nargles keep bothering either of you.' Harry
said and Holly rolled her eyes, muttering to herself something that sounded suspiciously
like overprotective older brothers.
The Great Hall quietened as Professor Flitwick stood on the head table, drawing
snickers from a few first-year students, while the rest of the students stared at
something they'd never seen before. A Professor other than Dumbledore, or
McGonagall, addressing them at a meal.
'It is to my great shame that I stand before you all this morning. Last night, most of the
Ravenclaw house was caught bullying two of their own. Bullying is not tolerated at
Hogwarts.' Flitwick started, his gaze moving along his house's table.
'As you may have noticed, what little points my house had earned since the start of the
year are gone and the Prefects and Head Boy have lost their badges. They did not
deserve the respect that comes with those badges.' Flitwick continued and Harry stared
at the small man as his magic seemed to coalesce around him. It was subtle, but there.
'Further to this, every member of my house that was caught bullying has had their
families informed and will have two months of detention. Professors Snape,
McGonagall, and Mister Filch have volunteered to assist with these detentions, seeing
as there are so many culprits.' Flitwick almost vibrated with magic and Harry wondered
why more students weren't quaking at the small man's wrath.
Flitwick hopped off the head table and strode toward Harry, who watched with wide
eyes as the man drew closer, his roiling magic receding with each step until it
disappeared.
'Mister Potter, after you finish your classes today, would you come to my office?' Flitwick
asked, no trace of his contained rage present in his tone.
'Of course, sir. I'll see you as soon as I finish Potions, sir.' Harry nodded and Flitwick
smiled, moving away past the Ravenclaw table, who ducked their heads as he passed.
Harry looked back at the girls and saw Daphne slide into a seat beside Luna.
'What did I miss?' Daphne asked.
After Harry finished his classes that night, he went straight to Professor Flitwick's office
and, after being let in, he stared at the veritable library that the small man called his
quarters. No wonder he was the Head of Ravenclaw house.
Flitwick chuckled as he flicked his wand toward a bench on the other side of the room.
'Tea, Mister Potter?' he asked, and Harry nodded, still staring at all the books.
Flitwick chuckled again and a moment later levitated a steaming cup of tea into Harry's
hand.
'I'm not sure how you like your tea, so its black with two sugars. Statistically, that is the
most common combination of my students to date.' Flitwick chuckled and took a seat on
a round table, one of many in the room and the only one not covered in dusty tomes.
'Come, sit down Mister Potter.' The small man directed, and Harry shook himself.
'Oh, I'm sorry for spacing out, sir. This is a wonderful room, sir.' Harry said, taking a seat
and sipping his tea.
Flitwick chuckled.
'Not at all. Until last night, I wasn't sure why you weren't in my house. Now I know.'
Flitwick grinned before placing his tea on the table.
'Mister Potter, I asked you here to apologise. This whole situation should never have
happened. Your sister came to me to report the bullying, and I did nothing, considering it
a normal part of children establishing a pecking order, so to speak.' He said, staring
down into his tea.
Harry cocked his head as he considered the short man sitting across from him.
'But you did act, sir. When you acted, it was decisive and harsh enough to deter those
responsible from doing it again any time soon. You sent a powerful message this
morning, sir. Bullying should not be tolerated at Hogwarts.' Harry said, nodding.
'You have created a, what's the word?' Harry muttered to himself, frowning.
Flitwick smiled.
'A precedent?' the Charms Professor supplied, and Harry nodded.
'Yes, you created a precedent, so that now other Professors will be forced to follow if
similar situations occur.' Harry said and Flitwick nodded.
'Well considered Mister Potter. You are indeed correct.' The small man agreed before
he took another sip of his tea.
'On a slightly different note, Mister Potter, I would like to help you develop your skill in
Duelling. From all accounts, you performed admirably and used your limited repertoire
of spells in creative ways.' Flitwick took another sip and Harry stared at the man.
'Train me in Duelling, sir? Are you certain?' Harry asked, struggling to wrap his head
around the concept.
Flitwick chuckled.
'I don't think you quite understand how impressive your performance was, Mister Potter.
You, a second-year, defeated a seventh year, the Head Boy no less in a duel, using
overpowered spells.' Flitwick took another sip.
'Yes, admittedly, he underestimated you and seemed to be focussed more on

humiliating you than defeating you. Nevertheless, you have shown that you put
considerable effort into your studies as the Freezing Charm is a third-year spell.' Flitwick
put the cup down and his dark-eyed gaze locked onto Harry.
'I won't be able to help you with Duelling until after Christmas at least, but if you are
interested, I will ensure I make time to assist you.' The man said and Harry nodded.
'Yes sir, that would be great. Would we be able to make it a weeknight when the time
comes?' Harry asked and Flitwick smirked.
'Yes, Mister Potter, I think that can be arranged.' He said and finished his tea.
'Now finish your tea and I will see you tomorrow in class. I will give you more advanced
work from now on to challenge you.' Flitwick nodded and smiled as Harry finished his
tea and left the Professor's office.
Harry's routine fell back to normal and before he knew it, it was the Monday morning
after Halloween and Harry sat down at the Hufflepuff table alone. Within minutes,
students came into the Great Hall, murmuring between themselves and Harry wondered
what happened.
He groaned as he realised it was Halloween over the weekend and dreaded hearing
what happened after the last Halloween and the Troll incident.
Susan and Hannah slid into seats on either side of him and frowned at him.
'I assume you don't know what happened over the weekend?' Susan whispered, and
'Please don't tell me that something like the Troll happened.' Harry muttered and Susan
rolled her eyes.
'The Chamber of Secrets has been opened.' gushed Hannah, with a conspiratorial
whisper, which was naturally loud enough for anyone nearby to hear.
'The what?' Harry asked, looking between the two girls.
'Really? It's all anyone has been talking about since we saw the message after the
feast.' Hannah stared.
'You really do hide away from everyone for the weekend, don't you?' she asked before
shrugging.
'Anyway, nobody knows what the Chamber is, or where. The library has no more copies
of Hogwarts: A History either, they've all been borrowed.' Susan added, glaring at
Hannah.
'Okay, what's this about a message?' Harry asked.
Daphne slid into a seat across from them.
'The message was seen outside Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.' She said, giving a nod
toward Holly and Luna, who sat down on either side of her.
'The message said The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the Heir
beware. How spooky is that?' Daphne finished and Ginny shuddered next to her.
'Ginny? Are you okay?' Harry asked, and she nodded.
'Yeah, just a little spooked, like most of the school. I even had a scary dream about it
last night.' Ginny admitted, and the other girls nodded.
'Is there anything we can do?' Harry asked the group and Susan shook her head.
'No, I don't think so. Filch's cat was petrified, too. No idea how that happened.' Susan
said, frowning at her plate of food.
'I don't think I'm hungry anymore.' Susan muttered, and the others muttered their
assent.
That night in the library, the group sat at one of the larger tables, books strewn across it
as they worked on their assignments.
Harry watched Ginny, who hadn't turned a page of her book for twenty minutes, and
looked like she was on the verge of tears.
'Ginny? Are you okay?' Harry asked, pulling everyone's attention and Ginny's face
crumbled, falling into her hands.
'Neville doesn't even know I exist and this whole thing with the Chamber of Secrets is
really scary.' She cried.
Harry blinked, and Holly put a hand on his shoulder.
'Harry, you should leave. This is girl talk and it won't be able to happen if you're here.'
Holly shooed him away.
'But-' he started before Susan turned in her seat and made shooing motions with her
hands.
'Go, it'll be alright.' Susan said, and Harry sighed.
'Fine, but I hope someone tells me why I'm being sent away later.' he muttered and
collected his things, and left the table as they whispered to the distraught red head.
Harry left the library and made his way back to the Hufflepuff dorms. He figured that he
hadn't written to his parents in a few weeks.
Harry's routine returned to normal for the next few days. Hermione returned to sitting
with him in classes, though he knew she would still support the two boys if he said
anything bad about them.
A week later, Harry entered the Great Hall on Monday morning to hear whispers filling
the room again and moved to sit beside Holly and Susan.
'What did I miss this time?' Harry asked, and Holly stared at him before shaking her
head.
'A first-year in Gryffindor was petrified on the weekend. His name is Colin Creevey. He's
that kid who was always running around taking photos of people.' Susan said and Harry
nodded.
'That's horrible. Do the Professors have any ideas regarding who is responsible?' Harry
asked and Susan shook her head.
'I heard a first-year saying it was Neville, apparently he yelled at Colin for taking his
picture the other day without permission.' Holly said and Harry groaned.
'I don't like the guy, but how could anyone suspect it was him?' Harry asked and the two
girls shrugged.
A few weeks before Christmas, Harry stood in the Great Hall beside Susan and Holly. A
Duelling platform stood in the middle of the room and the tables and seating was
nowhere to be seen.
Hogwarts had organised a Duelling Club and Harry was excited to see Flitwick in action.
But, much to his surprise, Professor's Lockhart and Snape stood on the platform.
Harry groaned and watched as his dreams of a proper Duelling Club faded away. As the
session continued, he stood at the back of the room and watched as Neville Longbottom
was outed in front of most of the school as a Parselmouth when he hissed at a snake
about to bite Justin Finch-Fletchley.
Whispers filled the Great Hall as Neville fled the room, with Hermione and Ron at his
side. Harry turned to Holly and Susan, with the other girls.
'He speaks Parseltongue.' Said one nearby student.
'He must be the Heir of Slytherin.' Screamed another student on the other side of the
room.
As Professor's Lockhart and Snape worked to quiet the room Harry turned to the girls.
'Really? They think Longbottom is the Heir of Slytherin? Can you guys honestly believe
that Neville is capable of hurting anyone? He's too busy telling everyone that he's their
hero.' Harry scoffed, and the girls shrugged.
'The circumstantial evidence does point toward Neville.' Luna said in her dreamy voice.
'Though, I admit that the Boy-Who-Lived loved getting his photos taken by Colin, if he
was first given the opportunity to pose.' Luna added, a small frown on her face.
Harry groaned.
'Let's just go to bed. All this stupidity is making me tired.'
The next morning whispers filled the Great Hall again as Harry sat down with Holly and
Susan, across from Luna, Daphne, and Ginny.
Susan leant forward.
'Harry, did you see Justin this morning?' she asked, and Harry blinked.
'No, why? Though I admit I am outside exercising when they get up, so I rarely see
them outside of classes.' Harry said he frowned and rubbed his chin in thought.
Susan sighed.
'Harry, I heard a rumour that Justin was petrified last night.' She said and Harry
groaned.
'So, you think people are going to believe that he was attacked by Longbottom because
of what Justin said at the Duelling Club?' Harry asked, his fingers rubbing his eyes.
'Yeah, pretty much.' Susan said and Hannah nodded beside her.
'I see your point about Longbottom not being capable of hurting anyone. But the
evidence against him is growing.' Hannah added and Harry sighed.
'Well, if everyone wants to turn on him it doesn't bother me. But it is pretty obvious to me
that it's not him.' Harry shrugged and returned to his breakfast.
'Harry, Justin is our housemate. Don't you care?' Hannah asked, cocking her head to
the side.
Harry sighed.
'Sorry Hannah, I don't really know the guy. I've never really gotten along with guys all
that well and I'm sure the Professors are on it.' Harry said and Hannah huffed.
'I bet you'd care more if it were Susan or Holly who was petrified.' Hannah grumbled and
froze as the others around them stared at her.
Harry tightened his jaw and took a breath.
'Yes Hannah, it would be different. If that happened, I would stop at nothing to save
them, or you for that matter. But at the moment, I'm not sure what the problem is, let
alone how to fix it.' Harry growled before he stood and left the Great Hall.
The Christmas holidays came and went. Harry and Holly went home and spent the
break with the extended family. The Christmas Ball was held at the Abbotts home and
Harry enjoyed spending the evening with Fleur and his friends. Then, the holidays were
finished, and they were back at Hogwarts.
It was May before another attack occurred. Hermione and Ron, along with a Ravenclaw,
Penelope Clearwater, were all petrified. The attack convinced the students that Neville
was not the culprit, but it left him alone in the school.
Finals drew near, and the Mandrakes were almost ready to harvest in the greenhouses
when Harry's routine was broken as Holly burst into the Room of Requirement.
Harry stood, wand out as he muttered under his breath.
'Diffindo.'
A light green bolt of light shot out of the wand and struck a dummy, creating a gouge
across the dummy's chest.
Harry stood up straight and turned toward Holly.
'What's wrong?' he asked and ran across the room to wrap Holly up in his arms where
she squeezed him close.
'I-its Ginny.' She whispered and Harry pulled away to look into her eyes.
'What about Ginny? What happened?' he asked.
Holly took a deep breath before releasing it.
'She has been taken, there was a message near the first one that said that her skeleton
would remain in the Chamber forever.' Holly cried and Harry focussed hard on a couch.
A couch popped into existence behind him, and he sat her down. He knelt in front of
her.
'Okay, Holly listen to me closely. We're going to save her.' Harry said, his eyes locked
on hers.
She blinked at him, her eyes red.
'Since Hermione was petrified, whatever is doing this crossed a line. Give me a second
to get ready.' Harry said and walked over to the desk covered in stacks of books and a
half dozen notebooks.
Harry reached out and tossed the notebooks, bar one into a battered trunk, which he
then shrunk and dropped in a pocket. He plucked the single remaining notebook from
the desk and tucked it into his robes. He turned and made his way back to Holly.
'Okay, take me to this message and let's solve this before Ginny is hurt.' Harry said and
Holly nodded, wiping her eyes.
'What are the Professors doing?' Harry asked and Holly sniffed.
'They are taking students back to the dorms and doing a roll call. Dumbledore said he
was going to search for the Chamber of Secrets.' Holly said and Harry groaned.
'So, I would have been caught out of the dorm, anyway.' Harry mused before shrugging.
'Is there anything else that you think could be important?' he asked, and she shook her
head.
A few minutes later, Holly led them around a corner and Harry saw Neville pacing back
and forth in front of the message written on the wall. He was pale and looked like he
hadn't slept in weeks.
'Potter! You need to help me find her.' Neville called and Harry sighed.
'Be quiet, none of us are supposed to be here.' Harry hissed, and Neville's eyes
widened.
'Harry, these are the two messages.' Holly said and pointed at the red writing on the
wall.
Harry narrowed his gaze as he took in the two messages, he drew his notebook out of
his robes and flipped through its pages. Each page was full of his scribbled handwriting
and many held diagrams of his various projects. He stopped about half way through the
notebook, which held a sketched picture of the Slytherin snake emblem.
'Neville, I have some questions. I don't know the answer, but I know if we pool our
information, we'll get it.' Harry declared and Neville nodded.
'What do you know about this monster? Any details at all will be enough.' Harry
demanded and Neville paced back and forth, whispering to himself.
'Neville, dammit, answer me.' Harry snarled and Neville froze, staring at Harry.
'Whatever it is, Spiders, or more accurately, Acromantula are terrified of it.' Neville said.
Harry's eyes grew wide.
'Acromantula? What do they have to do with-' Harry started, then released a sigh.
'You know what? I don't want to know just now. What do you know about the Chamber?'
Harry asked.
Neville blinked and dragged his fingers down his face.
'Malfoy said his dad said that somebody died the last time someone opened the
Chamber.' Neville replied and Harry groaned.
'Hagrid was about to be arrested by the Minister to be seen doing something, but
Dumbledore stopped it. He was arrested the last time the Chamber opened as well, that
was around fifty years ago.' Neville continued and Harry sighed and ran a hand through
his hair.
'Okay, things are starting to fit together now, you had the missing pieces I needed.'
Harry said and Neville stared at him.
'What?' asked Neville.
Harry closed his eyes for a moment then opened them and looked at Holly for a moment
before he turned back to Neville.
'I think the creature is a Basilisk.' He announced and Neville gaped at him.
'Why?' Holly asked.
'Neville is a Parselmouth, Hermione mentioned he'd heard a voice they couldn't before
the first message was discovered.' Harry said, and the two nodded at him.
'The Chamber of Secrets is Salazar Slytherin's special room, he was a Parselmouth, his
houses sigil is a snake. What other monster would you put in your special room than
one only you could communicate with and control?' Harry asked, and the colour drained
out of Neville's face.
Harry looked down at the notebook in his hand and skimmed through it to one of the
final pages.
'No snake can petrify, but Basilisks can kill with their eyes, what would happen if that
sight were diluted or reflected?' Harry asked and looked up from his notebook.
'Neville, how were the petrified people found?' Harry asked.
'Uh, Filch's cat was strung up on that torch sconce there.' Neville started, pointing at a
nearby torch.
'Was there anything reflective nearby?' Harry asked and Neville jerked back in surprise.
'There was water all over the ground, Moaning Myrtle's bathroom flooded that night.'
Neville gasped.
'Okay, next victim.' Harry said, motioning for the other boy to hurry up.
'Okay, Hermione, Ron, and Penelope had mirrors in their hands. Colin had a camera in
front of his face and Justin and Sir Nick were petrified together.' Neville said in a rush.
'Hmm, so of those, Justin is the only one who doesn't fit my theory, unless he saw the
Basilisk through the ghost?' Harry mused before shaking his head.
Harry looked at Holly who was as pale as a sheet and he sighed and ran a hand
through his hair.
'My theory isn't fool proof, but it's good enough with the information we have.' Harry said
and Neville stared at him.
'It always helps to have fresh eyes on a problem brother.' Harry said, taking pity on the
boy.
Neville clicked his fingers, a grin on his face.
'Moaning Myrtle wears robes and glasses that looked like they were from fifty years
ago.' Neville crowed and Harry cocked his head at the boy for a moment before he
noticed the significance.
'Good thinking Neville.' Harry said before reaching out and taking Holly's hand.
'Where is this Moaning Myrtle?' Harry asked and Holly pointed at the girl's bathroom
behind them.
'Right in there.' She said and Harry blinked.
'Surely it can't be that simple.' Harry breathed and dragged Holly with him into the
bathroom.
The bathroom was the gloomiest, most depressing bathroom he had ever seen. Under a
large, cracked, and spotted mirror were a row of chipped sinks. The floor was damp and
reflected the dull light given off from a few candles, burning low in their holders; the
wooden doors to the stalls were flaking and scratched and one of them was dangling off
its hinges.
On the far side of the bathroom floated a ghost, she looked like a student, probably a
fourth year when she died.
Harry stepped toward the ghost.
'Hello, have you seen anything odd recently?' Harry asked, and the ghost scowled at
him, her translucent body carried an air of misery.
'How did you die if you don't mind me asking?' Harry asked, and it was as if a switch
had been flicked with the girl.
Myrtle beamed at Harry.
'Oh, it was horrible. There was a boy's voice in the bathroom. I was in here crying after
Olive Hornby was mean to me, so I opened the stall door to tell him to use his own
bathroom. Then I died.' The ghost explained, her floating form looked more corporeal
than a few moments earlier.
'Really? A boy's voice. Anything else strange?' Harry asked and Myrtle's beaming smile
grew wider.
'Oh yes, and the boy was hissing, can you believe it? Over there by the sinks.' She
pointed at the sinks in front of the door, arranged in a circle.
Harry turned toward the sinks, then to Neville.
'Neville, go look at the sinks. That's our way into the Chamber. You're the only one who
can speak Parselmouth.' Harry ordered before he turned back to Myrtle.
'Have you heard hissing this year as well? Maybe around the same place?' Harry asked
and Myrtle nodded.
'Oh yes I have. It was a small red-haired girl, hissing at one of those sinks.' She nodded,
her enthusiasm creating a strong contrast to the miserable ghost she'd been when they
entered.
'Thank you for your help, Myrtle. Is there anything else you can think of that we might
need to know?' Harry asked, and the ghost smiled at him and shook her head.
Harry smiled at the ghost, and he swore she blushed.
'If you die, you can join me here. We'll haunt the place together.' The ghost offered
before letting out an odd 'Squee' and she leapt into a nearby toilet.
Harry blinked and turned around, to see Holly smirking at him.
'What?' he asked.
'You have the uncanny ability to make girls happy.' She explained, and he shrugged.
'Dad says it's the Potter Charm.' He said and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
Neville let out a whoop and pointed at one of the sinks.
'There's a snake symbol on this sink, it must be the entrance.' Neville cheered.
'Then hiss at the sink.' Harry ordered.
Neville stared at him for a moment before Harry sighed.
'I don't care about you being a Parselmouth. We have more important things to worry
about.' Harry snapped and Neville blushed.
Holly covered a giggle with her hands.
Harry turned to her, and she grinned.
'Obviously, the Potter Charm doesn't extend to guys.' She smirked; Harry shook his
head as he watched Neville mutter at the snake.
'Dammit, just tell the thing to open, it can't be that hard.' Harry snapped.
Neville turned back to the sink, leaning close to the snake symbol, and hissed.
Neville jumped back as the sinks moved to create an opening that resembled a wide
pipe.
Harry moved to the pipe and peered down into its depths before he stepped away and
he turned to Holly.
'Okay, you need to go tell as many Professors as possible. Ignore Lockhart, he's an
idiot.' Harry said and Holly nodded.
'Tell them that Ginny is down in the Chamber and will need help sooner rather than
later. We're going to need the cavalry to arrive.' Harry explained and her eyes widened.
'Yeah, I know, probably not the best idea. But that's why we need the Professors as
soon as possible.' Harry repeated and Holly nodded.
'Okay, Harry but be careful. I love you.' She whispered, hugging him.
'Love you too Holly. Now go.' Harry whispered, kissing her brow.
Holly rushed out of the bathroom and Harry turned to a nearby sink.
'Reducto.' He muttered, and the sink exploded into debris.
Neville watched in silence as Harry transfigured the debris into logs, levitating them into
place to stop the opening from closing after they entered the pipe.
'What are you doing?' Neville asked, Harry shrugged.
'Things in Hogwarts have a habit of opening and closing by themselves. I'd rather keep
this open so the Professors can follow us in.' Harry explained.
'Fair enough.' Neville shrugged before turning to look at the pipe.
Harry stepped beside Neville and tapped the boys head with his wand.
Neville shrieked.
'What are you doing? Why can't I see myself?' Neville cried and Harry sighed.
'Disillusionment Charm, it took me weeks to get it working.' Harry explained, as he cast

it on himself.
'Why do we need these?' Neville asked.
'Because there's a Basilisk down there that's been around for a thousand years? I'd
rather not get eaten or killed.' Harry explained.
'Odorcorium.' Harry muttered, pointing at Neville. Then repeated the spell on himself.
'What was that?' Neville asked.
'Scent Masking Charm, snakes can taste their prey in the air with their tongues. I
assume Basilisks do the same thing.' Harry answered before leaning over to look down
the pipe again.
'You're making a lot of assumptions here Potter.' Neville grumbled and Harry rolled his
eyes.
'Ready to go?' Harry asked the almost invisible Neville.
Harry waited for a few seconds.
'Well?' Harry asked.
'Oh sorry, I nodded, but I forgot you couldn't see me.' Neville apologised and Harry
sighed.
'Okay, I'm going down now, wait ten seconds before following.' Harry said and jumped
into the pipe.
Harry slid down the filthy pipe for what felt like ages before shooting out the bottom into
a pile of debris. He pushed himself to his feet and flicked his wand in front of himself.
'Lumos.' He muttered, shining a light onto the floor to find it was covered with rodent
bones.
A shiver ran down his spine.
'Neville?' Harry asked as something unseen shot out of the pipe and flung tiny bones
throughout the room.
Harry channelled more magic into his spell and stared at the room, or rather cave, they
were in. This section wasn't built to be a part of the school, it was likely natural caves
beneath the school that the Slytherin Founder made use of when constructing his secret
Chamber.
'Harry? Are you making the light?' Neville called and Harry sighed.
'No, you are. Of course, I am.' Harry snapped before sighing again.
'Come on follow me, though I'm turning off the light the moment something weird
happens.' Harry warned but led the way out of the cave of rodent bones.
A few minutes later, after a close encounter with a shed Basilisk skin, the two boys
found their path blocked by a massive black metal door. The circular door bore
embossed snakes upon its surface and no visible handle.
'What do we do now?' Neville asked and Harry turned a glare on the boy that he
couldn't see.
'There are snakes on the door and no handle. Tell them to open like you did in the
bathroom before.' Harry said and flicked his wand.
'Nox.' He muttered, dispelling the light of his wand.
Neville took a deep breath and hissed at the door, which opened with a loud squeal
common to unoiled doors everywhere.
Harry cringed, all sense of stealth fading.
'Be careful, if you see the Basilisk, close your eyes and hide.' Harry muttered, and he
hoped Neville heard him.
Harry stepped into the room as the door opened wide to reveal a long passage. To
Harry, it looked like a subway tunnel, with a rounded ceiling and a single path to take.
Though this would be the subway tunnel for a snake cult.
Great stone snake heads lined the walls, each twice the size of Harry, their mouths
agape, and stone fangs bared.
The two disillusioned boys followed the path between the snake heads until the path
opened into a wide circular room.
In front of them stood a massive bust of a man's face, a long beard flowed down into a
shallow pool of water. The pool was about ten metres in diameter and was ringed by a
stone floor, raised a few centimetres above the water. The pool was fed from a channel
carved into the stone floor which led to an opening that left the Chamber into a
shrouded tunnel.
Harry glanced around the room; it was about the size of the Great Hall. The snake head
statues stopped when the path opened into the room. The walls of the room were bare
apart from thick stone pillars that ringed the pool, leaving a few metres between them
and the walls.
In the middle of the shallow pool, Ginny lay half submerged and unconscious. Beside
her, standing tall was a boy. He looked like a sixth-year.
Harry narrowed his eyes as he noticed Ginny's wand in the hands of the boy.
'Neville, you get Ginny, I'll take the guy.' Harry whispered, not knowing if Neville heard
him.
Harry took a few steps toward the boy in the middle of the Chamber before he froze
when he heard Neville speak.
'Tom? What are you doing here? Weren't you a teenager when Hagrid was?' Neville
asked, still mostly invisible.
The boy, Tom, spun to face where Neville's voice came from and flicked his wand and,
silently, dispelled the Disillusionment Charm on Neville. Harry grimaced and his mind
raced, trying to piece together this newest clue.
Tom smiled at Neville, his mouth just a little too wide to be real.
Harry's hackles raised as he watched the slightly transparent boy and his too-wide
smile.
Tom blinked for a moment before he flicked his wand toward Harry. Harry saw his wand
first, then his hand holding it became visible and a moment later his Disillusionment
Charm was completely gone.
Harry clenched his jaw, preparing to attack but Tom simply cocked his head to the side.
'You are unexpected.' The boy said, his tone cautious.
'Neville was obvious, but another boy? Who are you?' Tom asked before his eyes
widened.
'No, wait don't tell me. I recognise something in your face. I once knew a man named
Charlus Potter, is he any relation?' Tom asked, Ginny's wand held loose in his hand.
Harry watched the boy, his body taught like a spring.
'He was my grandfather, he died in the war.' Harry replied.
'Aha, so a Potter standing beside a Longbottom, nothing new there.' Tom said, the very
image of civility.
'So, what brings you into this situation young Potter?' Tom asked, curiosity shone in his
eyes.
Harry narrowed his eyes at the boy, there was something strange about him, but Harry
couldn't put his finger on it.
'My friend was petrified by the Basilisk, while another lays at your feet. That I can't
abide.' Harry said and Tom's dark gaze trailed up and down Harry's clothes; jeans and a
black singlet, his usual training attire.
'You're older than Neville here, aren't you?' Tom asked and Harry laughed, it was
hollow, and Harry took a few steps to the right.
'Actually, Neville is a day older than me. I just had a growth spurt I suppose.' Harry
replied.
Tom scoffed.
'Nonsense, you're obviously a fourth year by the look of you, not a mere second like
Neville over there.' Tom growled and Harry smirked.
'And what are you doing in this secret lair?' Harry asked.
Tom showed his too-wide smile again.
'I am being reborn as we speak. With every moment you and Neville Longbottom waste,
I am one step closer to no longer being a mere memory.' Tom declared and Harry
blinked.
'After this day, Lord Voldemort will never be a memory again.' Tom announced.
'But why would you be being reborn…' Harry trailed off, he paled as his mind made the
connection.
'You're about the right age to be the mysterious Dark Lord that haunted England until
Neville here blew him up.' Harry said as Tom's eye twitched.
Harry grinned in triumph, then his mouth dried up and his hands shook at the reality of
the situation.
'Oh, crap.'
Footsteps echoed behind him, and Harry turned to see the Professor's arrive. Flitwick,
Snape, McGonagall, Sprout, and Hagrid rushed into the Chamber; wands drawn. Harry
frowned at the pink umbrella in Hagrid's massive hand.
But Hagrid froze as he saw Tom.
Tom cackled, an evil, cruel laugh.
'Rubeus Hagrid? How are you a Professor, weren't you expelled?' Tom sneered.
McGonagall glanced between Hagrid and Tom before the slightly transparent boy
smirked and turned around, raising his arms.
A spell fired from Professor Snape's wand tore through the boy, detonating on the stone
wall behind him.
Tom hissed, loud and clear and Harry noticed Neville pale.
A great rumbling filled the Chamber as the statue of the bearded man opened its mouth.
Out from the statue's maw slithered a biggest animal Harry had ever seen.
An instant later, Harry turned to the Professors and scowled. They were all staring at the
monster.
'Avert your eyes, don't look at the giant snake.' Harry shouted.
It was enough to break the proverbial spell and the Professors, along with Neville, broke
and ran. They hid behind the stone pillars that ringed the pool. Harry followed their lead
and struggled to lower his heart rate as he listened to the rumbling caused by the
monstrous snake in the room. From what he could see, the monster was at least twenty
metres long and suddenly the thought of coming down to the Chamber didn't seem too
smart.
Harry looked to his side and saw McGonagall catching her breath, her cheeks flushed.
'Professor McGonagall, conjure a rooster.' Harry shouted and the Transfiguration

Professor nodded, conjuring one and coaxing it to crow.
To no effect.
Harry swore and figured only a real Rooster's crow would be fatal to the Basilisk. He
turned to look at Neville cowering behind another pillar.
'Neville, tell it to go back into its hole.' Harry shouted, and Neville obeyed, hissing at the
snake.
The Basilisk dove toward Neville's pillar and crashed into it, splintering the stone. It
caused the Chamber to shake like an earthquake before it reared back to do it again.
Harry swore and rolled out from behind his pillar.
'Percutio.' He roared, sending a Piercing Hex at the monster, only for it to bounce off the
creature's magic resistant scales.
The Basilisk turned toward him and hissed, Harry averted his eyes, looking down to the
floor.
'Percutio.' Harry fired another Piercing Hex into where he thought the Basilisks open
mouth would be.
The monster released a shriek and lunged at Harry who saw the movement from the
corner of his eyes and leapt to the side. He rolled behind a pillar which shook under the
impact of the massive snake.
'Mister Potter, stay hidden.' Professor Sprout shrieked and Harry met her gaze, then
shook his head.
Harry looked off to the tunnel that led out of the Chamber, following the channel in the
floor that fed the pool of water. He took a deep breath and rolled out from behind his
cracked stone pillar.
'Percutio.' He fired another Piercing Hex at the creature and ran, he heard the floor
beneath him rumble as the monster drew near.
Harry reached the tunnel and his foot slipped into the ice-cold water of the channel.
'Deal with Tom.' Harry shouted before he ducked around a corner in the tunnel, now
separated from the Professors and Neville.
He ran hard, hearing the creature behind him draw closer, its scales scraped the stone
walls of the tunnel. Harry fired spells behind him, uncaring whether he hit the Basilisk or
the walls around it.
The tunnel continued on, and Harry hoped there would be a nook he could hide in or a
corner he could turn, the Basilisk sounded as though it was right behind him, but he
couldn't risk turning to look.
Finally, the straight tunnel became an intersection. The tunnel continued straight, or he
could turn left, Harry ducked left into the new tunnel and saw a small opening to his
immediate left.
'Reducto.' He murmured and a jet of red shot out of his wand and tore through the air
further down the tunnel as Harry ducked into the opening.
The opening was barely large enough to fit, and he hid behind some rusted pipes. Harry
held his breath as his spell crashed into something further down in the tunnel and a
moment later, he watched the massive bulk of the Basilisk slither past the opening he
cowered in.
After the Basilisk passed, he counted to ten in his head, still holding his breath before he
let it out and breathed again.
He poked his head out past the rusted pipes and saw the tail of the snake in the dim
light of the tunnel.
He blinked, where was the light coming from? There was no way it was natural light all
the way down there and he couldn't see any light sources.
Harry shrugged and figured that magic did all sorts of crazy things.
He crawled out of the opening and noted the rusted pipes he'd hid behind had a valve,
rusted shut and for a moment he wondered what would happen if he turned the valve, or
blew it up. Harry shook his head and turned back the way he'd come. He had to return
to the others before the Basilisk returned.
Harry ran back through the tunnel and re-entered the Chamber of Secrets, and his
blood ran cold. The Professors and Neville all lay unconscious in the pool of freezing
cold water, the pool turning crimson as blood mixed with the water of the pool.
Tom dropped an unmoving Hagrid in the pool at his feet, a fan of crimson water spread
out around the massive man.
Tom turned to Harry; his too-wide grin looked unnatural on his face. The boy still held
some traces of transparency as he looked past Harry, whose eyes widened for a
moment as he realised what Tom must have been looking at.
He leapt to his right.
Too late.
The tip of the Basilisk's tail caught him and sent him through the air toward the wall
beside the giant stone face the Basilisk had emerged from.
'Protego.' Harry screamed, overcharging the Shield Charm which formed a bubble
around him.
Such was the force of the speeding bubble, that Harry crashed through the wall into a
once hidden room.
Dust exploded out, filling the Chamber.
Tom's furious hissing filled the air and Harry stifled a groan as he struggled to his feet.
He slipped on a dislodged a piece of rubble, then fell on his rear, his arms shot out to
steady him.
Harry felt something cold and metal in his left hand and gripped it, moving it close to his
eyes as the dust in the air thinned.
In his hand he held a shining silver sword, a metre long and encrusted with emeralds.
Belatedly he noticed a calm settle in him, no longer did he feel the terror of the last few
minutes or the horror of seeing the beaten and battered bodies of people he knew.
He stood and with a sense of calm he'd never known, strode out into the Chamber as
the dust settled. Harry moved toward Tom who still stood in the middle of the pool,
surrounded by bodies.
Time seemed to slow and an overwhelming need to move took over him and he rolled to
the left, just in time to avoid the lunge of the Basilisk. A moment later, his body moved
on its own and he rolled forward, keeping pace with the Basilisk's head as it finished its
failed lunge. Harry stood and with a grace he didn't have, pirouetted, and stabbed the
sword through the monster's eye and into its brain, killing it instantly.
The snake twitched for a moment, then lay still.
Harry tore the sword from the snake's brain and turned to face Tom.
'You will pay for killing my pet, Potter.' Tom snarled.
Spell after spell left Tom's wand, all silent and coming too fast for Harry to even
consider what they were. But his body reacted without conscious thought.
Harry dropped his wand in the pool and slashed the sword, two handed, at the first
spell. He deflected it up into the ceiling of the Chamber. He strode toward the enraged
Tom whose spells came faster and crackled with power Harry couldn't match.
But the sense of calm filled Harry, he deflected the torrent of spells and dodged the
ones he couldn't deflect. Interestingly he noticed that his body ignored the spells that
would miss him, even if only by centimetres.
'You can never defeat me Potter.' Tom spat, his face red with rage.
'Poor Ginny Weasley poured her soul into my Diary, and in return my Diary used that to
create my new, perfect body.' Tom crowed.
Harry narrowed his gaze on the book that lay beside Ginny in the pool, gripped in her
hands.
Harry moved toward Tom and Ginny, still avoiding Tom's spells with uncanny ability. He
darted forward, but not toward Tom.
Harry slid through the pool on his knees toward Ginny and once beside her, Tom's eyes
widened.
Harry thrust the silver sword down through the Diary which gave off a powerful sense of
malevolence. The sword pierced the Diary, spurting ink as if it were blood.
Tom screamed above him as though he were the one stabbed, his almost corporeal
body fading.
Harry leapt back, away from the bleeding diary. The sword in his hands deflected the
spells Tom fired his way in desperation. With every spell, Tom grew more and more
insubstantial until with a soul tearing shriek Tom fired his last spell.
'Avada Kedavra.'
The sickly green curse sped toward him, the sound of onrushing death filled his ears
and the calm that had filled him since grasping the sword, faded. His body, of its own
volition, tossed the sword at the Killing Curse and two metres away from Harry, struck it.
A deafening boom filled the Chamber of Secrets and a shock-wave erupted from the
colliding sword and Killing Curse.
The shock-wave tossed Harry like a rag-doll, and he crashed into an undamaged pillar.
He slid down to the ground and let out a groan, his head throbbing. Harry touched a
hand to the back of his head and looked at it to see his fingertips covered in blood.
Harry leaned back against the pillar and let out a breath. He looked out at the ruin
caused by the detonation of the Killing Curse. Where the shock-wave originated, he saw
the twisted remains of the sword that had saved his life.
Harry struggled to his feet, he felt woozy and unsteady on his feet. But he pushed
forward, reaching the twisted sword, he knelt and picked it up.
No sense of calm, or strange urges filled his body. The sword was dead.
For the first time, he noticed the word 'Slytherin' engraved into the base of the silver
blade.
Sword in hand, Harry stood and moved toward the closest Professor, it was Snape, and
he rolled the man over onto his back.
'Professor, wake up.' Harry urged, he slapped the man's cheeks a few times before he
stopped and dragged the man out of the freezing body of water.
Harry spent the next few minutes dragging everyone out of the freezing cold pool after
finding them alive but unconscious. He stood and examined the beaten and bloody face
of Hagrid; the large man was too heavy to move by hand, so Harry had wandlessly
levitated the huge man.
He made a mental note to learn healing spells before he remembered the hidden room
where he'd found the sword.
With a last look at the unconscious people, he hobbled across the Chamber, skirting the
pool and the diary which floated in its centre. He scooped his wand out of the shallow
pool, wiped it on his filthy robes and tucked it into a pocket.
Harry stumbled over the rubble and marvelled how he'd moved almost without effort
through it while holding the sword before. It took a few minutes to navigate the rubble of
the ruined wall, but he stepped into the room and saw a thin bookshelf, holding a dozen
books.
He made his way to the books and plucked one at random. He opened it to reveal a
language he couldn't read. It looked like chicken scratches, and like no language he'd
ever seen. He returned the book to the shelf and figured the rest would be in the same
strange language.
What would have once been an attractive table lay under the rubble, but Harry saw a
book, covered in dust, both from age and the ruined wall.
Kneeling beside it, Harry opened the book and grinned as he saw it was written in
English. Ye Olde English, but he could at least make out most of it.
He shrunk the book and tucked it in his pocket before he moved back to Ginny and the
others.
Harry sat with Ginny in his lap to keep her warm. He scribbled in his notebook, making
notes to work on healing magic, Warming Charms and anything else that came to mind.
Neville stirred nearby and Harry turned to watch as the Boy-Who-Lived opened his eyes
and let out a groan.
Neville rolled over onto his side and his eyes widened as he noticed Harry sitting
nearby.
'Potter, Tom Riddle is Voldemort.' Neville groaned.
Harry nodded.
'I know, Tom is gone. When I destroyed the Diary, Tom faded away. I figure he died, or
whatever happens to memories.' Harry explained and Neville let out a breath and
collapsed onto his back.
'Thank Merlin.' Neville whispered and Harry smiled.
A few minutes later, the Professors started to wake and within an hour they were all in
the Hospital Wing. Hagrid lay in two beds pushed together, still unconscious while the
other Professors occupied their own beds.
Harry, Ginny, and Neville each lay in a bed, leaving the Hospital Wing rather full,
including the petrified students.
Once they were all in the Hospital Wing, Dumbledore strode in and whispered with the
other Professors.
Harry watched as Dumbledore's old face paled as he spoke in whispers to Professors
McGonagall and Flitwick who lay in beds beside each other.
Dumbledore turned toward Harry while he listened to the other Professors' words. The
old man's piercing blue eyes locked on Harry's for a moment, then with a short nod to
McGonagall and Flitwick, Dumbledore walked over to stand beside Harry's bed.
With a flick of his knobbly wand, Dumbledore conjured a small, yet comfortable looking
lounge chair.
'Mister Potter, I have many questions for you.' the Headmaster began.
'I will answer what I can, sir.' Harry said.
'Why is it that two years in a row, you have assisted young Mister Longbottom in his
adventures? By all accounts, the two of you don't get along.' Dumbledore asked over his
half-moon glasses.
Harry sighed and ran a hand down his face.
'My friends were attacked by a thousand-year-old Basilisk in a school where we are

supposed to be safe, and you ask why I helped Neville, sir?' Harry asked, incredulous.
Dumbledore nodded and stroked his beard.
Harry blinked. He hadn't expected that answer.
'Because it was the right thing to do. My friends were petrified or abducted, what else
could I have done?' Harry asked.
The Headmaster nodded and his blue eyes twinkled as he looked down at Harry.
'You are an interesting young man, Mister Potter. From all accounts, you did an
exceptional job down in the Chamber. Once you are released from the Hospital Wing,
please come to my office and we will discuss this adventure in more detail. The
password is Caramello Koala.' Dumbledore asked.
'The muggle sweet?' Harry asked and the ancient wizard nodded.
'The very same. Now, until later Mister Potter.' Dumbledore smiled down at Harry, then
turned and left the Hospital Wing.
Harry frowned.
The Headmaster was a strange man.

An hour later, the peace of the Hospital Wing was shattered by a red-haired woman,
shouting at Dumbledore as he continued to speak to the Professors. The plump red-
haired woman rushed over to Ginny and Neville, hugging them both in their beds to
within an inch of their lives.
Harry let out a breath in relief as the woman ignored his presence in the bed next to
Ginny's.
A moment later, his parents rushed into the room and sat on either side of his bed.
'Oh Harry, we just heard what happened. Why did you leave the safety of the common
room? Why find and enter the Chamber of Secrets of all places?' Lily asked, kissing
Harry's hand that she squeezed in her own.
'Whoa, what's this kiddo?' James asked, his hand reached out toward the sword Harry
had on his bed.
Harry sighed.
'It's a long story guys, and the sword is a big part of it. But long story short, this sword
somehow guided my body to kill the Basilisk and somehow deflected Tom's spells.'
Harry explained and his parents stared at him.
'Killed a Basilisk?' asked James.
'Who is Tom?' asked Lily.
Harry groaned.
'Okay, I'll try to explain everything. Dad, can you make this private?' Harry asked and
James nodded, he flicked his wand before turning back to Harry.
With a smile, Harry explained everything to his parents from when Holly found him to
their arrival.
It took an hour.
'I think we should keep the sword somewhere hidden in the Manor, I want to study it
sometime in the future.' Harry suggested and Lily's eyes lit up.
'I'm not so sure about that. Look at the name written on the blade. Nothing good can
come of something made by that Founder.' James disagreed; Lily rolled her eyes.
'James, someday you're going to have to get over this whole Slytherin is evil thing.
Harry said he has a Slytherin friend, the Greengrass Heiress.' Lily said, her eyes raised
at her husband, and he sighed.
'Fine, we'll hide the sword away and you guys can study it later.' James sighed.
Lily gave her husband a smug grin before she turned to Harry.
'I'm so proud of you honey, though I do worry about you. This kind of thing has
happened each year you've been here. It's becoming a pattern.' Lily said and James
nodded across from her.
'She's right Harry. We worry about you, but at least you kept Holly out of most of the
danger.' James said and Harry smiled.
'So, who told you about what happened?' Harry asked.
'Holly.' Lily said.
'Sirius, through Susan.' James said and Harry laughed.
James and Lily took the sword with them when they left the Hospital Wing.
Harry gathered his group of friends and family at Hogwarts in an abandoned classroom
near the Great Hall once he and Ginny were released from the Hospital Wing. He'd
explained to everybody what happened, stressing that Ginny was not to blame for any
of it.
Holly gathered Ginny in a hug, which soon became a group hug as everybody else in
the room joined in.
'I'm so sorry that none of us noticed that you were being possessed through the year.
Especially by You-Know-Who.' Holly whispered and Harry noticed the group hug
collectively shiver at the thought.
'B-but I did all those things. I let out the Basilisk. Don't you hate me?' Ginny murmured
and Holly squeezed her tighter.
'No, we don't Ginny.' Harry said.
'You weren't in control; you did none of those things. Nothing like that will happen again,
not if we have anything to do with it.' Harry declared, smiling as the others in the room
nodded, determined expressions on their faces.
'You are our friend Ginny; friends are as good as family.' Harry grinned and felt his heart
grow a little lighter as Ginny returned it.
The next week went by in a haze as Professor Snape finished the mandrake draught
and healed the petrified students. Harry was surprised when he heard that Nearly
Headless Nick returned to normal when somebody splashed the potion over his body.
Harry spent a few hours of his weekend reading through the book taken from the
Chamber of Secrets to find it was a diary written by Salazar Slytherin. In it, the man
explained that he and Godric had once been the closest of friends. Then Salazar's
family was killed by muggles and the man went mad in his grief, the final entry had told
of his plan to unleash an army of Basilisk's on the muggles of Britain, starting with
London, or Londinium, as it was known in that time.
In the book, Salazar had explained that he created his sword at the same time as
Godric's, but Salazar had enchanted it himself rather than purchase it from the Goblins.
Salazar's sword was made of Goblin steel and heavily enchanted so that when used, it
would guide its user, allowing even a novice swordsman to compete with masters of the
art. The sword allowed Salazar to duel on an even footing with Godric who was known
as one of the greatest swordsmen in the world at the time. He'd even infused Basilisk
venom into the Goblin steel so that even a scratch from the sword would kill almost
instantly.
Finally, it was time to leave Hogwarts, the summer holidays drew near, and Harry
grinned, excited to see Fleur again.
(A/N: Thank you to SKFF who pointed out Harry didn't get interrogated after the events
in the Chamber. I had mistakenly updated a slightly older version of the chapter that
didn't have that scene in it. Oops. That is now amended. We can assume that Harry
went to the Headmasters office and it was a standard retelling of events, like with James
and Lily.)
(A/N: Thank you to Aelin Fireheart 1 who pointed out that Holly said she only had one
brother on the train [poor Charlus]. That has now been fixed. I appreciate the pick ups!)
(A/N: A guest reviewer pointed out that my maths was wrong for the time dilation in the
Room of Requirement. I have since gone back and changed it so 4 hours inside the
room is 1 hour outside, so it's 4x rather than 2x like I described earlier in the story. This
has now been fixed.)
*Chapter 10*: Chapter 9 - Summer 1993
Chapter 09. Summer. 1993.
The train cabin was cosy as Harry sat with Susan, Holly, and Ginny on one side while
Hannah, Daphne, and Luna sat on the other.
'Does anyone know what happened to Lockhart? No one knows where he disappeared
to a few weeks ago with the Chamber incident. I wonder where he went?' Daphne
asked, tucking a few stray blonde hairs behind her ear.
'The fraud probably ran away.' Holly scoffed.
Susan sighed.
'Does anyone know if every year at Hogwarts is this dangerous and scary? Or is it just
the presence of Neville at the school?' Susan asked, which earned a few raised
eyebrows throughout the cabin.
'I mean, drawing in You-Know-Who's spirit in first year, then his Diary in our second.'
Susan continued.
Holly took her head off Harry's shoulder and stared at him.
'Why are you in the middle of things? Both years you've saved Neville, you don't even
like him?' Holly asked.
Harry shrugged, aware of the gaze of the cabin on him.
'In our first year, Hermione asked for my help, and this year Ginny was in trouble. I
couldn't just ignore the situation.' Harry said.
The girls wore thoughtful expressions, but Daphne and Hannah both scowled at
Hermione's name.
Holly cocked her head to the side.
'What is your problem with Hermione? She seems like a nice, if rather bossy girl.' Holly
asked.
Hannah and Susan turned to Daphne, who scoffed and flicked her hair over her
shoulder.
'After rescuing Hermione from the Troll in our first year, the girl chose to be friends with
Longbottom and Weasley, the two boys who put her in the situation to begin with.'
Daphne said, her lips twisted in a suppressed sneer.
'She did that instead of staying friends with Harry, who rescued her, almost dying in the
process.' Daphne finished.
Susan wore a rare scowl beside Harry, who patted her leg.
'Hey guys, it's okay. Hermione has gotten better this year. But everything is fine
because I have my friends with me, and friends are as good as family.' Harry said.
Holly and Susan both latched onto his arms while the others rolled their eyes.
An hour later, Harry looked up from a conversation with Holly to see Ginny and Luna
doing a puzzle on an issue of the Quibbler.
'Hey Luna, do you know anything about the Duck-Billed-Platypus in Australia?' he

asked, and Luna looked up from the magazine and stared at him.
'No, why?' she asked, her usual dreamy quality not present in her voice.
Harry grinned.
'It's a mammal, with a beak like a duck. It stings like an insect, lays eggs, and lives
underwater. I think it might be related to a magical animal; how else can you get so
many different animal traits together?' Harry asked and Luna's eyes lit up and Ginny
gave him a grin.
Daphne wore an incredulous expression and shook her head.
'Thanks Harry, that sounds amazing. I'll tell daddy about it when we get home. He'll be
so excited.' Luna beamed and Harry laughed.
He leant back against the seat and closed his eyes.
After a few minutes, the gentle rocking motion and click-clack of the tracks lulled Harry
toward sleep.
Until the door opened to reveal Neville, Ron, and Hermione.
Hermione received hostile looks from Susan, Hannah, and Daphne, as well as
suspicious expressions from Holly and Ginny.
Luna didn't notice. She was staring out the window with a wide smile on her face.
'Thank you, Potter, for dealing with the Basilisk.' Neville admitted, then received an
elbow in the ribs from Hermione.
'Thank you for saving us. I wouldn't have been able to do anything without your help.'
Neville ground out.
Harry smiled at the three standing in the doorway like awkward statues.
'It's okay. I'm just glad we could get there in time.' Harry grinned at Ginny, who blushed
as she stared at Neville's feet.
Neville's face turned red at the not-very-welcoming expressions he received from the
girls, except Ginny, who was as red as her hair.
'T-thanks again.' Neville stuttered out before he left the compartment.
Ron met Harry's eyes.
'Thanks.' He mumbled before following Neville.
Hermione looked guilty as she looked down at her feet, avoiding the hostile looks from
the girls.
Harry stood.
'I'll be back in a moment.' He smiled at the girls in the cabin and led Hermione out into
the corridor.
Hermione crushed him in a hug once out of the cabin.
'Thank you for saving me and Ginny and everyone.' She whispered and Harry tightened
his grip on her before he released her.
Together they stared out the window at the passing countryside.
'You're my friend, I will always do what I can to help you.' He said, and she turned to
him.
'Did you find my message?' she asked.
Harry frowned.
'What message?' he asked, and she looked uncomfortable.
'I tore a page out of a library book about Basilisks. I'd written mirrors and pipes on the
sheet.' She explained, and Harry shook his head.
'No, I didn't see your message, sorry. Did you give it to Neville or something?' he asked,
and she blushed.
'No, I, well, I had it in my hands when I was petrified.' Hermione admitted.
'Oh, sorry. I didn't notice anything in your hands when I visited you in the hospital wing.
Sorry.'
She gave a wry smile and sighed before she pulled him into another hug.
'Thanks again for saving us. I should get back to Neville and Ron.' She said before she
walked away from him down the corridor.
Harry turned his gaze back outside.
'Why do I have the feeling I just missed something?' he muttered to himself before he
shrugged and headed back into his cabin with the girls.
After he bid farewell to the other girls at the station, Harry, Holly, and Susan approached
James and Sirius, who stood near the floo terminal. The two men's eyes sparkled with
mischief, while Remus looked like he'd rather not be there.
'You've really grown Harry.' James said, and Harry smirked.
'It's what kids do, Dad.' he replied.
'And you seem to get along really well with the ladies.' James began.
'Yeah, how well do you all get along?' Sirius continued with a wink.
Harry glanced at Susan, who gave a tiny nod, the corner of her lips quirking. He
wrapped an arm around both Holly and Susan, then looked both men in the eye.
'We get along very well.' Harry smirked and Remus laughed at how quick both James
and Sirius' faces paled.
Harry led the two girls away, Susan held Orion's hand while Holly held Charlus', toward
the floo and went through into Potter Manor.
Once through the floo, Harry and the two girls collapsed on a nearby couch.
Harry laughed so hard his stomach hurt.
'Okay Harry, first, gross. Second, did you see the looks on their faces?' Holly cackled.
'Yeah, gross, including Holly in on that. But hilarious to see their faces.' Susan held her
belly as she struggled to breathe.
A few minutes later, Remus popped into the lounge, and wore a wide grin at the
children.
He counted down with his fingers.
Three, two, one.

James and Sirius popped into the lounge, both turning on Harry.
'No touching Susan until you're both at least fifteen.' Sirius shouted.
'No touching Holly at all, she's your sister.' James screamed at the same time.
Remus laughed, followed by Harry and the two girls. Charlus and Orion looked at each
other and shrugged before joining in on the laughter.
After dinner that night, the Black contingent returned to Grimmauld Place and Harry
packed away his things in his room. He looked over at his desk and saw a letter waiting
for him. He sat down at the desk and opened it.
Dear Harry,
My maturation has begun. It started last night, before I left Beauxbatons. Now I am
home and am confined to my room until the change is complete.
I cannot see you this summer. The next few weeks will be hard as my body changes to
my mature form.
Harry, I am worried that I will not be able to control my Allure. It will be going wild for the
next few months. I may not even be able to return to Beauxbatons if I cannot control my
heritage.
I hope to see you at Christmas, and I hope you are not too disappointed in me.
Fleur.
Harry read through her letter a few times; his heart sunk as he reread that he wouldn't
be able to see her again soon. He shook his head and opened a drawer to get a fresh
sheet of paper to write a reply.
Dear Fleur,
I could never be disappointed in you; you are my best friend. We will be okay not seeing
each other over the summer. We will still write letters and I am getting closer to getting a
design working for the mirrors. I'll send along my notes in case they're of more help to
you.
I believe in you; You will be every bit as amazing as I know you are. Whatever you look
like and whether or not you get a grasp on your allure. Whatever happens, we will find a
way to make you happy.
Harry.
Harry fell back into his summer routine; he finished his homework in the first few days.
His morning training with James and Holly increased. They now stood eight metres in
front of him before tossing rocks and spells at him.
He filled his afternoons with helping Holly with her own homework and working on
Runes with Lily when she had the time. His personal self-study filled multiple notebooks
with designs and research on his theories.
Harry opened the door to his mother's study; it was the same as it always was. Books
filled the bookshelves in the room and sheets of paper were stuck to the walls.
Lily sat, hunched over her desk. She held her head in her hands and let out a heavy
sigh.
'Mum?' Harry asked.
He shut the door behind him and she spun around to face him.
'Harry, I'm glad you came, I'm stuck with something you can help me with.' she jerked
her head toward the desk behind her.
Harry stepped beside her and peered at the battered sword that lay on it.
'So, you didn't fix it yet?' he asked.
Lily huffed.
'There's nothing to fix. It's dead. The enchantments are ruined and even the Goblin steel
its made from is somehow corrupted.' Lily said and Harry frowned.
'Corrupted? What do you mean?' he asked.
Harry peered at the ruined sword and reached out toward it.
Lily took his head in hers and pulled it away from the sword.
'Harry, this sword is dangerous. Goblin steel is supposed to be able to absorb whatever
will make it stronger. But you said it was hit by the Killing Curse, right?' she asked.
Harry nodded.
'Yeah, it was almost like the sword leapt out of my hands toward the spell.' Harry said.
Lily shivered and pulled him into a tight embrace.
'I'm glad that it did. If that spell had hit you, you would have died.' she whispered.
The study fell silent for a few seconds before Lily released him.
'Harry, I can't repair the sword. The enchantments that Slytherin put into it were beyond
anything I've ever seen. I might be able to reverse engineer some of them, but I can't fix
the sword, it's too far gone.' she said.
Harry looked down at the ruined sword on the desk. Where it had glistened in the eerily
green-lit Chamber of Secrets, now it was dull, and he couldn't feel anything from it. He
turned to his mother.
'How can you reverse engineer anything from it?' he asked.
Lily shrugged.
'With a whole lot of patience and time. Harry, this thing was a masterpiece, I don't even
know if I can learn how he did even half of the enchantments on this thing.' she
admitted, then sighed.
'But I'm going to try. Now, can you get me Tyrell's Advanced Runic Primer from the shelf
over there?' she asked and pointed vaguely behind her.
A few days before his birthday, James, and Sirius pulled him aside after his morning
exercise. That morning Sirius joined in, increasing those firing at Harry to three. After
they finished, Harry lay on his back, catching his breath.
James put a hand on Holly's shoulder.
'Holly honey, good job this morning. Head on up and get changed, Harry will be right
with you.' James said and Holly nodded, she sent one last smile to Harry who gave her
a weak wave.
James and Sirius plopped down on the grass beside Harry and James let out a sigh.
'Harry, I think you're pushing yourself too hard.' James said while Sirius shifted beside
him.
'All you do is study and train, kiddo; don't you want to go flying? TV? See a movie?'
Sirius asked and Harry laughed.
Harry groaned and sat up. Sweat dripped down his face.
'You're right. That is all I do, but it's all I want to do.' Harry said.
Sirius facepalmed.
Harry shifted into a more comfortable position.
'But seriously, I could use your help with something.' Harry started and both men's eyes
grew wide, along with their smiles.
'What can we help you with, Prongslet?' Sirius grinned.

'I'm trying to create a pair of mirrors, like you guys have, so I can talk to Fleur more.'
Harry said.
Both men wore eager smiles and shuffled closer toward him on the grass.
Harry shifted away from them as much as his exhausted body would allow, suspicious.
'Why don't you just borrow our mirrors?' James asked, a twinkle in his eyes.
Harry narrowed his eyes, expecting a prank or a trick, knowing the two men.
'We're making our own.' Harry said before he looked at Sirius.
'I can't trust you two to not listen in or something else underhanded.' Harry finished and
James laughed, while Sirius looked offended.
Harry's birthday arrived, and he received a single feather in a box from Fleur. He looked
at it with confusion but noticed James' eyes widen on seeing it. But James refused to
answer, saying it was Fleur's place to tell him.
A few days later, Fleur's sixteenth birthday arrived. While he couldn't be with her for her
birthday, he sent her a present and a long letter along with it. He gave her a silver
bracelet with a small emerald in its centre, it matched the necklace he'd given her
earlier. The bracelet was enchanted with protective rune clusters along with a Tracking
Rune, which she could activate with the words 'Harry find me.' or if she rubbed the rune
in a counter-clockwise motion.
In his letter, he asked about the feather, but she replied she would rather tell him in
person.
A few weeks later, Holly's birthday arrived, and Harry updated her pendant with the
same enchantments as Fleur's. Holly didn't leave Harry's side all day, except when she
wanted to test the Tracking Charm.
A few days after Holly's birthday, on September first, Remus pulled Harry aside after
breakfast in the dining room.
'I just wanted to tell you that this year, Dumbledore has appointed me as Defence
Against the Dark Arts Professor.' Remus said, not meeting Harry's gaze.
Harry pulled the man into an embrace, something he'd never been big enough to do
while standing.
'Congratulations Moony. You're going to be great. That said you don't have much to live
up to, we had Voldemort and Lockhart teaching us before you.' Harry joked.
Harry held up a finger.

'Hold that thought.' Harry grinned before he ran up to his room.
He rummaged around his trunk, packed the night before, and grinned as he plucked out
a small square box. It looked like a black brick.
Harry ran downstairs again and found Remus where he'd left him. He handed the
werewolf the black box.
Remus took the box, quirking an eyebrow.
'Thanks?' he said, more of a question than anything.
Harry grinned and held up his watch up for Remus to see.
'Help me.' Harry said, and ran his finger counter-clockwise around the watch face.
Remus' eyes widened as a dot appeared on the black brick in his hands.
Harry pointed at the brick.
'This is a tracker used with the tracking enchantment I've placed on my watch. Once I
activate the Runes, that tracker will point you toward me. It will also work for Holly's
tracking charm.' Harry explained, grinning at the shocked expression on his honorary
uncle's face.
'Notice the details on the tracker there?' Harry pointed at a handful of symbols and
numbers at the bottom of the brick.
'It tells you in what direction I am from your position and how far away. I must admit,
making that distance to target work properly was a lot of effort, especially changing units
from metres to kilometres.' Harry said, smiling at Remus, who stared at him.
'Why give it to me?' Remus asked.
Harry frowned.
'Remus, you're family. You'll also be at Hogwarts, so if something goes wrong, you'll be
close by to fix it.' Harry explained before he scratched his chin.
'The last two years ended with crazy, dangerous stuff happening and if I can avoid it, I
will.' Harry said while Remus only gave a nod.
Harry stood, patting Remus' shoulder.
'Congratulations on the job again, Moony. Please always keep that tracker handy, it'll
also pick up Fleur and Holly if they activate their trackers.' Harry said, leaving the
werewolf alone in the dining room.
*Chapter 11*: Chapter 10 - Third Year, Pt 1 1993
Chapter 10. 3rd Year, Part 1. 1993.
Harry, Holly, and Susan met up with their friends on the train. The trip was uneventful,
and the first few days of school were the same. Harry picked up two elective classes,
Ancient Runes, and Arithmancy.
During breakfast on the third day of school, Harry noticed Neville sitting between Ron
and Hermione. The Boy-Who-Lived hung his head low and played with his food, like he
had done the previous few mornings.
Shrugging, Harry turned back to his conversation with Susan.
Later that day, in Ancient Runes, Harry sat next to Hermione. The bushy-haired witch
shifted every few minutes, uncomfortable.
'I can go sit somewhere else if you'd like?' Harry asked, his voice only a whisper.
Hermione turned at stared at him.
'No, no, that's not it. There's something that I don't understand is all.' She admitted and
Harry smiled.
'About what?' Harry asked and Hermione sighed.
'Neville is struggling to understand why he's not as good as you.' She said, looking at
him with a question in her eyes.
He gave her a small smile before he turned back to watch Professor Babbling point her
wand at a drawing of a rune on the board.
'It's because Neville spends his free time playing chess and relaxing.' Harry said from
the corner of his mouth.
'And you don't?' Hermione asked.
'I spend my free time training and studying.' He chuckled at her stunned expression, he
watched Professor Babbling at the front of the class who narrowed her eyes at
Hermione.
'Miss Granger, please pay attention in class, rather than stare at Mister Potter.'
'Mister Potter, can you stay behind, please?' Professor Flitwick called as the rest of the
class rushed out of the room for lunch.
Harry shrugged and smiled at Susan.
'It's okay, I'll see you guys at the Great Hall in a few minutes.' He said and Susan
nodded.
'Don't wait too long, Holly will eat all the food on you again.' Susan grinned, then
followed the rest of the class out of the room.
Harry chuckled and threw his supplies in his bag.
He moved to the front of the room and stood in front of Professor Flitwick.
'Yes sir? How can I help you?' Harry asked.
The little Professor flicked his wand and a thick, dusty tome shot across the room from a
shelf and into his raised hand. Flitwick held the hefty book out to Harry.
'I apologise Mister Potter, between the events of last year and the usual hectic pace of
life in this castle, I was never able to give you those Duelling lessons that I promised
you.' The diminutive Professor admitted.
Harry took the solid tome in both hands and looked at it. It didn't have anything written
on its cover.
'Sir, what is this?' he asked.
Flitwick chuckled.
'Mister Potter, it's an apology. This book was given to me by my mentor, back when I
started my apprenticeship under him. This tome contains everything from spells to
strategy. It even has a section on muggle psychology.' The Professor said, then tapped
a long fingernail on the dusty cover.
'I will not be able to provide those Duelling lessons to you any time soon, there are
family issues that will occupy any free time I may have in the near future. This is an
apology for not keeping my word to you.' Flitwick said.
'Not at all Professor, you don't need to give me this. I will be here for a few more years,
hopefully we'll get the opportunity in the future.' Harry said and held the heavy tome out
to the Professor.
'Nonsense Mister Potter. Take the book, learn from it, master the skills within. Then,
perhaps when my family matters are resolved, you will get those lessons. I expect you
to have mastered that book by that time.' Flitwick said and Harry nodded.
'Yes sir, I will, I promise.' Harry said and tucked the dusty tome in his book bag.
That night, after dinner, Harry made his way to the Room of Requirement. Once inside,
he plopped down on the chair in front of his desk and opened a notebook from his
pocket.
He skimmed through the pages, an hourglass, a silver bracelet, a pair of mirrors. He

stopped at the mirrors and put the notebook to the side, open to display his notes on the
communication mirrors.
Monday morning arrived and Harry sat at breakfast with Holly, and their friends. Susan
leaned close to him to whisper in his ear.
'Harry, Justin has been staring at you for the last few minutes.' Her voice soft and Harry
glanced at Justin Finch-Fletchley.
The dark-haired boy whom Harry had never spent any effort in getting to know, even
though they shared a dorm, stared at him with an intensity that sent a shiver down
Harry's spine.
'You know what? I think he did that last week since we got here too.' Susan whispered,
and Harry nodded.
Harry leaned forward. Justin sat beside Luna, only a few seats away.
'Hey Justin, what's wrong?' Harry asked.
Justin shook his head and blinked his glassy eyes, he shook his head again. Harry
wondered if the other boy had been crying.
Harry cocked his head and Justin sighed.
'I just wanted to thank you Harry, for killing the Basilisk at the end of last term.' Justin
said, and the Great Hall fell silent.
Harry blinked, noticing the silence of the Hall. He sighed and looked over at Neville, who
wore a look of shock.
'I didn't think anybody knew about what happened down there.' Harry admitted before
he quirked an eyebrow.
'Who told you what happened?' Harry asked and Justin's glassy eyes looked panicked
for a moment before he chuckled.
'It was just the most realistic of the rumours.' Justin replied.
Harry scoffed.
'Me killing a thousand-year-old Basilisk was the most realistic rumour?' Harry asked in a
deadpan, which drew a few chuckles from students around the Hall, all obviously
listening to their conversation.
Justin narrowed his eyes.
'It was true though?' the dark-haired boy pushed.
Harry sighed.
'Yes, but there were Professors and Neville there too, so it wasn't all me. It was more of
a team effort.' Harry explained, and the inhabitants of the Great Hall stared at both
Harry and Neville.
Harry sighed again.
'It's almost as if nobody has heard of people doing impossible things before.' Harry
pointed out Sir Nicholas as the ghost drifted past the Gryffindor table.
'Ghosts. Professor McGonagall can turn into a cat at will. Will you all please stop being
so surprised by seemingly impossible things?' Harry said loud enough for the Hall to
hear.
Weeks passed by and Halloween arrived. Harry missed the feast again as he was in the
Room of Requirement.
On Monday morning, after his run around the Black Lake, Harry sat in the mostly empty
Great Hall. Susan sat on one side while Holly took the other.
'Do you know what happened?' Susan asked, and Harry groaned.
'Seriously? Again? It had better not be a Troll or another mysterious message.' Harry
growled, and Holly stifled a giggle.
'Dad is here investigating what happened.' Holly said and Harry ran a hand through his
hair with a groan.
'What happened?' he asked.
Susan blinked at him while Holly rolled her eyes.
'A muggle man entered the Great Hall last night, covered in blood and admitted to killing
someone.' Holly started; Harry stared at her.
'The Professors took him away, and I sent dad a letter about it. He was there an hour
later with a dozen Aurors, that's all I know.' Holly explained.
Harry groaned and turned to Susan.

'Why does something always happen on Halloween?' he asked, and she shrugged.
'Just lucky I guess?'
Harry scoffed before he turned to Holly.
'Dad will have everything under control.' He said, and she nodded, worry still in her
eyes.
Harry reached out and took her into a hug.
'Both of you, stick close to me if possible until Dad figures out what happened.' He
murmured, seeing Susan nod out of the corner of his eye, and felt Holly nod into his
chest.
James entered the Great Hall a few minutes later and motioned for the three to join him
while he stood in the massive doorway. Once they approached him, without a word, he
turned and led them to an abandoned classroom nearby.
Once inside the abandoned classroom, James turned toward them, his face grim. He
pulled three mirrors out of his robes and held them out for the three students.
'Take one of these each. They're communication mirrors. They will connect you to each
other, as well as Me, Lily, Sirius, Amelia, and Remus.' James said, his voice low.
His grim look darkened.
'We will implement passwords from the next time we meet until told otherwise and I
want you three to follow that rule with each other too.' James said, and Harry frowned.
'What are the passwords?' Harry asked, and James nodded.
'They will change depending on the situation you're in. We'll keep them simple, so you
remember them. At the start of the conversation, you say a colour and that colour
changes depending on your situation.' James said and ran a hand through his hair.
'If everything is fine, use Blue. Use Green if you are concerned. If you are in danger, say
Orange. And if there is a person within hearing range that is dangerous, use Red.'
James explained and the three nodded.
'Can you remember the code words for the four situations?' he asked, and they nodded
again.
James sighed.
'I admit I can't tell you guys everything, but what I can say is that the man was indeed a
muggle. He was under the Imperious Curse.' James said, and Harry gasped.
'He'd been forced to take a specific potion that reacts lethally when taken with
Veritaserum. The man didn't survive questioning.' James sighed and ran his fingers
down his face.
'Before using the Veritaserum, the man could only answer specific questions we asked,
and this was because of the Imperious.' James finished, his gaze settling on Harry.
Harry frowned and cocked his head to the side.
'Why?' he asked, and James let out a humourless laugh.
'The one controlling the muggle did this to taunt us.' James admitted.
'I don't know why the mystery person did this, but the fact they could pull it off scares
me.' James said and Harry reached out, he placed a hand on his father's shoulder.
'We'll be careful, Dad.' Harry said, looking over to Holly, then to Susan, then back to
James.
'Can you make a Marauders Map for Susan and Holly? I haven't used the one you
made me this summer very much, but it's still on me at all times.' Harry said and pulled
a piece of parchment out of his robe pocket.
James smirked. He pulled out a map for each of the girls.
'Harry will run you through how those work.' James grinned, then looked grim once
more.
'Be safe you three.' James said, as pulled them into a hug.
After classes that day, the group sat in the Library, studying.
Harry had a stack of books around him, each related to mental magic. He couldn't find
anything specifically related to the Imperious Curse in particular. He looked up from his
pile of books to see the girls each working on their homework.
'Does anyone know if the Imperious Curse acts at all similar to the Veela Allure?' he
asked.
Susan shrugged. Daphne narrowed her eyes before she nodded.
'From what I know about the Curse, willpower is needed to resist it, a stronger willpower
than the caster, anyway. But only one person can be controlled at a time by a single
caster.' Daphne explained, and Harry nodded as he scribbled in his notebook before he
tucked it back in his pocket.
Daphne put down her quill and leaned forward.

'What is the notebook for?' she asked.
Harry took it back out and handed it to her.
'I use it to keep track of all the ideas I have for different projects.' He explained, and her
eyes widened as she flipped through the pages.
'Are you working on a time turner?' she asked, her voice a little higher than normal.
Harry nodded.
'I am trying to design one that goes back further than a few hours.' He scowled, missing
the incredulous expressions on the girls' faces.
'So far, my calculations would make the time turner bigger than a house.' He admitted.
Luna peered over Daphne's shoulder, eliciting a flick on the girl's nose from the
Slytherin.
Luna turned to Harry.
'What are your thoughts on the bracelet?' she asked, her dreamy voice absent for the
moment as her sharp eyes held his own.
Harry grinned.
'I was trying to make it block the Veela Allure.' He admitted, which earned a smile from
Holly, Susan, and Hannah, and a scowl from Daphne.
'But the more I research, the more it looks like it could protect from other forms of
mental attack, like the Confundus, Compulsion, and Memory Charms. Even the
Imperious.' He rambled before he paused, looking around at the girls staring at him.
'What's wrong?' he asked.
'You're such a nerd.' Holly grinned before she stood.
'Harry, come with me for a moment.' She ordered, and Harry blinked before he
shrugged and stood.
He followed Holly as she walked away from the table.
Once the two were away from the table, with no one around, Holly turned on Harry.
'The Time Room's effects are getting obvious.' She declared.
'How?' Harry asked, frowning.
She looked him up and down, quirked an eyebrow and pointed at a table of fifth year
Ravenclaw students.
'You look like a fifth year.' Holly said.
Harry looked down at himself, then over to the fifth year Ravenclaws, then back to their
own table.
He sighed.
'Yeah, I think you might be right.' He admitted. She rolled her eyes.
'Of course I'm right. How old are you now, anyway?' she asked.
Harry ran a hand through his hair before he dragged his fingers down his face in
thought.
'Um, probably around fifteen, maybe a bit more by now.' He admitted.
She sighed.
'Harry, you're being reckless.' Holly scolded, and his mouth became a thin line.
She froze, looking into his eyes.
'The Room of Requirement isn't on our maps.' She breathed.
Harry groaned and rubbed his eyes.
'How many other rooms do you think aren't on the maps?' he asked, and she paled.
Harry placed a hand on her shoulder.
'Remember your pendant and your mirror wherever you go.' He warned, and she
nodded.
He took a step toward their table, but stopped as she held his arm near the elbow.
'You should tell Susan about the Room, she's family.' Holly said, and Harry sighed,
nodding.
'Yeah, you're right, I should have told her from the start.' He agreed before they returned
to their table.
Daphne handed his notebook back with a smile.
Ginny dropped her quill on her half-written assignment with a sigh.
'Can anyone help me with my transfiguration?' she huffed.
Hannah grinned and swapped spots with Luna, and sat next to Ginny.
'What are you struggling with?' she asked.

Two weeks later, during Ancient Runes, Harry looked out of the window overlooking the
courtyard and watched a team of red robed Aurors rush into the castle, led by a mop of
messy black hair that could only belong to his father.
His stomach plummeted.
The Ancient Runes class tables sat three, so Harry had Hermione on one side and
Susan on the other. Susan's hand gripped his own under the table, having also seen the
Aurors.
'What is distracting the two of you, Mister Potter, Miss Bones?' Professor Babbling
asked and eyed their joined hands under the table.
'Sorry ma'am, a team of Aurors just rushed into the school from the courtyard.' Harry
said, and the class stilled.
Babbling fell silent for a minute, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
'Keep working class. The Aurors will have a good reason for being here. Mister Potter,
Miss Bones? I'd like to see you after class, please.' Professor Babbling asked with a soft
smile and the two nodded to her.
Harry and Susan returned to their work, re-joining Hermione in their task of
disassembling a Rune cluster to study it.
After class ended, Harry and Susan made their way to stand by Professor Babbling's
desk where the pretty witch removed her glasses and placed them on the table, then
rubbed her eyes.
'Everything is as under control as possible.' She said, her voice heavy.
'I agree, ma'am. My father and Susan's Aunt are the best and I have every confidence
in them.' Harry paused.
'I wish that Hogwarts would be safe for just one year though.' He admitted, and the
Professor gave a solemn nod.
'Apart from needing a new Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor every year, nothing
strange happened here until your first year.' She admitted and Harry smiled.
'Thank you, Professor, for being honest with us.' He said, and she returned his smile.
'I've never seen a group of more gifted students than your group of friends.' She sighed,
her gaze moved between both students.
'I am proud that all four houses are represented as well. Now, off with you.' She waved
them off.
'Thank you, Professor.' Harry gave her a small nod as he and Susan left the classroom.
Harry and Susan walked down the corridor away from their class.
'So, dinner or back to the common room to drop off our stuff?' Harry asked.
Susan shrugged.
'Why not dinner?' she suggested, and he grinned.
'Perfect.'
The two made their way down to the ground floor from the central staircase.
'What do you think your dad's doing here?' Susan asked, turning into the corridor that
led to the Great Hall. Harry shrugged and hefted his bookbag onto his shoulder.
'I hope it's just checking over information or something.' He said, slowing as the doors to
the Great Hall came into view, clogged with students.
'I don't know what's going on but let's get a closer look.' Harry whispered and Susan
nodded beside him, following close to his side.
Harry pushed his way through the crowd and caught sight of Holly's messy black hair.
He made a beeline for her and made a path for Susan to follow him. His larger body
coming in handy to push other students out of the way.
'Holly, what's going on?' Harry asked, and he stopped beside her.
She said nothing, and he followed her gaze and froze.
In front of the staff table, between the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables, stood a man
holding a wand to his own head.
Dumbledore stood in front of the man, holding both hands out to the man, empty. The
Headmaster glanced at the gathering students and paled. Harry saw the worry in the
Headmasters face, but also fear. But what did the Headmaster have to fear from a man
with a wand to his own head?
'Make way, Aurors coming through, make way.' His father's voice broke through the
murmuring students.
James, wearing his red Auror robes, led three other Aurors through the crowd that
parted with little hesitation.
James moved toward the lone man and still the man did nothing, standing in silence and
hadn't moved a muscle since Harry first saw him.
'Sir, please, lower your wand.' James soothed as he approached.
Dumbledore's eyes flicked toward him, then back to the man.
The man remained as still as a statue.
James held out a hand toward the man.
'Sir, I ask again, please lower your wand.' James repeated and Harry noticed some
discolouration on his robes.
Harry blinked and stared, then noticed it wasn't discolouration on his father's robes, it
was blood. He watched his father as he moved closer to the motionless man, and he
glanced at the other three Aurors.
One of them had blood in his hair.
Harry gasped, squeezing Susan's hand.
'This isn't what they came here for an hour ago.' He breathed and Susan tore her gaze
away from the scene in front of them.
'What? Why do you say that?' she asked in a whisper.
'Look at their robes, that Auror at the back has blood in his hair.' Harry hissed, and
Susan gasped a moment later.
Holly took his hand, and he turned back to the unknown man.
James stepped within ten metres of the man, and he sprung to life. The once statue-like
man spun to face James and turned his back on the Headmaster. The man's glazed
eyes locked on James with a passionate fire dancing in them.
'This is all James Potter's fault.' The man screamed; his wand still held to his temple.
'Head Auror Potter is not the man you all think he is.' The unknown man continued, his
voice lower, but still heard throughout the Hall.
Harry squeezed the girl's hands, not taking his eyes off the scene in front of them.
'Both of you, call mum and Aunt Amelia, now.' Harry whispered.
Both fumbled in their robes with their off hands, not letting Harry go.
A few moments later, two mirrors pointed toward the confrontation.
'Solve this mystery Head Auror Potter, or else more people will die. The next one will be
a student.' The man declared, and Harry watched in dawning horror as the man's hand
clenched around his wand.
Harry spun both girls around, pushing their faces against his chest.
'Bombarda.' came the man's voice, ringing through the Great Hall.
'Stupefy.' James shouted a moment later, too late.
Harry stared in horror as the man's head disappeared.
Red chunks of flesh and bone exploded out to the man's left, showering the empty
Ravenclaw table with pieces of the man's head. Then the man's body dropped to the
floor, hit with James' stunner.
A moment of silence reigned.
A shriek of terror was joined by more a second later, and Harry heard a handful of
students vomiting and retching at the sight. He held Holly and Susan close to him and
pulled them out of the Great Hall.
Even though they hadn't seen it, they knew what happened.
'Don't look, please. I'll get you out of here.' He whispered as he navigated around frozen
students, staring at the carnage in front of them.
Harry moved the two around puddles of vomit amid the rush of students fleeing the
Great Hall. As he went, he met Daphne's gaze, and she fell in beside Susan. Their other
friends joined them as Harry led them out of the Hall, toward the entrance hall.
'Flippendo.' Harry muttered, knocking a suit of armour to pieces with a flick of his wrist.
Harry released Susan into Daphne's arms and drew his wand, muttering the spells to
transfigure the fallen pieces into couches along the wall. He took Susan back and pulled
her and Holly down to a couch, their other friends joined them a moment later.
'I can't believe that just happened.' Holly whispered, her face pale.
Harry pulled her and Susan tighter into an embrace and both burrowed into his chest.
'Everything is going to be okay.' He said and looked up from Holly and Susan to Hannah
and Daphne, who both looked pale.
Then he turned to Ginny and Luna, who trembled.

'I want to ask you guys to always be around one of the three of us. We have mirrors that
can call our parents.' Harry said and Daphne nodded.
Her face looked a little green as she rubbed Hannah's back. Ginny and Luna held each
other's hands, both shaking and breathing hard.
Harry watched as students fled in all directions, some screaming and others silent as
they sought safety. Professors ran after the students, calling for them to remain calm,
and Harry held back a scoff.
Quiet sobs came from Ginny and Luna while silent tears created tracks down Hannah's
face.
A few minutes later, Amelia and Sirius burst into the entrance hall from outside, Lily right
beside them.
Harry didn't see them as his mind raced. The man was being mind-controlled somehow.
Was the Imperious powerful enough to force someone to kill themselves? What a
horrible spell.
He considered the bracelet he was designing, but before he could visualise it properly,
he heard his mother calling his name.
'Harry!' Lily called, right in front of him, and he jerked back, blinking.
'Oh, Harry, Holly. Are you okay?' Lily asked, pulling her children, along with Susan, into
a hug.
Harry nodded while the two girls clung tighter to him. He looked up and found Sirius and
Amelia had left, probably to enter the Great Hall. Harry absently stroked Holly and
Susan's hair as he met his mother's worried gaze.
'Did you see everything?' he asked, and she nodded.
Harry sighed and released his grip on Holly and Susan to take his notebook out of his
pocket. He waved his wand over it.
'Geminio.' He muttered, producing a copy of the notebook he handed to Lily.
Her eyes widened at seeing the notebook, a perfect copy of the original.
'Skim through it, I've had some ideas for a bracelet that could block mental intrusions.'
Harry said, then replaced the original notebook into his robes and returned to his
embrace with Holly and Susan.
Lily gasped as she flipped through the notebook.
'I originally wanted to block the Veela Allure.' He shrugged.

'But according to my research, it'll also help with other mental attacks like the Imperius.'
He explained and Lily flipped back and forth through the notebook.
'This is amazing work Harry.' She gushed; he gave a weak smile.
'It'll only last a day or two.' He admitted and Lily nodded before she wrapped the three in
another hug.
James walked out of the Great Hall. He fell to one knee beside Lily, who had just
released the three. Sirius stood behind him, worry in his eyes. Lily stood, resting a hand
on James' shoulder.
'I'm sorry, all of you, for having to witness that.' James started and Harry gave a wry
smile.
'These two saw nothing, but even so, they know.' Harry said and James nodded.
James looked around at the others and nodded. He placed his hands on both Holly and
Susan's knees and met Harry's gaze before sighing.
'The man who killed himself was a wizard who went missing during May and hadn't
been seen since.' James started, his eyes never left Harry's.
'It appears he'd been under the Imperius and a mixture of potions in that time.' James
continued.
Harry nodded, his mind struggling to connect all the information together.
'Because of the threat, the Ministry is considering closing the school, but until the choice
is made, Aurors will be stationed here.' James said, and the seven children sighed in
relief.
Harry narrowed his eyes.
'Do you have any ideas about who it is controlling these people?' he asked.
James sighed.
'No, but after tonight, I think it's someone with a personal grudge against me. This
makes it more dangerous for you and Holly.' James said, and Harry's eyes widened, he
squeezed Holly tighter against him.
James broke his gaze from Harry and looked around at the other students.
'You all might be in danger due to your friendship with Harry and Holly.' James admitted.
'I've already asked them to be near Susan, Holly or myself as much as possible for our
mirrors.' Harry said.
'That's a good idea.' James smiled.

Harry cleared his throat, he glanced down at Susan before back to his father.
'What were you called in for earlier today? We saw you enter the school in our last
class.' Harry asked and James closed his eyes, he ran a hand through his hair.
'We had a confrontation with a person trying to break into the library. But they were
trying to steal books on Hogwarts' History.' James frowned.
'The perpetrator fled into the forbidden forest, but not before leading us into a trap.
There is a nest of Acromantula in that forest. Please never go in there.' James pleaded,
and Harry gulped.
'Acromantula? How would they be in the forest?' Harry asked, then remembered Neville
telling him during the Chamber incident about the giant spiders, fearing the Basilisk.
Had Neville not told anybody else about the nest?
Harry looked away from James as Dumbledore stepped out of the Great Hall, looking
old and weary. The Headmaster held his knobbly wand to his neck and spoke.
His voice echoed through the castle.
'Please return to your dorms. Dinner will be served in each dormitory this evening
because of the tragic events that took place in the Great Hall. I say again, please return
to your dorms for dinner.' Dumbledore lowered his wand from his neck and seemed to
crumple.
Dumbledore didn't look like a tall, strong warrior anymore, now he was just a tired old
man.
'Time to go to bed kids.' Lily said, and Harry nodded.
Holly clutched at Harry, who held her tight.
'It's okay Holly. Luna needs your help tonight. Can you do that for me?' Harry whispered
in her ear, and Holly nodded.
Holly pulled back and Harry saw her tear-streaked face for the first time that evening.
Harry watched as Holly led Luna away along with the Ravenclaws. Ginny had a twin
brother on either side, joking as they walked along with the other Gryffindors.
Daphne walked alone amid the Slytherin group, a gap between her and the closest
student.
'Go on Harry, take care of yourself and the others, won't you?' Sirius asked, a faux smile
plastered on his face, and Harry nodded.
'Always.' Harry whispered, following the rest of the Hufflepuffs, Hannah and Susan close
by his side.
Hogwarts settled down over the next month. No new attacks occurred, though the
students remained tense and jumpy. Mrs Norris even suffered a few hexes in the
corridors as she appeared out of nowhere.
Harry sat in the Great Hall, having breakfast with his friends. Over the last few weeks,
he had noticed an increase in the number of students watching him. He wondered if
they blamed him in some way for the events in the school. Increasingly, Harry met a
random student's gaze to find them staring at him with an intensity that sent shivers
down his spine.
Hannah and Daphne sat opposite him, and he leaned forward in his seat.
'Hey guys, have you noticed any strange looks directed at you recently?' Harry asked,
and kept his attention on the student staring at him from the corner of his eye.
Daphne narrowed her eyes and nodded, her gaze roamed around the students behind
Harry.
'Yes, though they're not directed at us. From what I see, they're centred on you and
Holly.' Daphne noted, her blue eyes cold as she looked past Harry.
'It is weird though.' Daphne trailed off, frowning.
Harry glanced toward the staff table and saw his father standing in front of Professor
McGonagall, talking to her while they wore furtive expressions. His gaze roamed around
the room, it fell on Neville, who looked pale while Hermione patted his back.
Hermione looked up and met his gaze. She gave him a long look and mouthed the word
'class' to him, and Harry nodded.
As his gaze moved on, he saw a dozen other students from different houses sending
him intense stares. They weren't quite hostile, but they weren't normal either. With a
shrug, he turned back to his meal, only to find his bacon missing.
Holly's giggling beside him identified the culprit.
In History of Magic, Harry sat beside Hermione. Twenty minutes into class and most of
the students were fast asleep.
'Harry, I need your help.' Hermione asked and Harry nodded.
'Of course, I'll help. What's wrong?' he asked.
She sighed and bit her lip.
'Neville is freaking out. Everyone keeps asking him to solve the mystery.' She admitted,
and Harry frowned.
'How can anyone expect him to do what the Aurors can't do?' Harry scoffed.
'They are telling him to back up his claims he made last year that the school is safe as
long as he was here.' She said, and Harry covered a chuckle with a cough.
Hermione sighed.
'We've been trying to investigate, but what happened in the Great Hall that day has
affected Neville. He's scared.' She admitted, and Harry ran a hand through his hair.
'Hermione, my dad is investigating. He's been here most days since then, and there
haven't been any more attacks.' He said, and she stared at him.
Harry gave a heavy sigh.
'What do you expect of me? I'm still in school like you. What more use can I be than a
trained Auror?' he asked.
She frowned.
'You're my friend. My first real friend. You're the boy who saved my life from a Troll, the
one who killed a Basilisk with a sword.' She said, her warm chocolate eyes narrowed.
'Those were more luck than anything. You know that.' Harry said, his voice soft.
'Harry, you're special. We all know it.' She whispered, and Harry rubbed her back.
'It's okay Hermione, if I figure anything out, I'll get my dad to help.' Harry said with a
small smile, and she nodded.
That evening after dinner, Harry retrieved his homework from his dorm.
A letter sat on his desk. As he drew closer, a grin crossed his face. Harry plucked the
letter off the desk and looked at his name in neat loopy letters, a letter from Fleur.
He left his dorm with a few books and parchment to complete his charms assignment,
and he sat down at a table with Susan and Hannah. The three took up the whole six-
person table with all the books and parchment spread over it.
Susan eyed the letter on top of his books with a smile.

'So, how is Fleur going?' she asked, and Harry grinned. He plucked the letter from his
book and skimmed over it again.
Dear Harry,
I did it! I created a set of mirrors, and they work better than I expected. Your mirror will
be a part of your Christmas presents this year. I won't be able to see you this Christmas,
however, as I will travel to the Veela enclaves in Bulgaria.
My Grandmother lives there, and I will stay with her over Christmas to learn how to
better control the Allure.
I'm still being kept separate from the other students, so I feel like a prisoner, and, with
my maturing form, my emotions are all over the place. However, the upside to the
solitary confinement is that I have plenty of time to study.
Beauxbatons brought in a Veela tutor so I can keep up with the other students.
It is so strange Harry, before my maturation, no one wanted to talk to me. Now, all the
boys almost attack me in their eagerness to possess me. The girls are even worse to
me now in the few times I've seen them, they call me horrible names, and spread
rumours about me.
The staff have confined me to my quarters ever since the first day back this semester.
I hope my tutor is right. She says I'll be able to re-join the other students by February.
What I want most, though, is to see you; you always make me feel better.
Love,
Fleur.
Harry smiled at Susan and Hannah, both waiting for his reply.
'She's having trouble with her maturation. She is lonely and is being kept separate from
the other students until she can learn to control her Allure.' He said, and their faces fell.
'I won't be able to see her this Christmas either, she'll be in Bulgaria at the Veela
enclaves, learning how to control the Allure. But she completed one of our projects,
which is great.' Harry said and Susan gave a soft smile.
'I'm sorry we won't see her at Christmas. I think I'll send her a letter as well, try to cheer
her up.' Susan said, and Hannah nodded beside her.
'I think I'll write to our Veela friend as well.' Hannah said.
'Thanks guys, I'm sure she would appreciate letters from the two of you. She doesn't
have many friends.' He smiled at the two girls.
He cleared his throat.
'Okay, so what are we working on tonight? Charms, right?' he asked, and Susan
chuckled.
'Yeah, that's it.' She said and pulled out her half complete assignment.
After an hour, they were finished for the night and moved to their rooms for bed.
Before going to sleep, Harry sat at his desk and wrote a reply to Fleur. He attached a
copy of his latest notes about the mirrors in case they'd be helpful.
Letter complete, Harry locked up his desk, layering privacy and protection charms over
each other and he activated some minor wards he'd been able to get working.
With that complete, he climbed into his bed, and used the same protections on his bed.
There was someone using the Imperius curse hanging around the school. A little
paranoia was warranted.
At least, that's what he told himself.
A week later and there'd been no further attacks by the time the students returned home
for Christmas break.
James could not take the whole break off because of the events at Hogwarts, but the
Potter family made the most of the time they had together.
Harry and Holly spent every morning on the grounds of the estate. Two or three hours
every day of the holiday spent every morning running and exercising in the snow.
Their exercise kept them warm.
The Christmas party came, and they spent the evening with their friends. But there was
a tension in the air that didn't just affect the kids. It seemed to Harry that everyone was
just going through the motions with the party and left for home when it was socially
acceptable.
Christmas morning arrived saw the Potters and the Blacks/Bones' together in Potter
Manor together. Though Amelia and James were never with their families at the same
time, only one or the other.
Harry sat in his bed, eager for the day and holding his gift from Fleur in his hands.
It was a gorgeous hand mirror; it was ornate and bore intricate silver feather and floral
designs flowing around the reflective centre. He grinned as he compared it to the
comparatively bland Potter mirror his father had given them for emergencies.
On his lap sat another part of her gift to him, a dark green leather-bound journal.
According to the letter that came with the presents, the journal was written by her
Grandmother, much like the book Fleur had given him the year before about Veela in
general. Except this journal apparently detailed Veela customs, explaining everything
from the birth of a child to the death of the elderly.
Harry ran a hand over the rough leather of the journal and looked forward to reading the
journal. He hadn't been able to put down the last book on Veela that Fleur had sent him
until he'd read it cover to cover.
Harry had given her a thin silver charm bracelet with a single charm dangling from it in
the shape of a feather that he'd enchanted to send a ringing sound to him from his
watch if she was in danger. It looked much like silver bracelets that his mother had told
him that muggles wore. She had shown him one of her bracelets she'd bought in her
teens when he'd gone to her for help in finalising his design.
Lily had helped him with designing the enchantment, but he'd done the actual
enchanting under her watchful gaze in her office.
He hoped Fleur noticed there was space on it for at least a dozen more charms on the
bracelet.
The rest of the Christmas break Harry spent with Holly, Susan, Charlus, and Orion at
either the Potter or Black estates. They generally only used the Bones estate for formal
occasions and would eventually go to Susan once she came of age, while the Black
estate would go to Orion.
The three spent their time studying or simply enjoying time together by the lake on the
Potter estate. While relaxing, Harry smiled as the two girls napped in the weak sun
under warming wards Lily set up for them. It was so soothing to spend time outside
together that it was easy to forget the danger they would return to once the holiday
period ended.
Each night before bed, Harry would call Fleur. Sometimes during the day, she would call
him when she wanted to hear his voice. He enjoyed the ability to speak whenever they
wanted to and knew she was the same. Harry often sat in thought during the break,
feeling the separation from Fleur and knew she felt it keener than him, between her
maturation and her lack of other friends.
Each time they spoke, Harry wanted to ask her about the feather she'd given him for his
birthday. But every time he thought to bring it up, he decided it was something to
discuss in person, not over the mirrors.
The day quickly arrived where the three kids found themselves on the Hogwarts
Express on their way back to school. Even on the train, Harry could almost taste the
fear of the other students. He dreaded going back to the school and experiencing that
oppressive fear magnified even further.
As Harry lay in bed that night, he read the journal Fleur had given him. During the break,
he'd spent almost every waking minute around people or using the mirrors to call Fleur.
He hadn't had much of a chance to sit and read. But after reading the foreword, Harry's
Potter mirror vibrated in his pocket.
Dropping the journal, he snatched up the mirror and answered it to reveal Holly's pale
face, her green eyes wide with fear.
'Harry. Someone's trying to break into the Ravenclaw common room.' She hissed and
looked away from the mirror.
Harry clenched his jaw and wandlessly summoned his shoes with a vague hand
gesture.
'Holly, go and hide with Luna. Call dad and I'll meet him there. I'm on my way.' He
declared, and she nodded.
'Quickly.' She whispered before the mirror returned to a normal mirror and Harry
hurriedly put on his shoes and flicked a hand to the side and willed his wand to him. His
reinforced Holly and Phoenix feather wand shot into his hand a moment later.
Harry rushed out of his dorm room and ran past Susan and Hannah on a couch in front
of the fireplace.
'Susan, call Aunt Amy. There's someone trying to break into the Ravenclaw common
room. I'm meeting dad there in a minute.' Harry called before he leapt out through the
exit into the corridor, leaving Susan gaping, white faced at the open doorway.
Harry didn't notice nor care that it was well past curfew.
Harry rushed through the corridor that led to the central staircase. Apart from the sound
of his breathing and echoing footsteps, the castle was silent. His heavy footfalls echoed
through the empty corridors as he pushed himself as hard as he could. The need to get
to the Ravenclaw common room pushed his limits harder than his training ever had.
He came to a sharp ninety-degree turn and rather than slow down to take the corner; he
veered to the opposite side of the corridor and leapt into the wall, pushing off it just as
he came to the turn. Harry continued down the corridor without losing speed and had a
new idea that quickly was pushed away from his conscious mind.
The central staircase loomed in front of him, and he approached the stairs and took
them three at a time.
Once on the fifth floor, he left the staircase and sped toward the Ravenclaw common
room. He sped past the spiral staircase Holly and Luna had taken him on when he first
went to the room and knew he was close.
Harry drew his wand once he approached the final corridor in front of the Eagle's nest.
From the opposite direction, he saw his father in crimson Auror's robes.
Harry watched his father's expression falter at seeing his son, and Harry smirked. He
knew his father wanted to send him away, but that he also knew better than to try when
Holly was in danger.
Splintering wood echoed from the entrance to the common room in the corridor the two
Potters were about to storm. Great booming thumps echoed through the otherwise
silent castle, but between thumps he heard the disembodied voice of the door asking a
riddle.
'I am wet when-'
Boom.
'What am I?'
Boom.
Harry held back a laugh at whoever was trying to break into the common room, not
being able to answer a simple riddle. Then the more analytical part of his mind took
over, wondering if the person wasn't truly themself. Could a person under the Imperius
solve complicated problems? What about other forms of mind control? What about the
Veela Allure?
James held up one hand, digits outspread.
Harry nodded.
James' thumb tucked into his palm, four.
Harry gripped his wand and took a deep breath. He limited his focus on what was about
to happen.
James' pinkie and ring fingers were down, followed by his middle finger. One.
Harry braced himself as James clenched a fist in the air next to him and, as one, the two
Potters rushed around the corner.
'Stupify.' Harry called, he overpowered the simple spell, while James fired two spells
wordlessly at the intruder.
The intruder spun in place, dodging Harry's overpowered stunner and deflected James'
spells. Then, with a deafening boom, the figure unleashed a blinding flash of light.
He'd seen something like it in a muggle action movie, a flash-bang grenade, or a

magical equivalent of one.
Harry screamed and held his hands to his eyes while James swore and fired blindly in
the corridor.
The swoosh of a cloak and the wind of someone passing by was all Harry knew as the
figure fled past the blinded Potters.
Harry groaned as the ringing in his ears subsided and his eyes readjusted to the light
shed by the torches on the walls.
'Fuck.' James swore and sighed, running a hand through his hair.
James froze and turned to Harry, who quirked an eyebrow at him.
'Don't tell your mother.'
Harry chuckled despite the situation and allowed his body to relax. He leant against the
stone wall.
'Harry, you did well, but you shouldn't be out here, in danger.' James said, and Harry
smiled at him.
'If anything is a threat to Holly or the rest of our family, that's where I'll be.' Harry
declared and James sighed and ran both hands through his hair.
'I'll walk you back to Hufflepuff as soon as one of my Aurors gets here to guard the
dorms. We're going to have to post guards at all the dorms from now on.' James mused
as he stared down the corridor.
Harry nodded and pulled out his Potter mirror.
'Holly Potter.' He said, and a moment later, Holly's face appeared in the glass.
'Harry? What's happened? The sound stopped.' She asked, and Harry smiled.
'The threat ran off. We're just outside the common room until another Auror rocks up.
Get some sleep, okay? I'll see you in the morning.' Harry said, his voice soft, and Holly
nodded.
'Goodnight then Harry, and you too dad.' Holly said and her image faded from the mirror
before Harry tucked it in his robes.
Silence grew between the two Potters for a few minutes as each considered what just
happened.
'Potter.' called a gruff voice from down the corridor, causing father and son to spin
toward the voice.
'Proudfoot, about time you arrived.' James grinned and shook hands with the other
Auror, who gave Harry a quick once over.
'You must be James' son, Harry, right?' Proudfoot asked.
Harry nodded and held out a hand to the man, who took it with a smile.
'Aren't you supposed to be in like, your third year?' the Auror asked, frowning at Harry.
'I think it's just a growth spurt.' Harry lied.
One hand rubbed the back of his head while his hand was still being held by the Auror.
'You sure about that? You look like a fifth, maybe even sixth, year? James, you didn't
mention he was big for his age.' Proudfoot declared, and James chuckled.
'Well, I don't see too many kids who aren't related to me. He looks normal, you know?'
James said before clearing his throat.
'Now enough about that. I need you to guard the common room. There was an intruder
earlier who tried to break through the door. We don't know why.' James explained and
Proudfoot straightened, no longer relaxed.
The change in the Auror struck Harry like a blow. The man had been relaxed and calm
before, but in an instant had changed to hyper aware of his surroundings. Even the
Auror's eyes seemed sharper while his father explained the situation.
'Now, I'm taking Harry here back to his common room. Alert me if anything happens,
yeah?' James said, and Proudfoot nodded.
'Yes, sir.'
James lay a hand on Harry's shoulder and steered him away from the Ravenclaw
common room and toward the central staircase.
'Dad, why is this person you're hunting so hard to find?' Harry asked but continued
before James could answer.
'Like, this person must be close, but not on the grounds. Otherwise, we would have
seen them on the maps.' Harry mused, running a hand through his messy hair, and
missed James stop mid-step.
A few steps down the corridor, Harry noticed his father wasn't beside him.
'Dad?' Harry stopped and turned to see James standing in the corridor, his face pale
and staring into the distance.
'Dad? What's wrong?' Harry asked.
James took a deep ragged breath and plastered a faux smile on his face.
'Everything is fine Harry.' He said, and Harry narrowed his eyes at his father.
'Are you not allowed to tell me what just occurred to you?' Harry asked and James
blinked, he ran a hand through his hair, and sighed.
'I'm sorry Harry, I can't tell you.' James said, his brown eyes dull.
'Dad, it's okay. You are an Auror, Head Auror, no less. There's going to be things you
can't tell me, I get that.' Harry smiled and James ruffled Harry's hair with a hand.
'Thanks for understanding kiddo.' James murmured before he led the way back to the
Hufflepuff dorms.
Ten silent minutes later, the two arrived outside the Hufflepuff common room and James
pulled Harry into a tight hug.
'Good night, kid. I hope that this whole mess is going to go away soon, then you'll be
able to just focus on your studies like a normal kid.' James said and Harry grinned.
'Dad, normal doesn't apply to a kid who can do magic, just ask mum.' Harry smirked,
and James chuckled.
'Yeah, you've got me there, kid. Have a good night.'
Harry released his father and stepped into the common room to see Susan waiting in
front of the fireplace, her fingers teasing at the hem of her pyjamas. Hannah was
nowhere to be seen, so Harry figured she'd gone to bed like the rest of the students,
leaving Susan alone to wait for him.
He moved toward her and pulled her into a tight embrace, ignoring the sudden
dampness on his chest.
'Susan, I'm so sorry for barking at you.' He whispered, and she shook her head against
his chest.
She pulled him closer.
'What happened?' she murmured, and Harry sighed before he led her to a nearby couch
and sat down.
The two spent the next two hours going through what happened and examined the
evening's events in minute detail, especially the conversation with James afterward.
Eventually, the two fell asleep on the couch.
The first day back in classes was filled with a heaviness in his stomach. Harry was
waiting for something to happen, something to change from normal.
But the day occurred as per normal.
He didn't realise how tense he was until he felt Susan take his hand in class and rub it
with her thumb. Harry turned to look into Susan's worried eyes and took a deep breath.
He forced himself to relax, calming his mind using the beginnings of Occlumency. He'd
been working on it in his free time since finding the Room of Requirement and it was in
one of the books the Room had provided.
'Thanks.' He whispered to Susan, giving her a small smile as class ended.
'Come with me, Harry.' Susan commanded, and Harry grinned and obeyed.
Together, the two left Hannah and went outside.
They both had a free period as the last one of the day, and Susan led Harry by the hand
to the Black Lake. It was bright and sunny, with a warm breeze blowing across the
grounds.
Harry blinked and glanced around the lake; it was unseasonably warm. The thought
made Harry think of the crazy muggles he'd seen in London during the summer
shouting about global warming. Maybe they were on to something.
Susan gestured for him to sit, and Harry did so without a word. Susan followed suit and
lay down on the grass beside him.
Harry glanced around them. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he let out a deep breath
and followed suit, laying down beside Susan.
'Harry, you work so hard all the time. You need to relax sometimes, or you'll eventually
stress yourself into a puddle.' Susan warned.
'Hmm.' was the only response he gave, earning a smack on the arm from Susan.
'I'm right and you know it.' She snapped, and Harry rubbed his arm.
'Yeah, I suppose you are right.' He admitted, and she gave him a brilliant smile.
'Harry?' she asked.
He met her gaze and saw uncertainty in the chocolate depths.
'Yeah?' he cocked his head to the side as she seemed to struggle with the right words.
'You know this situation isn't on you to resolve, don't you?' she asked.
Harry opened his mouth to reply but froze at the fierce expression on her face, it dared
him to answer immediately. He clamped his mouth shut for a moment to think about her
question.
'I kinda feel like it is.' He admitted, and her eyes softened. She patted his arm with her
hand.
'At least you can admit it.' She smiled before laying back down on the grass, looking up
to the blue skies above, her arms crossed behind her head.
'Harry, if you feel like you have to be a hero, you need to rest so that you can think with
a clear head.' She declared and he let out a huff, though he smiled down at her.
Harry flopped back onto the grass and looked to the sky; a tiny wisp of cloud high above
marred the otherwise clear blue sky.
'Thank you, for keeping me focussed.' He said.
'What is family for?' she asked, and Harry smiled.
The two lay on the grass by the lake for an hour.
Harry used the time to work on his Occlumency.
A chill breeze blew, breaking Harry out of his work, and he blinked. The sky was tinged
with orange and Harry groaned as he rolled onto all fours, his body stiff. He looked over
to see Susan asleep, a small smile on her face, and he grinned.
A flash of movement drew his attention to the Forbidden Forest, and he saw a figure. It
was watching them, and Harry felt a strange sensation, not quite danger, but not safety
either.
He reached out and gently shook Susan awake.
As she was coming out of her post nap daze, Harry turned back to where the figure had
stood to find it gone.
'What's wrong?' Susan asked, her voice groggy as she sat up.
Harry narrowed his eyes toward the forest before he offered Susan a hand to help them
both to stand.
'Sorry Susan, but I thought I saw someone in the forest watching us.' He admitted.
Susan shivered and drew closer to him, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
'Let's go up to the castle. I'm sure it's time for dinner.' Susan suggested as she shot a
glance into the forest and shivered again.
A month passed with nothing out of the ordinary happening. Harry continued to spend
his weekends in the Room of Requirement and his weekdays in classes and with
friends. James was often in the school with a team of Aurors and every common room
had an Auror posted to them at all times.
Harry and his friends used the codeword system proposed by James's months before
and a new normal set in at Hogwarts.
Harry sat in the great hall for breakfast, surrounded by stares. He tried to ignore the
intense looks he got from a sizable portion of the school, but they were starting to get to
him.
Daphne sat opposite him on the table and sighed.
'They still haven't gotten over the Basilisk story, I'm sure. I mean, it's the same people
staring at you every day.' The blonde girl said, and her eyes bored into a sixth year
Ravenclaw girl who was staring at Harry.
'But the sheer number of them is growing. Why are they staring at you, Harry? I'm
starting to think some of them are staring at me too.' Holly whispered from her spot
beside Harry.
'I don't know. How can Longbottom stand it? He loves the attention. Is this what it's like
for him?' Hannah said from beside Daphne.
Daphne batted aside Luna's fork as it went for her eggs. Then she turned her gaze
toward Harry.
'This is ridiculous. It's been almost a year since the Basilisk incident, and you have done
nothing impossible since then that I'm aware of?' she quirked her eyebrows at Harry,
who sighed.
'I don't think I have. But it's now clear that they're all staring at me, except for the ones
staring at Holly. I've also seen a few watching Susan. Something fishy is going on here.'
Harry declared, and the girls nodded.
He looked over to Neville at the Gryffindor table and the Boy-Who-Lived looked more
like a nervous mess every day. Harry shrugged and watched how Neville only spoke to
Hermione and Ron. He wondered why he'd drifted away from the other Gryffindors of
their year.
Harry shook his head. He figured it was because the others kept bugging him to save
the school. Then he watched as Draco sauntered over to loom behind Hermione, the
blonde boy stared at Neville and Ron.
Harry was close enough to pick out the conversation, especially as the Hall full of
students seemed to hush on Draco's silent command.
'Longbottom, the school is waiting for you to save the day. What are you waiting for?
You could at least die trying, right?' Draco sneered.
Neville remained silent, and Ron's face grew red as the two boys glared at Draco.
Hermione shifted to the side to glare at Draco as well.
'Ever since coming to Hogwarts, you've been telling everyone how great you are. Well,
now is the time to prove it.' Draco announced, and the hall was silent, all staring at the
confrontation.
'Malfoy, leave him alone.' Hermione demanded; her brown eyes narrowed at the blonde
boy.
Harry blinked as he noticed that not everyone in the Hall was watching the
confrontation. Justin Finch-Fletchley and a surprising number of other students' gazes
never left Harry's group.
'Granger, this is none of your business. I am just informing a fellow pure-blooded wizard
of his duties and his honour.' Draco snapped at Hermione before he turned on the spot
and left the three Gryffindors.
Ron stood, his face red with rage, but paused as Neville stood beside him, his hand on
his shoulder. With a silent jerk of Neville's head, both Ron, and Hermione followed him
out of the hall.
Harry met Neville's gaze for a moment as the other boy left and he looked miserable.
Even though Neville wasn't his favourite person, he had to admit that he felt bad for the
Boy-Who-Lived.
'I'm surprised that Draco didn't insult Hermione.' Susan muttered and Daphne scoffed,
drawing confused looks from the other girls.
'Hermione is Harry's friend, and Draco is cautious of him. The pampered prince doesn't
know where Harry stands and that makes him uneasy.' Daphne paused and looked
around the group before meeting Harry's gaze, who smiled.
'Draco simply doesn't want to pick too many fights and risk his enemies teaming up
together. Right now, Harry doesn't have any common ground with Longbottom, but if
Draco attacks Harry or his friends, he could easily get outnumbered.' Daphne finished
with a proud smirk at the other girls.
'You're as much of a nerd as Harry.' Holly remarked.
A tinge of pink appeared on Daphne's cheeks.
'Says the Ravenclaw.' Harry chuckled.
'We should probably get to class.' Hannah said, a warm grin on her face.
The next few weeks passed in a flurry of study, training, and worry for Harry.
March came, and the weather warmed. As a result, more and more students went
outside to enjoy the sun.
They'd just finished classes for the week, and Harry walked beside Susan back to their
common room.
'Hey Susan?' Harry asked, slowing down to increase the distance between him and the
other Hufflepuffs returning their bags to the dorms before dinner.
Susan slowed alongside him and cocked her head, curiosity dancing in her chocolate
eyes.
'Can you stay with me after dinner?' he asked, earning a raised eyebrow.
'Am I finally going to know where you disappear to on the weekends?' she asked, her
lips fighting to not grin at him.
Harry rubbed the back of his head and nodded.
'Sorry it's taken so long.' He admitted, and she beamed at him, she leapt to wrap him in
a hug.
'Okay, lets drop off our bags and head down to dinner with Hannah.' Susan grinned, and
her eyes sparkled.
After dinner, the two bid Hannah farewell, drawing a smirk from the blonde girl, and both
Susan and Harry rolled their eyes at her.
Together, they used their maps to get up to the seventh floor without notice.
'Hey Harry, why aren't we using your invisibility cloak your dad gave you?' Susan asked
and Harry paused, pointing at James Potter on the map who was roaming the
dungeons.
'Dad is using it; I figure his need for it is a little greater than ours.' Harry replied, and
Susan nodded.
Susan looked around the dark corridor, a frown on her face.
'We're almost there.' Harry said with a grin and continued along the corridor before
stopping in front of the portrait on Barnabus the Barmy.
Susan gave him an odd look.
'Harry?' she asked, and Harry smirked.
'Do you think you can get back here on your own?' he asked, and she nodded,
confusion evident in her eyes.
'Watch closely.' Harry said as he walked back and forth three times and a door
appeared in the wall.
Harry opened the door and held it for Susan to enter. She blinked and walked into the
room. She stared around the room in surprise and her gaze roamed the muggle
exercise machines, the target dummies, and a large desk covered with books.
Harry grinned and pulled a shrunken trunk out of his pocket and placed it on the nearby
table.
'This, Susan, is the Room of Requirement. To my knowledge, nobody else knows about
this room and I've used it ever since the first weekend of our first year.' Harry
announced and Susan stopped her examination of the room and stared at him.
'This is where you run off to every weekend?' she asked.
'Yep, and it gets better. This room can mess with time, so that four hours in here is one
hour outside in the real world. I've used this extra time to train and work on my projects.'
Harry said and Susan blinked before she gasped.
'That's why you hit your growth spurt early, you're older than us.' She whispered.
Susan stared at him for a moment.
'How much older are you now?' she asked, her voice cold.
Harry shrugged.
'I'm probably somewhere around fifteen, maybe sixteen by now.' He admitted, and she
paled.
Her eyes narrowed into slits.
'Is it worth it? Giving up your life, the extra years of solitude?' she asked, her voice as
cold as ice.
Harry nodded without hesitation.

'Anything is worth protecting my family.' He declared and her glare softened, and she
threw herself at him in a hug.
'Thank you.' She whispered into his chest.
Harry held her in a tight embrace and with a thought, a couch appeared behind them,
and he guided them into it. He held her close for a few minutes before pulling away from
her with a grin.
'I have something to show you.' He said, and she frowned.
'What, this room isn't enough?' she asked as he stood and walked over to his desk,
where he'd placed his shrunken trunk.
With a tap of his wand, the trunk grew and popped open. He pulled out a shining silver
bracelet and re-joined her on the couch.
The bracelet was made of silver rope with a simple clasp. Harry handed it to her, and
she took it and held it up to inspect the piece of jewellery. She looked at him in
confusion.
'Why are you giving me this?' she asked, and he grinned.
He handed her a silver charm, shaped like a dog holding a bone.
'May I?' he asked, and she nodded.
He attached the charm to the bracelet before he attached it to her wrist.
'I enchanted the charm to resist any mental intrusions. I tested it with a few potions, and
it worked. But I haven't had the chance to test it on anything more powerful than that, it's
hard to cast mind altering spells on myself after all.' He explained, and Susan stared at
him.
'But at least, it should help to protect against compulsions and other similar things.' He
finished, and she threw her arms around his neck, pulling him into a crushing hug.
'Thank you for thinking of this Harry.' She whispered into his ear.
Harry held her tight to him.
'It's not complete yet. There are still some things I'm trying to sort out, but well, because
of everything that is happening, something is better than nothing.' He admitted, and she
pulled back and looked into his eyes.
'You better be giving these to the others as well.' She declared, and Harry stood,
offering her a hand to help her up.
He led her to the trunk and pointed inside.

Inside the trunk lay six more bracelets. Each with a different silver charm attached.
Susan giggled.
'So, the beach ball is for Hannah, right? She does love the beach.' Susan said, and
Harry grinned.
'Yeah, the snake is for Daphne. Luna has a Platypus. Apparently her father is crazy
about them now.' Harry said and Susan laughed.
Susan leaned to look closer at the other two charms.
'Ginny gets the broom and Hermione the book, right?' She asked, and Harry nodded.
Susan looked from the bracelets to Harry.
'Holly already has hers, doesn't she?' Susan asked, and Harry laughed.
'Her pendant is going to run out of space soon. I've been adding enchantments to it on a
semi-regular basis all year.' Harry admitted, and the redhead smiled before turning to
Harry and she sighed, her gaze fell to the floor.
'What about Fleur?' she asked, and Harry smiled.
'Fleur already has hers, or at least she will when Hedwig wakes her up to deliver it to
her.' Harry explained, and Susan gave a small nod and a smile.
The two sat on the couch for the next few hours, as Harry told Susan about everything
that he'd done in the Room, how to use the machines and the dummies in the corner.
But eventually, Susan gave a loud yawn.
'Harry, I'm going to go to bed. But I just want you to know that I'm proud of you for doing
all of this for your family.' She said and paused for a moment before she leant up to kiss
his cheek.
'I know now where I stand, and I'll always be your sister. I'll always help you however
you need.' She said, and Harry wiped a tear from her eye and pulled her in for a tight
hug.
'If you ever need me for anything on the weekend, you now know where to find me. I'll
drop everything to help.' He said, and she gave him a watery smile and nodded.
'Good night, Harry.' She whispered and left the room.
Harry watched the door for a moment before he activated the map and watched her
walk down the seventh-floor corridor at what seemed like a snail's pace because of the
Room's effects on time.
He sat down at his desk and opened his notebook to his plans for his bracelets and got
to work, he kept the map activated and he looked at it every few minutes.
Long into the night, Harry used the map to keep an eye on his friends and family as he
worked.
On Monday morning, after his morning run, Harry sat at the Hufflepuff table in the Great
Hall. Soon after he sat down, Holly and Susan stepped into the Hall, Luna, and Hannah
alongside them. The four girls came and sat with Harry, and Holly and Susan both
shared a grin with Harry.
A few minutes later, Daphne joined them, followed minutes later by Ginny.
Once all the girls were present, Harry handed a box to Susan, who sat beside him and
passed it along to Hannah. He then passed a box to Holly, who sat on his other side.
She handed the box to Ginny. Harry handed a box over the table to Daphne, then
another to Luna, who sat beside her.
The girls looked down at the boxes in their hands before they each met Harry's gaze
with quizzical expressions.
He grinned.
'Open them up.' Harry urged, and Daphne, who sat opposite him, opened hers first.
She took out a note and read it aloud.
'Stay calm, I'll explain later? Really, Harry?' she scoffed and moved to look inside the
box.
Behind her on the Gryffindor table, Hermione received a box via a school owl.
Daphne looked at the silver charm bracelet in her hands before she looked up and met
Harry's eyes.
He put a finger to his lips in the universal sign for quiet.
He quickly finished breakfast before he left the great hall. The girls followed behind him.
Behind them walked Hermione, much to the sullen expressions of Neville and Ron.
Harry led the group into the same classroom that James had taken them to earlier in the
year.
Once everyone was in the room, Harry cast a handful of privacy charms at the door,
causing Daphne and Hermione to raise their eyebrows at him in surprise.
'I'm sure you are all interested in knowing about these charm bracelets.' He started and
chuckled at the impatient scowls most of his audience sent him.
'Okay, okay, with no further ado, behold, your charm bracelets. They will protect you
from outside influences, like potions and spells, but the protection from spells hasn't
been fully tested yet.' Harry admitted.
'They're still a work in progress, but something is better than nothing at least.' He said.
Five voices asked questions at once, and Harry held up his hands in surrender. He
patted the air, motioning for them to calm, while Susan and Holly smirked at the other
girls.
'Harry enchanted these himself. This is one of the projects he's been working on in his
free time.' Susan announced, and the group turned from Susan to Harry.
'Harry's been working on these to keep us all safe, while dad has been working on
keeping everyone else safe.' Holly grinned as she reached up on her toes to ruffle
Harry's already messy black hair.
Hermione held out the bracelet toward Harry with a sad expression.
'I'm sorry, Harry, but it's too much. I can't accept this.' She said, earning scowls from the
other girls.
Harry closed her hand around hers, closing it around the bracelet.
'I'm only doing what I can to protect my friends and family.' Harry said with a small smile.
The bell rung, signalling the start of the class.
'We should probably get to classes.' Harry grinned and sped out of the room before
anyone else could say anything.
Three days later, Harry woke in the middle of the night. Beside him, his Potter mirror
vibrated on his bed beside his pillow. It took only a moment for him to banish the
drowsiness and to take the mirror and activate it.
In the mirror, his mother's worried face was displayed.
'Harry, thank goodness you woke up. Have you seen your father?' she asked, and Harry
frowned and cocked his head to the side.
He flung a hand to the side and wandlessly summoned his map, which he snatched out
of the air before rolling it open on the bed.
'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.' He muttered and turned the mirror to face the
map.
Two sets of eyes scanned the map for a minute.
'Sorry mum, he's not at Hogwarts.' Harry announced and Lily gasped.
'Sirius thinks he's at Hogwarts. Amy says he should be there. But he's been acting
strangely lately.' She muttered, still looking over the map Harry pointed the mirror at.
'How? What kind of strange?' Harry asked.
Lily groaned.
'He said something about a rat in Hogwarts.' She trailed off and Harry turned the mirror
around to look at her, only to see her face pale with horror.
'What? What does that mean, mum?' he asked, and Lily gasped.
'Harry, I'll call you back soon. I think I just figured it out.' Lily said before the mirror went
dark.
Harry huffed.
'If she'd figured it out, the least she could have done is tell me.' He muttered before he
looked at his watch. It was three AM.
Sighing, Harry rolled out of bed and got changed.

He rummaged through his clothes and decided he needed an outfit for dangerous
situations, maybe enchant some robes or something. He let out another huff and picked
up his Potter mirror, then moved out to the common room in case something big
happened soon.
Harry noted the couch in front of the fire but knew that he'd just fall asleep again if he
sat down. So, he leant against the wall and stared at a space next to the fire, fire had a
hypnotising effect which was something else he didn't need right now.
Harry pulled out the Potter mirror and considered calling his mother back, but discarded
it. He called Holly instead, only for her to not pick up.
Frowning, Harry tried again. She still didn't pick up.
'Must be sleeping.' He muttered.
Harry fought to ignore the sick feeling in his gut.
'James Potter.' he said to the mirror, which vibrated for a minute before Harry cancelled
the call.
'Susan Bones.'
The mirror vibrated in his hands, but again, no answer.
Harry froze. He knew something was wrong. It didn't make sense for none of them to
answer. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up and a cold sweat formed on his
brow.
He tucked the mirror into a pocket and pulled out the tracker he'd made for Fleur's and
Holly's necklaces. Harry tapped it with his wand and set it to track Holly. He activated it
and after a moment, it directed him below.
He blinked. Below?
Rechecking the tracker, it pointed him underneath the castle, not up in the Ravenclaw
dorms.
Harry felt hot. He took a deep breath and tried to remember the Occlumency he'd been
learning. He needed to be calm to help his family.
'They aren't here.' A voice came from his side, from the boy's dorms.
Harry turned to see Justin Finch-Fletchley, who wore a small smile on his face, except
the smile was anything but kind. Harry narrowed his eyes at the boy, lit by the weak light
of the dying flames in the fireplace.
'What do you mean?' Harry asked and watched Justin walk toward him. The boy only
stopped when he was in Harry's personal space, the weak firelight lending his face a
crimson glow.
'Your friends and family are out of your reach.' Justin elaborated; his small smile cold in
the light of the dying flames.
'Why? Why them?' Harry narrowed his eyes and tried to keep his budding Occlumency
ahead of his raging emotions.
Justin smiled, and Harry saw his eyes clearly. They were not glassy–he wasn't under
the Imperius.
'Come with me.' Justin ordered and moved past Harry to the common room's exit.
Harry growled, deep in his throat, and followed the boy. His mind raced, churning
through possible actions and consequences. He tried to figure out what was happening,
but nothing made sense.
'What is going on?' Harry demanded after a minute of walking through darkened
corridors.
Justin laughed; it was a cruel laugh.
'Is it really that easy to make Harry Potter give up? The Killer of Basilisks, Teachers Pet,
Prince of Hogwarts?' Justin continued walking.
'Prince of Hogwarts?' Harry asked, a step behind Justin, who laughed again.
'Of course, that's what they call you. You have outshone every student since
Dumbledore. The closest to you is Granger, but unlike her, you make it look easy. You
have connections in each house, and none dare challenge you in this school.' Justin
explained before pausing in the corridor, turning to Harry.
'Never mind that though, we've been watching you, and learning. My Master wishes to
meet you now that his victory is complete.' Justin boasted.
'The great James Potter, Head Auror is at our mercy and Hogwarts will be ours by the
time the sun rises.' Justin smirked and continued walking, leading Harry ever deeper
into the dungeons.
Justin turned a corner and down some stairs.
Harry frowned. He hadn't been in this part of the school. He wasn't even sure if it was on
the map.
'Dumbledore has but one weakness.' Justin said as he moved deeper into the bowels of
the school.
'Do you know what it is, Potter?' Justin asked as he walked.

Harry rolled his eyes. He did not enjoy the mocking tone.
'Enlighten me.' He said, and Justin laughed.
Justin turned as he walked; his face lit by the dim blue light that came from the walls.
The boy flashed a too-innocent grin.
'His students.'
Harry froze and a moment later, the two were surrounded by a dozen students, from
different houses and years.
He gritted his teeth, feeling his chances of overpowering Justin fade. Holly's tracker still
clasped in his hand, Harry noted they were getting closer, only a hundred metres away.
Harry took a deep breath and tucked Holly's tracker in his pocket and ran a finger
counter-clockwise around his watch face.
'Help me.' He whispered and hoped his message would be received in time.
Justin froze and spun to face Harry.
'What did you say?' the boy asked, his previous confidence lacking, and Harry knew that
until now, everything had gone according to the boy's plan.
Harry ignored the students surrounding them and stepped into the boy's personal
space, not that he seemed to notice.
'Threatening my family is not a smart move.' He snarled.
Justin stifled a snort, a faint condescending smile twisting his lips and turned, continuing
further below the castle.
Harry followed, surrounded by a dozen silent students.
'Why wait until now to make your move? Surely you had plenty of other opportunities.
Why wait until I was down in the common room? Why not break through the wards
around my bed?' he asked and smirked as Justin's shoulders tensed.
'Oh, that's it. You couldn't break through the wards. What about your Master? You said
my father was at your mercy? Was he your target all along?' Harry asked, only for Justin
to ignore him.
'Why are you doing all of this? Are you a willing participant or a mindless slave to this,
Master?' Harry asked, drawing a scowl from the other boy, but nothing else.
Harry looked around at the students surrounding him. None bore the glazed eyes of the
Imperius.
Clues slowly clicked into place as the other students marched him down the corridor.
The Imperius could only affect one person at a time, so these people were being
controlled in other ways. His research on mind altering magic throughout the year lead
him toward a few likely culprits.
He narrowed his eyes. Now that he was looking for specific effects, he saw the
bloodshot eyes that came with extended contact with Befuddlement potions. The telltale
yellow tinge on the student's fingertips of a particularly strong loyalty potion that he'd
only read about a week before.
Harry inwardly blanched at the number of potions and spells on the students around him
and wondered what the long-term effects of that many potions were.
'When did you meet your Master?' Harry asked and the boy's only response was
missing a step before he hurried further down the corridor.
Harry figured they were only metres away from Holly by now.
They rounded a corner and Justin opened a massive door that looked out of place in the
dungeons where every other door was of standard height.
This door rivalled the Chamber of Secrets for sheer grandeur. It was ten metres high,
and Harry blinked and looked back the way they'd come and realised the ceiling had
been rising at a gradual angle for at least the last thirty metres. He idly wondered if it
was disillusioned, or he'd just not been paying attention.
The grand door in front of him was black iron and bore the Hogwarts coat of arms and
swung open at a muttered word from Justin.
Behind the door lay a cavernous room, easily the size of the Great Hall. In the centre of
the room hung a glowing red orb the size of a car. It floated in mid-air, and its crimson
glow lent the room a nightmarish hue.
Dozens more similarly mind-controlled students stepped out into the crimson light of the
room and Harry gasped as he saw his father silhouetted by the glowing orb behind him.
His arms tied behind his back and his legs bound to the chair he sat in. They had
stripped James to the waist and even from Harry's distance, he could see his father was
worse for wear.
Bruises covered his face, and his robes were torn and darkened with blood in the red lit
room.
Harry took a step forward, toward his father, before he froze at a whimper from his right.
He spun to see Holly, dressed in her pyjamas, attached to the wall with black iron
shackles, her arms held above her by the chain.
An animalistic growl escaped his mouth as he took a step toward her, wand in hand.
'Harry Potter.' A voice called from behind him, and he spun to face the speaker.
To the left of the room's entrance, the crowd of mind-controlled Hogwarts students
parted to reveal a balding, overweight man who bore an odd resemblance to a rat, right
down to his twitching nose.
Beside the man was Susan, shackled in much the same manner as Holly. The man's
hand cupped her developing chest as he half faced Harry.
Harry snarled wordlessly as he took in the man's appearance. He wore an expensive

looking, yet ill-fitting muggle suit. His paunch protruded over his pants and his dark,
beady eyes bore into Harry's emerald gaze.
Harry narrowed his eyes as he took in the situation. Susan shackled to the left of the
entrance, Holly to the right and Harry between the two. Further into the room,
completing the triangle, his father sat strapped into a chair, who looked to have been
tortured and currently out of action.
Dozens of students from all houses and year levels surrounded him.
With a sinking feeling, he noted at least a dozen more people wearing jeans and jackets
and carried handguns.
Muggles.
The muggles stood along the walls of the room and consisted of both men and women,
all watching him with hawklike gazes.
To the left of the glowing sphere in the centre of the room stood three portable desks,
each laden with potions supplies and one outfitted as a potion's lab.
Harry met the nervous gaze of the rat-like man who released Susan's chest and she
whimpered in fear. A handful of empty potions bottles lay on the floor beside her.
'Thank you for joining us young Potter Heir for this reunion between friends.' The man
said, his tone oily.
Harry narrowed his gaze.
'Friends? What do you mean?' he asked, his wand itched to strike out at the rat-like
man.
The man gasped in faux surprise.
'Dear Harry, what do you know about your fathers' little gang, the Marauders?' he
asked, and Harry resisted the urge to attack the man.
Instead, he shrugged.
'They were pranksters in school. It was dad, and his friends Sirius and Remus.' Harry
replied, he hoped the man would somehow give him a way to win this impossible fight.
The man stilled; his glare turned to the bound James before he took a step toward
Harry.
'Anything else?' he asked, and Harry gritted his teeth.
'Are you some petty man who was pranked too often by them in school, like Snape?'
Harry hissed and the overweight man bristled.
He moved across the room and lay a hand on James' shoulder.
The man grinned, a manic gleam in his beady eyes. His teeth were rotted, and Harry
watched as, with a flourish and a bow, the man spoke.
'I am Peter Pettigrew, the fourth Marauder.' The man, Peter announced.
Harry frowned.
'There weren't four Marauders.'
Peter snarled.
'It's so like the perfect James Potter to ignore me in the grand stories of the Marauders. I
was once one of their best and closest friends. We ruled the school together, the four of
us.' Peter explained, squeezing James' wounded shoulder, who flinched at the contact.
'But once we left the school, James and Lily got married and they pushed me out of the
group. James even preferred to have Remus around, even though he was a werewolf
and always was the one to stop us from doing the better pranks on Snape.' Peter
snarled.
Harry growled, resisting the urge to attack the man, it became harder to resist with every
word the man said.
'Why do all this? Because my father changed his priorities after getting married?
Because he grew up?' Harry asked.
Peter gritted his teeth, squeezing James' shoulder.
'It was Prongs' fault that my mother died.' Peter hissed and Harry blinked.
'How did you come to that conclusion?' Harry asked, his eyes moved around the room,
waiting for an opportunity.
'The Dark Lord promised to cure her illness. She'd gotten sick in our seventh year.
Prongs and Padfoot refused to use their fortunes to help my mother.' Peter said, his
voice filled with fear as he spoke of his fallen Master.
'So, you chose to follow Voldemort?' Harry growled, hand tightening around his wand so
that his knuckles turned white.
Peter flinched.
'What would you do, little Potter Heir? If you could save your family by making the hard
choices?' the rat-like man asked.
Harry's lip curled.
'I would die protecting them.' Harry snarled.
Peter scoffed.
'You say that now, little Potter. How will your bravado change once your precious sister
is gone? Or perhaps I should kill the red head that reminds me so much of Lily?' the
man said, looking between the two girls.
Harry stepped toward Peter but froze as two mind-controlled muggles stepped close on
either side of Holly, holding their handguns to her head. The motion was mirrored with
Susan, who had two handguns pressed to her temples.
The black pistols glinted red in the light of the orb behind Peter and James.
Harry and Peter stared at one another, and Peter gave a cruel smirk, then his eyes
turned toward Holly.
'You better kill me now Peter, because if you harm any of my children, the Aurors will be
the least of your problems.' James snarled from his chair; his teeth clenched as Peter
squeezed his wounded shoulder.
'I will hunt you down to the ends of the earth and beyond you little rat bastard.' James
growled.
Harry saw a flicker of fear pass through Peter's eyes before he glanced at his army of
mind-controlled muggles and students.
Peter gave a weak grin to James, then to Harry. He strode across the room to stand in
front of Holly and ran a hand down her cheek and trailed it down across her neck.
Harry was sure his wand would snap if he held it any tighter.
'Is there anything you want to say to your brother and father before the end?' Peter
asked and Holly's eyes locked on to Harry's.
Tears flowed down her cheeks, her lip quivered before she glared at Peter. She turned
to Harry, then James, then back to Harry.
'I love you.' She said, before a loud crack echoed through the room, followed by a
scream from Susan, who had scrunched her eyes shut.
The great black iron doors exploded inward, and six Professors burst into the room.
Remus and Dumbledore rushed inside a moment later, followed by McGonagall,
Flitwick, Sprout and Snape.
'Danger left, Danger front.' Harry called out to the Professors. He'd watched it in the
summer with Remus about American muggle soldiers fighting in some desert.
Harry rushed at Peter, who stood in front of Holly, his beady eyes wide at the dramatic
entrance of the Professors.
He dodged spells as they sped toward him; Stunners, Bone Breaking Curses and so
many more that he only knew would cause pain and stop his vengeance if they hit him.
From the corner of his eye, he saw the Professors dealing with the dominated students
and muggles, even though they were vastly outnumbered.
Gunshots filled the room; great, deafening cracks filled his ears as bullets whizzed
across the room unseen. Bullets that missed and hit the stone walls bounced off, some
ricocheting into the Professors.
McGonagall fell to a stray bullet in the stomach, entering through her back.
Sprout dropped to the ground a moment later with a shrill scream as a bullet tore
through her calf before a Banishing Hex threw her into the wall, where she then lay still.
Dumbledore too was struck by a ricocheted bullet. It tore into his right shoulder, forcing
him to swap his knobbly wand to his left hand.
Harry drew in close to Peter, whose beady eyes were wide with fright at the Professors.
But the manic gleam was still there. As Harry approached, Peter turned to face him.
'Stupefy, Incarcerous, Bombarda, Reducto, Percutio.' Harry shouted and sent the spells
with pinpoint accuracy toward the man.
Peter deflected each spell with contempt.
'Enough, I won't let my vengeance be stopped now. Not by you little Potter.' He snarled.
'Imperio.' Peter hissed.
Harry's body relaxed, and he slowed to a stop only a metre from Peter. He revelled in
the voice inside his head.
Kneel.
The voice was silky smooth, soft, and he wanted nothing more than to obey.
He made to kneel but stopped. Why would he want to kneel?
Kneel.
Harry resisted. Why should he kneel?
Harry blinked and the voice inside his head was gone, along with the bliss that he'd
experienced moments before. The floating sensation faded, and he was in control of his
body once more. Inwardly, he thanked his bracelet for helping to break the curse.
He lunged forward a moment later, his fist smashed into Peter's shocked face and sent
the rat-like man to the floor as blood gushed from a broken nose.
Harry took aim behind him and fired a Severing Charm at James' chair leg, sending him
toppling to the ground before an Entrail Exploding curse passed through the space
James had been moments before.
The curse sailed into the crimson sphere, which rippled like water before it stilled.
Harry turned back to Peter, who stood, wand outstretched, and fired a stream of curses
at Harry. He dodged what he could and deflected or blocked what he couldn't.
But it was clear after only a few seconds that Harry was outclassed.
He really needed to learn how to cast nonverbally.
'I've spent the last twelve years preparing for the day I would avenge my mother's
death, boy.' Peter's nasally voice growled.
Harry dodged a spell and fell to the floor, the back of his head hit the stone with a loud
crack, making him see stars. Ropes wrapped around his legs; Harry struggled but froze
as Peter's paunch came into view above him. Peter towered over Harry's fallen form;
malice danced in his beady eyes.
Harry stared up at the man, madness having replaced the manic gleam. A sense of fear
filled Harry, emptying his mind of anything else. He'd never felt such fear as right then,
not even against the Basilisk the year before.
Peter smirked down at Harry before he turned his gaze to Holly and flicked his wand. A
whip of thin flame lanced out of his wand and wrapped around Holly's leg.
She screamed as the thin flames burned through her thin nightgown and the flesh of her
leg.
Harry struggled to stand, only for Peter's boot to strike his face, breaking his nose. A
metallic taste filled his mouth, and he screamed.
He spat out the blood that filled his mouth and pain blossomed in his face at the
movement. He reared back to escape the pain but only hit his head on the stone floor
again, leaving him dazed.
Holly's screams tore through his pain addled mind and Harry turned tear-filled eyes to
Holly as Peter's Fire Whip burned deeper into her right thigh. The smell of burning flesh
filled the room and Harry heard James' shouts as he fought the two dominated muggles
who kept trying to shoot him.
'Thtop.' Harry called, though due to his broken nose, it was unintelligible.
Peter continued; his beady eyes sparkled with a mad glee.
Harry's gaze never left Holly's face; her eyes screwed shut in pain.
Harry rolled on his side and clutched his wand.
From the corner of his eye, he saw Snape forcing McGonagall to drink a potion while
holding a bloody hand on her stomach.
Sprout lay unmoving against a wall and Flitwick fought with his back against the wall
while two dozen students fired spells at him. Every student he dispatched returned to
the fight moments later, revived or released by the others.
Dumbledore stood in a circle of defeated muggles and students, his knobbly wand
weaving through the air like a conductor's baton.
Remus, Harry, blinked through tears, he couldn't see Remus anywhere.
Harry pushed himself up on shaky legs and fired a Stunner at Peter, who released the
Fire Whip and deflected the spell toward the door to the room.
Harry's eyes widened in horror as the deflected Stunner hit Remus in the face and he
fell to the floor in a heap. Peter gave the unconscious Remus a swift kick in the head
and laughed as he turned to smirk at Harry, madness alight in his eyes.
'Crucio.' Peter hissed and a red beam of light leapt out of his wand and struck Harry in
the chest.
Harry's world exploded in pain. Everything he was, that made him Harry, faded in the
face of the all-encompassing agony that tore through him. He curled into a ball and held
himself, unknowingly, to escape the pain that ravaged his body. His blood felt like it was
stabbed with millions of knives, boiling hot and freezing cold at the same time. His
existence became defined by the pain that gripped him.
Nothing else mattered anymore.
A single sound ripped through his pain and reminded him who he was. He was Harry
Potter, son of James and Lily Potter, and brother of Charlus and Holly Potter. It was
Holly's scream that tore through his pain, her scream at seeing him tortured in front of
her.
Broken nose forgotten amid the knives in his blood, Holly's scream cut deep into him,
and his conscious mind pushed through the agony burning within him.
Digging deep into his reserves, Harry flung out a hand toward Peter and felt a blast of
pure, unshaped magic rush out toward the rat-like man.
With a surprised shout, the magic flung Peter off his feet and away from Harry. He
skidded to a stop ten metres away.
The pain that defined him moments before faded, but his body could only twitch in
response to his urging it to stand. He lay on the floor twitching as Peter dragged himself
to his knees, then stood. Blood covered his now tattered muggle suit.
Peter stalked toward Harry, who could only widen his eyes in fear as the fourth
Marauder closed in, his mad eyes flashed with fury.
A whimper escaped Harry as Peter flicked his wand at Harry. He skidded across the
uneven stone floor before he crashed into the wall beside a struggling Holly.
'You will regret that, you little shit.' Peter snarled, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the
floor.
Harry felt his wand still in his twitching hand, which rested on the floor.
He pointed it at Remus.
An idea entered his mind, and Harry turned his focus on it. He gathered all the magic he
could, like he was using wandless magic, but instead, he focussed it through his wand
which seared his skin as it smoked and vibrated with the sheer amount of magic
channelled through it.
'Ennervate.'
The lack of a wand movement, and the distance between them, was overcome by the
sheer power Harry poured into the spell and a moment later, Remus' eyes flickered
open. Harry saw the werewolf snarl as his amber eyes flashed at seeing his old
comrade.
Harry looked back at Peter.
'H-how d-did y-you hide f-from the m-map?' he stuttered; his body unable to follow his
commands as his nerves reeled from the Cruciatus.
Behind Peter, Remus forced himself onto unsteady feet.
On the other side of the room, Dumbledore waved his wand above McGonagall while
also helping Flitwick deal with the remaining dominated students.
Peter wore a cruel grin as he towered over the crumpled and twitching Harry.
'I searched Hogwarts every night while the castle slept. I had my student helpers keep
an eye on you and the other two who had maps.' Peter grinned and licked his lips.
Behind Peter, Remus took a step toward him.
'It took a few months but eventually we found a room that I didn't remember from my
time at Hogwarts.' Peter paused and before he could continue, Remus' hand closed
around the fat man's head and he squeaked in terror.
Remus tightened his grip around Peter's skull and with inhuman strength smashed his
face into the stone floor with a deafening roar, filled with rage.
Remus slammed Peter's face against the floor once, twice. It left a wet, bloody smear
on the stone.
'R-Remus s-stop.' Harry croaked and Remus smashed Peter's face against the ground
a third time before the rage left his amber coloured eyes.
'R-Remus, s-stop, we n-need him al-live.' Harry stuttered, and a horrified expression
covered Remus' face as he realised he'd let the wolf out in front of the kids.
'P-please, help H-Holly.' Harry asked, and Remus nodded.
Remus stood and took hold of the black chain which pinned Holly to the wall.
A flash of pain rocked through Harry's body, and he convulsed as his nerves fired all
over. His skin felt like it was on fire, and he gritted his teeth against the pain.
Harry saw James subdue the second muggle he'd been fighting before collapsing
beside them.
Flitwick levitated a released Susan to the floor, iron chains still attached to her wrists.
Dozens of muggles and students lay bound and unconscious behind Dumbledore as he
leant over McGonagall with Snape by his side, his long thin fingers covered in the blood
of the Transfiguration Professor.
With a mighty roar, Remus tore the chains from the wall, freeing Holly as she fell to her
knees beside Harry.
'Harry, I was so scared.' She sobbed into his shoulder and Harry struggled to contain
the tremors wracking his body.
'I-m okay H-Holly. I-' he paused as he looked around, sending fresh flares of pain
through his body.
Peter wasn't there.
The wet smear of blood from his crushed face was there, but no man.
Only the sound of tiny rodent feet skittering on stone could be heard in the now silent
room.
'Remus, P-Peter's es-scaped.' Harry ground out and Remus dropped Holly's black chain
to the floor and swore.
A moment later, Remus was gone.
Harry's vision darkened, and he closed his eyes, now dizzy.
When he opened his eyes, his head ached and lay in Susan's lap while Holly sat beside
him, his hand clutched in hers.
A tremor tore through him and he groaned as his nerves exploded with pain before it
subsided a moment later. He tried to sit up, but his body still wasn't listening to him.
'How are you two?' he said, pleased that his stutter was gone.
At his words, both girls teared up and Harry felt a tear drop fall on his cheek from
Susan. Holly took hold of Susan's hand with her spare hand.
'I was so scared. Sarah Conners, a girl in my dorm, stunned me while we were climbing
into bed for the night.' Holly whispered and Harry saw her fear in her eyes, and it
crushed him, he'd failed them, and they'd suffered so much because of it.
'Sarah, she was always so nice to me. She'd been a little odd over the last few weeks,
but overall, she was nice.' Holly continued; her eyes locked onto Harry's.
Susan took a rattling breath and let it out.
'A girl in my dorm, Megan Jones, had been a bit off since Christmas break, but I didn't
think she would attack me in bed.' Susan paused and Harry felt another teardrop land
on his face.
'She petrified me, so I watched the ceiling the entire way down here. I heard them,
talking and planning.' Susan stopped and took a shaky breath.
'If you hadn't of come down when you did Harry, something horrible would have
happened.' Susan shuddered and covered her face with her hands.
Harry tried to move his arms to comfort her, but his body wouldn't move. All he could do
was gesture to Holly with his eyes toward Susan. But Holly understood and wrapped
Susan in a tight embrace while the red head cried silent tears.
'Justin led me down here. Apparently, Peter wanted to gloat.' Harry said and muffled
snickers escaped both girls.
A soft click clack sounded nearby and from the corner of his eye, Harry saw his father
hobbling toward them on a conjured walking stick. It was simple oak, with a roaring lion
handle.
James wore nothing above his waist and was covered in blood and wounds. Harry
hoped it was not as bad as it looked, because he looked like he'd lost a fight with a
blender.
James collapsed to his knees in front of the three kids, and Harry met his father's eyes.
'Hey-' Harry started before his body convulsed and his back arched as a pained hiss
escaped him.
'I'm sorry he pulled you kids into this mess.' James said and rested a hand on Harry's
head before he leant forward to kiss the girls' brows with a pained groan.
'Don't worry about that, dad. What did Peter mean about you and Uncle Sirius refusing
to help his mother?' Harry asked and watched as the elder Potter's face turned grim.
James sighed; he ran a bloody hand through his hair.
'Peter came to us in our seventh year. He knew we were from old families, even though
we thought Sirius was disowned at the time.' James paused, licking his lips, and he
wiped his forearm against his mouth before sighing again as his face was covered in
blood from his arm.
'Peter's mother died of Dragon Pox, and like we told him at the time, both the Potters
and the Blacks have invested heavily into research on a cure.' James sighed and met
Harry's gaze.
'As you know, your grandparents, Fleamont and Euphemia Potter died of Dragon Pox
before you were born. A cure is something very important to us.' James finished and
Harry tried to move in Susan's lap but convulsed again.
He let out a pained grunt.
'Why would Peter believe Voldemort would cure his mother if there was no cure?' Harry
asked and James shook his head.
'I don't know. I can't figure out why Peter would believe Voldemort could or even would
cure his mother. Maybe it was just pure desperation?' James shrugged.
James shrugged and his gaze briefly went to the two girls before returning to Harry.
'Peter always was the one who came up with the most vicious pranks. We didn't follow
through with most of them, but the ones we did do were aimed at Snape.' James
admitted and Harry sighed.
'What about what Peter said about being pushed out of the group?' Harry asked.
James ran a hand down his face and flinched as he touched an open wound.
'After we finished school, Sirius and I went to the Aurors, and Remus got a job at an
apothecary in Diagon Alley.' James paused, looking to the ground for a moment before
giving a slight shrug.
'Peter, he'd had difficulty adjusting to real life. Outside of Hogwarts, we were the same
as everyone else. We had to work hard to get good jobs. But Peter didn't do that, he
had to look after his sick mother and didn't have much money.' James explained.
'The war was in full swing by then and your mother and I got married. I guess our lives
seemed perfect to him and he couldn't do the same as he cared for his mother.' James
sighed.
'After you were born, Harry, the war picked up, and we went into hiding. We didn't see
Peter much and I guess the Death Eaters got to him.' James looked haggard and
exhausted.
Holly shifted in place beside Harry and squeezed both Harry's and Susan's hands.
'How did Peter get all these people under his control; how did he enslave so many
people?' she asked.
James groaned and used his walking stick to stand.
'That, my dear, is a question I would like an answer to as well.' James said. He gave
them a small smile, more a grimace, then hobbled off toward the Professors.
Harry watched as James moved to stand beside Flitwick as Dumbledore and Snape
worked magic on McGonagall and Sprout, both laying on the cold stone floor.
The two girls turned to Harry, who squeezed their hands.
'It's going to be all right, you two. Uncle Remus will catch Peter and make him tell Aunt
Amy everything he did, how he enslaved those muggles and students.' Harry said, as
much for himself as for the girls.
Footsteps echoed in the corridor outside the room and Harry blinked in surprise as
Madame Pomphrey entered, he'd expected Remus. Madame Pomphrey bustled over to
the Professors and shooed them all away, except for Snape, who pulled a collection of
vials out of his robes.
'Where do you think Snape keeps his potions? He's been pulling them out of nowhere
for at least ten minutes now.' Harry whispered, a touch of awe in his voice.
Susan gasped, and Harry turned toward her.
'What's wrong?' he asked.
Susan touched her lips and her eyes widened, her gaze moved back to where she'd
been tied up. Her other hand covered her chest as tears welled up in her eyes. Without
a word, Holly wrapped Susan in a hug.
Susan clutched at both of them as she sobbed.
'Peter forced me to drink potions, lots of different ones. He cast a bunch of spells on me
that I don't know. They made me feel funny, made me want to do what he told me to.'
She whispered into Harry's chest.
'But at the same time, I was repulsed by him.' She finished and pulled back to look
Harry in the eye.
'Thank you for the bracelet. It must be what stopped the potions and spells from working
fully.' Susan squeezed him in a tight hug, which Holly joined a moment later.
Susan pulled away from the hug a minute later, a blush on her face.
Harry and Holly looked at her.
Susan burst into tears and Holly pulled her back into a hug and rubbed her back while
she stroked her hair.
'I was so confused. Part of me liked that Peter touched me, while the rest of me was
terrified and disgusted. What kind of person is like that?' Susan whispered.
'Hush now Susan, it's okay.' Harry murmured as his head lay in her lap.
'The part that was disgusted is you. The part that liked it was the potions and spells.
You'll be safe now.' Harry whispered.
He looked away from Susan and into Holly's eyes.
'We're all going to be okay. We'll contact some mind healers from Saint Mungo's to help
us through this. I think we all need it.' He said and Holly pulled him into an embrace.
Together, the three cried.
A few minutes later, Harry looked up from his tears to see Dumbledore wearing a soft
smile above them. His father stood beside the Headmaster looking haunted as he
watched the crying children.
Harrys arms worked enough to squeeze the girls' legs, and they looked up to see the
two men standing over them.
'I am truly sorry that you three were caught up in the renegade Death Eater's schemes. I
believe I shall lead you up to the hospital wing for some much-needed rest.'
Dumbledore said, his kind eyes not twinkling for once.
'How is Professor McGonagall, sir?' Harry asked and saw Dumbledore's eye twitch
before he gave a heavy sigh.
'She should be able to pull through this, but it'll be a few days until she'll be brought out
of her induced coma. The damage was quite severe.' The Headmaster replied, his eyes
now dull.
Harry nodded and peered at the bloody mess that the Headmaster's right shoulder was.
'How is your wound, sir?' he asked, gesturing with raised eyebrows at the wound.
Dumbledore chuckled.
'Oh this? I've had much worse, but I must admit that I had gotten lax with practising
magic left-handed. Perhaps this was a, how do the muggles call it? Wake-up call?' the
aged wizard wore a small smile and Harry figured he'd done something to dull the pain.
Harry nodded and tried to stand, and after a minute of struggle, he stood on wobbly feet.
He turned to the girls and helped them to stand. Holly favoured her wounded leg,
leaving Susan in the middle of the three to support the other two.
Together, the three students made their slow journey up to the hospital wing, a silent
and bloody James Potter by their side, his wand out.
Disclaimer: Trigger warning. Toward the end of this chapter contains mention of sexual
assault. If this makes you uncomfortable, please skip where you see *x*, once the
scene is over there will be another *x*.
Two hours later, dawn was on its way and the hospital wing was filled to capacity. In
fact, Harry was sure that it had been expanded past its already large size to admit all
the students, muggles and Professors injured in the fight.
Harry lay in a bed, with Holly in a bed to his left and Susan to his right.
Professor McGonagall lay on a bed, curtained off from the other patients, as was
Professor Sprout. Professor Flitwick lay in a bed looking pleased as he played with a
muggle Rubik's cube. He seemed uninjured, but Madame Pomphrey was not taking
chances with anyone.
Snape had disappeared soon after they had rushed Professor McGonagall to her bed.
He had not returned yet.
Dumbledore lay on a bed between Flitwick and James with his ruined shoulder strapped
in bandages, reading an issue of the Quibbler, upside down. A bowl of lemon drops sat
on his bedside table, and Fawkes sat perched on the headboard, apparently reading the
Quibbler as well.
Remus was still missing after racing after Peter when he had escaped.
James lay in a bed opposite to Harry, his body wrapped in bandages soaked in dittany
and some other potion or substance Harry did not recognise, but it was fluorescent blue.
Lily sat with James and switched to sit by the children every half hour or so.
The rest of the beds were taken up with the dominated muggles and students.
Harry watched from his bed as Madame Pomphrey bustled between the dominated
students and muggles, making them swallow a sip of yellowish green potion. Once she
finished with the last one, she moved back to the first and did it all over again.
With a growing sense of disgust, Harry watched the skin of each of the dominated
students and muggles skin turn a mottled brown colour and some form of fluid seeped
out, like sweat. The fluid soaked the crisp white bedsheets and stained them a gross
shiny light brown colour.
Susan groaned beside him as she turned away from the sight.
'Madame Pomphrey is flushing the potions from them.' She said, and Harry's lip curled
in disgust.
He looked away from the sight, toward Susan, and she sighed, then nodded at him.
Harry gave her an apologetic smile before he turned toward Madame Pomphrey.
'Ma'am? Can you come here please?' Harry called and the white-haired Matron huffed
and hurried over.
'What is it, Mister Potter? Can't you see I'm busy with the others?' she asked, and Harry
nodded before gesturing to Susan.
'Susan was force fed the same potions as the others.' Harry declared, and Pomphrey's
eyes widened.
Pomphrey turned to Susan and bustled around her, her wand taking all sorts of readings
that Harry could not understand.
'How do you feel, Miss Bones? It's astounding that you are acting normally after
ingesting that cocktail of potions.' Pomphrey gushed, and Susan closed her eyes and
took a breath.
'I want to please Pettigrew; I want to do anything I can to earn his approval.' She
admitted, before dry retching, her hand covering her mouth.
Harry reached out a hand to take her spare hand, holding each other between beds.
'How are you resisting the urges the potions are forcing you to have?' Pomphrey asked,
a frown on her face.
Susan released Harry's hand and held out her wrist to the Matron, displaying the silver
charm bracelet and the charm hanging off it, the dog with a bone.
Pomphrey gasped and leant over to inspect the charm bracelet and waved her wand
over it before she gasped again, her hand over her heart.
'Where did you get this bracelet?' she asked and Susan pointed to a blushing Harry,
who shrunk under the astounded stares of his parents across from him. James looked
ecstatic and Lily wore a proud smile.
'Mister Potter, do you know what you've done?' Pomphrey asked, holding Susan's wrist.
'I've made a bracelet that helps to resist mental intrusions?' he asked, and Madame
Pomphrey blinked at him and nodded.
The Matron turned to James and Lily. Lily nodded with a smile and Pomphrey sighed.
'Have you made any more of these bracelets?' she asked, and Harry ducked into his
bed.
'I've made seven more, ma'am.' Harry muttered and James' eyes grew wide, as did
Lily's.
Pomphrey held her head as if she had a headache coming on.
With a shake of her head, she turned back to Susan.
'We need to get the potions out of you as soon as possible.' She said, gesturing vaguely
to the rest of the beds she gave a soft smile.
'So, you know what's coming next.'
That afternoon, the sun began its descent and Harry was confined to the infirmary. His
injuries were healed, but Madame Pomphrey was not taking any chances.
His Potter mirror vibrated in its pocket, he pulled it out and answered it then saw Amelia
smiling at him.
'Good afternoon, Harry. Is Susan with you? She didn't answer her mirror.' She asked,
and Harry grinned.
He turned the mirror to face Susan, asleep in the bed next to his, the potions still were
being flushed from her system.
'Oh, that explains why she didn't answer me. How about Holly?' Amelia asked and Harry
turned the mirror to Holly's bed where she lay, her leg and wrists wrapped in bandages,
her skin caked in a yellowish paste to help heal her injuries.
Amelia let out a sigh of relief.
'How about your father?' she asked, and Harry turned the mirror to face his sleeping
father, his whole upper body caked in the same yellowish paste as Holly. Lily slept in a
large chair beside his bed.
'How are you feeling, Harry? I hear you had an eventful night?' she asked, and Harry
spun the mirror to face himself. He saw a small smile on her face.
He shrugged, then flinched as pain rushed through his body for a moment before it
faded.
'Ouch. I still have the odd shiver of pain run through my body.' He admitted, and Amelia
nodded sagely.
'The Cruciatus Curse has been known to have aftereffects like that for a few days. But
they will fade.' She explained, and Harry nodded.
'Thank you. Now, what can I help you with, Aunt Amy? Or is it Director Bones I am
talking to?' he asked, and she smiled.
'A bit of both, actually. Remus caught Peter, just as he reached the ward line of
Hogwarts. Apparently, Hagrid's dog, Fang, attacked Peter in his Animagus form, forcing
him to retake human form. Which is when Remus caught him.' Amelia explained, and
Harry grinned.
'That's great news. Is he at the ministry now?' he asked, and Amelia nodded.
'His trial is being rushed through by executive order of the Minister. It will be tomorrow. It
is going to include giving him Veritaserum in front of the Wizengamot and the public.
There was an evening version of the Prophet released today detailing the whole thing.'
Amelia paused for breath.
'Peter will be given life in Azkaban or the Veil. He won't be getting released after this.'
Amelia finished.
'How can you be so sure he won't get away with it?' Harry asked and Amelia gave a
heavy sigh.
'Almost all the women who had been dominated report the same thing. He took liberties
with them, all of them. And I would appreciate not saying any more about that.' She
said, and Harry nodded.
His stomach hung in his throat as he turned to look at Susan, his jaw clenched.
'Bastard.' Holly growled as she climbed into Harry's bed, hugging his arm.
Amelia blinked at seeing Holly in frame but smiled.
'Quite, I'm glad to see you dear.' Amelia said and Holly smiled at her and squeezed
Harry's arm, drawing his attention away from Susan and back to Amelia.
'Can we go to the trial, Aunt Amelia?' Harry asked, and Amelia's face turned a little
green.
'I would really rather you didn't. We have taken the memories from you three and those
of the dominated students and muggles.' She ran her hands down her face.
'The Aurors have also gone out into the muggle world after questioning Peter and found
close to a dozen other muggle families who Peter had dominated in his time hiding from
the magical world.' She paused and looked into Harry's eyes.
'Please don't come to the trial. I know it is within your rights and you can if you want to.
But I truly don't want you and the others to know all of the horrible things Peter has
done.' She said, a note of pleading in her voice.
Harry watched his Aunt Amelia; nothing had ever phased her in his memory. But looking
at her now, she looked horrified at what she discovered, and he respected her. She had
been a great Aunt to him, Holly and Charlus.
He nodded.
'I won't go, and I'll ask the others not to go either, if that's what you think is best.' He
said, and she let out a sigh of relief.
Harry wondered what exactly Peter had done, but then figured that he was better off not
knowing.
'Thank you for listening to me Harry, I'll let you know the result of the trial as soon as I
can.' She said and Harry smiled.
'Thank you, Aunt Amy. Good night.' Harry said, and the mirror went dark.
Harry looked down to see Holly asleep on his chest and smiled, then joined her a
minute later.
A few hours later, Harry woke to his elaborate personal mirror vibrating. He answered it
to see Fleur beaming at him, and he grinned.
''Arry, what have you been up to since last night?' she asked, her wide smile at seeing
him sent a warmth through him.
'Ahh, quite a bit actually.' He started before she frowned, her eyes narrowed.
'Why are you not in your bed?' she asked, and his eyes widened.
Harry looked around and realised she could see the pillow he was laying on, and it was
not his.
He turned the mirror around to show the dimly lit hospital wing. Susan gave Fleur a
wave as the mirror moved past her and Holly waved from her place laying on Harry's
chest once the mirror came back to him.
'Why are you all in the hospital wing? Is everybody okay? What happened?' she asked
in a rush and Harry laughed.
'It's okay, everyone is fine now. Now, listen close and I'll tell you everything.' Harry said
and Fleur nodded, her eyes never leaving his.
He explained the events of the previous night, interrupted at times by Susan and Holly
when he downplayed his actions or missed important details.
Fleur stared at Harry and by the time he finished the story, she let out a breath.
'Did you really fight a Death Eater? And break his nose?' she asked.
Harry smirked.
'Yep, but I still lost, which means I've got a long way to go still.' He admitted and saw the
shock on the Veela's face fade, replaced by her usual fond warm expression, but now it
was tinged with a different emotion that he hadn't seen on her face before, hunger.
She beamed at him.
'Get some sleep. I'll call you tomorrow night and I hope you'll be feeling better by then.
Good night 'Arry.' She gave him a warm smile before the mirror went dark.
Both Susan and Holly giggled at him.
'What's so funny?' Harry asked.
'It's obvious, but because you're a boy, I suppose we can't expect too much from you.'
Holly grinned.
'Well, if you two are going to be mean, I'm going back to sleep.' He groaned, and they
giggled again.
The next day, Harry lay in the hospital wing still. Holly's leg was healed, and Susan's
potions had been purged. Madame Pomphrey insisted on keeping the three in her
domain for observation, along with the others.
Harry looked over at his father's empty bed. He had left in the morning for the trial and
Lily had gone home to look after Charlus and Orion so Sirius could go to the trial.
Professor McGonagall was out of the woods and no longer had a privacy screen around
her bed. She just lay there, still in her potion induced coma as her body recovered from
the bullet wound.
Professor Sprout lay in the bed beside her. Her leg was healed, but her neck was in a
cast, having damaged it when she hit the wall.
Between Harry and Holly's bed sat Luna and Ginny, while between Harry and Susan sat
Daphne and Hannah.
The seven children sat in their group and chatted to themselves, worry and relief long
after having given way to happiness and concern about classes.
Hannah held Susan's hand.
'It's okay, we'll all work together to make sure your homework won't pile up.' Hannah
assured and Susan huffed.
'We've lost a day of study. We are already so far ahead that we could probably already
ace the end-of-year tests in a few weeks.' Susan said and Hannah blinked, then turned
to Daphne as the Slytherin girl patted her shoulder with a nod.
Harry grinned at the antics of his friends as, on his other side, Luna leaned in closer to
Holly.
'So, Daddy told me in his latest letter that there is an Australian magical creature called
a Drop Bear. The muggles joke about them, saying they don't exist, but we'll be going to
find them in the summer.' Luna gushed, and Holly blinked at her.
'Doesn't everything in Australia try to kill you?' Holly asked and Luna gave a soft smile.
'It is likely, yes.' The blonde girl said.
Ginny leaned in toward Harry.
'Did you know what you were doing when you told Luna about the Platypus?' she asked,
and Harry grinned.
'I had no idea, but who knows, maybe Luna and her dad will discover more magical
creatures. We can only hope, right?' Harry grinned.
Harry paused his conversation with Ginny as someone cleared their throat at the end of
his bed. It was an older Ravenclaw boy that he did not recognise. He was tall and dark
haired. The boy's blue eyes met Harry's, and the two were silent for a moment before
the boy coughed.
*x*
'My name is Kyle Chambers. Thank you for your part in freeing us all-' he gestured
vaguely around the hospital wing's filled beds.
'-I'd been under Pettigrew's control for a few months. After Christmas break, I was
stunned in my sleep and taken into the forest.' Kyle paused and took a long, steadying
breath.
'I was drugged and even helped to capture a handful of other Ravenclaws, even my
girlfriend Sarah.' Kyle paused again and Harry remembered what Amelia had told him
about what happened to the women captured by Pettigrew.
Harry held out a hand toward Kyle, who took it after a moment's hesitation.
'It's all over now, Kyle. Sarah is going to need your help to recover from this experience,
and I truly wish that we could have resolved the situation earlier, before anyone got hurt-
' Harry said before Kyle interrupted him with a shake of his head.
'Nobody blames you, Potter. You did everything you could, and we all appreciate what
you did and how you played your role in getting the Professors there, however it was
that you did it.' He trailed off, looking down at the floor.
Kyle looked awkward before he squeezed Harry's hand that he still held and patted it
with his other hand.
'Thank you again Potter.' Kyle said before walking away to sit beside a sleeping
brunette girl on the other side of the infirmary. Harry figured she was Sarah.
Harry opened his mouth to speak, but stopped and sighed, knowing nothing he said
would help the other boy. He turned back to Ginny before another voice came from the
end of the bed.
'Harry?'
Harry turned and saw Justin Finch-Fletchley.
The boy who shared the same dorm as Harry, that he'd barely spoken to in the years
they'd shared a room, stood, his face red and had unshed tears in his eyes.
'Take a seat Justin, you have nothing to feel sorry about.' Harry said, gesturing toward
the end of the bed.
Justin sat and met Harry's gaze; a single tear slid down his cheek.
'Pettigrew, he, came to my home during the summer. I've told all of this to the Aurors,
but I need to tell you too.' The Hufflepuff said, his eyes haunted.
Harry blinked and nodded, confused.
'I live in muggle London with my parents, you see. They own a hotel, and we have one
of the floors to ourselves.' Justin closed his eyes and choked back a sob.
'He put my mother under the Imperius Curse and put father into an enchanted sleep. At
first, mother told me Pettigrew was father's cousin, and that father had gone abroad for
business.' Justin hunched forward, he held his head in his hands and tried to hide his
tears from Harry.
'But, after I saw him, he, he and my mother were doing things together that she only did
with father. I pulled out my wand to fight him, but before I could cast a thing, he
disarmed me and bound me with conjured ropes.' Justin paused for a few seconds,
taking deep breaths.
'He forced me to watch as he and mother…' he stopped and wiped his tears with the
sleeve of his robe.
'Sorry, it's… hard.' He muttered before he took another shuddering breath.

'Afterward, he told me he was a wizard, like me, and that made us special. He told me
about his time in the muggle world, how he'd moved from family to family, enslaving
them before moving on to another.' Justin wiped his eyes again with his other sleeve.
'He told me how his school friends had betrayed him and that he would get revenge on
them. Now that he had a way back into the magical world, he would have his
vengeance.' Justin looked away, out of the window.
'Pettigrew forced me to take a cocktail of potions, the same ones he forced everyone to
take to enslave them. He made me tell him about Hogwarts, how the Boy-Who-Lived
was there, how you were the top student of our year.' Justin turned to meet Harry's
eyes.
Harry saw the haunted look in them had grown.
'I told him about the Basilisk last year, and how I'd been petrified, then rescued by you
and the Professors. He was so interested in you, he made me tell him about your sister-'
Justin glanced at a pale Holly who was watching in silence.
'- he seemed excited and had a mad gleam in his eye as I told him everything I knew
about the two of you. I told him about the piece of parchment you take everywhere with
you and that you can disappear almost at will.' Justin looked down at his lap, where he
clasped his shaking hands.
'He called it the Marauders map, whatever that means.' He trailed off and was silent for
a moment before he met Harry's gaze again.
Harry watched the boy at the end of his bed as he struggled to continue his tale. He
wanted to stop him, but knew the other boy felt he needed to get it off his chest.
Justin gave a long, slow blink before letting out a breath and nodded to himself.
'Soon after that, he woke up father and had my parents spend most of our money on
buying potions ingredients so he could make massive batches of his enslaving potions.'
Justin's hands shook, and he clasped them together in his lap.
'When the time for Hogwarts came around, he had me abduct people, stun them and
take them out to the forbidden forest. He met me in a clearing where he before he
drugged the poor people I'd taken.' Justin hung his head, his eyes closed, as his body
trembled.
Harry reached out toward the other boy, but Ginny took his hand and pulled it down to
his side. He met her gaze, and she shook her head. Harry frowned, but turned back to
Justin.
'By November, I had a dozen students from all years and houses under his control. He
had also gathered the same number of muggles. I don't think they were the families he'd
stayed with; I think they were just random people taken from different cities.' Justin
rubbed his bloodshot eyes with the backs of his hands, wiping away his tears.
'He, he wanted me to capture you, but the wards around your bed are beyond what I or
any of the seventh years under his control could break.' The boy admitted and closed
his eyes, lowering his head.
*x*
'I think you know the rest from there.' Justin finished.
The Hufflepuff boy's face fell into his hands, and he shook as he sobbed at the end of
Harry's bed.
Harry looked at the boy and reached out a hand and rested it on his shoulder. Daphne,
sitting beside Harry, prodded him, and motioned with her head and a scowl toward the
weeping boy.
Harry nodded and moved closer before pulling Justin into a hug. In an instant, Justin
latched onto Harry and his tears soaked through Harry's hospital shirt in moments.
Harry could only rub the other boy's back in silent support, and vow to himself that
something like this would not happen again if he could help it.
'It's going to be okay Justin.' Harry muttered.
Five minutes later, Madame Pomphrey came and ushered the distraught boy away to
his own bed. The Matron handed him a selection of potions and watched him drink each
one, ending with a Dreamless Sleep potion.
Harry turned to the girls, his gaze moving over each one, and found he shared their
horrified expressions.
'I'm actually glad Aunt Amy convinced me not to go to the trial.' He admitted and the
girls could only nod, their pale faces slack with horror.
That night, Sirius entered the Hospital wing. He stood at the end of Harry's bed. The
Marauder smiled at the kids, starting with Susan before he sighed.
'Well, it's done kids.' He said, running a hand through his hair.
'Peter was tried in front of the Wizengamot under Veritaserum and he explained
everything.' Sirius said and Harry could not help but notice an almost dead look in the
man's eyes.
'They sent Peter Pettigrew through the Veil in the Department of Mysteries this
afternoon at six pm.' Sirius recited, and the dead look in his eyes grew starker.
Harry swallowed and shifted in his bed.
'I'm sorry you guys had to go through that.' He said.

Holly and Susan nodded along.
'Are you going to be okay, dad?' Susan asked and Sirius blinked, staring at her.
'Y-you've never called me dad before.' Sirius gaped and Susan blushed and ducked
down in her bed.
Sirius rushed over to pull Susan into a hug and kissed her brow.
'If you keep calling me dad, I think I'll be okay with anything.' Sirius whispered into
Susan's hair.
Harry smiled and turned toward Holly, who wore a wide grin at the sight behind Harry.
A minute later, Sirius cleared his throat.
'Before I go, I wanted to tell you two that Prongs is at home now with Lily and Charlus.
You can rest easy now.' Sirius said and Harry nodded.
Sirius stood after giving Susan another kiss on her brow.
'School is going to be over soon, then we can enjoy your holidays. Have a good night,
you three, and we'll see you soon.' Sirius beamed at Susan before leaving the infirmary,
whistling a jaunty tune.
Holly leaned forward in her bed, looking past Harry to Susan, and quirked an eyebrow.
'I didn't know you hadn't called him dad, I thought you did that years ago?' Holly asked,
and Susan blushed.
'It never seemed like the right time, you know?' the red head murmured, and Harry
grinned.
'I think you made his day. Which really is saying something.' Harry said before laying
back in bed.
*Chapter 18*: Chapter 17 - Summer, Pt 1 1994
Chapter 17. Summer of 1994, Part 1.
May ended and June began and with it, the end-of-year exams. While Harry and his
friends had no real trouble with them, they were relieved to be done with them, as it
meant they were going home for the summer.
Holly and Susan rarely left his side after the events in the dungeons. If they weren't by
his side, then he had his eye on them on the map.
Justin started to spend time with the group, he didn't speak much, but he was welcome
nonetheless.
The remaining time at Hogwarts was tense for Harry, but it passed without incident,
apart from Remus being forced to resign after Draco sent a letter to his father telling him
about Remus' Lycanthropy.
Harry suspected Snape of telling Draco.
The end-of-year feast came, and Harry found he was on top of his year once again.
Behind him were his group of friends. He wore a small smile at the glare Hermione and
Daphne gave each other as they fought for second place.
He leaned forward as she sat opposite him at the table.
'You did a great job Daphne, congratulations.' He grinned.
She huffed and turned away, but Harry saw a small smile on her face as she did so.
The next day, Harry sat in his compartment on the train with his friends, enjoying the
last few hours together before being separated for the summer. Justin sat in the
compartment with them and stared out of the window.
'Now, you'll all wear your bracelets and be careful over the summer, right?' Harry asked,
eyeing the small tracking charm shaped like a compass that hung on Ginny's wrist
beside her broom charm, like an identical compass hung on the other's wrists.
Daphne rolled her eyes.
'Harry, stop fretting. Yes, we'll wear the bracelets, you're lucky that they're pretty.' She
grouched, though she wore a soft smile.
A knock on the door revealed Hermione, who entered without Neville and Ron. She
gave them a small, nervous smile.
'I hope you all have a pleasant summer. I'm going on a holiday to France with my
parents, it's going to be amazing.' She gushed, and Harry grinned.
'Do you know any French?' he asked, and she beamed.
'Yes, I've been studying it ever since my parents told me we were going there.' She
replied in French.
'That's wonderful, it's a beautiful language.' Harry said, also in French, while the other
girls in the compartment rolled their eyes.
Hermione blinked and looked around the compartment.
'Harry, why are they rolling their eyes? What did you do?' she asked, and Holly
coughed.
'Harry is excited to meet up with his friend Fleur over the summer. She goes to
Beauxbatons.' Holly said in broken French.
Hermione's eyes widened, and she sighed.
'Oh. Well, enjoy your summer then everybody.' She muttered and hurried out of the
compartment.
Later in the afternoon, the Hogwarts Express arrived at Platform Nine and Three
Quarters. Harry, Holly, and Susan bid their friends farewell and met Sirius and Remus at
the back of the platform, away from the crush of eager parents.
They all had dinner at Potter Manor before Sirius took Susan home.
As Harry lay in bed, he wondered why Hogwarts always seemed to be in danger. He

stared up at the shadowed ceiling, lost in thought, until his mirror from Fleur vibrated
where it lay on his chest.
He answered the call and saw her beaming smile.
'I'm glad to see you 'Arry. It's great to be away from Beauxbatons as well.' She said, her
eyes full of warmth.
'I know what you mean. I love it at Hogwarts, but there is always some danger lurking
there. Can't I just have a peaceful year?' he said, and she frowned.
'Well, if you came to Beauxbatons, nothing would try to hurt you.' She sent him a too-
innocent grin, and he laughed.
'Oh, it's tempting.' He grinned.
'Do you have any plans over the summer?' he asked, and she nodded.
'Papa will take me to the Quidditch World Cup in August, its being held in the UK this
year if you didn't know already.' She said as she tucked a strand of silver hair behind
her ear.
'But until then, I don't have any solid plans.' She finished, and Harry smiled.
'Well, I'll have to see if dad wants to take us then. Hopefully between him and Aunt Amy,
they'll be able to pull some strings and get us tickets and spots near your family?' he
said, and the radiant smile she gave him would have lit a room.
'That would be wonderful. It would be great to spend some time with you in person. We
haven't done that in so long.' She said as her face fell.
'Yeah, I know. But now that its summer, I think that we'll be able to work something out.'
He said, a frown on his face as he watched her face fall.
'It was actually worse this year than the last. I now have the Allure under control, but a
little still comes out. It's the same for all Veela.' She whispered, and Harry wished he
could pull her into a hug.
'I'm sorry, I wish I could make you feel better.' He said, and she perked up.
'But you do. You always do when I'm feeling down. Whenever I hear a new nasty
rumour about me, I think of you and its always enough to make me smile.' She said, and
Harry blushed.
'I'm glad that I can help in some way.' He muttered, and the two were silent for a
moment, both blushing.
'Do you use your pendant often? Where you can experience the emotions I put in it?' he
asked, and she sent him a beaming smile.
'I use it every night before I go to sleep, or anytime I need to feel better about myself.
How did you do that, by the way?' she asked, and Harry grinned.
The two spent the next few hours discussing enchanting and how runes and arithmancy
work together to make it all happen.
The next few weeks passed in a happy routine for Harry. He worked out in the morning,
shadowed by Holly and Susan, who flooed over every morning to join them. Then,
James, Remus, and Sirius would join in, running the three children through exercise
regimes and spell dodging practice.
James and Sirius offered to teach them to become Animagus as well, but Harry was
uncertain whether spending so much time on becoming Animagus would be worth it. It
would be cool for sure, but he had lots of training to do.
At the end of their first session, Sirius cocked his head. He frowned at Harry, then
turned to James and Remus.
'Hey guys, don't you think Harry here has really hit his growth spurt?' Sirius asked.
James and Remus shrugged.
'We've seen him quite often so didn't notice, but now that you mention it…' James
trailed off as his gaze moved from the girls to Harry, who towered over them.
Harry sighed and turned to Holly and Susan, they each gave him expectant looks.
'Fine, I suppose I had to tell them at some stage.' He muttered, and Holly smiled.
Harry looked up at the three Marauders and met his father's eyes.
'In my first year, I came across a room where time works differently than outside of it. It's
called the Room of Requirement and only myself and these two know of it.' Harry
started and James looked between him and the two girls.
'It doesn't look like they are using it?' he asked, and the two girls shook their heads.
'I've been using it since the start of my first year when a House-Elf showed me. I go in
on Friday night and come out on Monday morning, but inside the room a little over
seven full days pass. So, I get about three times as much time inside the room as
outside.' Harry explained, and the three Marauders gaped at him.
Sirius whistled with appreciation while James stared, shocked.
'I wish we'd known of that room when we were there.' Sirius said with a small smile.
Remus rolled his eyes.
'I would have used it to study, but you two would have used it for pranks. Not to mention
your attention to girls Sirius.' Remus accused and Susan glared at Sirius, who paled.
Sirius looked like a deer in the headlights and turned to Harry. He rubbed the back of his
head with a nervous grin.
'I hope you've been using the room responsibly?' Sirius said and Harry laughed at the
change in subject.
'I've been working on different projects. I feel I'm ready to take my OWLs and am
planning to do that next summer, after I've finished fourth year. That's apparently a
requirement for taking the OWLs early.' Harry explained.
James ran a hand down his face before letting out an explosive sigh.
'How old are you now?' he asked, and the group fell silent.
Harry blinked.
'Approximately nine hundred days older than I would otherwise be, so somewhere in my
sixteenth year.' He answered, and the three Marauders gaped at him.
Susan and Holly, who'd had more time to accept the situation, smothered their sniggers
at the Marauder's slack faces.
James groaned and ran his hands through his already messy hair.
'Do you know what you've done? What consequences this will have in your life?' he
asked, a touch of anger in his voice.
Harry frowned and met his father's gaze.
'Doing this has enabled me to protect my friends and family, on multiple occasions and
has given me the time to be the best that I can be.' He said, his tone hard.
Holly sniggered.
'He's also now almost the same age as Fleur too.' She said with laughter in her eyes.
James blinked at her before he turned to Harry, a look of disappointment on his face.
'That better not be the reason you have messed with time itself.' He growled.
Harry's frown deepened into a glare.
'That is not even a part of it. But if it were, then it would be worth it to be closer to my
best friend.' He said.
Sirius looked between Harry and James, who glared at each other, then turned to
Susan.
'Are you okay?' he asked, and she blinked in confusion.
'Why wouldn't I be?' she asked in return.
Sirius looked between her and Harry.
Susan laughed.
'Harry is family, he's like the brother that Orion will grow up to be. I admit it wasn't
always so, but I've met Fleur and I wholeheartedly agree that they are good together.'
She said, and Sirius sat down on the grass in a huff.
Sirius turned to Holly, who gave him a suspicious look.

'Will you marry Orion when he grows up? Unite the families?' Sirius asked.
Holly gasped and ran behind Harry, distracting him from his glaring contest with James.
'Huh?' Harry asked as he looked at her.
'Sirius wants me to marry Orion.' Holly said and pointed at the seated Sirius.
Harry turned his glare on Sirius.
'Holly will marry whoever she wishes. No Marauder will have a say in her choice.' He
declared.
His glare turned into a grin, and he struck a heroic pose, breaking the heavy mood.
Holly and Susan grinned and gave him a clap.
James cracked a smile before he sighed.
'Harry, what are you going to tell your mother?' he asked, and Harry blanched.
Holly and Susan laughed at the two Potter males, their faces pale.
Harry took a breath, like it was his last.
'I'll go tell her now.' He said, looking like a man going to the gallows.
'Take one for the team, Harry.' Sirius called and gave Harry a thumbs up as Harry
moved away from the group.
Twenty minutes later, Harry and Lily sat in her study, dozens of enchanting projects
littered through the room, along with detailed schematics of future projects.
Lily's emerald gaze bore into Harry's and silence reigned for a moment before a wide
grin split her face.
'You're such a brilliant boy, who'd have thought Hogwarts had a room that could
manipulate time?' she gushed before she gasped.
'You have to show me someday, you know that, right? What time ratio does the room
follow? What limit does the room have in terms of make up? Size? Decorations? Will
excessive use of the room have any negative impacts on your body?' she froze and
leapt from her swivel chair.
She hovered around him, casting diagnostic charms.
As she poked and prodded him, she continued to speak.
'I admit, I wouldn't have allowed you to do it if you'd asked, but now that you have
effectively aged two years more than you would otherwise be, it is exciting to study the
effects. This has never happened as far as I know. What have you spent those two
years doing in the room, studying for school?' she asked, without pausing for breath.
Harry stared at his mother for a moment, shocked she wasn't yelling at him.
'I do most of my research for my enchanting projects in the room and I practice combat
spells on dummies the room provides. But yes, I make sure I do my schoolwork before
the weekend so I can spend the weekend on other things.' He explained and Lily's eyes
widened.
'Have you progressed any further with your projects?' she asked, and continued to prod
him.
She kept casting ever more spells on him as they talked.
Harry sat back in his chair and removed his bracelet and handed it to her.
'I can confirm the mind protecting bracelets work, though they need some refinement.
Each of my closest friends has them. Also, the tracking charms on the bracelets work,
though, again they need some more refinement.' He took a breath and smiled.
'I hoped that you might give me some advice on them later?' he asked, and she beamed
at him, her excitement obvious.
Lily peered at the bracelet, unable to keep the smile from her face as she examined it
from every angle.
'Between Fleur and I, our mirrors have been completed. Fleur got them working before
Christmas and we have both since added a few extra features to make them better than
the ones dad and Sirius made.' Harry explained.
Lily's eyes narrowed.
'What did you just say?' Lily asked, and Harry frowned.
'Uh, that Fleur's and my mirrors are better than the ones dad and Sirius made?' Harry
repeated with caution.
Lily glared out of the window where Harry figured his father was.
'I designed the mirrors your father and Sirius use. They gave me the idea and helped a
little, but it was mostly me.' She said and Harry laughed.
'I have to admit, I always thought it strange that dad and Sirius made them.' He grinned
and Lily gave a small smirk before she turned back to Harry.
She tucked a strand of crimson hair behind her ear.

'What about the time turner I remember from your research notes you gave me earlier
this year? How's that doing?' she asked, and Harry groaned.
'Well, in theory, it will work. The time turner would go back further than a few hours,
closer to a few years at this point, but the thing would have to be the size of a house.'
He admitted.
Lily beamed at him.
'You're onto something special, Harry. I will help you in whatever way I can.' She said,
and he grinned.
'Maybe you could look into the bracelets and refine them so I can focus on other
projects, maybe sell them in your shop?' he asked, and Lily gave an eager nod.
'Of course, and you'll receive the profits for such an amazing idea.' She gushed and
stopped at a knock on the door.
Harry turned to see his father poke his head in the room, looking like he'd rather be
doing anything else.
'What's wrong dad?' Harry asked and his father looked between him and Lily.
'I thought your conversation would be louder and a little less, smiley.' James admitted.
Lily glared at James.
'So, what are you disturbing us for?' she asked, and James gulped.
James entered the room and handed Harry a letter.
'A letter came for you from Dominique.' He said, and Harry took the letter with a frown.
As he opened the letter, he wondered why he didn't use Fleur's mirror, then thought that
perhaps he didn't know about it.
He opened the letter and read it.
Dear Harry,
As you know, Fleur's birthday is on August 2nd. It is an important day for her as she will
be seventeen years old and of age. This is an important time for a Veela, and I believe
Fleur would appreciate your presence on such a day.
I hope you agree to come. It will be primarily a political function as that is expected of
families of our station, as much as we would prefer a quiet night together. So please,
dress for a ball.
I look forward to your reply.

Dominique Delacour.
Harry folded the letter and returned it to the envelope, tucking it in his pocket. James
grinned.
'So? What did Dominique want?' James asked, and Harry shrugged.
'Just an invitation to Fleur's seventeenth birthday.' Harry said and James blinked before
his grin grew wide.
Lily made shooing motions.
'James, be quiet and leave us alone, we've got work to do.' She said and James
smirked and left the room.
Harry turned to his mother and quirked an eyebrow.
'We do?' he asked, and Lily smiled.
'Yes Harry, now we hadn't planned on doing this until later, but because of your time
related shenanigans, we've had to push it forward.' Lily started, and Harry frowned.
'Push what forward?' he asked, and Lily gave him a stern look.
'What do you know about the human reproduction system?' she said, and Harry
blanched.
An hour later, a red-faced Harry closed the door to Lily's office behind him and came
face to face with Holly, who grinned before hugging him.
James' laughter echoed through the house from the lounge downstairs.
The next few weeks passed in a blur for Harry as he researched with Lily and trained
with James, Sirius, and Remus. Holly ensured he hung out with her and Susan when
she joined them at Potter Manor with Sirius.
Charlus complained that Harry didn't spend enough time with him since he and Holly
went to Hogwarts, as even during the holidays, all Harry wanted to do was train and
study.
So, Harry spent at least an hour a day with Charlus and Orion too when he came over.
Eventually, the day of Fleur's birthday arrived, and Harry wore a wide grin the entire
day. They'd been talking on their mirrors every night, but both were keen to see the
other in person.
Harry checked his bracelet was attached and the present he'd made for her was in his
pocket. He'd followed Dominique's instructions and dressed for a ball, a set of open
dress robes over a suit, similar to the outfits he wore to the Christmas ball.
With his father by his side, Harry bade his family farewell and flooed to the Ministry, then
they took an international floo to the French Ministry, before finally taking another floo to
the Delacour Estate.
He stepped out of the fireplace of Delacour Manor and saw a radiant and fully mature
Fleur.
She looked stunning in a long silver dress that matched her hair that was done up in an
artfully messy bun. Around her neck was the silver pendant he'd given her years before
and on her wrist the silver charm bracelet he'd given her more recently.
He beamed at his best friend, unintentionally ignoring the others in the room, and the
two embraced in a tight hug.
'I missed you, Fleur.' Harry whispered in her ear, and she tightened her grip.
'I missed you too.' He replied before he pulled back to stare into her eyes.
Harry didn't feel the Allure rolling off Fleur, uncontrolled.
But the rest of the room did, and Dominique moved to their side and lay a hand on
Fleur's shoulder.
She gasped and pulled away from Harry. A moment later, an emotionless mask crossed
her face that Harry recognised as Occlumency.
Tilting his head, Harry watched as most of the men in the room blinked and gave guilty
looks toward their ladies, receiving frosty glares in return.
Harry smiled and took a quick glance around the entrance hall. There were at least fifty
other people he assumed were dignitaries and governmental sorts. He didn't notice
anyone their age.
Dominique took Harry's hand and pulled him into an embrace.
'This is unfortunately a political party, and it is unlikely that there will be much in the way
of interesting topics you would enjoy, nor would Fleur for that matter.' Dominique gave a
warm smile to a passing dignitary before he turned back to Harry.
'So, while she must be present for the numerous political figures, there is nothing to say
that she cannot have you by her side.' The man finished and Harry gave him a warm
smile and a nod.
'Of course, sir, I would be happy to accompany her for the evening.' He replied and met
Fleur's warm gaze.
Fleur offered her hand to him and with a grin, Harry took it and kissed her knuckle, as
an Heir does for an Heiress.
She beamed at him, and he took his place beside her and together, the two greeted
newcomers for the next hour.
In that time, Harry received a handful of glowers from boys around his altered age who
were clearly under the effects of her Allure, contained as it was. Not a few men also
looked like they would challenge him to a duel to stand by her side.
Finally, the greetings finished, and dinner followed by a ball began, and Harry was glad
he'd dressed for the occasion.
The entire evening, he and Fleur were inseparable. At dinner, they talked non-stop.
Multiple men tried to interrupt but couldn't get a word in to their conversation and when
the ball began, the two danced for the entire evening.
Harry noticed Dominique and Apolline watching from a distance, smiles on their faces
while they flitted through the crowd of political people.
He spared a thought for those political people all here for Fleur's party and hoped they
weren't causing any issues for her parents by ignoring all the obviously fake people
around them. Some wanted to dance with her, and others to talk, to be seen with her.
But he saw the smiles on her parents' faces and ignored the small voice in his head
familiar with politics and enjoyed his evening with Fleur.
Eventually, the evening finished, and Harry had to floo back to England. But not before
receiving a strong, lingering embrace from the Veela.
'I'll see you at the World Cup, yes?' Fleur whispered as their brows touched near the
fireplace in the entrance hall.
'Yeah, dad got us tickets in the Minister's box. He said that's where your family will be?'
Harry said, and Fleur graced him with a warm smile.
'Yes, I am looking forward to it, not so much the game as the company.' She murmured,
and Harry grinned.
'I know exactly what you mean.' Harry said before he gave a sigh.
'I suppose I need to go. Dad left hours ago.' He continued, and Fleur sighed.
'Oui, if you don't go now, I would be tempted to have the elves prepare you a room for
the night.' She whispered, and he pulled her into a hug.
'As much as I would like that, I think my family is waiting for me.' He sighed and pulled
out of the embrace, and looked into her sapphire eyes.
'I'll see you at the World Cup. Talk soon?' he asked, and she nodded before he released
her and stepped into the fireplace to return home.
When Harry woke the next morning, not yet dawn, and Holly sat on his bed with a
newspaper in her hands. Except it wasn't the Daily Prophet. It was the Le Cri de la
Gargouille, one of the main French wizarding newspapers.
With a wide grin, she pushed the Gargouille into his hands. He let out a groan as he
saw the front page, a picture of Fleur and himself dancing.
Fille de l'ambassadeur au Royaume-Uni fiancée?
(Translated)
Daughter of Ambassador to United Kingdom betrothed?
This evening, our Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Dominique Delacour, held what
could only be referred to as a Royal ball for his daughter, Fleur Delacour. On her
seventeenth birthday, she is now of age and, according to age-old traditions within the
Delacour house, she can now choose her intended husband.
The rest of the wizarding world has only started to catch up to the powerful house in
terms of the freedoms it allows. But what shocked this reporter is that the birthday girl
did not spend any of her time this evening with school mates from Beauxbatons, nor
with the other politically inclined guests.
Rather, she spent the entire night on the arm of a dashing young Englishman, Harry
Potter, Heir of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter. The Delacours are
rumoured to have a close relationship with the Potter Heir and are known to be in
regular contact.
Is this a secret betrothal? Or is there a darker reason why the Ambassador to England
is growing closer with the Head Auror of the British Department of Magical Law
Enforcement?
For more information on the Delacour's, turn to page four.
For more information on the Potter's, turn to page seven.
For more information on the political relations between France and the United Kingdom,
turn to page twelve.
Rest assured that we at the Gargouille will monitor the potential couple and report back
on the prestigious houses' further actions.
Diane Launier.
Harry growled as he dropped the paper on his bed.

'So?' Holly asked, a wide grin on her face.
'So?' Harry parroted, confused.
'Are you betrothed, dear brother?' Holly asked, a twinkle in her eye, and Harry groaned.
'We aren't dating. How could we be betrothed?' he asked, and her face fell.
'Well, you need to start dating her soon, otherwise someone else will.' She warned
before she bounced off the bed and snatched the abandoned newspaper and ran out of
his room.
Harry stared at the doorway for a moment before he shook his head.
He tossed on his exercise clothes and went outside to begin his morning training with
Holly and Susan.
An hour later, Harry came back inside and jumped in the shower as the rest of the
house woke up.
As he showered, his thoughts were filled with the night before at Fleur's birthday. He
had enjoyed the night, more than any other he could remember, and knew she felt the
same.
Harry sighed as he washed his hair.
The one thing his extra years in the Room of Requirement hadn't prepared him for was
romance. Fleur was his best friend; would she be interested in more than that? Thanks
to the embarrassing talk with his mother a few weeks earlier, he knew about the
physical aspects of a relationship.
But he didn't want to risk his friendship with Fleur. She was his best friend, his confidant.
They would talk every night before bed and the time they spent together was the best
times that he could recall. But how would that change if they got together? What if they
broke up? Would they be as close as they were now?
Harry groaned and closed his eyes, letting the hot water soothe his tired muscles.
He sighed and turned off the water. As he towelled himself off, he considered his own
feelings. Did he want a deeper relationship with Fleur? What would that mean? Could
he imagine someone else he wanted to spend his life with?
Harry growled as he dressed. Once more lamenting that his extra years in the Room of
Requirement didn't prepare him for the situation.
Harry finished dressing and looked in the mirror, his skin a little red from the heat of his
shower.
'You look dashing, and your hair isn't even that bad today.' The mirror remarked in
French.
'Seriously? Dad changed you as well. When did he do that?' Harry huffed and left the
bathroom.
He went downstairs and froze as he saw the three Marauders grinning at him from
across the table. Harry averted his eyes from their suspicious smiles and saw his
mother with a mischievous grin.
Harry narrowed his eyes, looking at everyone in the room, knowing they were up to
something. He saw Holly wearing a too-innocent smile, while Susan wore one like Lily's.
Finally, Harry saw Charlus and Orion looking around the dining room, confused
expressions on their faces.
Harry moved forward cautiously and noticed the newspaper he had read earlier in front
of his plate. Then he groaned aloud as he noticed Holly struggling to hold in a giggle,
followed by Susan.
On his plate, rather than the traditional English breakfast everyone else had, he had a
handful of croissants and spreads. A coffee and fruit were nearby.
'Real mature you guys.' He sighed then took a croissant and slathered some jam on it.
Laughter echoed throughout the room while Harry rolled his eyes at the level of maturity
shown by his family.
'Did you have a fun night?' James asked.
'Do the French still know how to have fun?' Sirius asked at the same time.
Susan glared at Sirius and the man ducked in his seat, causing a small smile to cross
Susan's face.
Remus smirked at Sirius before he turned back to Harry.
'So, you enjoyed your evening?' the werewolf asked, and Harry sighed.
Harry looked at his mother, who wore a wide smile.
'I'm glad you had fun dear, it's clear you both did after seeing the photo in the paper.'
She said, and Harry's face turned red and continued eating in silence while the
Marauders laughed at him.
Holly patted his shoulder with a knowing grin.
James cleared his throat.
'In all seriousness, not now Sirius-' he glared at Sirius, who ducked back down in his
chair again.
'I'm glad you two had fun. But now we have three weeks before the Quidditch World
Cup.' He started and Harry cocked his head toward his father, his action echoed by
Holly and Susan.
James blinked.
'Creepy. Anyway, either myself or Amelia will have every day off, we'll take it in turns,
and we'll take this opportunity to train the three of you.' James said with a smirk.
Harry straightened, and Holly leaned forward.
'But you're already training us?' she asked, and James' smirk grew.
'We haven't been training you with magic.' He said with a wink.
[A/N: There have been a couple of reviews that rightly mention my math's for the Room
of Requirements time dilation was incorrect. My original calculations were wrong and I
have since updated earlier chapters to reflect this.
The correct time ratio in the room is 4:1, or 4 hours in the Room to 1 hour out of the
room. Friday 1800 - Monday 0600 = 57 hour weekend.
Multiply that by 4 to get 228 hours (9.5 days) of expanded time.
Subtract 2 (the normal number of days in a weekend) from 9.5 to get 7.5 "extra" days.
Harry is at Hogwarts approx. 40 weeks of the year.
So multiply 7.5 by 40 to get 300 extra days a year.
He's been at Hogwarts for 3 years now, so that's approx. 900 extra days (2.46 years) by
the end of 3rd year. I apologise for my miscalculations, it turns out that I kind of suck at
math's. If I have still got my math's wrong, please let me know so I can fix it.]
Chapter 18. Summer of 1994, Part 2.
The next morning, Harry stood in a room off from the basement of number twelve
Grimmauld Place, Susan, and Holly on either side. He peered around the stone room; it
was bare except a door that led out to the basement proper.
Across from the three students stood the three Marauders.
Sirius grinned at Susan, then to Harry and Holly.
'Welcome kids to my childhood tort- I mean training room. In this room, my worthless
parents taught me all sorts of dark and horrible spells.' Sirius said, his haunted eyes
belied the grin on face.
'In here, the Ministry cannot track magic, primarily for our purposes, underage magic.'
Remus said, and James grinned.
'Now, as Head Auror, or Director in your Aunt's case, we could have applied for an
exemption. But this doesn't involve any paperwork or corrupt bureaucrats getting
information we don't want them to know.' James said and Remus sighed.
'Prongs, come on, we talked about this.' The werewolf sighed and James huffed.
'Fine, be boring Moony.' James grumbled before he turned back to the students.
'We all know that Voldemort is not dead, that he's trying to come back. Harry
encountered his wraith in his first year. Then a memory of him in his second year.' Sirius
trailed off and looked to the other Marauders to continue.
Remus ran a hand through his moustache.
'Over the next three weeks, the three of us, as well as a few others, will train you in here
for four hours a day. This is entirely voluntary, you don't need to do the training, but we
all thought it important enough to spend our free time to train you.' Remus explained.
Sirius clapped once to take the attention from the werewolf.
'Okay kids, today, you've got the three of us and we're going to put you through your
paces. Let's find out what you can do.' Sirius smirked and drew his wand.
A moment later, the three Marauders all tossed silent spells at the three students and
Harry growled, unprepared for the sudden attack.
Wandlessly, he created a shield to protect the three, but felt the drain on his magic
straight away. With his other hand, he drew his wand and turned to Susan.
'Susan, I want you and Holly to attack Sirius, he's the weak link of the three.' Harry said,
and Susan frowned before she gave a nod.
Harry created a powerful shield with his wand and dropped his wandless one.
He took a breath.
'I'll distract the three of them. Close your eyes when I start casting.' He said and
dropped the shield.
A moment later, he ran forward, dodging the Tickling and Slug Vomiting spells tossed
his way.
'Lumos Maxima.' He called and closed his eyes. A flick of his wand, followed by a
second flick, sent out a blinding flash of light at the three men.
Harry ran forward with his eyes closed and figured he would be about three metres in
front of the Marauders now. He dove to his left and heard the whoosh of spell fire rush
past him.
He opened his eyes and found he was on his fathers' side who had put up a full body
shield.
Without a sparing a glance toward the girls, Harry stabbed his wand at his father.
'Aqua Eructo' he commanded, and a thick jet of water shot out toward the three
Marauders, hitting James' shield and the floor.
Harry kept the spell going and continued running behind the Marauders, then he noticed
the girls on the other side of the room laying stunned on the floor.
He groaned and figured they must have been stunned the moment he dropped the
shield.
With a growl, he poured more magic into the Water Making Charm. He switched targets
to Sirius' shield as he stood in the middle of the three.
Water pooled around the three, and Harry grinned and cut the flow of magic to his water
charm.
'Glacius.' He shouted and the water around the Marauders froze solid, right up until it hit
the men's shields.
Harry gaped as the three Marauders turned around, each wore a wide smirk.
'You did well kiddo, well, after you abandoned your untrained teammates. Were they
going to hold you back?' Sirius said with a smirk and Harry glared.
'No, I trusted that they-' Harry said, and James shook his head.
'No Harry, they haven't been training like you. Susan hasn't learned anything other than
the spells they've taught at Hogwarts.' James cut Harry off and Remus sighed.
'Holly trusts that you will protect her, but the events of last year showed that you can't be
around all the time. This is why we're doing this training.' Remus said and Sirius shook
his head.
'Harry, this training isn't about you. This is about them. This match should make it
obvious to you that while you are remarkably skilled, you are one person.' Sirius said,
and Harry clenched his jaw.
Harry flicked out his wand, followed by another flick.
'Lumos Maxima.' And a blinding flash of light interrupted the Marauders mid speech.
Harry ran to his left, circling around Remus. He jabbed his wand toward where he
assumed the werewolf stood, likely with a shield raised.
'Avis, Oppugno.'
A dozen canaries shot out of Harry's wand and flew toward the Marauders. Bird song
echoed through the room as their war cry.
He rushed toward the fallen girls and tripped, he fell face first on the stone floor.
Harry groaned and held his throbbing face. He turned to see Remus dispel his canaries.
Sirius stepped toward Harry, breaking away from the other two men.
'So now you go back to stand with the girls after we called you out on abandoning
them?' he shook his head.
Harry growled, his mind raced to find a way to win. They were toying with him, which
gave him a chance.
'Harry, you can't beat three adult wizards. You couldn't beat Peter and he was the least
of us.' James said, his voice low.
Harry's lip curled.
'Rosea Oculus.' He hissed, pointing his wand at Sirius, who batted the spell away into
the wall.
'Everte Statum.' Harry shouted, and a pulse of magic rushed toward Sirius, who again
batted it away with his wand.
'Ennervate, Ennervate.' Harry whispered, pointing his wand at each of the girls behind
him before bringing his wand around in a wide arc.
'Expulso.' Harry shouted, aiming at the floor in front of Sirius, whose eyes grew wide
and threw himself away from the spot, which exploded a moment later, sending out a
wave of pressure that both James and Remus shielded.
Harry stood and brought up a wandless shield to block a return spell from Remus. He
dropped the wandless shield a moment later and aimed at James.
'Ferula.'
Bandages shot out of his wand toward James, who quirked an eyebrow at Harry and
sent a stunning spell that Harry recognised and shielded.
But he didn't notice the spell a fraction of a second after it that shattered his shield and
then ropes bound him from Sirius and Harry fell to the stone floor beside the girls.
James and the other two Marauders towered over him, their wands at their sides.
'Harry. You've done well, but you can't beat us.' James said.
'I'm actually a little disappointed Prongslet, I bet with Moony here that you would have
been a leader. Instead, he won the bet. He said you would try to do everything yourself.'
Sirius said with a sigh.
'I know I was betting that you would behave as you did, but I was hoping you wouldn't
Harry.' Remus added.
Harry growled, all trussed up, and glared at the three.
Then twin flashes of red light lit the room and James and Remus fell to the floor,
stunned.
A moment later, Harry's ropes were cut, and he leapt off the ground, Holly, and Susan
on either side.
'Thanks girls, let's finish this.' He said, and they nodded.
Before Sirius could wake the other two, Harry jabbed his wand at the stunned form of
his father.
'Accio James Potter's wand.' And Harry caught his father's wand a moment later.
Sirius' eyes widened, and Harry pointed his wand at Remus.
'Accio Remus Lupin's wand.' Then caught Remus' wand as it sailed through the air.
Sirius stepped back and grinned.

'Okay kids, let's see you try to finish this.' The Lord Black said.
A moment later, spells left Sirius' wand with a speed Harry could not follow and he
resorted to dodging after one tore through a hasty wandless shield.
The girls weren't doing much better and struggled to find an opening on Sirius to cast
anything offensive at him.
Harry stepped forward but fell to his knees as something kicked the back of his legs.
He looked up to see a smirking Remus who karate chopped his neck and Harry blacked
out.
Harry groaned and sat up, still in the training room of Grimmauld Place.
'What happened?' he asked, his head fuzzy.
'We got beaten. Uncle Sirius woke up Remus with one of his spells.' Holly said with a
sigh.
'And you said dad was the weak link?' Susan asked, and Harry shrugged.
'He's not a Head Auror, or a werewolf. I figured he would be easier than the other two.'
Harry admitted.
A laugh came from the other side of the room where the three Marauders stood, leaning
against the wall.
'Well, you're not exactly wrong kiddo. But I was an Auror until I married Amy.' Sirius
grinned.
'But then, you were also making assumptions and in battle that can cost lives.' James
said.
'I did notice that you used some pretty powerful magic back there Harry, I'm impressed.'
Remus said with a small smile.
'It wasn't enough.' He admitted and James laughed.
'Of course, it wasn't enough. Sometimes, when you are outmatched, you just need to
escape. It's as simple as that.' James said, and Harry frowned at him.
'What do you mean?' Harry asked and James rolled his eyes, then looked at Sirius.
Sirius stretched and cracked his neck before he sighed in relief.
'Ah, that's better. Anyway, what your dad is trying to say Harry, and you girls too, is
when there's no way to win, escape the situation.' Sirius said, and Harry frowned.
'But there's always a chance to win.' Harry said, and the three Marauders frowned.
'No Harry, there's not. Not even Dumbledore could turn the tide of the last war. If he
could, he would have.' Remus said, and Harry dropped his gaze to the floor.
James moved forward and knelt in front of Harry. He rested a hand on his shoulder.
'Harry, we meant it before when we said this training isn't to make you stronger. This is
meant to get the two of them up to scratch.' He said, and Harry met his father's gaze.
'However, that's not to say you get an easy ride. We're going to teach you all to cast
wordlessly.' Sirius said, and Remus nodded.
Remus stroked his moustache and gave the three a smile.
'I roughly know where the three of you are at education wise. Harry, I expect that you'll
get this before the girls. I've noticed that you've been trying to teach yourself how to do
it.' Remus said, and Harry nodded.
'I don't know what I've been doing wrong though.' Harry admitted, and Remus smiled.
'That is a common issue with self-trained wizards, which, in a lot of ways, you are. But
over the next three weeks we will iron out the issues you've encountered with your
training.' Remus said.
James clapped his hands together with a grin.
'Okay, you three, back to work. We've got a few more hours before you're free.' He said
with a grin and the girls groaned while Harry nodded, his face resolute.
The next three weeks passed with physical training at Potter Manor in the early
morning, then magical training until lunch. The three found themselves being trained by
three revolving trainers each day. Amelia, James, Sirius, Remus, and Lily. A few times
they were met by the grizzled and legendary Auror, Alastor Moody.
Moody shouting, CONSTANT VIGILANCE, every few minutes became a staple for their
training sessions. This became even more true when Sirius and James started bursting
into the room and doing the same during their training with other adults.
Harry woke up before dawn on the twenty fifth of August, keen to get some training in
before going to the Quidditch World Cup being held that night.
He was interested in the international game, of course. What fourteen/sixteen-year-old

would not be? But he was more excited and nervous to see Fleur, who would be there
too.
Harry sighed as he completed another set of sit-ups on the damp grass, watching the
sun rise over the mountains in the distance. He was far beyond what he would normally
do in the morning as a warmup, he'd been going for over an hour now and still his mind
raced.
What did he feel about Fleur? He had known her for years now. They talked often
through letters until last Christmas, when she completed the mirrors before he could.
Since then, they'd spoken every night.
He couldn't imagine not having her in his life. She was his best friend, after all. But his
feelings toward her were not the same as what he felt for Susan or the other girls in his
life. Fleur didn't feel like a sister, like Holly.
Harry swapped to push ups and quickly got lost in his thoughts again.
He'd always been mocked by the Marauders about how close he and Susan were. They
all assumed the two would date. Even Amelia seemed to assume the same.
But it wasn't the same.
He didn't want to risk his friendship with Fleur. She was his best friend, the one he
confided in, bounced ideas off, and she always was there to make him feel better. Like
he was for her.
But did that mean they'd work as a couple?
He enjoyed dancing with her and being around her, even before her maturation into a
gorgeous young woman. She was no longer a girl, the girl he'd known for years. She
was a woman now and even if he decided he wanted more out of their friendship, why
would she agree?
Harry shook his head. It could ruin their friendship; he was one of her only friends and
he didn't want to endanger that just because he thought they might work as a couple.
Harry's mind returned to reality, and he felt his body burning. He blinked as he realised
he was mid sit up, then frowned. He was doing push ups the last time he knew.
His body burned. How had he continued to exercise without thinking?
He let out a groan and fell back onto the dewy grass that soothed his protesting back.
He let out a breath and closed his eyes, trying to relax his hyper-tense muscles.
Harry opened his eyes. He looked up to see the sun higher above the mountains now
and wondered how long he'd been lost in thought.
'Harry.' Holly called, and Harry turned his head toward the house and watched her run
toward him.
She stopped next to him and leaned down over his face.
'You've pushed yourself too hard.' She sighed.
Harry groaned as he tried to sit up, but his muscles refused to obey him, and he sighed.
'I got lost in thought.' He admitted.
Holly laughed.
'Did you keep working out, even with your mind elsewhere?' she smirked, but at his nod
her face fell.
'How does that even happen?' she asked and sat down beside him.
'What am I going to do with my stupid brother?' she asked, and he groaned.
'Will you let me catch my breath before making me do anything?' Harry asked, and she
grinned, poking his bare chest.
'You need to look after yourself, especially if you want to save any maidens this year.'
She said, and he growled.
'That's not what I want to do, it just happens.' He huffed.
Holly grinned, and held up four fingers.
'First year was Hermione.' One finger down.
'Second year was Ginny.' Two fingers down.
'Third year and Susan and I, along with a bunch of other people.' Three fingers down.
'It's like you're setting up your fourth year to be the biggest yet.' She said, waggling her
pointer finger.
Harry huffed.
'I'm just in the right place at the right time.' He said.
Holly laughed and tucked a strand of black hair behind her ear.
'Or wrong place at the right time.' She said.
Harry groaned and rolled over and struggled to sit up.
He let out a hiss as his muscles protested.
Holly gasped.
'Are your muscles actually dancing?' she asked, she reached out a finger to touch his
back.
He let out another pained hiss and pulled away from her.
'Ouch.' He growled and closed his eyes as Holly watched his back in fascination.
'Harry, that doesn't look good. It's like there's something moving under there.' Holly said.
'My muscles are seizing up, cramping. I should probably go have a bath, so I don't do
any lasting damage.' He said before he met her gaze.
'Maybe I pushed myself a bit too far.' He admitted with a sigh.
Holly huffed.
'Of course you did.' She stood and held out a hand to help him to his feet.
Holly ducked under one of his arms and wrapped it around her shoulder. Together, the
two made their way back to Potter Manor.
Inside the house, Holly set Harry down beside the bath and turned the taps, so water
rushed out.
Harry watched as she took a glass jar filled with violet liquid and poured about a third of
it into the running bath. Instantly, the scent of lavender filled the room.
'Thanks Holly.' Harry said, and she grinned at him.
'What is family for? Now call out if you need help to get out, I'll send someone else.' she
grinned and leaned forward to kiss his brow before leaving the bathroom.
She closed the door behind her.
He crawled into the bath after struggling out of his clothes, hissing in pain as he moved.
As soon as he sunk his aching body under the water, he let out a sigh of content. The
water and whatever Holly had put in the bath soothed his protesting muscles, and he
relaxed.
Laying boneless in the bath until the water cooled was the most relaxing thing he'd ever
experienced.
Once the water cooled to room temperature, he regretted not switching on the runes his
mother had put on the outside of the bath to keep the water hot, but his mind was so
foggy that all he could do was lose himself in thought once more.
He wondered at how, when he'd seen Fleur on her birthday, she had instantly been the
centre of his world. She'd seemed so happy to see him that he'd lost himself in her
presence. Was that what the Allure is? It wouldn't be so bad.
He caught himself. Disgust broke through the fog of his mind. He'd been caught in her
Allure, the one thing he'd told himself he wouldn't do. Because he knew that all she
wanted was someone who would be unaffected. All she wanted was for him to be her
friend, not to follow her around like a puppy.
Harry clenched his jaw and his muscles tensed again, it sent shocks of pain through his
body. But he appreciated the pain. It kept him lucid, kept him awake.
He dragged himself out of the bath, his muscles cried out in agony, he ignored the pain
and towelled himself off.
Harry made his way to his room and changed into his clothes for the Cup later that day.
Jeans, a green button-up shirt and a sleek dragonhide leather jacket.
As he looked himself over in the mirror, he was reminded about the Basilisk he'd killed.
Harry wondered for a moment whether he could claim its corpse as its killer. He made a
mental note to ask his parents about it later; Basilisk parts must fetch a nice price. He
might even be able to get some combat robes made with the skin.
The green shirt looked good with his eyes, the same as his mother and sister. While he
didn't follow Quidditch as avidly as many other students at Hogwarts, he did enjoy
watching professional games and would be supporting Ireland in the final. As much out
of a vague sense of kinship as anything else.
His mother had told him once that her mothers' family had come from Ireland, hence the
red hair she had inherited.
'You look tired. You should rest. Bed hair won't be any different from normal, anyway.'
The mirror said in French as Harry stared at himself on its surface.
Harry sighed in front of the mirror and moved on slow, hesitant feet out of his room.
He walked slowly downstairs to the lounge, where Holly sat on the couch reading a
book with Charlus.
Holly smirked at him as he took a seat and let out a painted hiss.
Remus sat in a wing chair off to the side of the room, reading a book on advanced
transfiguration. The werewolf wore a concerned expression as his amber eyes settled
on Harry.
Harry waved off the werewolf's concern.
'Don't worry about it Remus, I just pushed myself a little too far this morning.' Harry said
and Remus smiled, returning to his book.
'Sirius will be joining us soon with Susan. Neither Amy nor James can take the night off
to watch the game with us. The Cup needs all the security it can get.' Remus said with
his eyes still in the book.
Harry nodded and a moment later, a loud crack echoed through the room.
Sirius appeared, with Orion in his arms and Susan beside him. The three joined the
group sitting on the couches.
Harry greeted them with a smile and flinched as Susan wrapped him in a hug.
She pulled back, worried.
'Sorry Susan, I just pushed myself too far this morning.' Harry said and Susan gave him
a worried look before she sat down next to Holly with Charlus.
Sirius flopped down on a two-seater near the fireplace with Orion in his arms who
giggled and reached out for Harry, whose eyes widened.
Sirius grinned before he sat Orion down on the couch beside him, he conjured a stuffed
bear for the six-year-old to play with.
Harry sighed in relief; not sure his body would handle a squirming child sitting on him.
Sirius ruffled Orion's hair before turning to the rest of the group.
'Okay everyone, we'll be taking a portkey to the stadium in twenty minutes. I want to get
there before all the crowds do.' He focussed on Harry next.
'I also wanted to check out the Potter tent. James told me that it was impressive, but we
never really had the chance to take it out of storage.' Sirius said, and Harry grinned
before he turned to Remus.
'So, Remus, will you be joining us in the festivities this time? Surely you're not being a
babysitter again?' Harry asked and Remus put down his book, quirking an eyebrow.
'No, this time the others have to look after their own children themselves for once. I'm
not missing this game.' The werewolf declared.
Sirius' eyes glinted with mischief.
'I'm willing to bet you Moony that Ireland wins it.' He said, and Remus rolled his eyes.
'Not a chance, Padfoot. Bulgaria is going to win for sure.' Remus said.
Harry smirked as his mother entered the room, dressed in her Irish team jersey.
'Ireland will win, but Krum will catch the snitch.' Lily proclaimed and the two Marauders
glanced at each other, nodded, then turned back to Lily.
'Deal. What are the terms?' Sirius asked.
Lily smirked and turned to Remus.

'You won't complain about babysitting for a year.' She said, then turned to Sirius.
'If I win the bet, it will mean you did too. So, if I win, it supersedes your win. Additionally,
you will keep James from doing anything too stupid for a month.' She said, and the two
Marauders glanced at each other again. Harry was certain they were having a silent
conversation somehow.
'Deal.' Remus said with a grin.
Lily turned to Harry, who was shaking his head at the two men.
'You, Harry, should behave. Or I'll be telling Fleur all sorts of embarrassing stories from
your childhood. We are sharing one of the top boxes after all.' Lily grinned and Harry
blanched.
Sirius huffed.
'Why do we have to share with whoever the Minister is bringing along with him?' he
asked.
Lily sighed, and rubbed her temples with her fingers.
'Wait, that means I have to put up with Draco and Neville?' Harry asked.
Holly snickered alongside Susan.
'Well, if you are paying attention to them instead of Fleur, then there's something wrong
with you.' Holly grinned.
Harry sighed, and admitted to himself that she had a point.
Lily smirked and walked into the kitchen, and returned a minute later with a bag of
snacks that she shrunk and tucked in a backpack she dropped on the floor in front of
her.
Sirius made to stand but yelped as a weak Stinging Hex hit his nose.
'Bad dog Sirius, these snacks are for later.' Lily said with a sweet smile and Sirius sat
back down, grumbling.
A few moments later, Sirius stopped muttering under his breath when he realised no
one was paying him any attention and checked his watch. He leapt from his spot on the
couch with a wide grin.
Harry smirked at seeing Orion barely react to the man's presence. The kid was used to
Sirius' antics.
'We're finally ready to go, right?' Sirius asked as he bounced in place.
Harry pushed down the pain that wracked his body as he dragged himself out of his
chair and joined the group as they all moved to the centre of the room.
Sirius bounced on his toes and ran out of the house. He pulled a simple rope out of his
pocket. Susan rolled her eyes and scooped Orion into her arms, then followed the
hyperactive man.
The rest of the group followed, and soon only Harry was inside the house, hobbling
behind the others. He joined them outside, where they all held the rope. Sirius waved at
him.
'Hurry up Harry, you don't want to miss the chance to see your Veela, do you?' Sirius
called.
Harry sped up and groaned as he took hold of the rope, whether from the pain of
hurrying himself or from embarrassment, he didn't know.
A few seconds after he took the rope, he felt the familiar, yet still uncomfortable
sensation of portkey travel, hooking him from his navel and tossing him halfway across
the country.
The next thing Harry knew was pain. His body seized when the already highly
uncomfortable experience of travelling by portkey turned excruciating when every
muscle screamed at him to stop.
He'd learned how to land via portkey years before, after a few embarrassing trips with
his father. But this time, he didn't have enough control of his body and ended up
dragging the group into one large pile of limbs.
'Sirius, release me, otherwise you'll never have children again.' Lily screamed.
Harry pushed through the pain to find Susan's chest pressed against his face in a not
unpleasant way.
Susan pulled away from him, her face red as Harry squirmed out from under her. Rather
than pull himself to his feet, he let out a huff and lay back on the grass to catch his
breath.
A minute later, the group had disentangled themselves and Sirius looked like a whipped
dog while Susan's face was redder than her hair as she looked at the ground.
Remus held Orion's hand while Holly held Charlus' hand a little away from the rest of
the group.
Remus and Holly were laughing at them while Lily muttered under her breath about
dogs needing to be neutered.
Taking a deep breath, Harry forced himself to his feet and clenched his jaw against the
pain.
'Who tripped you up?' James' voice came from behind them as he moved forward to
capture Lily's lips in a soft kiss.
All faces turned to Harry, and he ducked his head. James grinned.
'That's what happens when you push yourself too hard. I'm surprised it took this long for
it to happen, to be honest.' James said, and Harry rolled his eyes.
'Yes, everyone else has said the same thing. Now, where's the tent? I want to see Uncle
Sirius' jaw hit the flaw.' Harry said, hastily changing the subject.
James' grin widened and with a jolly wave he led the group from the portkey zone
toward a large tent. It was red and gold and at least a few square metres in size.
'How are we all going to fit in there?' Holly asked, frowning at the mid-sized tent.
Harry grinned and took her hand, leading her toward the crimson tent, and covered her
eyes.
'Is this really necessary, Harry?' she asked, and Harry nodded her head up and down.
Harry turned to see James doing the same with Sirius, to eye rolls from Lily and Susan.
Lily shrugged and sighed before she half-heartedly covered Susan's eyes.
They entered the Potter family tent, and Harry uncovered Holly's eyes at the same time
as James and Lily did the same.
Admittedly, Harry had only seen the tent once, but the others didn't need to know that.
Inside, everything was decorated in rich reds and golds, giving the abode a warm home
feeling. It had three floors, and each connected to the central area where they stood.
There was a staircase that started on the right-hand side of the room and hugged the
wall as it went up. On each floor, there was a landing that stuck out from the stairs and
at each landing there was a door that led further into the tent.
It was more like a secondary Potter Manor.
Harry forgot his pain as he watched Holly's eyes widen in wonder. He saw the same
expressions on Sirius and Susan's faces. He shared a grin with his parents and smirked
at Remus, who stood, mouth agape, his hand holding Charlus' and Orion's hands.
Harry moved in front of Holly.
'Welcome, to the Potter Tent.' He said and Susan stared up at the ceiling.
'Why bother with the pretence of a tent? This place is the size of Bones Manor.' Susan
asked, to several nods.
Lily laughed and smiled at Susan.

'Apparently, Potters have always had strange ideas compared to most wizards. James
told me once that the Potter that made this tent was one of the wizards who created
even more advanced Expansion Charms than are used in other tents.' Lily explained
while James moved beside her and put a hand on her waist.
'Yeah, this was just a toy to him. A toy he gifted to his son, who passed it on to his son
when it was still functional, and so on.' James added.
Charlus, it seemed, had grown bored with gawking, unlike the others in the entrance
hall.
'I'm hungry.' He said, breaking the spell that bound the rest of the group.
Harry grinned and walked to him, he ruffled his brother's red hair. He was nine years old
now, and wanted to be seen as a grown up, so with a scowl, Charlus tried to push away
Harry's hand with no success.
Harry chuckled and released Charlus before he turned to his parents.
'Hey guys, can I go explore the place?' he asked, and Lily smiled.
'Of course, honey, take the girls. I'll take Orion and Charlus with me, and I'll try to keep
Sirius from doing anything too stupid.' She said.
'Hey, I'm not that bad.' Sirius objected, but sighed as he saw the raised eyebrows from
the room.
'Fine, bullying redhead. Go ahead Harry, have fun with those two without me.' Sirius
gave a dramatic sigh.
'Look after them Harry and be back in an hour.' James called out as Harry waved and
led the two girls out of the tent.
Harry led Susan and Holly out of the tent and onto the grounds of the Quidditch World
Cup. Sounds of wizards and witches preparing for a big night filled the area, making it
hard to hear anything else.
There were families pitching tents, complete with brewing arguments on how to do it
properly. People walked back and forth, and Harry had trouble keeping track of
everything happening around him.
Holly gaped as a wizard walked past them wearing a muggle woman's strappy blue
dress. The man was overweight and hairy, the look just didn't suit him. She whispered
to Susan, who giggled, and Harry rolled his eyes. He figured he knew what they were
whispering about.
He smirked and pointed out a witch wearing a figure-hugging outfit. It looked like the
muggle superhero character, Superman, complete with red underwear and cape over
the light blue spandex.
The girls spluttered.
'Your mum is brilliant; I could imagine making the same mistakes as that lady if she
hadn't taught us all how to blend in with muggle fashion.' Susan muttered.
Harry grinned and chuckled as the witch happily chatted to a passing witch as a family
gawked at her nearby. He assumed the family was muggleborn.
'So, Harry, do you find her attractive?' Holly asked, and Harry snorted and continued to
walk.
'Sure, physically, she's pretty. But to show up wearing something like that? Most of the
Wizarding World is weird.' He said.
Susan chuckled and grabbed hold of his hand, and dragged him toward a stall nearby
that sold food.
Harry pushed down the pain that shot through his body as he was roughly dragged and
embraced the festive atmosphere of the day. The girls picked out a selection of foods
for the three of them, his treat.
They enjoyed the next hour as they explored the grounds under the ever-present
looming presence of the stadium.
He was looking forward to getting up to the stadium later, but his eyes constantly
roamed the crowd. Searching for faces and, much to his bemusement, found he was
searching for threats.
Harry sighed; it was becoming clear to him that the last few years of Hogwarts was
affecting him more than he'd thought. He was starting to become paranoid, looking for
threats in such a festive atmosphere. He was not the Boy-Who-Lived. Why would
anyone try to hurt him?
Which reminded him of the previous year at Hogwarts where Pettigrew targeted his
family.
Surely that wouldn't happen again.
'What's wrong, Harry?' Holly asked, her hand in his and he sighed.
'I'm probably going mad, but I caught myself searching for threats in the crowd.' He
admitted and blinked as both girls gave solemn nods.
Both girls took a hand of Harry's and led him back toward the tent. When they were
within sight of the tent, they stopped and moved in front of him. Holly kissed his cheek,
followed by Susan kissing his other cheek.
'We're doing the same thing.' Holly said.
'I feel safer with you around.' Susan shrugged, then looked down to the ground.
'I still have nightmares about what happened. But I'm okay because of you.' She
whispered in his ear as she hugged him.
Then both girls turned and walked into the tent, leaving Harry outside, staring at the
doorway of the tent. He shook himself out of his stupor as the smell of food wafted out
of the tent.
A few hours later, Harry sat in the Minister's box along with Sirius, Lily, Remus, Susan,
Holly, Charlus, and Orion. Also in the box was the Malfoy family who stood by their
seats with the British Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge.
Beside Fudge stood a squat, toad-like woman in bright pink.
There were a handful of dignitaries from Bulgaria and other nations, but the one family
he was looking forward to seeing was not there yet.
From his place in the room, he watched as whirlwind Weasley entered the Minister's
box. Seven Weasley's, Hermione and the Boy-Who-Lived entered the room. They were
led by Arthur and Molly, then Percy and the twins who Harry knew from school, though
not well.
After the twins came Neville, who had Ginny on one side wearing a wide smile and Ron
on the other side. Hermione walked at the end of the procession; her nose stuck in a
book on Charms.
Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath, preparing himself for the inevitable
confrontation. He liked the Weasley's, Ginny was one of his closest friends. But Ron's
attitude grated on him as much as Draco's and Neville's. The twins were fine if they did
not try to prank him or anyone close to him. Percy seemed a tad too stuffy and arrogant,
but Harry did not really know him enough to judge.
Overall, he was fond of the Weasley's, but as soon as they entered, a tension filled the
air between them and the three Malfoy's who, due to some quirk of fate, were forced to
sit beside the Weasley contingent.
Harry was momentarily amused by the expressions worn by Draco's parents, Lucius,
and Narcissa.
His amusement was short lived as he heard Apolline's musical voice speaking in French
with her daughters. Fleur walked near her mother with Gabrielle between them while
Dominique strode in front, a wide smile on his face as he noticed the Potters, and a
warm grin grew as he met Harry's gaze.
Harry sprung from his spot, ignoring the pain that flared up in his back as Fleur released
Gabrielle's hand and met Harry near the entrance in a tight hug.
Fleur wore the colours of the Irish team and Harry felt his breath leave him as he pulled
away from their hug with a wide, beaming smile.
He idly wondered if it was the Allure, but ignored it, the same as he ignored the pain that
wracked his arms and back. He greeted her with a wide smile before he turned to
Dominique and Apolline.
'Welcome, Dominique and Apolline, it's great to see you again. Or should it be
Ambassador and Mrs Delacour this evening?' he said, giving a short bow, causing a
flash of pain to run through his back.
Gabrielle ran to him and hugged him around his middle and beamed up at him, sparking
a fresh round of agony to rush through him, which he ignored.
'Greetings Harry, we are simply Dominique and Apolline to you, as always.' Apolline
said, her eyes twinkling.
'Now, take a seat young man, I think my daughters want to spend some time with you.'
Dominique said with a smile and Harry nodded before being dragged away to sit down
by Gabrielle who took Harry's seat next to Holly.
With Gabrielle on his right and Fleur took the seat to his left, Harry felt sweat break out
on his brow and clamped down on the pain in his body. Apolline took a seat next to
Fleur as Dominique kissed her cheek and walked toward Fudge.
From the corner of his eye, Harry noticed the Weasley boys, and Draco, even Lucius
and Arthur wore blank expressions as they stared at Fleur and Apolline. Neville was no
better and received a slap on the back of his head from Ginny and Hermione, breaking
him out of his stupor for a few moments, before he blanked out again.
Fleur took Harry's hand in hers as her face fell.
'I'm sorry Fleur.' He whispered, and she turned to him with a soft smile, before she
blinked, shocked.
'You're not affected by the Allure?' she breathed.
'I think I am; I haven't been able to keep my eyes away from you, and you literally took
my breath away when you entered the room.' He admitted, a lopsided smile on his face.
She beamed at him and opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by Ludo Bagman
who stood on the other side of their box, a microphone in his hands and his voice being
amplified across the stadium.
The game was about to begin.
A few minutes later, the Bulgarian mascots came out, the Veela cheerleaders wore what
the Wizarding World would class as skimpy, almost scandalous, outfits.
Harry watched as every teen and adult wizard, apart from Dominique and himself left
their seats and pressed themselves up against the glass of the viewing box. Both
Fleur's and Apolline's jaws clenched at the sight and Harry watched as Sirius stopped
himself halfway to his feet and quailed under the combined weight of Susan's and Lily's
glares.
Harry squeezed Fleur's hand again to distract her.
She gave him an astonished expression, blinking like an owl before she squeezed his
hand back and beamed at him, the scantily clad Veela cheerleaders in the distance
forgotten.
'Disgrace to the nation.' Apolline muttered as she shook her head is disgust at the
display down on the field.
'I have something to tell you later Harry.' Fleur whispered in his ear, her breath sent
shivers down his spine.
But before he could reply, the game begun and the next hour passed in a blur of death-
defying aerial acrobatics by all players.
Halfway through the match, the Veela cheerleaders got into a fight with the leprechauns.
They turned into avian hybrid creatures, like the Harpies of Greek mythology. They
threw fireballs across the field at the leprechauns as the little green clad people danced
a jig.
'And that, boys, is why you should never go for looks alone.' Harry overheard Arthur
Weasley tell his sons.
Beside him, Fleur and Apolline's eyes narrowed, and Dominique clenched his fists
before he relaxed them a few moments later.
Fleur noticed his eyes and smiled at him, she squeezed his hand while her eyes held a
deep hurt.
Harry watched the game continue until Viktor Krum caught the snitch, ending the match
and the crowd of magicals exploded into cheers.
Nearby, Lily cheered, and Harry smirked as both Sirius and Remus groaned.
A few hours later, Harry sat on a two-seater couch in the lounge room of the Potter tent,
off the main entrance way. Fleur sat beside him, and Gabrielle sat on his lap, her arms
wrapped around his neck as she slept. Much to the amusement of Susan and Holly.
Outside, the crowd of Quidditch fans partied, either in celebration or commiseration, it

didn't matter.
Fleur smiled at Harry before she turned to the two girls.
'So why is it that Harry has hit his growth spurt before you two? Aren't human girls
supposed to mature before boys?' she asked.
Harry stilled while Holly and Susan smirked at him.
Fleur blinked in surprise at their reactions before she turned a perfect raised eyebrow at
Harry, who sighed.
'On that note, we're going somewhere else.' Holly grinned, she took Susan's hand, and
rushed out of the room, leaving Harry alone with the two Veela.
Harry sighed and ran a hand through his already messy hair.
'In my first year at Hogwarts, I came across a room called the Room of Requirement.
I've told you that I train there on weekends.' He started and Fleur nodded, her angelic
face marred by a slight frown.
'Yes, but how does this explain-' she started and paused as he sighed again.
'The room also has the ability to compress time, giving me four hours in there for every
hour outside the room.' Harry explained and Fleur stared at him.
Harry froze as Fleur's gaze turned to a cold glare, the silence between them only broken
by Gabrielle's soft breathing.
'Do you know what you have done?' she hissed, her glare cold enough to freeze fire.
Harry met her glare with his own flat stare.
'I know exactly what I have done. I've been preparing to protect my friends and family;
which I have successfully done every year I've been at Hogwarts.' He declared.
Fleur's sky-blue eyes darkened as she stared into his.
'You have sacrificed years of your life.' She accused.
He nodded and reached out to rest a hand on hers. It twitched, but she didn't pull it
away.
'It has already been worth it. I've had time to work on my projects, like the bracelets to
protect against mind altering magics, my work on the mirrors and the protective
jewellery.' As Harry spoke, Fleur's eyes softened.
'If I hadn't been using the room, multiple students would likely have died, and a shadow
of Voldemort might have returned to the world.' He said, looking deep into her eyes.
'If I must be a few years older than my friends to keep even one of my loved one's safe,
it would be worth it.' He declared and her eyes no longer blazed with anger.
Fleur's sapphire gaze bore into his.
'How old are you now?' she asked, her voice soft.
He shrugged.
'As best as I can tell, somewhere between sixteen and seventeen.' He replied.
She sighed and took his hand in hers.
'I'm sorry Harry, for reacting how I did.' She whispered, looking at his fingers intertwined
with hers.
'I'm glad you care enough to, you are my best friend, I hope that you will continue to tell
me if I do anything potentially stupid.' He said, and she gave a weak smile.
Harry squeezed her hand in his and smiled once she met his gaze.
'What is it that you wanted to tell me during the game?' he asked, and she blinked
before smiling.
She opened her mouth to speak before a blood-curdling scream rent the night air, it
pierced the air of frivolity that had moments ago been present.
A moment later, an explosion rocked the tent and more screams echoed in the night. It
sounded like one of the muggle war movies he had watched with his father and Sirius a
few weeks earlier.
He held Gabrielle as she shot awake, soothing her until Holly and Susan rushed into the
room.
Harry handed Gabrielle to Fleur and flicked his wand hand, his wand appeared in an
instant.
Fleur's eyes widened as another explosion rocked the tent.
Harry led the girls into the main entrance hall to stand by the door. They waited for the
others to arrive.
He kept his wand aimed at the doorway.
Sirius rushed out of the room he shared with Amelia and the two rushed to the entrance
hall with Harry's group.
Amelia took a place in front of the door, her wand out, looking fierce.
'Sirius lead the kids to the forest where the wards end. Then take them to Potter Manor.'
She ordered and Sirius nodded.
Amelia turned to Fleur.
'Where are your parents Fleur?' she asked.
'At the Ministerial Party, they were going to get me afterward.' Fleur said and Amelia
groaned.
'Please go along with Sirius, protecting the children is of the utmost priority. I will ensure
your parents know where you are.' Amelia asked and Fleur nodded and met Harry's
gaze.
Sirius turned to Harry.
'I'll need help to protect these guys.' He said and Harry nodded.
'I'll help to get everyone home safe.' Harry said and turned to Susan and Holly.
'Can you two look after Charlus and Orion?' he asked and the two girls nodded.
Harry turned to Sirius.
'We're good to go.'
Sirius nodded and turned to Lily.
'I'll make sure everyone gets home safe Lils.'
Harry felt his tracker in his pocket vibrate and checked it.
Ginny had activated her danger charm.
'Damn. Remus. Ginny, and the Weasley's are in trouble.' He said and handed the
tracker to the werewolf who stood beside Lily.
'Don't worry Harry, we've got this. Now go.' Lily said.
Harry nodded and followed Sirius as he left the tent.
Sirius led their convoy through panicked crowds of magicals, many tents burned around
them, flames lit the area in a hellish crimson glow. Smoke and screams filled the
grounds. The cloying sweet smell of cooking meat hung in the air and Harry hoped it
was from the food stalls.
Behind Sirius, Susan carried Orion, whispering to him to keep him calm. Then Holly held
Charlus' hand, and behind them walked Harry and Fleur, each holding one of Gabrielle's
hands.
Stray spells sped through the air, deflected by shields cast by Sirius, Harry, or Fleur.
The convoy moved with a calm efficiency thanks to Holly and Susan keeping their
siblings calm, the two girls were used to dangerous situations thanks to their time in
Hogwarts.
Gabrielle turned terrified eyes between Harry's cold emerald orbs and Fleur's worried
sky-blue.
Harry glanced between Fleur beside him, to Holly and Susan in front of him. Fleur was
pale and it occurred to him that she might be used to dangerous situations like he, Holly
and Susan were.
Harry's eyes flashed with focus as he deflected a spell that would have hit Susan.
A stampede of fleeing witches and wizards rushed toward their convoy and Harry
watched in awe as Sirius waved his wand and tore a barrier of earth up two metres high
between the onrushing tide of panicked humanity and the convoy. The barrier redirected
the fleeing wizards and witches away from the group, leaving them safe.
'Come on guys, lets get out of here.' Harry whispered and deflected another stray spell
into the ground where a gout of dirt and grass exploded upward.
In the corner of his mind, Harry wondered why none of them turned and fought. He
sighed and returned his focus to the safety of their convoy.
He could see the forest where the anti-apparition wards ended. But a rushing sound
filled his ears from behind.
He spun and saw a jet of sickly green light that sped toward Fleur, with a flick of his
wand, he sent a piece of rubble in its path.
The rubble exploded when struck and sent shards of stone everywhere that Harry
shielded against wandlessly.
A trio of Killing Curses erupted from a line of smouldering tents and Sirius tore another
earthen wall from the ground to soak the three sickly green curses. The barrier couldn't
take it and exploded in a spray of dirt and dust.
Harry noticed Sirius' eyes droop and saw the sweat that poured off his brow, it made his
long hair stick to his face. He knew the signs of magical exhaustion when he saw them.
Those barriers must have been exhausting.
With the Killing Curses blocked, Harry met Sirius' eyes.
'Go Sirius, get them out of here. You're done.' Harry said and Sirius looked like he
would argue but nodded.
It was part of their training over the last few weeks, to follow orders and to not push
yourself, otherwise you risk the lives that you are protecting.
'Susan, Holly, go with Sirius. He'll get you out of here.' Harry ordered, and they followed
their training of the last few weeks.
Susan and Holly gave a last look at Harry before Susan nodded. The two girls took off
at a run, their younger siblings in tow and Sirius ran behind them. The older man
stumbled and tripped as he fought to keep up in his magically exhausted state.
Harry turned to Fleur.
'Please, follow them. I'll slow these guys down, then I'll be right behind you.' He said and
Fleur shook her head.
'Non, 'Arry. I will fight them by your side.' She hissed.
Fleur moved Gabrielle behind her and turned to face where the spells had come from.
'Fleur, please, just take Gabrielle and go.' Harry pleaded.
Fleur frowned, she brought up a shield which flickered as an orange spell struck it head
on.
'I am not some maiden 'Arry. I can protect myself.' Fleur hissed.
Harry growled and deflected a deep blue coloured spell. The spell crashed into the
ground, the dirt bubbled and spat as it sunk into a shallow crater.
But behind it was a vibrant red Crucio curse, which Harry only saw at the last moment
before it hit him.
Harry dropped to the damp ground and screamed as if he were stabbed by a million tiny
knives while on fire.
''Arry.' Fleur screamed.
She turned toward him and reached out to him with her left hand. Before she could
reach him, black ropes shot out of the darkness and wrapped around her and pinned
her arms to her sides in an instant.
Fleur fell to the ground beside Harry, bound by the black ropes.
Gabrielle screamed and stepped toward Fleur but was wrapped up in the same black
ropes before she could take another step.
Harry screamed louder as the Crucio tore through him, he tried to hide from the pain, to
use his budding Occlumency to create a partition in his mind where he could evade it.
Since he'd experienced Pettigrew's Crucio, Harry had tried to come up with a way to
defeat the curse.
But it was too much, and he could only writhe in agony as the one who cast the spell
approached the three teens.
An earthen wall tore itself out of the ground, much like Sirius had done earlier. But this
wall blocked Harry and the two Veela from view of the forest.
Three figures walked out of the thick smoke that filled the area, each wearing black
robes. The three all wore silver masks with intricate decorative markings that covered
their faces, they glistened a coppery red in the light cast by the fire's ruddy glow.
The pain ended and Harry groaned as the aftereffects of the Cruciatus wracked his
body, every twitch and convulsion sent new agony through his veins.
'Fleur.' He whispered.
Harry turned his gaze and saw Fleur bound in black ropes beside him.
''Arry. I'm sorry.' She said as she struggled.
Harry shook his head, then closed his eyes as the movement sent fresh pain throughout
his body.
'Shh, it's going to be okay.' Harry said.
Cruel laughter echoed through the area as faint screams in the distance carried on the
breeze.
Harry looked up and saw the three black robed figures. They towered over him as they
chuckled and sneered at Fleur. The left figure looked to the central figure and pointed at
Fleur.
'Avery, can I take the mature Veela, you two can have the baby Veela.' Said the left
figure, his voice low and filled with contempt.
The central man, Avery, snorted.
'Not a chance. The mature bird is mine, you two will share the little chick.' Growled
Avery.
Harry growled as his body spasmed again from the aftereffects of the curse. He glared
at the three while his body trembled.
'Oh look, the boy is scared.' Said the figure on the right in a deep cruel bass.
Harry tried to coax his muscles into obeying as Avery leant down and took Fleur's silver
hair in one hand. He flicked his wand and tore her robes to reveal her pristine, pale,
creamy skin.
The three men leered at her.
'Yeah boss, take it off.' Cheered the left figure as Avery waved his wand like a crazed
conductor, tearing Fleur's robes and revealed her lacy white bra.
The ropes tightened around the two Veela, squeezing Fleur's chest, making her breasts
bulge upward from the pressure.
Harry snarled, rage overpowering his pain. The rage boiled in his blood, and he heard it
singing in his mind, begging to be unleashed.
He didn't hesitate, he flung out his right hand, still holding his wand. The magic and rage
in him smothered his pain and trembling nerves.
A wave of pure, white magic fuelled by fury erupted from Harry, channelled through his
wand toward the three masked men.
The wave struck the three men before they could put up any sort of defence. All three
shot away from Harry with terrified screams escaping their throats. The figure who had
been standing on the right of the three crashed headfirst into the earthen wall beside the
bound girls.
He stopped with a sudden dull crunch.
The middle figure, Avery, disappeared into the smoke. A moment later a collapsing tent
sent up a wash of embers into the sky, signalling where he landed.
The third figure crashed into a tree twenty metres away with a sickening thud before he
slid to the ground where he didn't move.
Harry's vision grew dark, and his mind filled with fog. He crawled beside Fleur and took
his dragonhide jacket off, he wrapped it over her shoulders. Harry frowned as he waved
his wand over the ropes to remove them, but they stayed in place.
Fleur's eyes were closed as she struggled in her bonds.
Harry drew the two girls into an embrace as Gabrielle cried between them.
He tried to dispel the ropes again and nothing happened, was he out of magic?
His vision wavered and dizziness overwhelmed him for a moment.
Harry saw Avery come back into view. The man's silver mask was half melted and
charred flesh was visible through the tattered remains of his robes. Blood oozed down
his mask from the right-side eye hole.
Harry shifted so that he knelt between the man and the two Veela.
Avery gave a dark chuckle, and Harry knew the man wore a vicious smirk beneath his
ruined mask.
'I will have my way with your girlfriend, and neither will ever know the touch of kindness
for the rest of their short lives.' Avery snarled; his voice no longer filled with the
arrogance it held before.
Harry glared at the man, only sheer will kept the encroaching darkness of his vision
away.
A bolt of red light erupted from the smoke behind Avery and struck him in the back. The
masked man fell to his knees, then face first into the ground, boneless.
Harry squinted as the blackness of his vision would no longer be held at bay.
The last thing he saw was the face of his father.
Harry woke in his bed at Potter Manor, his eyes heavy, and his body sluggish. He
turned his head to see half a dozen empty potions vials, and he wondered what
happened.
His body felt, almost soft, like he was floating instead of lying in bed. Memories started
to return; he remembered the pain of the Cruciatus Curse.
He frowned and wondered idly if it was possible to build a resistance to the curse if
exposed to it enough.
Harry yawned and stretched, his limbs slow and ungainly, yet he revelled in the lack of
pain.
He lay back in his bed and wondered what happened, then more memories returned.
Memories of the World Cup.
Fleur.
Harry shot out of bed and promptly fell on his face, his legs collapsing under his weight.
He let out a groan and tried to push himself off the floor in vain. While he could move his
limbs, they had no strength.
Then it hit him, the empty vials beside his bed.
He had been dosed with pain potions and a strong numbing draught. That's why he had
no pain or trembling and twitching. The potions worked to block the messages his
muscles and brain sent to each other.
He groaned with his face pressed against the carpet and a little drool came out of his
mouth, then he gave in to the feeling of floating among the clouds.
He woke up again sometime during the night, though he didn't know how long he'd slept
for. But he was back in his bed and beside his bed sat more empty vials.
His thoughts turned to Fleur, and he tried to move his arms, they didn't work this time
and he figured his potions were stronger this time to stop him.
With a supreme effort, he managed to open his hand. He drew on his wandless magic
and called for the mirror Fleur gave him. His magic was sluggish, like trying to run
through water, but he persisted and urged his magic to function.
The mirror shot off his desk on the other side of the room and it hit his leg.
He called it again, and it came to his waiting hand.
'Fleur Delacour.' He croaked and a moment later he heard her voice.
''Arry? Are you okay? Why can't I see you?' her worried voice asked.
'I'm okay, I just can't move. How are you and Gabrielle?' he asked, his voice weak.
She was silent for a moment.
'I'm okay, or rather, I will be.' She paused.
'Thank you for saving us.' She whispered.
'It's okay now Fleur. You are safe. I'm sorry I couldn't stop them sooner, before they'd
done what they did.' He said, and he heard her growl.
'I will get better and stop anything like that from happening to you or Gabrielle again.' He
vowed and silence grew between them for a few seconds.
'I will not let anything like that happen again. I was overconfident and proud, never
again.' Her whisper echoed through Harry's room and the finality in her tone sent a chill
down his spine.
A knock on the door interrupted them.
'I'll talk to you later Fleur, I'm glad you're okay.' He said.
'Me too Harry, we'll talk tomorrow.' She whispered before the mirror deactivated.
He looked toward the door.
'You can come in.' Harry croaked; his voice hoarse.
Lily walked into the room and smiled at him.
'How are you feeling Harry?' she asked as she replaced the empty vials on his bedside
table with full ones.
He groaned and ran a hand through his hair, or he tried to. But his arm refused to move
off the bed and his hand did little more than flop for his trouble.
Harry sighed and looked at his mother.
'My body doesn't want to follow instructions.' He complained, and she gave a small grin
before she took a seat beside him on the bed.
She brushed a hand across his forehead and pushed his hair from his face.
'What you did was brave, amazing and foolish.' She sighed and continued to stroke his
hair.
'What actually happened?' she asked, and Harry took a breath.
He told her what happened after leaving the tent and as his story continued, her eyes
grew wide and filled with tears. When he got to the part where he released his wild
magic through his wand, she stared at him in wonder before she urged him to continue.
She stroked his hair the entire time.
Harry finished the story, his voice grew raspy as he spoke.
'Then I think I saw dad stun Avery, and I blacked out.' He said.
Lily had tears in her eyes as she leant down to hug him.
'You did an amazing job protecting Fleur and Gabrielle. I'm so proud of you, but I don't
want you fighting again. You're fourteen.' She said, her arms wrapped around him.
Harry's hand twitched in place as he tried to move it.
'Mum, since I started at Hogwarts, I've had to fight adult wizards or monsters each time.
I need to learn how to do it without getting hurt, I'm sick of getting beaten by everyone
and waking up in a bed after every fight. And besides, I'm more like sixteen or
seventeen after the time shenanigans.' He said and Lilly pulled back from her embrace,
her lips pursed.
She sighed and shook her head before she squeezed his hand.
'Harry, those three Death Eaters you fought...' Lily started.
Harry stared at her.
'Your father found two of them dead. He captured the one you said was Avery. Your
father told me that Avery was being interrogated as we speak and will be going straight
to Azkaban afterward.' Lily said, her voice only a whisper.
'I killed them?' Harry whispered.
Lily brushed her fingers over his forehead.
'From the story you told me, yes.' she said.

Harry looked up at her and saw pain in her eyes.
'Are you disappointed in me?' he asked.
Lily shook her head so hard her red hair whipped herself in the face.
'I could never be disappointed in you Harry. You're my son, and you killed them in self
defence. They attacked you, Fleur and Gabrielle. You had no other choice. I know that,
and so does your father.' Lily said and kissed his brow.
'Are you going to be okay with that?' Lily asked.
Harry sighed.
'I-I don't know. They attacked us and were going to do horrible things to Fleur and
Gabrielle if I hadn't stopped them.' he whispered and closed his eyes.
A tear slid down his face and he took a deep breath.
'What do I do now? I killed two people mum, how do I live with that?' he asked.
Lily's face wore a smile, but she struggled to hold back tears.
'You ask yourself whether you could live with what would have happened if you hadn't
killed them.' she said.
Harry gulped and he nodded.
'I couldn't. I couldn't live with myself if I had let them hurt Fleur or Gabrielle.' Harry
declared.
Lily nodded and kissed his brow again.
'I've taken life Harry, back in the first war. It is horrible, and you feel like you lose a little
of yourself each time. But you need to remember what it is you are fighting for, and who
you are fighting against.' she said.
Harry nodded.
'Thanks mum.' he said.
Lily smiled and sat back on the bed.
'There are only a few days left before you go back to Hogwarts. I want you to rest and
not push yourself.' She paused, her lips twisted into a smirk.
'I won't say to not do any exercise, but you are to take it easy. I've told Holly and Susan
to keep an eye on you.' Lily said and Harry sighed.
He opened his mouth to ask if it was necessary before seeing her raised eyebrows.
'Fine.' He huffed, though his half smile negated any heat in his tone.
'When will I be able to get out of bed?' he asked, and she narrowed her eyes at him.
'You wouldn't spend so much time recovering if you looked after yourself better.' She
said.
Harry sighed again and rolled his eyes.
He stopped himself from retorting and just nodded, which earned a wide smile from his
mother.
'I'm about to make dinner, I'll have Holly bring it up to you.' She grinned.
'You won't be leaving bed until tomorrow, so she'll have to feed you.' Lily said and
smiled at the look of dismay he wore.
'I love you.' She grinned impishly and left the room.
Harry looked up at the ceiling and let out a breath.
He reached out a hand toward the notebook on his desk, but his arm only flopped in
place. Sighing, he called on his wandless magic and his notebook shot across the room,
it missed his hand, and it slapped him in the face.
Harry let out a surprised shout as the notebook bounced off his face and fell to the floor,
followed by laughter from the door.
He turned to see Holly covering her mouth with a hand, trying to smother her laughter,
with limited success.
'I'm sorry for laughing at you brother. But that was pretty funny.' She grinned as she
moved across the room to stand beside his bed.
She scooped up his notebook and placed it on his chest, she patted the book before
she took a seat beside him on the bed.
'How are you feeling?' she smiled as he tried to move his hand toward the book and
failed.
Harry gave up on trying to move his limbs and turned his gaze toward his sister.
'I've been better, I didn't think I'd be this bad after the World Cup.' He admitted and she
facepalmed.
Holly shook her head and met his gaze.
'Are you being serious right now? You fought three adults, probably Death Eaters, beat
them using wild magic according to mum. You did this after hurting yourself that
morning by working out too hard.' She paused, glaring at him.
'Of course your body is refusing to work.' She growled.
Harry frowned and cocked his head to the side and Holly huffed.
'For someone so smart, sometimes you're worse than Ron Weasley.' She snapped.
'Hey.' He shot, then froze at the glare she sent him.
She put a finger over his lips, shushing him.
'You've been pushing yourself until you collapsed. Just think what you could have been
doing today if you hadn't hurt yourself training? You could be continuing to train; you're
wasting time recovering because you pushed too hard, and your body couldn't handle
it.' She said, her eyes never left his.
'If you really want to get better and to protect us, you need to make sure you're in peak
condition at all times. Right now, you're of no use to anyone.' She narrowed her eyes
and Harry blinked in surprise.
He let out a breath and broke eye contact, he looked up at the ceiling and considered
her words.
Harry let out a sigh a minute later and met her emerald gaze, he nodded.
'You're right.' He admitted, and she gave him a wide grin.
'Of course I'm right, I'm a girl.' She said, and patted his cheek.
Her eyes sparkled with mischief.
'So, how was your time with Fleur before everything went bad?' she asked, and he
smiled.
'It was really great to see her again after so long.' He grinned.
Holly laughed and gave him a knowing look.
'That fact that she's as pretty as Apolline has nothing to do with it though, right?' she
asked.
Harry clenched his jaw, a blush crept up his cheeks and his green eyes met hers.
'It had nothing to do with it. She's my best friend, she could have never changed, and it
wouldn't matter to me.' He said.
Holly rolled her eyes and patted his cheek.
'Geez, boys are dumb.' She shook her head.

Harry frowned, he cocked his head and gave her a questioning look.
She shook her head.
'Fine, be oblivious then.' She said, standing up.
'I'm going to go get us some dinner. Stay put.' She said, before she laughed and she left
the room.
Harry sighed and looked up at the ceiling again.
What did she mean about being oblivious? What was he missing?
The next morning, Harry was released from bed rest, and he returned to his morning
workouts with Holly and Susan and whatever adults were able to join them. He returned
to Grimmauld Place after breakfast that day and was forced to just watch as the two
girls received training from Sirius and Remus.
That afternoon he spent a few hours with Charlus, then a few hours with his mother in
her office.
He chatted with Fleur and Gabrielle before bed and was glad to see the two in high
spirits as the time for school approached once more.
The night before he was set to return to Hogwarts, he lay in bed holding his mirror and
smiled as he saw Fleur's face.
'Good evening, Fleur, excited to return to Beauxbatons tomorrow?' he said, and she
frowned.
'Not really, but Papa told me this morning that something big is happening this year.
Though he wouldn't tell me any more than that.' She said and Harry smiled.
'Well, it can't be a bad thing, right? Maybe it will shake things up there and the others
will leave you alone?' he said, and she scoffed.
'Not likely.' She muttered before focussed on him.
'How about you? How do you feel about your upcoming classes?' she asked, and he
smirked.
'I'm going to take my OWLs at the end of this year, and the NEWTs after my fifth year.
It's the earliest I'm allowed to take them.' He said, and she stared at him.
'Are you truly ready to take the tests early?' she asked, and Harry grinned.
'I've had an extra two or so years than the others, that time was spent training and
studying ahead. I could probably take my NEWTs right now and do well, but the law
won't let me.' He sighed.
She blinked at him before a hungry expression crossed her face, it was gone a moment
later, but Harry saw it. He'd been seeing it on her face during their chats increasingly
often, but he'd never asked her about it.
Harry grinned at her.
'I only wish we could spend more time together so I can show you everything I've been
doing.' He said and a haunted expression crossed her face.
'I've seen enough to believe you Harry.' She whispered.
Harry's grin faded, and he took a breath.
'I'm sorry for bringing up those memories.' He said, and she placed a faux smile on her
face.
'It's okay.' She said.
'Please don't lie to me Fleur. I know you are not okay, and that's okay. You don't need to
lie to make me feel better.' He said, and she blinked before she nodded.
'I'm sorry.' She said, and he gave her a soft smile.
'It's okay. I will do whatever I can to help you. Nothing like that will happen again if I can
do anything about it.' He said, and she blinked before letting out a breath.
'I won't let it happen again 'Arry. I never want to hear you scream like that again.' She
whispered, and the two fell silent for a few moments.
Fleur smiled at him.
'We should probably get to sleep; we both have long journeys tomorrow.' She said, her
voice soft.
'Yeah. I'm glad you got the mirrors working, because talking to you before bed is
something I look forward to every day.' He said, and she smiled, a slight blush on her
cheeks.
'Goodnight 'Arry.' She whispered and deactivated the mirror.
Harry lay back in bed and gave a long sigh before falling asleep.
*Chapter 20*: Chapter 19 - Fourth Year, Pt 1 1994
Chapter 19. Fourth Year, Part 1. 1994.
The next day, Harry sat in a compartment of the Hogwarts Express with Holly sitting
beside him in the window seat. She watched the scenery pass by while listening to the
conversation in the carriage.
Susan sat on Harry's other side. She smiled as she chatted in quiet tones with Hannah
about their summers. Opposite Harry sat Ginny, Luna, and Daphne.
Harry smiled as he watched Daphne and Luna huddle together, both reading an article
in the Quibbler. He held in a chuckle at the thought of the 'Ice Queen of Slytherin' and
'Loony Lovegood' being so close.
He loved his friends and was glad to see Susan smile after the events of the previous
year. Holly had recovered somewhat as well, but it was Susan who was actively
spending time with friends. Both girls still stayed by his side as often as possible and
neither was comfortable with sudden movements, but they were improving.
Harry let out a contented sigh, drawing Holly's gaze. She quirked an eyebrow, and
Harry smiled at the expression. So like their mother.
He sighed again and smiled, leaning into her ear.
'We have a great group of friends.' He whispered, and she smirked.
'Of course we do, it's because we don't have any stupid boys, except for you.' Her eyes
shone with mirth, and he huffed.
Susan patted his leg absently while continuing her conversation with Hannah.
Harry frowned and noticed both Daphne and Ginny trying not to look him in the eye,
hiding grins. He huffed again, drawing chuckles from the girls.
'Oh, get over yourself and open the door, there's been someone standing out there
trying to get in for a few minutes.' Holly laughed and Harry turned to the door and saw
silhouettes of three people, though he couldn't tell who it was.
He stood and moved to the door. He opened it to see Neville on the other side, the boy
wore a smug grin. Behind the Boy-Who-Lived stood Ronald, who appeared equally
smug. Off to the side stood an awkward-looking Hermione.
Harry rolled his eyes at Neville.

'Hello Brother, anything I can help you with this morning?' he asked, and Neville's
cheeks turned red for a moment before the smug smirk returned.
'Are you going to enter Potter?' Neville asked and Harry blinked, cocking his head to the
side.
'What are you talking about?' Harry asked, and Neville's smirk grew wider, mirrored by
Ronald's.
'Oh, I'm sorry. I almost let the secret out. We shouldn't tell any of the lesser Houses
about events they aren't important enough to know about.' Neville sneered before he
looked past Harry at Daphne, eyeing her up and down.
'I finally understand why you keep the snake around.' Neville added.
Harry clenched his jaw and leaned in close to Neville's ear.
'You're getting very close to annoying me, Brother. You need to leave, now, or not even
Hermione asking me to help you will convince me the next time something tries to kill
you.' Harry whispered, and Neville paled before Harry closed the door in front of his
face.
Harry turned back to the girls and sighed.
'I'm sorry for opening the door, I should have known better.' He said as he moved
toward his seat, where Holly patted for him to sit.
Once he took his seat, Holly smiled at him.
'You handled that better than I thought you would.' She said, and her gaze flitted to
Daphne, who looked uncomfortable.
Harry leaned forward in his seat and took Daphne's hands in his.
'I'm sorry I didn't take further action on Neville after his behaviour.' He said, his voice
soft.
She gave him a weak smile.
'It's okay, it's just that, I wonder if that's what everyone thinks?' she whispered.
Harry blinked for a moment before shaking his head. He gave her a smile.
'We've been friends for a long time. It doesn't matter what anyone thinks. What is
important is what you think, and your friends, but mostly you.' He said, and she smiled
up at him and nodded.
He let go of her hands and she leaned back in her seat and Luna put a small hand on
her leg, along with a smile that Daphne returned.
An hour later the compartment door opened to reveal a smug Draco as the boy pushed
his way into the small area, Crabbe, and Goyle beside him.
Harry rolled his eyes and met Draco's gaze.
'Hey Draco, did you already hear about Longbottom boasting that he would? Honestly,
who goes around telling everyone on the train? I guess that's why he'd never be a
Slytherin, right?' Harry said before Draco opened his mouth.
Draco froze, his eyes narrowed before he turned on the spot and rushed away, down
the corridor, his two friends close on his heels.
With a wave of his hand, Harry used wandless magic to close the door and released a
sigh.
He turned to the girls.
'Does anybody know about this mysterious event that we keep hearing about?' he
asked, and received a series of negative responses.
Susan sighed.
'I heard mum drop some hints something big was happening this year, something she
wasn't happy with. But I think she had made vows about it, that's the only reason I can
think of to explain why she didn't vent more to dad.' She said and Harry smiled at her,
referring to them as her parents. It was a big step for her.
He frowned for a moment before he nodded. He couldn't remember anything about it,
but he was distracted for most of the holidays.
Luna wore her, as usual for her, spaced out smile.
'I'm sure we'll find out soon, but it would be best to relax until then.' The small blonde
said, and the compartment filled with shrugs as the inhabitants returned to their
individual conversations. In Harry and Holly's case, a nap. Her head on his shoulder and
his head resting on hers.
Harry woke up as they approached Hogsmeade and together, the group went up to the
castle where they went to their respective House tables for one of the few times a year
where they could not sit together.
After dinner ended, Dumbledore stood at the centre of the head table, and the Great
Hall fell silent. From Harry's spot at the table, he saw Draco's smirk grow wide and
opposite him, he saw Hannah scowling toward the Gryffindor table. He assumed Neville
wore much the same expression as Draco by her scowl.
He hadn't noticed during dinner, but there were unfamiliar faces up at the head table. A
severe looking man with a small moustache, and a rotund, jovial looking man who
looked like he was once quite fit.
Harry frowned at the man. He looked familiar.
Along with the two unnamed people, there was a man Harry recognised from the
holidays, Mad-Eye Moody. He mentally berated himself for not noticing the new
potential threats until now. Obviously, his training with the paranoid Auror hadn't stuck
quite as well as Harry had thought.
Dumbledore opened his arms wide to the school, welcoming them without words.
'I would like to welcome our newest students to our wonderful school.' He paused and
looked down at the first years sitting at every house table.
'But I have a large announcement to make. Hogwarts will not be holding its Quidditch
Cup this year-' the Headmaster was interrupted by a sizable portion of the student body
booing him.
Harry blinked; he hadn't thought the announcement merited that sort of response. But
then, he didn't care too much about school Quidditch.
Dumbledore nodded and smiled down at the almost rioting students, patting the air with
his hands.
'Now, now, quiet now. That's not all.' He said, and the Hall quietened after a few
moments.
'Instead of the Quidditch Cup, Hogwarts will host the Triwizard Tournament.' He
announced, and Harry was sure he could hear crickets in the distance.
'The Triwizard Tournament is a competition first started around seven hundred years
ago. Since then, there have been many times it was hosted by Hogwarts. It involves
three schools of magic, Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang.' Dumbledore paused
and whispers erupted among the crowd.
Harry's only thought was whether he might see Fleur this year.
'This competition is intended to foster international relations and to broaden your

horizons. The world is much larger than Britain, this competition will prove that.' The
Headmaster smiled around the Hall before he gestured to the two unknown faces who
sat at the staff table.
'We have guests this year who will oversee the day to day running of the Tournament.
Let me introduce Bartemius Crouch and Ludo Bagman. The two will be joined by the
Heads of the three schools as judges.' Dumbledore said and Harry realised who the
rotund man was, the announcer from the Quidditch World Cup.
'There has not been a Tournament since 1792, where the judges were injured, and all
three Champions died. I stress this point to you all, this competition will be dangerous
and not for the faint of heart.' The Headmaster let that settle for a moment before
continuing.
'However, winning the Cup will award you one thousand Galleons and eternal glory. Not
to mention showing the wizarding world that Hogwarts is the Premier school of magic in
Europe.' Dumbledore said with a slight grin.
Harry rolled his eyes at the silence in the room as the students digested the information
given to them.
He leant over to Susan beside him.
'Why are they hosting such a dangerous competition? If adults, professionals, were
doing it, that could be interesting, but students? It makes no sense.' He hissed, and
Susan rolled her eyes at him.
'Even though we were raised as Heirs and Heiresses of our Houses, your mother's
influence gave us a perspective most magicals don't share. Logic. Of course, it doesn't
make sense, it's a death sport for children. But magicals have a logic sized blind spot.'
She explained, and Harry nodded.
'Are you willing to bet that Neville will find himself in the Tournament?' he asked, and
she scoffed.
'It's almost a guarantee, each year he's been here, he's been in the thick of a plot to kill
him, except for last year.' She said.
Harry fell quiet and squeezed her thigh under the table. She gave him a small smile and
sighed.
The room burst into noise and both Harry and Susan looked up, blinking at the sudden
outcry.
They both turned to Hannah, who huffed.
'There's going to be an age line put around the Goblet of Fire and only those seventeen
and older can enter.' Hannah explained, and Harry turned back to Susan.
'Are you sure you don't want to take that bet after all?' he asked, and she narrowed her
eyes before shaking her head.
'Neville will still find a way in.' Susan admitted and Harry chuckled, figuring she was
right.
The Headmaster sent them all to bed soon afterward.
Harry made his way into his dorm, but before he reached his bed, he felt a hand on his
shoulder.
He turned and saw Justin Finch-Fletchley. The boy looked nervous.
'Harry?' Justin asked.
Harry blinked. This was the first time he'd ever really talked to any of the boys in his
dorm.
'Justin? What's up? How was your holiday, after, well you know.' Harry asked.
Justin tensed, then let out a breath.
'Awkward.' Justin muttered.
Justin's gaze fell on Harry's desk and Harry led him to sit down, then took a seat on his
bed, facing the other boy.
'I bet it was, after everything that happened. But is everything, okay?' Harry hesitated.
He didn't really know what to say to the boy.
Justin shrugged.
'My parents, they tend not to be in the same room as each other any more. Niether of
them seemed to want to spend any time with me either, so I was alone for the most part
over the summer.' Justin said, then looked up at Harry.
'I saw what Pettigrew did to you, he cast the Imperious Curse on you, and you shrugged
it off. How?' Justin asked.
Harry shrugged.
'I'm not sure if I did, I have a bracelet that protects against mental intrusion. Did you
want one too?' Harry asked.
Justin blinked.
'A-a bracelet protected you from the curse? But it's an unforgivable?' Justin said and
Harry shrugged.
'I don't know what to say, its either that, or I'm somehow able to shake it off. But what I
do know is that the bracelets worked for the girls.' Harry explained.
Justin stared at the floor for a few seconds.
'Whatever it costs, I want three of those bracelets. I'll do anything.' Justin whispered, his
eyes still locked on the floor.
Harry smiled.
'No cost at all. My mum is going to make them to sell in her shop, but I'll make you three
when I get a few moments. I assume the other two are for your parents?' Harry asked.
Justin nodded.
'Maybe, if they have these bracelets, they'll be able to talk to each other again.' Justin
muttered.
Harry remained silent for a few seconds.
Justin shook himself.
'I'm sorry, I'll let you go to bed. Thank you Harry, for everything.' the boy said.
Harry nodded.
'Anytime Justin, sleep well.' Harry said.
Justin stood and moved to his own bed. Harry sighed and flopped down on his bed, he
drew the curtains around him and warded the bed for silence and against intruders,
much like his wards from the year before.
Harry checked his watch once he was set up inside his bed. It was eight thirty. He
grinned and pulled out his ornate mirror.
'Fleur Delacour.' He said and a moment later, her face appeared on the surface of the
mirror.
She beamed at him.
'I'm coming to Hogwarts this year.' She grinned, and Harry matched her grin with his
own.
'I was just told as well, I'm so excited that we'll be able to spend most of a year
together.' He said and couldn't help the happiness he felt at that moment.
'Were you told of the age restrictions?' she asked, and he nodded.
'Is your entire year coming, or just the people who want to compete?' he asked.
She grinned.
'The top twelve students will travel to Hogwarts to put their names in to compete. I will
be in those twelve students and will, of course, be the Beauxbatons Champion.' She
declared, and Harry gave her a soft smile.
'Do you know how the last Tournament ended?' he asked, and her face fell.
'The judges were injured, and the Champions died in the first task.' She said and took a
breath.
'Do you think I shouldn't compete?' she asked, her voice soft.
'You should do what you want to. If you compete, then I will do everything in my power
to make you win.' He said, and she stared at him.
'Are you sure? Then Hogwarts wouldn't win?' she asked, and Harry laughed.
'I'd rather my best friend win.' He said, simply.
She blushed.
'Thank you, 'Arry.' She said, then narrowed her eyes at him.
'Are you going to enter? You might be able to with your time shenanigans.' She asked,
and Harry laughed again.
'I have no interest in the competition. I'd rather spend my time getting good enough to
protect those I care about. It would be hard to protect you if I were also competing with
you.' He said, and she sighed.
'You're impossible.' She said and tucked a strand of silver hair behind her ear.
Their conversation turned to other topics, and they talked long into the night until their
drooping eyes forced them to go to sleep.
The next day, a Tuesday, started their classes. In the Great Hall at breakfast, both
Neville, and Draco announced they would be a Champion, regardless of the age line.
Their squabble erupted into spell fire a few moments later.
Draco fired a Tooth Enlarging curse at Neville, who deflected it. But he didn't pay
attention to where it went, which resulted in Luna dodging out of the way and the spell
hitting a fifth-year Ravenclaw girl whose back was turned.
Neville's return spell was a Flatulence Hex which Draco batted away into the Hufflepuff
table.
Harry created a shield to absorb the spell before it hit anybody.
Harry sighed and stood from the table and before the Professors even left their table to
intervene, he ended the fight.
A silent Stunner hit each boy, and both fell to the floor like puppets whose strings were
cut. The Hall stared in shock at the two stunned boys, then at Harry.
He stood behind his seat and waited for the Professors to arrive. A few moments later,
Professors McGonagall and Snape stopped in front of him, breathing hard.
'I apologise Professors.' He said, then gestured to the crying Fifth-year girl being
soothed by Luna and the girl's other friends.
'I didn't want anyone else to suffer from the actions of these two.' He gestured vaguely
toward the stunned forms of Draco and Neville.
Snape looked furious, but McGonagall spoke first.
'Admirable your reasons may be, you still attacked two students.' She said and Snape
blinked, then stared at McGonagall as she glared at Harry.
Harry nodded.
'I'll accept any punishment you deem fit, assuming the other two suffer the same or
worse. All I did was finish their fight, without harming innocents.' He declared.
A small smirk crossed Snape's face, which disappeared as soon as it came.
'Ten points for Hufflepuff for decisive action to protect innocents. But I'm taking twenty
points from Hufflepuff for attacking fellow students.' Snape said and McGonagall blinked
at the man before she let out a sigh.
She turned back to Harry and waved him away.
Harry nodded and sat back down in his seat and returned to his breakfast amid the
stares of much of the school.
'You're now officially the centre of attention.' whispered Susan.
On Harry's other side sat Daphne, who shook her head and ran a hand through her long
blonde hair.
'Harry, with that action, there are now three factions in contention for power in
Hogwarts.' She said and Harry sighed.
'I don't care about any of that.' He said.
Holly groaned from across the table.
'Like it or not, you have some real influence in the school.' She said, and Harry huffed
before he took a bite of toast.
He looked between the girls and shook his head.
'I can't be responsible for everyone. I already have enough on my plate with you guys.'
He said, and they all smiled at him.
The clomping gait of Moody alerted the group to his presence, and he stopped behind
Harry.
'Well done, Potter.' He growled before he stomped up to the head table and sat beside
an uncomfortable looking Professor Sinistra.
A few minutes later, Professor Sprout gave out their timetables, and Harry enjoyed his
breakfast before heading to class.
After the last class of the day ended, Harry pulled out the Marauders Map to check it,
like he had done periodically throughout the day to check up on his friends. On it, he
saw a new name, 'Bartemius Crouch'. The name moved through the castle at speed
and Harry narrowed his eyes, thinking hard before the name's significance struck him.
But what was a Triwizard judge doing running around the castle? He shrugged, more
surprised the old man could move that fast in the first place.
The first few days of classes went by without issue. Harry was far beyond his peers and,
after completing the allotted task, he helped the others around him or did some self-
study.
Their first class for Defence Against the Dark Arts on Friday did not follow the same
trend.
Harry entered the class, which held Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw students. He sat between
Susan on his left and Justin, who sat on his right. Justin had been strange since
returning for fourth year, he'd been quiet and nervous, jumping at sudden noises. The
events of their third year had had a deep effect on the other boy.
Harry felt something off in the air. He tensed in his seat and Susan mirrored his position,
ready to leap out of their chairs at the first sign of trouble, wand in hand. Harry's eyes
darted across the room. The other students noticed and began whispering amongst
themselves.
The gazes of the other students roamed around the room like his, nervous whispers
filling the air.
Anxiety filled the classroom and Harry was sure he could feel something hidden near
the Professor's desk.
Without warning, Stunners and Body Binds shot out from an empty space beside the
desk, hitting students left and right.
Harry alternated between shielding him and his friends with wandless shields, while
using his wand to project a new shield he had learned over the other students at a
distance.
Beside him, Susan held her shield to protect herself and Hannah, to reduce the strain
on Harry's magic. Every few seconds, she fired Stunners down at the spot where they
were being attacked from, only for her spells to be deflected mid-air.
After a minute, the spells stopped, and Moody removed an Invisibility Cloak from himself
and tossed the cloak on the back of his chair.
'CONSTANT VIGILANCE.' He roared, making most of the class jump in their seats.
'If I could award OWL results in class, Mister Potter would receive an O. Miss Bones
too, for that matter.' He growled at the class.
Moody enervated the students he had stunned, then he dispelled the binds he had hit
other students with.
'Those two alone realised something was amiss, and both took action to protect the
innocent.' Moody barked, then turned to Harry with both eyes.
'How?' the grizzled Auror asked, and Harry shrugged.
'It was just a feeling, sir. At first, it was just something felt wrong. Then, before you
started to fire spells, I was sure I could feel you beside the desk. Maybe I could sense
the magic you were gathering to cast a spell?' Harry asked, and Moody barked out a
laugh.
'Potter here is spot on. That is a technique only the best Aurors can learn, and Potter
has a head start and can almost do it naturally. Astounding.' Moody said and waved his
hand at the students.
'Take your seats and settle in.' The Auror instructed, and the students pulled out their
quills and parchment, ready to take notes.
Moody paced in front of the class; a deep scowl visible on his scarred face.
'Because of the amount of defence professors you've had in your time here, you are
behind in several areas. Mostly in actual spells to defend yourselves in standard
situations, or Merlin forbid, Death Eaters.' He started, and the class sat enthralled as he
paced up and down the classroom, an ominous thunk every second step from his fake
leg.
'Now, we'll be starting you off with some of the worst spells you're likely to encounter.
What makes these spells the worst is not that they are powerful, which they are. It is
because they need certain emotions to cast.' Moody paused and his good eye roamed
across the class in a constant cyclopean glare.
'They are almost entirely intent based.' He added and drew his wand. He pointed it at
the board behind him.
'Who can name me one of the three Unforgivable Curses?' the scarred man asked, and
the class sat in silence for a few seconds.
After the silence began to drag, Su Li, a Ravenclaw Harry barely knew, raised her hand.
'Yes, Li?' Moody prompted, and Su took a steadying breath.
'The Cruciatus Curse.' She said, hesitating halfway through.
Moody looked at Harry with both eyes and Harry felt the sudden urge to hit his father
and Sirius, who were most likely responsible for telling the grizzled man.
'Another?' Moody asked, flicking his wand at the board where the curse appeared on
the board.
Justin muttered something Harry could not hear, and Moody turned both eyes on the
boy.
'Say that again, Finch-Fletchley.' Moody growled and Justin gulped in his seat.
'The Im-Imperius, sir.' Justin whispered, but it somehow carried through the room.
Moody nodded and flicked his wand at the board again.
'Yes, the Imperius is one of the worst spells out there. It not only affects the one it is
cast on, but depending on the whims of the caster, their families too.' Moody explained,
and Justin paled as tears welled in his eyes.
Harry narrowed his eyes at Moody. He watched the Auror and wondered how much the
man knew.
'What about the third one?' Moody asked, and Susan raised her hand.
'Bones?' Moody growled.
'The Killing Curse.' She said, her voice only a little louder than Justin's.
Moody nodded. He flicked his wand at the board a third time, and the name of the curse
appeared. The man's eyes settled on Susan, her shoulders trembled.
Harry placed a hand on her thigh, remembering his Aunt Amelia telling him how Susan's
parents died. Susan turned a weak smile toward him and wrapped her hand around his
and squeezed.
Moody turned away and sighed, waving his wand at an empty fish tank with three
spiders in it.
Harry's eyes widened.
'No.' he breathed, unable to believe what he thought Moody was about to do.
At his whisper, Susan looked up, breaking free of her memories, and her eyes widened
as well.
The class sat in silent disbelief as Moody levitated one spider out of the tank and sent a
silent Engorgio at it, making it the size of a Labrador.
'You need to see the effects of these three spells. Just hearing about them is not
enough. None of them leave a mark and casting any of them at a person will land you in
Azkaban for life.' Moody explained.
'Crucio.' He said, pointing his wand at the massive spider.
Not one student in the room doubted that the spider felt pain. Harry's body was tense,
ready to spring into action. He hadn't known that spiders even made any sound, let
alone be able to scream in pain.
It was a high-pitched whistle that would be present in the nightmares of the students for
years.
The curse ended, and he dropped it back in the tank, its legs folded up above it as it lay
on its back, twitching. He left it engorged and drew another spider out of the tank,
making it grow before the eyes of the class.
'Imperio.' He said and the second spider stood perfectly still. It no longer struggled, just
stood in front of the scarred Auror.
The class watched, stunned silence giving way to whispers as the spider didn't move.
'This one's not too bad, is it?' Moody asked and a few head nods answered him.
Beside Harry, Justin sat frozen in his chair. Tears flowed down his ashen face, and his
brown eyes filled with horror.
Harry glared at Moody.
Then, without warning, the spider leapt into the tank and used its massive legs and
fangs to tear apart the twitching spider that was hit by the Cruciatus. The Imperiused
spider leapt out of the tank a moment later and stood where it had previously been.
The creature was worse for wear, its body not made for that sort of behaviour. Harry
doubted that, if left to its own devices, it would survive very long.
Then the spider was in the air, leaping toward Padma Patil, who sat in the front row.
Harry could not sit and watch any longer and created a shield in front of Padma. The
spider crashed into it and fell to the floor.
A moment later, it exploded from a Bludgeoning Hex fired by Justin.
Guts oozed out of the spider as it sat forgotten on the floor in front of Padma's desk.
Forgotten, because Moody took the third spider out of the tank and it grew before their
eyes, and everybody knew what was coming.
'Avada Kedavra.' A flash of sickly green light erupted from Moody's wand, enveloping
the enlarged spider, which slumped down and died in an instant.
Harry stared at the spell that he'd seen at the World Cup. He had blocked one of those
curses aimed at Fleur with a rock. What if he had missed the interception?
The class sat in silence. They stared at the massive dead spider, or the grizzled Auror
behind it.
'Those three courses are some of the worst spells you could encounter. They are by no
means the worst, but they are up there. However, they are unforgivable because to use
them, you have to want to with every fibre of your heart.' He explained, his words
transcribing onto the board behind him.
He pointed at the torn apart remains of the spider in the tank.
'The Cruciatus? You must want to cast it, to inflict unimaginable pain. You have to yearn
for it.' He said, and Harry felt a shiver run down his spine. And not a good one.
'The Imperius? You have to need to dominate the will of another with your entire being.'
The grizzled Auror said. He pointed at the crushed spider on the floor in front of
Padma's desk.
His electric blue eye darted around the class, independent of his normal eye.
'The Killing Curse? To cast it correctly, you need to want that person dead with every
fibre of who you are. With no hidden doubts or emotions.' Moody growled and looked at
the spider on the desk in front of him.
'Only one person is thought to have survived being hit with the Killing Curse, and he
goes to school with you.' He said, still looking at the dead spider with his good eye.
Then Moody looked up and watched the class.
'To cast these spells, you need to be a horrible person. I have seen a great deal in my
life, young ones. I got these scars over a long career hunting the worst criminals our
world has to offer.' He paused, squinting up into the students' still pale faces.
'Most of them can't cast these spells, even less cast all three. That is what made the
Death Eaters so terrifying in the last war, they could all cast these three spells.' He said
and let that sink in.
Moody paced in front of the class, every eye on him.
'Being an Auror is one of the most rewarding careers I can think of, but be warned, it will
not be an easy life. Hunting the scum of our world will become your life. But, with every
dark wizard you put in Azkaban, the world becomes a slightly better place, safer for your
friends and family.' He explained and waved his wand at the remains of the spiders, and
they disappeared.
'Now, before your next class, I want two feet on the Unforgivable Curses. Extra points if
you can find a way to justify their use.' Moody said, before moving to stand behind his
desk.
That night, Harry sat in the Room of Requirement in front of the fireplace it provided,
staring into the flames, his thoughts filled with spiders and visions of the World Cup.
Monday morning arrived and Harry entered the Great Hall for breakfast to find Hermione
sitting with Daphne, Susan, and Holly. He joined them moments later and noticed their
grim expressions.
'Hey guys, why the grim faces? What did I miss?' he asked, and the girls looked at each
other, Hannah, and Luna on either side of Hermione.
Holly sighed and met Harry's gaze.
'We think things are going to get uncomfortable in the castle soon.' Holly paused and
took a breath before she continued at Harry's raised eyebrow.
'According to what we've heard-' here she gestured around the group of girls.
'- Neville is going to try to use his influence to make the older students force you to
follow him.' Holly said.
Hermione nodded, her eyes downcast.
Daphne leaned forward, her eyes flashing.
'Last night, Draco was power playing in the Slytherin Common room. He is using every
shred of influence he can muster from his father to convince the older students to
humiliate you.' Daphne explained and Hermione's face fell into her hands as she cried.
Harry looked at Hannah and motioned with his eyes toward Hermione. Hannah nodded
and wrapped the bushy haired witch into a hug, which Luna joined a moment later.
Harry smiled before he let out a deep sigh.
'It seems that rather than monsters and evil wizards, this year we have to contend with
the rest of the school.' He paused, glancing at Hermione for a moment before turning to
meet each girl's gaze.
'I think it would be safest if you all travel in groups, not necessarily in our group, but with
your other friends, too. Don't give these older students the opportunity to attack you
alone.' Harry said, and his jaw tightened.
He closed his eyes and took a calming breath. When he opened his eyes, he met
Holly's gaze first.
'I can look after myself. I have no doubts about that. But you should only have to worry
about school, not idiots trying to play politics.' Harry growled.
Hermione sat up, removing herself from Hannah and Luna's embrace. She met Harry's
emerald eyes.
'Neville gave me an ultimatum last night. I was either with him, or against him. He said
that you've been trying to make him look bad for too long and it was past time to show
you where your place was.' She whispered; her eyes filled with hurt.
Harry reached out and took her hand across the table.
'I'm sorry. You shouldn't have had to make that choice.' He said, and the girls nodded,
and those close enough reached out and patted her arm in reassurance.
Harry released Hermione's hand and stood.
'I need to have a few conversations with people.' He said, and noticed Holly and Susan
smirk at each other.
After their time training during the summer, they would be confident that Harry could
take any seventh-year student with ease. Harry wore his own smirk for a moment,
before it turned cold, and he turned away from his friends and strode toward the head
table.
He stopped in front of Dumbledore.
'Do you have a few moments to spare, sir?' Harry asked and Dumbledore quirked an
eyebrow over his half-moon glasses and nodded.
'What can I help you with, Mister Potter?' the Headmaster asked.
Harry let out a breath.
'Are you aware of the altercation that occurred last week, between Neville Longbottom
and Draco Malfoy in this very Hall that I stopped by stunning both boys?' Harry paused
and Dumbledore nodded.
'I have received word that both boys are planning separate retaliatory actions against
my interference. Now, I am not concerned about my wellbeing, I can look after myself.
But I am worried about my friends.' He said and resisted the urge to turn around to look
at them.
Dumbledore met Harry's gaze and waited for Harry to continue.
'Would the Professors get involved to protect my friends if attacked by the upper year
students? I suspect both boys plan to use their respective influence on the older
students to enforce their will on me, hurting me through my friends.' Harry said as he
pulled a new Marauders Map from his pocket and placed it on the table in front of
Dumbledore.
The Headmaster's eyes moved to the blank piece of parchment.
'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.' Harry said and the Headmaster's eyes
widened as he watched the map scrawl across the parchment.
Dumbledore blinked as he saw all the names in the Great Hall.
Idly, Harry noticed Bartemius Crouch near the greenhouses and wondered why a
Triwizard judge would be down there, but instead focussed his attention back on the
Headmaster.
'My father and his group of friends in school created the original map. I have used it to
keep track of my friends until now, and my friends have access to a few as well.' He
said.
Dumbledore continued staring at the map.
'What I am asking, sir, is that if can supply each of the Professors with one of these
maps, could they keep an eye on my friends? I can't defend them at every moment.' He
admitted and watched as the Headmaster let out a sigh of relief as he looked up from
the map.
Harry noted the sigh and wondered what Dumbledore saw on the map to make him
relieved, but shrugged it off as a question for later.
Dumbledore met Harry's gaze.
'What do you want in return for such marvellous items, Mister Potter?' the Headmaster
asked, and Harry blinked and shook his head.
'Only for the Professors to protect my friends using their best judgement.' Harry said and
Dumbledore blinked before he sat back in his golden throne-like chair.
The Headmaster wore a grandfatherly smile and nodded.
'Of course, the Professors will protect any student in the school, and armed with these
marvellous maps, they will do so more effectively.' The ancient wizard said, and Harry
nodded.
'Thank you for your time, Professor. I'll get the extra maps to the Professor's as soon as
possible.' Harry said and gave a quick bow to the Headmaster and turned away, toward
the Gryffindor table.
Harry strode across the Hall, toward the red and gold table of Lions. As he moved, he
made a mental note to contact his father and ask for more Marauder's Maps.
He stifled a grin at the thought of what Sirius would say when he found out Harry
promised maps for all the staff, including Severus. He couldn't stifle a soft chuckle at the
thought, and the Marauders thought their pranking ways had skipped a generation.
Harry stopped beside Neville at the Gryffindor table. He noted the looks of distrust and
outright hostility aimed at him from the upper years. Harry smiled down at Neville.
'How are you feeling today, Brother? I'm always available for family whenever they need
to talk.' Harry said and Neville leapt from his seat, red faced and furious.
'I am sick of being in your shadow. I am the Boy-Who-Lived, it's supposed to be me who
is the one that everyone looks to for guidance and leadership. It's been me who has
been trained since birth to be the next leader of the light.' Neville snarled and spittle
sprayed from his mouth.
Harry turned to face Neville and moved to rest a hand on the boy's arm, which Neville
shrugged off.
'I will be Prefect, and Head Boy. It will be me who ushers in a new era of prosperity for
the Wizarding World, not you, Potter. The Potter family has fallen from its once lofty
heights. It used to be amongst the greatest of Houses.' Neville's face was so red that
Harry thought he would explode any minute.
'No more, with someone like you at its head, it will become no more than a memory,
nothing more than a footnote in history books that nobody reads.' Neville shouted.
Harry noted the level of hostility aimed at him from the Gryffindors faded as they
watched Neville's rant.
He sighed.
'Brother, why have you always hated me? You have always targeted your anger and
vitriol at me and my family. Why? What did we do to deserve your hatred?' he asked.
Neville glared at him, unaware of the entire Hall watching them.
'Even after the last few years where I have helped you, you still hate me. Tell me, why
are we not brothers in your eyes?' Harry asked, and the Hall fell silent, awaiting the
response.
Neville's glare flickered for a moment, revealing a deep pain, but it returned full force as
Neville's hand reached out and grabbed Harry's robe, pulling him close.
'Because you still have your parents.' Neville hissed.
Harry stepped back, as if slapped and blinked.
Then he nodded.
He took a deep breath and let it out, then loud enough to be heard by the onlooking
students.
'I wish it were different, that we could be the family I know we are. But regardless of
that, if you target my friends in any kind of attack, I will take it personally and will hold
you accountable.' Harry paused, his gaze bored into Neville's.
'Potters are not known to be forgiving when attacked.' He finished and silence reigned in
the Great Hall.
Harry gave Neville a small nod, before sending a wink to Ginny who sat beside him and
walked away.
He moved across the Great Hall toward the Slytherin table, every eye in the Great Hall
on his every movement.
Moments later, he stood behind Draco Malfoy, the slicked back, blonde hair marking
him out amongst the Slytherins.
Harry leant down to whisper in Draco's ear.
'We also have a familial bond, Draco, through my Godfather. The House of Black does
not appreciate infighting, at least not in public.' He paused for a moment.
'I have no qualms dealing with any Slytherins who feel brave enough to try to intimidate
me. But that is where it stops, my friends are off the table. They will not be targeted. If
you have decided to see me as an enemy rather than an ally, that doesn't bother me.'
Harry said, his voice low enough that only Draco could hear him.
'But I will not allow my friends to be hurt, and attacks on them will be dealt with. And that
retribution will be as swift as it will be terrible.' Harry paused again. He offered a carrot
after giving him the stick.
'But we don't have to be enemies. I have no interest in the control of Slytherin House, or
any of the houses. I only want my friends to be safe. We could help each other to
achieve our goals. Think about that for a while.' Harry said.
'No rush for a decision.' Harry whispered before standing and moving out of the Great
Hall, leaving silence in his wake.
He knew the importance of image, and he hoped that what he had just done cemented
his. He hoped his image would be a positive one.
Classes that day were odd, there was little conversation and what little there was,
consisted mainly of whispers.
By the end of the day, Harry needed solitude. He had become used to being by himself
over the weekends in the Room of Requirement and had grown to prefer his own
company when out of the room.
He didn't know whether the morning's conversations would stop the upper years or not,
nor had he heard from his father about the maps.
Harry walked, lost in thought and was only dimly aware of his surroundings as he delved
deeper into the dungeons. Without realising it, he stopped in front of giant black iron
doors.
The doors brought back memories of the last year, ones he hoped he'd forget. But he let
out a breath and pushed the doors open, which was easier than he expected.
He strode into the room, wand in hand and the red glow he remembered still lit the
room. The great crimson sphere in the centre of the cavernous room emitted the same
blood red light.
But now, the sight didn't fill him with dread, unlike the last time he was there.
This time, a sense of comfort clung to him, from the moment the red light touched his
skin, a sense of warmth and belonging filled him. Harry strode toward the crimson
sphere and stopped in front of it, it was bright, but not blinding, even from up close.
He wondered at its brilliance and reached out a hand to touch it, stopping at the last
second.
'Mister Potter.' He heard a voice say from behind him.
Harry turned to see the Headmaster, the old man stood only metres away.
Harry blinked in surprise.
'Sir? How did you sneak up on me like that?' he asked, and the Headmaster chuckled.
'Oh, I've been in this room for a few minutes now, you were just so engrossed by the
sphere that you didn't notice.' Dumbledore said before looking around the room.
'Do you know where you are?' the elderly man asked, and Harry shook his head.
'No, I don't. It's not on the map, my father, and his friends had never delved this deep
into the school.' Harry admitted and Dumbledore smiled.
'This room is special, even amongst the many special rooms in this castle. This is the
Heart of Hogwarts. The sphere is the source of the castle's power, and over the years, I
believe it has gained a sort of sentience.' The Headmaster explained.
'This sphere is the embodiment of the magic that imbues the school. The wards the
founders erected draw their magic from the sphere, as does every other set of
protections and strange quirk of the castle, like the staircases for example.' Dumbledore
continued and Harry tilted his head to the side.
'How?' he asked.
The Headmaster smiled down at Harry, his eyes twinkled in the crimson light cast from
the sphere.
'The Founders created the sphere, using an item which has no name that I'm aware of. I
believe the item came from an older magical civilisation which has been lost to us. But
the Founders used it as the central point of the castle.' Dumbledore turned to gaze into
the ruby light for a moment before turning back to Harry.
'The sphere is charged by ambient magic. This, being a school, is home to magicals
using a great deal of magic. Every spell cast, every potion brewed, and enchantment
created releases ambient magic. Think of it as a waste product, like heat from a fire.'
The Headmaster said and Harry nodded, it made sense so far.
'The Heart of Hogwarts gathers this ambient magic and channels it into the sphere,
charging it. Over the thousand years the castle has stood, that much magic seems to
have developed a sense of sentience, none know how this happened. But with magic,
anything is possible.' Dumbledore said and smiled at Harry.
'This is where you are right now. I am proud of how you dealt with your situation this
morning. As you know, I have seen my share of conflict, and dealt with politics for most
of my life. What you did, was possibly the only way to resolve the situation for the
Greater Good.' Dumbledore let out a small sigh, his eyes twinkling.
The old man rummaged through his robes for a moment before he pulled out a thick
tome. It looked old, and he handed it to Harry who took it and read the cover.
'Magical Theory: By Albus Dumbledore.' Harry read out loud and gaped up at the
Headmaster.
Dumbledore chuckled.
'Is it truly surprising that I would write an educational book?' he asked.
Harry blinked, looking between the book and the Headmaster.
'It's not so much the writing of the book, as it is the giving it to me that confuses me.'
Harry replied and Dumbledore gave a sage nod.
'I admit, I have watched you these past few years. I worried about the path you took,
and how you spend your weekends in particular. But now, I am sure that you are on the
righteous path and with a bit a guidance, you would be a credit to the Wizarding World
in the future.' The old man said, with an odd note in his tone.
'I admit, I will not be around forever, so perhaps I should look for one who might take up
the mantle so to speak.' Dumbledore mused aloud before he released a soft chuckle.
The Headmaster gave him a single nod before he turned and walked away from Harry.
'It is late Mister Potter, perhaps you should use your fathers' cloak if you want to return
to your dorms without losing points.' Dumbledore called as he exited the cavernous
room, leaving Harry alone.
Harry blinked and looked down at his watch.
'Damn it.' He muttered, seeing it read after midnight.
He'd missed his nightly call with Fleur, he resolved to call her in the morning to make up
for it.
Chapter 20. Fourth Year, Part 2. 1994
The weeks passed by with a speed Harry hadn't expected. The ever-elusive House-
Elves of Hogwarts, who entire generations of muggle born students went their whole
seven years without seeing, were occasionally glimpsed working extra hard to clean the
castle.
Hermione's birthday passed with a celebration amongst Harry's group of friends, though
a teary Hermione had admitted to Harry that it hurt that Neville and Ron had barely
spoken to her since giving her the ultimatum.
No attacks occurred, and Neville remained sullen and quiet. The Boy-Who-Lived didn't
speak to Hermione, but he looked lost in classes with only Ron beside him.
Draco had caused no trouble and, according to Daphne, the boy was unnaturally quiet
in the common room in the evenings. The blonde boy was still a power in the Slytherin
dorms, and the school seemed to hold its breath, waiting for something to happen.
In the last week of October, whispers filled the Great Hall as Harry joined his friends on
Monday morning.
Stifling a yawn, Harry sat between Holly and Susan and noticed the two each gave him
knowing grins while the other girls looked on with varying degrees of amusement.
'What's happened?' Harry asked.
Both Susan and Holly smiled.
'They put up a notice in the common rooms over the weekend.' Susan said, and Harry
frowned.
'What kind of notice?' he asked, and Holly grinned.
'Oh, just announcing the arrival of the other schools on Friday evening.' She said.
Harry's eyes widened, and he couldn't help the smile that came to his face.
Susan held in a giggle, shared by Holly.
'Yeah, we thought that would get your attention.' Holly said, and Harry gave a faux huff
at her smirk.
Hermione sat opposite the three and huffed.
'If you don't all keep up with your homework, you won't be there to greet the other
schools.' She hissed.
Harry let out a small chuckle.
'How are everyone's assignments by the way?' he asked.
Hermione's eyes widened when the girls rolled their eyes.
'We're all done. We don't just sit around doing nothing when you disappear on
weekends, Harry.' Daphne sighed.
Harry grinned and looked at Luna, who stared at him.
'There's an infestation of Nargles at Hogwarts.' She said in her dreamy voice.
She hadn't used it for so long that Harry had forgotten how disconcerting it could be.
Then he blinked as his memory replayed events from his second year, when she'd said
the same thing. The mirth in his eyes faded and in an instant his eyes were cold. Beside
Luna, Daphne's eyes held a dangerous glint.
Harry gave a quick glance to Holly and saw her dark expression.
He took a breath and ignored Hermione's lost expression.
He met Luna's gaze.
'When did the Nargles start again?' he asked.
Hermione blinked, she opened her mouth to speak, but stilled when Hannah placed a
hand on her arm. Hannah met Hermione's gaze and shook her head. Hermione frowned
but watched Harry with a quizzical expression.
Luna cocked her head.
'They'd been quiet for the last few years, but over the last few weeks they've come
back.' Luna explained.
Harry turned to Holly whose jaw clenched tight, a fire blazed in her eyes.
Daphne looked ready to explode, and Harry turned back to Luna.
'Luna.' He said, his tone cold, and each of the girls shivered at the word.
Luna met his eyes, and Harry gave her a soft smile.
'Where are the Nargles being an issue? In the corridors, or maybe in the dorms?' he
asked.
Holly opened her mouth but paused when Luna's expression turned from her usual
vacant stare to an icy glare.
'In the dorms, especially the bathroom. Holly promised not to say anything until I was
ready.' Luna said.
Luna's voice held none of its usual dreaminess. Now it was cold and filled with pain.
Harry took a steadying breath.
'Is it the same Nargles as before?' he asked, and she nodded.
'There are less now. Many of the old Nargles left the school. But even though there's
less, they are more vicious.' She explained in a flat, icy tone.
'Stay put, I'll be right back.' Harry said, forcing a smile onto his face as he rose to his
feet.
He stood and walked toward the head table, straight toward Professor Flitwick. The
small man blinked at Harry's arrival, unused to students approaching him at the
breakfast table, no doubt.
'May I have a moment of your time, Professor?' Harry asked and Flitwick nodded.
'What's the problem, Mister Potter?' he asked in his squeaky voice.
Harry met the man's gaze.
'Do you remember an altercation I had at the start of my second year with the
Ravenclaw house?' Harry asked and the Professor's eyes narrowed in an instant. He
nodded.
'It's happening again. But this time they are being subtle about it and attacking while she
is in the bathroom. They are more vicious this time.' Harry said and Flitwick nodded, his
eyes no more than angry slits.
'I hope this will be enough to stop the attacks. But if they continue, I will have to step in,
which I do not want to do.' Harry said and rather than reprimand Harry, the Professor
nodded.
'You won't have to this time, Mister Potter. This time my Eagles will learn the lesson
they seemed to have forgotten.' The Professor declared and Harry nodded, a false
smile on his face and he returned to his friends.
He sat back with the group of silent girls and met Luna's eyes.
'The problem will be solved soon, and if the Professor can't do it, I'll step in myself.' He
promised, his voice low and noticed a shiver run down the girls at the same time, except
for Luna wore a bright smile.
Hermione cleared her throat.
'What just happened?' she asked.
Harry blinked as he turned to face her.
'I'll tell you on the way to History.' Harry said and snagged a piece of toast off Holly's
plate.
When they got to History of Magic, Hermione directed them to sit on the far left of the
room, in the back corner. She sat on his right, boxing Harry into in the corner.
Harry gave her a quizzical look, and she only shook her head.
He shrugged.
Susan and Hannah sat on Hermione's other side and once class started, the two other
girls, along with the rest of the class, settled in for a nap.
Once the class was asleep amid the droning voice of Professor Binns, Hermione turned
to Harry and met his gaze.
'The last few nights, I've caught Neville in the common room in the middle of the night.
He hasn't been getting any sleep.' She started.
Harry nodded and wondered where she was going with her story.
'I confronted him, and he admitted to having nightmares. But they are weird. He was in
the body of a snake, listening to a man and a woman talking to some mysterious figure.'
She said and Harry nodded, frowning.
'What does this have to do with me? Why wait until everyone was asleep in class,
including our friends?' he asked, and Hermione took a deep breath.
'The people in his nightmares talked about a Ritual, that the Tournament was the best
chance they would get.' She said.
Harry's eyes narrowed.
'What made these nightmares? So far they sound like dreams.' Harry asked and
Hermione sighed.
'Neville told me that the snake he was inhabiting ate an old man in the summer. In other
dreams, the man and woman tortured people, using magic.' She explained, and Harry
nodded.
'Okay, those sound like nightmares now.' Harry admitted, and Hermione nodded.
Hermione sat in silence for a moment and played with her fingers on the desk.
'He said that one nightmare revealed the mysterious figure to be a hideous baby with a
snake-like face. Neville said that the baby looked like the black mist that escaped from
Quirrell in our first year.' She paused and met his gaze.
'Do you know what that means?' she asked.
Harry froze, and his mind spun. He let out a sigh.
'I admit, they could be strange dreams, but unless you've edited them in the retelling,
they seem to happen in chronological order.' Harry started.
He quirked an eyebrow at her and she shook her head.
'As far as I know, they have been in chronological order.' She confirmed.
'They could be visions, sent to him somehow. I'll ask my parents if there are any ways
this could happen, without using names, of course.' Harry said as Hermione's eyes
widened.
'Hermione, with magic, just about anything is possible.' He said and Hermione sat in
silence for a moment.
'What do you think this means, if anything?' she asked.
'We've seen some strange stuff since arriving at Hogwarts. Almost all of it has a
connection to You-Know-Who. Now that Neville has abandoned you, I don't think we will
discover anything more about these dreams.' He admitted, and her face fell.
'Try to put those thoughts from your mind. We have some study to do for the rest of the
lesson.' He suggested, and she nodded, but only gave her parchment a blank stare for
the rest of the class.
Later that day, Harry sat in Defence Against the Dart Arts with Susan on one side and
Justin on the other. The class sat in silence, waiting for the grizzled Auror to make a
dramatic entrance.
After ten minutes, whispers spread through the room and Harry wondered what the man
was up to.
'CONSTANT VIGILANCE.' The Professor roared as he fired a Stinging Hex at Justin

after he burst into the room.
Justin blocked it with a hasty shield.
Moody hobbled to the front of the room before he turned to face them, his scarred face
in what someone could generously call a smile.
'Today class, we will work on throwing off the Imperius Curse.' He announced, and a
startled gasp escaped Justin's mouth as his face went white.
Justin's hands shook in his lap, and he gaped at Moody.
'There's a good chance that someone in this room will suffer under the curse at some
point in their life, and in that case, this practice might help to throw off the curse.' Moody
explained, his good eye slowly moving throughout the class.
'I have special dispensation from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement to use
this curse for educational purposes in a classroom setting.' Moody said and paused.
'Who is up first?' he asked.
Nobody moved.
Moody frowned.
'Get up and stand in a line, or hexes will fly.' He barked, and Harry let out a short huff.
Harry removed his bracelet and placed it on his desk, then stood and started the line.
Behind Harry stood Susan and Hannah and a few Ravenclaws.
The line was complete a minute later, except for one person.
Harry turned to see Justin sitting at his desk, white as a sheet and staring at his desk, a
look of horror on his face.
Moody looked like he was about to start shooting hexes, but Harry held up a hand,
signalling for the Auror to wait.
Harry moved to kneel in front of Justin's desk.
'Do you need to go to the Hospital Wing?' Harry asked, his voice low.
Justin blinked, then met Harry's gaze.
He took in a shuddering breath.
Justin shook his head, and his eyes narrowed.
'I want to be first.' He said and Harry smiled, squeezing the boy's shoulder.
Harry turned to Moody.

'Can Justin go first?' he asked, and the class burst into whispers.
Moody cocked his head, and a look of approval crossed his scarred face. At least Harry
thought it was approval. It was hard to tell.
Justin made his way to the front of the class, trembling and pale. Harry led him there,
and with a last squeeze of his shoulder, stepped back with Susan.
Moody pointed his wand at Justin.
'Imperio.' The man said, and Justin stopped trembling.
Justin stood, relaxed, at the front of the line. Then a moment later, he ran to the left of
the room, toward the stone wall and did a backflip off the wall and landed on the floor in
a smooth movement.
Moody lowered his wand, and Justin blinked. He turned to face the class, now released
from the spell.
Justin met Harry's eyes and gave him a single nod before he returned to his desk.
Harry stepped forward, and Moody turned his wand on him.
'Imperio.'
Harry blinked; it was a wonderful floating sensation. Every thought and worry in his head
faded away like mist, leaving nothing but a vague, untraceable happiness.
It seemed different from the last time he was subjected to the curse from Pettigrew.
There was more power behind this curse, but that seemed to only make it less insidious.
'Jump on the desk.' A voice told him through the fog of his mind.
'No.' he muttered, and whispers echoed throughout the classroom.
It was easier to resist the instruction than Pettigrew's curse, Harry mused. The
difference between the two curses was distinct to him.
With another shake of his head, he broke the spell and met Moody's gaze.
'You've been under the spell before, haven't you, Potter?' Moody asked, and Harry
smirked.
He knew for a fact that Moody knew he had been the previous year. He'd play along for
the class.
Harry nodded.
'Yes, it was at the end of last year.' Harry said, and Moody nodded.
'Would you mind explaining the difference between the two times you've felt the curse?'
the gnarled Professor asked.
Harry nodded before he moved forward and turned to face the class.
He took a breath and met Susan's brown eyes.
'At the end of last year, a man named Peter Pettigrew enacted a plan he'd been brewing
all year. It resulted in a fight in the bowels of the school.' Harry started and his
classmates watched him in fascination.
'During that fight, Pettigrew placed me under the Imperius. He didn't have as much raw
power as Professor Moody-' he gestured to Moody.
'- But it's almost like that was an advantage. Pettigrew's curse was almost, like mist, it
got everywhere, and it was harder to resist because it wasn't coming from just one
direction, if that makes sense?' he said and received blank stares from the class.
'Professor Moody's curse has more power behind it, but I assume he doesn't have the
experience of using it for years, so his curse almost tries to overpower your mind into
doing what he wants you to.' Harry paused and frowned at his difficulty in articulating
what he felt.
'Pettigrew's curse made it seem like the only thing you wanted to do, was what he
wanted.' Harry sighed, he wondered if he was making any sense to anybody.
Moody smacked his staff into the ground, breaking him from his reverie.
'Ten points to Hufflepuff for a detailed account. Throwing off the curse completely is a
rare skill; I look forward to seeing just what you can do, Potter.' Moody growled, then
shooed Harry back to his seat.
Harry nodded and sent a smile to Susan on his way back.
Once there, he watched the curse hit Susan, and she resisted it. A moment of confusion
later and Moody's fake eye zeroed in on her bracelet.
'Remove the bracelet, Bones.' He growled and Susan paled and looked at Harry.
He gave her a warm smile and nodded.
She took a breath and removed her bracelet. Susan placed it in her pocket before she
turned to face the Professor.
A few moments later, she crouched down, then leapt onto a desk. She flung out her
wand and tossed a Cheering Charm at Padma Patil, who was next in line behind
Hannah.
Susan jumped off the desk as the curse was lifted and hurried to put the bracelet back
on. She let out a breath as soon as it clicked together around her wrist.
'Bones, tell me about that bracelet. I saw Potter remove a similar one before his turn.'
Moody asked.
Susan turned to Harry, and he gave her a smile.
'It is a creation of mine; the bracelet helps protect against mind altering spells and
potions. I am working with my mother to sell them in her enchanting shop in Diagon
Alley.' He announced, and whispers filled the room.
Moody barked out a laugh.
'Good sales pitch Potter. Now, Bones, get back to your seat.' He growled and moved on
to Hannah.
Harry placed a hand on her thigh, and she hugged his arm as they watched the other
students be subjected to the curse. Each student did an action odder than the last,
some quacked like ducks, or barked like a dog. A few did backflips and Padma sung a
sweet lullaby to the class.
That evening, in the boys dorms, Harry gave Justin the three bracelets that he'd asked
for. The boy had thanked him and disappeared up to Owlery moments later. The other
Hufflepuff boy never removed the bracelet he wore and often rubbed a finger against it
when he thought nobody was watching.
The next few days passed in a flurry of activity as the castle prepared for the new
arrivals and before Harry realised, it was Friday.
In the morning, Harry noticed the Ravenclaw points total was empty and many of the
students in fifth to seventh year were not present at breakfast.
Harry sat beside Holly and whispered in her ear.
'What happened in Ravenclaw last night?' he asked, and Holly gave a wicked grin.
'Flitwick cleaned house. Several students were suspended, with threats of expulsion
should anything like this happen again.' She said, and Harry nodded.
'If this happens again, let me know, I'll be happy to deter them as well.' He said.
Holly smirked and nodded before turning back to her breakfast.
Classes that day dragged for Harry, but after they ended, he found himself directed
outside in the cold to stand at attention near the entrance to the castle. The students
stood arrayed in order of years, putting Harry in the middle of the Hufflepuff group.
This made Harry feel a little self-conscious. He looked more like a sixth or seventh year
by this stage, and so towered over the fourth years and even those in the fifth.
Harry had to admit that the school looked impressive, a mass of black and red on the far
left where the Gryffindors stood. Then came the Hufflepuffs in black and yellow, then the
entrance to the school. On the other side of the entrance stood a mass of black and
blue students from Ravenclaw, followed by the black and green of Slytherin.
Harry's watch vibrated, telling him it was six. The other schools were due to arrive any
minute.
Moments after his watch vibrated, a younger student in Gryffindor, maybe a second
year, pointed up into the sky above the Forbidden Forest.
'Something is coming.' the Gryffindor shouted.
Most of the assembled students followed the young Gryffindor's pointed finger.
'It's a dragon.' shouted another Gryffindor.
'It's a plane.' called a Ravenclaw, which drew confused looks from the pureblood
students around them.
Susan elbowed him.
'How is Fleur getting here?' she whispered to Harry.
He grinned, his eyes didn't leave the object that came toward them.
'No idea. Fleur told me it was going to be a surprise.' Harry said before his grin widened.
'Whatever is coming, it's coming in fast.' He nodded his head toward the oncoming
object and Susan's eyes widened.
Harry couldn't keep the smile off his face as he made out the pure white wings of the
Abraxans as they came into view.
'They're beautiful.' Susan whispered beside him.
Harry saw the powder blue carriage behind the elephant sized horses. The carriage was
the size of a house and he expected it was far larger on the inside.
Magic was awesome.
With a grace that belied their great size, the Abraxans landed, and the carriage followed
behind the massive horses with barely a sound.
The students of Hogwarts stared in amazement as the carriage trundled along behind
the giant horses, their size now obvious as they stood between the Forbidden Forest
and the school. Finally, the carriage -and its massive steeds- came to a stop beside the
Forbidden Forest, a few hundred metres away from the greenhouses.
Harry didn't know Hagrid too well; the large man was friends with Neville and Ron and
their friends. The man had a soft spot for Hermione, but Harry wasn't sure if Hagrid was
aware of the current rift between his favourite Gryffindors.
Harry smiled as he watched Hagrid rush down to the carriage and hold the reins of the
front Abraxan. The man adored his animals, especially the big ones, it seemed.
The door to the carriage opened to reveal a boy. He looked to be a seventh year, Harry
reminded himself they all would be. Only the top twelve students at the school were
chosen to attend the Tournament.
Harry watched as the boy, dressed in a smart powder blue suit with a cerulean blue
robe over the top, opened the door to the carriage and out from it stepped the largest
woman Harry had ever seen.
She stepped down onto the grass and appeared to be about the same size as Hagrid.
Behind the large woman stepped eleven students, roughly half boys and half girls.
The girls all wore powder blue knee-length skirts over leggings, and tailored jackets with
flared cuffs and slanted hats, all in the same powder blue. Over that, they wore the
same cerulean blue robes as the boy who had opened the carriage door.
What truly held Harry's attention was Fleur. He would recognise her anywhere, and she
was the first student out of the carriage after the large woman. Her shining silver hair
contrasted with the blue of her robes.
Susan elbowed him.
'Is Fleur there?' she whispered, and he nodded.
His eyes didn't leave his friend.
'Yeah, she's right behind the large woman.' Harry said.
The procession walked up the path toward the castle and the large woman stopped in
front of Dumbledore. The Beauxbatons students shivered in the cold, and none looked
happy about the climate.
Only Fleur had a smile on her face. She clutched the pendant Harry had given her years
before.
Dumbledore and the large woman spoke amongst themselves for a moment before
Dumbledore raised his voice enough for everyone to hear.
'Students of Beauxbatons, please make your way inside where it is warm, and we will
await the arrival of the students from Durmstrang. Mister Filch will guide you.'
Dumbledore said and the shivering Beauxbatons students hurried inside after the ill-
tempered caretaker.
Harry made eye contact with Fleur and winked; she beamed, her face lit up and she
clutched her pendant tighter. A moment later, she was inside the castle.
Susan elbowed him and gestured to the boys in Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, the two
houses closest to the entrance where Fleur had been standing.
Harry saw them and narrowed his eyes. Most of the boys were staring at the massive
doors leading into the school with longing in their eyes. Some were restrained by the
girls beside them and the rest just stared with stupid expressions.
Harry sighed.
'This is going to be a long year if, everywhere Fleur goes, she's followed by love-struck
boys.' Susan whispered.
Harry growled.
He froze, a surprised expression on his face. Susan patted his arm and gave him a
small smile.
While Harry stared into the distance, deep in thought. A few minutes passed and the
Black Lake bubbled like it was boiling.
'Look at the lake.' called a Gryffindor girl she pointed at the bubbles frothing at the
surface.
A moment later, an old ship, like the ones from the grand age of piracy, burst out from
the lake in a spray of froth.
Harry blinked, torn from his thoughts at the sight. Durmstrang sailed a ship, underwater,
into a landlocked lake.
He marvelled at magic and watched in bemusement as a man in his fifties with shoulder
length black hair and a long-pointed goatee led a group of heavily fur clad students up
to the castle.
Along with the students strode a celebrity, a fierce scowl in place. The star seeker for
the Bulgarian International Quidditch Team, Viktor Krum.
Harry chuckled as the same boys who ogled Fleur so obviously now ogled Viktor. But
this time, the surrounding girls also followed suit.
It seemed it was going to be a very long year, and Harry was ready to retire to the Room
of Requirement.
But first, the feast.
After Durmstrang entered the castle, the Hogwarts students entered, and Harry found
that the Beauxbatons students all sat at the Ravenclaw table. He figured the blue made
them feel comfortable.
Durmstrang sat at the Slytherin table, and he watched for a moment as Draco almost
ran to sit beside Krum.
Harry smirked and turned to see Fleur sitting in the middle of the Ravenclaw table, with
seats on either side of her. The other Beauxbatons students stayed clear of her, the
boys stared at her, and the girls glared.
Harry felt the urge to hurt somebody, but held it back.
Instead, Harry took a seat at the Hufflepuff table, directly behind her so their backs
faced each other. He sent a quick glance at Holly, who beamed at him, Harry smiled.
A moment later, Fleur had Holly on one side of her and Luna on the other.
Harry smiled at the three girls.
'Oh, Fleur, your uniform is so pretty. Hogwarts robes are so bland.' Holly complained.
Harry heard Fleur's laugh and smiled. He was glad to hear it in person once more.
He wanted to say hello, but rules were rules and catching up would have to wait until
after the feast.
Once all the students were at their seats, Dumbledore stood.
'Welcome friends, students and heads of both Beauxbatons and Durmstrang.' He

proclaimed.
The Hall burst into cheers. The Headmaster patted the air for quiet and the assembled
students settled.
'May I introduce everyone to Bartemius Crouch and Ludo Bagman. They represent the
British Ministry of Magic and will be judges for the three events of the Triwizard
Tournament, along with the three heads of the schools.' Dumbledore continued,
gesturing toward the two Ministry officials.
'May I also introduce Madame Olympe Maxime, the Headmistress of Beauxbatons

Academy of Magic. Beside her is Igor Karkaroff, Headmaster of the Durmstrang
Institute. They are to be afforded every curtesy, from all three schools.' Dumbledore
smiled, then turned toward the Gryffindor table, and to Harry, it seemed he looked at
Neville.
'No student under the age of seventeen is permitted entry into this Tournament. It is a
requirement from the ICW after the last time this Tournament was held, over two
hundred years ago.' The old man spoke, and groans went around the Hall.
Harry wondered why they even bothered; they'd already been told this when the
Tournament was announced.
'The winner of the Triwizard Tournament will receive full marks on their end-of-year
exams, one thousand galleons' prize money and the eternal glory of winning this
prestigious Tournament. Not to mention showing the other two schools that their own is
the best.' Dumbledore said, and a handful of chuckles echoed around the Hall.
'Now without further ado, I present the impartial judge that will select the Champions for
the Tournament, the Goblet of Fire.' He announced and with a flourish, removed a
Disillusionment Charm on a stone pedestal in front of the head table.
The pedestal stood at five feet tall and was made of the same stone as Hogwarts itself.
Upon the pedestal sat the Goblet of Fire. It was carved from a single piece of wood and
looked positively ancient.
Harry stared at the Goblet, he wondered if anyone else felt the intense magical energy
of the Goblet.
It was only surpassed by the Heart of Hogwarts.
As Dumbledore continued to speak, Harry ignored him and wondered what the true
purpose of the Goblet of Fire was. It couldn't have been made for a Death Tournament
for school children. After a few moments of thought, he figured that whatever its original
function, it was now being used for a lesser purpose than intended. Unless the
Tournament itself held a greater purpose than a simple competition between schools.
'You have twenty-four hours to place your names in the Goblet to enter. It will remain
right here until after dinner tomorrow, where the Champions of the schools will be
announced during the Halloween feast.' Dumbledore continued.
Harry blinked and wondered how much of the announcement he'd missed.
Harry saw writing along the outside of the cup but was too far away to make it out. On
either side of the cup, three great carved dragons were embossed, two reared up to
form handles for the cup, and the third formed the stalk and base of the cup. The
Headmaster levitated it high above the head table, visible to all the assembled students.
'The winning school will hold this cup, the Triwizard Cup, until the next Tournament.
Upon its side are engraved the words, Honour, Pride, and Humility.' Dumbledore
paused for a moment.
'These three words are written in Futhark Runes, the same runes that all three schools'
study. A common bond that unites us.' He explained, then drew his knobbly wand.
He pointed it at the Goblet of Fire.
Before the eyes of the students, Dumbledore placed a ward around the cup.
'This is an age line; it will prevent any student who is under the age of seventeen from
entering their name into the cup. Now, fellow judges, please examine it for any flaws
that may have crept through my wand work.' Dumbledore offered, gesturing for the
other schools' heads to examine the ward.
'Now, while they are examining my work for quality, I believe it is time for bed.
Tomorrow, our Champions will be selected.' Dumbledore said and whispers filled the
Great Hall.
The students, as one, stood and made to leave. Harry stood and turned around to find
Fleur doing the same, and they met in a tight embrace.
'I've missed you so much, I'm glad to have to you close by.' He whispered in her ear,
and she nodded into his shoulder.
She squeezed him tight.
'Unlike the summer a few years ago, we will not have much free time to spend together.
But you can show me around?' She whispered.
He pulled back with a wide grin.
'I have lots to show you.' His eyes shone and he couldn't take the smile from his face
even if he'd wanted to.
Harry was a few centimetres taller than Fleur, who was taller than most of the girls in the
castle.
Their embrace was interrupted as Fleur's Headmistress, Madame Maxime, coughed

and sent Fleur a level stare.
Fleur's cheeks flushed red for a moment, and she released Harry, reluctance evident in
her small huff.
Harry released Fleur with equal reluctance and turned to the Headmistress.
He gave her a small bow.
'Welcome to Hogwarts Madame. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.' He said, and
the large woman stared at him for a moment.
'What connection do you have with Miss Delacour, young man?' she asked, and Harry
smiled.
'I am an old family friend, ma'am.' He replied, and the Headmistress looked him up and
down with narrowed eyes.
Madame Maxime turned to Fleur, who nodded to her, a bright smile on her face.
The Headmistress sniffed.

'Come along, students, back to the carriage now. Let us get you all warm.' The large
woman said and turned from Harry, she took massive strides toward the exit of the
Great Hall.
Harry blinked, feeling snubbed.
Fleur darted in for one more hug.
'I'm sorry, she's protective of me after my time in school. Mirror call later?' she
whispered in his ear, and he grinned.
'Of course.' Harry said as she released him and rushed after the Headmistress, like the
other Beauxbatons students.
Susan put a hand on his shoulder.
'We should probably go; the room is clearing out.' She said and Harry turned away from
the door Fleur left through.
Harry turned to Susan and smiled.
'I'll see you in the morning.' He said, and she blinked.
Susan stared for a moment and blinked again.
'Really?' she asked.
'I can't very well ignore the other schools on their first day here.' He said with a smirk
and Susan sighed before she rolled her eyes.
'Will I even see you after breakfast?' she asked, and Harry ran a hand through his hair.
'I'm not sure yet. But we'll see what happens.' He said, and she grinned.
'Have a good night, Harry.' She pulled him in for a hug, then let him go, then walked
toward the exit.
Harry let out a breath and left the Great Hall, headed for the seventh floor.
Harry sat on the shore of the Black Lake, near the greenhouses. It was not yet dawn
and the first hints of sunrise shone from behind the distant mountains.
It was the first time he'd sat at the spot, and he marvelled at the sight.
He let out a sigh at the sight of the castle silhouetted by the predawn light; it was
stunning. Harry made a mental note to come out and watch the sunrise during the week.
It was still an hour or so before breakfast started, and Harry didn't know what to do. A
part of him screamed that he didn't have enough time to waste it by taking in a relaxing
sunrise when he could be training.
He sighed, a frown on his face.
Another part of him realised he was reaching the limit of what the room could provide.
The duelling dummies provided by the room for him to spar against had limits on how
difficult they were to defeat; it was a school, after all. He'd gotten to the point where he
needed a dozen of them to fight him at once if he wanted a challenge.
No, what he needed was someone better than him to train against, or at least as good.
He had no doubts that Dumbledore could beat him, likely Flitwick too, but the other
Professors? Harry was sure that in a straight up fight he could take them. McGonagall
could out transfigure him, but would that be enough? He didn't trust Snape enough to
even entertain the option.
Snape was ill tempered and didn't like Harry. Harry knew why, of course, but neither
would want to voluntarily spend time with the other.
Harry sighed and considered whether he should ask Sirius or his father to sneak into the
castle to train him, but the logistics of the idea simply wouldn't work.
''Arry?' a soft voice came from behind him.
Harry grinned and turned to see Fleur, not two metres from him.
He stood and wrapped her in a tight embrace, which she returned.
Idly, he noticed that her mature body was a lot more filled out than the body she'd had
for most of their friendship. He hadn't noticed the last few times they'd embraced, with
everything else happening at the time, her birthday, the Quidditch Cup, and the previous
night.
But now, there was nothing but the two of them on the shore and a stunning sunrise.
He took her hand and gestured for her to sit beside him. She did so with a smile and a
comfortable silence grew between them for a moment as they simply basked in the light
of the sun as it crept out over the distant mountains.
Fleur sighed, breaking the silence.
'The mirrors are brilliant, but it is nice to finally have the chance to spend time with you.'
She whispered, and Harry squeezed her hand.
'I agree completely. The few hours we had together at the Cup weren't enough.' He said
and turned his face to her.
The rising run lent her silver hair a golden glow.
'So much has changed since the last time we really spent time together.' He said.
She laughed, then her eyes clouded over, and her face fell.
''Arry.' She said, her voice filled with an uncharacteristic hesitation.
Harry cocked his head and looked into her ice-blue eyes, he waited for her to continue.
He squeezed her hand and smiled.
'Can you, can you feel my Allure? It didn't seem to affect you at the Cup, but there were
so many distractions.' She trailed off, insecurity in her voice.
Harry squeezed her hand.
'I don't. I'm aware you have the Allure, but it doesn't seem to affect me. The bracelets I
made last year were designed to protect against it. I didn't know if it worked against the
Allure, but it protects against mind control spells and potions.' He explained, and she
stared at him.
Harry raised his wrist to show her, but it was bare.
He blinked and stared at his bare wrist, then to Fleur.
She glanced at his wrist, then into his eyes.
'It's not the bracelet that stops the Allure from affecting you.' She breathed and Harry's
gaze moved from his bare wrist to Fleur's eyes.
'Maybe it's because I spent so much time around your mother a few years ago? I could
possibly be immune? Do you know if the Imperius Curse acts in a similar way? I seem
to be resistant to that.' He whispered, then shook his head.
Harry reached out a hand and cupped her cheek and looked into her eyes.
'What I do know, is that you're my best friend, and I don't know what I would do without
you.' He said
Tears formed in the corner of her eyes that refused to fall.
'Do you still have the pendant I gave you?' he asked.
She pulled it out from beneath her uniform and offered him the silver charm.
Harry inspected it, it was warm from being against her skin. He drew his wand and
flipped the charm over to examine the underside.
With his wand, he carved a wunjo rune into the silver. It looked like a pointed 'P'. He
took a deep breath and poured his magic into the rune and let out a smile, then offered
her the charm again.
She took the charm in her hands, her eyes wide and closed her fingers around it.
Fleur shut her eyes.
Harry watched as the insecurity and worry faded from her face as she experienced the
emotions he had poured into her charm.
She opened her eyes and the sheer emotion in them froze him for a moment, before her
tight embrace shook him from it.
He returned the hug.
'How I feel will never change.' He whispered, and the two didn't move for a minute.
She pulled back and blushed, she ducked her head.
'Sorry for being emotional.' She said, and he gave her a lopsided grin.
'According to the books you've sent me over the years, it's to be expected.' He grinned
as she pouted.
'If you being emotional is the only problem we have this year, it'll be a good year.' He
said, and she blinked, then shook her head.
A small grin spread across her face.
'Will you show me around?' she asked.
Harry grinned and stood, then helped her do the same.

Together, the two walked around the grounds of Hogwarts. He showed her the
greenhouses as they passed, though neither of them cared much for Herbology. She
did enjoy seeing varieties of plants that the Beauxbatons greenhouses didn't have.
Fleur pointed out the Beauxbatons carriage a few hundred metres away from the
greenhouses as they passed.
'Madame Maxime is insisting that all students return to the carriage by nine every night,
no exceptions. She also wants us to remain in the carriage until six in the morning.' She
said, and Harry nodded as they walked.
'It would have been nice if you didn't have to trudge your way up to the castle, even
more so when winter comes. But I understand the desire to keep the students separate,
especially with Madame Maxime as the only staff here you all know.' Harry agreed.
Fleur glanced at him and frowned.
'I hadn't thought of it like that. It makes more sense when put that way.' She said, and
Harry smirked.
'Intelligence is one of my strong points.' He said.
Fleur laughed and slapped his shoulder.
'Modesty isn't.' she smiled, and Harry paused, stopping them both.
Harry grinned down at her.
'I like it when you smile.' He said, and she blushed for a moment and looked away.
She pointed past him.
'Is that massive tree the Whomping Willow you told me about?' she asked.
Harry turned to see what she was pointing at, a smile still on his face.
'Yeah, there's a secret passage under the tree that leads to Hogsmeade, the only all
wizarding town in Scotland. The tunnel comes out at a place called the Shrieking Shack,
a building thought to be haunted, but my Uncle Remus used it while in school, he's a
werewolf.' Harry explained.
Fleur turned to him, tree forgotten, and stared at him.
'Are you joking?' she asked, her eyes wide, and Harry shook his head.
'No, it's all true.' He said, and she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked
back at the tree.
'The mirrors just aren't the same. I'm still surprised even after years of talking to you.'
She frowned, and Harry chuckled.
'You're not wrong.' He said with a grin, and she huffed.
Fleur turned her gaze back to Harry and let out a breath.
'Does your Uncle use the Wolfsbane Potion?' she asked, and Harry nodded.
'Yeah, my mum brews it for him, she's made some improvements over the years. Now
the transformation doesn't cause as much pain, according to him.' He said, and she
smiled, her eyes gazing into his.
'I'm glad that your family is supportive of him.' She said, and Harry grinned.
'Every full moon dad and Sirius go out running with Remus in the forest near Potter
Manor in their Animagus forms to keep him company.' He explained, and she laughed,
the sound of pure joy filling the air.
Harry smiled at the sound, then her face fell.
Her eyes bored into his, as if searching for something.
'What do your parents think of me, Harry?' she asked, her voice soft.
Harry frowned and cocked his head.
'They adore your family, and they were sorry our schedules didn't link up the past two
summers. However, they are eager to travel back to France this summer if they can
make it work.' He said with a smile, which she returned.
But her smile didn't reach her eyes.
'That's not quite what I meant.' She whispered.
Harry took her hand in his and smiled at her.
'They think of you as one of their own, like they do with Susan.' He said, then smirked.
'Holly practically worships you.' Harry added, and Fleur blushed.
'At least someone likes me.' She whispered, her face downcast.
Harry squeezed her hand before he cupped her cheek with his other hand.
He gently moved her face up to his and his eyes met hers.
'Anyone who doesn't like you, isn't worth your time. I know my friends are eager to get
to know you better. Except maybe Daphne, I'm not sure what her problem is.' He trailed
off with a soft frown.
Fleur let out an uncharacteristic giggle and covered it with a hand.

'It's a girl thing 'Arry. Maybe if I have a talk with her, we can figure it out.' She said with a
smile.
Harry nodded, then released her cheek and offered her his arm.
'Shall we continue our walk?' he asked, and she grinned, nodding.
'Oui.' she said.
Harry turned them away from the Whomping Willow and further away from the lake, and
past Hagrid's hut. Harry pointed out the massive man as he worked in his garden,
tending equally massive pumpkins.
'Is 'Agrid a half giant?' Fleur asked, and Harry shrugged.
'It wouldn't surprise me. But I've never asked because I've never been really close with
the man.' He said before he frowned.
'In my second year, they almost sent him to Azkaban while the Basilisk was petrifying
people.' He paused.
Fleur nodded, likely thinking back on the letters they'd sent back and forth at the time.
'Apparently, the Minister wanted to send Hagrid to that horrible place to be seen doing
something. Instead of actually doing something. Idiot.' Harry growled and Fleur lay a
hand on his shoulder.
He sighed as they continued to walk.
'Thanks.' He smiled.
'I've never been able to understand the sheer stupidity of many in the Wizarding World.
Sometimes I wonder what it would have been like to grow up in the muggle world, like
my mum.' He mused and Fleur smiled.
'It is something I also think about often, but with my, uh, heritage, it would not be such a
great idea.' She said, her eyes downcast.
Harry squeezed her hand, and the two continued in silence as they walked the grounds
of Hogwarts.
They walked past the Quidditch Pitch. Both liked to fly, but neither was particularly
interested in playing.
Together, they made their way around the Black Lake, back to where they'd started.
Harry looked at his watch.
'Damn it, I lost track of time and we missed breakfast. It's ten already.' He groaned, then
brightened.
'Oh well, I'll show you the kitchens.' He said and at her bewildered expression,
explained.
'It is an experience, for sure.' He grinned and led her inside the castle.
Ten minutes later, Harry led Fleur into the kitchens after tickling the fruit outside the
hidden entrance.
A House-Elf ushered them to a small table set aside from the rest of the kitchen.
'What can Popsy get for you students?' the little creature asked, and Harry grinned.
'Whatever you have with a French flair please.' He asked.
Popsy nodded vigorously, then left to join the army of House-Elves in the kitchens doing
a range of tasks.
Fleur stared at them.
'Why-' she started, then stopped and frowned, looking at the table.
'Why is there a human sized table in here?' she asked, and Harry grinned.
'I always figured that they did it because students kept coming in and they want us to be
happy. So, I guess they got the table and chairs so we would be more comfortable.' He
said and Fleur blinked.
'Hogwarts truly is a strange place.' She mused, and Harry nodded.
Mountains of food appeared on the table and Harry plucked a croissant and slathered
some strawberry jam on it.
'You're not wrong, but can you explain?' he asked.
Fleur stole the croissant from his hand in a deft motion and took a bite, then gave him
an impish smile.
'Hogwarts flaunts how ancient it is. Between the aged stone and battlements that serve
no purpose in today's world, whether magical or muggle. It's like your Founders
designed it to be the stereotypical castle, with no thought of practicality, before there
even was such a thing as a stereotypical castle.' She explained and finished her stolen
croissant with a smile.
'The castle maintains an army of House-Elves, when Beauxbatons uses only three or
four, with the rest of the maintenance being done by witches and wizards. In some
ways, Hogwarts is so far beyond Beauxbatons, like in sheer stature.' She paused and
eyed off his newest croissant.
Harry took a bite and grinned at her. She huffed, still eyeing his croissant, but she
prepared her own.
'But in other ways, Hogwarts is a relic. This many House-Elves are not needed for the
number of students your school has. It's almost as if they constructed Hogwarts with
thousands of students in mind, not hundreds.' Fleur paused and looked thoughtful
before she stole Harry's new croissant with a smirk.
Harry rolled his eyes and smiled.
'You've got some good points; I do not know what the answers to those would be. But
with the last hundred years containing what were probably the two largest wars in
magical history, our population simply can't fill this castle.' He said and wiped his fingers
on a serviette.
He smiled as she finished her stolen pastry.
'After breakfast, I have another mystery for you to help me solve, if you are up to it?' he
asked, and she grinned.
Fleur grabbed a banana and stood; Harry joined her beside the table.
'Thank you, Popsy, and everyone else involved.' Harry called and the House-Elves
collectively paused in their work and beamed at him for a moment before they returned
to their tasks.
Fleur looked at him and smiled.
'Lead the way, good sir.' She said, and Harry chuckled and offered her his arm once
more.
He led her down, deeper into the dungeons of the school, and they passed a handful of
male Slytherin students who leered at Fleur.
'Hey honey, why don't you ditch the 'Puff and spend the day with us. We'll show you
how to have a little fun. We'll make it worth your while.' One of the larger boys said.
Harry withheld the urge to draw his wand and curse them all.
Fleur, with her eyes hiding shadows of pain, turned to the group of four green and black
clad boys.
'I am sorry, but I am busy.' She said, her tone soft and sad.
The larger boy stepped forward. Harry thought he was a seventh year, Pucey perhaps,
Harry didn't know.
'Bugger off 'Puff, leave the adults alone. You're not man enough to handle a woman like
this.' The boy, perhaps-Pucey, said.
Harry raised his eyebrows and waved a hand, he used his wandless magic to cast a
Sticking Charm on all the boy's feet without them noticing.
Perhaps-Pucey moved to step closer to them and Fleur shrank in on herself. But the
boy fell flat on his face when his feet refused to leave the floor.
Fleur blinked at the fallen boy and Harry took her hand. She flinched away before
realising it was him, then she latched onto his arm.
'We'll get you for this Potter.' Perhaps-Pucey snarled through what looked like a broken
nose.
Harry led Fleur away from the irate boys and led her deeper into the bowels of the
castle. Neither said a word as she clutched onto his arm.
Ten minutes later, Harry stopped in front of the massive black iron doors and lay a hand
on them.
''Arry?' Fleur said and Harry paused.
He turned to meet her eyes.
'I'm sorry about before. I told myself that I was going to be better after the summer. But,
some things are just so ingrained now, its hard to forget what happened.' Fleur
whispered.
Harry lowered his hand from the black iron door and faced her.
'When those boys moved toward us, I didn't see them. I saw those Death Eaters from
the World Cup, I've had nightmares about those...men.' Fleur said and her lip curled.
'I don't know why I still reacted that way. Last year, I won the Beauxbatons Duelling
Championship, I defeated the seventh years. I was the top of my class. There's no
reason why I should be afraid on men in masks, or simple boys.' Fleur snarled and her
ice-blue eyes flashed.
'It's okay.' Harry started.
'Non, it's not 'Arry. It's not okay. I am Fleur Delacour and I am one of the brightest
students to pass through the halls of Beauxbatons since its creation. I will not allow
myself to be afraid of children and animals.' Fleur snapped.
Harry remained silent and Fleur sighed.
'I'm sorry, but its just so aggravating to feel that overwhelming need to flinch away when
simple men try to touch me.' Fleur muttered.
Harry reached out a hand toward her and she took it in hers.
'But not you 'Arry. Never you.' she whispered as stared at their joined hands.
Harry smiled at her and she nodded.
'Enough about that, there will be time in the future for dealing with that. Right now, you
have a mystery for me to solve?' she asked.
Harry nodded and reached out a hand to touch the black iron doors.
The doors opened and Harry led Fleur inside the cavernous crimson lit room.
She stared at the blood red sphere in the centre of the room.
'Where are we?' she breathed, the altercation with the Slytherins forgotten.
Harry moved closer to the sphere as it pulsed with crimson light.
'We are in the Heart of Hogwarts.' Harry said, watching the pulsing light.
He placed a hand on her shoulder as she reached out to touch the sphere.
'Fleur.' He said.
She blinked and broke eye contact with the sphere. Instead, she met his gaze.
'I don't know what will happen if we touch the sphere. It is what the castle draws magic
from to power everything inside it, including the wards. It's charged by the ambient
magic given off by all the students and Professors.' He explained, and she froze.
She stepped closer to him, and her once silver hair, now stained red, framed her face.
'How did you find this place?' she asked, and he released her shoulder.
He turned away from the sphere, he instead turned to the entrance. It looked so much
like the Chamber of Secrets.
Fleur moved to take his hand and with a gentle hand on his cheek, turned his gaze to
meet hers.
''Arry?' she asked.
He sighed; his free hand reached up to take hold of her hand on his cheek.
'This is the place the Peter Pettigrew captured Holly and Susan at the end of our last
year here. Where he held his base of operations as he built his army of mind-controlled
slaves.' Harry paused and his eyes never left Fleur's.
'I almost lost them. I almost lost my dad too.' He whispered, and she wrapped him in a
tight embrace.
He clutched onto her as the lifeline she offered.
'Have you talked about it to anybody?' she asked in a whisper.
He was silent for a minute. He held her close.
'No, apart from what I've told you in the mirrors.' He admitted.
Fleur released him and drew her wand. She flicked it and conjured a stuffed couch with
a soft floral pattern. The couch faced the sphere, and she dragged him down onto it, she
pulled his unresisting head into her lap.
'You don't have to tell me anything, but if you decide to, I will listen. Either way, I would
like to stay in this room a little longer. You can wait until tomorrow to show me your
magical time room that you've been itching to show me.' She said, and he stifled a
chuckle.
He let out a breath and settled into her lap. For the first time in what felt like years, he
relaxed and let down his guard.
After twenty minutes of being lost in their own thoughts and revelling in the feeling of
Fleur's fingers as they ran through his hair, Harry spoke.
'Fleur. Last year, a lot happened.' He started, then paused.
Fleur didn't make a sound. She only continued to run her fingers through his messy hair.
Harry took a deep breath and shut his eyes. He thought about the events of his third
year and forced himself to experience them, and as he did, he told her about them. She
had a vague understanding from their mirror calls, but not enough to get the full picture.
He told her about the suicide in the Great Hall, the vacant stares of the students as they
watched him, the Aurors in the castle and his father keeping them in the loop. After a
brief pause, he told her about discovering both Holly and Susan missing, along with his
father.
He explained that one of his dorm-mates, Justin, had been controlled since the start of
the year, under his nose the entire time.
Harry paused, tears in his eyes as he fought himself. He used his occlumency to delve
into his memories that he subconsciously wanted buried. He felt the pain and the fear of
that night as if it were happening right then.
The only thing that kept him calm and in the moment was Fleur's fingers in his hair,
anchoring him to reality.
The memory of that night washed over him, and he explained every tiny detail he could
think of. Everything that gave him pause, he focussed on until the fear and the pain of
that night faded.
He told her about the mind-controlled muggles and magicals, and the fight against them.
How the Professors came to the rescue, only to be almost overwhelmed.
After a moment of hesitation, he pushed through his reluctance to tell Fleur of how he
found Susan and Holly chained to the walls of the room. He even pointed at the repaired
walls where they were bound. Harry gave in to the tears as he explained how Pettigrew
had been minutes away from forcing himself on Susan.
'Fleur, they both had to watch as I fought Pettigrew. They watched as I lost.' Harry
paused, his eyes closed as he buried himself in the memory, as if it were happening in
front of him.
'All of my training didn't help me when I needed it. I couldn't defeat Peter when he was
groping Susan and torturing Holly. He'd tortured my father too and I couldn't do anything
to stop him.' Harry paused, taking a shuddering breath.
'It was only because Remus helped that we defeated Peter. Peter ran off in his
Animagus form, a rat, and was later caught by Remus. Aunt Amy, she's the Head of the
Department of Magical Law Enforcement, saw to it that they tossed him through the veil
for his crimes.' Harry stopped and slowed his breathing.
He took a deep breath, then let it out.
'The man did terrible things to the women he had control of. Aunt Amy asked us not to
go to the trial, she didn't want us to know what he did.' Harry whispered.
Fleur shivered and held him closer in her lap, her fingers shaking in his hair.
'You know the rest.' Harry finished in a whisper.
A few moments passed and Fleur's fingers slowly returned to stroking his hair, after the
shaking subsided.
'Thank you 'Arry, for trusting me with your story. I will always be here for you whenever
you need me. You are my best friend.' She murmured and silence grew between them
again.
A few minutes passed, both lost in their thoughts before Fleur's fingers ceased their
ministrations.
'Does something try to kill you every year?' she asked.
Harry let out a small laugh, though it held no joy.
'It's normally Longbottom, the Boy-Who-Lived, who is the target. But last year, it was me
instead.' Harry admitted.
He opened his eyes and gazed up at Fleur's angelic face, marred by worry.
'I have a feeling that something will happen this year as well, and normally, it starts on
Halloween.' He said, and she looked down and smiled at him.
'This year, I am here with you, so you have nothing to worry about.' She grinned.
Harry smiled at her and noticed for the first time where he was lying, and how it wasn't
just any beautiful girl, but Fleur. He saw her tight figure-hugging powder blue uniform
and couldn't help the blush that warmed his cheeks.
Fleur grinned and said nothing, though she wore a pleased grin. Her fingers continued
running through his hair, and Harry slowly fell asleep to the soft sound of her humming.
Harry woke as he hit the ground. Fleur fell on top of him and she groaned, a hand to her
head as she sat up. Harry shot to his feet a moment later, wand out and his eyes
scanned the crimson lit room.
He saw no threats in the room, and no conjured couch.
Harry leant over to help Fleur up and returned his wand to its holster. He ran a hand
through his hair.
'I'm sorry for wasting our day together.' He said, and she took his hand.
'It wasn't a waste. I haven't slept so well in years, even if it was just a couch. Well, until
my conjuration faded anyway.' She admitted, and Harry grinned before checking her for
injuries.
'Do all your conjurations last that long, or can you make them last longer?' he asked.
Fleur cocked her head and narrowed her eyes.
'How long do yours last for?' she asked, a dangerous edge to her voice.
Harry laughed and held his hands up in surrender.
'I've never thought of it, but I'll be happy to test it out tomorrow in the Room of
Requirement?' he asked, and her stare lasted a few more seconds before she smiled
and nodded.
'I'm looking forward to seeing this special room of yours.' She said, and Harry grinned.
'It is pretty special, but it'll have to wait until later. We need to get your name in the
Goblet of Fire before you run out of time.' He said.
Fleur blinked.
'Merde.' She hissed.
She ran out of the crimson lit chamber and back up the corridors the way they came.
Harry's gaze followed her retreating form for a few seconds, impressed that she knew
the way. He cleared his head with a quick shake, then rushed to catch up.
Five minutes of flat out running later, Harry rounded the last corner and watched Fleur
stride into the Great Hall as though she hadn't been running like a competition sprinter
seconds earlier. Harry stepped into the Hall to see a handful of students sitting down at
their tables already.
He figured they'd been watching the stragglers enter their names and wondered who
else left it till the last moment.
Harry took a seat at the Hufflepuff table and watched Fleur stride back to him. She took
a seat by his side with a wide grin on her face.
'The Goblet accepted my name. I was worried I was too late.' She admitted, and Harry
grinned.
'Even if you were late, it would have been stupid to not choose you.' He said.
She rolled her eyes, but nudged him with her shoulder, a wide grin on her face.
It was only fifteen minutes later when Susan and Hannah walked into the Hall, Holly at
their side with her arms out wide, waving them like she was re-enacting a particularly
interesting story.
The three saw Harry sitting with Fleur and scowled before joining them. Holly sat down
on Fleur's left side, walking past Harry.
'Have you allowed anyone else to see her today, Harry?' Holly asked.
Fleur winked and Harry before she turned to Holly.
'He has been very greedy. But he showed me around the grounds and the castle.' She
said.
Holly leaned forward and glared at Harry before sitting back so Fleur was between them
once more.
Holly gestured for Fleur to lean forward, like she was telling a secret. Fleur did so, and
the two held a near silent conversation.
Susan sat on Harry's other side and tapped his shoulder. He turned to see her raised
eyebrows, along with Hannah's smirk.
'What's wrong?' he asked, and the red head's eyebrows rose even higher.
Harry blinked, his gaze moving to Hannah's who gave him a shrug, which he figured
meant, 'You're on your own.'
Harry turned back to Susan as Daphne, Luna, and Hermione took seats on the opposite
side of the table. Each of the girls gave him raised eyebrows to match Susan.
His gaze moved between the five girls like a deer in the headlights, then Fleur's laugh
drew his attention. She lay a hand on his shoulder.
'It's okay 'Arry, you're just a boy.' Fleur said.
Harry blinked. He was sure he was just insulted, but he was unsure how or why.
'Good evening, everyone.' Fleur said with a soft smile as her eyes moved between
Daphne, Susan, and Hannah, who she'd met before.
'My name is Fleur Delacour, it is nice to meet you.' She said, smiling at Hermione and
Luna.
'Harry has told me all about you all and I'm looking forward to getting to know you all
better over the course of the year.' She paused and met Daphne's almost hostile glare.
Fleur took a breath and squeezed Harry's hand under the table.
'I hope we can become friends. I would very much like to have some, especially you
girls.' She said, and she turned to meet Harry's eyes.
Fleur's gaze went back to the group of silent girls.
'There's just some things us girls can't talk to Harry about.' She said, and they all turned
to him.
They laughed.
He huffed.
'If I'm going to be the butt of a joke, the least you can do is let me in on it.' He
complained, and they laughed again.
Fleur and Susan both patted his shoulders.
'I feel like a dog.' He grumbled, and Holly leaned forward around Fleur.
'That's what you get for only being friends with girls.' Holly said.
Harry sighed.
'At least it's better than putting up with Malfoy or Longbottom.' He admitted before he
noticed the glares the girls sent him. Their expressions showed how unimpressed they
were.
Harry sighed again.
'Whatever I did, I'm sorry. Now, can you all please pick on someone else?' he asked.
Hermione huffed.
'That was too easy.' She complained.
Luna smiled.
'Nargles don't dare to face him, but he caves in the face of teenage girls.' She
commented, and the girls were silent for a moment.
Harry caught Fleur's questioning gaze and ran a hand through his hair and let out a
breath.
'I'll explain that later.' He said, and she nodded.
Hannah leaned forward to look at them past Susan.
'So, Fleur, did you enter the Tournament, or were you busy catching up?' Hannah used
her fingers to gesture the quotation marks.
Fleur blushed for a moment before a smile spread across her face.
'I only entered a few minutes ago.' She admitted.
The girls all turned to stare at him again.
'What?' he asked, his tone held a distinct defensive note to it that brought a smile to the
group's faces, apart from Daphne, who rolled her eyes.
'I was showing Fleur around the castle.' He explained, and Holly scoffed.
'Any good broom closets?' she asked.
Both Harry and Fleur blushed, triggering more laughter from the girls, except Daphne.
Daphne stood.
'It was good to see you again, Fleur. But it is a feast. We need to return to our House
tables.' She murmured before leaving the group to walk towards the Slytherin table.
The others let out sighs and Hermione was the next to stand and made her way to the
Gryffindor table. Holly and Luna followed suit, and Holly paused, resting a hand on
Fleur's shoulder.
'Are you joining the rest of the Beauxbatons students, Fleur?' Holly asked with a smirk.
Fleur nodded and turned to Harry.

'Sorry.' She said, her hand reached out to touch his arm.
Harry smiled at her, and his eyes widened as he saw the Hall was full. Most of the
students were watching the head table, where Dumbledore sat with the other school
heads and the two ministry judges.
'It's okay, good luck. I'll see you after the Champions meeting.' He said.
She grinned, her hand on his arm and it lingered for a moment before she moved a
metre away to sit at the Ravenclaw table, Holly on one side and Luna on the other.
Harry turned to watch the Professors at the Head table.
An hour later, dinner was finished, and Harry watched as Dumbledore strode to stand
beside the Goblet of Fire. The Goblet sat upon its pedestal and its blue flames licked the
air above. It was exactly eight when the Goblet's flames turned a vibrant crimson and,
along with a shower of embers, out shot a piece of paper. The flames returned to their
normal blue, and all eyes turned to the Headmaster, or more accurately, the sheet of
paper in his hands.
'We have the first contestant for the Triwizard Tournament, so without further ado, the
Champion for the Durmstrang Institute is Viktor Krum.' Dumbledore announced, his
voice carrying through the Great Hall.
The Hall erupted with cheers and the surly Bulgarian seeker stood from his place at the
Slytherin table and strutted toward the front of the Hall.
Harry narrowed his eyes at the young man. Krum strode toward Dumbledore as if it
were a foregone conclusion that he was chosen. He glanced at the other Durmstrang
students and noted they wore expressions of stone. Perhaps it had been.
Dumbledore directed Krum to a door. The door had never been there before, and Harry
wondered if they had changed the castle. How difficult was it to create a new room in
Hogwarts he mused.
The Goblet's fire changed colours again, and another name shot out into the air. As the
name drifted down to land in Dumbledore's hands, the Goblet's fire returned to its
cerulean blue hue.
'The Champion for Beauxbatons Academy is Fleur Delacour.' The Headmaster

announced.
The Hall erupted in cheers once more, though this time it was predominantly from the
male members of the crowd.
Harry noted with a smile that Hermione, Ginny, Susan, and Hannah cheered for Fleur
as well. He hoped the others who sat behind him did, too.
Fleur stood and beamed at Harry and her brilliant smile lit up the room. She turned and
moved toward Dumbledore, who gestured toward the same door Krum had gone
through.
Once at the door, she turned to Harry and gave him one last smile before she
disappeared through it.
A moment later, the Goblet spat out another name.
'The Hogwarts Champion is Cedric Diggory.' Dumbledore announced, and the crowd
exploded into cheers.
Harry chanced a quick glance and saw that even the Slytherins were cheering for
Cedric. The seventh year grinned and made his way to the same room as the other
Champions.
Dumbledore held out his arms wide and smiled at the students in the Great Hall.
'Thank you all for your support of the Champions-' he paused as the Goblet spat out
another name before its flames died out.
The piece of paper drifted down through the air and landed in Dumbledore's hand. The
Hall sat in silence as he read the paper and his face drained of all colour.
His face was as white as his beard.
'It seems that Hogwarts has a second Champion.' Dumbledore murmured, though it
carried throughout the Hall as much as any shout.
The Great Hall stared in silence at the Headmaster.
Behind him, and to either side, both Madame Maxime, and Headmaster Karkaroff
looked furious. Karkaroff's face was almost purple with suppressed rage.
'Neville Longbottom.' Dumbledore called, and the Great Hall turned as one to stare at
the Boy-Who-Lived.
Neville was white as a sheet and looked like he would bolt any second. Ronald Weasley
gaped at Neville, while Ginny sat on Neville's other side, and stared at him in disbelief.
Harry couldn't help but feel bad for the boy. Even after Neville had been such a jerk for
most of their lives, he did not deserve to be entered into the death match the
Tournament truly was. He thought it was obvious that the boy did not enter himself. If he
had, he'd be boasting.
But instead, Neville was terrified.
'Neville Longbottom.' Dumbledore repeated, an edge to his voice.
Ginny nudged Neville, twice, before the Boy-Who-Lived blinked and stood. The Great
Hall watched in silence as he made his way up to the three Heads of the schools, his
movements wooden and stiff.
As soon as Neville walked through the door into the Champions room, the three Heads
rushed in behind. They conducted a furious whispered conversation as they went.
Professor McGonagall stood and held her wand to her throat.
'It is now time for bed, everyone. We will announce any pertinent information in the
morning. Sleep well.' She announced, her voice amplified to carry through the Hall.
There was a delay of a few seconds before somebody stood, the rest of the Hall
followed suit and stood to begin the exodus back to their dorms or, in the case of the
guest schools, their accommodations.
Harry turned to Susan and Hannah.
'Have a good night, you two. I'll see you in the morning. Keep an eye on your map's,
okay? Something fishy is going on.' He whispered, and they nodded.
'Be careful Harry. This is the start of something. Neville didn't enter this thing, he was
terrified.' Susan murmured.
Hannah nodded beside her, and Harry smiled.
'I agree. I think we need to be on guard.' He said, and they nodded before standing.
He followed the two out of the Great Hall before breaking off from the crowd and he
placed a Disillusionment Charm on himself. With an inward sigh, he moved to sit on a
bench near the entrance to the Great Hall and waited.
Once the sounds of students moving through the corridors faded, silence reigned in his
area of the castle. Only then did he let his mind wander.
Something was happening on Halloween. Neville was chosen for the Tournament
against his will and that set off all sorts of alarm bells in Harry's mind.
An hour later, Madame Maxime stormed out of the Great Hall. Fleur kept pace behind
the large woman with a thoughtful expression on her flawless face.
A moment later, Headmaster Karkaroff strode out of the Hall, Viktor Krum by his side.
While Karkaroff was an impressive shade of puce, Krum was impassive.
A minute or two later, Professors Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall, Flitwick, and Sprout
all exited the Great Hall, whispering to each other.
Behind them strode Bartemius Crouch and Ludo Bagman.
'Isn't it exciting to have the Boy-Who-Lived himself competing in the Tournament Barty?
A fourth Champion, wonderful.' Bagman gushed as they passed by Harry.
Harry narrowed his eyes and watched Cedric leave behind them, a puzzled expression
on his face.
Finally, a few minutes later, Neville moved out of the Great Hall, still as white as a sheet.
'Neville.' Harry hissed and dropped his Disillusionment Charm.
Neville blinked at him, and Harry gestured for the boy to join him.
Harry led Neville to a nearby room. Once inside, a small smile appeared on his face.
Every time something happened in the Great Hall, it seemed he went to this room. His
smile faded as he turned to Neville.
'I know you didn't enter the Tournament brother, you're not that stupid.' Harry said, and
Neville stared at him.
Neville glared and opened his mouth to bite back, but Harry held up a hand, gesturing
for silence.
'Neville.' Harry said, and Neville blinked.
'I may think you're a fool most of the time, but you don't deserve to be stuck in this
stupid Tournament. Judging by what I heard from the judges as they left, you can't get
out of it?' he asked, and Neville shook his head.
Harry nodded and leant on an abandoned desk. He drew his fingers down his face and
sighed.
'In order to get through this thing, you need to spend all your time training until the
Tournament is over, no more chess, or Quidditch. For the rest of the year, study, and
train.' He paused and ran a hand through his hair.
'There are some secluded spots around the Black Lake and plenty of abandoned
classrooms in the castle.' Harry added, and Neville stared at him.
'Why are you helping me?' Neville asked, his voice soft.
Harry let out a mirthless laugh.
'We are brothers, of a sort. That means something to me.' Harry said before he let out a
breath.
'Now, get some sleep. If you want to survive this year, you're going to have to train
harder than ever to prepare.' Harry said.
Neville nodded, a look of determination on his face.
Neville left the room a moment later, a little colour in his cheeks.
Harry waited for a minute before he placed another Disillusionment Charm on himself.
Then made his way up to the seventh floor, to the Room of Requirement.
Once in the Room of Requirement, Harry sat down in front of the fireplace he willed the
room to create. He held off from activating the time function when he felt his mirror
vibrate.
He pulled out his ornate mirror and answered it, and saw Fleur's worried face.
''Arry, I tried to call you a few minutes ago. Are you okay?' she asked, her eyes moving
around his face, like she was looking for injuries.
Harry smiled at her.
'No, I'm sorry about that. I was giving Neville a pep talk.' He said, and she stared at him.
'How?' she asked, and he smirked.
'I was outside the Great Hall. I watched as you and Maxime were the first ones out.' He
said, and her eyes widened.
'You can use the Disillusionment Charm?' she breathed, and Harry frowned.
'Of course I can. It helps me to get to and from this room undetected.' He said, and she
blinked, then nodded.
Harry smiled.
'Sorry. Now, tomorrow, I want to show you exactly what I can do. This way, there won't
be anything between us for you to worry about. You'll then know everything.' He said,
and she lay back on her pillow and let out an explosive sigh.
'You are a very surprising person 'Arry.' She said after a moment.
Harry leaned back in his wing chair.
'I do try.' He grinned, and she shook her head at him.
''Arry, Madame Maxime is enraged that Hogwarts gets two Champions.' Her face held a
worried frown, and Harry nodded.
'I know Neville, he's one of the better fourth years, but he's not a threat. He's just trying
to survive, not win the Tournament.' He paused and looked into her ice-blue eyes.
'I'll make sure that you win.' He said, and she blinked.
'Are you sure? Your own housemate is involved.' She asked, and Harry smiled.
'You are my best friend; school pride means nothing beside that.' He said, and she
blushed.
'Thank you.' She whispered.
Harry beamed at her.
'Now, I'm thinking that tomorrow, we figure out what we can help you with. I'm sure we
have different skill sets.' He said, and she smirked.
'I won the Beauxbatons duelling competition last year, I defeated the seventh years.'
She boasted, and Harry grinned.
'That is a great achievement, but we'll see if it matches up to years of constant training.'
he said.
The two devolved to grandstanding for the next ten minutes before Fleur yawned.
'We should get to bed. I'll see you beside the lake at dawn if you're up for it?' he asked,
and she gave a wide, sleepy grin, before she yawned again.
'Goodnight 'Arry.' She murmured before the mirror went dark.
Harry turned on the time dilation effect of the room and fell asleep in the bed he willed
into existence.
The next morning, Harry sat on the shore of the lake after a days' worth of training in the
room. As he watched the sun rise above the distant mountains, he wondered when the
strangeness of time related shenanigans had ceased to amaze him. He wore a small
grin as he thought about how it still amused him at times.
In the time that Fleur had slept in the real world, Harry had slept a full eight hours, then
trained himself almost to exhaustion before taking a nap and leaving the room to meet
her.
He felt a wand poke into the back of his neck.
'Your training must be lax.' whispered a smug Fleur into his ear and Harry grinned.
He turned to look into her eyes, then down to the ground.
She followed his gaze, and Harry grinned at the look of shock on her face.
A blazing stunning rune trap was under her feet like a landmine. Harry's hand held it
back from triggering with his wandless magic.
'I wondered if you were going to try something like that after our grandstanding last
night.' He admitted as he stood, facing her.
She pouted and Harry laughed.
'Would you like to join me in my training room?' he asked, offering her his arm.
She smiled and nodded, then took his arm.
Harry led her up through the empty corridors to the Room of Requirement. Once
outside, standing in front of the portrait of the dancing Trolls, Harry turned to her.
'Do you think you can reach this point again without guidance?' he asked, and she
scoffed.
'Of course I can. This silly portrait is a pretty clear landmark.' Her lip curled as she
pointed at the portrait in question.
Harry grinned, then walked back and forth, thinking of what he wanted. After three
passes, a door appeared and Fleur stared at it, then at him, then at the door again.
'What?' she asked, and Harry grinned, opening the door, and gesturing for her to enter.
'After you, my lady.' He smirked, and she huffed, then walked into the Room of
Requirement.
Once inside, Harry closed the door and watched Fleur gape at the massive room. Her
eyes were wide as she took in the muggle exercise machines in the centre of the room,
the training dummies on the far wall and a dozen desks, each piled with books and
scraps of paper.
A table popped into existence in the middle of the room, surrounded by all the exercise
machines. It bore a single book upon it.
Fleur turned to look at him and he smiled, gesturing for her to sit down at the new table.
She walked over to the desk and sat down in a chair. She stared at the cover of the
book. Harry turned on the time dilation effect of the room, then walked over to stand
beside the silver haired Veela.
'That book contains everything that this room can do.' Harry said, pointing at the cover
which read, The Room of Requirement.
'The book covers the limits of what we can do in here. One such limit is anything made
in here by the room, cannot leave the room.' He said, then pointed at the big red button
beside the door.
'That button controls the rate at which time passes in this room. I activated it when we
came in, so time is currently passing at one quarter the speed of the outside world. At
this rate, we can spend eight hours in here before joining the others for breakfast.' He
said and Fleur blinked.
She looked at him, then down at the book in her hands, then back at him.
'Did you want some breakfast now, before we get started?' Harry asked, and she
nodded, her gaze still moving between him and the book in her hands.
With a thought, the room changed into a cosy library with a fireplace against one wall. In
front of the fireplace, Fleur sat in a comfortable stuffed wing chair. Opposite her, another
wing chair waited for Harry to sit on it while a small table sat between them.
Fleur blinked at the sudden change of the room, and in her seating.
'What?' she asked, her eyes wide.
Harry smiled and sat in the chair opposite Fleur.
'Judsy.' He called and a House-Elf appeared, its ears flapping as it almost quivered in
delight.
'What does Mister Potter want this morning?' Judsy asked, and Harry smiled.
'Can we have a breakfast suitable for a French Lady?' Harry asked and Judsy popped
away with a wide smile.
A few moments later, the table between Harry and Fleur filled with croissants, crepes,
toast, and some kind of yoghurt and cereal combination that Harry didn't recognise.
Fleur smiled and looked up at the ceiling.
'Thank you Judsy.' She said before she leant forward to take a bowl of the yoghurt and
cereal combination.
She leaned back in her wing chair; her eyes focussed on something far away as she
ate.
Harry smiled and ate.
Breakfast passed in near silence, broken only by the clink of cutlery and when the two
were done, Judsy popped back and reclaimed the dishes, leaving the table clear.
Harry stood.
'Would you like to begin?' he asked, and she nodded, a smile on her face.
'I've been looking forward to seeing what you can do for a while now.' She said, and
Harry grinned.
'How about we test our conjuration skill first, then move onto other things?' he
suggested, and she nodded.
With a wave of her wand, she conjured a comfortable and stately looking love seat.
Harry looked at it, his eyes narrowed for a moment before he smiled. With a wave of his
wand, a near identical love seat appeared next to it, except it was yellow instead of her
blue.
'It seems Hogwarts students have an attachment to their house colours.' She smirked,
and Harry grinned.
'After years of being surrounded by those colours, they kind of stick in your head.' He
admitted.
Fleur chuckled and met his gaze.
'I know you are good at Enchanting, what with the mirrors and the pendant-' here she
gripped the pendant around her neck in her hand.
She beamed at him as she felt his emotions held within it.
'- But how are you with wards?' she asked.
Harry grinned and waved his wand in an intricate corkscrew pattern, broken in the
middle with a harsh flick.
A few moments later, a light green circle appeared beneath his feet.
She knelt beside it to examine it.
The circle comprised two individual circles, one inside the other. Between the two
circles, a faint sequence of runic letters replayed in a ten-rune sequence.
Fleur stood and gave him a smile.
'It's a good start 'Arry.' She said, then fired a Piercing Hex at the runic letters and hit the
sixth letter.
A moment later, the ward collapsed, and Harry gave her a grin.
'I'm impressed you broke it with such ease. Looks like you win with wards.' He said, and
she scoffed.
'Of course, I always win at wards. How are you at healing?' she asked, and he grinned.
With a thought, a dummy appeared on the floor of the library, bearing dozens of
simulated wounds. Though it was a dummy, it still looked authentic enough to bleed all
over the rug.
Fleur gasped.
'It's all in the book.' Harry said and pointed at the book that sat on the table in front of
Fleur's chair.
Harry dropped to his knees and worked on the dummy.
Fleur followed his movements with a critical eye as he worked on the dummy. It took
five minutes of feverish wand work, but he eventually sat back and let out a breath. She
smiled at him, her eyes sparkling, and they held a look he'd been seeing increasingly,
hunger.
'Very good, but can you do any level three or higher healing?' she asked, and Harry let
out a sigh.
'I haven't gotten that far yet; level two was where I stopped and focussed on other
areas.' He admitted, and she gave him a warm smile.
'If you're not interested in being a full healer, level two would probably be the best place
to stop, seeing as level three is where you start to delve into serious injuries like internal
bleeding and amputation, or third-degree burns.' She said, and Harry nodded.
'I'm only planning on using it on myself or in combat situations.' He concluded, then let
out a breath.
'I assume you are more advanced in arithmancy and runes because of your skill in
Enchanting and wards?' he said, and she gave a dainty shrug which Harry smirked at.
'How are you with transfiguration?' he asked, and she narrowed her eyes.
'Due to your skill at conjuration, it might be a bit more even there. How about we have a
transfiguration duel, using only transfiguration?' she proposed, and Harry grinned.
'Agreed, I have just the place for this duel.' He said.
With a thought, the library they stood in faded away and a moment later they stood in
the centre of a replica of the Roman Coliseum.
Fleur gaped at the surroundings and Harry grinned.
'It's all in the book.' He said, and she shook her head.
'I'll read the book later, after you admit I am beyond you.' She smirked, and Harry
beamed at her.
It was a strange sight, the two teens standing in the middle of the coliseum, with a pair
of love seats near them, one blue and one yellow.
Harry grinned and fired a ball of light into the air that hung suspended above them.
The ball pulsed a vibrant red.
Harry leaned forward in a combat stance.
'When the ball turns green, we go.' He said and Fleur quirked a perfect eyebrow and
nodded.
The ball pulsed yellow twice before it turned green.
In an instant, both wands flashed and where a moment before there was only sand
between the two, an oversized cobra shot out of the ground in front of Harry. The cobra
leapt at Fleur, who conjured a dozen birds. Each bore razor sharp beaks.
Harry marvelled at the customised animals she had made. They were birds, but their
beaks glinted in the artificial light of the room like steel.
The flock of birds tore apart the cobra in moments. Harry transfigured the corpse into a
bear, which crushed half of the birds before it was shredded by the remaining birds.
Harry conjured ice spikes and fired them at the birds, finishing them, and then sent the
rest at Fleur. She turned them to water halfway to her, before she turned each streak of
water into a snake and fired them back toward him.
He turned the snakes to stone and cursed as he remembered he could only use
transfiguration. He stopped himself from using Runes or Enchanting his creations to
strengthen them.
With a growl, he whipped his wand and conjured a heavy stream of water, like a fire
hose.
She smirked and conjured a jet of fire that crashed into his water.
The water evaporated from the intense flames and a great cloud of steam exploded out
and filled the coliseum.
Harry grinned as the steam cleared to reveal Fleur with a wide smile on her face, if a
little out of breath.
'I think we can say we are about equal in transfiguration, no?' she asked, and Harry
nodded.
'Are you up for a full duel 'Arry?' she asked, and he quirked an eyebrow.
'Are you sure you don't want to take a break first? You seem a little out of breath.' He
asked with a smirk, and she scowled.
Fleur created her own pulsing red orb above them.
'Do you want to make it more interesting and have a bet on the winner?' she asked, and
Harry grinned.
'Sure, what are the terms?' he asked.
'The loser must answer any one question asked by the winner.' Fleur said with a
predatory smile on her face.
Harry nodded, his grin still in place.
'You have a deal.' He agreed.
Agreement in place, both faces turned stony.
Harry took in a deep breath, steadying himself.
The floating ball pulsed red, then yellow.
Harry narrowed his eyes. He wondered if he had found his training partner.
The ball turned green.

The two exploded into action.
Fleur fired a string of hexes at him. Harry recognised them all and dodged them, he
rolled to the side and fired a string of jinxes back at her. None would cause any damage
and only intended to keep her busy.
He conjured a wolf and between jinxes, he imbued the creature with a resistance to
magic and physical attacks. Combined, those two enchantments used a great deal of
magic. Then he enhanced the wolf's speed and, with a mental command to his creation
to avoid her attacks until given the command to attack, the beast leapt into the fray.
Fleur fired curses and hexes, then used transfigured walls to block many of his low
powered hexes. Harry whipped up a sandstorm and sent it toward her, carrying the
sand of the coliseum toward her and obscuring her view.
Her accuracy was spot on as she fired at him. Harry dodged and deflected more than he
attacked.
He wasn't used to fighting a single skilled opponent, and it showed as she punished any
minor mistake he made in his footwork or his casting. She kept him on the back foot for
a full minute of the fight.
Harry noted the predatory grin on her face and knew she thought she was about to win
their little contest.
He grinned before he sent out the mental command to his wolf to attack.
A moment later, Harry heard a scream over the wind of the sandstorm. He dissipated
the storm to reveal Fleur pinned to the ground, the wolf standing on top of her, snarling.
With a wave of his wand, the wolf dissipated like the storm, leaving Fleur alone on the
ground, breathing hard. She sat up and looked at him, the panic in her eyes fading.
He sat down beside her, leaning back with both hands in the sand.
'Are you okay?' he asked, and she took a deep breath before sighing.
'I really thought I was going to win.' She admitted, with a huff.
Harry nudged her shoulder with his own.
'You almost did. You were probably twenty seconds away from a win.' He said, and she
turned to look him in the eye.
'What do you mean?' she asked and gave a small smile.
'When I train, I use the dummies that this room provides. I have them at their best, but
each one is probably at a fifth-year level. The room needs a dozen to make me try.' He
explained, and he frowned as she continued to stare at him.
Harry sighed.
'I've only trained against lesser opponents until now. Any time I've fought anyone
stronger, they've beaten me into the ground. I've about reached the limit of what the
Room can throw at me.' He admitted and Fleur gave him a warm smile.
'Perhaps we can train together then? I need to prepare for the Tournament after all.'
She suggested, and Harry nodded.
'I was thinking along the same lines. Until now, I've spent the entire weekend between
Friday after dinner and Monday morning breakfast in here.' He said and Fleur's face fell.
'Madame Maxime will require me back at the carriage by curfew.' She murmured.
Harry nudged her shoulder with his once more, then motioned up to the wall of the
coliseum where a large clock appeared.
'That clock shows the time outside of the room. It's only been a half hour outside since
we came in here.' He said, and her eyes widened.
'As long as we keep an eye on the time, we can finish up training with enough time for
you to return to your carriage before curfew. We'll be fine.' Harry smiled at her eyes as
they sparkled.
Then her eyes narrowed, but still held joy.
'You're going to continue in here while I sleep, aren't you?' she asked.
Harry grinned, and rubbed the back of his head.
'Yeah, that's the plan. You can just join me when you wake up in the morning.' He
suggested, and her eyes remained narrowed before she let out a soft laugh.
'Do you do anything like normal people do?' she asked, resigned.
Harry screwed up his face in faux disgust.
'Normal is for plebs.' He sneered and her soft laughter grew louder before she let out a
snort, then froze, mortified.
Harry burst into laughter, a wide grin on his face.
'You have a cute snort.' He said, and she turned red and looked like she wanted to hide
from the world.
After a few seconds, she gathered herself and met his gaze.
'As the victor in our little bet, you have a question for me to answer.' She declared.
Harry gave her a warm smile, and lost himself in her eyes for a moment.
He took a deep breath and settled himself. The air between them turned serious,
laughter forgotten.
'I was going to ask at the Cup, but you know…' he trailed off and she nodded, a flash of
pain passed through her eyes.
'What does the feather you gave me mean?' he asked.
Her face turned bright red, and her gaze fell to her lap, where her fingers picked at her
skirt.
'It's silly.' She muttered and Harry reached out to take her hand and gave it a squeeze.
She took a deep breath.
'It's sort of a promise ring. It's an old custom where a Veela gives a feather from her
transformed state to her intended mate.' Her words came out as barely a whisper.
Harry reached out his free hand and lifted her chin up so their gazes met.
'Would you be my girlfriend?' he asked and looked deep into her eyes.
She beamed and leapt forward to kiss him, forcing him to the ground in her exuberance.
The kiss was full of passion and emotions Harry wasn't aware of before then, and
neither resurfaced from the kiss for a few minutes.
When Fleur pulled back, pinning Harry to the ground, each wore a goofy grin and
uttered the same word.
'Wow.'
Harry and Fleur sat in the Great Hall at breakfast at the Hufflepuff table, holding hands
as they spoke. Across from them, Susan and Hannah sat. Each wore a knowing look
that both Harry and Fleur ignored.
A few minutes later, Holly sat beside Fleur and Luna beside her. Hermione joined soon
after that and took the spot next to Harry, and Daphne sat beside Susan.
The group chatted over their breakfast until Luna leaned forward, she looked at Harry,
around both Holly and Fleur.
'Have you and Fleur noticed you have an infestation of Wrackspurts?' the strange
blonde girl asked, and the group fell silent and stared at Harry.
Susan wore a smug grin and leant forward in her seat, she rested both elbows on the
table and her chin on her hands.
'Yeah Harry, do you have something to tell us?' she said, her smug grin grew wider.
Holly's eyes widened, and Harry swore he could see hope in them as she waited for his
words.
Harry glanced at Fleur, who smiled and nodded.
With a smile of his own, he raised their joined hands.
'Yes, we are together. I suspect that is the cause of the Wrackspurts Luna.' Harry added
the last part to the girl, who seemed to be barely paying attention to the world.
Holly threw herself at Fleur and wrapped her arms around the older witch in a vice grip.
'That's so amazing.' Holly squealed.
'We're happy for the two of you.' Susan said, a wide smile on her face and the other
girls nodded in agreement.
Harry noticed Hermione wore a sad expression and Daphne narrowed her eyes.
'Have you bonded?' Daphne asked, her voice cold.
Fleur scoffed, still holding an exuberant Holly in her arms. She turned her face toward
the Slytherin.
'Veela don't have any magical bonds, we simply have a different culture and customs to
yours. We're people, no matter what the Ministry here says.' Fleur replied and Daphne
nodded, though it looked stiff.
'Actually, Daphne, can you come with me for a moment? I have a few questions I think
you can help me with.' The Veela asked and Daphne's eyes widened and darted toward
Harry for a moment.
Harry smiled, he gave her a nod before the Slytherin sighed and nodded.
'Fine, lead the way.' She said and Fleur smiled.
Fleur disentangled herself from Holly, who then latched onto Harry.
Fleur and Daphne left the Great Hall and Harry turned to the now silent girls.
'Is there some girl thing I don't understand happening here?' he asked.
Holly's face fell into his chest and she let out a groan. Hermione huffed.
'Honestly Harry, for someone so smart, sometimes you are so thick.' Holly said.
Harry blinked.
'Don't worry about it, it'll work itself out.' Hermione said with a smile he did not entirely
trust.
Hermione shook her head and turned to him.
'It's great that you and Fleur are together, and with a minimum of angst, too. How long
have you known each other again?' she asked.
Harry smiled.
'We met the Christmas before our first year. There was a Ministry Christmas party, all
the old families attend and because her father is the French Ambassador to England,
they had to attend as well.' He explained with a wistful smile.
'It's really nice that you've stayed in touch for so long.' Hermione said before Susan
grinned.
'After first year, Harry went over and stayed at the Delacour's manor in France every
weekend.' Susan gushed and Harry sighed.
'The Christmas of our first year we all met her, and Harry demanded that we accepted
her as one of us. Something the old families noticed, and it ruffled a lot of feathers.'
Hannah added, a smug grin on her face.
Harry waved a hand in dismissal.
'It's not quite as dramatic as all that.' Harry said before Susan scoffed.
'Among the old families, they saw it as rude and confrontational to force the girls to
accept Fleur. Apparently, Daphne's family was quite upset about accepting a girl who is
not only French, but also a Veela as an equal to their daughter.' Susan explained as
Hermione's eyes grew wide.
Luna gave a bland smile.
'Those balls are all a cover for the Rotfang Conspiracy, anyway. Daddy says they're
dangerous.' She said, and the girls blinked at her.
Holly pulled away from Harry, finished with her hug.
'The next Christmas after that, I finally got to spend some time with Fleur, as I hadn't
been able to go to France as much as I'd wanted to during the summer.' She paused,
and Harry noticed Fleur and Daphne returning to the table.
Both girls took their seats, and Fleur took Harry's hand once more.
'What did we miss?' Fleur asked, and Holly leant forward.
'We were just telling Hermione how long you and Harry have known each other.' She
said, and Fleur beamed at Harry.
'It has been awhile, hasn't it?' she asked.
Harry nodded and opened his mouth to reply, but paused.
He noticed a crowd of older students standing in a half circle around him and Fleur.
Harry turned to see the group of students consisted of sixth and seventh-year
Hufflepuffs. The boys of the group stared at Fleur, dazed expressions on their faces.
The girls of the group alternated glares between the boys, Fleur and Harry.
One of the seventh-year girls slapped the back of the head of one boy and huffed before
she turned to Harry, her eyes narrow slits.
'Why are you associating with the Champion of another school? You should support
Cedric.' She snarled.
Harry cocked his head at the girl whose name he never bothered to learn, then smiled.
'Fleur is one of my oldest friends. We've been friends since before I came to Hogwarts
and even met Cedric.' He replied, and the girl froze.
Harry could see a furious internal struggle inside the girls, likely their sense of House
Pride warred with their acceptance of where his loyalty would lie.
Loyalty was a big deal in Hufflepuff.
With a huff, the seventh-year girl spun.
'Leave them alone.' She growled.
When the boys of the group continued to stare at Fleur, the girl's jaw tightened, then she
slapped the closest boy, hard.
The boy came to his senses and flushed red, then looked at the girl, who huffed and
stormed away. The unknown boy glanced around, he averted his eyes from Fleur, and
hurried after the girl.
A moment later, the rest of the group of upper year students followed in their wake.
Susan giggled, and both Harry and Fleur turned toward her.
'Those two were prefects. The boy is the sixth-year prefect, and she is the seventh.
They are good friends of Cedric.' She started.
Hannah stifled a laugh with her hand.
'Not only that, but they are dating, so he's going to be in a lot of trouble.' Hannah
crowed, and the girls laughed.
Fleur's gaze fell to her lap, and she tried to pull her hand away from Harry's.
He turned and saw sadness in her eyes.
Harry rubbed a hand across her back.
'It's not your fault.' He murmured, and she met his gaze, a small smile on her face for a
moment before it fell.
'But it is my fault, I can't control my Allure.' She admitted, and Harry shrugged.
'It's not your fault that most of the boys around here have no will power. Besides, I have
an idea for a new charm for your bracelet that might help.' Harry said.
Fleur blinked, then narrowed her eyes at him for a moment before she gave a slow nod.
Harry smiled and turned to the group.
'I'm sorry guys, but we have a lot of work to do today, we'll see you at dinner, okay?' he
asked, standing.
Susan and Holly nodded, knowing smiles on their faces.
Once he was standing beside the table, he held out a hand for Fleur.
'Shall we?' he asked, and she nodded.
As the two left the Great Hall, Fleur turned to him, a small frown marred her face as they
walked.
'Will it upset them that they aren't spending much time with you?' she asked, and Harry
laughed as he turned a corner.
'They're not used to seeing me on weekends. Only Holly and Susan know where I go,
and the others haven't asked. I think they're surprised they've seen me this much, to be
honest.' He said, and she blinked.
'You were serious when you said you spent the entire weekend in the Room of
Requirement.' She breathed, and he nodded as he climbed a set of stairs.
Ten minutes later, the two stepped into the Room of Requirement and Harry saw their
conjurations from the morning were still going. The room was set up in the training
configuration he preferred.
She moved a few steps into the Room before she turned to face him.
'So, what is this idea you have about a way to contain my Allure?' she asked, a slight
edge in her tone.
Harry blinked.
'Well, it's not containing it, so to speak. I'm still in the process of finding the right
combination on runes and whatnot. But I think I can create an enchantment to, uh-' He
struggled to find the right words.
He clicked his fingers half a dozen times as he thought.
'- maybe attune you to the Allure, which should allow you greater control over it. But it
would need to be unique to you, it wouldn't work for anyone else.' He explained, then his
expression turned thoughtful.
'It would be easier to create an enchantment to contain your Allure as you implied
earlier.' He mused aloud, not noticing her narrowed eyes.
'But I figured that wouldn't be acceptable. In those books you gave me, it seems like
while the Allure can be a bother, it's a part of you.' He finished and met her gaze.
Her eyes softened as he spoke.
Harry looked over at one of the desks on the other side of the room, a thoughtful frown
on his face.
Then he sighed and turned back to her.

'Do you know anything about the First Task?' he asked.
Fleur shook her head, she blinked at the change in topic.
'No, but from my research, the First Task is normally combatting a dangerous beast, like
a Cockatrice.' She explained, and Harry nodded.
'I think we should try to get into a routine while in the Room. Until new information
comes to light, perhaps we could get any study and homework out of the way, then
some practical work, then Tournament prep. Finally, I think we end it with a duel?' he
asked.
Fleur nodded and leant over to inspect one of the muggle exercise machines.
'It does sound like a good way to spend our time. But what about during the week?' she
asked, turning to face him.
Harry moved toward one of the many desks in the Room.
'It's too difficult to do anything with the Room of Requirement during the week. I've tried.
Instead, I only focus on using it during the weekend.' He paused, rifling through a stack
of loose paper covered in his scribbled writing.
'I try to get any homework and study done during the week, with everyone else. I also
do morning exercise on the grounds. Sometimes Holly and Susan join me for a run
around the lake and some target practice.' He muttered, a frown on his face.
Fleur nodded and moved to stand beside him.
'I do much the same, exercise in the morning, get my schooling out of the way during
the week and train on the weekend. Except my weekends were not so, long, as yours
have been.' She grinned and Harry looked up from his papers with a smirk.
'Though, admittedly, my usual routine includes swimming.' Fleur added, and Harry
scoffed.
'Beauxbatons must be in southern France if swimming is a regular activity.' He mused,

then paused.
'I can always ask the Room for a place to swim?' he asked, giving her a half smile while
she scoffed.
'Not just yet you won't, mister.' Fleur said and covered her chest with her arms.
Harry blinked, then blushed. He looked back down at the desk, his cheeks flaming.
He missed her pleased look.
The two spent the rest of the extended day in the Room of Requirement working out a
routine, researching, training, and enjoying the others company until they left for dinner
in the Great Hall.
The next three weeks passed in a flurry of activity.
During the week, Fleur attended her own classes with the Beauxbatons class, Madame
Maxime taught them everything. But each morning she spent with Harry running and
exercising on the grounds of Hogwarts and each evening they spent together, along
with their friends in the library, studying.
Weekends changed and saw Fleur joining Harry in the Room of Requirement at dawn
on Saturday, only leaving to return to the Beauxbatons carriage in the evening for
curfew. This occurred on Sundays as well.
Over those three weeks, Harry noticed an increasing level of animosity being aimed at
Neville. Most of the Gryffindors shunned him, including Ron, leaving the Boy-Who-Lived
alone most of the time.
Harry saw Neville outside running in the mornings during the week. He ran laps around
the lake and fired spells at a handful of trees on the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest on
the far side of the lake, out of view of the castle. He figured Neville was taking his
training seriously enough that he didn't have to interfere.
Fleur had filled Harry in on the Weighing of the Wands ceremony, which ended in a
publicity nightmare. The photographer of the Daily Prophet was caught in her Allure and
did little more than take photos of her, rather than the other champions.
The vile reporter had dragged away Neville, and the resulting article caused the school
to turn ever harsher eyes toward the Boy-Who-Lived.
It was a Hogsmeade weekend and Harry and Fleur sat at the Hufflepuff table, waiting
for their friends to join them. They'd been up at dawn and had already gone for a run
and had an impromptu duel on the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest.
Harry smiled at her, and she grinned back. She placed a hand on his knee under the
table before she turned back to her breakfast.
A few minutes later, Holly and Luna entered the Great Hall and took a seat on either
side of the couple, Holly next to Harry, and Luna next to Fleur.
Holly leaned in close to Harry's ear.

'So, are you guys going on a date today? We rarely see you two on weekends.' She
asked with a smirk, and Harry rolled his eyes.
Something moving caught Harry's eye, and he frowned, trying to make out a badge on a
Gryffindor's chest.
The writing changed.
'Holly, what's with the badges?' He asked after seeing another badge on a Hufflepuff
walking toward them.
Holly huffed and crossed her arms in front of her chest.
'Fine, ignore my question. The badges appeared a few days ago. I think I heard
someone say that Draco is handing them out to people.' She said and Luna, beside
Fleur, nodded.
'I think Draco is working for the Shrieking Bafflers, there's no other reason why he'd give
those badges away for free.' The blonde girl said with certainty.
Harry blinked; his eyes darted to Holly, who shrugged then nodded.
'You might be right Luna, who gives badges to the school for free? He's not the charity
type.' Harry frowned and Fleur squeezed his knee.
''Arry, look.' The Veela hissed and gestured with a nod of her head at a Gryffindor only a
few metres away.
It was a fifth year that Harry didn't know. They wore the same badge that others in the
Great Hall wore. The badge read, Support Cedric Diggory, the Real Hogwarts
Champion.
'Well, it's a bit rude, but rather tame if he's trying to insult Longbottom.' Harry mentioned,
taking a bite of toast.
'Wait, 'Arry.' Fleur whispered.
Harry narrowed his eyes, and waited.
The badge changed the words it said to Longbottom Stinks.
'And here I was thinking Draco had somehow had some personal development and
learned some subtlety.' Harry said, disappointment in his voice.
'Should we not put a stop to this bullying? It is being done by a sizable portion of the
school.' Fleur whispered.
Her eyes narrowed and her jaw clenched.

Harry took a breath and held his immediate response as he turned and saw her
expression. Then he realised how this might affect her. Had she gone through
something similar?
Harry nodded to himself, and his jaw clenched.
'We will take steps, give me a moment, will you?' he asked, and she turned wide eyes to
him.
He smiled at her.
Harry stood from his seat and jerked his wand blindly behind him.
He summoned a badge off a random student's robes.
A feminine shriek erupted from somewhere on the Ravenclaw table, but Harry didn't
care. He strode up to the head table, straight for Professor Flitwick.
The diminutive Professor's eyes had lit up as Harry approached but fell as the small
man saw Harry's grim face.
'Mister Potter, how can I help you this morning? I hope my house has done nothing they
shouldn't?' Flitwick asked, and Harry frowned.
Harry placed the stolen badge on the table in front of the Charms Professor, unaware of
the badge's owner making their way to the head table behind Harry.
'Sir, it has come to my attention that these badges are being passed around the school.'
Harry said, gesturing toward the badge.
'Now the message doesn't seem too bad, though it is skirting the borders of bad taste.'
Harry said.
Flitwick nodded and examined the badge.
Flitwick dropped the badge with a start as the words changed and the Professor's eyes
narrowed.
'Do you know who is passing these around?' Flitwick asked and Harry sighed.
'I've heard it was Draco Malfoy, but I have no evidence other than hearsay.' Harry said
and Flitwick nodded.
The two were interrupted by a fifth year Ravenclaw that Harry had not noticed before.
'Hey, Potter. What did you-' the girl said before she froze in Flitwick's glare.
'Miss Edgecombe, is this your badge?' he asked.

The girl blinked and her eyes darted about, as if searching for an escape.
The Ravenclaw, Edgecombe, turned and glared at Harry with a venom he didn't expect.
'No, Professor.' She said, her voice sickly sweet while she glared at Harry.
'No? Then why did you interrupt Mister Potter and myself?' Flitwick asked and the
Ravenclaw blanched.
'Uh…' she trailed off and Harry quirked an eyebrow.
He saw a tear in her robes, on her chest, right where a badge would be placed.
'Miss Edgecombe, you seem to have damaged your robes, right there.' Harry pointed at
the tear in her robes and Flitwick's eyes narrowed to slits.
Harry felt the man's magic roiling and was surprised that no one else in the room
seemed to feel it.
'Mister Potter, ten points will be taken for theft from another student. But you will receive
ten points for revealing bullying in the school. Please enjoy your day in Hogsmeade.'
The Professor said, his voice dangerous.
Harry nodded.
'Thank you, Professor.' He said, and without a glance toward the frozen Ravenclaw, he
returned to his table.
As he left, he heard Flitwick continue, his voice faded with distance.
'Miss Edgecombe, you will come with me to my office, and we will discuss how this
badge came into your possession. Minerva, would you join us? This concerns one of
your Lions.'
Harry sat back down beside Fleur and reached out to take another slice of toast but
froze upon feeling seven sets of eyes on him. He raised his head and looked at Susan,
who sat on the other side of the table between Daphne and Hannah.
'What?' he asked.
Susan facepalmed.
'You really don't understand how strange you are, do you?' Hannah asked from beside
Susan.
Harry frowned.
'No, what are you talking about?' he asked and felt Fleur's hand slid down his leg.
He turned to look at her.

''Arry. Thank you, I don't know how you did it, but thank you.' She said and smiled at
him.
Harry blinked.
'What did I do? Nothing has happened yet?' he asked, and a chorus of groans spread
around the group.
Fleur squeezed his leg.
'You stood up for a boy who needs it. You took a stand against bullying, and somehow
gave the Professor, Flitwick, was it?' she paused, waiting for his nod, then she smiled.
'Now, with that girl going up to the head table, incriminating herself, you gave Professor
Flitwick a target to begin his investigation.' Fleur said and Harry tilted his head to the
side.
'I don't think it was as impressive as you all think it is, but if it makes you happy, then I'm
glad.' Harry said and smiled as she beamed at him.
A cough interrupted the two, and Harry saw Daphne with a rueful smile on her face.
'Will we be seeing the two of you in Hogsmeade today? Or will you be off being
secretive?' the Slytherin asked, and Harry grinned.
'No, I'm afraid you'll have to put up with our company today, Miss Greengrass.' Harry
said, and she smiled for a moment before she covered it with a huff.
'Good.' she said.
Fleur leaned forward, her gaze moving between the girls before she smiled at Harry.
'So, what is the town like?' She asked, and Harry shrugged.
'I've never been before. Last year was the first year we could go, but I think people
didn't really feel safe.' Harry said, looking around the group.
Hermione smiled at Harry, which faltered as Fleur turned to her.
'Oh, it's wonderful there. I went last year with… Neville and Ron.' She trailed off.
Hannah put a hand on her shoulder. It was clear Neville's behaviour still hurt Hermione.
Fleur nodded, then looked around the group.
'Then perhaps we will find out together about the town?' she asked, and Susan grinned
at the Veela.
'I've heard the Madame Puddifoots cafe is great for couples.' Susan smirked, and Fleur
blushed.
Harry grinned at Fleur, then he turned to Susan.
'We may check it out, but I think today we should explore as a group. At least for a few
hours, then go our separate ways. It should be fun.' He said, and the girls nodded.
Hermione looked miserable, and Harry was glad Hannah was with her. He had great
friends.
As the group walked down to Hogsmeade, a group of older Gryffindor students stood on
the side of the path, chatting with each other. Harry held Fleur's hand, and the two
walked in the middle of their group of friends.
Fleur's hand tightened around Harry's fingers, and he looked up to see her tightened
jaw. He followed her gaze and saw the Gryffindor boys gaping at her.
Fleur's distaste was evident, and the Gryffindor girls glared at the boys, in a few cases
hitting them. Harry squeezed Fleur's hand, and she turned to him, wearing a faux smile.
Harry squeezed her hand again.
'Sorry Fleur.' He muttered under his breath, and she sighed.
'It's not your fault. I just wish I could control the Allure better.' She glared at the ground
and Susan put a hand on the Veela's shoulder as they walked.
'It's okay. We know you don't want the attention. It's clear to all of us that you only see
Harry. It's not your fault that boys are dumb.' Susan smirked.
Fleur blinked at her, a smile grew on her face.
A spring returned to Fleur's step as the group drew nearer to Hogsmeade.
'Finally, it's going to be great here. I've heard all about the shops here, hopefully they
won't be too crowded.' Hannah said as she held Hermione's hand and dragged the
Gryffindor along, her dark mood grew lighter as they neared the town.
A few minutes later, the group explored the town and walked through the many shops,
each selling different things. They wandered through Zonko's, the joke shop, and
neither Harry nor Fleur saw anything to spark their interest.
After exploring a few shops, the group dispersed to explore separately. Harry and Fleur
walked over to have a look at the place Susan had suggested, Madame Puddifoots.
On sight, Fleur's lip curled in distaste.
Fleur led Harry away from the sickeningly sweet pink café and toward another place
where they could find food. Outside a pub called the Hogs Head, Harry peered through
the window before turning back to Fleur and shaking his head.
The place was grimy and dank.
Fleur released a disappointed huff and Harry paused, turning to her.
'I'm sorry the town isn't all that impressive.' He said, and she sighed.
'It's not your fault 'Arry. I'm just excited to be doing something with you that doesn't
involve training.' She said, and he blinked.
Fleur rolled her eyes.
'Honestly 'Arry, I understand you are obsessed with protecting those you care about.
But there's more to life than fighting or training.' She explained, and Harry continued to
stare.
Fleur sighed.
''Arry, is all this training worth it if your friendships, and those you care about, feel that
you don't care for them? Is spending all your time preparing to protect them worth it if
they leave because you didn't spend time with them?' she asked.
The blood drained from his face as he realised what she was saying. His eyes widened,
and she gave him a warm smile.
She cupped both hands on his cheeks and kissed his nose.
'There's nothing wrong with getting stronger, but it's important to remember to enjoy the
important things in life.' She said, then a bitter smile appeared on her face.
'I lost all my friends, and I had none until yours accepted me into their group. They did
that because of their love for you 'Arry.' She finished, and Harry took a deep breath.
'You're right, I'd never thought of it like that before.' He admitted, and she smiled.
'I know.' She said simply and gave a faint shrug.
Harry nodded to himself and led Fleur away from the Hog's Head by the hand.
'Topsy.' Harry called and a moment later, a House-Elf appeared and bowed to Harry.
He smiled at the small creature.
'Would you be able to help me out?' he asked.
Topsy nodded with enough force that its ears flapped like wings.
'Can you deliver a picnic for the two of us in about fifteen minutes?' he asked.
Topsy's eyes widened before it nodded with even more fervour than before and popped
away.
Fleur raised an eyebrow at him, and he smiled. He held out his arm for her and she took
it with an amused smile. Harry led her out of the town and a few minutes later, they
entered the tree line near the town. This stretch of forest was separate from the
Forbidden Forest, it was on the other side of the town.
He walked until he stopped in the middle of a clearing. The temperature dropped as

they approached winter and many of the trees were dropping their leaves, but they were
deep enough in the trees that they were hidden from any casual passer-by.
'I'm going to put up some wards. Did you want to add any I miss?' Harry asked.
Fleur grinned, a sparkle in her eyes, she was always up for a competition.
Fleur watched Harry as he worked for a few minutes as he applied wards to the clearing
and when he finished, she grinned.
'Very good. You missed a few, and a couple of others are a bit sloppy, but very good.'
She beamed at him and drew her wand.
'Here, watch.' She said as she tweaked his wards and added a few more.
Harry watched with a wide grin as she turned back to him, a proud smile on her face.
'So, it turns out you have been listening to what I tell you.' She purred as she wrapped
her arms around his shoulders.
Harry blushed at her tone before he grinned at her.
'Well, I do have incentive to learn, don't I?' He asked, and she smirked.
'Yes, you do.' She leant forward to kiss him.
A moment after their lips touched, a House-Elf popped into the warded clearing and
clicked its fingers.
A picnic blanket appeared on the grass and a basket sat atop it.
Topsy popped away after it gave a small bow.
Harry grinned and gestured for Fleur to sit on the blanket. She rushed to sit beside the
basket and peered inside.
Fleur gasped and pulled out two wine glasses and a bottle.
''Arry, this is elf wine.' She breathed.
Harry raised an eyebrow.

'Is that good?' he asked, and she huffed, examining the bottle.
'Elf wine is some of the most sought-after wine in the world. It has almost no alcohol in
it, but it gives the drinker a wonderful sense of peace.' She whispered and Harry gave a
soft smile, watching her examine the bottle like a priceless relic.
'It sounds like you've had some before?' he asked, and she gave a wistful sigh.
'I've only had a sip of Maman's glass at a function years ago, before Papa was
Ambassador to England.' She murmured.
Harry nodded, not knowing what else to do.
He leaned forward and peered inside the basket. He pulled out a plate of sandwiches.
'Did you want one?' he asked.
She tore her eyes away from the bottle and smiled as she poured some into the two
glasses.
Harry gave her a plate with a fresh sandwich on it before taking a bite of his.
He blinked and opened the sandwich up to find a range of leafy salads, and some kind
of berries, cut in tiny slices.
'Is everything okay?' Fleur asked.
Harry nodded, still peering at his sandwich.
'You should try your sandwich.' He said and watched as she frowned and took a bite of
her sandwich.
She let out a low moan that sent a shiver down his spine that had nothing to do with the
cold. She met his gaze.
'It tastes amazing. Do you have the same thing?' she asked, and he nodded.
He took another bite of his sandwich.
'I do not know what it is, but its brilliant.' He murmured as he took another bite.
He felt peace flood through him, and he let out a sigh. Both Harry and Fleur lay down on
the grass beside each other and stared up at the clear blue sky, a strong sense of
peace settled between them.
Fleur reached over without looking and scooped her wine glass in hand and leaned up
to take a drink before she relaxed again.
Harry let a contented sigh escape his lips.

'It's so relaxing out here.' He murmured.
Hours passed as the two relaxed in their clearing, protected by their wards as they
finished the bottle of elf wine and basked in the other's company.
But eventually, the sky turned a burnt orange before it darkened. The November chill
seeped into the clearing and broke Harry out of his restful state.
Harry groaned as he sat up, then he forced himself to stand and stretched his muscles.
He held out a hand for Fleur as she rose from the grass and brushed off stray leaves
and twigs from her skirt.
Harry finished stretching and turned to the remains of their picnic.
'Topsy.' Harry called and the House-Elf appeared, eyes wide.
'Topsy, thank you very much for such a wonderful picnic.' Harry said that the greenish
hue of the House-Elf's skin darkened.
'It was the best picnic I ever had, thank you.' Fleur added, and the House-Elf looked like
it would faint from the praise.
Topsy bowed and disappeared with a pop, along with the remains of their picnic.
Harry turned to Fleur and sighed.
'I don't really want to go back to the castle.' He remarked, and she nodded with a soft
smile.
'But we still don't know what the First Task is. I'm not looking forward to going back to
study every four or five X creature hoping one of them is our foe.' She complained, and
Harry chuckled.
Harry waved his wand at the surrounding wards, dispelling them. Fleur matched him
and in minutes, the wards were down.
Harry shivered as he realised their wards had seemed to also have blocked out most of
the cold. His breath came out in a cloud of mist.
He tossed a Warming Charm at Fleur and conjured a heavy coat for her that covered
her completely, obscuring her form under the thick furs.
Fleur did the same for him and together, they started the long trek back to the castle.
Once they were back on Hogwarts' grounds, Fleur froze, her gaze drawn to the forest.
''Arry, did you see that?' she asked, eyes narrowed, and Harry frowned.
'What is it?' he asked and drew his wand in an instant.
'It was a flash of light from the forest.' She whispered, her own wand in hand.
Another flicker of red light appeared above the forest and the two glanced at each other.
'Do you want to go get dinner?' he asked, his eyes didn't leave where the light had
been.
Fleur hesitated. Her gaze darted between the castle, the forest, and Harry.
She sighed.
'You're having a bad influence on me. All I want to do is investigate it.' She said, and
Harry grinned.
'Well, there's no time like the present.' He said and tapped his wand on her head,
casting the Disillusionment Charm.
She faded from view, and he cast the spell on himself and he joined her in invisibility.
'Damn.' He muttered.
'What?' Fleur's voice came from near where she had stood earlier.
'Have you moved?' Harry asked, reaching out his hand toward her.
His hand groped around for hers, but he heard a gasp as his hand squeezed something
soft and about chest height.
He froze.
'Are you having fun? Don't we have something we were going to look at?' Fleur's voice
came from in front of him, some impatience in her tone, but it was equal to the
embarrassment and amusement.
'I'm sorry.' Harry started and Fleur took his hand after a moment.
'Hush, we're investigating.' She whispered and led him toward the forest by the hand.
Together, the two almost invisible students moved into the forest, headed east. Harry
realised one limitation of the Disillusionment Charm when they'd tried to use the point
me spell and couldn't see the results.
After about twenty minutes of walking, following the occasional flash of red, Harry
paused, and drew Fleur to a stop as well.
'What?' she asked, and Harry could imagine the silver eyebrow quirking at him.
'Do you feel that?' he asked.

It was warmer. At first, he thought it was the coats they wore, but it was uncomfortably
hot when he should be cold.
'It's warmer here.' Fleur whispered just as a gust of warm air rushed past them.
Fleur squeezed Harry's hand and continued toward where the hot air had come from.
Another flash of red erupted in the forest's darkness, but this time, a deep growl filled
the air and the two froze.
The forest rose to their right, and they crept up until they crested it.
On the other side lay a clearing.
In the clearing, dozens of wizards and witches bustled about, but it wasn't the people
that drew their attention. Around the outside of the clearing, in four great cages, were
massive dragons.
Harry groaned as his mouth went dry.
'I think we've found out what the First Task is.' Harry whispered and squeezed Fleur's
hand.
A moment later, Fleur squeezed back.
'Perhaps signing up to this Tournament wasn't the best idea.' She admitted, her voice
soft.
Harry kissed the back of her hand, which was weird because he couldn't see it.
Her breathing was heavy, like she was hyperventilating.
'Fleur?' he asked, squeezing her hand.
'How am I doing to beat a dragon?' she whispered, and Harry caught the emotion in her
voice.
'I'm not sure, but we have a few days to figure it out. Did you want to stay a little longer?'
he asked, and she remained silent for a moment.
'I'm sorry. I forgot you couldn't see me. I shook my head by the way.' She said, and
Harry let out a small chuckle.
'Okay, we'll head back now.' Harry said, and they stood.
'I will not let a dragon defeat me.' She declared, and Harry squeezed her hand.
'I won't let a dragon defeat you either.' He said, and she squeezed his hand.
'Thank you.' She murmured, then fell silent.

The two made their way back to the castle, they removed the Disillusionment Charms
as they exited the forest.
'Did you want to skip dinner and head straight for the Room of Requirement?' Harry
asked, revelling in being able to see her again.
'No, we should join the others for dinner. I wouldn't be able to stay in the Room for long,
anyway.' She said as they approached the castle doors.
'Okay, then after dinner I'll get started on research.' Harry said, and she nodded, her
gaze far away.
Harry led her into the Great Hall and the two sat at the Hufflepuff table with their friends.
Holly narrowed her eyes at Harry.
'What's wrong?' she asked, and Harry let out a breath, then gave her a warm smile.
'I'll tell you guys soon, but it's big.' Harry said and Holly nodded, though it was clear she
did not know what was going on.
The others nodded as well, but looked equally confused.
Harry looked around the group.
'So, what did everyone get up to after we went our separate ways? Did you enjoy
Hogsmeade?' Harry asked.
*Chapter 27*: Chapter 26 - First Task 1994
Chapter 26. First Task. 1994.
Harry looked up at the clock on the wall of the library that the Room of Requirement
appeared to be as the door opened to reveal Fleur.
He blinked his bleary eyes and swore under his breath. He rummaged through the
notebooks on his desk before he found his oldest and most used one.
Harry opened the notebook and flipped past the pages detailing an hourglass filled with
golden sand, then feather-shaped charms for a bracelet. He kept flipping through the
pages, past lists of spells and sketches of swords and jewellery.
As Fleur joined him at the desk, he smiled over at her. It didn't look like she'd slept well.
Even her inherent Veela magic couldn't hide the bags under her eyes.
Without a word, he handed her the notebook, open to the correct page.
Her eyes skimmed over his messy scrawl, and her eyes grew wide before she met his
half-lidded gaze.
'Were you up all night working on this?' she breathed, and he gave her a half smile.
'All forty-odd hours.' He muttered, and she looked down at the notebook, then at him
again.
'This is amazing work.' She gushed.
Harry nodded; his eyes closed for a moment before he shook himself.
'We can create these rune stones that should nullify Dragon fire.' He said and rubbed
his eyes.
'Which leaves only the whole dealing with a giant flying lizard part. Oh, turn the page.'
Harry added as he struggled to keep his eyes open.
Fleur turned the page, then gave a slow blink before she dropped the notebook on the
table. She rushed to his side, took his face in her hands, and kissed him hard on the
lips.
She didn't release him for ten seconds and when she was done, she pulled back and
Harry wore a tired smile.
'You are far beyond me with charms, and I don't know any that can disable a Dragon.'
Harry begun before yawning.
'However, with this rune sequence incorporated into your charm bracelet, your charms
should be enhanced enough that a simple Sleep Charm should at least effect the beast.'
Harry yawned again.
Fleur beamed at him.
'I've got something better, it's a Sleep Charm that Maman taught me. It's almost more a
ritual, but the only downside is that it takes about a minute to work, but it will put almost
anything to sleep.' She declared, and Harry blinked at her.
Fleur grinned.
'At the Veela enclaves, there was one woman who said she'd put a Nundu to sleep with
it. It's a Veela Charm.' She said, and Harry gaped at her.
'That sounds brilliant.' Harry grinned and Fleur smirked.
'Of course it is. Now, you need to get some sleep so you can be awake by the time I'm
ready for your help.' Fleur ordered and Harry nodded, then yawned again.
With a thought, a king-sized bed appeared next to the yellow loveseat he'd conjured
three weeks before.
Without even changing, Harry collapsed on the bed and fell asleep.
Two days later, Harry approached the Black Lake at sunrise to see Fleur pacing in her
Beauxbatons uniform, including her slanted hat and cerulean outer robe. But around her
waist hung a belt with a dozen pouches attached to it.
The tips of carved runestones poked out the top of each pouch and a Dragon shaped
silver charm hung from her bracelet.
As he drew near, she ceased her pacing.
'Where have you been? You normally beat me here.' She whispered, her face pale.
Harry smiled and pulled her into an embrace.
'Cedric Diggory waylaid me. Apparently, Neville told him that their First Task was
Dragons, and he wanted me to tell you. I told him we already figured it out by accident
but thanked him for his concern.' Harry said and her arms squeezed him tight.
'Poor guy found out last night, so he hasn't had a wink of sleep.' He continued.
Fleur let out a breath.

'Is Krum the only one who doesn't know, you think?' she asked, and Harry laughed.
'Apparently, Neville noticed Karkaroff skulking around the Dragon enclosure, about the
same time he saw your Headmistress there with Hagrid.' Harry said, and Fleur smirked.
'Yes, she told me about the Dragons yesterday. She was surprised when I told her I
already knew. The woman seemed torn between worry and wanting to scold me.' She
grinned.
Harry laughed.
'You'll be fine. Not only will you get through this task, but you'll also win it. I'll be there to
watch you win.' He declared, and she gave him a warm smile.
'I believe you 'Arry. You have been so good to me.' She whispered.
Harry pulled her into a soft kiss before he rested his forehead against hers.
'You will win this thing; I believe in you.' He whispered.
She nodded, then looked to the castle, then back to him.
'I'm nervous.' She said simply, and he nodded.
'How about we have a jog around the lake to get rid of some of that nervous energy?' he
asked, and she gave a thankful nod.
Together, the two did a single lap around the lake. It was more of a leisurely jog
compared to when they would normally exercise in the morning.
After they finished and made their way back to the castle.
Harry put his hand on the small of Fleur's back and whispered into her ear.
'Fleur, you have company.' He said, and she frowned at him until she followed his gaze
and her eyes widened.
By the entrance to Hogwarts stood Dominique, Apolline, and Gabrielle. They each wore
wide smiles, and Gabrielle bounced in excitement, waving.
'Go, say hello to them.' He whispered, and she latched onto his hand, holding it tight.
'You're not escaping that easily. You're coming with me.' She hissed and dragged him
toward her family.
Harry felt Fleur's Allure slip from her control in her excitement. He still didn't know why it
didn't affect him, but he could still feel it, and it was loose. Thankfully, only he and her
family were around.
Apolline beamed at them, her sky-blue eyes locked onto their joined hands.
Dominique's smile matched his wife's as Harry and Fleur approached.
Gabrielle didn't have the same restraint and when they got close enough, the little Veela
rushed toward them and wrapped her arms around both Fleur and Harry.
'I missed the two of you so much. So did Papa and Maman.' Gabrielle gushed in
French.
Harry looked up as Apolline and Dominique bridged the gap caused by Gabrielle's
greeting.
Apolline wore a mischievous smile.
'Did anything significant occur between the last letter you sent me and now?' the Veela
woman asked and Fleur's eyes widened, then she blushed.
'I've been really busy, Maman.' Fleur muttered, stroking Gabrielle's hair.
Dominique held a knowing glint in his eye.
'So, what happened?' he asked, and Fleur turned red.
''Arry and I are together. We have been for about a month.' She said.
Apolline rushed forward and took them both into a tight hug, crushing Gabrielle further
into the embrace.
Dominique clapped a hand on Harry's shoulder with a wide grin.
'I've been expecting this for years.' He said and Harry turned to stare at him over
Apolline's shoulder.
'Really?' Harry asked.
Three incredulous stares met him as the group hug ended.
'Of course, you two were always going to get married.' Gabrielle said, as if there had
never been any doubt.
A bright flash came from nearby and Harry spun to find it wasn't as private a
conversation as he'd thought. The reporter that Fleur had told him about, that had been
at the Weighing of the Wands ceremony, stood nearby.
Rita Skeeter, reporter for the Daily Prophet, gave him a predatory smile and stepped
into his personal space.
'Is the Heir of House Potter marrying a Veela? Does the Lord and Lady Potter know of
these intentions? The public needs to know.' Rita purred.
Dominique placed a hand on Harry's shoulder, he stepped in between Harry and the
reporter.
'Rita, you know the contract you signed. You are to behave yourself during this event,
no lies and you are to only cover the event itself. Otherwise, you may find your job is not
as stable as it seems.' He declared and Rita's eyes widened.
The reporter scurried away from the French Ambassador like she couldn't escape fast
enough. Her photographer stood and stared at both Fleur and Apolline like a simpleton.
Dominique coughed and raised his eyebrows at the man, who jerked in surprise as four
sets of hostile eyes bore into him. The man followed behind the reporter moments
afterward.
Dominique sighed and turned to Harry.
'I apologise Harry. In time, you will grow accustomed to dealing with the media, but with
any luck you'll have plenty of time.' The man said, his voice low.
Harry smiled.
'Thank you for getting rid of that woman, at least for now.' He said
Harry looked down at Gabrielle, who tugged at his sleeve.
'I'm sorry for telling the secret, Harry.' Gabrielle said, her eyes holding back tears.
Harry knelt in front of her and pulled the little Veela into an embrace. She looked about
ten, but was closer to thirteen, almost the age Fleur was when he met her.
'Fleur and I aren't getting married.' He blushed and kept his eyes away from the three
sets of eyes watching them.
'But I don't think it's a bad idea for the future.' He whispered in the girl's ear.
Gabrielle squealed and hugged him tight.
Fleur tilted her head in question and he only gave her a small smile.
Harry turned to Apolline.
'Am I going to get interrogated after the event?' he asked as he stood, Gabrielle
wrapped around his middle.
Apolline smiled and patted a hand on his cheek.
'Oh, my dear boy. You are already a part of this family; you have been for years. This
won't change a thing, except maybe making it official.' She said.
Harry blushed.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Fleur do the same.
Dumbledore strode out of the castle and his eyes lit up at seeing the group.
'Oh, wonderful. If you would all join us in the Great Hall, feel free to sit together for
breakfast.' Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling.
'The rest of the day until the event is for family.' The Headmaster said before he turned
and headed back inside.
'I should probably leave you guys to be together.' He said, and Fleur narrowed her eyes
at him.
'Didn't you hear Maman? You're already a part of the family.' Fleur said, turning to look
at Apolline.
The woman gave him a warm smile and a nod. Harry turned to Dominique, who did the
same, and Harry smiled and gave a short nod.
After breakfast, Harry and Fleur showed the Delacours around Hogwarts. The family
joked and enjoyed each other's company. Gabrielle spent most of the day latched onto
either Harry or Fleur, much to the amusement of her parents.
Harry noticed other families walking across the grounds. He saw the Dowager
Longbottom sitting with Neville in a greenhouse as they walked past. Harry noted a man
who looked like Cedric walking around the Quidditch Pitch with him and a woman who
bore a resemblance to Viktor Krum walked beside him around the stadium as well.
At around three o'clock, a chime rung out and Professor McGonagall's amplified voice
rung out over the grounds.
'Can all students and guests make their way to the Quidditch Pitch? The First Task of
the Triwizard Tournament will take place soon.'
Harry turned to Fleur and smiled at her. She nodded back.
'Okay, honey, we're going to make our way to the stands. We're going to be cheering for
you.' Dominique said and pulled Fleur into a hug.
Together, the family and Harry made their way to the Quidditch Pitch.
A great crowd of people pushed to get into the stadium to watch the event. Not all were
students or families of students. Harry noted the event must have been open to the
public as well.
A door stood near the main entrance that the families of the Champions crowded
around, bidding farewell to the Champions.
Harry held Fleur in a tight embrace.
'Good luck, you'll be amazing, I just know it.' He whispered, and she nodded.
He stepped back and with a final nod, she turned and walked through the Champion's
entrance and disappeared.
Harry joined the Delacours in the crowd and entered the stadium.
As he walked behind Apolline, a woman caught his eye as she stood in the walkway.
The woman leant against the wall where she would have an unobstructed view of the
rocky arena.
He placed a hand on Apolline's shoulder and leant into her ear.
'I'll see you up at the seats. I'm just going to the bathroom.' He called, trying to be heard
over the din of the crowd.
Apolline nodded with a smile and Harry released her, then turned to find the woman
again.
Harry didn't know what it was about the woman that caught his attention, but she felt
familiar somehow. She wore black robes that covered almost all sense of body shape,
though she couldn't hide the outline of her feminine curves, even under the thick black
cloak.
He narrowed his eyes as he kept sight of her. He sensed a familiar pull. But couldn't
place anybody with her build, apart from perhaps Apolline, who he had left moments
ago to watch this mysterious cloaked woman.
Her robes were faded and showed signs of too many mending charms. They were once
black, but were now more a dark grey, like the colour had faded with age and use. He
couldn't see her face or hair and he figured that her robes' hood was charmed for that
exact function.
Harry disillusioned himself and stood a few metres behind the woman as the crowd
entering the stadium thinned out until it stopped entirely. His eyes were locked on the
woman's back and he wondered what made him so suspicious of the woman.
Within minutes, the amplified voice of Ludo Bagman washed over the crowd.
'May I have your attention, Wizards, and Witches?' he called, his voice boomed through
the hallway Harry stood in.
The cloaked woman stood at attention, her body taught like a spring, waiting to burst
into action.
As was Harry, his wand in hand.
'Welcome everybody, to the First Task of the 1994 Triwizard Tournament.' Bagman's
voice carried across the stadium and the crowd fell into near silence.
'This First Task will involve the Champions taking a Golden Egg from one of the most
dangerous beasts to walk the Earth.' Bagman paused for effect.
'Dragons.' He finished and gasps erupted from the crowd.
As if on cue, a Dragon roared.
Harry felt a chill run down his spine.
It sounded like some primordial beast from a nightmare. It carried with it a sense of
overwhelming rage and power, a sense that the very idea of resistance was futile. He
felt tiny as he heard the roar of the titanic beast again, even though he'd heard that roar,
along with three others a few nights earlier.
'The first Champion to face their Dragon is Hogwarts' first Champion, Cedric Diggory.'
Bagman announced, and the crowd roared their approval, drowning out even the roar of
the Dragon.
'He faces a Swedish Short-Snout. This one is a little longer than the average length of
this type of Dragon at just over seven metres. It is regarded as a Five-X magical
creature and its flame is strong enough to reduce timber and bone to ash in seconds.'
Bagman explained, and a hush fell over the crowd.
Harry clenched his jaw as he kept his gaze on the cloaked woman. From the corner of
his eye, he saw the silvery blue scaled beast rear up on its hind legs and release a gout
of brilliant blue flame. The creature's wings spread wide as it towered over a pile of eggs
between its legs.
He wished Cedric well in his mind and focussed on the woman before him. Harry
narrowed his gaze as he struggled to grasp what was so familiar about her.
Cedric transfigured a dog from a rock and distracted the great beast, Harry cringed as
the dog was crushed beneath the Dragon's powerful tail, before another roar filled his
ears as the beast turned to Cedric as escaped the arena, the Golden Egg held tight in
his arms.
The crowd roared their approval, and a team of Dragon Handlers entered the arena to
lead the giant creature out.
A few minutes later, another team of Dragon Handlers entered. They led a second
Dragon into the arena, this one, Harry recognised as a Welsh Green.
Once the Dragon Handlers secured the Dragon to the ground and left the arena, the
woman moved.
She darted forward and into a door in the wall.
Harry followed her, he kept close and moved through the door before it closed behind
her.
'This Dragon is a Welsh Green; this nesting mother is much larger than average for its
type and is eight metres in length.' Bagman said, and Harry tuned the man's
commentary out.
He followed behind the woman as she darted through door after door. Harry kept his
Disillusionment Charm active and cast a Silencing Charm on his feet. The two moved
through corridors and side rooms, they even ran through the Ravenclaw Quidditch
changing room at one point as the cloaked woman led Harry through a silent chase.
A roar filled the arena that sounded almost like a song, but it was anything but soothing.
'Facing this Dragon is the Champion from Beauxbatons Academy, Fleur Delacour.'
Bagman's voice drifted in through the door Harry ran toward, only a few steps behind
the woman.
Harry clenched his jaw. He didn't want to miss Fleur's performance, but he was unwilling
to allow this woman to run free until he knew what was going on.
The woman opened the door from where Bagman's voice came from and sunlight
streamed into the room.
Harry narrowed his eyes at the sight.
The woman stood in a room beneath the stands. They had a clear view of the stadium
and the rear of the Dragon. Harry wondered where they were, and what purpose the
room served for a stadium built for Quidditch. From their vantage point, they couldn't
see the air above the ground, where a Quidditch game would be played. But they had
an unobstructed view of the ground where the Dragon stood.
Harry wondered if they constructed the Quidditch Pitch from designs for muggle
stadiums, where all the games were played on the ground. Otherwise, this room held no
purpose.
Harry watched the woman draw her wand and his eyes narrowed when he saw it was
made of Rosewood.
She weaved her wand around herself and he kept his distance, she could likely detect
his active spells if she were looking for them.
'Miss Delacour seems like she is summoning something from outside the arena. What is
it?' Bagman's voice called.
Harry watched as the woman drew closer to the arena. An opening between the ground
and ceiling gave an unobstructed view of the Dragon, like a window with no glass.
Harry noticed the chain that anchored the Dragon to the ground.
The Dragon strained against the chain as it fired great blasts of flame, the heat of which
Harry felt even from behind the beast and out of direct view.
Harry's gaze left the Dragon when he saw a flash of light.
A spell left the cloaked woman's wand toward a second cloaked person, garbed in black
robes. The second person deflected the spell that Harry realised was a Piercing Hex.
He watched, still disillusioned, as the two fought. Spells sped between them, and Harry
narrowed his eyes.
Both figures outmatched him; it was as clear to him as the Dragon that Fleur faced
outside.
So he watched as they fought.
After a few moments, he realised the second figure was a woman as well. She wore
pristine fitted robes over Dragonhide leather armour. A high collar poked up and hugged
her neck as she danced around the spells sent by the first woman. Beneath the second
woman's robes, her Dragonhide leather armour held a golden trim.
It was obvious to Harry that the second woman was wealthy and wasn't afraid to show
it. Her outfit probably cost enough to make the Malfoy's blanch.
Neither woman spoke, or if they did, Harry couldn't hear them over the destruction they
caused in the viewing area.
Chunks of wall exploded inward, showering the occupants with dust and debris.
Harry ducked, careful to avoid what could give him away as the two continued their
lethal dance. He couldn't tell which one, if any, to aid. Neither spoke and both fought an
offensive fight.
Harry wondered why the two women were fighting and why they did so there and at that
time. Questions filled his mind as the room filled with dust as the spells the two fired at
rapid fire pace and destroyed everything.
He wondered if in the stands above them, where the spectators watched the event, they
could feel this battle. And whether the stands would withstand much more of the fight.
'Miss Delacour is using some kind of stones to nullify the Dragon's fire. How on Earth
did she pull that off?' Bagman's voice could barely be heard over the fight in front of his
eyes.
'Wait, what's this? What's she doing? Is she singing?' Bagman continued.
The judge's voice quickly was drowned out as the two women's fight grew more intense.
The first woman fought with a familiarity that Harry couldn't place. She fought with a
grace that was eerily familiar and each step she took was perfectly executed, with no
wasted movement. Every movement she made flowed seamlessly into the next with the
smoothness of an elegant dance.
The second woman, in contrast, fought with a brawler's grace. Her footwork wasn't
sloppy, but it wasn't graceful. She moved in straight lines, with no thought to the art of
duelling. The second woman fought as if victory was owed to her, like she expected to
win.
Both women outclassed him by a wide margin, and he couldn't figure out which one to
help.
With an enraged snarl, the second woman twisted and fired an overpowered Shattering
Hex out of the room, and Harry's eyes widened as he followed the path of the spell.
The hex struck the chain holding the Dragon and the thick metal exploded. It sent
shards of white-hot iron into the massive beast's leg, making it unleash an ear-
shattering roar.
Harry now knew who to attack.
As the massive Dragon outside launched away from its pile of eggs toward Fleur, Harry
turned and unleashed a barrage of potentially lethal spells at the second woman.
He fired Bone Breakers, Piercing Hexes, Expulso Curses, Blasting Hexes, and any
other combat spell he could think of at the woman.
Harry even fired a spell he and Fleur he had been working on, a new spell. He couldn't
cast it silently just yet though.
'Ardenti Lux.' Harry hissed and a beam of super concentrated light shot out of his wand,
a laser.
The second woman shielded the first few spells he sent before the shield shattered,
which forced her to deflect the rest. The light beam tore through her shield without
resistance and she dodged out of the way at the last moment.
She struggled to evade the spells fired by the first woman in addition to Harry's.
Harry transfigured a piece of rubble into a wolf and, with a flick of his wand, enchanted it
to be resistant to magic and enhanced its speed. He sent it off to attack the second
woman before he leapt back into the fight.
With a shriek of rage, the second witch killed the wolf with a Piercing Hex to its head
and withdrew a rock from her robes, then disappeared, a Portkey.
Harry growled and ran to the opening to see the massive Dragon collapsed to the
ground, metres away from Fleur, fast asleep.
He let out a breath and spun to see the first woman staring at him.
A flash of silver hair escaped from her shadowed hood, and a moment later she
disappeared. She left behind a pair of tears which fell to the ground where she had
stood seconds before.
Harry stared at the spot the first witch had stood, then knelt. He almost touched the two
tear drops that remained of her. He turned to where the second woman had Portkeyed
away and growled as his frustration peaked.
Cheers erupted from the arena outside as Fleur ducked to scoop the Golden Egg into
her arms before she ran to the exit of the area. As she rushed past him, he saw her pale
face, unknowing of his presence.
Harry sighed.
He wondered what the hell just happened. Who were the two witches and why were
they fighting? Why did one unleash the Dragon on Fleur?
He gave another sigh and ran a hand through his hair.
Harry left the room and made his way back to the entrance corridor where he'd first
seen the first woman. Harry clenched his jaw and continued up to join Fleur's family in
the stands.
Apolline frowned when she saw him, and Harry realised he was covered in dust from
the fight.
'Harry? Where were you? You missed Fleur's match?' the Veela asked and Harry shook
his head.
'I saw it, but there's something else I saw, too. Something that concerned me.' He
admitted, standing beside Dominique.
Apolline stared at him for a moment before she took Gabrielle's hand and turned to her
husband.
'Go with Harry, my love. It looks serious.' She said, and Dominique turned from Harry to
Apolline, then back to Harry.
'Lead the way, my boy.' Dominique urged.
Harry nodded, and turned. He moved back down the steps to where he'd seen the
woman first.
Harry led him through the veritable maze of rooms beneath the stands, toward where
the fight had taken place.
'I'm sorry for pulling you away from your family, sir.' Harry said as he moved.
'Harry, you are family. What happened?' Dominique asked and Harry sighed, he ran a
hand through his hair.
'I saw a suspicious looking woman as we entered the stadium.' Harry started.
As he led Dominique through the warren of rooms, he explained what had happened.
Finally, the two reached the room and Dominique's eyes widened as he saw the clear
view of the stadium. The man examined the room, and the destruction caused by the
battle.
'What happened? This doesn't look like a simple fight occurred.' Dominique whispered,
as he trailed his wand over every surface.
'I didn't know which one to side with, so I waited.' Harry knelt beside the two tears again.
'When the second woman broke the chain restraining the Dragon, I stepped in and
together with the first woman, we pushed back the second.' Harry said.
He held his fingers above the tears, and felt a strange pull toward them.
'The second woman Portkeyed away, so I turned to check that Fleur was okay. When I
saw she was, I turned back to the first woman to see her crying, then she disappeared
as well.' Harry paused and Dominique knelt beside him and cast a range of spells Harry
couldn't make out.
Dominique frowned and cast a dozen more spells at the two tears in the dust.
'These results are strange.' Dominique murmured as he cast more spells on the tears.
Without looking up at Harry, Dominique continued.
'These tears, the magic in them, shouldn't exist. They don't exist, they can't exist.
According to my diagnostics, these tears cannot exist. Yet they do.' Dominique
explained.
Harry blinked.
'Huh?' he replied with the wisdom his age implied.
Dominique sighed and focussed on the tears once more.

Harry swore under his breath and drew his Marauders Map from his pocket.
'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.' He muttered and names appeared on the
map.
Harry peered at the names, but there were so many people in the stands that their
names overlapped. He couldn't tell them apart.
Harry growled and was about to wipe the map when he noticed the name Bartemius
Crouch in the castle, moving beside another name, Bertha Jorkins. After a quick scan,
the only other name in the castle was Argus Filtch, who was on the other side of the
castle.
He wondered why Crouch was in the castle, shouldn't he be in the judges' stand?
Harry peered out into the arena where the third Dragon, a Chinese Fireball, was being
attached with two chains, rather than one. He narrowed his eyes and couldn't find the
judges stand, he sighed, and figured it must be above his current location.
'Harry.' Dominique called and Harry turned to face the Ambassador.
'There's nothing more we can do here. I'll inform the Aurors to investigate, but we're
done here for the moment.' Dominique said.
Harry nodded, and let out a sigh.
'What was Fleur's score, by the way?' Harry asked as the two moved to leave the room.
'She got forty-two. The Cedric boy got thirty-eight. It seems he lost points for not
displaying enough style. However, we believe it was just Maxime and Karkaroff being
upset that your school got two Champions.' Dominique explained, and Harry scoffed.
'Yeah, that doesn't surprise me. This whole thing had a rocky start.' Harry said, and
Dominique chuckled.
'You're not wrong.' Dominique agreed and led Harry back to their seats, where Gabrielle
latched onto Harry's arm to watch the remaining Champions.
Harry couldn't keep his mind off the two women and didn't pay attention to the final two
Champions, lost in his thoughts.
An hour later, the rocky arena fell silent as the Dragon tamers stunned the irate
Hungarian Horntail that Neville had narrowly avoided. Harry followed the Delacours out
of the stadium, lost in thought, only looking up minutes later to see he'd followed them to
the Black Lake.
He stared out into the lake, watching the waves on its surface gently move with the
wind.
Harry blinked as he felt a pair of small hands wrap around his own. He turned down to
meet Gabrielle's sky-blue eyes that watched him with worry in their depths.
'What's wrong? Aren't you happy that Fleur won?' she asked, her head cocked to the
side.
Harry forced a smile on his face and knelt in front of the girl and pulled her into an
embrace.
'I'm super happy that Fleur won. But I found some bad people today. I couldn't watch
her win because I had to try to stop them from doing bad things.' Harry said, and
Gabrielle frowned.
'Are the bad people going to come back?' the young Veela asked, and Harry sighed.
'I don't know, but your Papa is going to help me find them so that it doesn't happen
again.' Harry said.
His gaze shifted to Dominique for a moment, to see the man nod, before it returned to
Gabrielle's eyes once more.
Gabrielle nodded, though she still wore a frown, showing that she didn't really
understand.
'It's okay, your Papa and I will make sure that nothing bad happens to Fleur.' Harry
assured and Gabrielle nodded, her frown no longer present.
Harry looked up to the smiling elder Delacour's and behind them, Fleur walked toward
them from the stadium. She wore a wide smile.
Fleur glowed with pride as she joined her family beside the lake. She rushed forward
and took her parents into a tight embrace.
Harry released Gabrielle from his embrace and the little Veela rushed to join the family
hug.
Apolline eyed Harry from over Fleur's shoulder as the group rotated after Gabrielle's
enthusiastic entrance. Apolline gestured for Harry to join with a hand and, after a
moment, he joined the embrace.
The embrace lasted a few seconds before the group disentangled themselves and Fleur
looked between her parents' faces before landing on Harry's.
'What's wrong?' she asked.
Harry sighed, and ran a hand through his hair.
Dominique put a hand on Harry's shoulder.

'There was an altercation between two unknown witches under the stands behind the
Dragon. In that altercation, one of the witches broke the chain of your Dragon.'
Dominique explained, clear and concise.
Fleur's eyes widened, and a hand covered her mouth.
'So that's what happened.' She breathed.
'Were the witches caught?' she asked a moment later and Dominique shook his head.
Dominique gestured toward Harry.
'Harry here joined forces with the witch who didn't break the chain and together they
forced the other to retreat via Portkey.' He explained and Fleur gasped. She turned to
meet Harry's gaze.
Fleur rushed forward and wrapped her arms around Harry's shoulders.
'Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?' she asked, and Harry held her close and
whispered in her ear.
'I'm fine; I'll tell you everything later.' His voice was low and only Fleur heard him.
She nodded into his neck before releasing him from her grip.
Fleur turned to her family.
'Thank you all for joining us today, I really appreciate your support.' She smiled and
Apolline nodded. A soft smile graced her face.
'How about we retire to the Great Hall for some dinner and hear the story of the event
from your perspective?' Apolline suggested and Fleur nodded, a wide smile on her face.
Fleur took Harry's hand, and the two shared a grin before Harry allowed himself to be
led toward the castle as Fleur started to speak.
The next two weeks flew past for Harry as he continued his studies.
Fleur and Harry were both featured in the Daily Prophet the day after the first task. Fleur
because of her dramatic win and Harry due to his being the Heir of a Most Ancient and
Noble House, being in a relationship with a foreign Veela.
The drama only existed outside of Hogwarts, as the students within the ancient castle
were well aware of how close the two were. However, outside the school, it was another
matter, as James told him one night after reporters searching for a statement from the
Lord of House Potter had accosted him.
Harry didn't care, he instead turned his attention to more pressing matters.
He watched from the Hufflepuff table as Ron and most of the Gryffindors welcomed
Neville back into their fold once more. Harry blinked as Holly scoffed beside him.
'Are they really going to act as though they're doing him a favour? When it was them
who were the ones in the wrong?' Holly asked, and Harry rolled his eyes.
'Yes, well, apart from Hermione and Ginny, that house seems to lack much in the way of
intelligence.' Daphne sniffed.
Susan, who sat beside Daphne, covered a giggle with her hands. Hannah, who sat on
Susan's other side, let out a cough to mask her laughter.
Hermione sat opposite Harry and stared down at her plate, the breakfast on it sat
untouched. Her chocolate eyes locked on the cooling slice of toast.
Harry looked up and cocked his head as Neville came to a stop behind Hermione. Ron
stood beside him with a smug grin.
Neville cleared his throat to draw the combined gaze of the group, including Hermione,
who turned in her seat to meet the Boy-Who-Lived's eyes.
'Hermione, can I speak to you for a moment?' Neville asked, his eyes shifted from
Hermione's to the others in the group before resting on Harry's.
Hermione blinked and took a deep breath before meeting Neville's gaze.
'Anything you want to say can be said in front of my friends.' She said, her voice
wavering, but determined.
Neville narrowed his eyes before he closed them for a moment and he took a slow
breath.
'I'm sorry Hermione. You know how I've been under a lot of pressure with everything
going on and I took it out on you. I want everything to go back to the way it was before.'
He said, his eyes didn't meet hers.
Hermione narrowed her gaze and tensed. She remained silent for a moment before
shaking her head.
'I'm sorry, Neville, but that's not good enough. You treated me horribly, even after
everything we've been through.' She trailed off and let out a sigh.
Harry watched as Neville's demeanour shifted, he stiffened, and his eyes grew wide
before he took a breath.
The Boy-Who-Lived nodded to himself.
'Hermione, I am truly sorry. I admit that I treated you poorly. I should never have said
those things to you. As much as I hate to admit it, I need your help. I can't do this
Tournament without you.' He said in little more than a whisper.
Hermione turned in her seat to meet Harry's gaze. She looked conflicted, like she didn't
want to make the choice.
'Hermione, this is your decision. We enjoy having you with us, but if you want to go back
to them, we won't stop you. Whatever you decide, you're always welcome with us, no
matter what.' He said, ignoring the surprise on Neville's face.
Hermione closed her eyes and let out a breath. After a moment, she opened her eyes
and met Harry's gaze.
She nodded.
Hermione turned back to Neville; her eyes narrowed.
'Okay, I'll forgive you. But this will never happen again. Also, I'm almost certain that
neither of you have been keeping up with your homework, so we have a lot to catch up
on.' She declared, and both boys nodded and gulped.
Hermione stood from her seat across from Harry and smiled at him.
'Thank you, Harry, for everything.' She said, then left before he could say anything in
return.
Harry watched as Hermione led the two boys back to the Gryffindor table. She pulled
out a book from her pocket and made it grow to its normal size with a tap of her wand.
Harry grinned.
'Well, she doesn't waste any time, does she?' he asked, and Holly scoffed.
'Why does she put up with those two?' Daphne asked, though nobody ventured a
guess.
In Transfiguration later that day, Harry sat beside Susan and they watched Professor
McGonagall stand in front of the class.
'Before we begin today, I wanted to announce that this year, Hogwarts will host a Yule
Ball. We will hold it on Christmas Day at eight PM.' She said and whispers filled the
room a moment later.
'Now, more information will be released closer to the date, but I feel it is important to
give you all fair warning in case some of you neglected to bring a set of dress robes.'
She paused and narrowed her eyes as she met the gaze of Wayne Hopkins, a
Hufflepuff boy in Harry's dorm who he'd never gotten to know.
'For now, however, we will turn to the Switching Spell, a spell that is normally tested on
your OWLs.' Professor McGonagall said, turning from the class to face the board, where
with a flick of her wand, detailed instructions appeared, written in chalk.
Harry smiled and pulled out an empty notebook and a pen. Within minutes he'd
sketched a design of a robe and Susan peered over his shoulder to see what he was
doing.
Harry jumped in surprise as McGonagall cleared her throat behind him.
'Mister Potter, are you having trouble with the transfiguration?' The Professor asked, her
voice only a step away from dangerous.
Harry turned his gaze to meet her imperious stare and grinned, he rubbed the back of
his head.
'No, sorry Professor. I just had an idea from your announcement that I had to get down
before I forgot it.' He admitted.
He watched her eyebrow quirk, and her eyes narrowed. She waited for him to continue.
Harry looked around and saw that everybody had a bird and a rat in front of them on
their desk, except him. He glanced at the board for a moment and noticed that he was
the centre of attention and sighed.
He flicked his wand at the two animals on Susan's desk. In an instant, the bird's left
wing and the rat's left foreleg had switched places.
Both animals looked startled for a moment before Harry waved his wand again and
returned the two to their normal state.
Professor McGonagall gave him the smallest hint of a smile.
'Five points for Hufflepuff Mister Potter. Now, please spend your spare time in my class
assisting the other students, rather than dabbling in the fashion world.' She said, and
Harry grinned and gave her a quick nod.
'You're right Professor, a Potter should probably never enter that world.' He admitted,
and the hint of a smile on her face remained, and her eyes sparkled with hidden mirth.
She turned away from Harry and narrowed her eyes at the rest of the class.
'Back to work class, Mister Potter, please assist the class as you see fit.' The Professor
ordered before returning to her rounds.
Susan tapped Harry's shoulder and looked at his notebook.
'I was positive that you were about to lose us points or get detention or something.' She
hissed, and Harry shrugged.
'It was definitely a possibility, but it seems like she appreciated my design.' He mused
and Susan reached out to take the notebook, looking at it from a few different angles.
'It's pretty good, but it needs a woman's touch. Hannah and I will look over it tonight.
Then we'll give it to Fleur and see what she thinks about it.' She said, then narrowed her
eyes at him, meeting his eyes.
'You are going to ask her, tonight, right?' she asked, a hint of danger in her tone.
Harry stared at her, incredulous.
'Do you think I'm mad? Of course I'm going to ask her tonight.' He hissed, and she
giggled.
'You're a very strange boy Harry.' She grinned as he frowned.
'What? Why?' he asked, and she patted his shoulder.
'Nothing to worry about, Harry. Now, help me with this Switching Spell please?' she
asked and fluttered her eyelashes at him.
He frowned, cocking his head to the side, and he opened his mouth to say something
before he shook his head and sighed.
'Okay, where do we want to start?' he asked, and Susan grinned.
That night at dinner, Harry leaned over to whisper in Fleur's ear.

'Would you like to join me in the Room of Requirement after dinner for a short while?' he
asked, and she turned, a small smile on her face.
'Oui, I would love to.' She whispered back, then blinked and looked over Harry's
shoulder at Holly.
Harry turned to see Holly wearing Fleur's slanted blue hat.
'It's not fair, we're not even going to the Ministry Ball this year. How is that fair?' she
sulked.
Harry shrugged; it had become somewhat of a tradition.
'How about you find a fourth-year boy to take you? McGonagall did specifically say that
younger years could go if accompanying an older student. You could then ditch the guy
and hang out with us.' Harry suggested.
Holly glared at him.
Harry raised his hands in surrender.
'Whatever you do is your business, but if he hurts you, he'll regret it.' He said, and
Holly's glare turned into a pout.
'You make it so hard to be mad at you.' She complained and Fleur laughed, her eyes
twinkling as she met his gaze.
'You are right 'Olly, he does.' Fleur winked at him.
'Why would anyone want to be mad at me, what did I do?' he asked, and Daphne rolled
her eyes at him while the others laughed.
Susan looked around the group and sighed.
'Are we going to wait for the boys to ask us to the Ball or not?' she asked.
Fleur shrugged; her eyes locked on Harry's.
'I will wait a short time, but I am not known for my patience.' The Veela said and Harry
grinned, earning an eye roll from the other girls.
A cough from behind Fleur gained their attention and Harry turned in his seat to see a
sixth year Gryffindor boy, Lee Jordan. Harry recognised him as one of the Weasley
twin's friends.
'W-will you g-go to the Ball w-with me?' Lee asked, sweat beaded down his brow as he
stuttered, lost in her constrained Allure.
Fleur sighed.
'I am already considering another, so it will have to be a no. But I am sorry.' She said
and Lee's face collapsed into a frown, before he slumped forward and walked away,
back to the Gryffindor table.
Holly put a hand on Fleur's shoulder.
'That kind of thing must happen all the time. I'm sorry.' She said and Fleur sighed, she
tucked a stray strand of silver hair behind her ear.
'You get used to it.' She muttered.
Daphne sighed and turned to Luna, who sat beside her.
'Will you go to the Ball with me?' the Slytherin asked, and the group froze, staring at the
two blondes.
Luna brightened, her blue eyes shining.
'Are you sure?' she breathed, and Daphne nodded, her face impassive.
Luna beamed at Daphne, nodding emphatically.
'That would be wonderful.' Luna gushed, and Daphne cracked a small smile before she
returned to her meal.
After dinner, on their way to the Room of Requirement, Fleur was asked to the Ball by
two more boys, whom she denied.
Once inside the Room, Harry set it up as their cosy library with a fireplace in the middle.
Harry turned to Fleur, whose face was stained red in the firelight.
'Fleur, will you go to the Ball with me this Christmas?' he asked, holding her hands in
his.
She beamed at him and threw her arms around him, she pulled him into a tight
embrace.
'I would love to go to the Ball with you 'Arry.' She gushed and her lips crushed into his.
He fell back onto the yellow loveseat that he'd conjured earlier in the year as she
ravished his lips with her own.
She pulled back for air and he gave her a lopsided grin.
'I think it was worth it just for that.' He whispered, and she crawled off his lap to sit
beside him on the loveseat.
'I think you said that after we agreed that you won the couch conjuring contest.' Fleur
purred.
Harry wore a goofy grin at the memory.
'Yeah, I think I did. It was totally worth it.' he whispered as he kissed her brow.
She snuggled into his side.
'It was perfect.' She murmured, looking around the cosy room.
'I could live in a place like this.' she whispered and Harry tightened his arm around her
shoulder.
'Me too.' He breathed, twisting his head to kiss the top of her head.
The two fell into a comfortable silence for a few minutes before Harry cleared his throat.
'I have an idea for my dress robes.' He said and Fleur turned to face him, she quirked
an eyebrow.
'Susan and Hannah are looking at it tonight, something about a woman's touch before
they show you. I assume that will be tomorrow.' He explained and met her gaze.
'Do you know what you will wear?' he asked,
She smirked and leant forward to give him a soft kiss before she pulled back.
'I have some ideas, but I will have to have you match me.' She grinned, and Harry
shook his head with a smile.
'Of course, my only aim is to not be outshone too much by my lovely date.' He grinned,
and she rolled her eyes.
The two left the Room just before curfew, Harry walked her to her carriage before he ran
back to the Hufflepuff common room with moments to spare. He received a glare from a
seventh-year prefect as he entered.
Harry waved at the prefect, who huffed and re-joined their friends.
Harry sat beside Susan on the couch and leaned in front of her to meet Hannah's gaze.
'How did it go?' Hannah asked, and Harry chuckled.
'Fleur said yes, and she is looking forward to seeing what you guys can do with my
design.' He said and watched both girls' grins grow.
Hannah stood and moved to sit on Harry's other side. She held out a piece of
parchment. He looked down at it to see his drawing side by side with a similar one.
'See how in your design, the lining does that?' Hannah gushed, pointing at his design,
then to the one beside it.
'We think if we do it this way, it'll be more comfortable and give you more of a lordly
look. What do you think?' Hannah asked, and Harry grinned at her, then at Susan.
'You guys are way better at this than me. This looks brilliant.' He said, and Susan
scoffed.
'Of course we're better at this.' Susan said with a grin.
That weekend, Fleur joined Harry in the Room of Requirement at sunrise on Saturday
and the two fell into their routine of completing any outstanding schoolwork.
Fleur sat opposite Harry on a large desk in the middle of the room. Open books littered
the desk and every few minutes either of the two would rummage through their open
books to find some hidden gem for their work.
Harry scribbled in his notebook, having completed his classwork in the time before Fleur
joined him.
Fleur glared at her work on an advanced transfiguration equation. She huffed and
pushed away her parchement. She leaned back in her chair and stretched. The sound
of her joints cracking filled the room.
Harry smiled, enjoying the view of her stretching.
She let out a sigh and rubbed her eyes.
'Are you finished?' Harry asked, and put down his notebook.
'Almost, but it needs some finishing touches. But I don't have the energy to do them just
yet.' She said, and Harry nodded.
'Well, have a look at this for a moment then, take your mind off it for a few minutes.' He
said as he handed her his notebook.
She peered at the page he'd opened it to, looking at his annotated sketches of the
golden egg she'd received from the first task.
Fleur tucked a loose strand of silver hair behind her ear and groaned.
'I think I actually hate that egg.' She complained and Harry laughed.
'Look closer.' He said.

Fleur frowned and looked closer at his diagrams, then up at the egg that stood on a
pedestal on the other side of the room.
'Do you think it's that simple?' she breathed.
Harry shrugged, then leant over to tap on his diagram.
'There are markings on the eggs, nothing from any human languages. But writing. So,
I've been looking through non-human languages, specifically those that have written
forms.' He explained, and she smiled.
'You're working up to something, I can tell. What did you find?' she asked with a grin.
Harry's face fell, and he ran a hand through his hair.
'Nothing yet. But I've ruled out any forest-dwelling species. It's not Elven, or Goblin. It's
not even old Dwarven or High Elven.' He groaned and ran a hand down his face.
'It feels like I'm missing something obvious.' He admitted and Fleur clapped her hands
together, making him jump in surprise.
'If it's not a forest dwelling species, or mountain dwelling species. Have you tried
underwater languages?' she asked, and Harry blinked.
'No, I haven't.' he said, then froze.
Harry's eyes met Fleur's and together they both spoke.
'Mermish.'
An hour later, Harry lay back against the edge of the swimming pool the Room of
Requirement provided.
Despite the view in front of him, his thoughts were anything but positive.
Fleur stood half out of the water wearing a white bikini that clung to her curves, though
her face was almost the same shade as she held the now closed golden egg in her
hands.
'They're going to take something important from me and hide it in the lake.' She
deadpanned.
Harry nodded; his face grim.
'I can't think of another interpretation. Do you think it'll be an object, or will they go far
enough to take a person?' he asked.
Fleur turned a light shade of green and dropped the egg in the water like it had burnt
her.
Once the egg hit the bottom of the pool, it sprung open, and the haunting speech
echoed out of the water.
'Come seek us where our voices sound.'
'They will take a person, the first task we faced Dragons, of course they'll take a person.'
She breathed.
'It will be Gabrielle.' Harry said and Fleur's gaze locked on his.
'How did you come to that conclusion?' she whispered.
Harry gave a half smile.
'I'm sure that both of those mysterious women will show up again. I'm going to have to
stop them from interrupting the task.' He declared.
Fleur's colour returned to her face, and she frowned.
'Why do you think they'll return?' she asked, and Harry sighed.
'It's just a hunch. But I think you are the target for these two women. Though I think one
of them, at least, is trying to protect you.' He said, and she blinked.
'I am unaware of any bodyguard assigned to me. I will have to write Papa about it.' She
mused, and Harry nodded.
He stood and moved toward her, he bent down into the pool to close the egg that
neither of them had paid any attention to this time around. Harry stopped in front of
Fleur, his hands on her hips.
'We can either get to work on preparing for this task or try to relax. Either is fine for me.'
He whispered in her ear.
Fleur's hands moved to his broad shoulders, then trailed down his arms. She took a
step closer to him.
'We shouldn't waste this opportunity to relax.' She purred as her long fingers trailed up
his muscular back.
Harry gave her a lopsided grin before capturing her lips in a kiss.
A few days later, Harry stalked across the green grass beside the Black Lake. With
every step he took, the grass withered and died while his emerald eyes flashed with
rage.
Fleur walked beside him, watching the grass die in his wake.
'How do these stupid guys think it's a good idea to flirt with you right in front of me?
Even asking you out to the damn Ball. The whole damn country knows that we're
together thanks to the Daily Prophet.' Harry snarled.
Fleur stopped and reached out to take his hands in hers, stopping him. He turned to
face her and blinked in surprise. She watched him close with a calm gaze and a raised
eyebrow.
'Will you be able to handle this happening in the future?' she asked, and Harry froze.
'As much as I hate having this attention, my passive Allure will always affect the weak
minded. There is nothing to be done about it. Believe me, Veela have long sought a way
to control our passive Allure.' Fleur said, her voice low.
Harry blinked and let out a breath.
Fleur eyed him, then her gaze moved past him and Harry turned to see a line of dead
grass leading straight to him from the castle.
He gasped, then turned to Fleur, who nodded.
'Oui, that was you. I wonder how you did that in your jealous rage.' She whispered the
last part in French beside his ear and he shivered, then turned away toward the dead
grass again.
'It was somewhat disconcerting, really; I could actually feel the magic radiating off you.'
She continued and Harry turned back to her and saw a flash of hunger in her eyes,
which disappeared as soon as he noticed it.
Fleur's gaze returned to his.
'You didn't answer my question. Will you be able to handle the unwanted attention a
Veela will always attract?' she asked, her voice soft, as if she feared the answer.
Harry watched her shoulders slump as her ice-blue eyes bore into his, as if searching
for something. He reached up a hand and cupped her cheek, all his previous anger
forgotten.
'I will find a way for you to live your life without being accosted at every turn. I don't want
to take away your heritage, only give you the means to control it.' He whispered.
Her eyes widened, and she shook her head, her eyes haunted.
'It can't be done.' She said and turned her face away from him.
Harry grinned and stroked her cheek.

'I already have some plans in my notebook, they'll just be moved forward.' He said, and
she frowned.
'What do you plan to do?' she asked, wary.
Harry released her cheek and drew a notebook out from his robes and sat down beside
the lake. He patted the grass beside him and smiled up at her.
She blinked and sat down; her gaze drawn to the notebook as he flipped past his other
projects.
'Are you working on a time turner?' she breathed, and Harry paused.
He left the page open for her to examine.
Harry sighed.
'According to my latest research, it'll work to travel back a few years at a time, but the
size of the turner and the amount of magic and resources it would take to create it would
be massive. But I think I'm getting close to a workable design.' He explained, and Fleur
stared at the page.
'Merde.' She breathed.
Harry continued to flick through the notebook, he flipped past pages dedicated to their
mirrors and the charms he'd given to each of the girls. He noticed a quick smile flicker
over her face as he flipped past a few pages, detailed the charms he'd made for her.
'Ah-ha.' Harry crowed and handed her the notebook, open to a page showing an
annotated diagram of a bracelet.
She peered at the diagram and her eyes widened.
''Arry? Is this made of platinum? How could you carve runes into it that small?' she
breathed, then frowned.
Fleur looked up from the notebook met his gaze.
'What runes are these? I've never seen them before.' She asked, and Harry smiled.
'These are runes used by the old Dwarven kingdoms.' He said and at her blank look, let
out a soft chuckle.
'My dad got me a few books out of the Potter vaults.' He explained, and she leaned
closer to him, so her face was only inches away.
'Show me.' Fleur demanded, and he smirked before gesturing with his right hand, using
wandless magic to call it to him.
Fleur stared at his outstretched hand with a small frown.

''Arry, what are you doing?' she asked, and he only smiled.
''Arry?' she repeated, a frown marred her features.
A few moments later, a small leather satchel sped out of the entrance to the school, as if
propelled by magic.
The satchel slowed in the air as it approached the two of them. Harry held out his other
hand toward it, allowing him to pluck it out of the air.
Harry turned to Fleur, who stared at him with narrow eyes. He chuckled before waving
his right hand in front of him.
'Summoning charm.' He said.
He waved his left hand in front of himself.
'Banishing charm.' He explained.
Fleur sighed.
'You're impossible. I was sure you wouldn't have any secrets from me.' She said, and
'How could I show you that over the mirrors?' he asked.
Fleur inhaled, as if ready to lecture him, then froze and sighed.
'Fine, you're right, I probably wouldn't have believed you could do controlled wandless
magic.' She admitted, and he smiled and nodded.
'My mother made me promise to keep it a secret outside of the family.' He said, then
paled.
Fleur stared at him, a small smile on her face.
'Uh, I mean…' he stuttered as he realised what he'd just said.
Fleur covered her mouth as a giggle escaped.
'It's cute when you're nervous.' She said, and Harry let out a breath.
'Is that a good thing?' he asked, and she beamed at him.
'Its one of the best things.' She said, and stared into his eyes.
Harry blinked.
'Oh, right. Where was it?' he muttered as he broke eye contact and rummaged through
the leather satchel.
A moment later, he drew out his hand, in it he held a tome about ten centimetres thick.
On its cover, in faded gold lettering, it read 'Iron Script.'
He handed the heavy tome to Fleur, who gazed at it with awe.
'May I borrow it for a while?' she breathed, and Harry smiled.
'As long as nobody knows you have it, then sure. Technically, it should always stay in
Potter Manor and only be read by the Lord Potter, but dad said as long as nobody
knows about it, then it should be fine.' He explained.
Fleur tore her gaze from the book and placed it on her lap, then turned back to his
notebook.
'How would the bracelet work?' she asked and traced the design of the bracelet with a
finger.
'If it works, it will nullify the Allure by determining the exact magical signal it sends out
that affects people.' He started, before his eyes roamed out to the middle of the lake as
thoughts rushed through his mind.
'The bracelet would need to be customised to each Veela individually, unless the Allure
is always the same, regardless of which Veela sends it out?' he asked, and Fleur
blinked at him and gave him the smallest of shrugs.
'Its still a work in progress.' He admitted and noticed a look of hunger in her eyes.
'Are you okay?' he asked, and she jerked up, as if waking.
'I'm sorry, I was lost in thought.' She murmured, a blush crept up her cheeks.
She looked at his wrist, not wearing the bracelet he'd made for the others, then met his
gaze.
'You truly don't need your bracelet to resist the Allure?' she whispered, and he
shrugged.
'I suppose not. I can feel it, but it's like it finds nothing to take hold of?' he mused.
Fleur moved the Dwarven tome and Harry's notebook to the side and leapt on him. She
wrapped her arms around his shoulders as she crushed her lips to his with a passion
that took his breath away.
He felt her Allure flaring, bouncing off him like water on a rock.
After she pulled back from the kiss, the hunger he saw in her eyes returned and it
clicked in his mind. That hunger he'd seen in her eyes for the last few years was for him.
The realisation made him capture her lips with his again.
*Chapter 29*: Chapter 28 - Christmas Ball 1994
Chapter 28. Christmas Ball. 1994.
A white Christmas came to Hogwarts, which saw Harry and Fleur sitting at the Hufflepuff
table, along with the rest of their friends.
Susan and Holly chatted with Fleur while Daphne carried on a whispered conversation
with Hannah. Harry and Luna sat together reading the Christmas edition of the Quibbler.
Hermione and Ginny had already dropped by at the beginning of breakfast to wish them
a merry Christmas before they joined Neville and Ron and the Gryffindor table.
Breakfast came and went, and lacking a room where all the group could go, they
elected to stay in the Great Hall.
Fleur reached out to take her slanted hat from Holly, who grinned and leaned away from
the older witch, avoiding her grasping hand.
With a grin and a shake of her head, Fleur gave up.
''Olly?' the Veela asked.
Holly blinked, her smile fading.
'What is it?' she asked, and Fleur let out a breath.
'Harry showed me the Heart of Hogwarts, and after hearing the story of that day, I had
expected it to be dreadful.' Fleur began, and the group fell silent.
Harry looked up from the Quibbler and watched Fleur as she searched for words.
'But that place is peaceful, almost like it exudes a sense of comfort.' Fleur finished, and
Holly remained silent.
Susan sighed.
'I admit, I want to see that place again, if only to get a sense of closure about that entire
event.' The red head whispered, but she was still loud enough for them all to hear.
Holly nodded and looked at Harry.
'Will you take us back down there, Harry?' she asked, and Harry frowned.
'Do you want to go now?' he asked, meeting both Susan's and Holly's eyes.
Both girls nodded.
Harry sighed.
He looked at the others.
'Do you all want to come?' he asked, and received a chorus of nods.
'Okay, follow me.' He said, standing from the table.
He led them out of the Great Hall. Holly held his left hand while Fleur held her other
hand. Susan held Harry's right hand, and the others followed close behind.
Twenty minutes later, Harry stopped in front of the giant black steel doors of the Heart of
Hogwarts. He released Susan's hand to push open the doors, then took Susan's hand
again.
He stepped into the cavernous room filled with the crimson light of the Heart.
The girls behind him gasped at the crimson lit expanse and Harry squeezed Holly and
Susan's hands.
'Are you two, okay?' he whispered, though it echoed through the empty room.
Susan nodded. She let go of his hand and walked to the left of the doors, where she'd
been shackled.
Holly mirrored her actions after releasing Harry's and Fleur's hands.
Harry turned to the three other girls.
Daphne, Luna, and Hannah stared at the glowing red sphere behind him.
'This, is the Heart of Hogwarts. We haven't touched the sphere yet, so while you'll want
to do so, please don't.' he said and at Daphne's nod, the three moved away, leaving
Harry and Fleur alone.
'Are you okay?' she whispered as she ran a hand down his cheek.
Harry sighed.
'This place holds some horrible memories.' He admitted, as he ran a hand through his
hair.
His gaze moved between Holly and Susan, both lost in their own thoughts on the other
side of the room. Then his eyes settled on Fleur's crimson-stained eyes.
'Despite those memories, the place feels welcoming, even soothing.' He admitted with a
small frown.
'Harry?' Luna's voice interrupted.
He turned to see Luna staring at him with an unusually focussed expression.
'Harry, you should commune with the Castle now.' She said, and she stepped up close
to him.
He blinked.
'What? What do you mean?' he asked, and she gave him a soft smile and pointed at the
glowing red sphere.
Harry turned to Fleur, who gave him a 'don't look at me.' expression and he sighed.
He turned back to Luna.
'What do I need to do to commune with the Castle?' he asked, and Luna blinked her
large eyes at him.
'Touch the sphere.' She said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Harry took a deep breath and nodded before he released it.
He turned to Fleur.
'Can you get ready to use some medical spells?' he asked, and Fleur's eyes widened
for a moment before she nodded, her face a mask of focus.
Harry turned to the sphere and moved toward it.
With each step, the sense of peace inside him grew, until eventually he stood only a
footstep away and reached out a hand, hesitating to make contact.
He took a deep breath and let it out through his nose, steadying himself.
He touched the sphere.
Harry opened his eyes, laying on the floor of the chamber that held the Heart of
Hogwarts. Its crimson light stained everything it touched.
A high-pitched ringing filled his ears.
He blinked for a moment, before agony tore through his body and he convulsed.
Harry knew he was screaming, even if he couldn't hear it. He thrashed about, held down
in place by Fleur whose eyes held fear and determination in equal measure.
His veins felt like they were on fire, his skin like ice.
It was similar to the Cruciatus.
Then it ended.
Fleur knelt over him, mouthing words he couldn't hear.
Holly and Susan knelt on his other side, doing the same while Daphne, Luna, and
Hannah stood away, watching with worry marring their faces.
He lay back and the ringing in his ears faded, allowing him to hear voices.
'How are you 'Arry?' Fleur asked, and he blinked.
Fleur waved her wand over his chest, frowned, and did it again.
Holly cupped his cheek.
'Harry? Are you okay?' she asked, tears in her eyes and Harry groaned.
He squeezed his eyes shut as he struggled to get his brain working.
Harry looked up at Holly while Fleur was busy waving her wand over him.
'You know when dad dared us to hold an electric fence when we went camping as kids?'
Harry asked her, and Holly frowned.
'Yeah?' she asked.
'It was nothing like that.' He said with a dazed chuckle.
Then everything faded to black.
Harry opened his eyes to find he was in the hospital wing. Fleur leaned over him with
narrowed eyes.
He held up his hands in surrender.
'I didn't do it.' he said.
Madame Pomphrey pushed his hands down to his sides with a huff. She ran a scan
over him with her wand.
'You're just as reckless as your father. After touching the Heart Hogwarts, you've been
unconscious for a few hours.' The matron let out another huff before she moved away
and opened the cupboard where she kept her potions.
'Is he going to be, okay?' Susan asked.

Pomphrey sighed.
'Mister Potter, I would really rather you not come back to this hospital wing. You do so
far too much as it is. However, you will suffer no ill effects from this escapade. But I do
ask that you not do it again.' She said, and he smiled.
'Am I free to leave?' Harry asked, and the matron narrowed her eyes at him.
'I know what you're doing, young man. But yes, you're free to leave.' She said,
reluctantly.
Harry grinned and climbed out of bed. He looked at the girls.
'Do you all still have time to prepare for tonight?' he asked.
Fleur gave him a suspicious look, then leaned in to kiss his lips.
'I know you're up to something, mister.' She whispered, and his grin widened.
With one last look, the girls left.
Harry waved to Madame Pomphrey, who shooed him away.
Harry stepped out of the hospital wing and stood face to face with Luna, who looked at
the floor.
'I'm sorry Harry. I thought something would happen if you touched the Heart of
Hogwarts.' She said, and Harry placed a finger under her chin and raised her gaze to
his.
He smiled.
'It's okay. I'm okay now. There's so much energy in the sphere, if only we could tap into
it.' He mused and Luna paled.
'No Harry, please don't do that.' She whispered.
'I won't. The sphere powers all the wards and stuff of Hogwarts. I wouldn't jeopardise
the Castle for my own gains.' He said and Luna smiled up at him.
'I'm glad to hear that.' She said before she flounced off to join the rest of the girls.
Harry stood alone in the corridor as the slight blonde skipped down the hall and
disappeared down a set of stairs.
He shrugged, then turned to walk toward the Room of Requirement.

Harry sat in the Room of Requirement in the configuration he and Fleur often used to
study. It was their own library with a cosy fireplace in the centre of the room.
He sat on a couch in front of the flames with the Marauder's Map in his hands. There
were clumps of names all around the school. Moody in his office, Dumbledore in his.
He saw Fleur walking through the hallways along the first floor, headed toward the
Entrance Hall.
A single name stood out by the lake, Elizabeth Creevey. He frowned. He hadn't known
that Colin, a Gryffindor boy in Ginny's year and one of her friends, had a sister at
Hogwarts. But he shrugged and his gaze found each of his friends, all getting ready in
their dorms.
Harry stretched and was about to put away the map when he noticed a group of names
surrounded Fleur's in a hallway. He recognised the names of Lucian Bole and Peregrine
Derrick, both seventh year Slytherins and a name stood out waiting in an empty room
nearby.
Marcus Flint.
Harry knew Flint graduated the year before and he wondered what the boy was doing at
the school.
His eyes widened as he remembered earlier in the year when he and Fleur had first
gone to the Heart of Hogwarts. Lucian Bole was one of the Slytherins who had made
Fleur uncomfortable.
A moment later, Harry leapt out of the Room of Requirement and rushed down the
stairs.
'Damn, I wish I had a broom.' He growled, and a stray thought made him pause.
Harry looked out over the railing and saw the first floor far below him. He glanced at the
map and saw Fleur being taken into the room where Marcus Flint waited.
Swearing, Harry leapt over the railing into a freefall down to the first floor.
He cast a Featherlight Charm on himself wandlessly, then with his wand, banished the
floor. The resulting forces created a shallow crater in the thousand-year-old stone floor,
and he landed with a thump. He fell to one knee before he took off toward the Entrance
Hall.
A minute at full speed later, Harry burst into the room he'd seen the boys take Fleur into
on the map and he saw Fleur, wandless, holding a ball of fire in each hand. She was a
little battered; dirt and scratches marred her face and clothes.
Without a thought, Harry sent a wandless banisher at a Slytherin he hadn't seen on the
map earlier, Pucey, who had also been one student bothering Fleur earlier in the year.
Pucey crashed into Derrick and they both hit the stone wall with a crack. With his wand,
Harry fired a body bind at both Flint and another boy he didn't recognise. The other boy,
along with Pucey, must have joined the group after Harry had last looked at the map.
Behind him, Fleur smashed a flaming fist into two other boys. She left them singed on
the floor, groaning, and trying to crawl away from the enraged Veela.
Harry paused and stared at a dishevelled Fleur for a moment as her flames died away,
leaving her looking pissed.
She stalked over to where Flint lay bound and knelt beside him, her face only
centimetres from his.
'What was your plan, pig?' she snarled.
The recent graduate blinked at her, a love-struck expression on his face.
'I'd learned from my father that Potter had a half breed warming his bed. My father was
upset, said that no scion of an Ancient and Noble House should sully themselves with
such a creature.' Flint breathed.
Flints eyes darted to Harry's for a moment. Flint smirked, his expression turned cruel,
before it turned back to meet Fleur's icy blue gaze.
'I could show you a good time, better than Potter.' Flint smirked.
Harry stepped forward, but Fleur acted first, and her fist shot out and broke the young
man's nose.
Flint screamed and Harry cast a wandless Silencing Charm over him.
Fleur stood and let out a breath.
Harry stepped toward her and opened his arms. She moved in close and held him in a
tight embrace.
'I didn't know you could throw a punch like that.' Harry whispered and Fleur giggled into
his chest before she looked up into his eyes.
'You're not the only one with secrets.' She whispered back, and he smiled down at her
for a moment before he sighed.
'Are you okay?' he asked, and she sighed, burrowing into his chest further.
'This sort of thing happens to Veela. My time at the Enclaves prepared me for this
scenario. We need to learn to defend ourselves in the event our wands are taken away
from us.' She explained, and Harry tightened his grip around her shoulders.
He kissed the top of her head.

Harry released her from his embrace and looked around at the fallen Slytherin boys.
'You should head back to the carriage so you can get ready. I'll deal with the trash.' He
suggested, and she nodded with a smile, not giving the fallen Slytherins another look.
'You'll be there at seven thirty to pick me up?' she asked, and he grinned, kissing her.
'I'll be there.' He whispered, and she smiled at him.
Harry reached out a hand to her fallen wand, which shot into his grip, then handed it to
her.
'Thank you, kind sir.' She said and sent him a wink and left the room.
Harry watched her walk down to the carriage on his map. Only stopping when she
entered, and her name merged with a dozen others due to the maze of spell work that
made up the carriage.
Harry cleared the map then pulled out his Potter mirror from his robes, where he always
kept it after the events of the previous year.
'James Potter.' Harry said to the mirror, which buzzed a few times before he saw his
father's worried face in the mirror.
'Harry? What's wrong?' James asked, worry in his eyes.
Harry glanced around the room and back to his father's face.
'Fleur and I were attacked at Hogwarts by a former student and a handful of current
students.' Harry started and James' gaze hardened.
'I'm going to tell Dumbledore, but I wanted to give you enough time to arrive.' Harry
finished, and James nodded with a scowl.
'I'm on my way.' James said, and his mirror went dark.
Harry glanced around the room at the bound and stunned Slytherins, then at the
silenced form of Flint who looked to be crying.
Harry turned and walked out of the room and across the hallway to the painting that
hung there.
In the painting, an elderly witch wore a thick bearskin cloak around her shoulders.
'Ma'am, can you inform the Headmaster that there has been an attack?' he asked, and
the witch's eyes widened. She nodded and a moment later, she was gone.
Harry turned and moved back to the door to the room with the bound boys and leant
against the wall opposite the door.
A few minutes later, Dumbledore appeared in a flash of flames, transported by Fawkes
in front of the portrait of the bearskin wearing woman.
Dumbledore glanced around the corridor, before his eyes met Harry's and he rushed
over to him.
'What is wrong, Mister Potter? Dear Gladys was distraught, saying there was an attack?'
the ancient wizard asked, his electric blue eyes darted around the corridor, looking for
threats.
Harry pointed to the door in front of him.
'In there. I've stayed out of the room since it happened. I didn't want to contaminate the
crime scene.' Harry explained and Dumbledore blinked.
'Crime scene?' Dumbledore asked, worry creasing his aged features.
James rushed into the corridor, followed by a team of three Aurors. Their vibrant
crimson robes flowed around them as they ran. James held a map in one hand, while
his other hand held his wand in a white fingered grip.
'Has anyone been in the room since the attack?' James asked as he slowed to a walk,
joining Harry and Dumbledore.
'I had Fleur leave for her carriage to prepare for tonight's festivities. Since then, I've
been standing right here.' Harry said and James nodded.
Dumbledore blinked and looked between the two Potters.
James looked between Harry and Dumbledore.
'Headmaster, did you want to enter with me to investigate, then we will take Harry's
memories and testimony.' James said, taking control of the situation.
James didn't wait for a response from the Headmaster and turned to Harry.
'We'll have to talk to Fleur about this too.' He said, and Harry nodded.
'Perhaps Auror Tonks could do so. Males tend to have a hard time around Fleur.' Harry
suggested.
James smirked and turned to the youngest of the Aurors in the team, Harry's quasi-
cousin he had seen little of since his first year, Nymphadora Tonks.
'Tonks, you heard the man. Hop to it.' James ordered.
Tonks winked at Harry before she ran down the corridor the way she'd came moments
before.
Dumbledore stroked his beard, his gaze moved between the two Potters.
'I think I will have to join you in your investigation, James, my boy.' The old man said,
and James nodded, then turned to Harry.
'Wait out here for us?' he asked, and Harry nodded.
James and Dumbledore entered the room, along with another Auror, leaving Harry
standing outside the room with the last Auror.
'Hi, I'm Harry Potter.' Harry said, and the Auror met his gaze for a moment before he
narrowed his eyes.
'Auror Symons.' The man grunted, then stared at the wall in front of him, ignoring Harry.
After twenty minutes of silence with Auror Symons, Harry's gaze leapt to the door of the
room as it opened to reveal James and Dumbledore, followed by the unknown Auror
who held a length of rope connected to Flint and the other boys.
Dumbledore looked exhausted.
James turned to the Headmaster.
'Is there anything else, Sir?' James asked and Dumbledore shook his head.
'No, it is all clear cut. These boys can't be shielded by their youth, they are all of age
and do not hold any regret for their actions.' He muttered as he wiped his aged cheek
absently.
James nodded and turned to Auror Symons, who stood at attention.
'Symons, you and Winters go back to the Ministry while I go find Tonks.' James ordered.
The two Aurors left down the corridor, away from them. They dragged a line of bound
Slytherins and one graduate along behind them.
Harry turned away from their retreating backs and met James' gaze.
'Harry, you did a great job. That wandless banisher had some real power behind it. But
as an Auror, I have a few questions.' James said, and Harry nodded.
After ten minutes of interrogation, James sighed.
'Is there anything else you want to add?' James asked, and Harry smirked.
'Only that I leapt down from the seventh floor to the ground floor to get here in time.'
Harry said and James groaned.
'I'll talk to you about that later.' James muttered as Tonks entered the corridor with a
wide grin on her face.
'You have good taste in women, kiddo.' She grinned and Harry laughed.
'I had to find someone to compare with you, or in this case…' he trailed off with a smirk.
'Why you little-' she growled and leapt at him.
She wrapped him in a headlock.
'You've sure got some cheek, speaking to an Auror like that.' She laughed as Harry
struggled in her grip.
James cleared his throat and Tonks leapt away from Harry in an instant, her face pale.
'Fleur is much better suited to Harry than you Nym, she's just as serious as he is.'
James smirked, and Nym let out a huff.
Tonks turned to James and pouted.
'It's not fair that you're my boss.' She complained, and James rolled his eyes.
'Get over it Nym, if you had anyone else as your superior you wouldn't get nearly as
much leeway.' He laughed, and she gave a thoughtful frown before she nodded.
'Yeah, I guess you're right.' She huffed.
James smiled at Harry.
'You did a good job. Now, enjoy the Ball tonight, while you remember that you've given
me some work to do.' He said and Harry shrugged.
'You'll just delegate most of it to Nym, anyway.' Harry sent a grin at Tonks, who glared
at him.
James pulled Harry into a hug, which Nym joined a moment later.
'Have fun tonight, kiddo.' Nym said with a wink.
James rolled his eyes.
'Okay Nym, we have to go, you've got a lot of work to do before dinner at Grimmauld.'
Tonks sighed and turned to leave; she gave Harry a wave before the two left.
Harry turned to Dumbledore, who stood beside the door. His eyes looked troubled as he
stared at the floor.
'Sir?' Harry asked, and the Headmaster sighed.

'I'm getting old. Nothing to concern yourself with Mister Potter.' Dumbledore cleared his
throat and met Harry's gaze with a faux smile.
'You should prepare for the Ball my boy.' The Headmaster suggested and Harry nodded
and turned to leave but paused.
'Sir?' Harry asked and Dumbledore blinked.
'What is it?' he asked, and Harry frowned.
'Fleur and I know about the Second Task. We believe the judges should take Gabrielle
as her hostage.' Harry said and Dumbledore narrowed his eyes.
'Why is that?' the old man asked, curiosity in his tone.
'After the events of the First Task, I want to be on hand should any other suspicious
individuals appear. Seeing as how I was the one to encounter both mysterious women
in the First Task.' Harry said and watched as the Headmaster considered his
suggestion.
'I feel it is best if I were present to work alongside any other security personnel. I would
use the mirror and any other restrictions you wanted to place upon me.' Harry added
and Dumbledore sighed.
The Headmaster removed his half-moon spectacles and rubbed them on his robes
before returning them. He gave Harry a penetrating look before he nodded.
'I concur. Will the maps you promised be ready by then?' Dumbledore asked and Harry
nodded.
'They should be ready within the week.' Harry said, and the Headmaster nodded.
'Okay, off with you Mister Potter, I'll see you tonight at the Ball.'
That evening, Harry sat at the Champions table beside Fleur, who looked radiant in a
tight silver dress that accentuated her figure with a floral design which resembled ivy. It
crept across her chest, acting as a strap to hold everything in place. She continued the
floral theme with a silver and diamond hairpiece shaped like a blooming Lily to hold her
hair in place.
After dinner, Harry spent the first few dances with Fleur before she kissed him.
''Arry, you should dance with each of our friends.' She whispered in his ear, and he
frowned.
'Do you not want to dance?' he asked, his voice soft and her ice-blue eyes met his with
a familiar warmth in their depths.
'Of course I do, silly, but I think they would all like a dance with you. I can't be greedy all
the time, just this once I think I can share you with them.' She whispered, and he smiled.
He leant down to kiss her.
'If you're sure?' he said, and she nodded, then led him off the dance floor.
Once seated, Fleur smiled.
'Susan, would you take my place for a moment?' Fleur asked and Susan rolled her
eyes.
Susan stood and took Harry's hand.
'Oh, it's such a chore.' Susan laughed and Harry led her out to the dance floor while
Fleur fell into discussion with the rest of their friends.
Halfway through the dance, Susan rested her head on Harry's shoulder.
'Poor Holly, the boy she took to the dance has eyes only for Fleur.' She said, and Harry
nodded.
'Yeah, what was his name, Seamus Finnegan?' Harry asked, and Susan nodded.
'But at least she got rid of him and is with the others now.' She murmured.
The two finished their dance and Susan smiled up at Harry as he led her back to the
group.
'That was nice, we haven't done that in a few years.' She said with a small smile, and he
nodded.
'Yeah, just like old times.' Harry whispered, and Susan grinned.
Harry blinked as Susan released his hand and took Daphne's hand, giving it to Harry.
'Your turn, Daph.' The red head grinned, and Daphne blinked.
Her blue eyes met Harry's, then Fleurs, who smiled and nodded.
Daphne turned to Luna, who gave her a dreamy smile.
Harry led Daphne out onto the dance floor, and she melted into his chest.
'This is nice.' She murmured, and Harry smiled down at her.
'You and Luna make a good couple.' He whispered.
She looked up at him. A blush covered her cheeks.

Harry grinned.
'Whatever makes you happy, I will always back you up.' He said, and she beamed up at
him, then melted into his chest again.
'You know I've always had feelings for you, right? Ever since our first year.' She
murmured, and Harry squeezed her closer to him.
'I know. I'm sorry I'd never be able to return them.' He whispered, and she smiled up at
him.
'You're special Harry.' She whispered, and with a small smile, she burrowed into his
chest.
'But I think I can find happiness with Luna.' She added, and Harry smiled into her blonde
hair.
'That's what's important. I will always be nearby for you, you know that, right?' he asked,
and she nodded into his chest, holding him tight until their dance finished.
He led her back to the others, and Harry noticed Hermione and Ginny sitting with them.
'Hey guys, I didn't know you'd be joining us this evening?' he said as Daphne joined
Luna at their table.
Ginny scowled.
'Neville was too busy glaring at you to pay any attention to me.' She growled and
Hermione huffed beside her.
'Ronald kept standing on my toes while staring at Fleur.' Hermione sighed and Fleur
stood, taking her hand.
'I am sorry Hermione.' Fleur said, and Hermione shook her head.
'No, it's not your fault. I can't believe I even agreed to go with him. I should have gone
with Viktor when he asked me.'
Fleur turned to Harry and gave him Hermione's hand.
'Here, Harry will dance with you.' Fleur said with a soft smile, and Hermione blushed.
'B-but.' She stammered, but Fleur only smiled.
'It's okay, have fun.' Fleur said and Hermione turned and gave Harry a weak smile.
Harry led her out onto the dance floor and after a few seconds, she relaxed into him.
'Are you sure this is okay, Harry?' she asked and looked up into his eyes.
He smiled down at her and led her around the dance floor, careful not to go beyond her
comfort level.
'It seems I'm dancing with all of my friends tonight. Fleur's right though, I'm sorry about
Ronald.' He said, and she huffed.
'I don't want to talk about him at the moment. I'm happy right now.' She murmured into
his chest.
'You're a much better dancer than I expected.' She muttered, and Harry gave a soft
chuckle.
'When you're from an old family like mine, we're expected to know how to dance. I hated
it when I first learnt, but I quite enjoy it these days.' Harry admitted, and she sighed.
'Because of Fleur?' she asked, her voice small.
Harry paused for a moment before nodding.
'Yeah, I think so. It was only after we met that I looked forward to formal events,
because with her father being the French Ambassador, she had to go to them.' He
explained and Hermione nodded into his chest.
'But why did she have to go to them?' she asked.
Harry laughed as he spun her, causing her long hair to fan out around her.
'Because of the way the old family politics go. Heirs and Heiresses have to be
presented to the rest of the families.' He said and dipped her before he pulled her back
to him.
'Even though they are French, because of Dominique's position, he is an honorary

member of the Wizengamot. Therefore he is invited to all the events where the old
families do their politicking.' He explained, and she blinked up at him.
'It all sounds so archaic.' She muttered, and he laughed.
'You're not wrong. But that's how it all works, at least for the moment.' He said with a
grin, and she chuckled.
'You're still planning on changing the world then?' she asked, and Harry grinned.
'Definitely.' He said, and she sighed before she looked up into his eyes and the song
ended.
'I really enjoyed the dance, Harry.' She murmured, a slight blush on her cheeks.
'Me too. I'm glad that I could help.' He said as they returned to the table and Ginny leapt
from her seat and took his arm.
'He's mine now, right, Fleur?' Ginny asked, and Fleur shook her head with a grin.
'Only for the dance.' Fleur said, and Ginny pouted.
She led Harry out to the dance floor, and he was suddenly glad he wore comfortable
shoes.
Harry led Ginny around the dance floor as she beamed up at him.
'This is more fun than I expected it to be.' She breathed and Harry laughed.
'Well, balls are supposed to be fun. If you're with the right people, anyway.' He said as
he spun her, much to her delight.
'You're right. All Neville wanted to do was glower at you and the Champions. I don't
think he's having a good year.' She said with a frown, which disappeared as he lifted her
and returned her to the ground on his other side.
Ginny giggled and fell into him before she wrapped her arms around his shoulders as
the song slowed down.
'I thought my dreams were coming true when Neville asked me to the Ball. I was so
excited, I even used all of my allowance to buy this dress.' She said, her gaze
elsewhere as she pressed her cheek up against his chest.
'I'm sorry it wasn't everything you wanted, Ginny.' Harry whispered, and she looked up
at him with a weak smile.
'It's not your fault, Harry. Well, not really.' She ended with an impish smile.
Harry quirked an eyebrow.
'How is it my fault?' he asked, and she rolled her eyes.
'Because we all, unconsciously or not, compare other boys to you. Fleur is lucky.' Ginny
explained, resting her cheek against his chest again as the song approached its end.
'I'm the lucky one. Not only do I have Fleur in my life, but I have the rest of you as well.'
He whispered in her ear, and she pushed away from him with a laugh and slapped his
chest.
'That's exactly what I'm talking about Harry.' She grinned, her chocolate eyes danced
before she turned away and led him back to the table where the others sat talking.
As they approached, a Durmstrang boy strode away from Fleur with a glare aimed at
him.
Harry frowned and met Fleur's gaze.
'What's his problem?' he asked, and Hannah laughed.

'What else? He thought that without you around, Fleur was easy game. Serves him
right, pig.' Hannah glared at the Durmstrang boys' back.
Harry met Fleur's gaze, who rolled her eyes.
He nodded.
Luna stood from beside Daphne as Ginny sat next to Hermione.
'My turn?' she asked.
Harry gave her a soft smile. He held out his hand to her.
He led her out and their dance started slow. She met his gaze with a wide smile.
Neither said a word for a minute as they weaved through the crowd.
'Something is happening at Hogwarts. Something I hadn't seen until now.' She

whispered, no trace of her usual dreamy voice present in her words.
'What do you mean?' he asked.
She shuddered, then clung to him as he moved them across the dance floor.
'Something has come to Hogwarts that shouldn't be here. It shouldn't exist, yet it does.'
She whispered; Harry struggled to hear her over the rest of the noise in the Great Hall.
'The darkness is coming before it should.' She breathed as she looked up into his eyes.
'Luna, what do you mean, what darkness?' he asked.
Luna blinked.
She cocked her head and smiled up at him.
'What's wrong? Are you not enjoying our dance, Harry?' Luna asked, her usual dreamy
voice returning.
Harry sighed and smiled down at Luna. He leant forward and kissed her brow.
'Never change Luna.' He whispered, and she beamed at him.
'Daphne tells me that too.' She grinned.
Harry spent the last hours of the Ball with Fleur. The two weaved through the others
dancing without thought and Harry lost himself in her eyes.
'Your dress robes turned out well in the dark green. It's a treat for the eyes, the way it
almost shimmers in the light.' Fleur whispered in his ear, and he grinned.
'That particular effect was insisted upon by a lovely woman who helped finalise the
robes. I'm in her debt for her assistance.' He whispered back, and she pulled back to
beam at him.
'You're very welcome.' She purred and Harry noticed the hunger back in her eyes as
they stared into the others'.
Then the music stopped.
'The Yule Ball is over ladies and gentlemen, and it is now time to call it a night, or rather,
morning.' Dumbledore's voice echoed throughout the room.
Harry blinked and looked at his watch. It was almost two in the morning and only a
handful of students remained in the Great Hall. None of the remaining students were
their friends, they must have left earlier without him noticing.
Fleur leaned back to whisper in his ear.
'I wish we could have the rest of the night together, alone.' She purred.
Harry nodded into her neck and pulled her closer to him.
Harry held his hand on her waist as he turned to kiss her ear, and gave it a soft nip,
causing her to shiver in his embrace.
He sighed as he saw Madame Maxime walking toward them.
'Our time is up.' He whispered as he pulled away from her. She sighed and released
him from her embrace, she let her arm drop to wrap around his waist as she turned to
face her Headmistress.
'It is time for bed Miss Delacour.' She said with her eyes narrowed at the two of them.
Fleur nodded then turned to Harry.
'Will you be in the usual place in the morning?' she asked, and Harry nodded.
'I'll be in the room, waiting.' He whispered.
Fleur grinned, before she stepped away from him and followed Madame Maxime out of
the Great Hall.
Harry sighed and left the Great Hall behind them. Once out of sight, he placed a
Disillusionment Charm on himself and made his way up to the Room of Requirement to
fall asleep.
*Chapter 30*: Chapter 29 - Second Task 1995
Chapter 29. Second Task. 1995.
The rest of the Christmas break, Harry and Fleur spent the entire time in the Room of
Requirement, except for when Fleur had to return to the Beauxbatons carriage, for
meals and at Fleur's insistence, spending time with their friends.
They worked on preparing Fleur for the Tournament and duelling primarily, with the rest
of their time spent catching Harry up with Fleur in Wards and Healing.
Harry progressed with his work on Fleur's charm to nullify the Allure and was getting
close to a working prototype, basing it off Fleur's Allure, who was almost always nearby.
The first day of the new term came, and with it, Dumbledore stood at his throne-like
chair in the Great Hall, which now held the students who had gone home for the
Christmas holidays.
'It is with great shame that I must announce that over the break, a handful of students
acted deplorably and have since been expelled from Hogwarts.' Dumbledore began,
and the Hall fell to silence.
'Such was their conduct that they are being held in Ministry of Magic holding cells
awaiting trial for assault and several other crimes.' He paused; his sharp eyes moved
throughout the assembled students.
'I must ask all students to please treat each other with kindness and respect. Hogwarts
will not and cannot turn a blind eye to this sort of behaviour, lest all our hard work during
this Tournament to foster closer relations be in vain.' The Headmaster urged and sat
down, leaving the assembled students in shock.
A month and a half passed by quickly for Harry as he spent much of their free time in
the Room of Requirement and the rest with their friends.
But finally, the day of the Second Task arrived.
Harry sat beside Fleur at the Black Lake and watched as the sun rose over distant
mountains. They held each other's hand and watched in silence as darkness gave way
to a new day.
Fleur turned to Harry, and he met her gaze.

'You'll make sure that Gabrielle is safe. Should the worst happen?' she whispered.
Harry leant forward, touching his brow to hers.
'I will. But it won't come to that.' He murmured and kissed the top of her head.
'You'll win this Task.' He said and turned to look at the stands created on the lake to
watch the Task.
'I trust you 'Arry.' She said, and he raised her hand to his lips, kissing it while he met her
gaze.
'I will protect you from outside influences. All you need to do is focus on winning the
Task.' He said, and she gave a small nod.
Harry sighed.
'Shall we head up for breakfast?' he asked.
She nodded and accepted the hand he offered as he stood.
Together, they walked up to the Great Hall and were joined over the next hour by their
friends.
Dumbledore stood in front of the assembled students with a wide smile on his aged
face.
'Good morning, it is my great pleasure this morning to announce that the Second Task
of the Triwizard Cup is going to be held in only a few hours down at the Black Lake. So,
once you are done with your breakfast, please make your way down to support your
chosen Champions.' The Headmaster announced in a booming voice.
Harry met Fleur's gaze, and she nodded.
Together, they walked down to the Black Lake along with their friends.
Once they arrived at the lake, Madame Maxime stood alongside the other judges by the
lake and gestured for Fleur to join her.
Fleur turned to Harry.
'Fleur, you're going to do great. We've covered this a million times.' He whispered and
gave her a final kiss.
She took a deep breath and gave a determined nod, then turned to join the judges.
Harry smiled at her retreating back and nodded before turning away from her and to his
friends.
'I'm going to be sitting with Fleur's family for this one, guys.' He said.
They rolled their eyes at him or smirked, none more so than Holly, who did both.
With a wave, Harry watched his friends go to find their seats, leaving him standing alone
outside of the stands.
Harry gave one last look at Holly's retreating back as she laughed with Luna and
Daphne about something. He turned away and sighed.
Twenty metres away stood an otherwise non-descript seventh year Hufflepuff girl he'd
never seen before with pink hair. Harry rolled his eyes and circled around the girl, using
the crowd to stay out of sight.
He stopped behind the pink haired Hufflepuff and leant in beside her ear.
'Nym, if you want to fit into the crowd, lose the pink hair.' Harry whispered.
She jumped, drawing her wand at him before dropping it to her side.
She pouted.
'But no one has noticed me yet?' Nym whined and Harry quirked an eyebrow.
'Every Hufflepuff has noticed they'd gained a new member with crazy hair, and any of
them in my year or above would remember the hair at least.' Harry said, and she huffed.
'How about taking the form of a random adult, pretend to be a parent or something?' He
suggested, and she rolled her eyes.
Tonks smirked at him, her form changed to be a little taller, her curves more
pronounced, even under her robes and her hair became a messy black, like his, and
hung down to her shoulders.
'I'm not much older than you. I could be your hot older sister?' she winked.
Harry shook his head with a grin.
'Much better, you'll fit in looking like that.' He laughed.
His expression darkened a moment later.
'You'll be careful today, right?' he asked, his voice little more than a whisper.
Tonks nodded; her face wore an uncharacteristically solemn expression on her normally
bubbly face.
'I will kiddo, see you after.' She said, all business.
Harry nodded and moved away from the crowd. He pulled out his map and cast a
Disillusionment Charm on himself.
As he peered at the map, there were far too many names bunching together in the area
to get a good look at any single name.
He noted Bartemius Crouch along the edge of the Forbidden Forest, with Bertha Jorkins
next to him. Harry wondered why they were near the forest but shrugged it off before his
gaze fell on another name he recognised, Elizabeth Creevey, on the far side of the lake,
hidden from view.
He'd asked Colin a few weeks earlier if he'd had a sister and he'd said no.
Harry pulled out his Potter mirror.
'James Potter.' He whispered.
A moment later, a disillusioned face of James Potter appeared in Harry's mirror, looking
more like a blur than anything else.
'I've found a suspicious name on the map, Elizabeth Creevey. I'm going to go check it
out. If it turns out to be something, I'll call you back.' Harry whispered into the mirror and
James' blur nodded.
'Be careful Harry. I'll stay here and search for one or both of your mysterious women.'
James' hushed voice came through Harry's mirror.
Then it went black.
Harry tucked away the mirror in his pocket.
He made his way around the lake's edge, one eye on the map and the other on his
surroundings. The name of Elizabeth Creevey didn't move as he approached.
The lake shone in the sun's light as it struggled through the thin clouds.
Harry heard the voice of Ludo Bagman, ex-quidditch player and judge for the
Tournament, echo over the lake to him.
'Good morning, everyone to the Second Task of the Triwizard Tournament.' Bagman
called.
'In this Task, the four Champions will enter the Black Lake to retrieve something that
was taken from them, a hostage.' The judge continued, and Harry heard the crowd's
excitement grow.
'They have one hour to retrieve their hostage or failing the Task will be the least of their
worries.' The crowd gasped.
Harry tried to ignore it as he drew near to the solitary name. He looked up from the map
and couldn't see anybody there. He looked back down at the map and saw the name
had moved into the forest a few metres out of view.
Harry froze as he stepped on a twig, snapping it.
He waved his wand and placed a Silencing Charm on his feet.
'-and at the sound of the cannon, the Second Task of the Triwizard Tournament will
begin.' Bagman called, followed by cheering and the sound of a cannon being fired.
Harry moved toward the name.
Whatever was going to happen, would happen soon.
On silenced feet, he ran toward the name, and he checked the map one last time to see
the name still in the same spot. Harry nodded to himself and tucked the map into his
robes and ran harder.
He froze as he saw a woman standing beside a tree. The second woman from the First
Task. She wore the same outfit, lavish dragonhide armour underneath a deep, black,
luxurious robe. Her hood was up, but she turned to face him.
Harry's eyes widened as he realised she knew he was there, even through the
Disillusionment and Silencing Charms.
With a negligent wave of her wand, both charms were ripped from him.
'I had wondered if you would come to interrupt me again.' She woman mused; her voice
was powerful, full of confidence.
He could almost feel her eyes boring into his.
'Why are you targeting Fleur?' Harry demanded; his wand held tight in his hand.
The woman laughed. It was cruel and bitter.
'The death of the half-breed will pave the way for my master's eventual success.' The
woman crowed and Harry's lip curled.
'You'll have to get through me first.' Harry snarled.
She laughed again.
'Tell me, boy. What makes you think I haven't already won?' she asked and looked
behind him.
Harry's eyes widened, and he spun around to face the lake. On the shore lay a half
dozen cauldrons, all tipped over and a fluorescent blue liquid stained the murky water of
the lake an unnatural shade of blue.
A voice called to him from behind and Harry spun to see the first mysterious woman, the
one who had cried the last time they'd met.
'Harry, you must hurry, go into the lake and save them.' Called the woman.
Harry hesitated.
The woman's outfit was just as battered and faded as it was the last time he saw her,
and a flash of silver hair showed from beneath her hood.
The woman fired a stream of spells at Elizabeth and the two women begun a vicious
duel.
'What are you waiting for? And don't drink any of the water.' The woman called.
Harry watched their duel for a moment longer.
The two women fought as though they had done so before. Both dodged and weaved
around the other's attacks, almost before they cast them.
'Who are you?' Harry called, and the woman battered away another from Elizabeth.
'Call me Crocus, now move.' She screamed as she struggled to deflect a stream of
Cutting and Piercing Hexes.
Harry clenched his jaw before he nodded.
'Good luck Crocus.' He called as he ran toward the lake, tearing off his clothes with
every step.
Harry transfigured his pants into a pair of swimming trunks as he ran and cast a dozen
Warming Charms across his body, knowing that the water was going to be freezing cold
in February. He tucked his mirror into his pocket before he dropped his robes on the
shore.
As he leapt into the lake from the shore, he cast a Bubblehead Charm and it grew
around his head just as he broke the surface.
The fluorescent blue of the potion gave the Black Lake an odd illumination as he swam
deeper.
Despite the situation, he smirked to himself as he used the same tactic he and Fleur
had agreed she would use. Harry held his wand out behind him and used the Aqua
Eructo Charm, firing a great jet of water out of his wand, propelling him forward like a
torpedo.
After a minute, Harry sped past a collection of body parts, which floated together in a
cloud of gore and ichor, slowly dissipating in the water. He paused and noticed the head
of a Grindylow drifting past in the weak current.
Harry stared in morbid fascination at the macabre sight before he shook his head. He
didn't have time to figure out what happened. But he suspected it had something to do
with the fluorescent blue potion Elizabeth Creevey had poured into the lake.
He sped off again toward the settlement of Merpeople he and Fleur had scouted out in
the weeks after Christmas.
After a few minutes and a few more clouds of dismembered inhabitants of the lake.
Harry approached the Merpeople's village, or Selkies, as some of their texts referred to
them.
Harry gasped in his bubble as he saw something he'd never expected to.
The fluorescent blue had reached this deep into the lake and it was as if the underwater
apocalypse had occurred, the homes and other buildings of the Selkies were torn apart,
bodies drifted in the water around them as great tentacles reached into the village to
pluck the motionless bodies of the Merpeople and drag them away into the inky
blackness.
Harry knew of the Giant Squid from talk between the students, and he'd seen the
Weasley twins poke its tentacles with a stick. But down in the lake, in its territory, it was
another matter entirely.
This far down in the lake, there was almost no natural light, not that it was a sunny day
in the first place. The fluorescent blue fluid gave off enough light to see by, but Harry
needed more.
He fired a Lumos Maxima into the water above him, illuminating the entire Selkie village
and the sight took his breath away.
The Giant Squid was truly titanic, far larger than he'd thought possible. It dwarfed the
Basilisk in size and brought the words of its Chocolate Frog card to mind.
'Bane of ancient mariners.'
Harry gaped as the creature above him was silhouetted by the light from his Lumos, the
creature's tentacles whipped out to attack the ball of light and passed through it,
disrupting the light and creating a nightmarish strobe like effect as the spell struggled to
maintain its coherency.
The creature was like something from a nightmare, a story he'd read in one of his
mother's novels about an old god, Cthulhu.
Around him, lit by the strobe light of his Lumos Charm, he took in the extent of the
destructive power of the Giant Squid, affected as it was by whatever this fluorescent
blue liquid was.
The clouds of Grindylow parts he'd flown past earlier should have prepared him, but
they hadn't.
Harry stared at the ruins of the village, it was gone and the villagers were spread across
the area in an orgy of greenish gore and hunks of flesh; the Giant Squid had torn them
apart.
In the centre of the ruined village were four stakes buried into the lake floor. Attached to
each stake was a hostage.
Fleur floated beside Gabrielle, a dozen Selkie spears floated around her along with the
remains of the ones who had wielded them.
The other Champions were nowhere to be seen.
Tied on stakes along with Gabrielle were Ginny, Cho Chang and a seventh year
Slytherin girl who Harry didn't recognise.
Harry propelled himself down to Fleur and saw her eyes widen in horror as he drew
near.
Only then did he realise the light from his Lumos had faded, leaving only the illumination
from the fluorescent blue liquid.
Harry spun around and put up his strongest shield, Protego Maxima, it formed a sphere
around him.
A massive tentacle crashed into him, pushing him through the water toward the
hostages and Fleur. A moment later, another massive tentacle appeared from the gloom
and wrapped around his shield, squeezing it.
He turned to look over at Fleur and motioned with his free hand to get the others and
escape.
She shook her head, screaming at him, but their Bubblehead Charms and the water
between them stole away her words.
Another tentacle wrapped around his shield, and a surge of terror shot down his spine
as his shield cracked.
He turned back to Fleur.
'Leave, take the others and go.' He shouted, gesturing for her to go.
Blurry tears flowed down her cheeks as she shook her head weakly.
Harry turned away and took a deep breath before transferring the shield to his wandless
hand.
An instant later, the drain on his magic grew exponentially, and he knew he didn't have
long.
With his wand hand, he conjured an overpowered Flame Whip which boiled away the
surrounding water. The whip sent a stream of bubbles up toward the surface. He flicked
the whip through the water toward the Squid and it wrapped around the two tentacles
squeezing his shield.
Sweat poured down his brow as he poured more magic into the Flame Whip and forced
it to grow. Its length crept up the Squid's tentacles toward its body.
Harry turned to Fleur again and motioned with his head to escape.
With tears in her eyes, she nodded and turned to the four hostages. She tied them
together and anchored them to herself.
Harry forced ever more magic into the whip and felt his vision waver. He was almost at
his limit and the whip hadn't even reached the Squid's body.
Then the pressure on his shield stopped.
He blinked and stared in horror as the Giant Squid yanked hard enough that the Fire
Whip burnt through the two tentacles, severing them from its body.
Leaving Harry's Fire Whip to devour the two severed limbs.
Harry cut the flow of magic to his Fire Whip and released the spell, but it was too late.
The titanic Squid was upon him, wrapped around his shield. Its beak cracking through
his weakened shield.
Everything was blackness.
The Squid entirely covered Harry's shield as it feverishly crushed his shield with six
massive tentacles and its beak tore through the shield as it tried to reach him.
Harry's magic, already fading from his fight, was running on empty.
He transferred his shield back to his wand, and the drain on his magic lessened.
Harry pulled his mirror out from his pocket and shoved it through the Bubblehead
Charm, he hoped it wouldn't break the bubble.
It didn't.
'James Potter.' Harry called; his voice carried a strong note of panic.
The mirror lit up, showing a blurred face of his father.
'Dad, I'm being attacked by the Giant Squid in the Merpeople's village. The woman from
the First Task introduced a potion into the lake that turned the Giant Squid mad, and it
has destroyed the village and all the Merpeople in it.' He screamed, not giving James an
opportunity to speak.
James flickered in the mirror before he became a blur again.
'What about the hostages and Champions?' he asked.
Harry screamed in pain from the magical backlash as his shield buckled, cracks webbed
across it.
The failing shield drew even more energy from him to compensate for the increased
pressure.
'Last I saw, Fleur was taking the hostages away, but now the Squid is trying to crush my
shield. I can't see anything but its beak trying to eat me.' Harry growled, staring into the
fleshy abyss within the creature's beaky maw.
'The Aurors are on their way.' James called.
Harry screamed as his magic dug ever deeper into his reserves, tapping into his life
force from sheer will.
'I don't have much time; my magic is spent.' Harry sobbed as tears of despair pooled in
his eyes.
'Hold on Harry, I'm on my way.' James called before his mirror went dark.
Harry sniffed and tucked the mirror away into his pocket before he took a deep,
steadying breath. He shook the tears from his eyes and glared at the titanic beast's
beak.
Harry transferred the failing shield to his wandless hand again and the draw on his
magic felt like he was holding on to a cliff with one hand while holding a struggling
elephant in the other. But he only needed to hold the shield for a few more seconds.
He pointed his wand up at the thrashing beak and vocalised one of the few he'd cast
since learning how to cast soundlessly during the summer. He needed the extra power
that vocalising a spell granted.
Harry dropped his shield.
'GLACIUS.'
In an instant, the Giant Squids tentacles wrapped around him, squeezing him in thier
fleshy grip. The suckers on each tentacle tore his flesh with tiny rings of serrated chitin
around the edge of each sucker.
The tentacles crushed him in their writhing grip while Harry's wand bucked at the last
dregs of magic he could grasp.
From the tip of his wand, the water of the lake froze, then in a horrifying chain reaction,
the ice spread up and away from Harry. The water froze as the overpowered spell
cascaded through the water.
As the water inside and surrounding the monstrous creature froze, the Giant Squid
spasmed, its tentacles shredded his skin. With every second that passed, Harry felt the
tiny chitin teeth surrounding the suckers tore his skin apart, and he screamed, as he
was both crushed and shredded at once.
The creature spasmed one final time before its tentacles released him.
Harry, lightheaded from magical exhaustion, struggled free of the drifting limbs and
struggled to wade away with his savaged arms. Blood poured from his entire body, and
he watched the tentacles disappear into the gloom.
Harry floated amidst a thick cloud of Selkie's body parts and ichor.
His vision faded as his air bubble retracted, his charm shrunk to compensate as he ran
out of magic to power it.
He sighed.
'I wish that the last time I saw Fleur, she was smiling.' He muttered to himself.
Then the world faded to black.

Harry woke to the sound of an obnoxious bird singing as though it were welcome. His
head throbbed like a Hippogryph had kicked him and the bird singing didn't help.
He opened his eyes, only to close them a moment later as the sun's light blinded him.
Harry kept his eyes closed and felt a weight on his left side. He shifted a little before he
realised he bore a weight on his right side as well.
He cracked his eyes open slowly to allow them to adjust to the light, and saw the white
ceiling of the hospital wing.
Memories trickled into his mind of walking along the lake, of two mysterious women who
fought. A fluorescent blue potion.
The potion.
Harry closed his eyes tight and pushed back into the bed as images from his
underwater battle entered his mind.
The clouds of Grindylow bits, the destruction of the Selkie village and its inhabitants by
the Giant Squid, more like a Kraken.
His breathing sped up, and he felt lightheaded before a cool hand touched his forehead
and he let out a deep sigh.
'Relax. You're safe now, everyone is safe now.' A familiar voice soothed.
Harry felt his muscles slacken and his breathing returned to normal, and he opened his
eyes. His mother smiled above him and pulled her hands away from his face.
'What you did was heroic, and I wish you would never do anything like that again.' She
whispered.
Harry blinked at her.
'How do you know what happened?' he asked, his mind still filled with images of
tentacles in the gloom.
Lily sighed.
'A few of the Selkies survived and once the potion was removed from their bodies, they
told the Headmaster what happened.' She explained.
Harry moved to sit up, but the weights on his arms stopped him. Fleur slept on his left
arm and Holly on his right.
He sighed and lay back on the bed.
'What did the potion do, exactly?' he asked, and Lily ran a hand down her face.
'I'd rather not say while you're still recovering.' She looked away.
'Please, tell me. It'll help me recover.' He whispered, and she sighed.
'It was a potion that not even Severus had seen before. But it affected all the creatures
in the lake that ingested it.' She began and Harry gasped.
'The Grindylows and the Selkies became frenzied and attacked anything they saw, even
each other.' Lily said and looked away.
'Mum?' he asked, and she nodded.
'They found twenty Selkie spears embedded in the Giant Squid, so they'd been fighting
it, and each other for a while before you got there.' She explained.
Harry stared at her in horror.
Lily cupped his cheek with her hand.
'What you did down there was nothing short of amazing. How did you get so strong as
to set the squid on fire, under water?' she asked, incredulous.
Harry groaned.
'I was trying to heat the water enough to make the thing flee.' He admitted, and she
smiled.
'It was a good plan; it would have worked in any other situation. I never knew the squid
was that large.' Lily admitted.
Harry lay back and let out a deep breath.
'Harry, when you get up later, have a look at the lake. There's an iceberg out there with
the squid caught inside.' She smiled, and Harry groaned.
On either side of him, both girls woke and looked up at him with great, beaming smiles.
''Arry.' Fleur cried as she threw her arms around him.

Holly rolled her eyes.
'If being a hero didn't come naturally to you, I'd think you were trying too hard.' She
smirked.
''Arry, thank you for saving me and the hostages.' Fleur whispered into his neck.
Harry used his now free right hand to brush a stray hair from Fleur's face and smiled
down at her.
'You rescued the hostages, I just rescued you.' He disagreed.
Harry frowned at his arm, now that he could see it. His skin was covered in bandages, a
yellowish paste seeped through the white bandage and his lip curled.
'Your body is completely covered with those bandages honey. Apparently, the squid left
you with lacerations that covered seventy percent of your body.' Lily said.
Harry groaned.
'Only seventy? It felt like it was tearing me in half.' he muttered, then shook his head.
He blinked and looked up at his mother.
'What about the other Champions?' he asked.
Fleur and Holly both turned to Lily as she gave a soft smile and patted Harry's leg.
'Don't worry about them.' She said.
'Mum?' he asked, and she sighed.
'Grindylows attacked Cedric. Then Neville, who was using Gillyweed, also attacked both
the Grindylows and Cedric. Viktor followed soon after, he had partially transformed into
a shark.' She said and Harry blinked.
'Why would they attack Cedric?' Holly asked.
Harry gasped.
'The potion?' he asked, and Lily nodded.
'That's right. Cedric was using the bubblehead charm, like the two of you did and didn't
ingest any of the potion.' Lily explained before she looked around the hospital wing for a
moment.
'Neville and Viktor were both affected by the potion because it entered their bodies
through their gills. They both tried to attack anything they saw, which was Cedric and
the Grindylows.' Lily finished.
'But they're, okay?' Harry asked, and Lily nodded.
'Neville and Viktor were both in here for a few hours while Severus purged their bodies
of the potion. Cedric was fine after Madame Pomphrey healed a few cuts and scrapes.'
Lily said, and Harry let out a deep breath.
Harry looked around the room.
'Where's dad? How did I get out of the lake?' he asked
Holly took his hand in hers.
'Dad led the Aurors down into the lake and brought you out in his arms. The crowd was
horrified by all the blood.' Her eyes teared up and Harry squeezed her hand.
'I'm sorry for worrying you so much Holly.' He whispered, touching his brow to hers.
Fleur trailed a hand down his face.
'Your papa is dealing with the fallout of the Second Task being interrupted.' She said,
and Harry turned to her.
'Did you win? Or did the Task get cancelled?' he asked, and she gave him a tight smile.
'Points have not yet been awarded. Last I heard, they're considering holding an
alternate Second Task.' She explained.
Lily patted his leg.
'Try to get some rest. You exhausted yourself with all your heroics. Your body will take
some time to recover. Let it.' She ordered with a smile.
Holly looked between her mother and Fleur, then at Harry, then back to Fleur and
grinned.
'Enjoy yourselves.' Holly smirked and left the hospital wing alongside Lily.
Harry and Fleur remained in place for a moment before she buried her face in his neck,
one of the few areas where his skin wasn't covered in bandages soaked in some kind of
fluid.
'I was so worried 'Arry.' She whispered.
'Shh, it's okay. Things were just a little crazy for a while, but our training helped a lot.' he
murmured in her ear.
'How's Gabrielle?' he asked, and she raised her tear-stained face to his.
'She's well. My parents are with her in the Great Hall having breakfast. I'm sure they'll
be up soon.' She said, and Harry smiled and leaned forward.
'Is there anyone else in the room?' he whispered.
Fleur pulled out her wand and cast a silent 'Homenum Revelio.' before shaking her
head.
Harry sighed.
'The two women were there again. The one who attacked you is called Elizabeth
Creevey. I saw it on the map.' He said.
Fleur gasped, then her eyes narrowed and met his gaze.
'Creevey. I know that name, didn't you already ask that boy if he had a sister?' she
asked, and Harry nodded.
'I did, and he doesn't. I didn't think to ask him what his mother's name was though.' he
said and ran a hand through his hair.
'Fleur, she poured half a dozen cauldrons of the fluorescent blue potion into the lake,
corrupting it. It's clear that she is the one trying to harm you.' Harry muttered and took a
breath.
'The other woman, she called me by name and told me to rescue everyone in the lake.
She had silver hair and a Rosewood wand. Before I jumped into the lake, she said to
call her Crocus.' Harry said.
Fleur frowned.
'What do you think?' she asked, and he groaned.
'There's something about her that is familiar, but I don't know what it is.' He scowled,
and her frown deepened.
'How far along has your time turner research progressed?' she asked, and he blinked.
'Wait, you think Crocus is from the future? You think that maybe it's you?' he asked, and
she shrugged.
'There's no way to know. We don't know if this Crocus is from the future at all, or if she's
the future me, or anything really. All we have are hunches and I know you've been
working on that advanced time turner with your mum for years.' She mused; her gaze
locked outside on the distant mountains.
'It's just a hunch at the moment, and judging by the last two tasks, you'll be seeing her
again for the third.' She muttered, almost like she was talking to herself.
Fleur turned back and met his gaze.
'Next time, we'll be ready to get some answers.' She declared, then frowned.
'You didn't see Crocus on the map?' she asked, and Harry shook his head.
Fleur shrugged.
'If my hunch is correct, this Elizabeth Creevey woman is also from the future, so she
could be that Colin boy's daughter or something, depending on how far from the future
they come, if they're from the future at all.' She mused.
Harry groaned.
'My head isn't up to all the mystery yet.' He complained.
Fleur gave him a warm smile and kissed his brow.
'It will be okay; I'll just have to kiss it better for you.' She whispered.
And she did.
The next week passed with Harry being released from the hospital wing. Each night,
after walking Fleur to her carriage, Harry returned to his dorms and checked the map
regularly for suspicious names on his way.
One night he saw Snape and Karkaroff in Snape's quarters, while he saw Bertha
Jorkins and Bartemius Crouch roaming the corridors of the Castle.
Harry narrowed his eyes as he entered the Entrance Hall and pulled out his Potter
mirror.
'James Potter.' Harry said into the reflective surface, which moments later showed his
father's face.
'Harry? What's up?' James asked, and Harry frowned.
'I keep seeing two names on the map, always with each other. One of them is
Bartemius Crouch, the Triwizard Judge.' Harry said, and James cocked his head.
'Who is the other?' he asked.
'Someone named Bertha Jorkins?' Harry replied.
James swore.
'Harry, stay away from those two names.' He ordered and Harry blinked.
'Why?' he asked, and James ran a hand down his face.
'I have a hunch. Thanks for telling me, I'll look into this and update you in a few days.'
James explained, and Harry blinked as his mirror disconnected.
Harry frowned and tucked the mirror away in his robes.
'Well, that was weird.' He muttered to himself and walked back to the Hufflepuff
common room.
Halfway through March, while Harry was studying in the library with his friends, his
Potter mirror vibrated.
It was James.
'Dad? What's up?' Harry asked as his father's face appeared in the mirror.
'Harry. I want you to keep an eye out for those two names on the map. Call me if you
see them again.' James said, and Harry nodded.
'Sure, can I ask why?' he asked.
James sighed.
'Auror reasons?' James asked hopefully.
Harry shrugged.
'Works for me. I'll let you know if they show up. Shall I let the others know to do the
same?' he asked.
James paused for a moment, thinking about it before he nodded.
'Yeah, that would be great. See you.' James said and disconnected.
Harry looked up at Holly and Susan.
'You two heard him, right?' he asked, and they nodded.
A few days later, it was Saturday.
Harry and Fleur stood panting in the Room of Requirement after a hard-fought duel in
the Roman Coliseum. It had become a favourite of them both.
With a thought, a couch appeared between them, and they fell into it, catching their
breath.
'Have you checked your map recently 'Arry? Didn't your father ask you to keep a close
eye on it?' she asked, and Harry groaned.
'Time runs differently in here. Outside, it's only been like half an hour or something.' He
said as he held out his hand toward the Marauder's Map, which sat on a seat in the
stands of the Coliseum.
Fleur walked over and pressed the large red button to return the room to normal time.
The map shot through the air and into his hand a moment later.
He looked at the map and within moments noticed the two names near the Quidditch
Pitch.
Bartemius Crouch and Bertha Jorkins.
He pulled out his Potter mirror from his robes as Fleur watched, her eyes wide.
'James Potter.' Harry said and a moment later, his father's face appeared in the mirror.
'Harry?' he asked, and Harry turned the mirror toward the two names on the map.
'Dad, those two names, they're at the Quidditch Pitch right now.' Harry explained and
turned the mirror back to his own face.
'Harry, stay away from the Quidditch Pitch. I've uncovered some horrible things and I'll
tell you later.' James ordered, and Harry nodded.
'Can I help?' he asked, and James shook his head.
'No, stay out of this one Harry.' He said, his face bore an uncharacteristically serious
expression.
Harry shared a look with Fleur before he turned back to his father and nodded. It wasn't
often that his father was serious about anything.
'Good luck and safe hunting, dad.' Harry said.
James nodded and disconnected his mirror.
Harry sighed, tucking away his mirror. He looked over at Fleur, whose gaze was locked
on him.
'Did you want to continue?' he asked, and she shook her head.
'With this going on, I don't think I can focus on anything.' She muttered and stowed her
wand in her holster.
Harry nodded and his gaze roamed the room before it returned to her.
'How about we go hang out with the others? That might distract us?' Harry suggested,
and she smiled.
'That would be nice, but first, I need a shower. And no, you're not joining me, mister.'
She winked, and Harry shook his head with a smile.
A few hours later, Harry sat on the grass overlooking the Black Lake.
Fleur, Holly and his friends sat with him, and he basked in the unseasonal warmth.
After a few minutes, he blinked, his gaze roamed across the lake.
'What happened to the squid?' Harry asked.
Holly sighed, then looked at their friends for a moment before she turned back to Harry.
'The Aurors took it away. I heard it is being held in the Department of Mysteries.' She
explained.
Harry nodded.
'I suppose that makes sense.' He mused and felt a vibration in his robes.
His mirror.
Harry leapt up from the grass, which drew strange looks from everyone before he
brought the mirror to his face.
'Harry.' James said with a smile.
'Hey Dad, say hi to everyone.' Harry said
He moved the mirror around so James could see everyone who waved at him.
'Harry, are you happy if news is shared with everyone?' James asked, and Harry
nodded.
'Of course, go ahead.' Harry said as he sat down beside Fleur and everyone else
crowded around them to see James' face.
James looked at Harry, then Holly and Susan, before back to Harry.
'My team and I discovered Bartemius Crouch has been under the Imperius Curse from
his son, Barty Crouch Junior. Barty has been working with a witch named Bertha Jorkins
to resurrect the Dark Lord, according to Bartemius anyway.' James said.
Harry stared at the mirror.
'Wait. Those two names we've been seeing running around Hogwarts all year have
been Death Eaters?' Harry asked, his eyes narrowed.
'At the very least, they are sympathisers. I don't know if Barty and Bertha have the
mark.' James answered, and Harry sighed as he ran a hand through his hair.
Fleur gripped his leg with a hand.

James gave a solemn nod.
'After you told me that Barty and Bertha were at the Quidditch Pitch, I took my team to
apprehend them. But the two are damn powerful. They escaped after a duel with a full
Auror team of four.' James growled and Harry gasped.
'How is everyone?' Harry asked, and James cringed.
'Tonks will sport bruises for a while, but Winters and Symons are in St Mungo's.' James
explained.
Fleur gasped.
'Those two beat the four of you that badly?' she asked, then covered her mouth.
'I'm sorry.' She gasped.
James shook his head.
'No, it's alright. You're right. They did.' James admitted before he turned his gaze to
Harry.
'Harry, do not go anywhere near them. They're up to something and I don't want you or
your friends anywhere near it, especially you two, Susan and Holly.' James said, and
they all nodded.
'If you see them on the map, tell me, day or night and I'll send two teams this time, three
if I can get them.' James urged and Harry nodded.
'Sure dad, if possible, I'll stay away from them.' Harry agreed.
'Okay. Now everyone, remember, this is all confidential, so don't go spreading it around.
Harry trusts you all, so I do too.' James said, as his eyes met each member of the
group.
The mirror went dark, and James disappeared.
Harry tucked the mirror away and turned to the others.
'It's about time for dinner, who's hungry?' he asked and was met by stares.
Harry sighed and sat back down.
'Okay, looks like we have a bit to talk about.' He said, and Daphne rolled her eyes.
'Yeah, you could say that.' Daphne shot and Harry rubbed the back of his head.
'Okay, okay. I'll try to explain everything.' He said.

The Easter break came and went and at the end of May, Bagman took the four
Champions out onto the grounds to discuss the Third Task.
That night, as Harry lay in bed, Fleur called him on their mirror.
''Arry, the Third Task is a maze being held at the Quidditch Pitch.' She blurted, and
Harry groaned.
'That's where Barty and Bertha were last seen. There has to be a connection.' he
mused.
'You think they're in league with Elizabeth Creevey?' Harry asked, and Fleur shook her
head with a frown.
'We don't have enough information to draw any conclusions. We'll have to plan for both
options, that they are working together, and that they are two different enemy groups.'
She said, and Harry nodded.
'At least we have another month till the Third Task. We'll be prepared for whatever the
Task throws at us and anything else that happens too.' Harry said, and Fleur gave him a
bright smile.
'You always know what to say to make a girl feel better 'Arry.' She said.
(A/N: It's come up a few times in comments that its a little weird that Harry isn't better
after spending so much time in the Room. I thought I had covered this in previous
chapters, but its clear to me now that I missed the mark there. Harry has roughly the
same power as canon Harry, except this one has trained to use it. Harry hasn't been
able to fight Death Eaters and win so far because the room's training dummies cap out
at the approximate skill of a fifth year student. There's a massive difference between a
fifth year student and a Death Eater. Now that Harry has been training with Fleur,
someone with greater skill than him, he has improved dramatically.
I also wanted to mention that his time in the Room of Requirement has been by himself,
he hasn't had an expert to train him in there. The combat training he has done is entirely
solitary, there is only so much a book and your own imagination can help when you're
teaching yourself how to fight. Again, now that he has Fleur in the room with him,
someone who has been trained by experts. Harry no longer has that limitation.
He's also working on a number of projects, each of which would be NEWT level
projects, at least. So far, we've seen the mirrors, each of the different types of protective
charms for the charm bracelets. Not to mention designing a time turner from scratch.
Each of these projects would involve a detailed understanding of most of the Hogwarts
classes, equal to or above NEWT level.
Sorry for the long note, but I wanted to address the few comments that have popped up
that said Harry should be better than he is. Hopefully this note has helped in some way
to explain why Harry isn't yet able to run around and smash Death Eaters into the
ground.)
Harry sat in the Great Hall on Monday morning, Fleur beside him. They'd already gone
for a run outside and huddled close together on the Hufflepuff table while they waited for
the others.
'How are you feeling about our preparation for the Third Task?' Harry asked and Fleur
smiled at him.
'I'll have no troubles in the maze. We've worked out how to navigate the maze and our
training has given me the confidence to defeat any foe inside.' She said, her ice-blue
eyes sparkling.
With a smirk, she snapped her fingers and a flicker of flame erupted and disappeared in
an instant.
Harry grinned as other students entered the Great Hall. Among the first were Susan and
Hannah, who strode toward them looking worried.
As Susan sat down, she looked between Harry and Fleur with an apologetic expression,
mirrored by Hannah.
'Have either of you seen the Daily Prophet?' Susan asked.
Fleur scoffed, and Harry shook his head.
'No, we've been busy. What happened now?' Harry asked.
Hannah handed the newspaper to Fleur like a letter of expulsion.
Fleur took the newspaper and cocked her head as she read the headline, then froze.
Harry frowned and leaned over to peer at the headline before the newspaper burst into
flames in Fleur's hands.
'Beauxbatons Champion, a Cheater?'
Fleur's body was tense, like a spring ready to snap.
A book Fleur had given him years ago for Christmas, written by her grandmother about
Veela, sprung into his mind. It had explained an event in every Veela's life that he'd
thought was far off.
He looked into her blazing eyes and saw an unnatural rage in them. It danced in her
blue eyes like fire.
Harry leaned forward and whispered in her ear as he put his hands on her shoulders.
'Fleur, we need to go to the Room. Now.' He urged.
He helped her stand and gave both Susan and Hannah an apologetic smile as he led
Fleur out of the Great Hall.
Once outside, Harry led them away, one hand on the small of her back while the other
held her hand.
Her Allure, normally so pure and gentle, like a soft breeze, raged like a storm. Harry felt
her magic in the air. It was oppressive, and he felt her trembling under his touch.
Draco walked around the corner just as Harry led her away from the Great Hall.
'Why do you sully yourself with a Half-Breed? Is she really that good in bed that you
would share her?' the blonde Slytherin crowed before Fleur turned her icy gaze toward
him.
Draco stared at her in slack jawed awe as her wild Allure dominated his mind in an
instant.
Fleur's hand caught aflame, and her long silver hair waved in the air as if in the wind.
Harry tightened his grip on her hand and flicked his other hand at the boy and hit him
with a wandless Silencing Charm.
He led her away, up some stairs, headed toward the seventh floor.
Halfway up the stairs, a handful of seventh year Ravenclaw boys stood in blank faced
fascination. One even fell down the stairs after missing a step.
A Ravenclaw boy stepped toward Fleur and Harry stuck his feet to the stairs with a
wandless Sticking Charm before he hurried Fleur toward the Room of Requirement.
Once inside the Room of Requirement, Harry set it to a configuration to something they
rarely used.
A wide-open field, filled with green grass and wildflowers in every direction, as far as the
eye could see.
He sat her down before joining her, cross legged, facing her.
Harry took her trembling hands in his.

'Look into my eyes.' He said.
Her Allure flared, wild and uncontrolled.
For an instant, the idea of goading her into a duel to release her frustration entered his
mind before he remembered the book she'd given him. It had said it was one of the
worst things to do.
She looked up and met his gaze, her ice-blue eyes blazed, and he felt the full force of
her Veela heritage.
The Allure is a Veela's unique magic in its passive state. It flows around the Veela,
seeping into the world around them and influencing only the weak minded.
But a Veela's full heritage was something rarely seen until she is pregnant with her first
child, when her magic and hormones react with the stress she is under in that time. This
potent mix triggers a state where the Veela's full heritage comes out, the book Harry
had read years before referred to that state as L'appel du vide, or 'The Call of the Void'.
In this state, the Veela's heritage creates inexplicable thoughts to pop into their and
other's minds. Thoughts that make no sense in context to the situation but have a
powerful pull to experience it just the same, like if waiting for a train–what if you just
jumped off the platform? Or if flying on a broom–what if you jumped off? It creates an
unnerving, shaky sensation of not being able to trust one's own instincts.
Harry looked into Fleur's eyes as her heritage shook them both. The L'appel du vide
affected her just as much as it did him and it was one reason why Veela had to work so
hard during their maturation to control their Allure, to prepare them for L'appel du vide.
He remembered the book hadn't gone into detail about the heritage, only conjecture that
it was thought to be an intrinsic part of the curse that affects them, that created their
race.
Harry wondered why it was happening now, she couldn't be pregnant, was it the stress
she was under with the Tournament? Was the article really so bad as to upset her
enough to trigger the L'appel du vide so early?
While he seemed to be immune to the Allure for whatever reason, the L'appel du vide
was another story. His only defence was his willpower and budding Occlumency skills.
Thoughts bombarded Harry in the instant her eyes met his, thoughts he'd never had
before, and the Room interpreted them.
A broom appeared beside him, and the urge to fly seemed irresistible.
A moment later, a yawning chasm opened on his other side and he wondered what it
would be like to just jump in.
The next moment, a rearing Acromantula appeared over Fleur's shoulder before it fled
from a Basilisk.
His thoughts raced and Harry gritted his teeth and cleared his mind, like Remus had
taught him as a child. He created a white void in his mind, much like when he'd started
learning occlumency.
The Room turned white, a reflection of the blank void in his mind. There was no
variation between the floor, walls, or ceiling.
The Acromantula and Basilisk faded away like smoke in the wind. The chasm and the
broom disappeared, leaving no trace they were ever there.
Fleur's icy blue eyes bored into him, her heritage fully realised, long before it's time.
Harry's mind burned like an inferno; her heritage tore into his defences.
The Room interpreted his stray thought, grew warm and the pristine white void flickered
into flames that burned everything.
Sweat beaded on his brow before it evaporated, leaving a powdered layer of salt on his
skin.
Harry let out a breath and refocussed.
The flames guttered out and were replaced again by the white void.
Still, Fleur's eyes bored into his, her face an emotionless mask.
Harry flinched as his mind was wracked with pain. He locked down every thought in his
head. The effort involved was far more than he'd ever imagined as he hid every stray
thought behind his novice Occlumency barriers, keeping them from her heritage.
'Fleur.' He whispered, and it seemed as loud as a shout.
'Even though this is happening earlier than we thought. You are prepared, you are
strong enough to control this and I will not leave you.' Harry continued as random
images and thoughts filled his mind and he struggled to contain them all.
'We are a team, Fleur, and I would do anything for you.' He whispered.
A flicker of 'Fleur' flashed in her eyes, and she blinked.
The pressure of her heritage faded.
Fleur buried her face in her hands and sobbed, her shoulders heaved as she collapsed
in front of him.
Harry moved forward and wrapped her in an embrace.
'It's going to be okay.' He murmured into her ear.

He held her in his arms for a few minutes before Fleur sniffed and sat back. She took a
deep breath before she let it out.
Fleur reached out to cup a hand on Harry's cheek.
'The thoughts that flooded my mind, they were so strong.' She murmured and looked
deep into his eyes.
'I thought that I'd have years to prepare for the L'appel du vide.' She admitted and broke
away from his gaze and stared at their joined hands.
'I saw such horrible things. All the choices in my past flashed in front of my eyes and I
questioned every one of them. What would have happened if I'd never met you at that
Christmas party?' she asked, still staring at their joined hands.
Her thumb traced over his wrist.
'What if I had scorned you? Not replied to your letters. What if you had succumbed to
my Allure at my birthday party? What if you had not saved us at the World Cup?' she
continued, then fell silent.
Harry watched as she struggled internally with something.
She looked up and met his eyes.
'Everything that went through my mind came back to the greatest question I have in my
life. Who would I be without you?' she asked.
Harry cupped her cheek in a hand and held her gaze.
'You will never have to find out. I will always be with you, as long as you will have me.'
He whispered.
A beaming smiled broke through tear-stained cheeks, and she threw her arms around
him.
He held her tight.
'As long as we are together, nothing will stop us.' He said, and she nodded against his
neck and let out a sigh.
After a few minutes, he pulled away to look into her eyes.
'Fleur?' he asked.
'Hmm?' she cocked her head to the side and wiped at her eyes.
'What was it in the Prophet that set you off years early?' he asked, and she blushed.
'It will seem silly after what just happened.' She muttered, and refused to meet his eyes.
Harry smiled and kissed her hand.
She met his gaze.
'The article said that I was only winning the Tournament because I have bewitched you
with my Allure. That there were countless boys in this school that I was using for my
own debauched ways, that you, an heir of an Ancient and Noble House, was only one of
many whom I took to my bed.' She whispered.
Harry sighed and squeezed her hand.
'It said that you are merely the first among many, which is why we are publicly together.'
She murmured; tears welled in her eyes.
'Fleur, the article is wrong in too many ways to count.' Harry said and kissed her hands
again.
Then he smirked.
Harry pulled out his Potter mirror from his robes.
'Sirius Black.' He said and Fleur blinked in surprise.
Sirius' face appeared in the mirror with a wide grin.
'Harry, what a pleasure it is to see you. What can your dear godfather do for you on this
wondrous day?' Sirius beamed, only for Orion's face to push in front of the mirror.
'Harry? You need to come back from school already. I want to play.' Orion complained.
Harry grinned at the six-year-old.
'I'll be able to play with you in a few months, but it won't feel like that long. I'm sure
Charlus would love to play with you.' Harry said, and Orion's eyes widened before he
turned to Sirius.
Sirius laughed and nodded.
'Yes, you can floo over there now, just don't get in your Aunt Lilly's way, okay?' Sirius
said and Orion cheered before he waved at Harry.
'Bye Harry.' Orion called before disappearing.
Sirius turned back to Harry and gave him a lopsided grin.
'What can the most handsome Marauder do for you, Harry?' Sirius asked again, and
Harry smirked.
'Can you help me pull a prank?' Harry asked, and Sirius' eyes lit up with glee.
'What finally pushed you over the edge? Did your dad pick on you too much about your
lovely French lady too much?' Sirius asked, almost bouncing in anticipation.
Fleur quirked an eyebrow at Harry over the mirror, and Harry winked at her.
Sirius paled.
'Is Fleur there with you?' he asked, and Harry nodded.
'I'm sorry, Fleur.' Sirius said as Fleur moved to sit beside Harry, who angled the mirror to
show both of them.
'One day Lord Black, I would like to have a conversation about what the two of you say
about me.' Fleur said and Sirius looked to Harry, who shrugged.
'Only good things, I promise.' Sirius assured before turning back to Harry.
Harry's face turned hard.
'Sirius, what do you know about a reporter named Rita Skeeter?' he asked, and Sirius'
eyes twinkled.
He shifted in his seat.
'Was it that toxic woman who finally pushed you to pranking?' Sirius asked, and Harry
nodded.
'The woman went too far. She said some hurtful things about Fleur and implied too
many damaging things. Just read the latest Prophet for the details.' Harry explained
before he shared a quick glance with Fleur and turned back to Sirius.
'Now, Padfoot. What I want to know is how much of the Daily Prophet is owned between
the Blacks and the Potters?' Harry asked, and Fleur's eyes widened.
Sirius sighed and deflated.
'I'm disappointed in you, Harry, for going straight for the kill. You have to toy with your
victims first.' Sirius explained and Harry shook his head.
'But that's not my style.' Harry contested.
'Kid, you have no style, not yet. But with the help of the most attractive Marauder, we'll
get you up to speed.' Sirius said, and Harry rolled his eyes.
'What do you have in mind then?' Harry asked and Sirius grinned.
'Leave it with me and I'll soften her up first before we unleash the hammer blow.' Sirius'
eyes shone.
'What do you mean?' Harry asked with a frown.

Sirius huffed.
'You don't yet have the pranking skills to take on Skeeter, not on her turf. The next
target I will guide you through every step, but this one requires a bit of finesse.' Sirius
said and Harry groaned.
'Maybe I should have called mum.' Harry groaned.
Sirius pouted.
'Leave your mother out of this, she's like you and doesn't understand a good prank. You
know, there was this one time in third year when Remus and I-' Sirius started.
'Sirius, this is important.' Harry interrupted and Sirius paused and met his gaze.
'I know it is. All pranks are important. Just, leave it with me for a while and you can finish
her off before the Third Task.' Sirius said with a solemn expression which gave way to a
wicked grin.
The next day, the first of June, Harry received a letter at lunch.
He gave the letter a quick glance; it was short and to the point and from Hermione.
Harry,
We need to talk in private.
Hermione.
Harry sighed and showed the brief note to Fleur, who sat on one side while Holly sat on
the other.
Fleur raised a single eyebrow.
'You share a class with her, do you not?' she asked, and he nodded.
'We have Runes at the end of the day.' Harry confirmed, and Fleur smiled.
'How is your work on Runes going?' Fleur asked.
Harry chuckled, earning another raised eyebrow.
'Hermione goes from being impressed at how far ahead I am in that class to annoyed
that I'm further than her. She knows that I'm decent at enchanting, of which Runes is a
major part, but I think she forgets that sometimes.' He explained.
Fleur rolled her eyes at him.
'I meant whether you were comfortable with the NEWT level material yet.' She said, and
he sighed and gave her a nod.
'Yeah, I might even be able to disarm your rune traps and break your wards properly
now.' He said.
Fleur smirked and patted his cheek.
'Then I'll have to start testing you on your knowledge then.' She purred, and Harry
narrowed his eyes.
'You already do.' He pointed out, and her smirk turned sweet.
It sent a shiver of apprehension down his spine.
'I will test you properly from now, in a way that will force you to learn.' She said, and he
sighed.
'What have I gotten myself into now?' he muttered, and her smile turned mischievous.
'You'll find out soon.' She said, her eyes twinkling.
Later that day, in Runes, Harry sat beside Hermione. It was one of the few times that
the two could spend any time together due to Neville not wanting anything to do with
Harry.
The two sat in the back corner of the room, Hannah sat on Harry's other side, running
interference with anyone else who sat near them.
Hermione leant toward him while she kept her eyes on Professor Babbling, who spoke
at the front of the room.
'Neville had a nightmare in Divination. I've convinced Ron to let me know when they
happen.' Hermione started and Harry frowned.
'And?' Harry asked as he took notes from the board.
'And the two of them believe that it's a vision from Voldemort. I think it might be because
of the connection they share through Neville's scar.' Hermione whispered, and Harry
raised an eyebrow.
Professor Babbling paused in her description of covalent Rune bonding, something that
Harry and Hermione already knew in detail, to answer a question from one of the other
students.
Hermione sighed.
'Neville told me in our second year that Voldemort transferred some of his powers to
him the night he got the scar. Him being a Parselmouth is one of those powers, but
who's to say he didn't create a magical connection between the two that night as well?'
Hermione hissed.
'Hermione, what do you think I can do about anything?' he asked, and she glared at
him.
'I know that you and Fleur are doing more than just snogging in broom closets, more
than this Tournament. The two of you have been inseparable since she arrived.' She
sounded a little bitter, then she sighed again.
'It's just under a month until the Third Task, judging by the previous tasks, something
will happen at this one. I think Voldemort has something planned.' She whispered, and
Harry nodded.
'Something is going on, but I don't know what it is, yet.' Harry agreed and Hermione bit
her lip.
'I will tell you if I find out anything more. I know that you and Neville don't get along, but I
know you are only looking to keep everyone safe.' She said.
Harry smiled.
'I appreciate it. Is there anything else bothering you?' he asked, and she bit her lip
again.
'No.' she muttered before staring at her book.
Harry opened his mouth to speak, but Hannah nudged him with her leg as Professor
Babbling drew near.
'Are you having any trouble with your assigned task, Mister Potter?' the pretty witch
asked, and Harry grinned up at her.
'No Professor, everything is fine, we'll be finished soon.' He said, and she nodded with a
smile and moved on.
A few days later, on Friday morning at breakfast, Holly giggled by Fleur's side and
showed the Veela the Daily Prophet.
Fleur covered a laugh with a cough and caught Harry's eye and motioned to the paper.
Harry leaned over Fleur's lap and she held him close to her as he read Holly's paper. It
was an article detailing a scandal about Rita Skeeter being questioned by the DMLE
about being an unregistered Animagus, a tiny blue beetle.
Harry's eyes widened, and he sat back in his spot, he met Fleur's gaze.
'Sirius?' he mouthed at her and she nodded, her lips twisted into a smirk as she
returned to reading the full article.
Over the next two weeks, Rita Skeeter's articles in the Daily Prophet became almost
non-existent. She was reportedly chased by people in the street.
On the weekend, Sirius called Harry in the mirror while he was in the Room of
Requirement with Fleur.
'I did a little digging on Skeeter, and I found a load of dirt on the crooked woman.' The
Marauder said without a greeting.
'Will she be a problem any more though?' Harry asked and Sirius' face turned grim.
'That vile woman will always be a problem; she will never quit. But now that the Prophet
won't officially look at her, they'll probably hire her under a different name.' Sirius
explained and Harry sighed.
'What can we do to stop her from targeting innocent people?' Fleur asked, and Sirius
rolled his eyes.
'The two of you shouldn't worry, I will handle this, the Marauder way.' He boasted, and
'Should I even ask?' Harry asked and Sirius grinned.
'No, you probably shouldn't. Also, don't ask Moony about it either, he'll spill the beans
like he always does when Lily asks him.' Sirius said, then rubbed his chin in thought.
'Actually, don't ask your father either, he has a duty to the law and whatnot.' Sirius
added, and Harry groaned.
'Fine, it'll stay between the three of us then.' Harry said and Sirius grinned.
'Have fun you two.' He called before the mirror went dark.
'Shall we get back to preparation for the Tournament then?' he asked, and she frowned.
'What about your exams? They are starting soon.' She said, and he shrugged.
'I'm confident about them. But I think we could still prepare a little more for the Third
Task.' He said, and she nodded with a slight grin.
Finally, June Twenty Fourth came, and with it, the Third Task of the Triwizard
Tournament.
Harry sat with Fleur at their customary spot on the shore of the Black Lake and together
they watched the sun rise. After a quick workout, more to settle the nerves than
anything else, the two made their way into the Great Hall for breakfast.
As breakfast ended, Dumbledore stood at the head table, with his arms outspread until
silence reigned in the Great Hall.
'Today's classes are cancelled so that all can enjoy the day as we prepare for the Third
Task of the Triwizard Tournament which will be held this evening.' Dumbledore
announced to cheers from the Hall.
The doors opened and Harry turned to see a group of adults and a few children enter
the Hall, the families of the Champions.
Harry grinned and turned to Fleur.
'Go, greet your family.' He whispered.
Fleur beamed at him, then pulled him out of his seat and dragged him toward her family,
to the laughter of their friends.
As Harry approached the Delacour's, Gabrielle threw herself at both him and Fleur and
pulled them both into an embrace.
Gabrielle released Fleur and hugged Harry tighter while Dominique and Apolline pulled
Fleur into another hug.
Dominique released Fleur and turned to Harry.
'Harry, any chance you can take us outside somewhere where we can sit down?' the
man asked.
He had more grey hairs on his head than Harry remembered.
'Of course, follow me.' Harry grinned and led the Delacour's out to the spot by the lake
he'd met up with Fleur that morning.
As they approached, Harry and Fleur shared a glance and together, conjured a three-
seater couch and two squishy armchairs.
Fleur pulled Harry down on the couch with her and Gabrielle threw herself at the two,
wrapping her arms around both Harry's and Fleur's necks.
Harry looked to Dominique and Apolline.
'Will this do?' he asked, and Dominique smiled at Harry.
'This is perfect, thank you.' He said and turned to Apolline who took a seat in one of the
squishy chairs and smiled at the three on the couch.
'Before we met you Harry, I never even considered going to England, let alone enjoying
a warm, sunny day beside a beautiful lake. Hogwarts, and Scotland I suppose, are full
of surprises.' Apolline said as she relaxed back in her chair.
Harry gave a small smile and looked between the four French magicals.
'Is there anything you wanted to do while you're here?' he asked.
Dominique and Apolline shared a glance, their faces turned grim. They turned, as one,
to meet Harry and Fleur's gazes.
'Before we can have a fun day, I wanted to take Gabrielle to see the Greenhouses, it's
said they have some of the rarest plants out of the three schools.' Apolline said, her
eyes darted to Gabrielle's.
Gabrielle's eyes widened, and she nodded, sending her silver hair in disarray.
'Oh, please, Maman, can we?' the little Veela pleaded.
Harry wondered why Gabrielle seemed so much younger than Fleur did at the same
age. She was about fourteen and would go through her maturation in the next few
years. But after a moment of thought, he put it out of his mind.
Apolline sighed and smiled down at Gabrielle, she sent a wink to Fleur and Harry.
'We'll be back in about half an hour.' Apolline said as she stood and offered a hand to
Gabrielle, who took it and left with her.
Dominique met Fleur's eyes, then Harry's, and sighed.
'What have the two of you done to prepare for whatever will happen today?' he asked.
Fleur turned to Harry, who gave her a smile and a nod. She beamed at him before she
turned back to her father.
'We have been training throughout the year in a room in which time slows down.' She
said, and Dominique raised his eyebrows at her.
Fleur brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
'In Hogwarts, there is a room called the Room of Requirement, 'Arry has been using it
since his first year, as you can tell, he does not look like a fourteen-year-old.' She
continued and Dominique blinked.
The older man ran a hand through his greying hair, before he turned to Harry and
sighed.
'How old are you now?' Dominique asked in a tired voice.
Harry let out a breath and rubbed the back of his head.
'I'm not sure, but by now, more than seventeen, less than eighteen.' He admitted and
Dominique groaned.
'What have you been doing for the extra three years?' the Frenchman asked.
Harry gave a sheepish grin.
'I've been training, studying ahead in classes and pursuing my own projects, mostly with
enchanting, but I've dabbled in a lot of areas.' He admitted.
Dominique sat back in his chair and ran his hands down his face before he met Harry's
gaze.
'Do you know what the two of you have done? Meddling with time is something not even
the wisest of magicals should do. Yet Harry, you've been doing it since you were
eleven.' He paused, his eyes searching Harry's gaze for something, before he sighed.
'Depending on how I look at it, it's either highly impressive, or incredibly foolish.'
Dominique finished, and he looked between the two as they held hands on the couch.
Dominique smiled.
'I'm proud that you've taken the dangers of this year so seriously.' He said, and his eyes
bored into Harry's.
'I appreciate all the help you've given Fleur throughout the year. You're pretty much
family already, and it would do me no good to threaten you. I just hope the two of you
know what you are doing.' He said.
Harry turned to Fleur with his eyebrows raised and she smirked back at him.
Fleur turned to her father and nodded.
'I feel confident of my chances in the maze.' She assured.
Dominique smiled and turned to Harry.
'Do you have anything planned for any other things that may occur?' he asked, and
Harry nodded as he squeezed Fleur's hand.
'I and the Professor's all have maps that cover the school. They show the names of all
the people inside the schools wards.' He started and Dominique's eyes widened.
'We haven't seen the names of the two mystery women, nor have we seen the other two
individuals who the Aurors could not capture about a month ago.' Harry explained and
sighed.
'I'm not sure how the four are connected, if they even are.' He admitted, and Fleur
squeezed his hand.
'It's okay, we will figure it out.' She said and smiled at him, which he returned.
'All you need to worry about is the maze. I'll work on everything outside of that.' Harry
said.
Dominique coughed.
Harry turned to Dominique, followed by Fleur.

'Harry, you don't need to worry about anything but Fleur in the maze. You should let the
adults handle the situation.' Dominique said, and Harry smiled at the man.
'So far, I've found myself in the middle of whatever is happening in these tasks. But this
time, I'm prepared, as much as I am able, anyway.' Harry said.
Dominique nodded before looking up, past Harry and Fleur, and smiled widely.
'How were the Greenhouses?' he asked, and Harry turned, only for Gabrielle to leap
onto Fleur and him, forcing herself in between the two.
The rest of the day passed by in what felt like minutes to Harry as he spent time with the
Delacour's.
But finally, the sun reached the mountains in the distance and bathed the grounds of
Hogwarts in an orange glow.
Harry saw a stream of people heading down toward the Quidditch Pitch, where the Third
Task was being held.
*Chapter 34*: Chapter 33 - Third Task 1995
Chapter 33. Third Task. 1995.
Harry kissed Fleur while her parents and Gabrielle stood nearby.
'Good luck.' He whispered, and she smiled.
'You too.' She murmured as she pressed her brow against his.
Fleur pulled away and gave her family a smile, then turned and walked into the
Champions tent.
Dominique placed a hand on Harry's shoulder.
'Walk with us for a moment?' he asked, and Harry nodded.
Harry walked the Delacour's to the stadium entrance, where they would make their way
up into the stands.
Once they stopped in front of the entrance, Harry knelt beside Gabrielle and pulled her
into a hug before he pulled away.
'Gabrielle, can you watch your sister and tell me all about it later? I have to help my
father with something.' Harry said.
His eyes darted up to see worried expressions on both Dominique's and Apolline's
faces.
'Oui 'Arry. I will remember everyzing for you. I will tell both you and Fleur later.' Gabrielle
beamed at him.
He smiled and kissed her brow, then stood.
Apolline pulled Harry into a tight embrace.
'Be careful Harry. You're like a son to me. Please come back to us.' She whispered, and
Harry squeezed her tight.
'I will, I promise.' He said and she let him go.
Dominique gave a solemn nod, and Harry smiled.
Harry turned away from the family and walked away.

He moved through the crowd in search of anything suspicious. He ducked behind a stall
that sold hot dogs and pulled out the Marauder's Map and searched it for names.
Harry could see his father and Nym, along with Symons and Winters, the other two
Aurors in their team. The map was filled with names, and he skimmed over them,
hoping to see the ones he recognised as Bartemius Crouch, Bertha Jorkins, or
Elizabeth Creevey.
But there were already so many people in the stands around the maze that they all
blurred together on the map.
Ludo Bagman's voice echoed out over the sound of the crowd.
'Welcome to the Third Task of the Triwizard Tournament.' The man called, and the
crowd screamed in response.
'This third and final task pits the Champions against a maze, where they must find a
way through dangerous obstacles to reach the Triwizard Cup in the centre of the maze.
This can truly be anyone's game.' He called and Harry tried to focus on the map in his
hands.
'After much deliberation, the judges have decided to not score any of the Champions for
the Second Task and so Fleur Delacour will enter the maze first, as the current leader
from her exceptional performance from the First Task.' Bagman announced.
Harry noted an unfamiliar name on the Judge's panel, a Percival Weasley. He blinked,
then remembered the stuffy elder brother of Ronald and the Twins. He shrugged.
'After Miss Delacour, Viktor Krum, and Cedric Diggory will be next to enter the maze,
followed finally by Neville Longbottom.' Bagman called, and the crowd cheered.
Harry's eyes roamed over the map. The names of Fleur and the other Champions were
on one side of the Quidditch Pitch, near the entrance of the north changing room.
Harry shook his head and sighed; he'd find nothing by looking in the mass of names.
Harry changed tack. His eyes moved out to the rest of the map, away from the
Quidditch Pitch, and saw groups comprising four names that combed the grounds.
He assumed these were Aurors.
Then he found a lone name on the opposite side of the stadium and the breath caught
in his chest.
Fleur Potter.
Harry stared at the name, his mind frozen in place as proof of Fleur's and his theories
lay before his eyes. Not only were their theories correct, but they'd be married in the
future. But why would she need to come back in time?
He knew only one way to find answers to his questions.
Harry disillusioned and silenced himself, then moved around the stadium. He was
careful to move on slow feet, knowing the limitations of the disillusionment charm. He'd
given the invisibility cloak back to his father for the day.
A few minutes later, after keeping an eye on Fleur's future self on the map, Harry
approached her from behind.
He stopped only a few metres behind her.
'Why did you come back from the future?' he asked, dropping his charms.
She spun and stared at him for a moment with an air of misery around her. She met his
emerald eyes and sighed.
'How did you know?' the older Fleur asked and pulled her tattered cloak closer around
her shoulders.
Harry handed her the map in his hand and her eyes widened as she stared at the
names on it. She gave a rueful shake of her head.
'I'd forgotten about the maps. How foolish.' She sighed.
'What made you come back to the past? What happened?' Harry asked and the future
Fleur, or Crocus as she'd said to call her during the Second Task, lowered her hood and
her ice-blue eyes met his.
They held longing in them, and so much pain. She looked just like Apolline, though her
eyes held Harry in thrall. They were so similar to his Fleur's eyes, but dulled with misery
and an unfathomable pain.
As she stared at him, tears flowed down her face.
'You're so young.' She whispered before she averted her gaze.
She leaned back against the wall of the stadium and let out a heavy sigh, her gaze
locked on her shaking hands.
'I came back to warn you about what was going to happen to the world.' She whispered
and held up a hand to stall his questions.
Crocus took a deep breath.
'I don't know if there are any rules about going back in time this far. I don't know if
anyone actually achieved it. But I will not allow the future I came from to happen again.'
She murmured, almost as if speaking to herself.
Harry stood, silent, as he watched the broken woman in front of him. She was a far cry
from the Fleur he'd kissed goodbye minutes before.
'But my plan, what little of it there was, was interrupted. As the time turner activated in
my time, an agent of the Dark Lord of my era entered my hideout. The agent was pulled
back with me and once they figured out when we were, they disappeared.' Crocus
continued in little more than a whisper.
'I have been hunting her ever since, but she always escapes.' She finished, bitterness in
her voice.
She sighed and ran a scarred hand through her silver hair.
Harry stared at the scar, and she gave him a knowing, bitter smile, while she kept her
gaze averted from him.
'Yes, the scar was made with dark magic, powerful enough to stop my Veela magic from
healing or hiding it.' She muttered.
Harry nodded and knelt on one knee in front of her.
'Who is this, Elizabeth Creevey? Why is she working for a future Dark Lord? What
happened to Voldemort?' Harry asked.
She smiled and shook her head.
But her smile was anything but happy. It was filled with bitterness and pain.
'Voldemort returned and was defeated a few years from now. But the world continued.
In about twenty years, the next Dark Lord rises, but he doesn't fight for pureblood rights.'
She paused, taking a ragged breath.
'No, he fights for the muggleborns and half-bloods who had enough of the prejudice of
the Wizarding World. He outed our world to the muggles and used their science to
create a weapon that wiped out all magicals.' She said and Harry blinked.
Crocus' hands shook as she wrapped them around her knees.
'The Goblins were wiped out in their underground cities. The dragons hunted to
extinction by the muggles and every witch and wizard, bar a small handful, were killed
by a virus. It targeted a magical person's genes, the ones that allow them to use magic.
The virus spread around the world like a plague and killed everybody.' She whispered,
and her eyes were haunted by images only she could see as she spoke.
Harry hesitated, then took a deep breath.
'How are you alive, if everyone else died?' he asked.
She turned tear-stained eyes to look at him.

'I hid with our children, but even hiding from the virus didn't work.' She murmured, and
Harry stared at her in horror.
She turned away from him and squeezed her eyes shut.
'I'm sorry, it's just so hard to see your face.' She sobbed and his eyes widened.
'What happened to me?' he asked, and she froze.
A tear dripped off her nose to fall to the ground.
She took a ragged breath and wiped her eyes.
'Can I see the map?' she asked, putting her hood back up.
Harry offered her the map, the bizarreness of the situation robbing him of speech.
Crocus flattened the map out on the grass and ran her fingers across the map,
whispering words under her breath.
'What are you doing?' he asked, but she made no reply.
Her fingers stopped, pointing at a single name.
Elizabeth Creevey.
Crocus looked up and met Harry's gaze.
They both nodded.
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, back inside her hood, and turned her
shadowed face toward him.
'Be careful, you need to survive.' She said as she pulled a vial filled with a milky white
substance from her robes.
She held out the vial to him.
'Memories?' he asked as he took the vial.
She nodded.
'We need to go.' She said as he tucked the vial into his robes.
Bagman's voice echoed around the grounds of the school.
'Fleur Delacour, the current leader in the Tournament so far has just entered the maze.
Viktor Krum will follow her in a minute, and Cedric Diggory a minute after that. Neville
Longbottom, the Boy-Who-Lived, will be thirty seconds after Diggory.' Ludo Bagman
called and the crowd in the stadium roared their approval.
Harry grabbed the map from the grass and gave it a last glance as he was about to put
it away, only to find two names in the middle of the maze that shouldn't be there.
Bartemius Crouch and Bertha Jorkins.
He rolled up the map and tucked it in his robes as he raced after Crocus toward the
castle where they'd seen Elizabeth Creevey on the map.
Harry pulled out his Potter mirror as he ran.
'James Potter.' He said and a moment later his father's face appeared, he figured his
father was under the invisibility cloak.
'Dad, Crouch, and Jorkins are in the middle of the maze. I have my own target in my
sights, good luck.' Harry said and cut the connection.
'Wait, Harry-' James said before the mirror went dark.
Harry tucked the mirror back into his robes and pushed himself into a run to keep up
with the future Fleur.
She looked to be middle-aged. So, he figured that whatever horrible thing was going to
happen wouldn't happen for a while.
He had time to make it right.
Though she now looked two or three times his age, she was stunning, almost a splitting
image of Apolline, but she carried a weight that her mother did not. This Fleur was
weighed down with such sorrow that it clung to her, and just like her Allure, it was
almost tangible.
It hurt just to witness it.
He pulled out the map again and checked to see if Elizabeth had moved. She hadn't.
She stood still in the clock-tower courtyard.
'Fleur, its quicker to run over the wooden bridge, that'll lead right into the courtyard.' He
called, and she stopped.
She turned around to smirk at him.
'There are some things you don't know.' She said and tossed two matchbox sized
pieces of wood on the ground, then flicked her wand at them.
The two tiny boxes grew into full sized broomstick boxes.
Harry gaped as Crocus kicked open one box to reveal a sleek black broom.
'But… you can't shrink brooms?' Harry gasped.

Crocus smirked again.
'You'll find a way.' She said and mounted her broom and shot into the air.
Harry dropped to his knees and opened the box closest to him. He took out the sleek
black broom. Everything was black, the stick, the stirrups, the bristles, everything.
Except tiny gold letters at the very tip of the broom.
'HP.'
Harry froze.
The broom belonged to the future him.
He shook his head to clear it and mounted the sleek broom. Harry sped after Crocus
toward the clock-tower courtyard.
The black broom was fast, far faster than anything else he'd ever ridden.
The danger charm attached to his Fleur vibrated. It sent a shock through his chest from
the amulet he'd tied it to, the amulet she had given him years ago. His heart thundered
in his ears as he followed Crocus. He hoped Fleur would be okay in the maze.
Moments later, Harry gaped as Crocus dive-bombed the waiting Elizabeth and the two
erupted into a vicious duel, both tossed spells at the other that he didn't recognise. The
speed the two fought at made him freeze in the air. He couldn't help but admire the
grace and skill Crocus displayed and the sheer breadth of spells and confidence the
other witch showed.
A sapphire blue spell grazed Crocus' hair, disintegrating a sizable chunk of it and the
hood that had covered it. Harry snapped out of his stupor and landed in the courtyard.
Watching the two, he knew he couldn't match either of them, but unless he was
mistaken, neither seemed nearly as far beyond him as they did the last time he'd
witnessed them fight during the Second Task.
Harry moved around the periphery of the fight. He was careful to stay out of Elizabeth's
view. Surprise was his only chance of helping the Fleur from the future.
The spell fire grew more intense and stray spells impacted all over the courtyard, which
was about twenty square metres with a semi-collapsed stone structure in the middle that
at one point in time would have been the clock-tower that gave the courtyard its name.
Crocus tossed balls of fire with her offhand while she fired spells at speed with her
wand. Her now loose silver hair blew about her in a wind caused by the raging fires all
around the courtyard, started by her Veela fireballs.
Within a minute of the fight starting, the courtyard was filled with craters, flames, and
rubble from the brutal duel between the two women.
He watched as Elizabeth transfigured a pile of rubble into a swarm of rats and, with a
flick of her wand, sent them toward Crocus.
Harry saw his chance and circled around the two, using the rubble as cover. He fired a
stream of Piercing Hexes and Reducto's at the woman's back while he transfigured the
rubble around her into dogs, which he imbued with enhanced magical resistance and a
need to attack the future Creevey.
A moment later, Harry leapt away from the rubble he'd been hiding behind as it came to
life and struck out at him with a vaguely humanoid looking arm.
'Golem.' Harry gasped in surprise and spun to the left, narrowly avoiding its fist that was
formed from a boulder sized piece of rubble.
He tossed a final Piercing Hex toward Elizabeth, who slapped it away with little effort,
then he turned to his new foe, the Golem she'd created.
The Golem stood at ten feet tall and was vaguely humanoid, with two legs, two arms, a
torso, and a head. But it was constructed of rubble that ground together with every
movement of the massive construct.
Harry fired a Reducto at the thing's head, which bounced off into the clock-tower and
disintegrated a chunk of it.
The Golem crushed one dog he'd created while Elizabeth hacked the others apart amid
defending against a flurry of spells from Crocus. It stomped toward him, ignoring the
spells he poured into it. He'd never considered fighting a Golem before.
Harry fired an Ardenti Lux at the Golem, the condensed beam of light tore a thin hole a
centimetre wide through the rock that formed it, but otherwise had no effect.
With a deep growl, Harry pulled on his magic and conjured steel chains. He anchored
them to the ground and directed them around the oncoming construct, then back to the
ground, pinning it in place.
He groaned as the Golem struggled against his chains, which drew harder on his magic
the more it struggled.
The sound of grinding rock drew his attention away from the Golem and he glanced at
the clock-tower, three metres high and looking unsteady.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw a sickly green curse headed toward Crocus, the
sound of onrushing death filled his ears and he saw the future Fleur's eyes widen in
shock, having just dispatched her own Golem.
Harry wandlessly banished a piece of rubble into the path of the Killing Curse, which
exploded, sending tiny shards of rock in every direction, like shrapnel.
Harry grinned before a deep rumbling crunch drew his attention back to his own Golem
behind him. It tore free of his chains and one of its massive stone fists crashed into him,
sending him flying across the courtyard to skid across the ground.
When he stopped rolling, he saw his wand on the ground beside Crocus and the
massive Golem thundering toward her.
Fleur's danger charm pulsed, sending the equivalent of a klaxon call in his mind, wailing
at him that she was in danger.
Harry groaned as he threw out a hand, wandlessly summoning his wand back to him.
As he caught his wand, thick vines sprung out of the ground and wrapped around his
body. They pulled taught and pinned him to his knees. The vines were covered in thorns
which dug into his skin, drawing blood.
He struggled against the vines and the thorns grew longer. They bit deep into his flesh
like hooks, sending jolts of agony through him with every slight movement.
Harry watched as Crocus dispatched his Golem with a pinpoint curse to the centre of its
chest. The construct exploded and sent stone chips everywhere.
Crocus turned back to Elizabeth and groaned when she saw Harry bound in bloody
vines.
Elizabeth smirked at the future Fleur.
'I've won. I can end the Great Harry Potter before he even achieves his greatness.
Without him, your past self with fall into despair and will never become you. You've lost,
even after going back in time this far. All you achieved was an even more complete
victory for my Lord.' Elizabeth crowed.
Harry struggled in the grip of the vines, sending the hooked thorns deeper into his flesh.
'Why did you do this?' he demanded, and she turned narrowed eyes at him.
'I have already gloated too much; I know what happens in all the muggle stories. The
villain gloats at the moment of their victory and loses everything. I will not fall for the
same trick; I am not the villain here.' Elizabeth snarled.
Harry clenched his jaw against the pain all over his body.
'How are you not the villain? You're trying to kill people.' He growled, and she glared at
him.
Elizabeth looked like she was having some sort of internal struggle, probably whether to
engage him in conversation, therefore buying him time. He figured he'd make the
temptation harder to resist.
'What are you fighting for? What makes you the hero in this story? How are we the
villains?' he asked, and he noticed an imperceptible nod from Crocus.
Elizabeth flicked her wand, and the thorns embedded in his skin dug deeper, making
him hiss in pain.
'It was all your fault. The Wizarding World is full of corrupt purebloods. Their ancient and
noble families somehow gave them the right to treat muggleborns with disgust and
bigotry. How is that fair?' Elizabeth snarled.
'My Lord saved us from that fate, from being slaves to the pure-blooded elite. The
muggles outnumber the magicals a million to one. How does that make magicals the
superior species? This magical world stagnated hundreds of years ago, it needed to be
brought into the future.' Elizabeth shouted, waving her wand and sending the thorns
even deeper into Harry's flesh.
Harry gritted his teeth against the pain but couldn't stop the tears from welling in his
eyes, clouding his vision.
Elizabeth's cold brown eyes blazed with righteous fury.
'Yet you backwards inbred people still call us the villains? My father went to Hogwarts,
he is even in the year below you. But even after you defeated Voldemort, you gave him
no mind. After Hogwarts, he couldn't get a job in the Wizarding World, nothing changed
with the death of Voldemort.' Elizabeth explained, her furious brown eyes bored into
Harry's.
Elizabeth's gaze flicked to Crocus, then back to Harry.
'The pure-blooded elite continued to rule, and the muggleborn served.' She said, her jaw
clenched tight.
'My father left the magical world and met a muggle woman. They fell in love and had
me. Then he got sick with the dragon pox. The muggles couldn't cure it and we didn't
have enough money to convert into wizarding currency to get him treated at Saint
Mungo's.' Elizabeth continued and Harry felt a pain in his chest that wasn't caused by
the thorned vines crushing him with each passing second.
Harry angled his wand at the vines and prepared to sever them the moment Crocus did
something.
Elizabeth turned to Crocus.
'After the two of you defeated Voldemort, nothing changed. I was accepted at Hogwarts
at eleven and sorted into Slytherin. I endured seven years of them mocking my dead
muggleborn father and sick muggle mother.' She muttered, bitterness dripped from her
every word.
'In my seventh year, one of my only friends introduced me to the Revolution. It was
going to change the Wizarding World, bring it kicking and screaming into the twenty-first
century.' Elizabeth turned to Harry.
'The Revolution began with the assassination of Lord Harry Potter, Hero of the
Wizarding World, by a muggle sniper rifle, fired by a squib trained in the muggle army.'
Elizabeth smirked as Harry paled.
'That's how I died?' he whispered, and her eyes glittered in the firelight.
'We did nothing wrong. Why could you not have left us in peace?' Crocus snarled.
The future Fleur circled around the courtyard, drawing Elizabeth's attention.
'How does that make your band of murderers the heroes when they assassinate
innocent people?' she cried, and Elizabeth turned to Crocus. Their eyes met.
Harry knew this was his chance.
'The Revolution needed to start with a spectacle. How else better to whip the inbred
purebloods into a frenzy than kill their darling hero with muggle weapons?' Elizabeth
asked.
Harry gave a minute flick of his wand, he sent a Cutting Hex at the vines to sever them,
but cut into his leg at the same time.
He fell out of the crushing vines toward the ground with a muffled grunt of pain as the
thorns tore at his skin.
The moment he hit the ground, he rolled to the side and up onto one foot. He fired an
overpowered Piercing Hex at Elizabeth, who turned at his earlier pained grunt.
She deflected his Piercing Hex toward Crocus; but failed to catch the Expulso Curse
fired from the future Fleur, which hit Elizabeth square in the back.
The Expulso Curse exploded on impact with Elizabeth and a moment later, she crashed
into the crumbling clock-tower which collapsed on top of her.
Harry dragged himself to his feet, favouring his right leg as blood poured from the cut
he'd made when he escaped the vines.
He saw his Marauders Map on the ground where he'd landed after escaping the vines
and saw Elizabeth Creevey's name fading from sight.
His heart almost stopped as he saw the same thing happening to the dot marked Fleur
Potter.
Harry looked up and found Crocus slumped on the ground, her tattered and faded black
robes stained with darker patches, while a dark fluid seeped out from the ground under
her.
He hopped over to her fallen form and noted a hole in her chest from a Piercing Hex.
His overpowered Piercing Hex that Elizabeth had deflected.
'It's going to be okay. I can heal you.' He whispered and waved his wand over her chest.
Her hand reached out and held his, stopping him.
The future Fleur's eyes met his, and he felt her pain. Not from her wound, but from her
life.
'Let me go, please. I want to finally be reunited with my Harry and our children.' She
whispered.
Harry opened his mouth to speak, but she placed a bloody finger to his lips.
'Watch the memories with my past self, make sure my future doesn't happen.' She
coughed and blood tricked down her chin.
Still, her eyes were locked on Harry's.
'Please, Harry. Please make it so our children can grow up in peace, please make it so
they live.' She pleaded.
He held her bloody hand and watched as her ice-blue eyes, once so full of life and
happiness, faded to stillness. Moments later, her hand went limp in his and unnoticed
tears fell from his cheek to her pale face.
Harry blinked away the tears, and looked down at the middle-aged Fleur, who had
fought a losing war after losing her family. She came back through time itself to stop it
from happening. He held her hand and noticed a glint of silver in her wound, a charm.
He reached out a shaking hand to grasp the silver charm he had given his Fleur two
Christmas' ago. The connection to his charm was strong, and Harry understood why his
charm had been going crazy for the last few minutes.
It was the future Fleur's charm triggering the danger sense.
His Fleur was in the maze. Right now his amulet gave him a dull throbbing, signalling
that she was in a stressful situation, but not danger.
He blinked as he realised that the future Fleur still wore the charm, years after the future
him had died.
Harry looked down at the map, it no longer showed the names of either Fleur Potter nor
Elizabeth Creevey and his eyes roamed to his Fleur's name as she reached the centre
of the maze. Then Harry gasped when, with a stab of horror, her name disappeared.
Harry's amulet flared to life against his chest, like it had been while he and Crocus had
been fighting Elizabeth. He pushed himself to his feet and flinched as he put weight on
his bleeding right leg.
He frowned and wished he could apparate.
Harry took hold of his amulet and the weak pulses it sent through his hand told him
Fleur was almost out of range. He gripped it tight and activated the directional locator, it
pointed him southwest.
'Damn it, she could be in Wales or even further.' He snarled and wandlessly summoned
the sleek black broom that had belonged to the future him.
With a grimace, he swung his injured leg over the broom and mounted it.
Then he froze, the location charm on his amulet changed. It grew stronger and a
moment later, pointed at the Quidditch Stadium, where the crowd burst into a deafening
cheer.
Over the screaming crowd, he heard the barely audible voice of Ludo Bagman.
'The winner of the 1994 Triwizard Cup is Fleur Delacour.'
Harry watched from the burning courtyard as two figures hurried away from the stadium,
followed by a third.
He frowned as Professor Moody lead a beaten and bloody Neville toward the castle,
while behind them strode a pale Dumbledore.
The ancient Headmaster looked up to the burning courtyard on the third floor of the
courtyard, and somehow unknown to Harry, seemed to recognise him.
Harry blinked as the Headmaster flicked his knobbly wand and a broom shot out from
the stadium he'd left, and the Headmaster plucked it out of the air with a grace he didn't
think the old man had.
Harry let out a breath as the Headmaster shot through the air on the broom.
Harry released a relieved sigh, the day was finally ending.
He leaned back onto a piece of fallen rubble from the clock-tower as the adrenaline
faded from his system. Searing agony burned in his leg as the adrenalin no longer
dulled the pain.
Harry hissed and looked up as Dumbledore landed in front of him, looking more
sprightly than Harry expected him to.
'Young Mister Potter, what happened here?' the old man asked, his electric blue eyes
moving across the ruined courtyard, taking in the destruction.
Harry blinked and looked around too, seeing the ground littered with the corpses of
transfigured animals, craters and ruined stonework neither woman's bodies were visible
though.
Dumbledore turned a sharp look toward Harry, and he finally understood what the
Headmaster looked like when he was serious.
'It's a long story, sir.' Harry said.
Dumbledore tensed and pulled a strange gadget from his robes and his eyes widened.
He turned to Harry.
'I'll need that long story later.' He said, then ran into the castle with a speed that a man
of his age shouldn't have.
Harry lay back on the rock and let out a pained groan for a minute before he sat up and
looked at his leg.
His thigh bore a deep gash along its length, blood poured from it, and he blinked. He
may have hit an artery if it was still bleeding so freely.
Harry waved his wand in an intricate pattern as he performed a dozen different healing
spells that Fleur had taught him throughout the year. As he finished, he ran a hand
along the skin to check his work.
It was good enough.
Once the pain in his leg faded to a dull ache, Harry pushed himself to his feet and
hobbled over to the still body of the future Fleur and a deep sense of loss filled him.
He hadn't known this Fleur, but she was still Fleur.
Harry knew his Fleur was safe and likely was being handed the Triwizard Cup at the
moment, but this one, she had died by his own spell.
Even though he'd sent it at another, his own spell killed her.
He fell to his knees in front of her. A grunt of pain escaped him, and he pressed his
forehead to hers.
'I'm sorry. I hope you find your way to your Harry now, and that you find your children.'
He whispered.
Her last words rung in his mind.
'Please Harry. Please make it so our children can grow up in peace, please make it so
they live.'
Harry took a deep, ragged breath.

The stink of smoke and the sickly sweet odour of burnt flesh from the transfigured
creatures filled his senses.
He sat back on one knee and leant forward; he closed her staring eyes with a hand.
'I will do everything in my power to stop that future from happening, I promise.' He
whispered as a tear slid down his cheek.
He closed his eyes and took a steadying breath before he transfigured her body into a
stuffed toy of an angel. Its sweet, smiling visage pulled on his heart as he leaned
forward to pick it up.
Harry stood and moved over to the rubble containing the body of Elizabeth Creevey. He
levitated the rocks off her and looked at her face.
'I'm sorry that the world you grew up in turned you into this. I will do everything I can so
that you and everyone else can live in a better world than the one you came from.' He
said as he transfigured her body into a plain doll, like any other seen in a children's toy
store.
Harry let out a heavy sigh and put both dolls in his robes and stood alone in the middle
of the ruined courtyard, the flames only now dying out, leaving only scorched rubble in
their wake.
He pulled out his map, Neville was in the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom.
Moody was in the office attached to it, while Dumbledore, Snape, and Neville's names
circled Bartemius Crouch's name.
Harry limped into the castle where Dumbledore had run earlier. He needed to explain
what had happened to Dumbledore. He glanced down at the map and saw the name
Bertha Jorkins moving at speed through the corridors toward the Defence Against the
Dark Arts classroom.
Harry groaned as his exhausted mind connected the dots. He'd forgotten that Crouch
had a son with the same name as him, the same son who escaped from James and his
Aurors a month or so earlier.
He flinched as he put weight on his leg and paused, Harry wished he could apparate
inside the wards, or in general.
Harry blinked and eyed the sleek black broom he'd abandoned minutes before laying on
the ground where he'd left it. He turned to peer into the corridor leading inside the castle
and, after a moment's thought, shrugged.
Harry wandlessly summoned the broom and mounted it, then shot into the school
toward the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom. He had to reach them and warn
them about Bertha Jorkins, if he could even beat her there.
After a few minutes of shooting around the castle corridors at speeds he never wanted
to travel at again, he entered the corridor that held the classroom. Outside the door lay
splinters of the wooden door, and he heard explosions coming from the room.
Harry growled; he was too late.
He shot into the classroom, still on his broom, and saw Dumbledore shielding Neville
while Snape lay in a crumpled heap on the shattered desk. A few metres away, Barty
and Bertha poured spell fire into Dumbledore's flickering blue-white shield.
By the feet of the two attackers, Professor Moody lay still, his fake eye darting around in
its socket.
Harry's entrance drew the attention of the two attackers, and he dodged a sickly green
Killing Curse, only for a vibrant red spell to get too close to dodge. He angled the sleek
black broom to take the hit, and the broom exploded into tiny splinters, many of which
buried deep in his flesh.
Harry screamed in pain as he fell to the hard stone floor with a thump.
'Crucio.' screamed a woman's voice, Bertha Jorkins.
A moment later, agony burned through his body. He crawled into the foetal position as
the curse ravaged his nervous system. It felt like he was being torn apart, piece by
piece. He felt cold, like he'd been encased in ice, before his flesh burned as if he lay in
the fires of hell.
After an eternity, the pain stopped.
Harry opened his eyes and saw Dumbledore. The air around the Headmaster
shimmered in an almost visible aura of magical energy. The old man's eyes shone with
a white-blue glow.
Harry shivered, unable to control his nervous system, he convulsed as his nervous
system fired at random intervals.
In an instant, Dumbledore's aura faded, and he rushed to Harry's side.
'Is everyone all right? I saw Bertha racing here on the map and-' Harry convulsed, he
clenched his teeth to stop from biting his tongue.
Harry looked to the floor at both Barty and Bertha stunned and bound, likely petrified for
good measure. He coughed and a mouthful of blood splattered across the floor. His
stomach contracted, and his muscles protested their treatment.
Harry looked over to a wide-eyed Neville Longbottom as the Boy-Who-Lived stared at

the bound attackers, unconscious Snape, and Moody, before finally, their eyes met.
Neville stood silent and immobile, frozen in place.

'Mister Potter, were you hit by anything but the Cruciatus?' Dumbledore asked, his voice
little more than a whisper.
Harry shook his head and hissed as the movement caused a jolt of pain to rush through
his body.
Dumbledore sighed in relief.
'Then I will attend to Severus and Alastor.' The Headmaster said and moved over to the
unconscious form of Alastor Moody.
Harry rolled over onto his front and forced himself to his knees. His forehead and
forearms touched the cold stone floor as his hands held his throbbing head. Tremors
ran through his body, an unpleasant reminder of the curse he'd rather not feel again.
Footsteps entered the classroom, and he turned his spinning head to see his father and
Nym leap into the room with wands out. A moment later, the other two Aurors in their
team, Winters, and Symons, followed.
A distant part of Harry's mind wondered what his father saw as he entered the room. It
looked like a war zone, littered with shattered desks and random memorabilia that once
lined the walls of the classroom. Half of the dragon skeleton was reduced to a pile of
dust in the far corner of the room.
Harry lifted his head off the cold floor and met his father's gaze, before he smiled and
coughed up a mouthful of blood all over James' shiny black Auror boots.
James gestured to the other Aurors to get to work while he knelt beside Harry and
waved his wand over him. James gasped and lay a hand on Harry's shoulder, right
where Elizabeth's vine had dug deep in his flesh.
Harry flinched away from the touch with a hiss of pain.
'Harry, what happened to you tonight?' James whispered, careful not to be overheard by
the others in the room.
Harry gave his father a half-lidded smile.
'The threat I was after is handled.' He coughed up another mouthful of blood and
groaned as he collapsed into James' arms.
'We need to get you to the Hospital Wing, you look horrible.' James said.
James flicked his wand, levitating Harry off the floor. James met Dumbledore's gaze,
who nodded back.
Harry felt himself float through the air behind James as his father made his way out of
the Defence classroom and toward the Hospital Wing. Behind them strode Dumbledore
floating Snape behind him and Neville hurried to keep up with the old man.
Tonks followed behind Dumbledore, while Alastor Moody floated behind her.
Symons and Winters stayed in the classroom.
No one spoke as the procession moved toward the Hospital Wing. The only sound
Harry heard was heavy footsteps on the stone floor, which seemed to boom in his ears
as aftershocks from the Crucio burned through him at random intervals.
James burst through the doors of the Hospital Wing, earning a shocked shriek from
Madame Pomphrey.
'James Potter, what-' she paused mid rant and Harry guessed that she'd just seen the
floating people behind him.
'Put them on a bed, it doesn't matter which.' The Matron ordered; the shock already
absent in her tone.
James lowered Harry in a bed on right-hand side of the room, the same one he'd been
in after the events of the previous year with Pettigrew.
'Please see to young Mister Potter first Poppy. Alastor and Severus will be fine, they
have suffered no serious injuries.' Dumbledore requested and a moment later, Madame
Pomphrey leant over Harry in his bed.
A scream echoed through the room, and Harry turned toward it to see the source. A
deep sense of relief flooded through him at that moment, followed by an overwhelming
guilt.
Fleur.
'What happened 'Arry?' she demanded, and Pomphrey narrowed her eyes at the French
Champion as she waved her wand over Harry.
'Stand back and remain quiet or I will have someone restrain you, young lady.' The
Matron threatened, and Fleur's glare could have turned her to stone.
But Fleur stilled, watching with worried eyes as Pomphrey turned to Dumbledore.
'Albus, he has been exposed to the Cruciatus Curse again, but he also has deep
puncture wounds all over his body, along with several lacerations across sixty percent of
his skin. He has multiple cracked ribs, and a partially healed wound on his leg.' She
paused and glared down at Harry.
'Young man, what did you do to your leg?' she demanded.
Harry coughed up a mouthful of blood in reply.
Pomphrey flicked her wand and Harry was on his side in an instant and he coughed out
the blood over the bed, which she vanished a moment later.
The Matron turned back to Dumbledore.
'He also has a punctured lung.' She added.
Pomphrey turned to James, who watched Harry with wide eyes.
'James, make yourself useful and give him the potions I give you.' She ordered, flicking
her wand, and levitated a collection of vials over to Harry's bedside table.
'Start with the red one, it doesn't matter which order after that.' She ordered, and James
nodded and rushed to Harry's side.
Harry was dimly aware of Fleur watching him in horror as blood dripped from his mouth
down to the crisp white sheets. In front of him, he only saw James' chest and hands
unstopping vials before he poured them down Harry's throat, followed by him coughing.
His eyes rolled to the back of his head as the pain from his chest paralysed him. Every
cough increased the pain, and as his pain grew, breathing came harder. Harry
convulsed in James' arms and Pomphrey levitated another dozen vials to James.
Harry swallowed more potions and saw in the corner of his eye that Fleur seemed mid
panic attack as she watched him. Dumbledore lay a hand on her shoulder and his heart
tightened, knowing he was causing her to worry.
A minute later, with more potions that he could count forced into him, Harry's breathing
evened out and his coughing subsided.
He drew in a breath to find he no longer had any trouble doing so.
Sweat beaded on his brow as he caught his breath and Fleur was by his side in an
instant to wipe it away. Within moments, the white embroidered cloth was stained with
blood and grime.
Fleur kissed his brow before angling his face up to meet her worried gaze.
'What happened 'Arry?' she asked.
Harry looked into her eyes and nodded, before he turned to his father and Dumbledore.
As he did, he took in the rest of the Hospital Wing to see Madame Pomphrey bustling
around with both Moody and Snape's unconscious bodies.
He met his father's concerned eyes.
'We need to secure the room and put-up privacy wards. What I will tell you cannot leave
the four of us.' Harry said.
James' eyes widened at the request while Dumbledore's narrowed, then the
Headmaster nodded.
Dumbledore turned around toward Pomphrey.
'Poppy, we are putting up privacy wards and we are not to be disturbed until I take them
down, understood?' he asked, and the Matron gave a silent nod before she turned back
to her unconscious patients.
Dumbledore turned back to Harry and with a nod toward James, the two men turned to
Fleur with raised eyebrows.
'She knows most of what I'm going to tell you, it's just the events of tonight that she
doesn't, for obvious reasons.' Harry pre-empted and the two men nodded.
Harry watched as the two worked in silence to create a dome around his bed while Fleur
watched with rapt attention and held his hand.
Once the dome was complete, James and Dumbledore both conjured plush chairs
beside Harry's bed and settled in, while Fleur sat down beside Harry on the bed.
She held his hand as he took a deep breath. He met her gaze, and she smiled down at
him.
Harry let out his breath and met the two men's gazes.
'Earlier this year, during the First Task, I confronted two mysterious women. One of
them had released Fleur's Dragon from its bindings.' He started and the two men
nodded.
They knew that part.
Fleur's hand tightened on his and he squeezed back.
Harry nodded.
'I came across the two women at the beginning of the Second Task as well. The one
who had attacked Fleur was the one who released the potion into the Black Lake that
sent its inhabitants mad.' He continued, and the two men nodded again.
He wasn't telling them anything new yet.
'The one who helped me in the First Task did so again, telling me to save the
Champions while she fought the other woman who the map identified as Elizabeth
Creevey.' Harry continued, and James leaned forward in his chair.
'About that. There is no record of an Elizabeth Creevey in the Ministry. Perhaps she's
from the continent?' James asked, and Harry shook his head.
'Hold that thought Dad, we'll get there.' Harry said.
James blinked and sat back in his chair with a perplexed expression on his face.
'The woman who helped me told me to call her Crocus at the time. After the task, we
had our suspicions about who she was, but no evidence.' Harry said, gesturing between
himself and Fleur, who frowned.
'But everything came to a head tonight. I knew Elizabeth Creevey would attack Fleur
and the other Champions again, so I was watching the map-' he paused, looking at
James and Dumbledore who nodded.
They had all been watching the maps.
'- I saw the strangest thing on my map. It had a name on it, Fleur Potter.' Harry finished.
Fleur gasped beside him while the two men stared at her in shock.
A wide grin appeared on James' face.
'You guys eloped? Why?' he asked.
But Harry wasn't paying attention. His eyes stared deep into Fleur's eyes, where he saw
a question.
He nodded.
Harry turned back to his father and Dumbledore.
'The mysterious woman who helped me in the first two tasks, Crocus, was Fleur. But it
was a Fleur from the future.' Harry explained.
Dumbledore's eyes widened and his wrinkled face paled.
James' eyes twinkled.
'This. Is. Amazing.' He said, his sparkling eyes moved between Harry and Fleur.
'I never thought you two would be the ones pranking me.' James beamed, pride in his
voice.
Harry met his gaze and shook his head.
James looked at Fleur, who shook her head and his face fell.
'You're serious?' he asked as the colour drained out of his face.
'But you can only go back in time a few hours with a time turner. You said this, Crocus,
was maybe middle-aged?' James asked.
Harry nodded.
He turned to Fleur.
'Crocus was maybe in her fifties, but she looked just like her mother.' Harry said softly
and Fleur held her breath, her hands clutched his.
Harry tried to project his feelings of warmth and love to her, and her soft blue eyes were
like mirrors.
James coughed and Harry drew himself out of Fleur's eyes and blinked.
'Sorry.' Harry cleared his throat.
'This future Fleur had come back from a time where Voldemort had been reborn and
defeated. But it was a separate threat that destroyed the Wizarding World. She was one
of the few magicals left alive.' He explained, and ran a hand through his filthy hair.
'I don't know much else about her future.' Harry muttered and Fleur squeezed his hand.
He gave her a weak smile.
Dumbledore cleared his throat.
'Why did this future Fleur come back, what was she trying to achieve?' the Headmaster
asked.
Harry closed his eyes and took a ragged breath as in his mind replayed the moments of
Crocus' death.
He felt a warm thumb wipe away a tear that slid down his cheek.
Harry opened his eyes and saw Fleur's worried eyes on him. He blinked and turned to
Dumbledore.
'She came back to warn me. It was, my death, in the future, that started everything
falling apart. She came to change the past, so I would survive, so-' he paused, his
breath caught in his throat.
Harry turned to Fleur and looked deep into her watery eyes.
'-So our children would survive.' He whispered.
Fleur's free hand covered her mouth as she gasped. Her other hand crushed his in her
grip.
Harry choked down his emotions and turned to Dumbledore.
'Crocus and I worked together to fight Elizabeth Creevey, who identified herself as a
follower of a Dark Lord in the future. She said she was the daughter of Colin Creevey, a
Gryffindor currently in his Third Year. She'd followed Fleur back and tried to kill the
present day Fleur to avert anything she planned to do. ' Harry paused and squeezed
Fleur's hand.
Harry frowned.
'Here's where I get confused about the possibilities sir.' Harry admitted.
James blinked and turned to Dumbledore.
'Yeah, what would have happened if this Elizabeth succeeded?' James asked and
Dumbledore sighed.
'To be honest, I wasn't aware anyone could travel back in time further than a few hours.
We're talking a matter of years, decades even. It's well beyond my experience.' The
Headmaster admitted.
Harry took another breath as the two men turned their attention back to him.
'During the fight, I obtained most of my injuries. But together we defeated her, but not
without cost.' Harry closed his eyes as visions of the future Fleur's death rushed through
his mind again.
A hand brushed his filthy hair away from his brow and he opened his eyes to see Fleur's
eyes searching his.
'You died.' Harry whispered.
Fleur didn't pull away; she just closed her eyes tight as tears escaped from her long
lashes and dropped on his face.
'We both fired spells at Elizabeth together. Elizabeth deflected my Piercing Hex and got
hit with Crocus' spell. It was Crocus' Expulso Curse which sent Elizabeth into a wall that
then collapsed on top of her.' Harry whispered.
Tears fell down his face unheeded as he watched Fleur's pained face with a desperate
longing.
'It was my Piercing Hex that Creevey deflected, which hit you. I'm so sorry Fleur, I killed
you.' Harry croaked.
Fleur's eyes shot open in panic and she descended on him. Their lips came together
with crushing force.
She pulled back a few seconds later, her eyes flashing.
'You didn't kill me 'Arry. It was that Creevey woman.' She threw her arms around him
and he held back the pained hiss as best he could as she crushed him into her chest
before she covered his face with kisses.
A cough from a conflicted James behind her forced the two apart.
Harry looked at his father, who seemed unsure whether to be amused at their public
display of affection, or horrified at Harry's story.
Dumbledore stroked his beard.

'What happened after that? Are the… bodies… still where they fell?' the Headmaster
said, hesitation clear in his tone.
Harry took a steadying breath and met the Headmaster's gaze before he took two dolls
out from his robes.
The adorable angel doll, and the somewhat bland doll that looked like any other.
James blinked, then pointed at the bland doll.
'Isn't that one of Holly's?' he asked.
Harry closed his eyes and lay the bland doll on his lap, toward Dumbledore as far as he
could reach before pain flared across his body.
Three pairs of eyes rested upon the doll he held in his hands; Harry stared down at the
crisp white bed sheets.
Fleur's hands closed around his, holding the angel doll.
''Arry, is this my future self?' she whispered, and he nodded.
Fleur's red-rimmed eyes blinked away tears as she gently took the angel doll out of his
hands and placed it beside the other doll. She turned back to Harry and buried herself in
his shoulder.
The four remained silent for a few minutes. Harry and Fleur both lost in their thoughts
while the two men watched.
Harry finally looked up from Fleur to his father and Dumbledore.
'What should we do with the bodies? One doesn't exist yet and the other's past self is in
this room.' Harry croaked as he tried to bury the emotions roiling inside him.
Dumbledore's gaze went from the dolls to James, and back to the dolls.
'I suggest we cremate the bodies tonight, after everyone goes to bed. That way we can
minimise the amount of potential damage the bodies could still do to our timeline.' The
Headmaster sighed and squeezed the bridge of his nose.
'But Mister Potter, there's something else that has happened while you had your own
excitement.' Dumbledore said and Harry looked up at the tall man as Fleur buried even
deeper into his shoulder.
Dumbledore looked to Fleur before he turned back to meet Harry's gaze.
'Miss Delacour won the Triwizard Cup, but the cup was a trap.' The Headmaster said
and Fleur pulled away from Harry's shoulder and met his gaze.
'The cup took me to a graveyard. Some dark wizards were in wait, but I fought my way
through them and escaped.' She explained, and Harry let out a breath.
Dumbledore nodded.
'I think Voldemort was trying to obtain a new body and we will discuss that very topic
with young Barty and Bertha over the next few days.' Dumbledore ended; his face
unnaturally grim.
Harry ran a hand through his hair and looked at Fleur.
'The future is happening faster than I expected.' He admitted, and she held his hands in
hers.
'Then we will face it together my 'Arry.' She declared.
James smiled, then turned away from the teens. He made a show of inspecting the
dome around them.
'You should get some rest. We'll have the cremation at some stage before dawn, we'll
get one of the House-Elves to wake you.' James said before he turned to Dumbledore.
The old man nodded and scooped the two dolls off the bed and into his robes. With a
wave of his knobbly wand, the dome fell away to reveal Madame Pomphrey, who glared
at Dumbledore before she bustled over to Harry's side.
She waved her wand over him and huffed, then turned to Fleur.
'Miss Delacour, Champion or not, I want you in bed for observation tonight.' She
ordered, and looked down at Harry.
'You, Mister Potter, need to rest. All those potions need time to heal you.' The matron
said before she turned back to Dumbledore.
'What are you two still doing here?' she barked and shooed Dumbledore and James
away and out of her domain.
Harry turned to look at Fleur, who gave him a smile and blew him a kiss.
Minutes later he was asleep, memories of that night plaguing his dreams.
It was dark in the Hospital Wing when Harry woke to the gentle insistence of tiny hands.
A House-Elf shook him.
Harry blinked and smiled at the small creature who moved over to wake Fleur in the bed
beside his. He climbed out of bed and moved over to hers. Harry smiled down at her as
she woke up at the House-Elf's insistent shaking.
'Good morning.' Harry whispered.
She turned red-rimmed eyes to him, a small smile on her face as she saw him.
Harry sat beside her on her bed and took her hand.
Gently, he lifted her hand to his lips and placed a soft kiss on her knuckle.
'I don't blame you, what happened was not your fault 'Arry.' She whispered, and placed
a finger on his lips.
'The future she must have endured must have been horrible to even consider coming
back in time this far. There must have been nothing left for her.' Fleur whispered, her
eyes never leaving Harry's.
Fleur took a deep breath.
'You said she had tears in her eyes during the First Task as she looked at you. I don't
think she wanted to live past delivering her message. Unless I change completely in the
time between now and then, I don't think she would have wanted to keep living.' She
paused; tears welled in her eyes as they remained locked with his.
'I would have wanted to change the past, but not be involved in reliving it.' She stopped
and blinked as tears trailed down her cheeks.
'I wouldn't have wanted to watch a younger version of the two of us while knowing I
would never feel your love again, knowing that I had only misery in life to look back on.'
She sobbed, breaking eye contact.
Harry gathered her into his chest and rubbed her back.
'It's okay.' He whispered.
She shook her head and pulled out of his embrace.
''Arry, there's one thing about Veela that I haven't told you. Once we decide on a mate,
there will never be another. Knowing this, I think she would be happy that she died in
that battle, having delivered her message.' She said.
Harry let out a breath and nodded.
He reached into his robes and withdrew the vial of memories Crocus had given him.
Harry placed it in her hands.
'She wanted us to watch these memories. Something in there might help us change the
horrible future she'd come back from.' He whispered.
Fleur stared at the vial in her hands, her face pale in the moonlight.
She pushed the vial back into his hands.
'We should make our way down to the grounds.' Fleur said, and Harry tucked the vial of
memories back in his robes.
Fleur stood from her bed and ran her fingers through her long silver hair.
'Do you know where on the grounds they'll do it?' she asked, and Harry shook his head.
'No, but let's just go down. We can ask a House-Elf for help if we can't find them.' Harry
said as he held out his hand for her.
Harry opened the door and jerked back, there was someone in the doorway.
Both he and Fleur drew their wands at the shadowed figure. The figure put their hands
up above their head.
It was James.
'It's only me. I came to get you two for the cremation.' He whispered, and they quickly
tucked away their wands into holsters once more.
Harry smiled at his father and took Fleur's hand.
Together, the three moved on silent feet through the castle's corridors and out onto the
grounds.
Harry followed James into the Forbidden Forest, and still his father didn't slow down.
Fleur squeezed his hand, and they shared a glance before each drew their wands.
After another twenty minutes of walking, James led them to a clearing where a pyre of
wood stood in the centre.
Harry blinked as he noticed a Centaur that stood and watched them from the edge of
the clearing, half hidden by shadow.
On top of the pyre lay Fleur Potter and Elizabeth Creevey, both returned to their original
bodies. Both time-traveling women were covered in white shrouds and Fleur's hand
gripped his like a vice.
Dumbledore nodded to James and turned to Harry.
'Is there anything you wanted to say before we continue?' the Headmaster asked, and
Harry nodded.
Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again.
His gaze rested on Fleur Potter's form.

'I promise to protect our family, I will make it so our children will be safe. I promise.' He
vowed and Fleur's hand held his in a tight grip.
Harry nodded to Dumbledore, who flicked his wand once, and the pyre caught aflame in
an instant.
The three humans and a Veela around the pyre stepped back to the edge of the
clearing as the flames grew thicker and more intense, obscuring everything within.
Earlier that night, Harry had smelt the stench of burning flesh in the clock-tower and
he'd expected the same here. But instead, he could only smell burning pine and various
herbs, it filled the clearing with a pleasant scent.
Together, the three humans, a Veela and a Centaur, watched in silence as the pyre
burnt down to a pile of ashes.
As the sun rose, it filled the glade with the day's first light.
The Centaur moved to stand before Harry.
Harry blinked at the creature, who stared at him with impassive black eyes before the
Centaur nodded at him.
'Mars is bright, young Potter. You have been warned and the stars will not give you
another. You have but one chance to avert disaster, use it well young wizard.' The
Centaur said, its voice deep and grave.
It's warning given; the Centaur left the clearing and into the retreating shadows of the
forest.
James moved beside Harry.
'Harry, that conversation was less ambiguous than any other time they have spoken to
us.' He explained
Harry nodded, his gaze lingered on where the Centaur had disappeared.
'Yeah, I didn't expect it to talk to us, let alone give a clear warning.' Harry admitted.
Dumbledore waved his knobbly wand, and a strong breeze struck the remaining ashes
of the pyre. It blew them into the air, leaving no trace of the pyre, except the charred
ground beneath where the pyre had been.
The Headmaster turned from the charred patch of earth and moved to the others.
'We should all return to the castle now, lest we garner any unwanted attention.' The old
man said before he fixed his gaze on both Fleur and Harry.
'Poppy would be distraught if two of her patients disappeared from her ward without her
noticing.' He added, and Harry groaned.
James laughed.
'I'll guide them back and deal with Poppy if she finds out.' He said as he ruffled Harry's
hair, earning a soft giggle from Fleur from Harry's expression.
(A/N: Thanks to a Confused Guest review, I realised that a few details escaped my
proof reading, my apologies.
Firstly, Orion is seven years old, as of 1995, making him 6 years old in 1994. [I had him
down at 4 years old in Ch18, a leftover from a previous rewrite.]
Secondly, Aftermath of the Quidditch World Cup, Harry killed two of the Death Eaters in
self defence, the third, Avery, was captured by James Potter and sent to Azkaban after
being interrogated. [This has been added to Ch18.]
Thirdly, Harry won the couch conjuring contest as we saw his yellow couch still in the
room in Ch27. [A short scene about this has been added to Ch27 now as well.]
Hopefully, these have resolved any confusion my mistakes had caused.)

A few hours later, both Harry and Fleur were released from the Hospital Wing and made
their way to the Room of Requirement.
Fleur walked back and forth three times in front of the portrait of the Dancing Trolls as
Harry watched, he looked down at the vial filled with a milky white substance in his
hand. A door opened in the wall and Fleur entered, with Harry a few steps behind.
As Harry closed the door behind them and pushed the red button to start the time
dilation effect, he turned to Fleur.
'We can do this after you see your family, you know?' he asked, and she shook her
head.
'No, I think we need to see these memories before we do anything else.' She said, and
Harry nodded.
Harry sighed and thought about a Pensieve.
Nothing happened.
He blinked and looked around.
'I guess the room can't create a Pensieve for us.' Harry mused, and Fleur rolled her
eyes.
'Can we have a Pensieve please?' Fleur asked, and a pedestal appeared between the
two.
On the pedestal was an ancient-looking Pensieve. It looked like a stone bowl covered
with arcane glyphs and writings that Harry couldn't read.
He looked up at Fleur, who smirked.
'Did you forget I made the Room this time?' she asked, and Harry laughed.
'I did.' He shook his head with a small smile that faded a moment later.
He unstoppered the vial and poured the milky white memories into the Pensieve. Once
inside, the memories swirled as if in a current.
Harry looked up at Fleur, who stared at the memories swirling around in the stone bowl
with an expression somewhere between fear and determination.
'Are you ready?' Harry asked, not feeling ready himself.
Fleur nodded and leant forward, she reached out toward the milky substance with a long
finger until she disappeared into the Pensieve.
Harry took a steadying breath and followed in behind her.
Harry opened his eyes and found Fleur beside him. They stood in a dilapidated room,
battered wooden walls framed grimy windows. The room was small, it held a fireplace, a
battered leather couch with tattered, mismatching chairs on either side. Above the
fireplace hung a mirror that met the ceiling.
On the battered leather couch sat Fleur Potter in her patched and faded combat attire,
the only outfit he'd seen her wear. In her hands, she held a framed picture.
In the mirror's reflection, Harry saw a small kitchenette, barely enough for a food
preparation area with no stove, oven, or fridge, nor anything magical to replace them.
On the wall in the kitchen hung an impressive horned head of a deer.
A bench stood against the far wall of the small room that was covered with loose sheets
of paper and, sitting atop the paper, lay a wand that Harry knew well.
It was his own reinforced Holly and Phoenix feather wand.
Fleur gripped his hand and Harry turned to her.
'Are we in some kind of shack?' she whispered, and Harry frowned.
'Yeah, though where the shack is located is a mystery.' He said.
Fleur Potter stood. She put the framed picture aside on the couch and moved over to
stand in front of the mirror.
'This is the night before I use your Time Turner that you've been working on with your
mother since you were a child. I was able to finish it, but it has taken years.' The older
Fleur said as she stared at herself in the mirror.
Fleur Potter ran a scarred hand through her silver hair.
Fleur's hand squeezed Harry's tight.
'Oh, my goddess. What could have done that to her? To me?' Fleur breathed as she
stared at the scar on Fleur Potter's hand.
Fleur Potter took a deep breath.
'I don't know where to start, or how much to tell you. I don't want to inadvertently cause
this horrible future by telling you too much about it. But I can't just sit back and watch as
the vestiges of magic leave the world.' She paused and sighed.
Fleur Potter's gaze fell to the fireplace.
'Perhaps I should just start at the beginning. I'll try to give you enough information so
you can act, without having too much information to cloud your decisions.' She ran her
hands down her face.
The only sign of distress lay in her eyes. Her innate Veela magic couldn't hide the pain
in them.
Harry gripped Fleur's hand and lead her across the room to get a better view of the
mirror, and the older Fleur's face.
Fleur Potter closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
'Voldemort returned at the end of your fourth year because of a trap created by the Dark
Lord. Neville Longbottom, the Boy-Who-Lived, was entered and aided unknowingly
throughout the Triwizard Tournament by two Death Eaters, Bartemius Crouch Junior
and Bertha Jorkins.' She said.
Harry and Fleur shared a glance.
'That's the same so far.' Harry whispered.
Fleur Potter continued.
'With their aid, Neville Longbottom won the Tournament, but the cup was a trap, and his
blood was used to revive Voldemort. Neville died as a result of the ritual to bring
Voldemort back.' She said.
Harry and Fleur glanced at each other again, their faces pale.
'The Wizarding World was a dark place, the misery caused by the loss of the Boy-Who-
Lived hindered the British Ministry in their fight against Him, eventually leading to its
collapse.' She continued.
Harry and Fleur stared at each other; their eyes wide.
Fleur Potter sighed; a small smile flashed across her face.
'After the Tournament ended, I returned to France with my family, and you came with
me. We spent most of that summer preparing for your eventual return to Britain.' She
said, and her small smile faded.
'When your fifth year stared, you returned to Hogwarts to find it a different place. Many
students were working for the Dark Lord, though out of fear or a true allegiance we
never tried to find out.' She sighed; her eyes closed.
Fleur Potter opened her eyes and stared hard at her reflection.
'I returned with you to Britain and got a job at Gringotts to develop my skills in Curse
Breaking. My off time I spent with you or your family, helping with the underground war
effort as part of the Order of the Phoenix, led by Dumbledore.' She shook her head.
'But you weren't at Hogwarts for long, Voldemort invaded on Halloween, killing
Dumbledore and many of the Professors.' She ran her hand through her hair.
Harry squeezed Fleur's hand.
'It all went out of control so quickly. How can we avoid this?' he whispered, and she
shook her head.
'I don't know.' Fleur breathed as she stared at her older self in the mirror.
Fleur Potter took another steadying breath.
'The Order turned to you. Before you were born, there was a Prophecy made that stated
that either you or Neville would be the one to defeat Voldemort, seeing as Neville was
dead, as was their leader Dumbledore, they decided to follow you.' The future Fleur's
gaze fell to the fireplace again.
'The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who
have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark
him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die
at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... the one with the
power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies...' she recited
and Harry blinked.
'The first part could apply to me, but what about the marking me as his equal part?
Neville had the scar.' Harry asked, and Fleur gave the faintest of shrugs.
'It didn't have to be a physical scar. Or even if it was, perhaps he gave you a scar during
this second war?' she suggested.
'I suppose.' He shrugged.
'By the end of your fifth year, we fought Voldemort together and defeated him. But we
didn't know about six items he created called Horcruxes. These held his spirit on this
plane, effectively making him immortal.' Fleur Potter continued, oblivious to Harry and
Fleur's whispered discussion.
'We destroyed his body but were unable to find his Horcruxes before his minions
created another body for him. It took three more years of war before we destroyed all
his Horcruxes and defeated him for good.' She explained.
Harry and Fleur shared a smile.
'At least we now know about these Horcrux things.' Fleur said, and Harry nodded.
'But by then, it was too late. The population of Wizarding Britain had been decimated by
years of civil war, but what was even worse was that the muggles had taken notice of
the war.' Fleur Potter continued and let out a bitter chuckle.
'Later, you and I decided that if we'd thrown Him through the Veil of Death in the
Department of Mysteries, that would finish him for good. His Horcruxes would remain,
but they are mere shattered aspects of the man and could be hunted down after the war
was won.' She shook her head, regret in her eyes.
Harry and Fleur shared a nod. Now they had a plan to start with.
'Nothing happened in the immediate future, but it would in time.' Fleur Potter paused
and gave a heavy sigh.
'After the war, we thought all was well. We married and had three wonderful children. I
won't tell you their names because the chances of them being born in your future is nigh
on impossible.' She wiped away a tear that slid down her cheek.
'Everyone had lost family in the war. You lost your parents, most of the Order were
gone. In fact, after the war, only the neutral families had any sort of political influence.
The families on either side of the spectrum had killed the others.' She mused before
shaking her head.
'We thought life was returning to normal. Hogwarts reopened and everything seemed to
get better. We didn't pay attention to the world at large. We were happy at Potter Manor
with our children, and travelling to France to see my parents.' She paused.
Harry and Fleur frowned as they watched the older Fleur's face crumble and blink away
tears.
'The one morning, we were in Diagon Alley, shopping for Hogwarts supplies for our
eldest child.' She paused, choking up.
Fleur Potter sniffed and wiped her nose with a conjured handkerchief.
'A muggle sniper rifle killed you in broad daylight. It happened in front of our children.'
She sobbed and covered her face with her hands.
Fleur Potter took a deep breath and schooled her features, then looked back into the
mirror.
'Months later, we caught the man who did it, it was from a kilometre away, an
impossible shot for any but the best in the muggle militaries around the world. Nobody
heard a thing because it was under a silencing charm.' She explained, ignoring the tears
that slid down her face.
'With your death, the Hero of the last war, the Wizarding World rallied to fight the
muggle menace.' She snarled; her voice full of scorn.
'It took only six months before the British Wizarding community was in hiding once
more, under heavy wards to protect themselves from the muggles who had spent the
time between Voldemort's war and then, preparing in secret.' She said.
'It was then that we discovered that there was a new Dark Lord as the British Ministry
called him, at least until it fell to the muggles.' Fleur Potter wiped the tears from her eyes
and those that fell down her cheeks.
'This new Dark Lord was magical, a muggleborn, taught at Hogwarts where even after
Voldemort was defeated, the school still was segregated between houses and
discrimination was rife.' She ran her scarred hand through her hair.
'The Dark Lord called himself The Revolutionary and modelled his followers after some
muggle revolutionaries. When he was at Hogwarts, he was known as Brian Johnson, he
came from Exeter. He left the magical world because of the corruption and
discrimination present at every level, from entering Hogwarts to finding a job afterward.'
She closed her eyes.
'Before Hogwarts, his absentee muggle father abused him and his mother. When his
grandmother on his mother's side died, his mother used the inheritance to send Brian to
Hogwarts, away from his father.' She opened her eyes.
Harry saw the pain in her eyes, raw, even after so long.
'During Brian's fifth year, his father killed his mother in a drunken rage. In the break that
year, they placed Brian in the foster care system, but he used his potions skills and
magic to control his new foster family, using them until he returned to Hogwarts.' She
explained.
'From what we can tell, he went into the muggle world after Hogwarts and used magic to
control a handful of businesses. Then he merged them into one large company that
continued to acquire more companies and within a few years he was one of the richest
people in the UK, on the muggle side at least.' She frowned.
Fleur Potter turned away from the mirror and walked into the kitchen. She poured
herself a glass of water.

'How did everything go so wrong? What can we do to stop all of this?' he asked, and
she shook her head.
'I get the feeling that she hasn't even gotten to the worst part yet. She's leading to
something I don't think we're ready to hear.' Fleur whispered as she watched her older
self collapse on the floor in the kitchen and curl into a ball, sobbing.
Harry watched, and his heart broke at the sight of the defeated future Fleur.
He pulled Fleur into a hug and she clung to him.
'It's okay. None of this has happened yet, we're going to stop it. I made a promise to
you, to that Fleur over there in the kitchen.' Harry whispered, and Fleur held him tight.
'I know you did, and I'm going to help you.' She whispered back.
Harry closed his eyes and lost himself in the feeling of Fleur, the smell of her hair and
her warmth as she held him close to her.
Harry opened his eyes at the sound of the future Fleur's glass being placed in the sink.
Fleur turned in his embrace to watch her future self move back to stand in front of the
mirror again, her face a determined mask.
Fleur Potter took a deep breath.
'With massive finances behind him, Brian gathered all the squibs and disenfranchised
muggleborns to him. He sent the squibs into the muggle military to be trained in their
advanced ways of war. He hired muggleborns straight out of Hogwarts to work in his
businesses that ranged from medicine to military weapons.' Fleur Potter's eyes blazed
with contained rage.
'Brian decided to drag the Wizarding World kicking and screaming into the Twenty-First
Century. I am skipping a lot here 'Arry, but this memory is just an overview. There will
be a few more memories after this one for you to look at.' She paused, her eyes
searched the mirror as if to look for him.
'This memory is only to set the scene. I don't know if the time travelling will work, I've
only tested it with a single day. But assuming this works and I get these memories to
you, please don't ask me about anything you learn from them. These are the worst
moments of my life, and I don't intend on living long after giving them to you.' She
sighed and her eyes teared up.
'Just the idea of seeing you again, even as a teenager, hurts. I've lost you once, and
even the idea of seeing you in the arms of my younger self fills my heart with pain.' She
choked.
'I love you; I beg of you. Stop this future from happening, you are my only hope.' She
whispered.
Harry groaned as he opened his eyes. He found himself laying on the floor of the Room
of Requirement.
'Next time, we enter the Pensieve from the couch or something.' Harry winced as pain
shot up his back.
Fleur nodded as she stood and brushed her silver hair out of her face.
'Oui. That was most uncomfortable.' She agreed before she turned to Harry.
'I think we should talk about what we just witnessed before we see more.' Fleur said,
and Harry nodded.
'Agreed, but before that. I think we need to eat something and let it all sink in.' he said.
Harry stood and took the Pensieve off the pedestal and put it down on the coffee table
in front of a couch that appeared.
'Thanks.' He said, looking up to Fleur with a smile.
Together, the two sat on the couch and stared into the swirling memories they'd been
ejected from.
''Arry, the older me told us a Prophecy about you. Did you know anything about it?'
Fleur asked, and Harry shook his head.
'No, I mean, Mum always said that prophecies were a questionable branch of magic, but
she admitted that there are real prophecies. I just never thought I'd be told that one was
possibly about me.' He shrugged, and she quirked a perfect eyebrow at him.
'From what I know about Prophecy's, it sounded like Neville was the subject of the
Prophecy. But when he died and Voldemort returned, the Prophecy was completed.' He
said and Fleur blinked at him.
Harry let out a breath and frowned.
'Think about it. From what I remember about the wording, it implied that neither can truly
live while the other survives. That they can only die at the hands of the other. So once
Voldemort killed Neville in that timeline, the Prophecy was completed.' Harry narrowed
his eyes as he stared at the swirling memories in the Pensieve.
'Perhaps that means that Voldemort was vulnerable to people other than Neville.' Harry
mused, and Fleur gave the faintest of shrugs.
'I guess that makes sense, sort of. But there's no way to tell for sure.' She said, and
Harry nodded.
'Well, we know that in the other timeline, Neville died, Voldemort returned and was later
defeated by the two of us. So either the Prophecy was about me all along, not Neville.
Or once the Prophecy was completed, Voldemort became vulnerable to anyone.' Harry
mused.
'I think that we'll have to find a way to defeat Voldemort, so that when we beat him this
time, he can't come back again. We could hunt these Horcruxes?' Harry asked.
Fleur nodded, though a frown marred her face.
'Didn't the future me mention a Veil of Death in your Ministry? Do you know anything
about that?' Fleur asked.
Then he frowned.
'Wait.' He muttered and Fleur turned from the memories that swirled in the Pensieve
and looked into his eyes.
'What?' she asked.
'In my third year. Sirius told me that Peter Pettigrew was sent through the Veil as
punishment for his crimes. So, the thing exists at least.' Harry said.
'Should we tell anyone else about the memories?' Fleur asked as her gaze fell back on
the milky substance in the Pensieve.
'I feel kind of strange about that idea. If we told Dumbledore, I think he wouldn't agree
with what we are planning to do. I haven't had much to do with the man in my time here.
But he seems to subtly place Neville in dangerous situations, this Tournament for
example.' Harry mused.
Fleur frowned at him for a moment, then groaned.
'That's right, the Stone in your first year, the Basilisk in your second.' She said, and
Harry nodded.
'It's hard to believe that Neville naturally gravitated toward those dangers. That they
exist in this school leads me to think Dumbledore is either testing Neville, or completely
incompetent as a human being.' Harry muttered; Fleur scoffed.
Harry grinned at her.
'Yeah, I don't think that's the case either.' He admitted.
Fleur remained silent for a moment before she turned to look into his eyes.
''Arry? Are you okay?' she asked, and he blinked at her.
'What do you mean?' he asked, and her eyebrows rose.
'You were told that they assassinated you in the future.' She deadpanned, and he
sighed.
Harry took her hands in his and lifted them to his lips.
'What bothers me, is that the future me was killed, leaving you and their children alone
in what became a future filled with death.' He whispered and kissed her fingers.
'I will not let that future occur. We have hints about the future, hints we can use to
prevent it. This Brian Johnson, for example. If he is the one to bring about a magical
apocalypse, then we have someone to focus on.' Harry said.
Fleur blinked; the colour drained from her face as she stared with wide eyes into his.
Harry frowned, then it clicked in his head.
'No, no, no. I don't mean to kill him.' He said and Fleur cocked her head.
'That's what it sounded like.' She said with narrowed eyes.
Harry released one of her hands and ran it through his hair.
'I mean that we change the magical world, remove the bigotry, the discrimination and
make Hogwarts a welcoming place.' He said, and she quirked a silver eyebrow.
'I know France is at least a little better than the United Kingdom in these areas.' He
paused and smiled as she nodded.
'The Potters are a wealthy, powerful House. As are the Delacour's, I have some friends
from powerful Houses, so maybe we can use our combined political power to force
some genuine change.' Harry suggested, and Fleur frowned.
'What you are suggesting will be a monumental task.' She said, and Harry nodded.
'Of course it will. But if we manage to defeat Voldemort before he really gets going, say
in the next year according to the other timeline, we might be able to leverage that act for
more political capital.' Harry muttered, lost in his thoughts.
Fleur blinked at him. Then a wide smile blossomed on her face.
'It's sexy when you use your brain.' She purred, and he grinned at her.
Harry took another breath before he looked at the Pensieve.
'Are you ready for another memory?' he asked, and she nodded.
Together, they fell back into memories of the future.
This time, Harry didn't find himself in the dilapidated shack. He and Fleur stood on a
muggle street in London in front of a massive ultra-modern skyscraper. It was made of
glass and as Harry looked up, the building resembled two graceful flower stalks that
intertwined halfway up to create one building.
In the distance, obscured by clouds, the building had a hollow centre with a shining
sphere in the middle. At this distance, it appeared to float in the void.
Harry turned to Fleur, who stared past him. He frowned and followed her gaze to see
the future Fleur.
She wore the familiar tight black combat robes that he was familiar with, though these
weren't nearly as worn and faded as he'd seen in during the Triwizard tasks.
Fleur leant in close to his ear.
'Is that really her?' she whispered.
Harry nodded.
'That's what Crocus looked like.' He said, and Fleur gave the older her an appraising
look.
'At least I'll still be attractive after a few children.' She murmured and Harry choked on a
laugh.
'Yes, the future you is stunning.' He agreed.
Fleur smiled at him before she gestured toward other people nearby who all wore the
same combat outfits as the future Fleur.
'Who are they?' she asked.
Harry looked at the others. They looked out of place in front of the ultra-modern building
as muggles in expensive suits walked past without a care.
'Would these be the people she mentioned, the Order of the Phoenix? She said they
followed you after Dumbledore and Neville died. Maybe they listened to me after you...'
she trailed off and Harry took her hand in his and squeezed it.
Harry pointed out a tall redhead who stared at the future Fleur with a hunger that made
Harry want to hit him.
Fleur shivered beside him.
'He looks like a Weasley.' Harry growled and Fleur's lip curled.
'I wish I couldn't see the man. Even in a memory, I can tell what's going through his
mind. Disgusting.' She took hold of his arm.
'That man makes me uncomfortable.' Fleur said and Harry nodded, squeezing her hand.
He pointed at a woman with dull black hair, with pink tips.
'See there? Beside the future you? That's my cousin Nym, well, Sirius' cousin Nym. But
we don't care about that. You met her before the Ball.' Harry said and Fleur smiled.
'Oui, I remember her. I liked her, though she looks miserable.' Fleur paused and looked
around at the assembled wizards and witches.
'In fact, everyone looks exhausted.' She whispered.
'I don't see anyone in my family, or yours. You don't think?' he asked, and she squeezed
his arm tight.
Fleur gave a slow nod.
'The future me said that we lost a lot of people in the war with Voldemort.' Fleur said,
and Harry deflated.
'Holly.' He whispered.
''Arry, they're moving.' Fleur said, and Harry looked up to see the group moving with
quick strides toward the large glass doors of the building.
Harry and Fleur followed behind the remains of the presumed Order of the Phoenix into
the building.
They followed the future Fleur into an elevator and stepped out on floor seventy-nine.
Harry followed behind the group, his senses on high alert, and he drew his wand.
''Arry.' Fleur murmured and Harry blinked, then looked down at his wand.
Harry sighed and tucked it back into its holster. He watched the Order move with
practised ease through a wide door with a sign above it that read 'R&D'.
Fleur ran beside him as they followed the Order up a flight of glass stairs until the sound
of gunfire exploded all around.
Harry took cover instinctively, dragging Fleur with him.
She quirked an eyebrow at him and stood.
'Sorry.' Harry muttered.

He joined her and together, they strode through the storm of bullets and magic, up the
stairs.
They watched as the Order worked together as a well-oiled machine, covering each
other with shields while a couple focussed spell fire on their targets.
Harry blinked and realised; they weren't fighting soldiers. They fought an automated
turret that spewed bullets at a steady stream toward the Order.
The high-pitched whine of the rotating gun barrels of the turret only stopped when the
entire weapons platform exploded from two swift Explosion Hexes fired by the future
Fleur.
The Order wasted no time and ran past the smoking turret, then blew a wide hole in a
pair of thick steel doors and stepped through.
Harry and Fleur hurried to keep up and once through the doors, Harry gaped at a room
that would give him nightmares.
The room was cavernous. He couldn't see any walls to the left or right, only a door
about twenty metres in front of them. To either side lay endless cylindrical tanks of
bubbling fluid, all lit with a dim green light.
Within each tank floated a human being.
Some tanks held only a foetus, while others held a naked elderly person and everything
in between. Every tank was filled with wires connecting the people's heads to something
hidden above the glass of the tank, which went up into the darkened ceiling.
Fleur gasped and covered her mouth with a hand.
But the Order didn't stop, they kept running through the nightmarish room.
Harry gripped Fleur's hand and dragged her along with him.
'Come on Fleur, let's get out of this horrible place.' He muttered, and she nodded.
They followed the Order into the next room where the walls were covered in computer
screens.
Each screen showed data Harry didn't understand. Some screens showed graphs and
scrolling blocks of computer code, along with chunks of what he recognised as a form of
mathematics.
'This is a research laboratory. I can recognise some of this, over there.' Harry pointed at
a screen that showed runes.
'This is referring to imbuing magic into a non-magical object.' He muttered and moved
up a few stairs into a connected glass walled room.
In the connected room lay a body.
Harry stared at the naked and very dead body; half covered by a white sheet.
'They're trying to give muggles magic.' Fleur breathed beside him.
Harry nodded, then pointed at a nearby screen.
'Read that.' He said and reached out to touch the body, and his hand passed through it.
Fleur moved over to read the screen and gasped before she turned to Harry.
'This log says that the virus has removed ninety percent of all magical beings, globally.'
She breathed.
'What virus?' Harry asked.
A moment later, the scene around the two shifted.
Harry held his head in his hands and groaned.
'We should probably keep up with the Order, that shift was uncomfortable.' He muttered.
Fleur nodded, also holding her head.
'Can we pause memories?' Fleur asked, and Harry shrugged.
Harry looked up and examined the room they were now in.
It was another laboratory.
Screens covered the walls and displayed more unfamiliar data. The remnants of the
Order all huddled around a computer station where the future Fleur stood, trying to gain
access.
A moment later, a door on the far side of the room burst open.
Like an army of ants, red armoured soldiers flooded into the room, their guns blazing.
No calls for surrender, they shot to kill.
Within moments, an Order member fell to the floor with a scream, the woman clutched
her leg before the back of her head exploded, spraying red chunks across the floor
behind her.
The door the Order had probably used to enter the room burst open and more red
armoured soldiers rushed into the room, catching the Order in a crossfire.
The Order's shields protected them from the bullets, but every few seconds, another
shield collapsed under the strain of sustained gunfire. Within moments, the shields were
quickly reenforced by another Order member, but the rate at which the shields were
being overwhelmed worried Harry.
'Anti-apparition wards are up.' Called one of the Order members.
'Anti-Portkey wards are up too.' Called the red head who Harry was sure was a
Weasley.
Future Fleur swore and looked up from the computer to throw an Ardenti Lux beam at a
soldier, only for it to bounce off the glossy red armour.
Harry and Fleur shared a glance.
They watched as more and more magically resistant soldiers burst into the room.
These bore different guns, though.
Where the first soldiers used weapons like Harry had seen in action movies he'd
watched with his father and Sirius. These looked more like weapons from the Science
Fiction movies he'd watched with his mother.
The new guns were sleek, white, and held an inner red light that matched their glossy
armour.
These new soldiers fired single shots into the Order, each shot penetrated the Order's
shields with ease, cutting them down in moments.
The first to fall was the probably-a-Weasley, red head. Within moments, the rest of the
Order were cut down without mercy.
Nym turned to the future Fleur.
'Fleur, run, it's time for Plan B.' she screamed before a ragged hole opened in her chest
and she dropped to the ground, a pool of blood spread out beneath her.
Harry stared at Nym's still form. Tears ran down his face but looked up as he saw the
future Fleur pull out a silver charm from around her neck. It was shaped like a Fleur-de-
Lys.
With a deafening crack, the Portkey broke through the wards and dragged her away
from the dead Order members.
Harry and Fleur shifted into the ruined remains of Potter Manor, destroyed by powerful
explosions some time before.
Harry gaped at the ruins of his home. Fleur held his hand and drew his attention to the
future Fleur who collapsed to the rubble strewn floor and cried.
Once more, they were ejected from the Pensieve onto the couch and Harry pulled Fleur
into an embrace, as much for her as for himself.
Fleur burrowed into his embrace for a few minutes until they both wrapped their heads
around what they'd seen.
Fleur released him and stood from the couch. She paced back and forth in front of the
fireplace, which the room provided.
'What was that building, and why did the remnants of the Order attack it?' she asked,
without stopping her pacing.
Harry rubbed his eyes and shrugged.
'I guess by the context of the memory and the one before it, that building may have
been the Headquarters of this Brian Johnson guy?' Harry suggested.
Fleur looked at him.
'They seemed to have advanced weapons, like the automatic turrets and the armour
that those soldiers wore, not to mention those glowing white guns that cut straight
through the magic shields.' Harry added, and Fleur nodded.
'We saw the laboratories; the people vats and all of that data on those screens. It's clear
those people were performing some questionable research that I doubt the muggles
would approve of.' Fleur said.
Harry sighed.
'Most of what I saw in those laboratories was way over my head. But did you get a
chance to see anything more about that virus they mentioned?' he asked, and Fleur
froze.
'Without going back in, I don't think so. I believe it said ninety percent. Do you think it
was some sort of artificial disease they spread around the world? Why?' she asked.
Harry ran his hands through his hair and growled.
'There's too much we don't know.' He admitted.
The two remained in silence for a minute before Fleur pulled her amulet out from under
her shirt.
'What did she have around her neck, the Fleur-de-Lys? Didn't one of the Order
members say there were anti-Portkey wards?' she asked, and Harry frowned at the
fireplace and the flames that danced in his vision.
'Maybe it was an overpowered one? Or specifically designed to tear through standard

Portkey wards? I've been playing with a design that would work through Hogwarts'
wards.' He mused, and Fleur smiled down at him.
She sat down on the couch beside him and kissed his nose.
'You always have a surprise up your sleeve.' She grinned and Harry shook his head, a
bitter smile on his lips.
'Not always, at least I won't in the future.' He muttered.
Fleur held his hand in hers and raised it to her lips.
She kissed each finger, one by one.
'We won't be letting this future happen. We will learn everything we can from these
memories and create a better future.' She whispered.
Harry couldn't help the smile that appeared on his face and leaned forward to kiss
Fleur's lips softly.
He pulled away, and they pressed their foreheads together. Both closed their eyes and
basked in the others presence.
After a few minutes Fleur pulled back, cupping Harry's face with her hands.
'Do we want to go back into the memories?' she asked, and Harry nodded.
'Let's go.' Harry said and together, they re-entered the Pensieve.
Harry looked around to see they were in the dilapidated shack again.
The future Fleur wasn't standing in front of the mirror like the last time.
Harry noticed that most of the room was filled with tables that didn't match the rustic
décor of the room, they looked brand new. Each of the tables held enough sheets of
paper to cover them entirely.
He noted that his wand, or rather, the future Harry's wand still sat on the same desk on
the far side of the room while the future Fleur sat hunched over the only desk without
paper on it, working on something.
'You think all these tables are conjured?' Fleur asked and Harry nodded.
Fleur moved forward and peered down at the sheets of paper covering the table nearest
to her.
Harry walked over to the future Fleur and peered over her shoulder. His eyes widened
as he saw what she was working on.
Dozens of tiny golden pieces of metal littered the table.

Harry turned to Fleur who spun toward him at the same instant, pointing at the paper on
the table.
'Time Turner.' They both shouted.
Harry blinked, mirrored by Fleur before both grinned.
Harry walked over to Fleur and peered at the sheets of paper she pointed at. He
frowned at the handwritten text.
'These pages look like they're from my notebook.' He muttered, then stood and sighed.
'It looks like the future you took my research to the next level. There's almost as much
stuff here in your handwriting as there is in mine.' Harry said and Fleur nodded.
She tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear.
'It worked.' She said and Harry gave a soft chuckle.
'Yeah, but this time, we won't have to use it.' He said and Fleur smiled before she took
his hand in hers.
Fleur rested her head on his shoulder for a few seconds before she released him. She
walked over to stand in front of the window.
Harry hesitated, but gave her some space. He moved over to the seated future Fleur,
who sat hunched over the Time Turner, assembling it by hand, one tiny piece at a time.
Her bloodshot eyes focussed on the tiny golden metal pieces with an intensity that sent
a shiver down his spine.
''Arry.' The future Fleur whispered.
Harry stared as she continued to whisper his name as she worked, like a mantra.
''Arry.' His Fleur whispered and Harry turned to her and moved to stand beside her at
the window.
He looked out the window, and he saw thick pine trees surrounded the shack. Sitting at
the tree line about ten metres from the shack, were four graves in a line.
Harry took Fleur's hand.
'In this timeline, they had three children.' He whispered.
His heart broke to see a tear slide down her cheek.
Harry pulled her into a hug, turning her away from the sight and tightened his grip
around her, uncaring of the tears that slid down his own cheeks.
The future Fleur leapt up from her table and screamed.
Harry watched as she plucked the half-assembled Time Turner off the table and threw it
at the wall where it burst apart.
'Damn it, why?' she sobbed as she fell to her knees, tears sliding down her face.
The future Fleur cried into her hands which covered her face, her shoulders heaved as
she fought her tears.
'Why did this have to happen? What did we do wrong?' she muttered.
Harry and Fleur watched her sit in silence for a minute before she stood and walked
over to stare into the mirror above the fireplace.
Fleur Potter wiped away her tears on her sleeve before she steeled herself.
'Three days ago, the last members of the Order of the Phoenix accompanied me on an
attack on the Dark Lord's Headquarters. The building is his base of operations in
Europe, and it is where most of his research takes place.' The older Fleur paused and
rubbed her face with her hands.
'My friend Nym got us information on how to get into the building and what it contained. I
wish that I'd kept her away from that fight. Then I would at least have someone to talk
to.' She trailed off.
Harry's heart broke at seeing the look of utter defeat on her face.
Fleur Potter shook her head, her silver blonde hair splaying out behind her.
'It was in that building that the virus originated. The Dark Lord created it to target the
gene in our bodies that allows us to use magic and it kills anyone with that gene.' She
explained.
'The gene is present in all magical creatures, House-Elves, Dragons, Veela, Goblins,
Wizards, everything magical has this gene, even the plants.' The future Fleur said and
turned away from the mirror.
She took a few steps toward the window, toward the graves outside. But she stopped
and moved back to the mirror.
'They spread the virus around the world in days, and soon after that, everything magical
died. Except for the followers of the Dark Lord, he gave them an immunity to it.' She sat
down on the couch and looked up at the ceiling for a minute.
A weak smile crossed her face for a moment before it disappeared.
'Nym spirited away just enough of the inoculation for the Order, but none of us could
replicate it. Oh, how I wish your mother had survived the war against Voldemort. She
was brilliant and she probably would have been able to understand the documents Nym
stole.' Fleur Potter said.
'Anyone with a muggle background was on the other side of this war. Honestly, I can't
even blame most of the muggleborns for rebelling against the Wizarding World.' She
sighed.
Harry and Fleur shared a glance before the future Fleur stood and glared at the mirror.
'I do however blame them for destroying the world I love and murdering my family.' She
snarled and paced back and forth in front of the mirror.
'I am the last living magical that I know of, at least that isn't on the Dark Lord's side.
Everyone else is dead.' She said and stopped.
The future Fleur bowed her head, her eyes closed.
Harry and Fleur stared at the broken woman, Harry felt tears fall down his cheeks and
saw the same on Fleur's.
Fleur Potter opened her eyes and met her own gaze in the mirror.
'I am going to finish the project you started as a child 'Arry, back when we were just
friends. I will complete your design for a true Time Turner and use it to go back to the
past and change this world for the better.' She said, her eyes blazing.
'This time, you won't die. Our children won't die.' She declared.
The future Fleur sighed and looked away from the mirror and over to the pile of tiny
golden pieces of metal in the corner where she'd thrown them earlier.
'I haven't decided how far back I will go, or what I'll do when I get there. But it's going to
be a one-way trip, I don't know how long I can stand this solitude.' She admitted and sat
down on the couch.
'I just want you back.' She sobbed, her head in her hands.
Harry blinked, still not used to the disorientation after being ejected from the Pensieve
as the memory ended.
Beside him, Fleur recovered faster, and she paced back and forth.
Harry stared at the flames that danced in the fireplace as his mind struggled to wrap
itself around the memories they'd seen.
He tore his gaze from the fire and looked up at Fleur.
'We will change the future. We won't rest after defeating Voldemort, not this time. This
time we'll keep going and fix this broken world before it all collapses.' He said and Fleur
paused, her gaze locked on his.
'But do you think, maybe if we act on this, we could trigger this future? How can we
know we are taking the right path?' Fleur asked and Harry ran a hand through his hair.
'The future you mentioned nothing about previous attempts to avert the timeline. So, her
coming back in time didn't happen in her timeline. Which makes me think that we have a
chance to create a new future.' He said, and she frowned.
Harry rubbed the bridge of his nose and groaned.
'I don't know whether her coming back in time to change it will erase her future, or if it
will now be an alternate timeline kind of thing. I think we need to do some research over
the summer on different time travel theories.' Harry said and Fleur nodded.
'Oui, but before we leave, we should check if there are any more memories to go
through. We need all the information we can get if we're going to avert this future.' Fleur
suggested and Harry nodded.
There were no new memories, and the two spent the next few hours re-watching the
others and making plans.
The next morning was a Friday and Harry sat at the Hufflepuff table with Fleur. Holly sat
on Fleur's other side, and the rest of their friends sat with them.
Holly beamed up at Fleur, her eyes filled with pride.
'I'm so happy that you won the Tournament Fleur. We wanted to tell you yesterday, but
you two disappeared from the Hospital Wing before we got there.' Holly said, and Harry
felt the eyes of their friends on him.
'Sorry guys, something came up.' He sighed and Daphne rolled her eyes.
'Can you guys imagine what it would have been like if Longbottom had won?' Daphne
said and they all rolled their eyes, small grins on their faces.
Harry could imagine the smug looks sent their way if Neville had won the Tournament.
But neither Harry nor Fleur smiled. They shared a heavy glance.
The future was already different from the other timeline.
Neville was alive.
Harry looked up to the Longbottom Heir and saw the boy looked terrible. Deep black
bags hung under his eyes, and his normally pale skin looked pallid. Neville's hand
clutched his forehead, or rather, his scar.
'While Neville has been a bother in the past-' Harry sighed.
Daphne and surprisingly, Luna, scoffed.
Harry blinked, but figured that the two did spend a lot of time together. He smiled at the
two before continuing.
'Someone put Neville into the competition to kill him. Right now, his scar seems to be
giving him trouble. Can anyone suggest why those two might be connected?' Harry
asked, his voice low.
Susan frowned.
'Are you suggesting what I think you are?' the redhead asked.
Hannah looked between Harry, Susan, and Fleur, who all wore the same expression.
Holly stared at Harry; her face drained of colour.
Daphne shared a glance with Luna.
'What did we miss?' the Slytherin asked.
'I'm suggesting that whatever remains of Voldemort has a connection with Neville,
through the scar given to him by the Killing Curse as a child. Neville is the only one to
survive that curse, so I don't think it's a stretch to say there's some sort of magical bond
between the two.' Harry explained.
'During the Third Task, Fleur escaped from an ambush that used the Triwizard Cup as a
Portkey.' Harry said.
Fleur nodded and his hand in hers.
Harry gestured between himself and Fleur.
'We believe it was a plot of Voldemort's to enter Neville into the Tournament and
manipulate it so he would win. Then use Neville in some way to return Voldemort to life.'
He said, his emerald gaze moving between the girls.
'Any flaws with our thoughts so far?' Harry asked.
Holly and Susan were pale. They stared at Harry, speechless.
Hannah and Daphne blinked and looked between Harry and Fleur with wide eyes.
'When you explain it like that, it seems obvious.' Daphne whispered.
Luna smiled at Harry.
'Please continue.' She said.
Harry smiled back at her.
'Since Neville's scar seems to be bothering him more than usual-' Harry nodded over
toward the Boy-Who-Lived and caught the boy's exhausted eyes.
Neville's scar looked red raw, like it was a fresh wound.
'Something changed since the Third Task to make the connection stronger. Why else
would his scar change like it has?' he asked, and his audience stared at him with rapt
attention.
Harry looked over at Fleur, who nodded.

'I think Voldemort returned to life after the Third Task. I think his Plan A was for Neville
to win the Tournament and use him to return to life. But his Plan B would have been to
use whoever won the Tournament if Neville couldn't.' Harry said and smiled at Fleur,
squeezing her hand in his.
'But Fleur escaped before they could capture her.'
The girls stared at Fleur with wide eyes. Holly's eyes held unshed tears, threatening to
escape.
'But I believe he had a Plan C, which was to abduct a random witch or wizard and use
them instead. Why else would he have set up the Cup as a trap to capture the winner?
Why else make Neville a competitor?' Harry asked.
Fleur leaned forward.
'Viktor was under the Imperius during the task. He attacked Cedric in the maze, then
attacked me, which did not go well for him.' She whispered.
The only one who didn't gasp was Luna, who wore her serene smile.
'I believe you.' Luna said and turned to Harry.
'How did your night with your visitor go?' she asked, and Harry blinked.
He glanced at Fleur, whose eyes were wide. The two stared at Luna's blank expression.
Harry shook his head and smiled at Luna.
'Everything will turn out for the best. The people who were interfering with the
Tournament are gone. Hopefully, we will all be able to get back to work now without this
Tournament hanging over us.' Harry said.
Luna gave a small nod before she returned to making a face with the food on her plate.
Holly leaned forward, looking between Harry and Fleur.
'What will happen when you go back to France, Fleur? With the Tournament finished,
what will the two of you do?' she asked, worry in her eyes.
Harry smiled at Fleur, who grinned back.
''Arry and I will move between the Potter and Delacour manors over the summer, and
next year I will come back to stay in Britain while 'Arry finishes up here.' The Veela
announced and was immediately pounced on by an excited Holly.
Susan smiled at the two before turning to Harry.
'So, you'll be trying a long-distance relationship then?' she asked, and Harry nodded.
'Yeah, it'll be hard, but we've been close since we met. We'll be able to handle it.' Harry
said.
Fleur pulled out of Holly's embrace and looked around the group.
'I will be nearby to help any of my friends.' Her gaze fell to the table for a moment.
'You are my only friends.' She admitted.
Holly pulled her into another hug and the others smiled.
'You're one of us, Fleur, even if you are dating my brother.' Holly said, drawing a few
chuckles.
The Hall fell silent, and Harry turned toward the staff table where the Headmaster stood,
smiling around the Hall at all the students.
'Congratulations to the winner of the Triwizard Tournament, Fleur Delacour.' He began

and applause filled the Great Hall, primarily from the male students.
Dumbledore waited until the applause ended before continuing.
'I must also congratulate the other Champions, two of whom are still in the Hospital
Wing after their hard time in the maze.' He said and whispers spread around the room
for a few moments before he kept going.
'This is a time for international relations to grow stronger, to make friends from distant
lands and keep them close to our hearts. That is what this competition was about.'
Dumbledore said and took a seat and drank from his golden goblet.
After breakfast, students from all schools hurried to fit in last minute study before their
exams later in the day. Harry and Fleur sat with their friends to help them study and
after a few hours, Fleur left to go to the Room of Requirement while Harry and the
others went to their exams.
The weekend came quickly and both Harry and Fleur spent most of it in the Room of
Requirement pushing their training to new heights and refining their plans.
June finished with students around the school enjoying a little free time. Harry and Fleur
spent some of it with their friends, while they still spent most of it in the Room of
Requirement, getting the most out of their time in the castle.
Finally, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang were due to leave, and Harry stood in front of the
carriage with Fleur in his arms. Behind him stood the rest of their friends, who had
already bid her farewell.
Harry touched his forehead to hers as his arms wrapped around her waist, holding her
to him.
'I'm going to miss you.' He whispered, and she smiled.
'Me too.' She whispered back; her eyes closed.
'But I'll call you in the mirror tonight.' She said.
Harry released her and smiled.
'We'll see each other soon.' He said and cupped her face in his hands and drew her in
for a last kiss.
She stepped backward a few steps, then turned to enter the carriage. She was the last.
Madame Maxime gave Harry an imperious stare, but nodded, a slight smile on her lips.
Once Fleur was inside, the carriage door closed and within moments, the carriage was
airborne.
Harry watched as the house sized carriage disappeared into the blue sky.
Holly stepped up alongside him and took his hand.
'It'll be okay. We'll be home soon, and you'll see her then.' She murmured, and he
turned to her and smiled.
Harry put an arm around her shoulders.
'Yeah, you're right. We should enjoy the time we have here before we leave.' He said as
Susan moved to his other side and wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace.
'You're not alone Harry.' She whispered, and he smiled, first at her, then the others.
Harry put an arm around Susan.
'Yeah, you're right. None of us are.' He said.
Together, the three walked back to the castle, their other friends with them.
The Hogwarts Express was peaceful.
Harry sat in a compartment with Susan and Holly on either side while across from them
sat Daphne, Luna, and Hannah.
Halfway through the trip, Hermione knocked on the door and entered with a sheepish
smile.
Behind Hermione stood Neville and Ronald. At the sight of the two boys, Harry's
compartment sighed and rolled their eyes.
Hermione wore a nervous smile.
'Harry? Neville would like a word with you?' she asked, and Harry smiled at her.
'Sure, take my seat Hermione.' Harry said and stood, he patted Holly's leg as he did.
'I won't be long.' Harry said to the others in the compartment as he walked past
Hermione toward Neville.
'Brother, would you walk with me?' Harry asked Neville, who gave a small nod, echoed
by Ronald beside him.
Harry led the two boys down the corridor to a quieter part of the train, to give them a
modicum of privacy. Once there, Harry looked around and saw no one loitering about,
then turned to Neville.
Neville sighed and schooled his features.
'Hermione has convinced me to tell you some things, though I don't know what you can
possibly do about them.' He muttered, sounding bitter.
Harry gave the other boy a soft smile.
'Say what you want to say brother, I bear no ill will toward you. You had a rough year. If
I can help you, I will.' Harry said.
Neville frowned and his shoulders slumped.
'If you'd been in the Tournament, you would have won. Nobody stood a chance against
your girlfriend, and I know that you're beyond me, as much as I hate to admit it. That's
the only reason I'm telling you this.' Neville said, defeat in his tone.
Ronald stared at his friend in surprise, but Harry paid him no mind. His gaze locked on
Neville, who slumped even further.
'My scar gives me visions of Voldemort; I see what he sees when he's angry or happy.
This only started after the Third Task. Before, it just hurt, or it was a rare thing, like once
or twice in our first year.' Neville paused and rubbed his scar, which looked fresh.
'But now? Its every night. When I sleep, all I see is him, with a body, killing innocent
people and torturing his followers. I know most of them by name, here.' Neville said as
he pulled out a list of names on a sheet of paper.
He handed it to Harry.
Harry scanned over the list and his eyes widened at the number of influential names. He
slipped the list into a pocket in his robes before he turned back to Neville.
'I can't tell you how I know, that parts a secret, but there is a Prophecy about you and
Voldemort. Talk to your gran about it, she might have enough sway to find out more
about it.' Harry said, and Neville paled.
Harry understood the other boy's reaction. Having a Prophecy about you means it's
something important, having a Prophecy about you and a Dark Lord? Nothing good
would come of that.
'Whatever training you did for the Triwizard Tournament, double it. If Voldemort has a
body like your visions suggest, and I believe you that he does, it won't be long until he
comes for you. I'll help you if I can.' Harry said and glanced out the window at a paddock
filled with cows which flitted past a moment later.
Harry turned back to Neville.
'This summer I might contact you and your gran about some political stuff. I would
appreciate you helping me out. The Longbottom's and the Potter's have always been on
good terms. I would like that alliance back in time.' Harry suggested, and Neville's eyes
narrowed.
Neville sighed, like the fight left him.
Neville looked deep into Harry's eyes.
'You're the better wizard. The Longbottom's will follow the Potter's like we did in the
past.' Neville declared and Harry blinked in surprise.
But before Harry could say anything, Neville turned and walked away, his steps slow
and an air of defeat clung to the retreating boy.
Ronald looked between the two in confusion before he scurried after Neville, leaving
Harry alone in the corridor.
After a moment of stunned silence, Harry turned and walked back to his cabin. Once
inside, he took the seat on Susan's left, closest to the door. Hermione was still sitting in
his seat from earlier.
Harry was silent and didn't notice the cabin fall silent at his entrance.
Hermione leaned forward in her seat.
'Harry? Is everything okay?' the bushy haired witch asked.
Harry looked up and saw all the girls looking at him. He gave them a weak smile. He
looked between Susan, Hannah, and Daphne.
'Neville just declared allegiance to House Potter.' He said and Daphne choked on a
laugh.
Hannah blinked, and Susan gaped at him.
'Wait, what? Neville has always thought he was better than you, he's the Boy-Who-
Lived. Why the sudden change in heart? If he pledged his House to yours, that puts him
in a lower position to you.' Susan frowned.
Hermione looked between everyone with a confused expression.
'What are you all talking about?' she asked, and Susan put a hand on the girl's leg and
smiled at her.
'It's one of those Pureblood things that wouldn't make sense unless you've grown up in
our world. To be honest, sometimes it doesn't make sense to us either.' Susan admitted.
Hannah leaned forward.
'The Wizarding World has a form of aristocracy, similar to what the muggles had a few
hundred years ago. But in essence, the governing body of the Wizarding World is the
Wizengamot, yes?' she asked, and Hermione nodded.
'Yes, I know that already.' The muggleborn witch said.
Daphne cleared her throat.
'The Wizengamot's members are drawn from wizarding families. The older and more
prestigious families have more influence in the Wizengamot than others.' She tucked an
errant strand of hair behind her ear.
'In this cabin, we have Harry, who is Heir to House Potter. They have a seat on the
Wizengamot. Hannah's, Susan's, and my own families all have seats as well.' Daphne
paused again, smiling at Luna, then turning back to Hermione.
'The Lovegood's are not an ancient or noble house, therefore do not have seats on the
Wizengamot. Are you still with me?' Daphne asked.
Hermione nodded.
'It makes a sort of sense; it also explains why most of the Wizarding World seems to be
stuck in the middle ages.' She mused.
Daphne's eye twitched and her jaw tightened before Luna took her hand in hers and
clasped it tight.
Susan cleared her throat.
'I would appreciate it if you didn't make those sorts of comments, and I'll explain why in
a moment.' Susan raised a hand to stop Hermione's reply.
Hermione blinked and her mouth snapped shut.
Susan smiled at Hermione.
'There are differences between the magical and muggle worlds, plenty of them. But
neither is superior to the other. I am comfortable on both sides thanks to growing up
alongside Harry and Holly's family, especially his muggleborn mother.' Susan said.
Hermione nodded, though she wore a frown.
'The muggle world has advanced in one way, while the magical world has moved in
another. Neither is inherently better than the other. That is important to understand
before we go any further.' Susan explained.
Hermione blinked a few times before nodding.
Holly put a hand on Hermione's leg.
'There are a lot of things about the magical world that seem odd or disgusting from a
muggle point of view. Mum told us about when she discovered how House-Elves were
bonded to humans. She originally thought it was slavery.' Holly said, and Hermione
nodded with vehemence.
'I knew it.' She whispered.
'It's a symbiotic relationship. House-Elves cannot survive without the ambient magic
given off by a magical household or area. You won't find House-Elves living by
themselves or in communities, they simply won't survive.' Harry said before Holly
jumped in.
'A muggleborn wizard tried to free a bunch of House-Elves in the forties. He set up a
village with houses and everything for them and dumped them all there after giving them
clothes. He tried to teach them and rehabilitate them from what he thought was slavery.'
Holly said, and Hermione turned to her with wide eyes.
'What happened?' Hermione asked.
'Within months, they all died. They starved from a lack of magic.' Holly said, and
Hermione gasped, horrified.
Daphne sighed.
'They sentenced the wizard to Azkaban for ten years for the murder of forty House-
Elves. He had bankrupted himself by purchasing so many House-Elves, and he died in
prison before his first week was up. Some say the House-Elves of Azkaban killed him in
his cell.'
Hermione gaped at Daphne.
Hannah leaned forward.
'Things are the way they are in the Wizarding World for a reason. It may look like its
stuck in the past from a muggle perspective, but the system works and there's a reason
why things are done in certain ways.' She said.
Harry stretched in his seat, his joints popped, and he let out a relaxed groan.
'The Great Houses of the Wizengamot are an example of this. This form of Government
fell out of favour for various reasons in the muggle world. But one big reason why its still
seen in magical communities is that the Great Houses have access to Family Magic.'
He said, and Hermione's eyes widened.
Harry grinned.
'Yeah, I thought that would get your attention. Family Magic only works for members of
a family, or more accurately, of a bloodline. For example, there is a Potter Family Magic
that Holly and I can use once we are taught.' He said and Hermione frowned.
'But we could never teach any of you, not that we aren't allowed, but it just wouldn't
work.' Harry explained, and Hermione deflated.
Hermione's shoulders slumped forward.
'Why haven't I read any of this?' she asked, and Daphne laughed.
'For those who grow up in the magical world, this is common knowledge. Are there
books in the muggle world about crossing the street or putting on a pair of shoes?'
Daphne asked.
At Hermione's blank stare, Daphne shrugged.
'Granted, those aren't great examples, but that's the best I can think of right now. The
point is, this is all common knowledge to us, that's why its not written down anywhere.'
Daphne finished and Hermione slumped further.
Holly put a hand on the older girl's shoulder.
'How about next year, you spend some free time quizzing Neville and Ronald about the
magical world, write a book about the differences between worlds that you would have
wanted to have when you first found out about this world.' Holly suggested.
Hermione jerked up in her seat with a wide smile. She pulled Holly into a tight embrace.
'Thank you, that's such a great idea.' Hermione gushed and stood.
'I'm going to get started right now. Thank you all for explaining this to me, I really
appreciate it.' She beamed at them all and sped from the cabin, leaving the others to
stare at each other in surprise.
Susan blinked, then turned to Harry.
'What are you going to do once Neville gets his gran to make it official?' she asked, and
Harry shrugged.
'I've got some ideas, but as it would have to be dad who goes into the Wizengamot to
start things rolling, I'll have to talk to him first.' Harry said.
Susan nodded, and Holly narrowed her eyes.
'What do you have planned?' Holly asked, and Harry grinned.
'I'm going to change the world.' He declared and turned to Susan, ignoring the others
stunned expressions.
'Do you think Sirius and your Aunt would be up for a prank?' Harry asked and Susan
blinked.
'Sirius? For sure. But mum? It really depends on what it is, and whether your mum will
be involved too.' Susan said.
Harry grinned at the red head.
'Mum is going to love the idea.' He smirked.

Chapter 38. Summer, Part 1. 1995.
Harry sat on the couch in the lounge room of Potter Manor.
Sirius and Amelia had already left, along with Susan and Orion.
Holly had taken Charlus up to bed as well, leaving Harry to sit across from his parents.
James looked tense and Lily bit her lip, a habit Harry knew she did when worried.
'Harry, what's wrong? Why did you want to talk to us in private?' Lily asked.
'Please don't tell us that Fleur is pregnant.' James asked, and Harry jerked back in his
seat.
'No, no, that's not it at all.' Harry sputtered.
Lily's worried expression turned to confusion and James grinned, wiping his brow with
an exaggerated motion.
Harry rolled his eyes and turned to his mother.
'A lot has happened since the Third Task. Fleur and I have come to the conclusion that
Voldemort has been reborn.' Harry said.
His parents paled.
Harry took a deep breath and cleared his throat.
'Just hear me out. The Triwizard Cup was a trap. It took Fleur somewhere with dark
wizards in wait. Someone entered Neville into the Tournament by a third party. His scar
has been growing worse this year, and now since the Third Task it looks freshly made. I
will happily show you the memories if you can get Padfoot's family pensieve.' Harry
said.
James fell back against the couch, and released an explosive breath.
Both Harry and Lily turned to look at James.
'Dumbledore said Voldemort is back as well, and the Aurors office is getting increasing
reports since the Third Task of gathering Death Eaters and sympathisers.' James said,
and Harry sighed.
'Fleur and I have put together a rough plan to stop this madman from killing everybody.'
Harry said and frowned at the disbelieving expressions on his parents' faces.
Harry huffed.
'I've read what happened in the last war. I can read between the lines when you guys
talk to Sirius and Remus about the past. It's obvious how miserable Aunt Amelia is
every Christmas when the anniversary of Susan's parents' death comes up. It's easy to
have an idea about how bad it was.' Harry paused, meeting both their gazes.
'I know that if He comes back, our world will be plunged into darkness, whether or not
he wins. If we win that war and he's no longer an issue, how long will it be before
another Dark Lord pops up? It seems like one every forty or so years.' Harry continued.
James gaped and him while Lily cocked her head to the side.
'Go on.' She said, a frown on her face.
'I'm friends with a muggleborn girl who, as a fourth year, did not know how the
Wizarding World works, how the Wizengamot is run. She knew nothing that every
magical child is raised to know.' Harry said, and Lily's eyes widened while James stared.
'The plan that Fleur and I are working on involves cutting out the discrimination in
Hogwarts and the wider Wizarding World, especially Britain.' Harry paused and noted
how his mother's eyes shone and a small smile fought its way onto her face.
'The way things are now is a recipe for Dark Lords. I mean seriously, who could
honestly believe that the Founders of Hogwarts sat there thinking "Well, we need a
house in our School for the criminals and murderers."' Harry scoffed and Lily covered a
giggle while James grinned.
'I have friends in every house. It is a school, nothing more.' Harry took a calming breath
before smiling at his parents.
'But I'm going to need your help to make the plan work.' Harry admitted.
Lily leaned forward on the couch.
'What can we do to help in your revolution?' she asked, and Harry felt an involuntary
shiver go down his spine.
He pushed aside the discomfort and forced a grin on his face.
Harry turned to his father.
'Dad, we'll need you to play politician, Sirius and Aunt Amelia too.' Harry said and
James' face fell.
'Do I have to?' James whined and Lily rolled her eyes.
Harry laughed; his earlier discomfort forgotten.
'Yes, it's essential. I would do it myself, but the Wizengamot won't allow an underage
Lord or representative. Feel free to appoint me to the stuffy old people's assembly when
I'm officially of age.' He said, and his father's face brightened.
'Really? You'll take the Lordship?' he asked, hope in his voice.
Harry chuckled.
'I know you hate it. But I'll need it, or at least you, for my plan to work. Think of it this
way, help with the plan and I'll take the Lordship off your hands.' Harry suggested.
James bounced in his seat.
Harry turned to his mother.
'Mum, for the plan to work, I think that we'll need to invest in the muggle world. They are
having some amazing advancements, especially in medicine and it will make the family
money. It will give us access to the muggle world which we can introduce to the magical
world without them realising it.' Harry said and Lily beamed at him.
'If everything goes well, the Delacour's will be having this conversation right now. Fleur
is confident they'll be involved.' Harry said.
Lily nodded.
'What else can we do?' she asked.
Harry sighed and looked at his father.
'Dad, I've got to take my OWLs this summer. I want to take my NEWTs at the end of my
fifth year and that's the earliest I'm allowed to do it.' Harry said and James shrugged.
'So? I'll take you in to see old Marchbanks and do them then. Why do you look so down
about it?' James asked.
Harry blinked.
'Really? I thought it was going to be harder than that. I thought I'd have to make a few
shady deals or something?' he said, and James laughed.
'No kiddo, old Marchbanks owes me a few favours that she'll be happy to trade in so
you can take your OWLs early. I know you could probably take your NEWTs now too
thanks to your time shenanigans.' James added.
'There's not much left at Hogwarts for me to study, I just need to sharpen my skills.'
Harry nodded.
Lily narrowed her eyes.
'Harry, you will not fight this war.' She declared.
Harry laughed, then blinked as he saw her face settle into a stern expression. He took a
deep breath before he released it.
'Mum, this is what I've been preparing for since I was a little kid. To protect the ones that
I love. If He is back, then we are in a war, whether or not we want to be. I'm not just
going to sit by while He murders innocent people.' Harry declared, and James groaned.
'Harry, you can't beat him. He's too powerful.' James said, and Lily nodded beside him.
Harry ran his hands down his face.
'Guys, I'm not saying I'll go out and fight Him. I'm going to be involved and fight his
minions. I'll let Dumbledore fight Him until he has no more minions, then weight of
numbers will defeat him.' Harry deadpanned.
James blinked, and Lily laughed and smiled at Harry.
'How did we ever doubt you, Harry?' she asked.
Harry quirked an eyebrow in response.
'We thought you were just being a young overconfident teenager, rushing headlong into
danger like a Gryffindor, like us.' She continued.
'That would be a horrible tactic.' He smirked and held his hands up in surrender as both
parents glared at him.
Harry met his father's gaze.
'Have you read any books on muggle tactics?' he asked, and James frowned.
'Only the stuff in the Auror manuals, adapted from that muggle leader Julius Caesar.'
James said and both Harry and Lily gaped at him.
'Maybe reach out to some squibs in the muggle military and have them instruct your
Aurors on tactics.' Harry suggested.
James blinked.
'What would squibs be able to teach us?' he asked.
Lily glared at him while Harry facepalmed.

'Dad, that's the attitude that will get the Wizarding World into trouble someday.' Harry
groaned.
James looked between both Harry and Lily.
'What did I say?' James asked, and Lily's glare intensified.
'You know what, you two can talk about that later. Right now, we have a few more
things to discuss.' Harry said.
Lily blinked and turned her gaze from James to Harry.
'You've really thought this whole thing through, haven't you?' Lily asked.
Harry nodded.
'Fleur and I spent a long time working through these plans before the school year
finished.' He said and James smirked.
'What else did you two do?' his father asked, and Harry blushed while Lily slapped the
back of James' head.
James' grin faded after a moment.
'Harry, did you learn any more about what we talked to Dumbledore about in the
Hospital Wing?' he asked and beside him, Lily's eyes narrowed.
Harry looked between the two.
'Can I assume dad has told you about conversation?' Harry asked, and his mother gave
a small nod.
'Okay, I can tell you, but only with Fleur present, it's as much to do with her as me. I'll
only tell the two of you if you really want to know.' Harry said, and both parents shared a
quick glance.
'We want to know.' Lily said and Harry ran a hand down his face.
'This is more than my time shenanigans in the Room of Requirement. This is about
Time Travel. If you still want to know, then I'll bring Fleur by at some stage this summer
and we'll tell you about it, but it's not good.' Harry said, his gaze fell to his shaking
hands.
His pocket vibrated.
Harry fumbled to pull out his ornate mirror Fleur gave him, and he turned back to his
parents.
'It's Fleur.' He said, smiling.

Harry stood and turned to James.
'Dad, please get in touch with your friend Mrs Marchbanks about my OWLs and start
thinking about how you'll make a grand entrance into the Wizengamot.' Harry said and
turned to his mother, who wore a wide grin.
'Mum, can you consider some areas in the Wizarding World that would benefit from
muggle innovations, then talk to dad about whether those things are done for a good
reason?' he asked, and Lily blinked once before nodding with a confused expression on
her face.
Harry grinned.
'Thanks guys.' He said before running upstairs to his room on near silent feet.
The next few days saw Harry fall into a routine similar to that of every summer before.
Training with James and Holly on the expansive grounds of the Potter estate.
Except this time, Charlus demanded to join in and throw rocks at Harry alongside Holly.
A few days later, Sirius and Susan joined in on the morning training sessions and Harry
spent hours dodging attacks, both spell fire and rocks.
He used his wandless magic to deflect what spells and rocks he could, often leaving him
untouched by the end of the exhausting training session.
A week into the break, Harry stood on a hill overlooking the Delacour estate and the
lake in the distance in which he could see muggle boats sailing on.
The mid-morning sun shone and warmed his skin. He remembered how warm France
was compared to his chilly homeland.
Moments later, Fleur wrapped him in an embrace, a beaming smile across her face.
She kissed him with a familiar passion, and he returned her kiss with equal fervour.
Their kiss was cut short, as Gabrielle wrapped them both in a hug.
'I'm glad that you're 'ere 'Arry. Fleur 'as been sad wizout you around.' She said in heavily
accented English, and Harry looked down at the little Veela and returned her embrace.
'I've been sad too.' Harry said with a grin.
Gabrielle pulled away from him and looked up at him with wide eyes before turning to
Fleur.
'Would you share him with me?' Gabrielle asked, falling back into French.
Harry blinked, and Fleur clamped a hand over Gabrielle's mouth.
'No, and don't say that anywhere near Maman or she'll be angry.' Fleur hissed.
Harry watched the two sisters as they stared at each other. Gabrielle wore a defiant
expression for a moment before she let out a huff and hugged Harry again for a few
seconds, then ran back toward the house.
Harry blinked and turned to Fleur, who wore a strange expression, almost shocked, but
it was quickly replaced by determination.
'What just happened?' Harry asked, and Fleur sighed.
Fleur pulled him into a hug and buried her face in his neck. She mumbled something he
couldn't hear.
'What was that? I couldn't hear you.' Harry said, pulling away to meet her eyes.
Fleur sighed again.
'Gabrielle has begun her maturity; she's started earlier than we all thought and she's
considering staking a claim on you.' Fleur explained, and Harry blinked.
Fleur laughed. It was musical and filled Harry with warmth.
'You remember how Veela are territorial, yes?' she asked, and Harry nodded.
'But doesn't she already know we-' he began, but Fleur gave a grim smile.
'Yes, she does. But I haven't…' she trailed off and blushed.
Harry frowned.
'Haven't what?' he asked.
Fleur huffed.
'I haven't marked you. The mark shows other Veela that you are well, mine, for lack of a
better term.' She explained, the blush crept up her cheeks.
Harry gave her a soft smile, leaning closer to her and he captured her lips in a kiss. It
was gentle and spoke of more than just passion. He pulled back and looked into her
eyes.
'Whatever this mark is, I'll happily bear it.' He said, and she buried her face in his neck.
'You're an idiot. Don't you want to know more about it before agreeing?' she asked, and
Harry wrapped his arms around her waist.
'If it's a part of being with you, then I'll bear it.' He whispered.
Harry pulled away and cupped her face in his hands, his emerald eyes locked with her
ice blue.
'I love you, Fleur. You are everything to me. Now, if it'll make you feel better, you can
explain the mark to me.' He said, and her eyes watered.
'I can always ask your mother about it if you'd rather?' Harry asked and Fleur paled.
'No, no. Maman would give you every intimate detail and take great pleasure in
explaining every aspect of the process.' Fleur whispered.
Harry laughed.
'How about we go inside, and you explain this mark to me later when we're alone?' he
asked, and she grinned up at him and took his hand.
She batted her eyelashes at him and ran her spare hand across his muscled chest.
'We might be a little distracted later when we're alone.' She purred.
He grinned and leaned in closer to kiss her.
'Then that explanation will have to wait.' Harry whispered as he broke their kiss.
Fleur beamed and led him by the hand toward the Manor where Dominique stood by the
door with a wide smile.
'Took you two long enough. Harry, I'm so glad to have you back here. I heard you two
had a busy year at Hogwarts. Sorry I wasn't there as much as I would have liked.' He
said and pulled both Harry and Fleur into a hug.
Harry smiled at the man after the hug ended.
'We did have an exciting year. But it gave us the opportunity to consider what we're
going to do over the next few years.' Harry said, and Dominique gave him a quizzical
look.
Dominique gestured for them to follow him as he turned and walked inside.
'Come, Apolline will be back soon.' He said as he led them to the stately lounge room.
Fleur led Harry to the two-seater couch and Gabrielle sat in a nearby chair while
Dominique took a seat on the couch opposite to Harry and Fleur.
Apolline stepped into the room through the Floo and without breaking stride, she walked
past Harry's couch and kissed the top of his head before she sat beside her husband.
Apolline beamed at him and Fleur.
'I'm sorry I wasn't present for your arrival. I had some issues to deal with at Gringotts.'
Apolline said.
Her eyes darted toward Fleur for a moment before she looked down at the coffee table.
'Hopsy.' Apolline said and a moment later the House-Elf appeared in the room beside
Apolline's couch.
'Mistress?' Hopsy asked, and Apolline smiled at the creature.
'Could we get some refreshments please?' she asked, and the little House-Elf
disappeared with a pop.
A few moments later, the coffee table held three cups of tea and a coffee.
Apolline took the coffee and sipped at it.
'Fleur told us some parts of what happened at Hogwarts this past year.' Apolline said
and blew on her coffee.
She placed the steaming cup on the coffee table.
'Gabrielle, can you please go to your room until we are done? I'll come up to get you
when we are ready.' Apolline asked.
Gabrielle pouted and turned to Harry with pleading eyes, earning only an apologetic
shrug from him. She sighed before she stood and hugged Harry. She gave Fleur a
sweet smile, then flounced out of the room.
Apolline turned to Harry, her warm smile still on her face, but it hid something else that
he couldn't see.
'Harry, what interested Dominique and myself is what my daughter didn't say in her tale.
She told us of the two women who you confronted in the First Task and how they
interrupted the other two tasks. But she refused to say any more on the matter.' Apolline
said and from the corner of his eye, Harry saw Fleur's jaw clench at her mother's prying.
Harry smiled and placed a calming hand on Fleur's thigh.
He looked between Apolline and Dominique and sighed.
'The truth is not something that you will believe at first. I haven't told my parents, but
they want to know. If they still do when I get back to Britain with Fleur, we'll tell them
then. Dumbledore knows only the smallest part and does not seem to want to know any
more than that.' Harry explained and turned to Fleur, who nodded at him before he
turned back to her parents.
'Tell me to stop at any stage, okay?' he asked.
Harry waited until they shared and look and nodded at him.
Harry took a deep breath and squeezed Fleur's leg.
'Both of the women I confronted in the First Task were from the future.' Harry started
and spent the rest of the day telling the elder Delacour's everything, with Fleur's
assistance.
Harry woke in one of the spare rooms of Delacour Manor. The morning sun streamed in
through a window to warm his face.
He opened his eyes, still half-asleep, and saw a silver head of hair in front of him. He
smiled and took a deep breath.
Harry froze as that information reached his still half-asleep mind.
The hair didn't smell like Fleur's, nor did he remember going to bed with her.
They'd kissed the night before, after telling her parents everything. It had been a tired
but passionate kiss.
The body lying up against his chest was too small to be Fleur, and Harry leapt
backwards out of bed with a gasp. His eyes darted around the room for a moment
before they settled on the silver-blonde-haired girl in his bed.
Gabrielle slept tucked under the blanket. She must have slipped in during the night.
Harry let out a sigh of relief to see she was fully clothed, at least. He took a calming
breath and inched his way to the door while keeping an eye on the sleeping Veela.
His mind conjured visions of wrathful Veela and Dominique.
Harry crept out of his room, still in his pyjamas and knocked on Fleur's door.
No response.
He looked up and down the hallway, and finding nobody, moved downstairs. Harry
focussed on his breathing. He struggled to keep his rising panic under control. His
heartbeat faster than needed and adrenaline flooded his system.
He needed to run, to fight, something, anything.
Harry approached the dining room as sounds of habitation came from within.
He peered around the doorframe and saw Apolline sitting alone at the table, spreading
something onto a croissant.
Apolline looked up from her task and waved for him to enter.
'Harry, good morning.' She beamed, eyeing his pyjamas with amusement in her eyes.
The Veela poured a glass of orange juice into a glass at the seat opposite her.
'Why do you look so spooked, dear?' she asked as she took a bite out of her croissant.
'After last night's conversation, I'd think it would be Dominique, and myself who were
spooked.' She said.
Harry ran a hand through his hair, before he met her gaze.
'I-I woke up with Gabrielle in bed with me.' Harry admitted, cringing.
The room was silent for a few seconds before Apolline laughed. It was like music, just
like Fleur's, and the ethereal quality of it made him pause.
Then he frowned as he realised she was laughing at him. Not yelling, screaming, or
throwing balls of fire at him.
She laughed.
She must have seen his stupefied expression, as she smothered her laughter with a
hand and coughed, clearing her throat. Apolline schooled her perfect features, but her
eyes shone with amusement.
'Harry, son, Gabrielle is in the first stages of her maturation. It is happening earlier than
we expected, but it is not unheard of. Fleur was around sixteen when she matured.
Gabrielle is only a year or so younger.' Apolline explained, her voice was soft, but it still
held a hint of laughter.
'A part of the maturation process is sudden urges to stake her claim.' She said.
Apolline's eyes sparkled as she reached out a hand to take Harry's into her own.
'I know Fleur has yet to mark you, and there is nothing wrong with that. I am proud of
her for her restraint. As Fleur hasn't marked you, Gabrielle's instincts from her Veela
heritage are pushing her to claim you.' She said, smiling at him.
'If Fleur does claim you, then Gabrielle's instincts will understand that and her romantic
attentions toward you will stop. Veela do not share, especially sisters.' Apolline paused
and let go of Harry's hand.
Harry opened his mouth to speak, but Apolline stopped him with a hand.
'Gabrielle finds you attractive and is drawn to you. You are one of the few males, not
related to her, that she has known for a long time. In many ways, you are her ideal
mate. Her Veela magic recognises that. However, she doesn't yet have the ability to
control her Veela magic.' Apolline paused and gave him a tender smile.
'Normally, this is the hardest aspect of the maturation. Unrelated men rarely have the
strength of mind to resist a Veela's attention, and you are unaffected. This is very
impressive, and I see Fleur has chosen well in you, my dear Harry.' Apolline said.
Harry looked down at the table and ran a hand through his hair before he returned his
gaze to Apolline.
'Why are you not worried? She climbed into my bed and she asked Fleur yesterday if
they could share me. Shouldn't this worry you?' he asked, and she gave her musical
laugh and patted his hand.
'We'll just need to lock your door while you're here.' She smiled before her expression
turned serious.
'Can I ask you a favour?' she asked.
Harry nodded.
'Of course, your family has been good to me. I want to repay that if I can.' He said and
Apolline gave him a warm smile.
'If you would help Gabrielle during her maturation, it would make it easier on her.
Normally, this period is… difficult for young Veela.' She hesitated.
'How can I help her?' Harry asked, cocking his head.
Apolline leant forward with a wide smile and took his hands in hers over the table.
'All you would need to do is spend time with her while she practices using her Allure. It
will take most of the summer, but that is instead of taking the entire year like Fleur.'
Apolline said and Harry nodded.
'So, all I have to do is spend time with her? Help her with her studies? That doesn't
sound so hard.' He smiled.
Apolline patted his hand before she released him. She leaned back in her chair with a
smile.
'Having a resistant man nearby who is unrelated is very rare. This is a difficult time for
Veela. Usually she would have to go to the Enclaves like Fleur, and I had to do.' She
paused and with a small nod she continued, though the light of laughter was fading from
her eyes.
'The Allure doesn't work on other Veela, nor does it work on close blood relatives,
thankfully. You know of Occlumency, yes?' she asked, and Harry nodded.
'Yes, I'm quite proficient at it now. Fleur has helped me with it this past year.' He said.
Apolline smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes.

'That is the traditional way for Veela to learn to control their powers. But even young
Veela, skilled in Occlumency, sometimes lose control of their emotions, and with them,
their powers.' Apolline paused.
Harry nodded and took a sip of his orange juice.
'I can imagine how that could be dangerous, to everyone involved.' He said, putting his
glass down on the table.
Apolline stilled, then sighed.
'When I was a girl, I was abducted from Beauxbatons with another Veela. I managed to
keep a hold of my emotions, and my power. But my friend, she lost control. Being
young, we did not know how it would affect our abductors, who were four wizards.' She
paused.
Harry watched. He didn't want to hear what happened next, but knew he had to.
A tear slid down Apolline's cheek.
'With her powers out of control, her wild Veela magic warped the four wizards' minds.
They lost all thought and devolved to their base instincts. They all rushed at her and
fought each other over who would take her as their own.' She whispered; her eyes
locked on her shaking hands.
'When the Aurors arrived to rescue us that night, three wizards were dead, and the
fourth had died from his wounds in her cell. But my friend, we lost her inside her own
mind, the only safe place left.' She paused and took a breath.
'She is now kept at the Enclaves in a vegetative state, surrounded by other Veela who
are unaffected by her wild Veela magic.' Apolline said.
Harry reached out across the table and took her hand. She looked up and met his eyes.
'I trust you with my daughters. I believe with your help, Gabrielle will never have to fear.'
She said, and Harry nodded.
'I will, of course, help. I will do anything to help your family.' He said.
She wiped the tears from her face with a handkerchief before she gave him a watery
smile.
'Dear, by now, you're a part of this family, even if it's not official yet.' She said.
Harry's face grew hot, he released her hands and ran a hand through his hair.
A musical laugh came from behind, drawing his attention, and he turned to see Fleur in
the doorway. She was dressed and ready for the day. Her eyes danced in amusement
as she raked her gaze over his pyjamas.
Fleur sat beside him and turned to her mother.
'I went to wake up 'Arry a few minutes ago and what do I see but our little Gabrielle in
his bed?' she began and turned to Harry with a blank expression on her face.
''Arry, is there something you wanted to tell me?' she asked, one perfect eyebrow
raised.
Despite her earlier laughter, Harry felt the thrill of danger in the air and a shiver ran
down his spine.
His jaw worked as he tried to speak, but nothing came out.
Both her brows rose, waiting for a reply.
He shook his head.
'Sh-she snuck in during the night.' He sputtered.
Her blank stare caused his eyes to involuntarily search for escape routes, and he
wondered how he would return to Britain in one piece.
Then her stare broke, and she laughed.
Fleur leaned forward and kissed him before she sat in her chair beside him with an
impish smile.
'Relax 'Arry. I know nothing happened, nor would it. I trust you and the family does as
well. We wouldn't have allowed you here if we didn't know you were immune.' Fleur said
and poured herself a glass of juice.
Harry blinked and let out the breath he'd been holding.
Apolline shook her head with a smirk.
'I bet that you are unaware that both Fleur and I are not shackling our power. You are
feeling the full Allure of two powerful Veela right now.' She paused; her eyes danced
with mischief.
'While you are rendered speechless, it has more to do with my other daughter ending up
in your bed, not the two of us.' Apolline said and Harry cocked his head to the side.
'Really? Neither of you are holding back?' Harry asked, his gaze moved between the
two.
He closed his eyes for a moment and focussed. He could feel the wandering tendrils of
magic around him, though they found no purchase. The tendrils filled the room, making
him glad he was somehow immune.
Harry felt Fleur take his hand, and he opened his eyes.
'No, neither of us are holding anything back. Even Papa is little lightheaded when
Maman relaxes like this.' Fleur explained.
Fleur kissed him again before she turned back to her breakfast and heaped food onto
his empty plate.
Apolline chuckled at their behaviour.
'Fleur told us about the L'appel du vide. Dominique and I were both impressed that you
saw the signs and removed her from the Great Hall of Hogwarts so quickly.' Apolline
said with a small frown.
Harry blinked and met her gaze. Apolline's light blue eyes glistened as she smiled.
'Thank you Harry, for being with her during that. It must have been difficult, Dominique
struggled when I went through it too.' she said.
Harry nodded and prodded a piece of bacon on his plate.
'Do you know why it happened so early?' he asked, and turned to look at Fleur, who
gave a faint shrug.
Apolline shook her head.
'No, though I suspect it was due to the stress the both of you were under with the
Tournament, and likely your time in the Room of Requirement didn't help matters.'
Apolline said and sighed.
'But now that the both of you have been through that traumatic experience, I believe that
it will only bring you closer. I'm proud of both of you.' Apolline said, then cleared her
throat.
'Before my youngest joins us, I wanted to tell the both of you that you have my and
Dominique's assistance.' The Veela said.
Harry and Fleur glanced at each other, both beamed, and they turned back to Apolline.
'Now, Dominique mentioned that he will be happy to work in the political sphere, both
here and in Britain, due to his position of being the French Ambassador. If I am
unavailable for any reason, he will be able to assist with any business-related questions
you may have.' Apolline said and paused to take a sip of coffee.
'We understand what you are trying to achieve, and it is a lofty goal, much more than
simple House business. We will assist you in this endeavour, in whatever way we can.'
She finished.
Harry smiled at her and took Fleur's hand.

'Thank you Apolline, I'm glad we told you everything.' Harry said.
Apolline grinned before she cocked her head to the side.
'How old are you truly, Harry?' she asked, and Harry blinked.
He looked at Fleur, who only rose one perfect eyebrow at him. He turned back to
Apolline.
'Perhaps eighteen by now? Admittedly, I stopped counting.' Harry said and Apolline
smiled.
'Harry, that means that the trace on your wand is most likely broken as the trace is
linked to your magic and your magic knows how old you are, even if you don't.' she said,
and Harry gaped at her.
Fleur laughed as she ate.
Apolline turned to Fleur.
'How old would you be now after this year's events?' she asked, and Fleur froze.
Fleur looked into her mother's eyes and Harry saw the worry in them.
'I believe Maman, that due to the effects of the Room, I would be eighteen and eleven
months, having aged an extra ten months.' She said, slowly, as if she were working it
out in her head as she spoke.
Harry blinked at her and Apolline smiled at him and patted his hand across the table.
Apolline pushed her plate to the side and reach out to take a hand from both Harry and
Fleur.
'I am proud of both of you. Messing with time is something few do, but in your case, I
think it worked out for the best.' Apolline said and released their hands.
Harry smiled and watched as she stood.
'Now, finish your breakfast and get ready for the day. We have much to discuss and you
have a young Veela to help train.' Apolline smiled and left the room.
Leaving Harry and Fleur to finish their breakfast.
After breakfast, Harry peeked around the door into his guest room and saw it empty of
the littlest Veela of the house.
He let out a sigh and walked through the door. As he stepped into the room, small arms
wrapped around his waist, followed by a squeal.
''Arry, you're so warm. Why did you not wake me for breakfast? Do you not like me
anymore?' Gabrielle asked.
Harry turned around in her embrace and looked down into the little girl's eyes. They
were a sky-blue, with small flecks of brown.
He smiled and knelt. It was hard to remember that Gabrielle was about the same age as
Holly, even though she looked like she was ten. Harry pulled her into a hug, then
released her.
'Of course, I still like you, Gabrielle. You looked so peaceful while you slept. I didn't want
to disturb you.' He said, and she beamed up at him.
Harry stood and turned her toward the door.
'Now go, I have to shower, and you have breakfast to eat.' He said, and she grinned at
him before she ran out of the room and down the hallway toward the stairs.
Harry let out a breath and looked up to see Fleur leaning on the door frame with a wide
smile.
'Thank you 'Arry, it means so much to us that you will help us with Gabrielle. I'm sorry I
sprung this on you. I didn't think she'd be so forward with you.' Fleur said, her eyes
downcast.
Harry grinned and walked over to her. He put a finger to her chin and raised her gaze to
meet his.
'While it was definitely a surprise to wake up with her in my bed, I think if I can help her
through this time, then maybe it won't be so hard for her when she goes back to school,
like it was for you.' Harry said, and Fleur gave him a sad smile.
'I hope so, I wouldn't wish that on anyone.' she said, her voice little more than a murmur.
Harry took her hands in his and raised them to his lips in a kiss.
'We'll also be able to make the most of our time here to work on our plan.' He said, and
she nodded.
Fleur pulled him in for a quick kiss and pushed him away with a playful grin.
'You need a shower; we'll be downstairs when you're ready.' She said with a wink and
left the room, her behind swaying more than usual.
'Maybe a cold shower.' Harry muttered to himself.
An hour later, Harry sat beside Fleur on a couch in the lounge room. Opposite them sat
Gabrielle and Apolline on the other couch.
Apolline held Gabrielle's hand and looked at Harry.
'Are you ready Harry?' she asked, and Harry quirked an eyebrow.
'What do I need to do exactly?' he asked, and Fleur squeezed his hand.
'Just relax and trust us.' Fleur whispered and Harry nodded.
He turned to Gabrielle and smiled at her, meeting her sky-blue eyes. She nodded and
her expression twisted into a determined scowl, her eyes narrowed.
Apolline ran her hand across Gabrielle's.
'Stay calm, just focus on Harry. Feel how he is sitting before us. Don't try to push your
magic at him, let it flow to him.' Apolline whispered in French, though in the silent room it
sounded like a shout.
Harry, now familiar with the Veela magic from Apolline and Fleur, felt Gabrielle's
reaching out for him and he smiled.
'You're doing well. I can feel your power reaching for me. Good work.' He whispered.
Gabrielle beamed, and Harry felt her magic wrap around him.
Fleur's grip tightened around his hand and he turned to smile at her before he turned
back to Gabrielle.
'Whatever you're doing now is working. I can feel your magic surrounding me, just like
how the others' does.' He said, and Apolline gave him a wide smile as she looked
between him and Gabrielle.
Apolline rubbed Gabrielle's back.
'You're making wonderful progress. Now for the next hour we will keep trying to focus
everything you can on Harry, then we will teach you how to control it.' Apolline
instructed and Gabrielle nodded, though her eyes never left Harry's.
By lunch time, Gabrielle was asleep on the couch where she'd sat with her mother.
Harry sat on the couch opposite and smiled at the little Veela as her mother stroked her
silver blonde hair.
Fleur sat down beside Harry and placed two coffees and a tea on the table between the
two couches.
''Arry, I don't think you quite understand how much you've helped us in only a few
hours.' Fleur said as she took a sip from her coffee.
Harry blinked.
'What do you mean? I just sat there.' He said.
Fleur grinned and nudged him with her shoulder.
'It took me three months before I could focus my power on a target. I had to learn basic
Occlumency before moving to this step.' Fleur said and Harry frowned before Apolline
shifted on her couch.
'Harry dear, this way of teaching Gabrielle allows us to give her an actual target for her
powers, a safe target. Normally, we have to become attuned to the magic around and
within us. The three months Fleur took was almost a record, only my mother reached
that point faster.' Apolline said and took a sip of her coffee.
'You also seem to have an instinctive grasp of how our magic works. The way you
described it helped her more than you know. It even helped me to have a better
understanding of my own powers.' Apolline said as she stroked Gabrielle's hair.
Apolline looked up and met Harry's eyes.
'Thank you, Harry, for teaching me.' She said.
Harry ran a hand through his hair and rubbed the back of his head.
'It's okay Apolline, I just want to help.' He muttered, and she smiled before she turned to
Fleur.
'Honey, did you want to take Harry outside to give him an overview of apparating? We'll
join you once your sister wakes up and has some lunch.' Apolline said, and Fleur gave a
quick nod.
Fleur stood from the couch and held out her hand. Harry took it, and together they
walked out of the lounge room and out of the Manor.
Harry revelled in the warm sun, stretching as he walked.
A musical laugh came from Fleur as she smiled at him, then jerked her head toward the
outcropping of rock she'd shown him the first time he'd been to the Manor years before.
Once beside the rock that overlooked the lake in the distance, Fleur turned to him and
sat on the grass.
She patted the ground in front of her and Harry sat, mirroring her crossed legs.
Fleur leaned forward and gently brushed his lips with hers before pulling away.
'Have you studied Apparition before?' she asked, and Harry shook his head.
'It's never really come up until recently.' He said, and she nodded.
Fleur tucked a stray hair behind her ear and bit her lip before she met his gaze.
'Okay, so Apparition, in its simplest sense, is willing your magic to take you somewhere
else. You need to be able to will yourself, in its entirely to another place that you have
firmly in your mind. This means you have to visualise where you are going.' She
explained.
'There is a lot involved with Apparition, but I know how you work. You have plenty of
will. If you didn't, then you wouldn't have been able to shrug off three Veela's Allure. I
know you can visualise your location, because you are as good as I am in
transfiguration where visualisation is key.' She mused.
Harry nodded.
'So, how are people normally taught Apparition?' he asked, and she groaned.
'Through constant repetition and irritation.' She groused and Harry laughed.
Harry spent four more days at Delacour Manor, helping Gabrielle and learning to
Apparate, first with Fleur helping, then Apolline.
After an international portkey deposited him onto a hill overlooking Potter Manor, Harry
made his way to the entrance and stepped into the Manor.
Within moments, Holly wrapped him in a hug, followed by Susan.
Sirius stood and leaned against a wall with a smirk.
Charlus and Orion joined the two girls in the group hug and they all fell over in a pile of
limbs.
Sirius laughed.
'You've got a fan club Harry.' He said from his place against the wall.
Harry poked his head out of the pile of limbs and stuck out his tongue.
'At least I have fans Padfoot.' He shot, and Sirius pouted.
'Low blow kiddo. Anyway, your mum is at the shop, she'll be back in a few hours.' Sirius
said and frowned.
Sirius stroked his goatee.
'You know, your mental protection line at the shop is selling more than most of the stuff
your mother has made. If she was a normal person, she'd be threatened by your skills.'
Sirius said.
Harry laughed and pulled himself to his feet.
'Mum is anything but normal. Besides, she knows that enchanting isn't my dream.' He
said as he watched the others make their way to their feet as well.
Susan smirked at Harry.
'No, Harry's dream is of French origin.' She grinned.
Sirius laughed and Harry groaned.

'I'd forgotten what you guys were like. It's so peaceful over there, you know?' Harry said
and shivered.
'It's warmer over there too.' He complained.
Sirius laughed and pushed himself off the wall and made his way into the lounge room.
Harry followed, along with the kids. Charlus and Orion both took a hand while Holly and
Susan shared a grin.
Sirius lounged back in a chair.
'Prongs has organised for you to take your OWLs in two days.' Sirius paused and
tapped his chin in thought.
'Oh, he also booked you in for apparition testing like you asked.' Sirius winked.
Both Holly and Susan gasped.
'You really don't know how to relax, do you kiddo?' Sirius asked, and Harry sighed.
'No, not really.' Harry admitted and both girls rolled their eyes at him.
Harry sat on a couch. Charlus and Orion both took a seat on either side and hugged
him.
Holly and Susan took the other couch.
'So, what's happening around here for the next few days?' Harry asked.
Sirius shrugged.
'You know us, playing each day by ear, really.' He said, and Harry turned to the girls and
raised a brow.
'I've already finished most of my assignments, so I was hoping to spend some time with
you.' Holly said, and Sirius groaned.
'Ravenclaws. Why couldn't one of you be a Gryffindor? At least Charlus will be, but he
won't be going until after next year.' Sirius whined.
Susan shifted on the couch.
'Dad, I've finished most of my homework, too. Are you disappointed in me too?' the
redhead asked, and Sirius blinked before he held his hands up in surrender.
'No, no honey. Not at all, you kids are way better at school than me, but at least with
Charlus we'll be able to talk about normal things like flying and relaxing.' The man back
peddled.
Harry huffed.
'I can relax.' He objected.
The three stared at him for a few seconds before they laughed in unison.
'Some family you are.' Harry scowled and leant back into the couch with a pout.
Holly wiped a tear from her eye.
'I missed you, Harry.' She said.
Harry grinned at her, his pout forgotten.
'I missed you too.' He replied and saw Susan's soft smile.
'Yes Susan, I missed you too.' He said, and she grinned.
Sirius waved his hand above his head.
'What about me?' he asked, and Harry gave an overacted sigh.
'Yeah, I suppose I did.' Harry said before shifting on his couch, a serious expression on
his face.
'Padfoot, did mum and dad tell you about the prank I'm planning?' he asked, and Sirius'
eyes shone with excitement.
'Yes, it's going to be brilliant, but is this for real?' Sirius asked.
Harry nodded.
'I think its important we do this, and we need to be the first. As a prank on all the pure-
blooded bigots, it'll be brilliant. But it goes beyond that.' Harry said and Sirius frowned.
'You know, I think I'd rather think of it as a prank, it'll keep the bad taste from my mouth
for having to hang around all those stuffy blowhards in the Wizengamot.' Sirius mused.
Susan and Holly shared a questioning glance and turned to Harry.
'What's going on?' Holly asked.
Harry smiled at her and Susan.
'This year, we're going to shake things up in the Wizarding World. In a good way.' He
smiled and turned back to Sirius.
'Aunt Amelia's in on this, right?' he asked, and Sirius nodded.
Harry turned to Susan.

'The Wizengamot will never be the same again, not if dad and Sirius have anything to
say about it.' He said.
Holly frowned.
'Why now? What's the goal? This would take too much effort to just be a prank.' She
said.
Beside her, Susan nodded.
Harry grinned.
'I'll get Sirius to explain it to you in a moment, but in short, we're going to change the
world.' He said.
Susan rubbed her eyes, then moved her fingers to temples and sighed.
Holly frowned.
'Harry, giving half answers isn't your thing.' She said and Harry laughed and stood, he
disentangled himself from the two boys.
Harry looked at Sirius.
'Can you let them in on the plan? I'll be back after I get changed.' He said, and Sirius
smirked and nodded.
That night, after dinner with the extended family, Charlus and Orion went upstairs to
Charlus' room for bed.
The remaining members of the Potter extended family moved to the sitting room and
made themselves comfortable in front of the fireplace.
Harry looked around the fire-lit room. His parents and Holly, Sirius, Amelia and Susan,
and Remus all sat in a semi-circle around the fireplace.
Harry sat on a couch with Holly and Susan on either side, which drew soft smiles from
the adults. He shifted in place and leant forward, his eyes moving between the adults.
'Is everyone up to date on their plans for the Wizengamot?' Harry asked and his parents
nodded, as did Sirius and Amelia.
Remus frowned. It was approaching the full moon, and the man was looking a little
rough around the edges. His golden eyes spoke of the tension inside as the wolf fought
his control.
'How can I help with this plan, Harry? I don't have a noble House or anything.' Remus
said, and Harry smiled.
'I had a chat with mum about that.' Harry said and turned to Lily.
'Mum, did you want to tell him?' he asked, and Lily beamed at him.
Lily cleared her throat and turned to Remus.
'I don't know why it took me so long to think of this. Maybe I just needed to bounce the
idea around with someone, thanks Harry.' She said, and Harry nodded with a grin.
Lily turned back to Remus, who looked confused.
'James and Sirius, along with Amy and the Delacour's have all decided to invest heavily
in the muggle world. As we know, the Goblins aren't too comfortable dealing with
muggles on an everyday basis, so we figured you would fit the role.' Lily said, and
Remus blinked.
'What role, exactly?' the werewolf asked.
Sirius reached over and slapped Remus on the back.
'Moony, you are the official Chief Executive Officer of Crocus Incorporated, a business
created to invest the wealth of the Wizarding World into the muggle one.' Sirius
announced in as pompous a voice as possible.
Remus blinked again. He turned from Lily to Sirius, to James and then to Amelia.
Finally, he turned to Harry.
'What?' Remus croaked.
Harry laughed.
'Don't look at me Moony, sure it was my idea to start with, but they all worked together
on it.' He said.
Lily leant forward, almost bouncing in place.
'Remus, this business, we want you to run it. You'll be the CEO while we'll be on the
board, so sure, you'll be answering to us, officially. But in reality, you'll have relative
autonomy to make decisions.' Lily said, Remus gaped.
'But why me? With my, full moon?' Remus sputtered.
James waved a hand in dismissal.
'Lily brews you the enhanced Wolfsbane. As long as you take it, you're fine. This way,
you get a steady income, and we increase the size of our coffers.' James explained.
'But why me?' Remus repeated.

Sirius groaned and facepalmed, he turned to James.
'I knew he'd do this. Remus old friend, out of the Marauders, you were always the most
sensible. Because of having to work in the muggle world, you're probably more informed
about it than Lily is these days.' Sirius said, Lily nodded.
'Remus, we chose you to run Crocus Incorporated because you'd be the best for the
job.' Lily said, and Remus groaned.
The werewolf ran his hands down his face and slumped in his seat.
'Fine, but what do I do?' he asked, defeated.
The adults turned to Harry in unison.
Harry grinned at Remus.
'You research into the muggle world; you decide what companies and industries could
benefit from our investments. There are some areas I think will be good to start with, but
that's it in a nutshell.' Harry explained.
Remus narrowed his eyes.
'Harry, why are you the one leading this? Why are the others following your lead?' he
asked, and waved his hand, encompassing the adults in the room who were all
watching Harry.
Harry nodded.
'Because Moony, Fleur and I have noticed some things in the Wizarding World need to
change. We've spent a lot of time looking at our world and seeing the flaws in it.' Harry
said and Remus quirked an eyebrow at him.
'We keep having Dark Lords pop up and the magical population isn't recovering. First
Grindelwald, then Voldemort. If it continues in this pattern, the magical world won't be
around for much longer.' Harry said, and Remus kept staring at him.
'Fleur and I have come to the decision that we need to remove the rampant corruption in
our world, and the discrimination inherent within it.' Harry ran a hand through his hair.
Remus frowned.
'How does investing in the muggle world achieve that?' the werewolf asked, and Harry
nodded.
'Fair question. The answer is two-fold-' Harry paused as Sirius giggled, only for Amelia
to slap the back of his head.
'Go on Harry.' Amelia said and Harry smirked at Sirius.

'As I was saying, its an untapped market for magicals, we'll make a fortune. With that
fortune, we will have the wealth and influence to effect change in the Wizengamot.'
Harry explained, and Remus' eyes widened.
'The second part of the answer, Moony, is that it won't be long before the muggles
discover our world. Whether by accident or on purpose, our worlds will collide, and it
won't be reversed with an Obliviate.' Harry paused and looked down at Holly, who
beamed up at him.
Harry turned back to Remus.
'Having our collective fingers in a selection of high-level muggle companies will allow us
to monitor what's going on in the muggle world, and will in time, modernise the magical
world with the advancements of the muggle world without causing as many cultural
issues.' Harry said.
Susan shifted in her spot beside Harry.
'One of our friends, Hermione, is muggleborn and the culture shock she experienced
upon joining the magical world was so great that she's still getting used to it.' Susan
added, and Remus sighed.
'Fine, I'll do it. But I'll need help.' Remus said, and Lily grinned.
'I'll help you. We'll enrol you in a muggle university for a few degrees, business and the
like, to help you.' Lily said, and James laughed.
'With you two, more school is always the answer.' James said, and Lily stuck her tongue
out at her husband in reply.
Amelia leant forward, her monocled gaze settled on Harry.
'Do you have any other surprises for us?' she asked, and Harry shrugged.
'Well, once I'm officially of age I'll be taking over the Potter Lordship, seeing as Dad
doesn't want it.' Harry said and Amelia nodded.
'What are your plans for after you take your OWLs in a few days?' she asked.
Harry shrugged again.
'I'm just going to keep training and head back to the Delacour estate to help them out
with some things. But pretty much just popping between the two manors.' Harry said.
Holly frowned.
'You don't actually mean popping between the two, do you? Apparating that far is
supposed to be stupidly hard.' She asked, and Harry frowned.
'It's not that hard to do, really. But to do it legally, I'll need Dominique to pull some
strings for me.' He said.
Amelia closed her eyes and counted under her breath.
James grinned.
'I had the same reaction when I heard him the first time.' James said.
Susan cocked her head.
'What do you mean, Uncle James?' she asked.
James smiled.
'Dominique Delacour isn't just Fleur's dad. He's the French Ambassador to our Ministry,
and the Delacours are almost royalty in France. When Harry says something like that, it
blows people's minds.' James explained.
Harry looked around the room.
'What did I say?'

*Chapter 42*: Chapter 41 - Fifth Year, Pt 1 1995
Chapter 41. Fifth Year, Part 1. 1995.
July ended with Harry's OWL results, straight O's. In the same envelope with his results,
came his Apparition licence.
August saw Harry popping between Potter and Delacour Manors. The first few days had
left him tired with the long-distance apparition, but he soon grew used to the strain and
his magic sung as he used large amounts of his power with each trip.
Harry held off from using his wand for magic in case the Trace was still connected to it.
While at Delacour Manor, he spent most of his time with Fleur, who was preparing to
move to Britain. Harry had convinced her to move into Potter Manor. There was plenty
of room.
When he wasn't with Fleur, Harry was with Gabrielle, helping her to harness her
growing powers.
Toward the end of the month, Gabrielle was familiar enough with her power and
Occlumency that she could keep her growing powers in check.
Eventually, August thirty-first arrived. Harry and Fleur stood outside of Delacour Manor,
while Apolline and Gabrielle joined them.
Apolline held Harry close while Gabrielle held Fleur.
'We love you Harry. You're like a son to us and if you ever need any help, we will be
there for you, no matter what.' Apolline whispered in his ear before she released him
from her embrace.
The older Veela wiped a tear from her eye.
'We would also like to receive letters from you from time to time. Gabrielle would too, I'm
sure.' She said.
Harry nodded and blinked away his own tears.
'Of course, we'll send letters as often as we can. And the same goes for you guys. Just
call for me and I'll be there.' Harry said.
Apolline smiled and looked down at a wet patch on his shirt.

'Oh, I'm sorry about the tears on your shirt dear.' She looked embarrassed, and Harry
laughed.
'Don't worry about it.' He grinned.
Apolline and Gabrielle swapped, and Harry caught Gabrielle in his arms. She was
growing fast, hitting her maturity quickly now. According to Fleur, she would be finished
by Christmas and would then look much like Apolline and Fleur.
Harry hugged the girl as she clung to his waist. She still appeared to be a child, but
closer to twelve than the ten-year-old she'd seemed for the last four years.
He dropped to one knee and held her close as she cried into his neck.
'Don't go 'Arry. You've been so good to me and I'm going to miss you.' She whispered
and pulled back to look into his eyes.
'What will happen when the girls are mean to me and the boys are gross?' she asked,
and Harry held her tighter.
'You tell them loudly that you're not interested and kick them really hard in that place.'
He said, and she giggled through her tears.
'If anything happens, let your mother know and she'll tell me. I'll come and yell at them
for you. Fleur will even come with me.' Harry continued.
Gabrielle giggled again before she hugged him again.
''Arry, if she 'asn't marked you by Christmas, I'm going to.' She whispered in his ear.
'Gabrielle, I heard that. You will not be marking 'Arry.' Fleur glared at her sister, and
Apolline laughed.
Harry released Gabrielle from his embrace and kissed the girl's forehead.
'Remember Gabrielle, you've got control of this power. According to these two, you have
more control than they did at your age. That's very impressive and something to
remember when the little girls around you are being mean. That's their problem, not
yours.' He said and she beamed at him.
Harry stood and Fleur took his hand.
'Kopsy will be bringing your bags to Potter Manor at some stage today. Not everyone
can apparate as far as you can Harry.' She said with a wink, and Harry smirked.
'Are you ready?' he asked.
Fleur took a deep breath, and nodded. She waved at her mother and sister.
Harry pooled his power with Fleur through their joined hands and a moment later,
disapparated with a loud crack.
With a deafening crack, Harry and Fleur appeared in the entry hall of Potter Manor.
Sirius poked his head and wand around the door frame from the lounge before letting
out a breath as he saw the two.
'Did you two just apparate together?' he asked.
Harry nodded with a small frown.
'Yeah, why?' he asked.
Fleur covered a laugh with her hand.
Sirius threw his hands up in the air.
'Dammit Harry, that's something that normal people can't do. I'd explain it to you, but
you'd only give me that blank expression that you're already doing.' Sirius huffed before
he stomped back into the lounge room.
Harry turned and leaned into Fleur's ear.
'Is this another of those things I shouldn't be able to do?' he asked, and she smirked.
'Yes, I figured I'd just follow along, but at least they all know that you're a magical
impossibility as well.' She said, and Harry frowned.
'I feel like I should be insulted.' He muttered, and she kissed his temple and ruffled his
hair.
'If that will make you feel better, my love.' She said and he faux-huffed.
'I think it will.' He grumbled, and she rolled her eyes.
Fleur took his hand.
'Shall we go into the lounge?' she asked.
Harry grinned and pulled her along with him.
They entered the lounge to see Susan and Holly together on a couch, their heads close
together. On the other couch sat Charlus and Orion. Charlus had 'Hogwarts: A History'
open on his lap and Orion looked on in fascination.
Susan and Holly looked up and a moment later, both girls had Fleur wrapped in a hug.
A few seconds later, the two boys hugged Harry, their book left abandoned on the
couch.
Charlus looked up at Harry with puppy-dog eyes.
'Do you have time for flying today? You'll be at school until Christmas.' The red-haired
boy asked.
Orion did his best beside him to mirror Charlus' expression.
Harry groaned.
'Fine you two, I'll take you two flying later, as long as none of the adults disagree.' Harry
said.
Both boys nodded emphatically, Orion copied every movement Charlus made.
The two boys whooped and ran over to Sirius.
'Can we go flying with Harry?' Orion asked and Sirius quirked an eyebrow.
'I don't have a problem with it, but you'll have to wait until Charlus' parents come back
too.' Sirius said, and the two boys deflated.
Harry felt arms wrap around him and found Holly and Susan hugging him.
'We missed you.' Holly whispered before letting him go.
Susan looked between Harry and Fleur with a glint in her eye.
'So, what have you two been up to for the last few days?' she asked, and Holly wore a
wicked smirk beside her.
Harry groaned and ran a hand down his face.
'Not you too Susan? It's bad enough that Holly has joined in with Sirius' antics.' Harry
complained.
Susan gave her best faux-innocent expression.
Susan frowned for a moment and cocked her head to the side.
'Did you get made a prefect too?' she asked, and Harry laughed.
'Definitely not. I specifically asked Professor Sprout not to consider me for it before we
left. Can you imagine me patrolling on weekends? I have other things to do.' Harry said,
and Holly rolled her eyes.
'So, who is going to be the other prefect for your year then?' Holly asked, and Harry
shrugged.
'No idea… Justin?' he suggested.
Susan rolled her eyes.
'You only say him because you don't actually know who the others in your dorm are.'
She scoffed, and Harry shrugged.
'Yeah, pretty much.' Harry admitted, and Fleur quirked an eyebrow.
'Do you have any male friends 'Arry?' she asked.
Harry looked at Holly, then at Susan, before he turned back to Fleur.
'No, not really.' He said, and Fleur gave a soft laugh.
'It's a good thing that I'm not the jealous type.' She muttered, and both Susan and Holly
scoffed.
'Ever since he met you, you've been the only one for him.' Holly said, and Susan
nodded beside her.
Harry looked at Sirius with a red faced, pleading expression.
Sirius chuckled and lunged back in his chair. He turned to Fleur.
'When do you start your new job?' he asked.
Fleur laughed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and led Harry to the couch.
She sat down beside him with her hand joined with his on his lap.
Sirius' eyes unfocussed a little and Fleur sighed.
Harry saw a cold look of focus cross her face for a moment, then Sirius' expression
returned to normal.
'Sorry about that.' Sirius mumbled as he rubbed the back of his head.
Susan and Holly glared at him.
'Don't worry about it, I'm going to have to get used to keeping the Allure contained
again.' She said.
Harry squeezed her leg, earning him a smile from her.
She turned back to Sirius.
'I start at Gringotts next Monday. This will give me the rest of the week to settle in here
and prepare for my new role.' She said, and Holly grinned.
'Harry said you were going to be a curse breaker. That'll keep you busy for sure, but at
least it sounds interesting.' Holly said and fell onto the couch opposite Harry and Fleur,
followed by Susan.
Fleur nodded.
'I hope so.' She muttered, a hint of nervousness in her voice.
Sirius smirked at Harry, then back at Fleur.
'How does it feel to be dating someone still in school?' he asked.
Harry scoffed while Fleur laughed and patted Harry's leg.
'I'm looking forward to Hogsmeade weekends for sure.' She said and Sirius looked
disappointed.
'I know a few secret passages you could use to go see him?' Sirius asked, and Fleur
smirked.
'Non, I already know of the ones on the maps that you created for the Professors,
unless there are any others?' she said, and Sirius pouted for a moment.
'I could show you how to not show up on the maps?' Sirius suggested.
Both Harry and Fleur froze.
'How can you do that? Dad never said anything about being able to do that. Neither did
Pettigrew, for the matter.' Harry demanded, and Sirius' smirk grew.
'Prongs doesn't know. I was the only one of us that wanted to sneak away without the
others knowing. Prongs was only interested in your mum after all, kiddo.' Sirius said.
Susan quirked an eyebrow.
'What exactly did you do when you snuck away from your friends?' she asked, a hint of
a smile in her voice.
Sirius paled.
'Can we all just forget I said anything?' he asked.
Harry shook his head, mirrored by the girls.
'How about I show you two how to do it?' Sirius asked, pointing at Harry and Fleur.
Harry looked to Susan and Holly, who wore smug smirks, then turned back to Sirius.
'Agreed, I won't tell Aunt Amelia about any of this conversation.' Harry said and Sirius
wiped his brow.
'Okay, I'll teach you two when there are less impressionable ears around.' Sirius said
and Harry shrugged.
Holly pouted.
'Padfoot, that better not have been directed at me.' She said as the fireplace burst to
life, flashing green for a moment.
Lily stepped into the room and beamed at Fleur as she sat next to Harry. Lily ran over
and hugged both Harry and Fleur over the back of the couch.
'Fleur, honey, I'm so glad that you decided to stay here with us for the year. We'll make
sure we stay out of your way, but it'll be nice to have someone other than these
Marauders loitering around all the time while the others are at Hogwarts.' Lily said and
Fleur leaned her head into Lily's embrace.
Fleur turned to Lily as she released them and walked over to the chair next to Holly's
couch.
'Thank you for letting me stay with you, finding a place to rent for the year would have
been a bother, as would furnishing it.' The Veela admitted.
Lily shifted in her seat and leaned forward.
'Have you two decided whether you'll take over the Manor once Harry takes up the
Potter Lordship?' Lily asked.
Fleur turned to Harry, who shrugged.
'We haven't really discussed it yet, but we'll get back to you at some stage.' Harry said,
and Holly rolled her eyes.
'Haven't discussed whether you're going to kick us all out of the Manor?' Holly said with
a smirk and Harry laughed.
'Well, you and Sirius for sure.' He joked.
Both Holly and Sirius pouted.
The rest of the day passed with the Potters and Blacks enjoying each other's company,
which Remus joined later in the afternoon.
After dinner, Sirius pulled Harry and Fleur aside, away from the others.
Once the three were in one of the spare rooms of the Manor, Sirius turned to them.
'Okay, I'll show you two the spell to hide you from the Marauders Maps for three hours,
if you're ready?' he asked, and Fleur frowned.
'Is there a way to make the spell last longer than three hours?' she asked.
Sirius shrugged.
'No idea. I made the spell, but I never needed it to last longer than three hours, so I
never thought about increasing the duration.' Sirius said.
Harry narrowed his eyes in thought.
'Any chance you still have your notes? That way we could tweak the spell ourselves.'
Harry asked and Sirius paused.
Sirius frowned and rubbed his chin in thought before a wide grin split his face.
'Yep, I remember where I left all that stuff. I'll dig it out in the next week or so and get it
to you, Fleur.' Sirius said, smiling at the Veela.
Fleur looked relieved.
'Thank you, I would much rather not have to evade Professors or have them think I am
there for nefarious purposes.' She admitted, and Sirius's gaze moved between the two
and sighed.
'Neither of you are any fun. You're both far too serious all the time.' Sirius huffed and
flung his hands in the air.
Sirius left the room and turned toward the lounge where the others would be.
'But he didn't teach us the spell?' he asked, and Fleur shook her head.
'Oh well, he did say he would get me the notes for it, so I guess it doesn't really matter.'
She said, and he shrugged.
'I guess you're right. Should we join the others?' he asked, and she nodded with a smile.
'Lets.' she said and held out her elbow for him to guide her.
A knock on the door drew their attention to James Potter standing in the doorway.
'Hey guys, did you want to come with me for a few minutes?' he asked, and Harry
thought he looked a little nervous.
'Sure dad, lead the way.' Harry agreed.
Fleur took his hand, and together, they followed James upstairs.
Harry frowned as his father walked into the Lord's study, somewhere his father rarely
entered.
Harry couldn't remember a time he'd been inside the room himself.
Harry and Fleur entered the study and Harry blinked; the room was spartan.
A desk sat at the far side of the room with a simple wooden chair behind it that James
sat in, with his fingers steepled in front of his face. The rest of the room held no
decorations or personal touches. There weren't even any bookshelves.
The study held a desk and a single chair.
James waved his wand and two comfortable looking overstuffed chairs appeared in
front of the desk.
Harry focussed on his father as he led Fleur to a chair.
'Dad, what's going on?' he asked.
James sighed.
'Your mother and I have talked about it over the summer. Right now, I don't think we
need to know about the future. Your mother was going on about Paradoxes and I think it
would be best not to tell us for the time being.' James said.
James held up a hand to silence Harry.
'That might change later, but right now, we're fine with knowing whatever you tell us. We
trust you to tell us what you think we need to know.' James explained and Harry
deflated.
James stood and walked around the desk. He stopped in front of Harry.
'As far as we're concerned, with all of your time shenanigans, you're an adult. The two
of you have a lot on your shoulders and we will help you, in whatever way we can. You'll
be taking up the Lordship soon, then it'll be you who has to deal with all the
responsibilities of running the House. That day can't come soon enough in my opinion.'
James said, then turned to Fleur.
'I know you two told the Delacour's about the future, and we think that's great that you
did. Someone needs to know.' James said and Harry nodded.
Harry's mind raced, he'd expected to tell his parents, but with them not wanting to know
the details. Where did that leave his plans?
He frowned.
His parents not wanting to know the future, didn't change his plans at all. They were
willing to continue with the plan, just without knowing the finer details.
Fleur squeezed his hand and Harry looked up to see James watching him with an
expectant look.
'What?' Harry asked and his father frowned a little.
'Did you guys know the results for the next World Cup?' James asked.
Harry groaned.
'It never came up, dad.' Harry said and glared at his father.
James retreated a step under Harry's and Fleur's combined glare.
'Okay, okay, I'll stop. Geeze, you two are perfect for each other. You're both too
serious.' James said with a grin.
'All right, on that note, bedtime. Goodnight you two.' James said as he ruffled Harry's
hair and left the room.
Harry led Fleur to his room and sat on his bed with the door open.
'I don't want to go.' Harry whispered as he stared down at their joined hands.
Fleur lifted his gaze to hers with a finger under his chin.
'You need to protect your friends at Hogwarts.' She said and kissed him, soft, gentle.
'Yeah, but I won't have you with me.' Harry muttered and Fleur laughed.
'Oh 'Arry, I will join you every weekend in the Room of Requirement and we'll call each
other every night to tell each other everything that happened each day during the week.'
She said.
'Yeah, I suppose you're right. We can even be together in public on Hogsmeade

weekends. It's only for this year. I'll do my NEWTs next summer, unless I can find a way
to do them earlier. We have too much to do for me to stay at Hogwarts.' Harry said.
Fleur wore a small smile, tinged with sadness.
'True. But even with everything we have to do, we still need to make sure that we make
the time to just be us.' Fleur whispered and Harry lifted her gaze with a finger under her
chin, like she had done earlier.
'Fleur, you are everything to me. My best friend, and maybe if I play my cards right, my
Mrs Potter someday. I will always have time for you.' He said, and she smiled at him
with tears in her eyes.
Fleur wrapped him in a tight embrace.
'You'll remember me when all the schoolgirls are vying for your attention?' she asked in
his ear.
Harry pulled away and kissed her nose.
'They can vie all they like; they can't compare to you. Besides, you just said it. They are
schoolgirls. How could they compare to a goddess like you?' he asked, and Fleur
laughed.
'If you continue on like that, I won't be able to let you go.' She purred.
'Maybe I don't want to go.' He whispered, and he felt a shiver run down her spine.
'Eww.' Holly shouted from the corridor outside the room before she laughed and ran to
her room.
Harry sighed and turned back to Fleur.
'Are you sure you're going to be okay staying here all year?' he asked.
Fleur gave him a quick kiss before she cocked her head to the side.
'I'll only be sleeping here, really. I'll be at Gringotts all day, then weekends with you. The
only time I'll see your family is the morning and evenings, so I think I'll be fine.' She
paused and looked around his room.
Harry followed her gaze as it travelled over bookshelves and scrawled notes littered on
most surfaces.
She met his gaze.
'I may even take over your room while you're gone.' She said, and Harry gave her a
lopsided smile.
'I like the sound of that.' He said.
Fleur stood with a grin.
'Now, I need to let you sleep, otherwise we'll get distracted.' Fleur said as she stepped
away from the bed, the now familiar look of hunger in her eyes.
Harry stood and moved in close to her.
He pulled her in for a long kiss.
'You're right, we can't have us getting distracted.' Harry murmured in her ear, and she
shivered.
Fleur pulled away with a smirk and a wink.
'Sweet dreams.' She purred and turned to leave the room; her rear swayed more than
necessary.
After she was gone, Harry groaned and waved his hand toward the door, closing it.
It was going to be a long year.

The next morning, Harry sat in a cabin with Susan and Holly in the Hogwarts Express
after saying their goodbyes to their parents and Fleur.
Harry's goodbye to Fleur took much longer than the girls', though they both knew they
would see each other on weekends.
The trip was uneventful, apart from Harry's other friends' displeasure at him moving into
NEWT classes with the sixth years.
A new professor sent by the Ministry named Dolores Umbridge became the new
Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Harry saw an unhealthy gleam in her eye as the
pink clad woman stared at Neville, the Headmaster, or himself.
Whenever possible, he stayed away from the woman. In his first class with her, she
made her disgust evident that he had managed to cheat his way into skipping a year.
During her decidedly unpractical class, Harry worked on his wandless magic and found
the effort to consistently perform minor feats of controlled wandless magic helped to
curb his irritation at the horrid woman.
Umbridge often found objects around the room changing colour or transforming into
small animals or even disappearing entirely.
But these events weren't localised to Harry's classes, he used some of the spells his
father and Sirius had taught him when he was younger to act as time delays, so that the
transfiguration or charm wouldn't occur until the time delay spell ended.
The first few weeks of term flew past, and Harry found his NEWT classes covered the
same material he did the year before with Fleur and was unsurprisingly the top of his
class thanks to his extra three plus years of time in the Room of Requirement.
Most of the Professors tried to give him more difficult work to keep him engaged with the
subject material.
After Harry's second NEWT Charms class, the tiny Professor Flitwick kept him behind.
'Mister Potter, can you stay behind please?' Professor Flitwick asked as the bell went,
signalling the end of the class.
The other students filed out of the room, leaving the two alone, and Harry approached
the large desk littered with research papers that Flitwick stood upon.
'Professor?' Harry asked, hefting his bag on his shoulder.
'How do you feel you are performing in your other classes?' the Professor asked, and
Harry adjusted his bag strap.
'Honestly, sir, none of them are challenging. I would take the NEWTs now if it were
possible.' Harry said and tried to keep the resentment out of his voice.
Flitwick nodded and stroked his chin.
'Yes, that is what I have heard from the other Professors as well.' The Professor mused.
He wore a thoughtful frown and looked up into Harry's eyes.
'How about, at least in my classes, you work on more advanced Charms, outside of the
NEWTs curriculum. But, sometime soon, we will work on a more practical use of your
time?' Flitwick suggested and Harry cocked his head.
'Practical, sir?' Harry asked and Flitwick smirked.
'We once talked about Duelling, back in your second year, I believe. The issues I was
having with the Family have been concluded, and so I find myself with some free time
and I think it is long overdue to begin our Duelling lessons.' The Professor said and
narrowed his eyes.
'I will teach you how to use your skills in a more practical manner than a classroom
setting would. I want to teach you Duelling and, more specifically, how to use your
power and skill set most effectively.' Flitwick gave a smile, and it reminded Harry of how
the Goblins smiled.
It was uncanny.
'That would be perfect.' Harry grinned and Flitwick gave a low chuckle.
'Yes, I thought it might. Now, I'll speak to your other Professors and see if they might
join us occasionally on say, Tuesday and Wednesday nights once we get started?' the
diminutive Professor suggested.
Harry nodded, then frowned.
'Maybe early next month we could start, that'll give everyone time to settle into the year
and prepare.' Harry suggested, and Flitwick beamed at him.
'You would have made a wonderful Ravenclaw Mister Potter.' The Professor said.
'Now, off to your next class, I don't want to write you a pass for Professor Umbridge, she
would just ignore it.' Flitwick said and Harry scoffed.
Weeks passed by in a blur classes, friends, and weekends with Fleur.
Every weekday morning, Harry continued to exercise by running around the Black Lake,
joined by Holly and Susan. After a few weeks, Justin joined them in their morning
exercise.
A month into term, Harry sat in the Room of Requirement on Friday night. A half dozen
separate notebooks surrounded him at a desk.
He looked up as the door opened and Fleur stalked in, fury in her eyes.
Harry pushed back from his desk and ran to her.
'What's wrong?' he asked and wrapped her in a hug.
Fleur held him tight, and he could feel her struggle to reign in her emotions.
Harry felt her Allure thrashing and was glad that he wasn't susceptible to it, or he would
likely have been a gibbering mess.
She stilled in his arms and pulled away after a minute.
'Bed?' she asked.
With a thought, Harry willed the Room to create one beside them.
He sat down on the side of the bed and pulled her down with him.
'What's wrong?' he repeated, and she sighed.
'Why are men so foolish?' she asked.
Harry frowned.
'What did I do?' he asked, and Fleur blinked.
Then she gasped and kissed him, once, a quick peck on the lips.
'Oh, no, no, no, not you, my love.' She shook her head.
'No, a man at Gringotts has been very persistent in his attempts to woo me.' She said
and Harry stilled.
Fleur looked at him and shook her head.
'No need to be jealous, my love. I am yours and you are mine.' She said and kissed him
again.
Fleur frowned and her lip curled in a silent snarl.
'This is the same red-haired man that we saw in that memory of the future.' She said
with narrowed eyes.
Harry frowned for a moment before he remembered the probably-a -Weasley who had
leered at Fleur Potter before their doomed attack on the future Dark Lords
headquarters.
Fleur huffed.
'I spoke to my Goblin manager about his unwelcome advances, and Sharpclaw insists
that he will handle it. The Goblins have been very impressed with me in the few weeks
that I've been there.' Fleur said, and Harry smiled.
'Hopefully it gets resolved soon. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable at work.' He said,
and she gave a smallest of shrugs.
'What will happen, will happen. If I must continue working with William, then he may find
that he is the uncomfortable one. I am not some damsel who needs protecting.' She
declared, and Harry laughed.
'That you aren't.' he said.
Fleur turned to him.
'So, what have you been up to today?' she asked, and he sighed.
Harry fell back onto the bed, stretching out. Fleur grinned and joined him.
'I have a problem.' Harry admitted, and Fleur cocked her head.
'With what?' she asked.
'Hermione and the others tell me that this Umbridge woman is putting students into
detention for disagreeing with her when she says Dumbledore is a public menace.'
Harry started, and Fleur frowned.
'That doesn't make sense.' She said.
'What's more, apparently she is telling everyone that Dumbledore is the reason there is
so much fear in the school. That and she doesn't actually teach anything, as I've told
you before.' Harry said and Fleur nodded, her ice-blue eyes narrowed.
'Hermione wants me to tutor the students in Defence as it looks like Umbridge is actively
holding us back by not teaching anything.' Harry said.
Fleur's frown faded and turned into a smile.

'You should do it. It could help our future plans if we have a group of trained wizards
and witches who are loyal to you.' She said and Harry sighed.
'I figured you'd say that, though I hoped you would have said something else.' He
admitted, and she laughed.
'I can't help but be honest, my love. You wouldn't want it any other way.' She grinned,
and he returned it.
'So clever you are, Miss Delacour.' Harry whispered, and he felt a shiver run down her
spine.
'I've missed having you in my arms.' He whispered and rolled over so he perched above
her.
He wore a lopsided grin as he leaned down and caught her lips in a long kiss and his
hand strayed down her side.
She let out a soft moan.

*Chapter 44*: Chapter 43 - Interlude 1995
Disclaimer 2: This chapter should be skipped if you do not want to read a sex scene. If
you skip it you will not miss out on any story as I made this chapter to specifically be
by itself for ease of skipping if the material is something a reader doesn't want to read or
should not read. We're on the honour system here people.
Chapter 43. Interlude. 1995.
Harry ran his hand down Fleur's thigh, eliciting a soft moan. She looked up at him with
hunger in her eyes.
He lowered himself down to her and kissed her. It wasn't soft; it wasn't gentle.
The kiss was hard, passionate.
And she returned it.
With a deft movement, she reversed their positions. She pushed him back onto the bed
and all he could see was hair silver hair cascading down around them, it blocked out
everything but her face.
Harry didn't notice the room change around them from its usual 'study' configuration into
a bedroom. He didn't notice as the bed they lay on grew to twice its size.
Harry cupped her face in his hands and lost himself in the moment.
He was alone with Fleur after having not seen her since the previous weekend. Her deft
fingers trailed down his sides and their tongues fought for dominance over the other.
A small sound escaped from Fleur's throat, almost a mewl, and Harry felt a thrill run
down his spine. He let out a soft growl as he attacked her neck with his lips. He caught
the skin of her neck in his teeth and applied a small amount of pressure, more a nibble
than a bite, and she moaned and pulled his face against her.
Fleur's fingers ran through his hair, clutching at it every time he gave her neck a small
nip.
'Oh 'Arry, more.' She breathed, and he continued.
He ran his hands down her back and hiked up her robes. As usual, she wore them over
normal clothes.
Harry pulled her robes up and she sat back, straddling him and raised her hands to
assist him. He threw the robe off to the side without looking and shifted on the bed to
help her remove his robe.
She tossed his robe away and their eyes met. Hers were full of hunger and passion and
he didn't spare a thought to what his own must have looked like, because a moment
later, they came together in another searing kiss.
Harry ran his hands under her t-shirt. He touched her bare skin and she groaned into his
mouth, then her lips moved to latch onto his neck.
He fell back onto the bed as her lips continued their assault on his neck. Harry ran his
hands up her back and she writhed at his trailing fingers touch.
''Arry, you know how sensitive my back is.' She moaned into his neck.
'I know.' He whispered in her ear, and she bit his neck, a little too hard.
She sat up, straddling him, and peeled off her shirt. Fleur threw her shirt away and
unclipped her bra, letting the straps slide down her pale arms.
Harry stared at her breasts, perfectly sized and in proportion. Her nipples stuck out, and
she threw the bra away. She trailed her fingers up her bare stomach, up around her
breasts and then down, brushing her nails across her nipples.
Fleur shivered and closed her eyes. She let out a long breath before she looked down at
him.
''Arry, you are my love. You are my mate. If you accept, I will mark you as my own so
that no other may take you from me.' She breathed, her ice-blue eyes stared down at
him, unwavering.
'Fleur, you are everything to me. I will accept your mark, and all that goes along with it.'
He said, and the fire in her eyes grew.
She leaned down and caught his lips in a fiery kiss. She tugged at the bottom of his
shirt, and he sat up, to make it easier for her to remove it.
Instead of fully removing his shirt, she pulled it above his head and wrapped it around
his arms, with them still inside. She pinned his arms above him and moved her lips
down, kiss by kiss, down past his chin, to his neck.
Her kisses were gentle, like a feather, and she moved to his right collarbone. She gave
it a small kiss and stepped back off the bed.
Harry groaned at the lack of contact and looked up at her.
His eyes went wide as she shimmied out of her tight jeans and let them fall to the floor.
She removed her knickers and her socks at the same time.
He stared at her, standing in front of him in all her glory, a nervous smile on her face.
'You're so beautiful, Fleur.' He breathed.
He struggled out of his shirt and reached out to her.
She stepped back.
'Fleur?' he asked, trying not to stare at the one part of her that he hadn't seen before.
She looked down at the floor and took a deep breath, then nodded.
Fleur looked up at him. Her eyes bored into his, and her body started to change.
First, tiny feathers grew out of her skin, covering her in a thin layer of down. It was pure
white. The tiny feathers covered her from head to toe, hiding her previously naked form
from view.
Then, longer feathers grew out of her forearms, each between thirty and forty
centimetres. Other, longer, feathers sprouted from her upper arms and still more others
from her thighs and calves. Her silver hair merged into a cascade of white feathers that
fell down her back.
Harry stared an awed disbelief as wings sprouted from her back, each about a metre
and a half long and covered in pure white feathers.
Finally, her face elongated, her eyes stayed the same ice-blue as they had always
been, but her mouth slowly was replaced by a razor-sharp beak.
Her body stopped transforming, and throughout her transformation, Fleur's eyes had
never left his.
''Arry, am I hideous in your eyes?' she whispered, though he wasn't sure how her beak
could accomplish the feat.
Harry stood bare chested and strode across the room to where she stood.
'Fleur, I love you. This angelic form is a part of you, and it doesn't change how I feel
about you.' He said and put his hands on her feathered hips and pulled her close.
He kissed the tip of her beak.
'Though I'm not sure if you can kiss me right now.' He grinned, and she laughed.
Somehow, he knew she smiled, behind the beak.
She trailed her downy fingers down his cheek.
'Are you sure this form doesn't repulse you? You're not just saying that to make me
happy?' she asked, her eyes failed to hide the fear in them.
Harry took her fingers in his and kissed them while looking into her eyes.
'I would never lie to you, my love.' He said, and she nodded.
Again, despite her beak, he knew she smiled.
She folded a wing around in front of her and plucked a feather from it, flinching as she
did.
She handed him the feather. It was the purest of white, except for where she'd plucked
it from her wing, where blood dripped off it onto the floor.
''Arry, this is a symbol of my love and my dedication to you. Will you accept it?' she
whispered.
Harry reached out to take the feather.
He held it above where she did, so that they both had hold of the feather.
'I accept your love and dedication, and by my accepting of this feather, I give you the
same.' He said, careful to recite the words exactly as he had been told by Apolline
before he had left their home in the summer.
She released the feather, and he placed it against his bare chest.
The feather glowed a brilliant white, it forced both Harry and Fleur to cover their eyes.
Harry felt the feather fade away, felt a presence enter his body through his chest where
the feather had touched.
The glow receded down from a blinding light to a pinprick of light visible through his
skin.
Harry watched the tiny glowing light move under his skin up to his right collarbone. The
last place she had kissed him.
The glowing light stopped moving and faded, leaving a small wing shaped mark a few
centimetres long.
Fleur's beak receded into her face, leaving her looking like her normal self.
Harry moved forward and pulled her into his embrace.
He kissed her hard, which she returned.
His hands rested on her feathered hips until a few moments later, the feathers faded,
and her soft, smooth skin lay beneath his fingers again.
He ran his fingers over her hips and down to cup her firm bum, squeezing her.
She moaned into his mouth and pushed him back to the bed. Once he hit the bed with
the back of his legs, she pushed him down onto his back and she trailed kisses down
his face and neck to his chest.
Harry groaned as her fingers moved ahead of her lips, her nails scraped down his sides
as her teeth clasped around his nipple.
'You will find that a happy Veela leads to a happy man.' She purred.
Harry growled, deep in his throat as her fingers deftly unbuttoned his pants and slid
them, along with his underwear, down to his ankles.
He removed his legs from his pants as her lips followed her fingers down to his fully
erect member.
Her hands trailed down leg each, each finger sent trails of burning sensation down his
legs.
Harry watched as she inspected his manhood. Her soft breath on it sent shivers through
him and it almost felt like it grew larger with every centimetre her fingers trailed down his
legs and with every breath she exhaled on it.
She tore her gaze away from his hard penis to meet his gaze, and with a wink, took his
cock into her mouth.
Harry groaned at the sensation. She was warm and soft as she worked to take all of him
into her mouth. He watched as she moved her head back and forth, each motion sent
more and more pleasure through him.
'Oh Fleur, that's so good.' He growled and her fingers reversed course and slid up his
legs to squeeze his thighs.
Harry felt his orgasm building inside him already and shook his head.
'No, Fleur, stop, it's too good.' He said, and put a hand on her head.
Fleur paused and looked up at him. She pulled her head back and his cock came out of
her mouth.
'That's kind of the point, my love.' She purred, and he shivered.
'Not for what I had in mind.' He grinned, and she smirked.
She took his cock in her mouth again, but this time it wasn't slow and soft.
Fleur let her teeth scrape the sensitive skin of his cock and Harry's eyes crossed. He
collapsed back on the bed. Her head bobbed up and down, sending waves of pleasure
through him, her teeth sent shocks of pleasure tinged with pain, and within moments he
was done.
'Fleur, stop, I'm going to come.' He moaned.
She sped up.
Harry groaned and shot his load of cum into her mouth, and she didn't stop.
'Fleur.' He groaned, spasming under her attentions.
Finally, she stopped.
She crawled up and sat in his lap, straddling him. His still erect, but diminished cock
rested above her moist pussy.
'Did you like that, my love?' she purred.
Harry opened his eyes, taking in the goddess above him.
'I can't even describe how good that was.' He breathed, and she smirked.
'Oh, we're not done yet my love.' She said and her hand wiped some of his cum from
her lips and trailed down from her neck, lightly touching her perfect breasts.
She smirked as she saw his eyes following the movement of her hand. Fleur ground her
hips against him, and Harry felt himself growing harder again.
Her hand trailed down her belly and touched his cock, before she moved past it to touch
herself.
Harry stared as her fingers rubbed her clit, then they slid deeper into herself as she sat
in his lap. His cock throbbed against her hand as she pleasured herself above him.
'Oh 'Arry, do you want to be inside me, like my fingers are?' she purred, and he
struggled to breathe, his mouth suddenly dry.
His cock pulsed against her, and her fingers movements grew quicker. Her breaths
became laboured.
Her eyes fluttered shut.
''Arry? Do you not want to be inside me?' she repeated, her breaths came hard and
heavy as her fingers danced over her clit.
'Yes.' He growled, and she pulled her fingers away from herself and guided his cock
between her folds.
Fleur opened her eyes and met his. He saw her passion, her desire and as she lowered
herself onto his hard cock, a flicker of pain crossed her face.
A moment later, she had taken him fully into herself and she paused.
She let out a long breath.
'Fleur, are you okay?' he asked, and she met his gaze with half-lidded eyes.
'I will be. I knew this first time would hurt, but this is a little more than expected.' She
admitted.
'We can stop-' he paused, her finger on his lips.
'Non.' she murmured and moved her hips in a slight rocking motion.
She let out a hiss as she moved, and Harry groaned.
'Oh Fleur, that feels amazing.' He muttered, lost in the sensation of her tight, warm
pussy around his cock.
She rocked harder and Harry stared at her breasts, moving as she did. They moved on
her chest as she rocked, their jiggling motion entranced him. He reached up and took
them in his hands. Harry squeezed her breasts as she rode him, and her movements
became smoother.
'Oh 'Arry, its starting to feel really good now.' She breathed.
'I can feel every part of you inside me, rubbing against me, filling me up.' She moaned
and Harry felt himself grow harder at her words.
Harry moved his hips in time with her, so that he matched her movement, and her gasps
grew louder and more insistent.
Fleur's eyes fluttered closed.
She pinned him down with her hands on his chest and her nails dug into his skin with
every motion of her hips.
'Arry.' She gasped as she bit her lip.
Harry squeezed her breasts, which fit in his hands, overflowing a little through his
fingers.
'Fleur, we need to stop. I'm going to come again.' He breathed, struggling to keep his
mind off his oncoming orgasm.
'Non, not yet, my love. Just a little longer.' She mewled and drew one hand back from
his chest.
Harry watched as her fingers moved down his belly and onto her clit as she continued
riding him. He released her breasts and moved his hands down to her rocking hips. Her
other hand reached up to take hold of one of her breasts while she rubbed her clit with
her fingers.
Harry groaned.
'Oh Fleur, that's so hot.' He breathed as watched the goddess above him.
''Arry, I'm so close. I feel you filling me up. I'm going to overflow.' She purred in French.
Harry gripped her thighs as her movements sped up, watching her bite her lower lip.
'Fleur, I'm almost there.' He gasped.
He tried to hold on but was mesmerised by her fulfilling every fantasy he'd had of her
over the years.
'Oh, yes, yes, yes.' She gasped.
'I can't hold on any longer.' He groaned and unloaded himself inside her.
He collapsed on his back as she kept riding him before she screamed.
''Arry, fuck.'
She collapsed forward onto his chest, and through half-lidded eyes, she gave him a
tired smile.
'That, was much better than I thought it would be.' She purred, and he struggled to look
down at her, burrowed into his chest.
'That was amazing. More than I ever imagined.' He whispered.
'I told you, a happy Veela makes a happy man.' She murmured as her eyes fluttered
closed.
'How?' he asked, wiping sweaty hair from her brow.
'I instinctively know how to pleasure my mate. A part of my Veela magic allows me to
know what it is you want, even if you don't know it yourself.' She said and burrowed
deeper into his chest.
'But-' he started but paused as she placed a finger on his lips.
'We'll talk more when we wake up. Sleep.' She whispered, then let out a long breath.
Harry sighed and lay back on the bed. He felt sleep approach and welcomed it.
Harry woke to lips touching his.
He opened his eyes to see Fleur as she kissed his nose.
'Morning love.' She smiled, still as naked as they were the night before.
She reached out a hand and her finger ran across the wing shaped mark on his
collarbone, a small smile on her lips.
Fleur sat on his lap, and Harry blinked as he realised his cock was hard and in her
hand.
'Huh?' he blinked as sleep finally left him.
Fleur laughed and kissed him again.
'In case you forgot, I'm on the birth control potion. Also, last night was amazing.' She
grinned as Harry smothered a groan as she stroked him.
'I didn't think girls ever orgasmed their first time.' Harry asked, struggling to keep his
mind off her hand as it stroked up and down his length.
Fleur smirked at him and added a slight twist to the movement of her hand.
'Oh, Maman told me long ago that Veela are different, it definitely hurt at the start, but
after a few minutes the pain faded away.' She purred, watching as he squirmed under
her attentions.
'I could have used a charm to numb the pain, but I didn't want to numb the pleasure that
would come later.' She continued, her smirk growing wider.
Harry growled as his cock pulsed in her hand.
Fleur's eyes sparkled as his breath hitched when she squeezed tighter.
'Do you want me to stop?' she asked.
'No, but it's my turn now.' He growled and rolled her over, so he towered over her with
her legs spread to either side of him.
Disclaimer: Last Chapter, for those who skipped it, Fleur showed Harry her true Veela
form and marked him as her own. He now has a wing shaped mark on his right
collarbone, a sign to other Veela of their connection.
On Tuesday night, Harry stood in the middle of an abandoned classroom on the eighth
floor that he'd warded using a handful of wards Fleur had taught him over their extended
weekend in the Room of Requirement around their, other, activities.
With him in the abandoned classroom stood Holly, Susan, Hannah, Daphne, and Luna.
Hannah looked around the classroom with a frown.
'Are we waiting for Hermione and Ginny?' she asked, and Harry nodded.
Harry opened his mouth to speak, but the door opened to reveal not only Hermione and
Ginny, but behind them came two disgruntled boys, Neville, and Ronald.
'Did you have to bring the two of them?' Daphne huffed, and Hermione gave her a
helpless shrug.
'They wanted to know where we were going, especially with Umbridge on the warpath.'
Hermione said and Daphne's lip curled.
'You could have told them they aren't welcome.' Daphne snapped.
Ginny stepped in front of Hermione.
'Listen here-' she started.
Harry snapped his fingers and used his wandless magic to amplify the sound.
A simple trick, but effective.
'Stop it.' He said, his voice strong and clear, which drew all eyes to him.
'We don't have time to fight amongst ourselves.' Harry paused, meeting each of their
gazes.
He settled on Neville.
'We know Voldemort has returned and, for some reason, is lying low. While this is
worrying, it gives us a little more time to prepare.' Harry said and turned toward the
stone wall on the far side of the abandoned classroom.
'We are here to learn how to defend ourselves and each other. Some of us wanted to
open this group to everyone, but for now, it will be just us.' Harry said and met
Hermione's gaze.
She looked like she wanted to speak, but held her tongue.
Harry flicked his wand and conjured nine simple wooden targets, white with a red dot in
the centre. With another few flicks, he levitated each one to the wall and stuck it there
with a wandless Sticking Charm.
The others stared at him.
'This group, the DA, or Defence Association, will run twice a week on Monday and
Thursday nights.' He paused and fired a weak stinging hex at Ronald, who was trying to
look down Hannah's open robes.
'Do try to pay attention Ronald.' Harry sighed and quirked an eyebrow.
Ron's face turned red as the others in the group turned to look at him.
Hannah stepped away from the redhead and crossed her arms over her chest.
Harry cleared his throat, and the group turned back to him.
'We will start with the basics and move up from there. I suggest you all join me on my
morning runs around the Black Lake.' He said and Ronald frowned.
'Running? Why would we do that for?' the redhead asked, and Daphne glared at the
boy.
'Does anybody else want to answer that question?' he asked, and Holly rolled her eyes.
'Because running will make us more fit, so that we can fight for longer without getting
tired.' Susan said, drawing Ronald's frown.
'But we can just use better spells and win a fight, can't we?' he asked.
Neville sighed and put a hand on his friend's shoulder.
'Ron, mate, we'll talk about this later. Just agree and we can get started on the spells.'
Neville whispered, and Ron shrugged.
'Sure, okay.' Ronald said, then turned to Harry.

'When will you teach us the cool spells?' he asked, and Harry's eyebrows rose.
'When you can handle them, and when we've gone through the basics.' Harry said and
Ronald frowned again.
Harry turned around and pointed his wand at the target on the wall.
'Stupify.' He called and a Stunner shot out of his wand and hit the red dot in the centre.
He turned back to the group.
'First things first, the Stunning Spell. We are going to cast it until we can hit the red dot
in the centre of the target, say, five times in a row.' Harry said, and his friends nodded.
Holly walked to stand in front of the target Harry had shot and Susan took the one to her
left while Luna took the one to Holly's right.
Ronald looked at Neville, then Harry.
'Stunners? What about the cool stuff? This is a waste of time.' Ronald growled and
Harry sighed.
'If it's a waste of your time, feel free to leave. I'm not forcing you to stay. I called this part
the basics, not the end goal.' Harry said.
Ronald looked at Neville, who sighed and walked over to stand in front of a target,
beside Hermione.
Harry turned back to Ron.
'So, what are you going to do?' Harry asked, and Ronald's face turned red before he
stomped over to stand next to Neville.
'STUPIFY' Ronald roared.
His Stunner shot out of his wand and missed his target entirely. It splashed harmlessly
against the stone wall.
Harry quirked an eyebrow and Ronald lowered his beet-red face.
Harry turned to see how the others were doing.
He watched as Holly and Susan consistently hit their targets, but only got the red dot
every third time.
Daphne and Hannah hit the red dot every fourth time, while Ginny hit her red dot every
second time. Hermione hit her red dot every third time, while Neville hit his target every
second time.
Luna and Ronald seemed to struggle to hit their targets at all.

Harry watched for another few minutes until most of them started to hit their dots each
time, or in Luna and Ronald's cases, every second, or third time.
'Good work. You have the basics under control. Now, take three decent steps back and
do it again. Then we'll try something else.' He said, and the group did so.
Again, after a few minutes, most started to hit the red dot with regularity.
'Excellent, now, I want you all to show me your best Protego shield.' Harry said.
Each member of the group cast the shield spell, though Ron's and Hannah's flickered as
they held them. Harry blinked as he saw Luna's shield glow strong and bright. She gave
him a wide smile, which he returned before moving on.
Holly and Susan had the strongest shields he could see, but he wasn't surprised. The
three of them had been trained the summer before last by Aurors and other skilled
fighters.
Neville had the next strongest shield, which Harry peered at for a moment before he
narrowed his eyes.
'Neville, cast it again, but this time hold your wand in the middle.' Harry said, and Neville
huffed.
Neville cast the shield again, but this time it shone brighter than both Susan and Holly's
shields.
'Good work, that's much better.' Harry said and moved past the Boy-Who-Lived, who
stared at his wand.
Hermione and Daphne seemed to compete over their shields, judging by the glares they
sent to each other.
Harry shook his head and moved in front of the group.
'Okay, good work to all of you. Now we'll try something that some of you might
remember from a few years ago.' Harry grinned.
'We're going to partner up, and using only these two spells, try to incapacitate your
partner. But before we do that, I'm going to make sure you know the Ennervate spell.
Who knows it?' Harry asked.
Holly, Susan, Daphne, and Hermione raised their hands.
Harry smiled.
'Good, now us five will teach the others who to use it.'
It took about five minutes before the five were confident everyone knew the spell.
Harry clapped.
'Okay, pairs for this are: Daphne and Hermione. Hannah and Ronald. Susan and Holly.
Ginny and Luna. Neville and myself.' He said, and he didn't notice the determined looks
on both Hermione and Daphne's faces.
Harry moved opposite Neville.
'Now remember, only the Stunner and shields. I don't want another Lockhart-style issue
here.' Harry called and earned a few chuckles.
'Go.' He called, and the room filled with Stunners.
Neville fired a Stunner at Harry, who moved aside, avoiding the spell.
Neville glared and fired two more Stunners, Harry avoided one and shielded the other.
Then fired a Stunner back, which Neville shielded, but his shield flickered.
Neville's lip curled, and he fired Stunners one after another, which Harry sidestepped or
shielded.
Harry fired three Stunners, back-to-back, which Neville shielded.
The first stunner made the shield flicker, the second broke the shield, and the third
knocked Neville unconscious.
Harry looked around and saw both Holly and Susan dodging each other's Stunners, with
barely a shield being used.
Daphne and Hermione seemed to take turns throwing spells and shielding, resulting in a
stalemate.
Ginny knelt beside Luna to revive her, and Hannah did the same with Ronald.
Harry revived Neville and clapped his hands.
'Okay, stop everyone.' He called, and each group stopped.
Holly and Susan looked like they were having fun while Daphne and Hermione glared at
each other.
Harry winked at Holly and Susan.
'Okay everyone, before we finish up for the night. We're going to try something else.' He
said, and watched as Ronald and Luna stood, helped up by their partners.
'Holly, Susan, Hermione, and Daphne. Can you come here while everyone else stand
over there against the wall please?' he asked, and Neville glared at him as he walked
past to stand beside Ronald.
Harry turned to the four girls in front of him. He smiled and turned to the others, who
stood by the wall.
'Okay, this will be a two-on-two duel. Same rules as before, only Stunners, Ennervate's
and shields. Hermione and Susan against Daphne and Holly.' He said and watched as
the girls turned to their partners and held whispered conversations.
'Get ready, girls. Everyone else, pay attention.' Harry said.
'Go.' He called and a moment later, Holly and Daphne fired at Hermione.
Three Stunners hit her hastily cast shield, the first two broke the shield, and the third
stunned her.
Susan's eyes widened, and she struggled to both shield and dodge the Stunners sent
from Daphne and Holly.
She no longer looked like she was having fun.
Susan cast an Ennervate on Hermione in between shields, then she leapt away from
Hermione's side, drawing her opponent's attention.
Daphne shielded a Stunner from Susan, but she fell a moment later from a Stunner sent
by Hermione, who stood on shaky legs.
Harry smirked at Holly, who stepped back, away from her two opponents. She
Ennervated Daphne, but Susan stunned her again a moment later.
Holly shielded and dodged Hermione's Stunners, and Harry's grin faltered as Holly
turned to face the bushy haired girl full on. Susan moved behind Holly and stunned her
from behind.
Harry clapped and sent silent Ennervate's toward Daphne and Holly.
'Great work. The four of you showed a wonderful example of teamwork.' Harry said as
Holly and Daphne stood on shaky feet.
'Did any of our audience notice anything they could have done differently?' Harry asked.
'Holly should have kept both of her opponents in front of her, instead of turning to face
one and leaving the other out of her sight.' Luna said.
Holly blushed and looked down at the floor.
Harry nodded.
'Agreed. She could have done that. But can anyone tell us why that might not have
worked?' Harry asked.
'She had two opponents, and Susan was moving to flank her. She was at a
disadvantage regardless of what she did.' Neville said and Harry nodded.
'Anything else?' Harry asked, and Neville frowned.
'If they could use different spells, she could have evened out the battle with distractions
or a smokescreen or something?' Neville more asked than answered.
Harry nodded.
'Very true. Now, who noticed what Susan did first?' Harry asked, and Ginny grinned.
'Susan Ennervated Hermione while distracting her opponents, which gave Hermione a
chance to get back in the fight.' Ginny said, and Harry smiled.
'Exactly. Now why didn't that work for Holly?' Harry asked.
'Because Susan was ready for that and didn't give her a chance to revive Daphne.' Luna
said.
Harry clapped.
'Brilliant work, everyone. Now, I can see that some of you are a little short on breath
right now, that's fine. But I'm inviting you to join me on my morning runs from now on.
Six in the morning, we'll meet outside the castle doors. We'll start off easy and work up
from there.' Harry said, grinning at the looks of dismay on most of their faces.
'Our next training session is on Thursday night. Same time, same place. Great work
tonight everyone. I'll see you tomorrow morning, bright and early.' He said and laughed
as most of the group grumbled on their way out of the room.
All except Holly and Susan, who had been exercising with him for years.
Harry called Fleur once he climbed into bed that night.
''Arry. I'm so glad to see your face.' She beamed at him, and he couldn't help the smile
on his face.
'Me too. How was your day?' he asked, and she smirked.
'I was called into my supervisor's office today. William, the one who kept trying to
convince me to go on a date with him, was sent back to Egypt today after my complaint.
The Goblins have no patience for that sort of thing.' Her smirked widened.
'He seemed a decent enough man, despite our first impression of him in the pensieve.
But no means no.' she laughed, and Harry rolled his eyes.
'Remind me not to get on your bad side.' He said and her eyes twinkled.
'Oh, you would like my bad side my love.' She whispered, and Harry felt his heart skip a
beat.
*Chapter 46*: Chapter 45 - Interlude 2 1995
Disclaimer 2: This chapter should be skipped if you do not want to read a sex scene. If
you skip it you will not miss out on any story as I made this chapter to specifically be
by itself for ease of skipping if the material is something a reader doesn't want to read or
should not read. We're on the honour system here people.
Chapter 45. Second Interlude. 1995.
The first Hogsmeade weekend arrived, which saw Harry and Fleur meet outside of the
small town. Fleur was already there by the time his carriage arrived, and Harry waved to
the girls.
He noted that Daphne and Luna separated from the others a few moments later.
'Fleur. It feels like forever since the last time I saw you.' Harry said a little too loud and
wore a grin.
Fleur rolled her eyes and met him halfway. She pulled him into a tight embrace.
'I missed you.' She whispered, and he kissed her cheek.
She pulled back and kissed his lips.
Her eyes fell to his collarbone, and the wing shaped mark half hidden under his shirt.
Fleur blushed.
'I'm sorry about the mark 'Arry.' She muttered, and Harry grinned wider.
He pulled the shirt down to show the full mark, which shone with a faint inner glow.
'I look forward to seeing it in the mirror every morning, after my shower. It makes me
feel calm, just thinking about what it means.' He said, and she tried to push his hand
away, to hide the mark with his shirt.
'It's embarrassing. Do you remember when you announced that we were together to
your friends?' she asked.
Harry frowned for a moment, then nodded.
'Do you remember when Daphne asked if we had bonded? How I said Veela didn't do
that?' She said, and Harry nodded.
'I was wrong. We aren't as similar as I thought back then. We have bonded, through the
mark.' Fleur whispered, and Harry shrugged.
'I see what you mean. But it's something we both wanted.' Harry said, then shivered.
'Do you think Gabrielle would have actually tried to mark me if you hadn't by Christmas?'
Harry asked, and Fleur narrowed her eyes.
'Depending on how much control she has over her power, maybe?' she hedged.
Harry laughed and slid an arm around her waist and turned her toward the quaint little
town.
'We are together, doing a normal activity for once. We're out on a date like many young
couples. I've got a few plans about what to do, but do you have anything in particular
you wanted to do?' he asked, and her eyes fell to his lips.
She bit her lip and sighed.
'There's nothing in this village I want apart from you.' She said.
A moment later, Fleur groaned and covered her face with her hands.
'That sounded really lame.' She tucked a strand of silver hair behind her ear and Harry
laughed.
'A little, but I've got an idea.' He grinned and took her hand.
He led her through the village and toward the forest glade they'd gone to the year
before.
Fleur wore a wide smile as she looked around the glade. She watched as Harry put up a
dozen wards and he turned back to her.
'As you can see, obscuring and notice-me-not wards, one for temperature control and a
few others. What did I miss?' Harry asked, and Fleur smirked.
'Only a few.' Fleur said and flicked her wand at the wards.
Harry watched, trying to tell what she was adding, but none of the half dozen wards
looked familiar.
'New wards from work?' he asked, and she nodded.
'Exactly, privacy stuff prevents me from sharing what they are or what they do. But I
suppose now that you've seen them, if you recreated them on your own without my aid,
I can't be blamed.' Fleur winked, and Harry chuckled.
'I'll poke around my memories later-' he said, and she quirked an eyebrow.
'- or not.' Harry corrected, and she nodded.
Harry turned and walked over to the centre of the glade.
'Hogwarts House-Elf.' He called and a little creature popped in front of him.
'Young Potter be needing Fipsy? We's not being on Hogywarts grounds young sir.' The
creature, Fipsy, said.
'No, we are not. But I was hoping you might be able to bring us a picnic. We had one
here last year, and it was brilliant.' Harry said.
Fipsy stared at him for a moment before a wide grin crossed the little creature's face.
'Fipsy be getting one for you now sir and miss.' Fipsy said, it clicked its fingers and
disappeared with a pop.
Seconds later, a blanket appeared in front of him with a plate of sandwiches, a bottle of
elf wine, and two glasses.
Harry reached out a hand to Fleur.
'Join me for some lunch, my love?' he asked.
She grinned and took his hand.
'I haven't been able to find elf wine anywhere since we had it last year. These House-
Elves must really like you.' Fleur said as she sat on the blanket and pulled him down
with her.
Harry picked up a sandwich and took a bite. It was as tasty as he remembered. He put it
down and poured Fleur a glass of elf wine, then one for himself.
'I think it's just because I have more contact with them then other students, I mean every
weekend we eat in the Room of Requirement. Thinking about it from their point of view,
we probably get them to make us lunch at like three in the morning or something.' Harry
mused as he took a sip of his wine.
Fleur blinked, then laughed.
'Oh, I'd never thought of it that way before. You must be one of the most difficult
students they've had to deal with, and they would love that.' She grinned.
'I don't think I'm that difficult.' Harry pouted, and she rolled her eyes.
'How many other students would ask the elves to do things for them? How many would
talk to them as much as you?' Fleur asked and took a bite of her sandwich.
Harry frowned before shrugging.

'Fine, I'm a bit more complicated than most.' He admitted.
Fleur put her glass down and shifted over to sit beside him.
'Earlier you asked if there was anything I wanted to do today?' she asked, her voice low.
Harry met her hungry gaze and ran a thumb across her cheek.
'I did ask that, didn't I?' he whispered and captured her willing lips in his.
Harry ran a hand across Fleur's cheek and into her silver hair, eliciting a soft moan from
deep in her throat.
In the back of his mind, Harry was glad they'd put up enough wards to hide from any
prying eyes. But then Fleur's lips left his and trailed down his jaw to his neck.
All thoughts of the outside world faded, and Harry's world consisted of the silver haired
goddess attached to his neck.
Fleur fumbled with his robes. She tugged at them while she continued to kiss his neck.
Harry shrugged off his robes and used the opportunity to capture Fleur's lips in a
searing kiss. His fingers trailed through her hair, and his nails gently scraped across her
scalp.
She moaned into his mouth before her hands reached out to grip the bottom of his shirt.
Fleur pulled his shirt off and leapt at him.
Fleur pinned Harry to the blanket, straddling him. She leaned down to kiss him, then
moved down to his neck again.
He was sure he'd have a mark there later, not that he cared.
Fleur's lips travelled down his collarbone to his chest, her fingernails dragged down his
sides, leaving thin red lines. Then she ran her palms up and down his bare chest as she
kissed him. She paused at one of his nipples and gently nipped it with her teeth.
Harry growled deep in his throat as she continued, and he hissed as she bit his nipple.
He wasn't sure if he enjoyed it or not, but she seemed to enjoy herself, so he wouldn't
stop her.
'Fleur.' He breathed.
She paused and looked up at him. She cocked her head to the side.
'What is it, my love?' she whispered.
It sent shivers through his body as her breath crossed his over stimulated nipples.
'I love you.' He said, and she beamed up at him.
'I love you too, now hush. I'm busy.' She grinned.
Fleur kissed his chest and moved lower.
Her fingers deftly undid his belt and unbuttoned his jeans. She leaned back and pulled
them down to his ankles, stopped by his shoes.
Fleur paused and looked down at the tangle of his pants around his ankles and smirked.
She put one foot on his underwear between his feet, effectively pinning his legs in place.
Fleur met his gaze for a moment and sent him a wink before she moved to straddle one
of his knees. She pushed the other off to the side to make room. One hand trailed up
and down his leg, from knee to groin while her other hand braced itself against his
chest.
Fleur lowered her face to his groin and, with a final quick glance up to meet his gaze,
she took his fully erect cock in her mouth.
Harry groaned at the contact. Her mouth was warm, and her teasing had only made him
more desperate for her attentions. As her silver haired head bobbed up and down on his
shaft, Harry stiffened further at the sight.
He'd fantasised about this moment even before he'd realised his feelings for the silver
haired goddess between his legs.
'Oh Fleur, that feels amazing.' He groaned.
Her movements sped up and Harry growled deep in his throat as she used her teeth.
Pleasure tinged with pain sped through his mind and he realised he wouldn't last much
longer.
'Fleur, no, I can't take much more of that.' He breathed.
In response, Fleur bobbed her head up and down faster, sucking harder. She let out a
soft moan and shifted her body off his leg. She lay down between his legs and used
both hands to trail her nails down his chest, leaving thin red lines in their wake.
'Fleur, I'm going to cum.' Harry gasped at the sudden sensation.
A few seconds later, he tensed and unloaded in her mouth.
But she kept going.
He spasmed and squirmed as she continued.
'Fleur.' Harry murmured.
Finally, she stopped and looked up at him. She met his eyes with a hungry expression
in her eyes.
'Now, my love, look, but don't touch.' Fleur said with a grin.
Harry frowned as she stood and stepped away from him. His cock lay spent on his leg,
forgotten.
Fleur smirked and slowly pulled up her robe, doing a little dance as she moved. She
pulled up the robe little by little. By the time she had pulled it up to her face, she tore it
off and tossed it away.
Her eyes never left his.
Under her robe, Fleur wore a tight blue knitted jumper and hip-hugging jeans. Her
fingers gripped the bottom of her jumper, and she continued her little dance and
dragged it, and the shirt beneath it, up and over her head. She discarded the jumper to
the grass and, without breaking eye contact with Harry, unbuttoned her jeans.
Harry stared at Fleur as she performed a strip tease for him without music. He eyed her
perfect breasts, held in place with a lacy blue bra.
Fleur shimmied out of her jeans; her breasts jiggled in her bra as she hopped to the side
to maintain balance.
Harry's thoughts caught up to him and he removed his shoes and the rest of his clothes,
leaving him naked in front of her as she continued her strip tease.
She removed her shoes, socks and jeans at the same time and left them discarded on
the ground, forgotten a moment later.
Fleur stood before him, clad only in her lacy blue bra and matching knickers.
She trailed her hands up from her bare feet, up to her thighs, where her fingers dipped
below her knickers for a moment.
Harry gasped and his cock hardened as she touched herself in front of him.
She tucked her fingers beneath her knickers and, still doing her little dance, shimmied
them down her legs. She let them fall to the ground and stepped out of them.
Fleur's hands moved behind her back and unclasped her bra as she stepped toward
him where he sat. With a soft click, the bra released her breasts and she let it fall to the
ground.
Fleur stepped in front of him, standing in all her glory. She looked down at him and
smirked.
'You may touch now.' She purred.

Harry leapt forward to his knees and bent over slightly. He grabbed hold of her hips and
kissed the bare skin between her legs.
'Oh.' she gasped as his lips moved a little lower.
One of Fleur's hands held Harry's on her hip while the other moved to her perky breasts.
Harry used an elbow to nudge her knee, and a moment later she spread her legs as she
stood, making room for him. His tongue darted out and licked her wet lips.
She moaned.
''Arry. I want you in me.' She breathed.
Harry stood, picking her up in his arms as he did.
She squealed at the sudden movement, and he spun her around.
He dropped to his knees again and lay her down on the blanket.
''Arry, no, you don't have to-' she began.
Harry ignored her and positioned himself between her legs. He spread them wide with
gentle hands. He trailed his fingers, much she had done to him minutes before, from her
ankles all the way to her thighs.
His progress was slow, and he met her hungry gaze with a slight smirk.
'My turn.' He whispered, and she shuddered as his nails moved from her legs to her
hips.
Harry lowered his head between her legs and kissed the bare skin above her glistening
pussy. With every kiss, her breathing came harder, and she bucked her hips up to his
face.
Her hands went to her breasts, and she squeezed them.
''Arry, please, I need you.' She gasped.
Harry lowered his lips to her folds and quickly found the tiny nub at the apex of her
pussy. He blew on it and she squirmed beneath him.
'No more teasing 'Arry.' She moaned, and Harry smirked.
He caught the tiny nub in between his lips and licked it with his tongue. She moaned
and bucked against his lips.
Harry pulled her clit into his mouth and sucked on it.
'More 'Arry, please don't stop.' Fleur whispered.

She wrapped her legs around his back and pulled him closer to her.
Harry smirked as he continued.
He changed his approach and caught her clit between his teeth. He was careful to not
put too much pressure on the sensitive bundle of nerves.
Fleur trembled beneath his attention and as he licked her clit, she spasmed beneath
him.
She let out a long, deep moan, and he continued. He changed between sucking her clit,
licking it between his lips and holding it in place with his teeth and licking it.
''Arry, keep going, that feels so good.' She whispered.
Fleur's body tensed up after a few minutes of the rotation and her hands gripped the
blanket.
A moment later, her hips bucked up to him and she screamed.
''Arry, yes, yes, yessss.' She called.
Harry took a leaf out of Fleur's book and kept going.
Her hands went down to his head and pushed him away.
'Non, non, 'Arry. I'm too sensitive.' She moaned.
Harry pulled away and looked up into her eyes. Beneath him, she twitched, and one
hand moved to where his lips had just been. She rubbed herself, but her fingers moved
almost painfully slow.
''Arry. That was.' She whispered; her gaze locked with his.
Harry smirked.
'Yeah, it was.' He said, and she nodded and closed her eyes.
Harry moved to kneel in front of her and she shifted to mirror his position.
'I think that deserves another reward.' She purred.
'You look pretty tuckered out.' He said and raised his eyebrows.
Fleur smirked with half-lidded eyes and motioned with a nod toward his erect cock.
'You don't.' she said and crawled toward him.

'Fleur, we don't have to-' he stopped as her lips met his in a long kiss.
Fleur pushed him down onto his back and straddled him.
'Now hush, I'm busy.' She smirked.
Harry nodded as she ground herself against his hard cock, pressing it down onto his
belly.
Her eyes fluttered and her nails dug into his chest as she slowly rocked against him.
Harry growled and reached toward her. She took his hand and moved it above his head,
then did the same with his other hand.
'No touching.' She whispered in his ear as she continued.
Fleur trailed kisses across his jaw and left a lingering kiss on his lips before she pulled
away.
She trailed her fingers across his chest and down his abs. Then she moved them up
onto her body as she continued to rub herself against his cock.
Her fingers moved with painful slowness up her milky thighs and moved in circles
between her hips and over her lightly muscled belly, where Harry noticed faint outlines
of her abs.
Fleur paused and lifted her hips off his cock, now slick with fluid from her dripping
pussy. She used one hand to guide his slick cock into her and then lowered herself.
She let out a soft moan as his throbbing cock entered her and filled her.
'Oh 'Arry, you're so big. I'm glad you're not any bigger.' She breathed.
Fleur didn't move for a few moments, then her fingers continued their trek up her body
to her breasts. Her long fingers circled her breasts, moving in spirals until she reached
her nipples.
She pinched her nipples and gasped.
Then she rocked her hips and Harry let out a groan.
The sensation of warmth inside her sent shivers through his body. He watched as she
slowly squeezed her breasts with her hands.
He bucked his hips upward, and she looked down at him.
She smirked and shook her head.
'None of that, my love, you can be in charge next time. This is my reward to you.' She
purred.
Fleur ground her hips against him and let out a long moan. She fell forward and propped
herself up on his chest.
'I'm still sensitive from before my love, so I might not last very long.' She whispered.
Harry grinned.
'I can take over if you're not up to it?' he said, and she narrowed her eyes.
'Non.' she said, then bit her lip.
She rocked her hips and Harry growled.
Fleur smirked and continued.
Harry eyed her swaying breasts as she ground against him. With every rocking motion,
his mind clouded over a little more.
'Fleur.' He hissed as he closed his eyes.
''Arry, you feel so good inside me.' She whispered.
Harry ached to reach up to her, to hold her. He opened his eyes when he heard her
moan.
He watched as she used one hand to rub her clit while she ground against him. She bit
her lip and arched her back as she played with herself while she rode him. Her other
hand moved up to her breast and squeezed it.
'Oh 'Arry. Your cock is getting bigger inside me.' She murmured and closed her eyes.
Harry stared at her and quashed his desire to use his hands.
'Fleur, that's amazing. You're so tight around my cock.' Harry growled.
She smirked, and her eyes fluttered beneath her lids.
'Oh 'Arry, I'm close again.' She breathed.
Harry restrained himself from bucking his hips against her. She'd said not to, after all.
He bit his lip and watched her grind against him.
''Arry.' She breathed.
He was so close, he could feel his orgasm build, deep inside.
'Fleur, I'm almost there.' Harry growled, and she laughed.
'Me too 'Arry. Just. A. Bit. More.' She called out as her body spasmed on top of him.
Harry groaned and exploded inside her as she collapsed on top of him.
Harry let out a breath and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. He held her tight to
him and she turned tired eyes up to him.
'That was.' She muttered, and he nodded.
'It was.' He smiled.
A few minutes later, Fleur pushed herself up to look into his eyes. She still lay on top of
him, and his now limp cock slid out of her as she moved.
'As agreed, next time you're in charge. I'm looking forward to what you come up with.'
She said.
Harry laughed and eyed her hanging breasts for a moment.
'Well, I chose the location this time. So, I'd say we're even.' He said.
She cocked her head, causing her breasts to jiggle, distracting him from her eyes.
'You don't want to have your way with me?' she asked with a faux frown.
'We have a room that can be anywhere in the world. How does a beach next time
sound?' he asked.
'Sandy, but at least the sand wouldn't stay once we leave the room.' Fleur said with a
frown.
'We could always do it in the shower again?' he said.
Fleur grinned.
'Oh, I enjoyed that. I especially liked the part where you came in from behind and
pushed me into the wall. That was hot.' She purred.
Harry grinned, then groaned.
Fleur frowned.
'What's wrong?' she asked, then looked down.
'Oh, really?' she said.
Fleur raised herself up and her hand moved down to his once-more erect cock.
'Absolutely ravenous.' Fleur licked her lips.

(A/N: Magic is the answer to any questions.)
Disclaimer: Last Chapter, for those who skipped it, Fleur and Harry went on a date on a
Hogsmeade Weekend and enjoyed themselves.
Harry looked around the abandoned classroom on the eight floor, he stood in front of
Holly and his friends, as well as Neville and Ronald.
'Tonight, we're going to start on the Disillusionment and Silencing Charms. A versatile
combination.' Harry said.
Neville frowned.
'What for? They won't help us fight, will they?' the Boy-Who-Lived asked and Daphne
scoffed.
'You can't be that stupid, can you, Longbottom? Look around the damned school since
Umbridge started on her warpath.' Daphne snapped.
Neville shrugged.
'So? What do these spells have to do with that?' Neville asked and Ginny looked down
at the floor and covered her face.
Hermione placed a hand on Neville's shoulder.
'Neville? These spells can help us move around the castle, almost invisible and silent.
Since Umbridge banned student groups, we are in danger of being expelled right now.'
Hermione explained.
Susan shook her head.
'It's more than that, though Hermione. These spells can help us to sneak up on our
opponents and attack them from an unexpected angle, making us better able to defend
ourselves, or the castle if it were attacked.' Susan said and Hermione gaped at her.
Hermione turned to Harry, who nodded.
'You're both right, which is why I want you all to learn these spells. Short term to evade
Umbridge and her enforcers, and long term to defend ourselves from larger threats.'
Harry explained, ending with a look at Neville, who nodded.
Harry paused and met the gaze of each member of their little group.
'Does anybody already know these spells?' he asked.
Both Hermione and Daphne put their hands up.
Harry smiled.
'Can you both cast them without issue?' he asked.
'I can't have both of them up together.' Admitted Hermione.
'Me either.' Daphne sighed.
Harry nodded.
'That's fine, now Daphne. Can you explain how the Disillusionment Charm feels when
you cast it?' he asked, and she nodded.
Daphne cleared her throat.
'It feels weird, like an egg is cracked on your head and it sort of trickles down to cover
all of you.' She said.
Harry nodded.
'Hermione, can you please cast the spell?' he asked, and Hermione tapped the top of
her head with her wand.
The bushy haired witch faded from view, top to bottom.
'Good work. Now can you show the group the limitations of the spell?' Harry asked.
'Okay.' Hermione's voice came from a metre away from where she'd been earlier.
Harry turned to the rest of the group.
'Send a Tickling Charm to wherever you think Hermione is right now.' He said and half a
dozen Tickling Charms sped out from the group in different directions, to hit nothing.
Harry sighed.
'Did you just fire randomly? Stop for a second and look around the room.' Harry said
and a few seconds later, Holly fired a Tickling Charm which splashed harmlessly on the
stone wall.
Ronald growled.
'This is impossible. How can we see someone who's invisible?' he whined.

Harry fired a Tickling Charm at the far-left corner from the door and Hermione collapsed
into a fit of giggles. She became visible as her charm failed.
'There's a trick to it. When someone is disillusioned, they are almost invisible. But if they
move, there's a slight blurring effect as the charm tries to adapt to the moving
surroundings around it.' Harry explained.
Hermione had tears in her eyes from giggling, and Harry cringed.
'Sorry Hermione.' He said and cancelled the spell, allowing her to take a deep breath.
Hermione glared at him.
Harry turned back to the group.
'Now, before I teach you the spells. I have a little exercise for you to complete, to get
you a little more comfortable with what the spells do.' Harry said and turned to Daphne,
then Hermione.
'These two are going to be disillusioned and will try to stun the rest of you.' Harry said,
and the two girls behind him shared a glance and a tiny grin between them.
'Go.' Harry said and a moment later, both Hermione and Daphne faded from view.
Pandemonium ensued.
The next night, Harry sat in Flitwick's office after their first lesson of duelling practice.
Flitwick sat in his chair behind his desk with his fingers steepled in front of his
moustache.
'Mister Potter, I wonder if you would be interested in competing in the duelling circuit?
You have the skillset and I think you would do quite well.' The Professor mused.
Harry grinned.
'I appreciate the thought, and I would probably be interested if there wasn't a war going
on.' Harry said, and Flitwick gave a solemn nod.
'So, if the war were over, would you be interested in officially wearing the Hogwarts
crest on the circuit?' he asked, and Harry paused.
'Sir, that sounds brilliant. But I don't think I'll still be a student here when the war ends.'
He admitted, and Flitwick smirked.
'Then perhaps I might sponsor your inclusion in the circuit. I used to be the Champion.
That would likely get you in, give you a chance to show your skills.' Flitwick offered and
Harry blinked.
'Now, no need to answer so quickly. I believe we are still on for tomorrow night?
Minerva said that she was interested in your progress.' Flitwick said and Harry nodded.
'That would be great, thank you for your time and patience Professor.' Harry said.
The next night, Flitwick and Harry stood opposite each other in the Charms classroom
with all the desks stacked up against the walls.
Professor McGonagall stood beside the door, leaning against the wall.
Professor Flitwick drew his wand and sent a quick glance toward Professor McGonagall
before he turned back to Harry.
'Are you ready, Mister Potter?' he asked, and Harry drew his own wand.
'Yes.' Harry said as he sunk into a combat posture.
Harry twisted so that he stood side on to the Charms Professor, his wand pointed at the
ground. He leaned forward on his forward leg, adopting an aggressive posture which the
diminutive Professor opposite him mirrored with a blank face.
McGonagall blinked at the two for a moment before she shook herself and cleared her
throat.
'Begin.' She called in her Scottish brogue.
Harry burst into action, taking the initiative, and fired a half dozen flashy concussion
spells that splashed harmlessly on Flitwick's shield. Before the smaller man could wrest
the initiative off him, Harry transfigured one of the desks against the wall into a wolf and
in between sending a handful of distracting spells that resembled muggle flash-bang
grenades, he enchanted the wolf to be resistant to magic.
But Flitwick capitalised on Harry's lack of offensive spells and Harry leaped out of the
way of a powerful Bludgeoning Hex, which missed him by centimetres.
Harry growled, and the two fell into trading spells and dodging or shielding the other's
spells.
Harry sent a mental command to his transfigured wolf, which attacked the Professor
from behind, but only got within a few steps of the Duelling Champion.
Thick, sticky webs burst out of the stone floor as if from an invisible bomb and covered
the wolf. The wolf struggled inside the web, but could only whimper in dismay.
Harry rolled his eyes and returned to the offensive, momentarily bothered that he had to
hold back in these duels.
But then he realised that's what duelling was. It was supposed to be non fatal. He'd
been training since he was eleven to fight to survive, to fight to protect his loved ones.
Harry fell on his back to avoid a spell he didn't recognise, so lost in his thoughts as he
was. He growled, more at himself than at the situation.
He rolled to the side to avoid another few spells, which splashed on the stone floor
where he'd just been.
Harry leapt to his feet and wandlessly levitated a chair behind Flitwick with his off hand,
then with a pulling motion, summoned it toward him.
The chair crashed into Flitwick, who released a yelp and fell to the floor, where Harry
promptly stunned him.
Harry let out an explosive sigh and leant over, his hands on his knees to catch his
breath.
Professor McGonagall cleared her throat.
'Mister Potter, that, that was astounding. I think I will need to revise what I plan to cover
in these lessons. Your use of transfiguration and enchanting was impressive, even if it
didn't work in the end.' She said.
Harry turned to her with a small grin, still catching his breath.
'Thank you, Professor, though I'm a little disappointed in myself for getting distracted
toward the end there.' He admitted, and she narrowed her eyes.
'Yes, I did notice that. Also, how did you manage that piece of wandless magic? I've
never seen you use it before.' She asked, and Harry let out a chuckle.
'No, I've tried to keep that a little secret in case it comes in handy in the future.' Harry
said, and she gave a small nod.
'Understood Mister Potter, I won't tell a soul outside the three of us.' She declared, and
Harry smiled.
'I appreciate that, Professor. Now, shall we wake up our Charms Professor?' Harry
asked.
He was sure he saw a small smile on McGonagall's face for a moment.
The weekend came and went with Harry in the Room of Requirement along with Fleur.
She taught him how curse breaking worked, using items taken from her work as
examples. Together, they worked on their various projects, and their nights spent with
each other were just as tiring as their days.
An hour before Fleur was due to leave for work on Monday morning, the two lay in a
bed the room provided, and Fleur snuggled into his chest as they relished the last
moments together until the next weekend.
'Fleur?' Harry whispered, and she pulled away from where she had been burrowed into
his neck.
'Hmm?' she looked at him.
Harry kissed her brow and pulled away. He rolled over to the bedside table the room
had provided and opened a drawer.
Fleur crawled up to rest her chin on his shoulder.
''Arry? What are you doing?' she murmured and trailed a hand down his bare arm.
Harry pulled out a small wooden box from the drawer and rolled back toward Fleur. He
moved closer to catch her lips in a brief kiss.
'I finished this yesterday and then we got… distracted.' Harry trailed off and Fleur wore a
smug grin.
'Oui, we got very… distracted.' She purred, then closed her eyes and stretched beside
him.
Harry watched her body and struggled to keep his mind focussed.
It was hard.
Fleur moaned as she finished her stretch, and a shiver ran down Harry's spine.
He growled and kissed her again. This time it lasted for a few minutes, and it only ended
when Harry pulled away to look into her eyes.
Fleur wore a hungry expression for a moment before she trailed a hand down his cheek.
'We have time, my love. Do you not want another round before I leave?' she asked.
Harry tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
'I finished this yesterday, I figured it might help.' Harry said.
He held the box in front of her and she blinked.
'What is it?' she asked.
'Open it and have a look, I hope you like it.' he said.

Fleur took the wooden box and opened it. Inside sat a silver charm shaped like a heart.
She frowned and met his gaze.
'What does this one do?' she asked.
'This one should allow you more control over your Allure. I've been working on it since
last year.' Harry said.
Fleur stared at him for a few seconds, her eyes wide.
'You really finished it? I never thought you would, what with everything else we've been
doing.' She breathed.
She turned her gaze to the silver heart shaped charm.
Harry waited a few moments. He watched as she stared at the charm.
'Do you like it?' he asked, doubt creeping into his words.
She remained silent and stared at the charm in her hands.
'Fleur?' he asked.
Fleur blinked and met his gaze.
''Arry. You don't know how much this means to me. To all Veela.' She breathed.
Harry smiled and his gaze fell to the charm.
'We don't know if it works yet.' He murmured.
Fleur leapt on top of him in an instant. She pulled him into a passionate kiss, which
lasted a few minutes.
She pulled away to catch her breath.
''Arry. Can you put it on for me?' she asked.
With a smile, Harry reached out to attach the new charm to her charm bracelet. The
moment he connected the two together, Fleur gasped.
Harry frowned.
'What? What's wrong?' he asked.
Fleur raised the charm bracelet up in front of her eyes and peered at the jewellery.
'I, I can feel it. I feel, different. Like myself, but more.' She murmured.
Harry's frown deepened.
'It shouldn't have had that much of an effect so quickly.' He said.
Fleur closed her eyes and let out a long breath. Then another, and another.
Harry watched as she breathed. He frowned as he noticed something different about

her Allure. He was always aware of its presence, even though it didn't affect him. But
now, it seemed stronger, but at the same time, it was more controlled.
She opened her eyes.
''Arry, it worked. Until now, there's always been a part of the Allure that escaped. Like
water from a cracked bowl.' She paused, a frown on her face.
Fleur touched the heart shaped charm on her wrist.
'Now it's as if that crack is gone. My Allure is entirely under my control. I never dared to
believe that you'd be able to do it.' She breathed.
She turned her gaze to him.
'Can you make one for Gabrielle?' she asked, and Harry nodded.
'It'll take some time, but the process is the same. I'll have to attune the charm to her
unique Allure. It won't work if you just give her yours.' He said, and she nodded.
'That's okay. With this, we might finally be able to be treated as normal people and not
objects by the world at large.' She said.
Fleur shook her head and met his gaze with a hungry expression.
'We've got about forty minutes before I need to go. I'm going to make them count. You
need to be rewarded, my love.' She purred.
He grinned.
Fleur pulled him into a searing kiss.
Forty-five minutes later, Fleur followed Harry under his invisibility cloak out of the castle
as he began his morning run around the lake. She gave him a lingering kiss before she
crossed the ward line near the edge of the Forbidden Forest and disapparated.
He sat at the Hufflepuff table after his run and heard whispers as students started to
trickle into the Great Hall.
Harry waited with a sense of dread in the pit of his stomach until he noticed Holly and
Luna enter the Hall and head straight for him.
Each girl took a side.
'Harry, I assume you haven't heard?' Holly whispered, and Harry sighed.
'What did I miss now?' he asked, and she glared at him.
'A sixth year Ravenclaw was found by patrolling prefects last night unconscious in an
abandoned classroom with no memory of what happened and with her clothes in
disarray.' Holly hissed, and Harry's eyes narrowed.
Luna leant into his ear.
'We heard Harriet Ellesmere is in Madame Pomphrey's care right now. Do you think it
might be the Nargles?' she asked, her usually spacey voice so quiet only he heard it.
Harry turned and pulled Luna into a hug. He held her for a few seconds before he
released her and turned to Holly.
'Neither of you should walk anywhere in this castle alone or by yourselves. In fact, don't
go anywhere in groups less than four or five.' Harry said and tapped his watch while his
gaze was locked on Holly's.
Holly paled and her hand brushed over her pendant that was under her robes.
Harry squeezed her leg, then patted Luna's leg and looked up at the head table.
'It's going to be okay.' He whispered and stood from his seat.
'Where are you going?' Holly whispered.
Harry turned back to her and gave her a soft smile.
'To talk to a man about a map.' He said, and Holly's face took on a look of
understanding.
She nodded.
Harry strode past the other students sitting at their tables and stopped in front of
Professor Flitwick, who put down the piece of bacon he was about to eat.
'Mister Potter, usually this precedes bad news.' Flitwick gestured to each of their
positions.
Harry nodded, a grim expression on his face.
'I heard about Harriet Ellesmere, Professor.' Harry whispered.
Flitwick's eyes darted to Holly and Luna, who both sat at the Hufflepuff table, watching
their interaction.
Professor Flitwick sighed and wiped his mouth with a napkin.
'Yes, we don't know what happened, only rumours as she doesn't remember anything.'
Flitwick said, his voice low.
Harry nodded.
'Are the Professors still using the maps I got for them last year?' he asked, and the little
man blinked owlishly for a moment.
'No, we haven't been. Since we came back for this term, they have been somewhat
forgotten, I'm afraid.' Flitwick admitted, a thoughtful frown on his face.
'But I appreciate you bringing their continued existence to my attention. I will remind the
rest of the staff of the importance of the maps.' Flitwick continued and Harry nodded.
'I'm glad they are getting used.' Harry smiled and, with a final nod from the Professor,
went to re-join his friends at the Hufflepuff table.
The next morning, Harry entered the Great Hall beside Susan and Hannah. Harry took a
seat beside a pale Daphne while Susan and Hannah sat opposite.
'What's wrong?' Harry asked, and Daphne blinked at him.
'Malfoy.' she whispered.
Harry's eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched.
'What did he do?' Harry whispered and put his hand over Daphne's.
'He was caught outside the common room after curfew with Crabbe, Goyle and Nott.'
She said, her blue eyes locked on his.
Harry tensed.
Daphne gripped his hand.
'We lost two hundred points, and I heard some of the other girls talking. They think that
maybe it was Malfoy and his friends who attacked Harriet Ellesmere.' She whispered.
Daphne schooled her features a moment later and her usual expression of cold
detachment reasserted itself.
She cleared her throat.
'Keep an eye out for those boys. The girls in my dorm believe that Harriet suffered more
than being roughed up a little.' Daphne's gaze flicked over to Susan and Hannah.
Susan paled and clutched the charm bracelet Harry had given her in their third year.
A week later, the four Slytherin boys were caught again outside of curfew and lost
another two hundred points for Slytherin house. But nobody else was attacked.
October ended, and for the first time since Harry and his friends arrived, Halloween
passed uneventfully.
November moved quickly. Harry's time was taken up by training and extra lessons from
Flitwick and McGonagall. Most of his Professors gave him advanced work, beyond
NEWT level as if he were going for his Mastery in them.
Professor Flitwick, in particular, was ecstatic at Harry's performance.
December began, and Harry stood in the Room of Requirement. He looked at the clock,
waiting for Fleur to arrive.
The clock on the wall read eight forty-five pm, on the eighth of December.
He frowned as his pocket vibrated. Harry dug into his robes and pulled out his Potter
family mirror.
He looked at it and Holly's face appeared. Tear tracks ran down her cheeks, and she
looked miserable.
'Holly? What's wrong? What happened?' he asked.
Harry watched as Holly closed her eyes and wiped her tears with a bandaged hand.
'What happened to your hand? Where are you?' Harry said, and Holly held up a hand to
stop him.
'Harry, stop. Just let me talk.' She whispered, and Harry froze.
He stared at the mirror and etched every detail into his Occlumency enhanced mind.
'Harry, I just got out of a detention with Umbridge. She had me write lines.' Holly started,
and Harry frowned.
'Wait, why did she pull you into detention? What do you mean lines? What would that
accomplish?' Harry asked, and Holly sniffled.
Holly's face moved, like she placed her mirror down onto a desk or bed.
'She insulted you in the middle of her class today. She said you were a cheater and that
there's no way that you were able to skip a year without cheating.' Holly said as she
unravelled a bandage wrapped around her hand.
'I told her that you were brilliant, that you earned being able to skip a grade. We got into
an argument, and she called me a liar for defending you.' She whispered.
The bandage unwound and Harry only saw it for a moment every few seconds as she
removed it, layer by layer.
It was red.
The door to the Room of Requirement opened to reveal Fleur as she entered. She wore
a beaming smile as she stepped into the room.
But her smile died when she saw his face.
''Arry?' she asked and moved to stand beside him when he motioned to join him with a
jerk of his head.
She peered over his shoulder into the mirror with him.
Holly put the back of her hand in front of the mirror.
Carved into the flesh of her hand was a single line.
'I shall not tell lies.'
Harry tensed and Fleur took his free hand in hers.
'Breathe, my love.' She whispered in his ear.
Harry took a deep breath and swallowed his rage.
'Holly. I want you to come up to the Room of Requirement. We'll call mum and dad, and
together, we're going to make Umbridge regret the day she stepped foot in this school.'
Harry snarled, and Holly blinked.
'Harry? Are you sure? Its past curfew.' She muttered and Harry took another calming
breath and squeezed Fleur's hand.
'Yeah, I'm sure. This goes beyond school rules; besides, you know how to use the
Disillusionment and Silencing Charms. I'll keep an eye on you with my map as well.'
Harry said and Holly sighed.
'Okay. If you're sure.' She nodded and turned off her mirror.
Harry put the mirror in his pocket of his robes and pulled out his map.
He turned to Fleur.
'Sorry, we may have to hold off on practice until this is sorted.' Harry said, and Fleur
frowned.
''Arry, don't be silly. This takes precedence. She is your sister, everything else can wait.'
She shook her head and brushed a hand through his hair.
'What are we going to do to this Umbridge woman?' she asked.
Harry led Fleur over to a couch and coffee table that appeared with a thought.
He spread the map out on the coffee table and tapped it with his wand.
'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.' He intoned, and the map activated.
Harry watched Holly's dot leave the Ravenclaw dorms and move toward the central
staircase.
He squeezed Fleur's hand.
'I am going to destroy her for harming my family.' Harry declared, his voice low and
calm.
She squeezed his hand.
'How?' she asked with a raised eyebrow.
'I have been watching her trying to increase her power in this school, she's up to
something. She's playing politics both here and in the Ministry. I'm going to use that to
get rid of her.' He said.
Harry's eyes never left Holly's dot on the map as it slowly moved toward the seventh
floor.
'Hogwarts House-Elf please.' Harry called and a moment later, one appeared.
'Young Mister Potter sir, what can Kilby help you's with?' it asked, and Harry tore his
gaze from the map and looked at the creature.
'Is it possible to have one of the House-Elves keeping an eye on Professor Umbridge at
all times that she's in this school?' he asked, and the little creature looked
uncomfortable.
'I only ask because the woman has injured my sister, a student here, and I want to
make sure she doesn't do it to anyone else.' Harry continued.
The little creature blinked, then its face hardened, taking Harry aback.
'Nasty Professor is harming students?' it asked, its voice losing the usual cheerfulness
its race usually held.
Harry nodded.
'My sister is coming here now to show me, and I was hoping that you and the other
House-Elves might help us to stop any other students being harmed in this school.'
Harry said and the little House-Elf stared at him with narrowed eyes before it nodded.
'We's will help you, young Mister Potter. Just call for us if you need us. One of us will
always be watching the nasty Professor.' Kilby said before it disappeared with a pop.
Fleur whistled and quirked an eyebrow at Harry.
'These House-Elves must trust you.' She said, and Harry frowned.
'What do you mean?' he asked, and she rolled her eyes.
'You just asked them to spy on a Professor and they agreed. As far as I am aware, only
the Headmaster should be able to order them to spy on a Professor.' She explained,
and Harry shook his head and turned back to the map.
'I didn't order them to do anything. I asked. Kilby could have said no.' Harry disagreed
and stared at Holly's dot as it entered the seventh-floor corridor from the central
staircase.
Fleur laughed.
'Fair enough, all I'm saying is that you have some serious influence with the House-
Elves of Hogwarts. Or maybe it's all House-Elves. I know the ones back at Delacour
Manor adore you, as do the ones at Potter Manor.' She mused, and Harry glanced at
her for a moment and shook his head.
'It's only because I'm polite and respect them. I find its surprisingly rare for people to
treat them properly, especially in Britain.' Harry groused and looked up at the door.
The door opened and Holly stepped in. As she closed the door behind her, she sent a
small smile to Fleur.
'Do I have you to thank for stopping my stupid, overprotective brother from going off and
attacking a Professor?' she asked Fleur and Harry spluttered.
'Hey.' He said, and both girls rolled their eyes.
Fleur turned to him.
''Arry, admit it, you felt the need to punish the vile woman when you first heard.' Fleur
said.
Harry opened his mouth to reply but froze, then closed it.
'Yeah, I suppose.' He admitted, and both girls shared smug looks.
Harry cleared his throat and tapped the couch between him and Fleur.
'Come, sit. I'll call mum and dad in a moment.' Harry said and Holly nodded and moved
to sit between them.
Fleur shifted to make room and rubbed Holly's back when she sat.
'Oh 'Olly. This looks terrible.' Fleur whispered as she examined the letters carved into
the younger girl's hand.
Holly took a breath and winced as she moved her fingers.
'Can you two heal it?' she asked, and Fleur nodded and pulled out her wand.
Holly groaned and shook her head, she pulled her hand out of Fleur's grip, then sighed.
'Wait.' Holly said.
Harry and Fleur stared at her.
'What for?' Fleur asked.
Holly pulled out her family mirror.
'We need to show mum and dad first. I thought about it on the way here. Without
evidence, we can't do anything to stop Umbridge from doing it to anyone else.' Holly
said.
Harry nodded, and hated that he knew where her thoughts were leading to.
Fleur glared at Harry.
'You want to leave your sister in pain to resolve your need for revenge?' she asked, her
ice-blue eyes flashed.
Harry spun to Fleur.
'Never.' Harry snapped.
'Both of you, stop it.' Holly hissed, first looking at Harry, then at Fleur.
Harry blinked and hung his head.
'I'm sorry, both of you.' Harry whispered.
Holly turned to Fleur.
'It's okay, Fleur. While my hand hurts, I'm not dying or anything. This is my idea, if it
takes a little pain and discomfort to put a leash on Umbridge, then I will.' She said and
looked deep into Fleur's ice-blue eyes.
'Harry, I need your help to pull this off.' Holly said, and turned back to Harry.
'You'll help, right?' she asked.
Harry sighed, then nodded.
'I'm sorry 'Arry, I shouldn't have said that.' Fleur said and Harry shook his head.
'No, you're right. I hate that I am agreeing to this.' Harry admitted, and met Fleur's gaze.
Holly rolled her eyes.
'You two can make it up to each other after we've dealt with this. I know what you two
do in here all weekend, and it's not training, not entirely.' Holly said, and Fleur blushed.
Harry cleared his throat and tried to keep the red out of his cheeks.
'So, I'm going to call mum and dad now.' He said, drawing a snicker from Holly.
'Smooth.' she said and Harry huffed.
Harry took a deep breath and let it out, he pulled up his mirror and held it in front of his
face.
'James Potter.' He called and a few seconds later, his father's face appeared in the
mirror.
'Harry? I didn't think we had a call scheduled. Is everything okay?' James asked.
'Dad, is mum there with you?' Harry asked, and his father blinked.
'Yeah, why didn't you just call her?' James asked, and Harry shook his head.
'Can you just get her; I have Holly and Fleur here, and we need to tell you two about
something that's happened here.' Harry said, and James' eyes widened.
'Okay, hold on, I'll go get her.' James said and the mirror's view changed to the ceiling.
Holly frowned.
'Did dad just put the mirror down on a table or something?' she asked, and Harry
nodded.
'You did the same thing earlier; I got a good view up your nose for a few minutes.' Harry
said and Holly scrunched up her face.
'Remind me to not do that again.' Holly muttered and Fleur laughed.
'I forget that you're not as used to these mirrors as we are 'Olly.' Fleur said and earned a
glare from Holly.
Fleur's reply never came as the view on the mirror changed to show both James and
Lily, they wore worried expressions.
'Harry? We're both here now, what happened?' Lily said and Harry moved his mirror to
show both Holly and Fleur as well.
With a thought, the room provided a small pipe buried in the table and Harry placed the
mirrors handle in it so all three of them could be in view of the mirror.
'Long story short, we want you two to come to Hogwarts and confront Umbridge. She
attacked Holly with what looks like a blood quill. Holly?' Harry gestured to the mirror and
Holly took a deep breath and moved her hand in front of the mirror.
Holly held the back of her hand up near the mirror and judging by the gasps from the
mirror, their parents saw the words.
'How dare she do that to my little girl?' Lily hissed.
Holly pulled her hand away from the mirror.
James' red face was twisted in a snarl.
'I'll kill that woman for touching you Holly.' James declared and Holly shook her head.
'No, we have a plan.' Holly said and both James and Lily froze.
'What? What's going on?' James asked.
Holly looked at Harry.
Harry sighed.
'I want you two to come into the school, tomorrow morning during breakfast. We want
witnesses. What she has done is illegal, especially to a daughter of an Ancient and
Noble House.' Harry said and James sighed.
'Harry, I don't like that you're making sense.' James muttered and Lily lay a hand on his
shoulder.
'Go on dear.' Lily said.
'If Umbridge has help with her plans from Fudge, this could cause some serious trouble
for both of them in the Ministry. Which might help our greater plans.' Harry explained
and James grit his teeth.
'I see where you're going with this Harry.' He started; his brown eyes moved to Holly for
a moment then back to Harry.
'You want to put your sister on display for political gain?' James asked, his voice low.
Holly growled.
'Dad, its not like that. This is my idea, besides, Harry could have gone in and attacked
Umbridge, like you want to. But where would that get him? Azkaban, or a Ministry
holding cell.' Holly snapped.
Holly cradled her injured hand with her other one.
'This way, we might be able to remove her from the school for good. I don't think I'm the
only student who has suffered this detention either.' Holly said and Lily's eyes shot to
her.
'Detention?' Lily asked.
Holly sighed.
'Yeah, Umbridge insulted Harry in my class and I wasn't going to stand for it. We got
into an argument, and she gave me detention where I wrote this line at least a hundred
times.' Holly said, looking down at her hand.
James growled deep in his throat and turned his gaze from Holly to Harry.
'I'm in for this plan of yours. Tell me everything.' James said.
Harry ran a hand down his face.
'Okay, here's what we'll do.' He began.
The next morning was a Saturday and Harry sat in the Great Hall at the Hufflepuff table,
surrounded by his friends. Holly sat beside him with her hand bandaged.
Students gave Harry odd looks.
Holly smirked and leant in toward him.
'They know something is happening, I don't think you've ever been in the Great Hall on
a weekend without Fleur.' She whispered and Harry rolled his eyes.
'Oh, hush you. Now, the show should be starting soon.' Harry muttered.
Daphne cocked her head to the side.
'Is there a reason why you're joining us this morning for breakfast? This isn't normal.'
She remarked and Harry quirked an eyebrow.
'Holly had a detention with Umbridge last night, she was injured, and our parents are
due here any minute.' Harry said and Daphne's eyes widened and turned to Holly.
'That pink monstrosity hurt you?' Daphne breathed and Holly raised her bandaged hand.
'It's okay, I'm going to get it healed after breakfast.' Holly said.
Holly turned to Harry and leant closer to his ear.
'Where's Fleur?' she asked, and Harry smirked.
'She's under my invisibility cloak by the head table. Dumbledore is giving her a strange
look right now.' Harry whispered and Holly turned to look up at the head table and
smothered a snort.
Dumbledore frowned at a space past Professor Snape who looked uncomfortable, likely
assuming that the Headmaster was frowning at him.
Then the doors to the Great Hall burst open, James and Lily Potter strode in. Gasps
filled the Hall as the two stalked toward the head table, bypassing Dumbledore and went
straight to Umbridge.
James slammed his hands on the table, knocking over the pink clad woman's cup of
tea.
Harry watched with narrowed eyes, he could see the magic coming off his father, it was
radiating from him. He thought for a moment, and likely the only one who could
generate the same or more power was Dumbledore, who was no longer frowning at
Fleur under Harry's invisibility cloak.
'Dolores Jane Umbridge. How dare you use a blood quill on our daughter? As Senior
Undersecretary to the Minister, you should know that they are only used to sign legally
binding documents in the Ministry or Gringotts.' He roared.
Lily put a hand on his shoulder and glared at the pale woman.
'If you put so much as a foot out of line, the Ancient and Noble House of Potter will take
legal action against you, and if the Minister is involved in your petty vendetta, then him
as well.' Lily hissed, though her voice carried throughout the Great Hall.
James' lip twitched.
'Do not push me on this, or you will find that your fathers' old job as a Janitor will soon
be yours.' James growled and Umbridge paled.
James turned to Dumbledore.
'Keep your staff on a leash Headmaster, this is her only warning. She won't get another.'
James declared and turned away.
Lily took his hand and together, the two stormed out of the Great Hall, James gave a
wink to Harry and Holly as they passed.
As soon as James and Lily left the Hall, Dumbledore stood.

'Mister and Miss Potter, will you join me in my office?' the Headmaster called.
Harry turned to Holly, who nodded.
Harry stood and helped Holly up with her uninjured hand. He turned to Dumbledore and
nodded.
'Of course sir, we'll make out way there now.' He said and led Holly out of the Great
Hall.
Harry stood in front of the Gargoyle that blocked the entrance to the Headmaster's
office, Holly beside him.
'That seemed to go well.' Holly said and Harry smiled at her.
'So far, though I think she won't accept the limitations on her, I think that she'll lash out
at us.' Harry mused but paused as Dumbledore strode toward them from down the
corridor, Umbridge trailed along behind him, her face was almost purple.
'This could be interesting.' He whispered before Dumbledore approached them.
Dumbledore looked at the Gargoyle.
'Smarties.' He said, and the Gargoyle leapt to the side.
'Come, let us speak in my office.' Dumbledore said and stepped past them onto the
newly revealed staircase.
Harry held Holly's uninjured hand and followed suit, behind them stomped the pink clad
woman whose red face resembled an eggplant.
Once inside the Headmasters Office, Dumbledore conjured three overstuffed chairs
opposite his desk and he sat, steepling his fingers in front of his face.
'Lemon drop?' the old man offered and both Harry and Holly shook their heads,
Umbridge only glared at the two students.
After a few moments Umbridge growled.
'Are you going to discipline these two delinquents, Headmaster?' she hissed, and
Dumbledore turned a raised eyebrow at her.
'What for my dear?' Dumbledore asked and gestured toward Holly's hand.
'I have witnessed nothing untoward from the two of them. It was their parents who made
a scene.' The ancient wizard said and looked at Holly.
'Can you please remove the bandage?' he asked.

Holly looked to Harry, who nodded.
Harry watched as she unwound the bandage, once again, the fabric was stained red.
Dumbledore stilled as he saw the raw wound.
'I shall not tell lies? Dolores, would you care to explain?' Dumbledore asked, his voice
low and did nothing to contain the wrath hidden deep inside it.
Umbridge's face twisted in a scowl.
'How am I supposed to know what foolish children will do to themselves in their

hormone addled angst?' the pink woman shrugged.
Harry glared at her.
'So, you deny the Potter's accusations that you forced Miss Potter here to use a blood
quill during a detention?' Dumbledore asked, his voice cold.
'Of course I do, its blatantly untrue.' Umbridge shook her head.
'I don't know what I did to earn the ire of these two children, perhaps telling lies is
something they picked up from their parents.' Umbridge offered.
Harry clenched his fist under the table, on his lap and resisted the urge to injure the
horrid woman.
Dumbledore sighed and looked between Harry, Holly and Umbridge.
'I believe that this meeting is over. I don't want to hear of this any further, from any of
you.' Dumbledore said and Umbridge stamped to her feet and stalked out of the room.
Harry watched her go and turned to Dumbledore.
'Are you sure Headmaster?' Harry asked and Dumbledore turned cold eyes on him.
'Mister Potter, you are playing a dangerous game in my school. How you managed to
talk your parents into it is beyond me. But be careful, you are playing for larger stakes
that you realise.' Dumbledore warned, and gestured to the door.
In the Room of Requirement a few minutes later, Harry knelt beside Holly who sat on a
couch.
Fleur knelt on her other side.
Fleur waved her wand over the wound and muttered words that Harry couldn't make
out, though he knew the spells she was using.
Holly turned to him.

'I thought you two could cast silently?' she whispered, and Harry smiled at her.
'We can, its just that some spells work better when used audibly, and healing your hand
is something we want to do properly.' Harry explained and Holly smiled.
'Thank you, both of you.' Holly said, flexing her hand after Fleur tucked away her wand,
her healing complete.
Fleur smiled.
'I'm glad we finally healed it; I wasn't comfortable leaving it for this long.' She said and
Holly pulled her into an embrace.
'Thank you Fleur, you've left no trace of it, you're amazing.' She gushed and ran a finger
over where the words had been.
Fleur's eyes twinkled.
'Any time 'Olly. You are like a sister to me and seeing you in pain is not something I
want to see again.' She said and squeezed Holly against her.
'Was your scheme worth it?' she asked, her voice held a slight chill.
Harry sighed and Holly gripped his hand.
'Yes, my plan did. That vile woman will think twice before she harms anyone else, and
while she'll certainly do it again, we'll be ready.' Holly said and kissed Harry's cheek.
'This is going to work Harry, don't doubt yourself. I believe in you.' Holly said and took a
breath.
Holly stood and stepped away from the two.
'I'm going to go fill the others in on everything that's happened.' Holly said and looked
between Harry and Fleur.
'I don't like how distant you two are. Work it out, please?' Holly asked and Harry met her
eyes and nodded, followed by Fleur.
'Okay. Bye guys, thanks for everything.' Holly grinned and ran out of the Room of
Requirement.
Harry sighed and turned to Fleur.
'I'm sorry.' They both said at the same time.
They laughed.
Harry took her hand.
'Fleur, I know what you mean. Now that I'm looking at this whole thing from an outside
perspective, that is exactly how it looks.' He admitted and looked down at her hand in
his.
'And that makes me feel horrible. I've spent my whole life trying to protect Holly from
danger, and then this happens. Her plan was the only way I could see to stop it from
happening again that had even a reasonable chance of success.' Harry said, a severe
frown on his face.
'Well murdering the woman probably would have worked, but that's different from
accidentally hurting or killing them.' Harry whispered.
Fleur raised his hands to her lips.
'No Harry, murdering the woman would not have worked. This was the best way to deal
with the situation, I just don't like what it means. I think we may have to make harder
choices than this to fix the world like we plan to.' She whispered.
Harry nodded.
Fleur kissed his knuckles.
'You didn't murder her; you know that right?' Fleur said.
Harry blinked.
'The future me. You didn't murder her. It was an accident, and she wanted to die after
giving you her warning.' Fleur whispered.
A tear slid down Harry's cheek.
'I still killed her; it was my spell.' He whispered; bitterness hung heavy in his heart.
Fleur cupped his face with her hands, letting his fall to his lap.
'Harry, listen to me. I love you, if I thought, even for an instant that you meant to harm
my future self, I wouldn't be with you. She is gone, but she gave us the chance to
change the future for the better.' She said and pressed her forehead to his.
Harry took a deep breath before he released it.
'You're right, I'm sorry.' He said.
Fleur wrapped him in a tight embrace.
'Now, we're behind schedule, we have a lot to do before I leave.' Fleur kissed his cheek
and Harry forced a smile on his face.
'You're right, lets get to work.' He agreed and stood.
A week passed and Harry heard nothing from the House-Elves watching Umbridge. He
spent another weekend with Fleur in the Room of Requirement and after seeing her off
during his morning run, Harry sat at the Hufflepuff table.
Harry watched with a frown as Hermione made her way to him. She sat down beside
him, and he saw her eyes were red and she looked like she hadn't slept.
'Hermione, what's wrong?' he asked, keeping his voice low.
Hermione ran a hand through her messy hair.
'Mister Weasley was attacked last night, and Neville saw it in a vision. Neville thinks
Mister Weasley was guarding something at the Department of Mysteries.' She blurted
and Harry blinked.
'Is he all right?' Harry asked and Hermione closed her eyes and took a breath.
'He's in Saint Mungo's right now, the Weasley's are there with him, same with Neville.'
She explained and Harry nodded.
He put a hand on her back and rubbed it in circles as their other friends started to enter
the Great Hall.
'Maybe you should stick close to us until the end of term. I assume you'll be going to
stay with the Weasleys over the holidays?' he asked, and she nodded.
'Mister Weasley will be fine, magical medicine is really quite versatile. If something
doesn't kill you outright, magic will usually get you fit and healthy within a week.' He
said, then frowned.
'With a few exceptions of course.' He added and Hermione frowned at him.
'Moody?' she asked, and Harry laughed.
'Moody.' He agreed.
*Chapter 48*: Chapter 47 - Christmas 1995
Chapter 47. Christmas. 1995.
A couple of days later, Harry sat in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express with his
friends. Holly on one side and Hermione on the other.
For most of the trip, Hermione chatted with Holly and Harry. Opposite them sat Daphne
and Luna, who were inseparable.
Susan sat on Daphne's other side and faced Hannah.
'How is Michael Cornfoot? You haven't mentioned him in a while?' Susan asked, and
Hannah blushed.
Hannah glared at Susan.
'Michael is fine, thanks.' Hannah huffed and avoided everybody's eyes.
Hannah turned to Susan with a smug smirk.
'Who are you interested in these days, Susan?' Hannah asked, and her eyes flickered
toward Harry for a moment.
Susan laughed and met Harry's gaze with a smile.
'Yes, I used to have a crush on Harry, but once I met Fleur a few years ago, it was clear
he would never return my feelings. We're more like siblings. You don't accuse Holly of
crushing on him, do you?' the redhead asked.
'Gross.' Holly called, and the others laughed.
Hermione looked down at her lap and let out a soft sigh.
Hannah turned to Daphne, who only glared at her.
Hannah sighed.
'Is anyone doing anything interesting over the holidays?' she asked.
Susan shrugged.
'Likely just spending time with family until the Christmas Ball, which I think is at the
Longbottom's again this year?' Susan said, and Daphne nodded.
'Do you think Longbottom has grown up a little these past few months? He's been pretty
decent in our DA meetings at least.' Daphne said.
'He seems to have gotten over himself and has stopped trying to lord his Boy-Who-
Lived status over everyone.' Hannah agreed.
Luna shook her head.
'He has simply removed his infestation of Gibbering Humdingers and has finally seen
what was right in front of him this whole time.' She said in a dreamy voice.
Everyone stared at her for a moment before Harry grinned.
'Yeah Luna, I think you're right. He must have been infested by something. What are
these Gibbering Humdingers though? Where do they come from and how do we protect
ourselves?' he asked.
Luna beamed at him.
'Well-' she began.
The next few days passed with all the joy the holiday period is known for. Harry spent
his days getting up early and taking turns with Fleur having spells and stones thrown at
them by the others.
After their morning training, Harry and Fleur were inseparable and were just as often
seen spending time with each other on the grounds of Potter Estate as they were taking
Charlus and Orion out to fly.
Each night, the extended family joined at Potter Manor for dinner and board games.
Remus rarely joined them, though. He was busy studying and running the fledgling
Crocus Industries.
After Charlus and Orion went to bed, the family often discussed their plans in the
Wizengamot and Crocus Industries. They filled Harry, Susan and Holly in on what was
happening while they were at Hogwarts.
Then they would all go to bed.
Fleur had been staying in Harry's room while he was at Hogwarts, and Harry shrugged
as he stepped into his room and found her in there.
He'd half expected someone to tell him they couldn't share a room, but figured that no
one wanted to broach that topic, and he was fine with that.
Finally, it was Christmas Eve, the day of the Christmas Ball at the Longbottom's Estate.
Harry stepped into the entrance hall of Longbottom Manor from the floo and took Fleur's
arm as she followed behind him. She wore a brilliant silver dress that hugged her figure
and kept her covered enough to not upset the mostly conservative British Noble
Houses.
The Manor looked much like it had every other time he had been there. It screamed
'wealthy' while staying just below gaudy.
He idly wondered which Longbottom designed it originally.
He walked into the main hall with Fleur on his arm and tensed as he saw a pink clad
woman standing beside the Minister of Magic.
'Calm yourself, my love. We are in their environment tonight.' Fleur whispered.
Harry forced a smile on his face and gave her a small nod.
Harry looked around the hall. He ignored the Minister and the pink monstrosity, and saw
Hannah sitting at a table with Daphne.
They both looked bored.
Harry gestured with his head toward the two and Fleur grinned, then glanced around the
room.
'Do you see my parents anywhere?' she asked, and Harry frowned.
'Gabrielle isn't coming with them?' he asked as his eyes darted across the room.
He searched for a familiar head of silver hair. Apolline would be easier to spot than
Dominique after all.
'No, Gabrielle is not one for these events, and as second daughter, she isn't expected to
attend them.' She explained, and Harry groaned.
'Of course, I'm not sure why I didn't think of that.' He admitted.
Fleur smiled and kissed his cheek.
'It's because you're distracted.' She winked at him, and he grinned.
'Well, can you blame me? I've been home for a week, and I've lost track of how many
times-' he paused as she slapped his shoulder.
'Hush you. We can start counting again later, but right now we have a Ball to enjoy.'
Fleur smirked, a hint of a blush on her cheeks.
Harry grinned.
'My lady, shall we join our friends?' he asked, and she rolled her eyes and gave a
shallow curtsey.
'Of course, my lord, we shall.' She smirked.
The next few hours passed with Umbridge often glaring at Harry and Fleur from her spot
beside the Minister. As the Ball came to an end, the pink clad woman left her spot
beside the Minister and moved to stand beside Harry's table.
Umbridge looked around at Harry's friends, and her lip curled as she saw Fleur beside
Harry.
'Potter, isn't it past your bedtime? What are you still even doing here, and with a half-
breed, no less?' Umbridge sniffed as if she had stepped on something disgusting.
Harry smiled up at the Senior Undersecretary.
'Madame, neither the Potters, nor the Delacour's would appreciate your behaviour
toward my date.' Harry said, the veneer of politeness as thin as silk, unable to conceal
the rage that boiled below his words.
Umbridge turned red for a moment, then her features slackened, as if she finally
understood what he had said. She paled as she stared at Fleur, then back at Harry.
The pink clad woman turned and left without a further word.
Harry shook his head and squeezed Fleur's hand beneath the table.
Fleur leant in close to his ear.
'For that, my love, you are getting very lucky tonight.' She whispered, and Harry shifted
in his seat.
The next morning, Harry woke with Fleur in his arms and revelled in the smell of her
hair. He tightened his grip on her naked form and she wiggled her behind into him.
'Merry Christmas Fleur.' Harry groaned as she pushed into him.
'Merry Christmas to you my 'Arry.' She purred as she wriggled her behind.
Fleur stopped and rolled over to face him.
'Which present would you like first?' she asked, a coy smile on her face.
'I get two?' he asked.
'Well-' she began and trailed her fingers over his chest.
'One is downstairs under the tree, and the other is in your arms.' She purred.
'I think I'll go for this present first if that is the case.' He grinned and pulled her toward
him.
Christmas day saw the extended family at Potter Manor to exchange presents and
indulge in a massive brunch afterward.
Harry was drawn into taking Charlus and Orion for a fly. Holly and Susan joined him.
Fleur watched from below with Lily and Amelia.
After an hour, Harry noted that Orion looked tired. He called an end to the game of
aerial tag the five had fallen into.
'Come on guys, time to head in.' Harry called and immediately received two inarticulate
shouts of dismay from the younger boys.
Harry pointed at the sun as it approached the mountains in the distance.
'It's getting late. I know that Uncle Moony has a surprise for us after dinner. I figured
you'd want to be ready for it or he might get sad.' Harry said with a wink to Holly and
Susan, who floated behind the boys.
Both girls rolled their eyes.
Charlus pouted.
'But I want to keep flying. You won't be around much after today.' The red-haired boy
complained, and Harry grinned.
'I know you do kiddo, and if you like I can go in and tell Uncle Remus that you'd rather
fly than see his present if you like?' Harry proposed.
Charlus blinked, caught off guard by the suggestion.
'N-no. I want to see the present, of course I do.' Charlus breathed and Orion edged
closer to Harry on his broom.
'Yeah, I wanna go in and see Uncle Moony's present.' Orion called and wavered on his
broom.
Harry laughed.
'Okay you two, lets return these brooms to the shed and head in for dinner then.' Harry
agreed and floated down toward the ground, followed by the two boys.
Holly and Susan shook their heads and sent fond smiles down toward their collective
brothers and followed.
After dinner, the extended family sat down in the lounge room.
Harry entered and froze as he stared at the far wall opposite the fireplace. A box that he
recognised as a television sat on a conjured table. On top of the TV sat a rectangular
box attached to the television with coloured cables.
He turned to Remus.
'Is that what I think it is?' Harry asked, and Remus smirked.
''Arry, come sit down.' Fleur called and patted a spot next to her on a conjured yellow
couch.
Harry stepped across Charlus and Orion, who looked excited, but not sure what they
were excited about.
He sat next to Fleur and put an arm around her shoulder. She snuggled in closer.
Remus turned to Harry.
'I know you suggested Crocus Industries should start in the medical field, but I just don't
know enough about it yet. These came from the first few areas that Crocus Industries is
investing in, scientific instruments like seismometers and things, but right now,
entertainment.' Remus said, and Harry shook his head.
'We have time Moony; this company is long term. Besides, this is pretty cool.' Harry
grinned, then he frowned.
'How does it work?' Harry asked.
Remus coughed.
'I, uh, don't know.' The werewolf admitted and turned to Lily.
Lily rubbed the back of her head.
'No idea.' She shrugged and Sirius laughed.
'Quiet you.' Lily shouted and threw popcorn at Sirius.
Orion looked around the room.
'What's going on?' he asked, confused.
Remus cleared his throat.

'Kids, watch the box. Adults, hush.' Remus said and Harry heard chuckles throughout
the room.
Remus flicked his wand at the TV and the screen lit up, bathing the room with light. The
screen showed a well-lit castle with fireworks in the background and the word 'Disney'
appeared under the castle while orchestral music came from the box.
Harry stared, as did everyone else, as an animated African sunrise appeared and
showed plains-dwelling animals bending the knee to a pride of lions who displayed their
cub from atop a massive rock.
It was, The Lion King.
The next morning, Harry and Fleur stood in the entrance hall of Potter Manor.
Holly and Susan hugged them both.
'Be careful and we'll see you in a couple weeks.' Holly whispered as she released Harry
from his hug.
'We will be. Love you.' Harry kissed her brow as she stepped back.
Harry turned to Fleur and took her hand.
'Ready?' he asked, and she nodded.
Harry pooled his magic and with a deafening crack, he and Fleur disappeared from
Potter Manor.
With another deafening crack, they reappeared on a hill overlooking Delacour Manor. It
was bright and warm, and a light breeze ruffled their hair.
Harry turned to Fleur and smiled.
'We're here. Shall we go inside?' he asked.
Fleur shook her head, and her eyes grew wide.
Harry followed her gaze and saw a tall, stunning silvery blonde haired young woman run
through the front door of the Manor.
He blinked.
'Is that Gabrielle?' he asked, and Fleur released his hand.
Fleur's hands covered her mouth and her eyes watered as the young silvery blonde
woman reached them and caught Fleur in a tight embrace.
'Oh Fleur, I missed you so much.' Gabrielle gushed in French.
Harry watched the two sisters, who looked like they could be twins. Gabrielle was still a
little shorter than Fleur and her eyes darker, with specks of brown in the sky blue.
But otherwise, the two could have easily been mistaken for twins instead of sisters with
a five-year gap.
Gabrielle released Fleur and leapt at Harry, wrapping him in a hug.
'I've missed you, Harry.' She whispered in his ear, and he kissed her cheek.
'I missed you too, Gabrielle.' He said as she pulled back and held him at arm's reach.
Her eyes fell on the small wing shaped mark on his collarbone and an impish grin
appeared on her face.
'My sister finally marked you then? About time. 'Ow was it? Was it magical? Was it
romantic?' she gushed in English and her eyes shone.
Fleur gave Gabrielle a faux glare.
'Yes, it was magical, and you will not ask him any more on the topic.' Fleur declared in a
stern tone.
Gabrielle laughed and kissed both his cheeks and stepped away.
She turned to Fleur.
'Relax, you've marked him, he's yours. But he's pretty much my brother, so I will always
be affectionate with him.' Gabrielle said.
Fleur huffed, then grinned and pulled her sister into another embrace.
Harry watched the sisters and sighed.
'I don't think I'll ever understand Veela.' He muttered.
Both sisters turned to him and wore identical grins.
'As long as you know that's the case, there won't be any issues.' Fleur said.
Gabrielle smirked.
'Nobody understands Veela, least of all us.' The younger Veela said, and Fleur smacked
her shoulder.
'Gabbi, really? We need to leave some kind of mystery.' Fleur pouted, and Gabrielle
rubbed her shoulder.
Gabrielle turned to Harry.
'You should forget what I said. Veela know everything.' She said in a deadpan.
Harry laughed and wrapped an arm around the waist of both women.
'Come on, let's go inside and see your parents.' He said, and both sisters grinned at
each other behind Harry's back.
Once inside the Manor, Gabrielle led them to a couch and sat down in a chair opposite
them in the lounge.
'Maman will be down soon. Papa is still at work, apparently something came up.' Said
Gabrielle.
A moment later, Apolline strode down the stairs and her blue eyes lit up at seeing Fleur
and Harry. She rushed the rest of the way and pulled them both into a hug.
'It's great to see you two again. How long are you staying for?' Apolline asked as she
released them.
Fleur beamed up at her mother.
'About two weeks, Maman, if that's okay?' she asked and Apolline's smile grew wider,
and she clapped her hands together.
'That's wonderful news, dear. There is much to discuss, but most of it can wait until your
father is back though.' Said Apolline, and she sat in a chair beside Gabrielle's.
Apolline shifted in her seat.
'Until then, please tell me what is new with the two of you? How did you get two weeks
off from Gringotts Fleur?' she asked, and Fleur's gaze flickered to Harry for a moment.
Fleur grinned.
'The Goblins said that I am skilled for a new employee and that they don't have enough
work for me to waste my time being there.' Fleur gave the faintest of shrugs.
'In essence, the Goblins gave me time off because they didn't want to waste their
money paying to have me there with nothing to do.' She continued and her mother
covered a laugh with her hand.
'But there's more to it than that, isn't there, honey?' Apolline asked, and Gabrielle leaned
forward.
Fleur sighed.
'I must admit, I have been bringing some of the more difficult items with me when I visit
'Arry on the weekends so we can work on them together.' She said, and Gabrielle's
eyes narrowed.
Gabrielle turned to Harry.
'So, she is just using that brain of yours 'Arry?' the youngest Veela asked, and Harry
smirked.
'It has been an interesting learning experience, but yes, that's exactly what she's been
doing.' Harry agreed and Fleur pouted.
'Hey, that's not fair.' Fleur huffed and crossed her arms under her chest.
Harry laughed, along with Apolline and Gabrielle.
Apolline's gaze flicked to Harry's collarbone, and her eyes sparkled with joy.
'She finally marked you then, my dear Harry?' she asked, and Harry gave a slight grin
and nodded.
Apolline stood and walked over in front of Harry.
She knelt and pulled him into a hug, kissed both his cheeks, then his brow.
'Welcome to the family Harry, in a rather more official manner than before.' Apolline
said, then stood and walked back to her chair and sat down.
Once she sat down, her gaze moved between Harry and Fleur.
'There's no need to force you to stay in separate rooms now.' Apolline said and Harry
blinked.
The three Veela laughed.
Fleur patted his leg.
'I told you when I gave you the mark that I could never take another.' She said, and
Harry nodded.
'The mark, for a Veela, is akin to marriage. It means that I will have only you for the rest
of my life. I know I told you this.' She quirked an eyebrow.
Harry nodded and smiled at her, then the two other Veela in the room.
'Sorry, I must have forgotten that part.' He admitted and rubbed the back of his head
with a hand.
Apolline huffed and looked at Fleur.

'He forgot?' she asked.
Fleur smirked and met her mother's gaze.
'See what I have to put up with?' she asked.
'I can take him if you like?' Gabrielle grinned, drawing a glare from Fleur.
'Gabrielle, he's mine.' Fleur sighed.
Harry turned to Gabrielle.
'I thought the mark stopped anything like that?' he asked.
Gabrielle laughed as she looked in his eyes, then Fleur's, then back at Harry.
'Yes 'Arry, it does, but my sister doesn't understand that I was joking. Even if there is an
amount of truth to it.' She explained, and Harry blinked.
Apolline laughed.
'Girls, leave the poor boy alone. Besides, we have two more weeks where the two of
you can confuse him.'
The next two weeks passed in a flurry of planning and relaxing with the Delacour's.
They discussed Harry and Fleur's plans for the Wizarding World in detail.
Gabrielle enjoyed being a part of the discussions, though she wasn't informed about
anything related to the future Fleur's appearance.
On the second day in France, Harry taught Apolline how to create the heart shaped
charm he made for Fleur. It took most of the day, and a copy of his notes, but by the
evening she had completed her first charm.
It went to Gabrielle.
The change in her ability to control her Allure was noticeable within moments of putting
it on.
But eventually, the day came for Harry and Fleur to return to Britain.
They stood in front of Delacour Manor, opposite Apolline, Dominique and Gabrielle.
Harry shook Dominique's hand while Fleur hugged her mother and sister.
'Thank you for having me here, sir.' Harry said as Dominique released his hand.
'Nonsense son, you are as welcome here as my daughters. I admire your determination
and what you plan to achieve with my daughter beside you. A man couldn't ask for a
better son.' Dominique said with a solemn smile.
Gabrielle leapt at Harry and wrapped him in a tight embrace.
'I hope you two come back soon. I don't want to go back to school. All the boys are
gross, and the girls are mean.' She complained, and Harry held her close.
'I'm sorry that you have to go through this, Gabrielle. If it was safe in Britain, I would
suggest you come to Hogwarts, but it's not safe yet.' He murmured, and she gripped
him tighter.
'Will this charm really 'elp at school?' she whispered.
Harry kissed Gabrielle's brow.
'You have more control over the Allure now. So I think the boys at least shouldn't be a
problem anymore.' He said.
Gabrielle gave him a watery smile.
'Look after my sister, won't you?' she asked and kissed his cheek.
Harry pulled back to look in her eyes.
'I will protect her with everything that I am. I promise.' He said, and she pulled him into
another hug.
'But you need to come back too.' She whispered before letting him go and standing a
few steps away.
Apolline approached and pulled him into a hug.
'Be careful in your homeland. Whispers are even here in France of your Dark Lord
having arisen. We will help you in any way that we can.' She whispered before releasing
him.
Harry nodded.
'I will, we both will. There's too much at stake. I'll bring her back to you, I promise.' He
said, and she smiled through tears.
'You should go before I never let you leave.' Apolline whispered and stepped away,
where she was wrapped in a hug from Dominique.
Harry turned to Fleur and held out his hand.
'Ready?' he asked, and she nodded.
'We will see you soon.' Fleur said to her family and gave them a wave.
Harry channelled his magic and felt for Fleur's for a moment, then nodded.
With a deafening crack, they disappeared.
Gabrielle turned to Dominique.
'How do they do that?' she asked, and Dominique laughed and tightened his grip on
Apolline's waist.
'How do they do half the things they do?' he said.
Gabrielle huffed.
'That doesn't answer my question.'
Harry and Fleur appeared in the entrance hall of Potter Manor with an echoing crack
and, within moments, footsteps sounded down the stairs in the next room and Holly
rushed into the entrance hall. She wrapped both Harry and Fleur in a tight hug.
'I missed you guys.' Holly said and released them.
Holly looked toward the floo.
'We don't have long until all the boys come back. They went to check out brooms. Dad
said that he wanted to buy a broom for Charlus, not that he'll be able to take it with him
next year when he starts at Hogwarts.' Holly huffed and Harry laughed.
'You know Dad, any excuse to check out a new broom. What's the bet he or Uncle
Sirius will come back with one for themselves?' he asked.
Fleur scoffed, which drew an incredulous expression from Holly and a chuckle from
Harry.
'Nobody is stupid enough to take that bet.' She rolled her eyes.
As she finished, the floo burst to life and James, Charlus, Orion and Sirius trooped out
of the fireplace wearing wide grins.
Each carried a shining new broom.
Holly gaped at the four and turned to Fleur with wide eyes.
Fleur smirked.
'Oh 'Olly, I've been living here for a few months now, I probably know these boys as well
as you do.' Fleur explained.
Charlus froze in place in front of the fireplace, staring at Fleur.

James and Sirius both performed a double take before they shook their heads while
Orion looked confused.
'When did you guys get back? We would have waited for you if we'd known you would
be here.' James said.
Sirius nodded, but remained silent.
Charlus' eyes remained rooted on Fleur.
Harry groaned and ran a hand down his face.
'We just returned, we had to at some stage.' Harry shrugged and raised his eyebrows at
his dad, then motioned with his eyes toward Charlus.
James frowned, then looked at Charlus and nodded.
He gave Charlus a gentle slap to the back of his head.
'Charlus, hey kiddo. Let's put your broom away.' James said and Charlus jerked as if
waking from a dream.
Charlus blushed and ran out of the entrance hall without meeting anyone's eyes and his
face burning.
Harry leant in toward Fleur's ear.
'Sorry.' He whispered, and she turned to kiss his cheek.
'Don't worry about it my 'Arry. He will learn, as I must remember to reign in my Allure
when around others.' She wore a sad smile.
Harry sighed.
'Still…' he trailed off, and Fleur winked at him.
Fleur turned to James and Sirius.
'We'll be right back; we have to drop stuff off in our room.' Fleur grinned, her hand
gripped his and dragged him out of the entrance hall and up the stairs.
As they left the hall, Harry saw James and Sirius high-five each other while Holly face
palmed, and Orion still looked confused.
Harry sat at the Hufflepuff table in the Great Hall, alone after his morning run. It was
their first day back at Hogwarts and Harry felt Fleur's absence like a missing limb.
Hermione took the seat next to him and took a piece of toast. She slathered jam on it,
then butter.
Harry frowned at the bushy-haired witch.
'Hermione? What's wrong?' he asked, and she shook her head, as if waking from a
dream.
'Harry?' she asked, and he nodded.
'Yeah, that's me. What's wrong?' he repeated.
She blinked at him for a moment, then looked down at her toast.
Hermione's lip curled, and she dropped it on her plate.
'Harry, Neville told me last night in the common room that Snape is going to be teaching
him Occlumency. You know about it, right?' she asked, and he groaned.
'That is possibly the worst idea, ever.' Harry sighed.
'Hold on, I may have something that can help.' Harry muttered and leant over to
rummage through his bag.
Hermione cocked her head to the side.
Harry grinned and pulled out a book. He handed it to Hermione.
'Here you go, "A Beginner's Guide to Occlumency". I started learning from that book.
Maybe you should use it too, help him out?' Harry said.
Hermione held the book in her hand like a gift from God.
'Are you sure? Won't you need it?' she breathed.
Harry laughed.
'No, I'm pretty good at Occlumency now, it's all up in here now.' Harry said and tapped
his temple.
Hermione stared at his temple for a moment before she shook her head.
'Thank you, Harry. This is amazing.' She said.
Her eyes shone as she looked down at the book in her hands.
'Wait, you just carry a book like this around wherever you go?' Hermione asked and
Harry shrugged.
'Shrinking Charms mixed with Featherlight and Expansion runic arrays make it easy. It's
bigger on the inside.' Harry said and turned back to his breakfast.
Holly sat down opposite Harry and frowned at the two. Luna took a seat beside her.
'Harry? Why does Hermione look like she wants your babies?' Holly asked, suspicion in
her tone.
Hermione spun to Holly and stared at her in horror, her face beet red.
'N-no, it's not l-like that.' She stuttered, and Harry put a hand on her shoulder.
'It's okay Hermione, breathe.' He said under his breath and turned to Holly.
'Neville has Occlumency lessons with Snape. I gave her my Beginner's Guide to
Occlumency book so she can help Neville through the horror of having Snape in his
head.' Harry said, and Holly shivered.
'Who thought it was a good idea to have Snape teach him something like that?' Holly
asked, with her face scrunched like she smelled something awful.
Harry shrugged.
'I guess Dumbledore, he's the only one who can tell Snape to do anything. I doubt
Snape wants to teach Neville Potions, let alone Occlumency. It requires absolute trust
from both parties, something neither could have for the other.' Harry explained.
Hermione stared at him.
'Absolute trust?' Hermione asked.
Harry nodded.
'Yeah, you can do most of your Occlumency training alone, but to get the most out of it,
you need to do a bunch of exercises with another person who is skilled with
Occlumency already.' Harry said.
Hermione frowned.
'So, who taught you?' she asked, then looked down at the table.
'It was Fleur, wasn't it?' she whispered, and Harry nodded.
'Yeah, she had to learn as part of growing up a Veela.' Harry explained.
Hermione nodded and stared at her forgotten toast.
Holly cleared her throat.
'So, first day back at school. Are we excited?' she asked as she sent a sad look toward
Hermione.
The next morning, Harry met the members of the DA outside of the entrance hall for
their morning run.
Neville lagged at the rear of the group and Harry slowed down to match him as they ran.
'Are you okay? You seem distracted brother.' Harry said between breaths as he kept
pace with Neville.
Neville glared at the ground.
'Umbridge has it out for me.' He snarled.
Harry chuckled.
'You and me both. But that's not what's bothering you.' He said.
Neville growled, his steps faltered, and he barely kept himself from tripping over.
'Something happened last night. You know about my connection with Voldemort, right?'
Neville asked and Harry frowned.
'Yeah, why? What happened?' Harry asked.
Neville slipped on the wet grass, but righted himself.
He kept up with Harry.
'I had a flash of happiness, or excitement, or something last night. It shot right through
me, and it came from my scar. Something happened last night that He was very happy
about.' Neville said.
Harry jogged beside Neville for a minute before he cleared his throat.
'What would be disturbing is if he was having a fun time with one of his lady Death
Eaters. Or guys, I guess, I don't judge.' Harry suggested, and Neville tripped over and
fell on his face.
Neville looked up with mud on his face.
'Really? What would make you think of something disgusting like that?' Neville shouted.
Harry laughed.
'It changed the mental image in your head, didn't it?' Harry asked, and Neville blinked,
then gagged.
'I don't know what image is worse.' Neville admitted.
'My work is done. Now hurry up, everyone else is way ahead of us now.' Harry said and
took off, leaving Neville face down in the mud.
Later that day, Susan told the group that a mass breakout of Death Eaters from
Azkaban occurred the night before.
Harry turned toward Neville, who looked a little green as he read the Daily Prophet. He
felt guilty for putting the mental image of Voldemort in bed with his Death Eaters into
Neville's mind, but perhaps it would be better than the reality of escaped Death Eaters.
The rest of the week passed by in a flurry of activity.
Harry continued his extra classes with Flitwick and McGonagall after class, which
became secret meetings once Umbridge pushed through 'Educational Decree #26'
which forbade Professors from giving information beyond their lessons. It was enough of
a grey area that none of the three felt comfortable with openly conducting their extra
classes.
Harry paced in the abandoned classroom on the eighth floor where he taught the
Defence Association.
Their group stood opposite him, conversing in low tones until he cleared his throat.
'Okay everyone. In light of the mass breakout at Azkaban, I've decided that our sessions
will be a little different from here on out.' Harry began.
Harry looked into Holly's eyes, then at Susan.
'We're going to talk about combat tactics when fighting Death Eaters.' Harry said and
mutters filled the classroom.
Ginny shook her head at something Ronald said and turned to Harry.
'Harry. We're not going to fight Death Eaters though, are we?' the youngest Weasley
asked.
'I truly hope you don't.' he said, and the room fell quiet.
Daphne glared at him.
'You said you hope 'you' don't. Meaning you will?' she asked.
Harry felt the corner of his mouth twist into an involuntary smile.
'I did say that. To date, I have fought at least four Death Eaters and will likely fight more
in the next few years. I am at peace with that fact.' Harry said and met Holly's eyes, then
Susan's.
Harry cleared his throat and forced his gaze to move across the others.
'I have fought monsters and have killed. Killing made me feel like the worst person in
existence.' He said, and he saw tears well up in Holly's eyes.
Ginny's face paled when he mentioned monsters.
'But I did what I needed to do in order to protect the ones I care about.' Harry paused
and took a ragged breath.
'I don't want to kill anything ever again, but if it's a choice between someone I care
about being hurt, and someone or something trying to hurt them, I will.' Harry said, and
Neville cleared his throat.
'Harry, what made you like this? You've always been so driven, I don't get it.' The Boy-
Who-Lived asked and the others in the room stared at the boy.
Harry sighed and met Holly's gaze.
She nodded.
'When Holly and I were children, it was around Christmas and our parents took us to
Diagon Alley to shop. We were in Quality Quidditch Supplies when the window
exploded, and dark robed figures attacked the alley.' He paused.
Susan wrapped her arm around Holly's waist while the others in the group stared at
Harry.
'This group of attackers was led by Fenrir Greyback, the leader of the werewolves of
Britain and in the last war he worked with the Death Eaters.' He explained, and Neville's
eyes widened.
'We hid in the Quidditch Jerseys, thinking we were safe. But I hadn't thought of hiding
our feet. Greyback entered the shop and saw our feet. He toyed with us, and he held
me in the air with a single hand by my head, crushing it.' Harry said.
Hermione gasped and covered her mouth with her hand.
Harry unconsciously ran a hand through his hair.
'Somehow, I used accidental magic to blast the monster out of the shop through the
window where he was attacked by someone else and fled.' Harry smiled at Holly, who
his eyes had never left.
Harry took his eyes from Holly and met Neville's.
'Ever since that moment, everything I have done is to protect those I care about.' Harry
declared, and he took a deep breath.
He turned around and paced for a few moments before he turned back to the others.
'That is why, if you are ever faced with Death Eaters, and fleeing is not an option. Don't
hold back.' Harry said.
'Fighting Death Eaters means you are fighting someone who has no qualms with killing
you, torturing you or anyone else. So, you have to fight to win. Injure them, kill them if
you must, because if you stun them, someone else will wake them up and they will kill
you.' Harry said.
Neville frowned.
'That's not what Dumbledore says.' the Boy-Who-Lived said.
Harry groaned, as did Daphne.
Holly and Susan rolled their eyes.
'Neville, I totally agree that Dumbledore is a powerful and influential figure. I can't argue
with that. But fighting a war with Stunners just means that more of your friends and
family will die.' Harry paused.
He met Neville's gaze.
'Stunners can be reversed in a moment, serious injuries, and death cannot.' He added,
then turned to the others.
'When fighting Death Eaters, take them out permanently. Anything else is a waste of
time and innocent lives.' Harry said.
Ronald shook his head.
'But killing is wrong, don't you understand that?' the red head growled.

'Across the world, there are something like seven billion muggles spread out over
hundreds of countries. Each of these countries have police forces, like our Aurors.'
Harry paused, and Ron glared.
'So?' Ron snapped.
'So, most, if not all, of these countries also have a military. People specially trained to
fight wars, either defensive wars to protect their nation from others or offensive militaries
to fight wars of conquest.' Harry said.
Hannah blinked and looked at Susan, who nodded.
Harry stared into Ronald's blue eyes.
'Some of these militaries are used to keep the peace on the other side of the world to
their homes. But what these all have in common, even the police, is that they are
empowered by their governments to kill if necessary.' Harry said.
Neville shook his head beside Ronald.
Hermione's eyes grew wide, and she stepped away from the two boys, toward Holly and
Susan.
'Didn't you hear Ron before? Killing is wrong. Just because the muggles do it, doesn't
mean it's right.' Neville snapped.
Harry took a deep breath and sighed.
'Neville, Ronald. Even in the magical world, Britain is the only nation whose Aurors are
not allowed to use lethal force in combat. This has led to Britain having the highest rate
of Auror deaths in the last twenty years.' He said, keeping his voice low.
'That's because we've had the Dark Lord killing people.' Neville snarled.
'Even in the last ten years, when the Dark Lord was broken by you and his Death Eaters
were hiding or imprisoned. British Aurors still had the highest casualty rate in all the
magical world.' Harry stated, and both boys blinked.
'How?' Neville asked.
'Do the research before you form your own opinion, brother. But suffice to say for this
conversation, petty criminals will use the anything from a Severing Charm to a Killing
Curse to surprise an Auror team more often than you'd think.' Harry said and turned to
the others in the group.
'Shall we begin some practical stuff before we finish up?' he said, a faux smile on his
face.
Each night, Harry returned to his bed to call Fleur in their mirrors and talk long into the
night about their days, their projects, and their plans.
On Thursday night, Harry lay in bed chatting with Fleur over their mirrors.
A knock came from Fleur's door, and she turned toward it. Fleur angled her mirror
toward the door so Harry could see as well.
'Come in?' Fleur called and Lily opened the door and stepped inside.
Harry frowned. His mother looked pale and stressed.
'Mum? What's wrong?' he asked, and she turned to see him in Fleur's mirror and
smiled.
'I'm glad both of you are here. James just had to go back into the Ministry. Voldemort
and his Death Eaters have launched attacks all over Britain. They needed all Aurors to
help.' Lily said, and Harry froze.
Lily walked into the room and sat at the desk with her head in her hands.
'I hoped we wouldn't see this type of war again. He's attacking all across the island, and
not just his Death Eaters, but werewolves too.' Lily said.
Harry blinked as an image of Fenrir Greyback flashed through his mind. An echo of the
fear the werewolf had triggered in Harry back then came to the surface and Harry's face
twisted into a snarl.
'How can we help?' Fleur asked, drawing Harry out of his memory.
Lily shook her head.
'James didn't know any more than that before he left to help. But it looks like Voldemort
is continuing his war, the war that Frank and Alice paid with their lives to pause.' Lily
murmured.
Harry's mind raced.
'What happened next? Can we predict his movements?' Harry asked, and his mother
shook her head.
'No Honey, his forces are spread thin across the country. He's not just targeting
magicals either, he's attacking purely muggle towns and villages too.' Lily explained.
Fleur gasped; her ice-blue eyes wide with horror.

'No, no, no. It's too soon.' Fleur breathed.
'We must be able to help in some way.' Harry growled.
Lily sighed.
'But we can't, not yet. The attacks will have likely finished by now, that's what they did
last time. Apparated in, did as much damage as they could for five to ten minutes, then
disappear.' Lily said.
Harry fell silent. He ran a hand through his hair.
'We will wait up with you until James returns. We can't let you do so alone.' Fleur
soothed and walked over to rest a hand on Lily's shoulder.
Lily glanced at Harry in the mirror and up at Fleur and smiled.
'You don't need to do that.' She said.
'Of course we do. Besides, I just had an idea and I need Sirius' input, Remus' too.' Harry
said with a lopsided grin.
Lily's emerald gaze met Harry's for a moment, then it moved to Fleur's. The Veela gave
her what could only be construed as an elegant shrug.
Lily nodded.
'Okay, you two. Let's head downstairs and I'll see if I can summon Sirius. Remus will be
locked away tonight for the full moon.' She said and left the room.
Harry nodded absently, and the mirror turned to show Fleur's worried face.
''Arry? What do you have planned?' she asked.
Harry blinked in surprise, lost in his mind.
Harry sighed and met her gaze.
'It's only the beginnings of a plan, so that even if there isn't anything I can do right now, I
might still be able to contribute.' He admitted, and she nodded.
Harry watched as she put the mirror down on a dresser and he followed her with his
eyes as she went to the wardrobe and put on a heavy dressing gown.
'Why is it so damn cold at nights here?' Fleur hissed, and Harry shrugged.
'It's Wales, it's a cold place.' Harry said, and she rolled her eyes as she left the bedroom
and moved to the stairs.
'Well, I would like to discuss our future residence. Could it be warmer at least?' she
complained as she entered the lounge room.
Lily sat in front of the fireplace.
It roared with an orange glow and warmed the room considerably.
Fleur smiled.
'This is better.' She muttered as she took a seat on the chair opposite Lily's, both in
chairs closest to the fire.
'Well, I suppose we can modernise the Manor, put in climate control once Moony can
figure out how to make the muggle heaters work with magic.' Harry mused and Lily
stared at his face in the mirror.
'Harry, you're a genius.' She breathed, and a shiver ran through her body.
Harry laughed.
'Not really, just trying to make the most of the investment into Crocus Industries.' Harry
said.
A flash of green came from the entrance hall.
'Lils?' Sirius called.
'In here.' Lily said.
Sirius walked into the lounge while Orion silently walked up the stairs to Charlus' room
to go back to sleep.
Sirius sat in the chair beside Lily in his dressing gown and he looked half asleep.
'So Lils, why did I just wake up my son and bring us both here? What's going on?' Sirius
asked.
Lily pointed at Harry in Fleur's mirror.
Sirius turned bleary eyes on him.
'Kiddo, what's going on?' Sirius asked, then gave a wide yawn.
Harry sighed.
'Mum just told us about the Death Eater attacks around the country. Aunt Amy will
probably tell you more about them when she gets home.' Harry began and Sirius froze
mid yawn.
'Attacks? Where?' he demanded.

Lily cleared her throat.
'Sirius, they're everywhere. It's a coordinated attack across Britain, there's even a few in
Ireland and they're attacking both magicals and muggles.' Lily said, and Sirius slumped
into his chair.
'Okay, the urgency in your voice makes sense now. But why call me over?' he asked.
'Is it possible to make a Marauders Map for the whole country? But instead of
everyone's names, just have it show magical activity?' Harry asked.
Fleur blinked, while Lily and Sirius both stared at him.
Sirius coughed.
'You know what, kiddo? Your brain is scary. I'd have never thought of that.' He muttered
and stroked his goatee.
Sirius stood and paced in front of the fire.
'It'll have to be a completely different type of magical object. The Marauder's Maps
simply tap into the Hogwarts wards, but I think we can use the same idea. I think we can
make this work.' Sirius mused.
Lily quirked an eyebrow.
'Are you sure you were the jokester of your little gang? James always said Remus was
the brains, and he was the brawn. How would you make this work?' she asked.
Sirius cocked his head in a way that reminded Harry of his canine form.
'Well, Lils, put simply, we'd make a map that shows the country, and we'd have to set up
some of those sensor things Moony has been telling us about lately.' Sirius paused his
pacing and looked at Lily.
'Seismometers.' Lily supplied, and Sirius returned to pacing.
'Yeah, those things. We would need to tweak them a little, so they'd show magic rather
than whatever they do now. We'd have them around the country and feed their readings
back to our map, which would show us where magical activity is happening.' Sirius said,
ignoring the incredulous stares of the two women as he paced.
Sirius looked at Harry in the mirror.
'How would this help us with the Death Eaters?' he asked.

'I figure we could watch it for a few days to figure out what normal activity is, so then
when abnormal activity occurred, we would know in real time where that abnormal
activity was.' Harry said and his mother gasped.
'Oh my god. That is genius. We might even be able to track where Death Eaters go, or
maybe we could refine the magical readings. Perhaps we could study Severus' Dark
Mark to see if his magical signature is any different because of the mark.' Lily rambled.
Fleur pulled the mirror close to her lips.
'Your whole family is kind of brilliant.' She breathed.
'Then you'll fit right in with us, you're brilliant too.' Harry grinned.
Fleur winked at him, then turned to Lily.
'What is this sensor thing Sirius is talking about?' she asked, and Lily blinked, brought
out of her thoughts.
'Oh, it's called a seismometer. It's a muggle instrument that detects movement in the
ground and is used to track earthquakes. I'm not sure how we'd turn one into something
that can detect magical activity, but between all of us I think we'll be able to figure
something out.' Lily's gaze fell on the fire, and she stared into it, then shook her head.
'Sirius, feel free to stay in one of the spare rooms. I'll mirror call Amy and let her know
where you and Orion are. Tomorrow we're going to get to work on this idea. We need to
decide whether it will actually work, and soon.' She said and sighed.
'If its anything like last time, Voldemort will keep attacking every night.' Lily trailed off.
Sirius nodded.
'I'll check out your library, then the Black library tomorrow. The Bones library still won't
let me in after I spilt my coffee on a book last time. I'll get Amy to look in there.' He said
with a chuckle.
Lily turned to Fleur and smiled down at Harry in the mirror.
'Thank you, both of you. This idea was brilliant, and Fleur, I'll need your help with some
of the enchanting this map will require. I don't trust my husband and his friends with
something this intricate.' Lily said, and turned to look at Harry.
'Harry love, go to sleep. I'll let you know if anything happens when your father gets
home. We're going to need your help to get this crazy plan of yours working.' She said
and Harry smiled.
'Okay mum, I'll see you soon. Fleur, can we go back up to bed?' he asked, and Fleur
nodded. She exchanged a small smile with Lily.
Fleur carried the mirror upstairs and into their room. She placed the mirror up against a
pillow and slowly removed her dressing gown and gave him a saucy wink.
She crawled into bed and shivered.
'Merde, its cold.' She complained.
'I wish I was there to keep you warm, and I appreciated the show.' Harry said, and she
huffed.
'I wish you were here with me too, my love. Now sweet dreams. We're going to be very
busy soon.' she whispered.
'Good night Fleur.' He whispered back.
Harry lay in his bed as the mirror deactivated and rolled over, images of a silver haired
goddess in his mind.
The next morning, Harry sat in the Great Hall, Holly on one side and Susan on the
other. Daphne, Luna, and Hannah sat opposite.
Each wore expressions of horror as he finished telling them about the attacks the night
before.
Harry looked up as the Owl post arrived, including the Daily Prophet.
Daphne paid for hers and unfurled it.
She lay it out on the table so everyone could read the front page.
'Gilderoy Lockhart announces a new book, Dancing with Devils. This book details
his latest adventure Down Under in Tasmania, Australia, where he has been since
his brief stint as the Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor at Hogwarts School
of Witchcraft and Wizardry.'
Harry stopped reading and looked up at Daphne.
'Is there anything in there about the attacks?' he asked.
Daphne flicked through the newspaper while Luna made a disappointed sound as she
tried to keep reading the article.
Daphne looked at Harry after flicking through the whole thing. She handed it to Luna,
who beamed at the Slytherin before she dove into the article on Lockhart.
'There's a small article on the attacks last night, but it implies that it was a random attack
by a handful of rogue werewolves.' She said.
Harry shook his head and turned to Susan.
'Remind me later to get Sirius to have a chat with the Prophet about the rubbish they
print.' He said, and she frowned.
'Sure, but what will that do?' Susan asked.
Harry smirked.
'Between the Potter's, Blacks and probably the Greengrass's, we own about thirty
percent of the paper.' He said, and Susan mirrored his smirk.
'Harry, your brain is kinda scary sometimes, right?' she said and her smiled at her.
Daphne gave an unladylike snort.
'You know the Prophet prints what the Ministry tells them to, right? If our families had
enough to own the Prophet, we could change what they write. But we don't, thirty
percent isn't enough. They will continue to do what the Ministry tells them to.' The
Slytherin explained with a scowl marring her features.
Harry deflated.
'Damn. We'll have to think of another way to get the public to learn the truth that Minister
Fudge doesn't seem to want them to know.' Harry mused.
Weeks passed with nightly attacks around the country, leaving the school and the
country at large, under a pall of fear and worry. Arguments sparked between students
who had long been friends and tension filled the halls of the ancient school.
Outside of Hogwarts, Sirius took charge of the newest Marauders Map project and
looked after Charlus and Orion while Amelia focussed on the Department of Magical
Law Enforcement.
James led the defence in the attacks each night, but by the time they arrived at the
scene, the attack was done, leaving only destroyed buildings and lives lost.
Lily worked alongside Remus with Crocus Incorporated and Sirius with the Map and
children, while also running 'Potter Enchanting.'
Fleur continued to work at Gringotts during the weekdays, and the nights she spent
helping Lily or on the mirror with Harry. Weekends she spent with Harry in the Room of
Requirement, sneaking into the school out of sight of the many Marauders Maps in the
school thanks to Sirius' masking spell.
Harry continued his Defence Association sessions, training his friends. He excelled in
his now-secret extra classes held by McGonagall and Flitwick. Even Dumbledore
observed a few of their lessons and offered pointers.
Valentine's day arrived, and with it, a Hogsmeade weekend.
Harry woke up in the Room of Requirement, Fleur's naked form beside him. He inhaled
and grinned at the soft scent of lavender.
Harry marvelled at the smoothness of her skin as he trailed his fingers down her side.
Fleur shifted beneath his touch and wriggled her behind against him.
'Careful Mister Potter, a lady could get the wrong idea if you touched her like that.' She
purred and turned to look at him over her shoulder.
'Or she could get the right idea.' He said with a lopsided grin.
Fleur rolled over on top of him.
'You're incorrigible, and I love that.' She whispered and kissed him.
'Happy Valentine's Day Fleur.' Harry said and reached out a hand toward a pile of books
and his bag, which lay against the wall.
Something shot out of the bag, tipping it over on the floor. Harry caught the thing with
little effort and held it up to Fleur as she straddled him.
It was a small white wooden box.
With trembling fingers, she cracked open the box and gasped. Inside was a plain silver
ring with a single small diamond embedded in it.
She looked between the ring and Harry for a minute.
'Is this?' she finally asked, and Harry smiled.
'This is more of a precursor. Because I will be Lord Potter someday, someday soon if
Dad has his way, marriage works a little different.' He smiled up at her.
'This ring signals to the other noble Houses that you are under the protection of House
Potter, and more than that, you are to be family. While I can't give you a proper
engagement ring until after I am officially of age, this is the best I can do right now.' He
explained, and she looked down at him with tears in her eyes.
''Arry, I, this is perfect.' She whispered.
'Well, I don't think you'll have to wait too long for the main ring. Dad has been
complaining about dealing with the Wizengamot all the time.' He said, and Fleur took
the ring out of the box.
She looked down at him and held out the ring to him.
'Will you?' she asked with a watery smile.
'I will.' He grinned and slid the ring onto her finger.
A moment later, she descended upon him with an insatiable hunger.
Harry left the Room of Requirement, Fleur beside him. She was disillusioned and
hidden from the Maps using Sirius' masking spell.
'I think everyone is going to be excited to see you again.' Harry said, his voice low.
'I hope so. But you do know that talking to me while inside the castle is defeating the
purpose of me hiding, right?' she asked, amusement in her tone.
Harry chuckled.
'Yeah, I know, I just like talking to you. That's a good thing, right?' he asked, and he felt
her slap the back of his shoulder.
'No more talking or I'll be discovered.' Fleur hissed.
Harry chuckled again and rubbed his shoulder.
Together, they strode down to the Entrance Hall and exited the castle. They passed the
caretaker, Filtch, who glared at Harry and they made their way toward Hogsmeade.
They could have taken a carriage, but it was a bright, clear morning.
Once they arrived, Fleur dropped her spells and beamed at Harry.
He took her in his arms and dipped her, capturing her lips with his.
'Oh, its so good to see you.' He said louder than necessary, and she rolled her eyes
with a smile.
Holly strode past with Susan and Hannah.
'Oh, get a room you two.' Holly called.
Harry grinned at Fleur, pulling her back to a standing position, and she winked at him.
'Again? I am a lucky man.' He whispered, and she beamed.
'Not just yet, maybe later.' She replied.
Harry sighed and looked around the village.
'While we are here, we should probably make the most of our time together in public.'
He said, then turned back to her.
'Though a room does sound like a better option.' He murmured as he looked her up and
down.
Fleur grinned and did the same to him.
'It does sound better…' she trailed off and took his hand.
'Let's go before we get distracted.' Fleur said and dragged him into the village.
They walked through the streets of the village for a few minutes and paused in front of
an alley between 'Scrivenshafts Quill Shop.' and 'Tomes and Scrolls Bookshop.'
Harry followed Fleur's gaze into the alley and narrowed his eyes.
'Do you feel something?' he asked.
Harry's wand fell into his hand and his voice held no trace of their earlier flirting.
Fleur stared into the alley; a frown marred her perfect features.
'I, I don't know. I thought I felt something, but it's gone now.' She whispered.
Harry glanced around at their surroundings for a moment. The air seemed somehow
tense, and something felt off.
He sighed.
Then it hit him. There were no animal sounds. No birds, insects. Animals were always
better at sensing when something was off.
'I'll call dad and see if he has any spare Aurors to send, just to make sure everything is
okay.' He said and Fleur nodded, her eyes still rested on the alley.
Harry pulled out his Potter family mirror from his robes and activated it.
'James Potter.' He said and a few seconds later, his father's face appeared inside it.
'Harry? What's wrong?' James asked.
Harry frowned.
'We're in Hogsmeade and something feels off. We just got here and its like the air is
almost charged, maybe I'm imagining things. But I was wondering if you had a few
spare Aurors to send here, just in case?' Harry said and James' jaw tightened.
James nodded in the mirror.
'I've only got a couple spare, but I'll send them your way. Could you stay in the village
until they arrive?' he asked.
Harry nodded.
'Yeah, can do. Thanks dad.' He said and James forced a smile on his face.
'Be safe son and look after my future daughter-in-law.' James said.
'Of course I will dad, see you later.' Harry said, and the mirror went dark.
Harry took a breath and looked around the bustling village.

'Holly Potter.' He said into his mirror.
A few seconds later, Holly's face appeared in the mirror.
'Harry? What's wrong?' she asked, worry in her voice.
He gave her a small smile.
'Nothing yet. But I've got a bad feeling. You guys be careful, okay? Dad's sending a
couple Aurors here just in case.' He said, and she nodded.
'Did you want us to join you?' Holly asked.
Harry ran a hand through his hair and looked away from the mirror again for a moment.
'Not just yet. But if something happens, meet up at the gates, okay?' he asked, and
Holly nodded.
Susan poked her head into view of the mirror.
'Be careful you two.' Susan said, and the mirror went dark again.
Harry turned to Fleur, who still stared into the alley.
'No change?' he asked.
Fleur shook her head, her jaw tight.
She sighed.
'Maybe I'm just imagining things.' Fleur muttered.
Harry shook his head and looked away from the alley, toward the nearby forest.
'No, I think you're onto something. I don't hear any birds or insects or anything. Which in
itself isn't-' he broke off as a sickly green spell shot out of the alley.
Straight toward Fleur and himself.
Harry jerked to the side, far out of the path of the spell, and wandlessly pushed Fleur
away from the incoming spell.
The sound of onrushing death filled his ears as the bolt of green light shot past where
they'd stood a moment before.
As Fleur landed, she rolled and ended it in a combat stance where she fired an
Exploding Paint spell into the alley that Sirius and James had taught them both over the
summer.
A small part of Harry's mind marvelled at how fast they both reacted to the situation.
The rest of his mind was focussed on a humanoid shape covered in green paint. It
looked like they were under an invisibility cloak.
Harry growled and fired an Ardenti Lux at the figure as it struggled to escape its paint
covered cloak. The condensed beam of light passed through the figure a moment later.
The figure screamed and fell to the ground, covered in paint and blood.
Screams erupted all over the village.
Harry ran over to the paint spattered person and tore the cloak away from it. He threw it
against the wall of Scrivenshafts. Where it left a trail of green paint and red blood as it
slid to the ground.
'Damn it, I'd forgotten that other people had these cloaks, not just me.' Harry growled.
Their assailant was a young man who Harry vaguely recognised as someone who was
a Seventh-year Slytherin when he was in his second year. The young man's eyes
showed terror as his chest spurted blood from the hole Harry had made in it, having
missed his heart by a few inches.
'Potter, help me, please. I'm only here because Malfoy threatened to hurt my parents,
he'll kill them if he finds out.' The young man winced, and more blood spurted out of his
chest.
Harry sighed and turned to Fleur. She was looking around them, her eyes searched for
the source of the screams. He knelt beside the ex-Slytherin and pocketed the young
man's wand, then waved his own over the chest wound.
'Don't talk, you tried to kill us. I might change my mind about letting you die.' Harry said
as he fought to heal the damage he had caused moments before.
'You may not remember me, I'm Mervyn Wynch.' The ex-Slytherin said, his pale face
stark against the crimson blood pooling beneath him.
Mervyn coughed and blood dripped down his chin.
'Oh Merlin, I can't die here. I'm so sorry.' Mervyn groaned.
Harry growled as his attempts to heal the damage seemed to only make the blood flow
faster.
'Fleur, swap? You're the better healer.' He said, and she dropped to her knees and took
over.
Harry stood and examined their situation.
Screams erupted from all over the village, but they seemed concentrated toward the
front, near the dining district, near the Three Broomsticks.
Harry looked down and Fleur met his eyes. She shook her head.
Harry knelt beside Wynch.
'I'm sorry Wynch. We can't save you, but tell us what you know, and we might be able to
save your parents.' Harry said, and Wynch stared at him for a moment.
Wynch coughed again, spitting out more blood.
'Malfoy…' he whispered, then slumped on the ground.
Green paint and blood pooled together beneath him.
Harry sighed and ran a bloody hand through his hair.
Fleur stood with one last look at the body of Wynch.
She turned to Harry.
'We did all we could, but we have to try to save the others in this village.' She said.
Harry nodded.
He turned toward the screams that all seemed to come from the dining district and the
front gates.
Harry's face fell into a determined expression.
'Holly, we're coming.' He whispered.
Harry sped toward the front gates, where he expected Holly and the others to be. As he
ran, he transfigured his robes into their usual training outfit, black muggle style
sweatpants and a hoodie. Fleur mirrored his actions.
Without pause, the two came around a corner and saw the front gates of Hogsmeade.
It was a war zone.
Harry saw his friends taking cover behind the solid gate posts, they kept the Death
Eaters at bay as Hogwarts students and Hogsmeade residents ran past them toward
the school.
There were a dozen Death Eaters, each wore a silver mask that hid their identities from
view.
'I'll go right.' Called Fleur.
Harry nodded and looked to the left of their position.
They were behind the Death Eaters who stood in the open, bombarding the gates with
sickly green Killing Curses, crimson Crucio's and all manner of other lethal spells.
Without pausing for cover, Harry raced toward the Death Eaters on the left of the group
while Fleur did the same on the right.
Harry fired a stream of his own lethal spells. He started with the Death Eaters on the far
left and worked toward the middle.
Fleur mirrored his actions, working inward from the far right.
Before the black robed attackers knew what was happening, they were cut down.
Harry kept running, never having slowed, and stopped in front of Holly.
She threw herself at him and wrapped her arms around his neck.
'Harry, I'm so glad you're here. They were real Death Eaters.' She cried.
'Is everyone okay?' Harry asked, and she nodded.
'Are you?' she asked as she eyed his blood covered skin, though his tracksuit was
clean, having been transfigured after he was covered in blood.
A series of screams erupted from the direction of the Three Broomsticks.
Harry ran a hand through Holly's hair, smearing blood through it, and stepped away.
'I'm fine. You guys stay here and keep this gate open. Help people get out of here.
Aurors will be here soon.' Harry said and Holly looked like she wanted to argue, but
nodded.
'You're not going back into the village, are you?' Daphne asked, catching her breath.
Harry nodded.
'Don't leave this spot unless you're going back to the school, okay?' he asked.
Each of his friends nodded, though they didn't look like they agreed.
Harry smiled and turned to Fleur, who nodded.
'We're going hunting.' Harry said.
Without a second look, ran back into the village toward the dining district, toward the
screams.
Harry slowed to a stop behind a building and peered around the corner into the dining
district, where he saw a group of ten Death Eaters standing in a circle around a large
group of cowering villagers and students.
The area would normally have been full of people, both villagers, and students, enjoying
their food and drink together.
Now, bodies lay across the cobblestone ground, with shattered tables and chairs
scattered across the open area. The screams they'd been hearing came from a number
of twitching villagers and students who had Death Eaters standing nearby casting the
Cruciatus on them.
He knelt so Fleur could lean over him and see as well.
'I count at least thirty innocent people.' Harry breathed.
'Those people won't last much longer.' Fleur whispered, and Harry nodded.
'You apparate behind the Death Eaters and we catch them in a crossfire?' Harry
suggested.
Fleur frowned and shook her head.
'There are anti-apparition wards up, they've got a warder here.' She said as her ice-blue
eyes searched for the culprit.
Harry growled.
'Fine, we'll just rush them then.' He said, and she sighed.
'I agree. I'll take the left, you the right?' she suggested.
'Okay. Go.' Harry whispered.
The two burst out around the corner and fired on the ring of Death Eaters, taking care
not to hit the cowering innocents beneath them.
As soon as the Death Eaters noticed they were under attack, one of them barked an
order to the others and they moved to form a group around that one.
The leader.
Harry tried to focus on the leader to make out any outward sign of rank, but each Death
Eater looked the same, from their black robes to their silver masks, which all bore the
same markings on them.
Harry's distraction cost him as a spell passed through his guard and hit him.
He gritted his teeth as his blood turned to fire in his veins. All over his body his blood
seemed to boil, agony raced through him like a flood.
Harry tried to ignore the pain and aimed his wand at the remaining four Death Eaters, or
rather the leader who stood in the middle of the group.
He fired a single overpowered Ardenti Lux beam at the figure's head.
It struck a shield that protected the four from Fleur's spells. It flickered.
Harry poured magic power into the beam and after a couple of seconds, it burrowed
through the shield and struck the lead Death Eater's forehead. It created a golf ball
sized hole and sent a gout of red mist out from the back of their head.
The shield fell a moment later and Fleur dropped the remaining three Death Eaters.
Harry dropped to his knees as his blood burned through his body like fire.
He flinched as he figured out what they had hit him with.
A Blood Boiling Curse.
He hissed in pain and cast a Blood Freezing Curse on himself.
Fleur dropped to her knees beside him. The threat eliminated.
'What are you doing?' she hissed.
Harry grimaced.
'I got hit by a Blood Boiling Curse. I didn't counter it in time, so I hit myself with a Blood
Freezing Curse.' Harry said and Fleur's eyes grew wide.
''Arry, this is going to hurt. You know that, don't you?' she breathed.
Harry nodded.
'It'll buy me a few minutes to get the others and get out of here. I don't hear any more
screams.' He hissed.
Harry shivered in place.
The two curses on his blood ravaged his body, but largely counteracted each other.
However, his body wouldn't last much longer.
Fleur wiped a tear from her eye and succeeded only in smearing blood across her face
instead. She helped him stand and threw his arm around her shoulder.
The two hobbled toward the front gate and found another three Death Eaters on the
ground beside the dead Harry and Fleur had left behind. These three were bound and
stunned.
Holly rushed out from her hiding spot behind the gate and flung Harry's other arm over
her shoulder, sharing his weight with Fleur. Harry hissed in pain at the movement but
said nothing.
'What happened?' she asked.
Fleur's eyes darted to Harry for a moment before settling on Holly.
'He got hit by a few spells. We need to get him to the Hospital Wing.' Fleur said.
Holly nodded and opened her mouth to speak when two Aurors rushed toward them
from the apparition point down the road.
One of them was Nymphadora Tonks.
Nym paused in front of Harry.
'Harry, what's wrong? What happened?' Nym asked, and Harry groaned.
Holly looked to Fleur, and the Veela tightened her jaw.
''Arry was hit by a Blood Boiling Curse, then hit himself with a Blood Freezing Curse to
counteract the first. Right now, he is in extreme pain, and we need to get him to
Madame Pomphrey.' Fleur snarled.
Fleur looked Nym up and down.
'You're an Auror, yes?' she asked, and Nym nodded.
'Secure the area. I don't know if there are any more Death Eaters, but the screaming
has stopped. Hopefully that's a good sign.' Fleur said.
Nym stared into Fleur's eyes for a moment before she gestured to the other Aurors.
'You heard the woman, go, go.' Nym called and ran into the village.
Harry tried to speak, but everything went dark, and he slumped, held by Fleur and Holly.
Harry woke in a candlelit room. The walls and almost every surface in the room were
stained crimson with the light of the candles, but Harry recognised the ceiling above
him.
The Hospital Wing.
He groaned as he realised his body ached, like every student in the school and their
parents had trampled him. A weight hung on his right hand, but when he tried to move
his head, pain warned him not to push any harder.
Harry shifted in place, and pain shot through his body as he looked around the room. It
was dark outside, and the only other person he could see in the room was Fleur, who
slept in a chair beside his bed. Her head rested on his right hand.
After a few moments, the pain built up and he collapsed back onto the bed with a groan.
Fleur stirred beside him but stayed asleep.
Madame Pomphrey bustled into the room from a side area. The Matron tutted as she
waved her wand over his body.
'Mister Potter, what foolishness made you think that casting a Blood Freezing Curse
would help your condition?' Pomphrey asked as she moved over to his other side to
stand opposite to Fleur.
Harry groaned.
'It was too late to apply the counter curse to the Blood Boiling Curse, and I'd already
sped up the curse's effects by continuing to fight Death Eaters under its affects. It was
the only way to survive long enough to get treatment.' Harry admitted, and the Healer
huffed.
'While it worked young man, it was foolish.' She said.
'Were there any other options that I didn't think of?' he sighed.
Pomphrey froze in place, then sighed and shook her head.
'Not that I know of. I am just worried, you're such a bright boy. I don't want to lose you
like that.' She admitted, and Harry grimaced.
'Thank you for saving me.' He said, and she gave him a wisp of a smile.
Harry glanced at Fleur before back to Pomphrey.
'Do you know what happened after I passed out?' he asked.
Madame Pomphrey paused; her wand ceased its movement.
'It looks like the attack on Hogsmeade was merely a distraction. Diagon Alley was
attacked just afterward and now it is mostly gone.' She said.
Harry blinked.
'Gone? Where were the Aurors?' Harry asked, and the Healer shook her head.
'I don't know Mister Potter. Though I saw your mother earlier, she might know.' She
said, and Harry nodded.
He blew out a long breath and closed his eyes as silence grew between them for a few
moments.
'Is everyone okay?' he asked as he opened his eyes.
Pomphrey shook her head and continued casting a series of spells Harry wasn't familiar
with.
'Thirteen villagers died in the attack on Hogsmeade. Thankfully no students died, but a
great many were injured. It seems that your friends and sister were able to protect them
from further harm.' The Healer said and met his eyes.
'You should be proud of them.' She continued, and Harry nodded.
'I am.' He smiled.
Madame Pomphrey returned the smile, with a smaller one, more an upward curve of her
lips.
'You should rest, assuming all goes well, you'll be fine to leave by tomorrow at lunch
time.' She said.
'Thank you, Madame Pomphrey, for everything.' He said and lay back in his bed.
With a nod, the Matron turned and left Harry to his thoughts, disappearing into the side
area she'd come from earlier.
He looked down at Fleur's sleeping form and let out a relived sigh when she looked fine.
The door to the Hospital Wing opened and Lily Potter walked in. She wore a beaming
smile on her face as she made her way over to him.
'Harry, I'm so glad to see you awake again.' She whispered and took him in a tight hug.
Harry tried to resist the pain that shot through his body at her touch, but he still flinched.
His mother released him and pulled away.
'Oh, I'm so sorry, you must still be in so much pain.' She breathed, worry in her eyes.
Harry smiled, it was more of a grimace.
'No, its fine. It still hurts, but it'll be gone by tomorrow.' He said.
His faux smile faded as he met her eyes, the same eyes as his.
'What happened in Diagon Alley, mum?' he asked, and she closed her eyes and sighed.
Lily ran her hands down her face and met his gaze.
'Harry, the attack on Hogsmeade was a distraction. After your father sent Nymphadora
and Winters, he told Amy and they sent another three teams to the village.' Lily sighed.
'Then, they got word of Diagon Alley being under attack and they sent the rest of the
Aurors, but four teams couldn't contain the dozens of Death Eaters that were torching
the entire district.' She said, her eyes troubled.
Lily's eyes settled on where her hands held his on the blanket.
'Harry, I think the muggles noticed the attack. Remus told us that the muggle Fire
Department sent dozens of trucks to put out the fires, but they couldn't get to the flames.
They saw the smoke of the alley burning, apparently the trucks surrounded the alley, but
they couldn't see the fire.' Lily whispered.
She raised her eyes to his.
'The muggles know where Diagon Alley is, even if they don't know it yet. You were right,
it won't be long until they discover us, and we are not nearly ready.' She said, fear in her
voice and her hands shook.
Harry took a calming breath and engaged his Occlumency to calm himself.
'Mum, its really important that we do everything we can to keep the muggles from
finding us yet. You're right, we're not ready yet.' Harry paused, then frowned.
'This has a lot to do with the future you and Dad don't want to know about.' He said and
she nodded.
'Of course, Honey, I think it might be time for us to know about it soon.' His mother
muttered.
Harry nodded.
'The moment the two of you are ready to hear it, we will tell you the complete story.'
Harry said.
Disclaimer: Trigger warning. Toward the end of this chapter contains sexual assault. If
this makes you uncomfortable, please skip where you see *x*, once the scene is over
there will be another *x*.
The next morning, Harry was released from the Hospital Wing. Together with Fleur, they
met up with their friends in the eighth-floor classroom they used for the Defence
Association.
Fleur stood beside him, but her features were twisted with focus for a few seconds as
she contained her Allure.
Ronald stared at her in slack jawed wonder, and Neville wasn't much better.
Harry rolled his eyes and met Hermione's gaze, who rolled hers as well. She slapped
the back of both the boys' heads, drawing them out of their daze. In Ronald's case, only
for a few seconds.
After a few moments, Fleur nodded to Harry.
'My Allure is under my complete control. This isn't caused by me.' She muttered, her
shoulders were tense.
Harry smiled.
'Sorry.' He whispered, and she sent him a tight smile.
Harry turned to the others. He smiled at Holly and Susan, who stood beside each other.
Hannah stood beside Susan while Daphne and Luna stood on their other side.
'You all did a brilliant job yesterday.' Harry said, his eyes lingered on Holly and Susan
for a moment.
'That said, I'm sorry that you had to actually fight Death Eaters. You did amazing work
when you didn't have to. I'm proud of you.' He said, and Fleur took his hand.
Harry looked down at their joined hands and smiled.
'Now, what say we all head down for lunch?' he suggested and received nods and
smiles in return.
As the group made their way down to the Great Hall, Harry marvelled at how they acted.
They appeared to be happy and relaxed, even though he knew they still experienced
the horror of the previous day when they stopped to think.
He figured that was why they were spending the day together in each other's company.
Harry held Fleur's hand as they walked and shared a small smile with her. This was the
first time she was in the castle, and not hiding it, since this term started.
A few minutes later, the group arrived in the Great Hall, and all, apart from Neville and
Ronald, took a seat at the Hufflepuff table.
Harry smiled as he realised that he'd missed just relaxing with everyone on a weekend.
They hadn't done anything like this since the year before, during the Tournament.
He squeezed Fleur's hand under the table, and she smiled at him.
'It's nice to spend some time with everyone, isn't it?' she asked, and he grinned.
'Yeah, it is. I'd forgotten how nice it was to have everyone together.' He whispered, and
she kissed his cheek.
Harry turned to his food and noticed that from the Slytherin table, Draco glared at him.
Harry frowned; Draco wasn't one to glare at him. Draco and Neville would glare at each
other all the time, but Draco tended to steer clear of Harry.
As lunch wound down, Professor Dumbledore left the Hall and Professor Sprout moved
to stand behind Harry and leant down.
'Mister Potter, Miss Delacour, the Headmaster would like a word. Would you follow me?'
she asked, and Harry nodded.
'Of course, ma'am.' He said and turned to Holly.
'We'll see you guys later, okay?' he asked, and Holly smiled.
Harry and Fleur followed Professor Sprout out of the Great Hall and up to the
Headmasters Office. The three were silent as they walked, and Harry wondered what
the cause was. Sprout was often very chatty with Harry and his friends.
Once they arrived at the Headmaster's office, Professor Sprout turned to Harry and
looked like she would say something, but shook her head and turned to the Gargoyle.
'Snickers.' She said and as the Gargoyle leapt aside, the Professor left without a word.
Harry blinked and turned to Fleur.

'What was that about?' he whispered, and she cocked her head.
'I don't recall her being so standoffish last year. Perhaps it has something to do with the
attack on Hogsmeade yesterday?' she proposed, and Harry shrugged.
'It's the only thing that makes sense. Earlier this week we had a long chat about various
magical plants.' He frowned for a moment before he shook his head.
'Shall we see the Headmaster?' Harry asked, offering his arm.
'We shall.' Fleur grinned and took his arm.
Together, the two made their way up into the Headmasters Office.
Once inside, Harry saw Dumbledore sitting behind his desk, looking tired. The man held
his fingers steepled in front of his face as he watched Harry and Fleur enter his office.
'Lemon drop?' Dumbledore asked with a wave of his hand.
Two overstuffed chairs appeared in front of his desk, which Harry and Fleur took.
Fleur grinned and took a lemon drop while Harry rolled his eyes.
'No thank you Headmaster.' Harry said as Fleur popped the sweet in her mouth, only to
freeze a moment later and cough.
Dumbledore smiled.
'They are particularly sour I must admit.' The old man said and sighed.
'But I did not call you to my office to discuss sweets, as much as I would like to.'
Dumbledore said and took a deep breath.
Dumbledore's aged features sagged, and his blue eyes hardened.
'During the attack on Hogsmeade yesterday, your actions were extreme.' He said, his
voice as hard as his eyes. Disappointment seemed to cling to every syllable of the
Headmaster's voice.
'The first spell fired at us was the Killing Curse. How else were we supposed to react?'
Harry asked.
Dumbledore turned his hard gaze on him.
Harry felt his Occlumency barriers contract under pressure. He narrowed his eyes at the
Headmaster before the old man's mental probe faded.
'Killing for whatever reason is wrong. Everyone deserves a second chance. Like young
Mister Mervyn Wynch whom you killed yesterday. He could have been drawn over to
the light. Instead, you killed him as your first recourse.' Dumbledore said.
The disappointment in his voice hung heavy in the room.
Beside Harry, Fleur bristled.
'Headmaster, the man fired a Killing Curse at us, which would have hit me if Harry
hadn't pushed me out of the way. Responding with equal force is the cornerstone of
every law enforcement agency in the muggle world, and much of the Wizarding World.'
Fleur snapped, her eyes flashing.
'The only agency in the world who doesn't actively pursue this is the British Aurors who
are legally not allowed to use lethal force under any circumstances.' Fleur said, and
He could feel her usually smooth skin in the initial stages of her Veela transformation.
Fleur took a calming breath.
Dumbledore's eyebrows rose, and he looked over his half-moon glasses at Fleur.
'And that, my dear girl, is why Magical Britain is one of the more enlightened nations in
the Wizarding World.' The Headmaster said with supreme confidence.
Fleur blinked.
'Is that what you truly believe, Headmaster?' she asked.
Dumbledore frowned.
'Yes, it is, my dear girl. It is well known.' The old man said, confused.
Fleur blinked again.
'Professor Dumbledore, I think as Supreme Mugwump of the ICW, you should be aware
of the other nation's opinions of magical Britain.' Harry said, choosing his words
carefully.
Dumbledore frowned.
'What do you mean, my boy? That is the consensus of the wizarding community.' The
Headmaster said, still clearly confused.
Harry groaned.
Fleur sat forward, both hands on the heavy desk between her and the Headmaster.
'Perhaps, sir, you should speak to some members of these other wizarding
communities. From what I am aware, many nations around the world think of the British
wizarding community as backward and bumbling fools.' Fleur said and Dumbledore's
eyes widened.
'The only reason why you are still the foremost nation in the Wizarding World is that it
contains a select few powerful wizards such as yourself.' Fleur continued.
Dumbledore shook his head.
'Surely not. The British Magical community has long been at the forefront of civilisation.'
The old man denied.
Harry groaned.
'Perhaps sir, before we continue this conversation you should travel to a few other
communities around the world and talk to them, perhaps in disguise so they don't know
they are talking to Albus Dumbledore, but just a simple, regular wizard.' Harry said.
'Surely…' Dumbledore shook his head.
Fleur huffed.
'Please sir, I believe it is important for a man of your station to understand what others
think of your people, so they don't follow you simply out of fear of your power and
reputation.' Fleur said.
Dumbledore coughed and sat back in his throne like chair.
'Perhaps you are right, long have I been absent from the common people.' He mused,
and Harry tightened his jaw at the term.
'But in any case, that is not what I was meaning to talk to you about.' The Headmaster
said.
Harry nodded.
'No, it is not. But it is connected, sir. We believe that you are coming to this conversation
with a serious misinterpretation of international law.' Harry started.
'And while you are the Headmaster of this school and ultimately in charge of discipline, I
propose we postpone this discussion until you have brushed up on the international
stance toward acts of terror and where your priorities lie.' Harry said.
Dumbledore blinked and Harry continued.
'The fact of the matter is, sir, that we fought in self defence against a terrorist
organisation. Whether this country's government acknowledges that is irrelevant.
According to the French Ministry, the Death Eaters, and Voldemort himself are terrorists
and therefore are to be killed or captured on sight.' Harry said.
Dumbledore narrowed his eyes.
'But you are not French.' The Headmaster said as he looked into Harry's emerald eyes.
Harry smiled.
'Actually, sir, I am a dual citizen. Dominique pulled some strings so I would have my
apparition licence in France, so I could visit them easily during the holidays. A part of
that included granting me a French citizenship, so in this case I am following French
Wizarding law.' Harry explained.
Fleur gripped his hand and Harry smiled at her before turning back to the Headmaster.
'In any case sir, this was clearly self defence and if we hadn't had put down these rabid
animals, more innocent people will have died.' Harry paused, then cocked his head.
'Or would you have preferred more than thirteen innocent people died so that we could
have arrested a handful of extra Death Eaters who would likely be broken out of
Azkaban at a later stage, just like what happened only a month ago?' Harry asked and
Dumbledore narrowed his eyes.
Dumbledore sighed.
'Thank you for your time and advice. Though I do recommend you try to remember that
not all the Death Eaters are the rabid animals you think of them as.' Dumbledore said.
Harry stood, still holding Fleur's hand.
With only an incline of their heads, the two left the Headmasters office.
Once outside in the corridor, Harry let out a deep sigh.
'I can't believe that.' He breathed.
'The old man is foolish in the extreme. Madame Maxime was correct in her rants last
year about how your Headmaster would listen to none but his own counsel.' Fleur
hissed.
Harry cupped her face with his hand and smiled at her.
She huffed and lay a hand on top of his.
'Thank you for calming me. It wouldn't do to be heard by any of you English saying
anything against the Headmaster.' She said, and Harry nodded.
'I respect the man, but he's wrong in this case and woefully out of touch.' Harry said and
pulled her away from the Headmaster's office.
'Let's go down to the lake, it'll be good to get some fresh air.' Harry suggested, and she
smiled.
'Oui.'
Twenty minutes later, Harry and Fleur sat on the grassy bank of the lake, looking out at
the sun slowly falling toward the mountains on the horizon.
'Wotcher Harry.' Came a voice from behind them and Harry spun in place to see the
pink haired form of Nymphadora Tonks.
Fleur mirrored Harry's action, though she had her wand drawn.
Harry smiled.
'Nym, its good to see you. We haven't caught up properly in years.' He patted the grass
next to him and Fleur returned her wand to its holster.
'I remember seeing you last year, but that doesn't really count. But proper introductions
are in order.' Harry continued as Nym took the indicated spot on the grass beside Harry.
Harry turned to Fleur, then back to Nym.
'Fleur, this is Nymphadora Tonks. Just call her Nym.' Harry said, he ignored the twitch of
irritation on Nym's face before he continued.
'Nym, this is Fleur Delacour, my girlfriend.' Harry said and turned to Fleur.
'Nym has been my cousin since I can remember. Technically we're not. She's Sirius'
cousin, but that's close enough for us.' Harry said, and Fleur met Nym's gaze.
Fleur cleared her throat.
'I apologise for my behaviour yesterday. I was, under some amount of stress.' Fleur
said, and Nym beamed at her.
Nym reached out a hand across Harry that Fleur shook after a moment's hesitation.
'I can understand what you were going through. I haven't seen Harry much in the last
few years, I've been going through Auror training and haven't been able to really catch
up with family. It's been annoying, but I'm finished with that now and no longer getting
the boring jobs.' Nym said.
Her hair changed colours as she talked.
Fleur raised an eyebrow. Nym grinned.

'Uncle James took me under his wing, so to speak, much like Aunt Amy has.' Nym said
and Fleur frowned.
'Uncle James?' she asked, and Nym shrugged.
'Don't know why he gets called Uncle, while Sirius is my cousin and Remus is just
Remus. I've never questioned it, that's how it's always been.' Nym said, and Fleur
sighed.
'It's an interesting family to be sure, and I've known them for what, eight years 'Arry?'
she asked, and Harry grinned.
'Yeah, about that.' He agreed.
Nym sighed and lay back on the grass.
'I know I shouldn't be relaxing like this, as technically, I'm on duty. But its such a nice
day and its great to actually catch up, little cousin.' She said, and Harry scoffed.
'I'm taller than you in case you haven't noticed.' Harry said, and Nym rolled her eyes.
'That's cos you're a wierdo who hit their growth spurt early.' Nym said.
Fleur quirked an eyebrow at Harry, and he gave her a solemn nod.
'Nym, about that. There's something I think we need to tell you.' Harry said.
Nym sat up and looked between Harry and Fleur.
'What about?' Nym asked.
Nym looked at Harry, then at Fleur.
'You're not pregnant, are you, Fleur?' Nym asked with mischief in her eyes.
Fleur narrowed her eyes.
'Of course not. But this is important and as an Auror I think you might need to know.'
Fleur said.
Nym's face turned serious.
'What's this about?' she asked.
Harry sighed.
'Ever since my first year, I've been using a room in Hogwarts called the Room of
Requirement. It has allowed me to compress time. Long story short, I'm somewhere
between eighteen and nineteen. Fleur is not much older.' Harry said.
Nym blinked and her hair changed from pink to white.
'You're not joking with me? This is the truth?' she asked.
Harry nodded, and Nym grinned.
'Harry, this is so awesome. Why did you do it? Can other people do it too? Who else
knows?' Nym asked, rapid-fire.
Harry laughed and held up a hand to stop her.
'I did it so I can have more time to train, to get stronger and to work on other projects.
Fleur has been using it with me since last year and the only people who know apart
from us are our parents, Sirius, Aunt Amy, and Remus. Oh, and Holly and Susan.' Harry
said.
Nym bounced in place beside Harry on the grass.
'This is so awesome. So, how do you think you'd fare against a fully trained Auror?' she
asked.
Harry sighed.
'Nym. Fleur and I killed just under twenty Death Eaters yesterday. I think I could take
you.' He murmured.
Nym blinked. Her hair turned black, then orange, then back to pink.
She patted his back.
'I'm sorry, little cousin. I forgot about that. But I think that we'll have to test you out soon.
I might be able to help you out. How did your mum take the news that you're messing
with time?' she asked.
Harry laughed and Fleur rolled her eyes.
'She wanted to know all about it.' Harry said.
Nym grinned.
'I knew it. Your mum has always said how brilliant you were, even if your dad said you
broke his heart by not being a prankster.' Nym said.
Fleur smirked.
'Oh, I think James will be happy once Charlus gets to Hogwarts. The kid is a nightmare.'
Fleur huffed, and Nym laughed.
'You know what, blondie? I like you. Sirius said I would, but no one mentioned how
annoyingly perfect you two are together. It makes me sick.' Nym grinned.
Harry laughed.
'I'm sorry about that Nym, maybe we'll work on that, but probably not.' Harry said.
His watch vibrated, and he stared at it, confused for a moment.
Then he realised what it vibrating meant.
After the Tournament last year, he'd enchanted his watch to act as a tracker for the
panic charms he'd given to Fleur and Holly.
He froze and stared at Fleur.
She frowned.
'Arry? What's wrong?' Fleur asked.
Nym looked between them in confusion.
Harry looked down at his watch again. It pointed toward the castle.
'Holly.' He breathed.
Both Fleur and Nym wore concerned expressions.
Harry leapt to his feet and looked at his watch.
'Holly, hold on.' Harry whispered and took off at a run toward the castle.
He ignored the shouts from behind him.
Harry entered the castle a minute later and followed the arrow on his watch, careful to
keep an eye on his surroundings as he ran.
The watch faces no longer showed the time, instead it gave him a distance between him
and the tracker that had activated. It read that Holly was a hundred metres above him
and fifty metres away, horizontally.
His gaze darted around the Entrance Hall, and he rushed to the central staircase and
followed it up to the fifth floor.
He paused as the staircase moved, barring his progress.
Harry growled as the staircase drifted away and he narrowed his eyes. He searched for
another way up, without success.
''Arry.' called Fleur as she and Nym caught up with him.
'What's wrong 'Arry?' Fleur breathed, and Nym was a little out of breath.
Harry glared at the staircase. He considered whether he had enough confidence in his
Levitation Charm to float himself up past the staircase.
'Fleur, do you remember the panic charm I built into your pendant?' he asked, and she
nodded.
Fleur gasped.
'You gave one to 'Olly too, didn't you?' Fleur asked, and Harry nodded.
'I gave one to everyone. She's activated it and she's being held somewhere on the floor
above us. In that direction.' He pointed off to their three o'clock.
Nym frowned.
'Wait, you've got tracking charms on Fleur and Holly? Isn't that a little weird, Harry?'
Nym asked.
Harry turned his glare on Nym.
'Pettigrew abducted Holly in my third year, and it's happened again now. How is it weird
if its an effective precaution?' Harry snapped, and Nym fell silent.
Fleur put a hand to his shoulder.
'Relax 'Arry. You can't help her if you wear yourself out worrying. She'll be okay.' Fleur
whispered.
Harry growled, deep in his throat.
'Holly has activated her panic charm, there's only one reason why she'd do that. I need
to get to her NOW.' He snarled.
Nym and Fleur both blinked as the staircase suddenly whipped back toward them,
against its usual pattern.
Harry's agitation rose every second and his hair waved as if in a breeze.
As soon as the staircase came close, Harry leapt up to it, he ignored the long drop
below if he'd missed the jump.
He raced up to the next floor, leaving Fleur and Nym to stare in disbelief at his
acrobatics.
Harry took the first right side corridor and followed the directions of his watch and as he
came closer to Holly's location, he saw Pansy Parkinson standing in front of a door.
The Slytherin girl's eyes went wide, and she paled as Harry, almost glowing with rage,
sped toward her. Fleur and Nym raced around the corner, unable to catch up.
Nym gasped and fired off a Patronus message in a flash of bright white light.
Harry didn't notice as he closed in on Pansy. With a wave of his hand, he tossed Pansy
down the corridor. His wandless magic coalesced around him, fuelled by his rage.
He tore his gaze from the fallen Slytherin, to the door she'd stood in front of, and it
exploded inward. The explosion sprayed splinters of wood into the room that dug deep
into the flesh of two large boys who wore Slytherin robes and stood by the door.
The two boys dropped to the stone floor with screams of pain, shards of the wooden
door imbedded deep in their skin. Harry glanced at the two boys for a moment and saw
they were Crabbe and Goyle.
Harry stalked into the room, Fleur, and Nym now flanked him on either side.
'Harry, calm down.' Nym called through the maelstrom of shattered wood and dust that
Harry's uncontrolled wandless magic sent around the room like a storm.
*x*
Nym's calls for calm lasted only a moment until she looked around the room.
Harry's emerald eyes held unfettered rage and fear as he saw Holly tied spread eagled
to a table in the centre of the abandoned classroom. Her face was bloody and bruised,
her hair in disarray. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she saw Harry enter the room.
Theodore Nott stood by Holly's head while Draco Malfoy's normally pale face was white
with terror as he stood naked at the opposite end of the table to Nott.
Holly's robes lay discarded on the floor, leaving her torso covered only by her skirt that
had been pushed up around her waist.
'Harry.' cried Holly as fresh tears ran down her face.
Harry threw out his left hand toward Nott. The boy crashed into the stone wall on the far
side of the room. Harry pinned the Slytherin up against the wall with his wandless
magic, fuelled by his rage.
With his wand, Harry did the same to Draco.
Fleur and Nym rushed to Holly and released her from her binds. Fleur conjured a
blanket and wrapped it around Holly's shivering form. Both Fleur and Nym wrapped their
arms around Holly and held her tight, whispering in her ears.
Harry's magic flowed through him, carrying debris and loose clothing in a nimbus
around him as he struggled to contain his rage.
Fleur shared a nod with Nym, who held Holly tighter to her.
Fleur stood and stepped in front of Harry; her ice-blue eyes bored into his.
''Arry, stun and bind them. Killing them won't protect 'Olly.' Fleur said, command in her
voice.
Harry's hands shook.
Both Nott and Draco screamed as Harry's magic tore into them, no longer restraining
them, but slowly pulling them apart.
The skin on Nott's cheek peeled away to reveal the tissue beneath, and the boy
screamed even louder.
''Arry!' Fleur screamed.
Harry blinked and released his hold on the boys.
Both fell to the ground with heavy thumps.
With a wave of his wand, he bound and stunned both boys a moment later. Within
seconds, they were followed by the still writhing forms of Crabbe and Goyle near the
door.
Harry knelt down in front of Holly.
'I'm so sorry.' He whispered.
Holly pulled free from Nym and threw herself at Harry, sobbing into his chest.
'Harry, they got me as I went back to my dorm room after lunch. Luna was with Daphne,
and I figured I was safe inside the castle. I'm sorry I let them capture me.' She
whispered in between sobs.
Harry shushed her.
'It's okay. Everything is okay. I won't let anything happen to you. If you hadn't activated
your tracker, I would never have found you in time.' He murmured, and he rocked her in
his arms.
Holly sniffed and burrowed into him further. A fresh wave of tears soaked into Harry's
shirt.
Fleur stood beside the siblings with her wand on the bound boys. Nym left the room and
a few seconds later, levitated in a stunned and bound Pansy Parkinson and dumped her
beside Crabbe and Goyle.
*x*
A few minutes later, Dumbledore and Snape rushed into the room, followed a few
moments later by a puffing Professor Sprout.
Fleur held Harry's family mirror in her hand.
'What happened here?' Dumbledore demanded as his eyes took in the destruction
throughout the room and the bound Slytherins.
Nym lay a hand on Harry's shoulder and looked Dumbledore straight in the eye.
'Your students were seconds away from raping a daughter of the Potter family. This will
be taken before the Wizengamot, Headmaster.' Nym declared and Dumbledore gasped,
as did Sprout.
'Surely, we can deal with this incident in the school without interrupting the Wizengamot
with this?' the Headmaster said, his grandfatherly tone strong.
Harry stood and clutched Holly to his chest.
'This will not be swept under the proverbial rug Headmaster. This is nothing less than
attempted line-theft. I believe it was premeditated and goes beyond the purview of the
Hogwarts discipline system. Losing points will not be enough to resolve this travesty
Headmaster. This calls for no less than a Blood Feud.' Harry snarled.
Dumbledore's eyes widened and Snape scoffed.
'Surely Potter, this-'
Harry turned his emerald glare toward the Potion's Master.
'My parents will hear of this, in fact, they already have.' Harry growled and pointed to
Fleur.
Fleur held up the Potter family mirror, with Lily's face within it.
Lily glared at Snape.
Harry turned back to the Headmaster.
'My parents will join us soon and as Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, you should
probably go to your office to call an emergency meeting of the body. It will be held
tomorrow, and my father will be here soon to confirm all that I have said as the Heir
Potter.' Harry narrowed his eyes at the Headmaster.
'This emergency session will also have international attention in the form of the French
Ambassador and any others he would like to bring with him.' Harry continued; his eyes
hard.
Dumbledore gaped for a moment before his eyes hardened.
'Mister Potter, please see reason.' He began, and Harry's lip curled.
'I am seeing reason, Headmaster. This is the wellbeing of my House we are discussing,
and I will not relent. The Lord of the Ancient and Noble House of Potter will be here
soon to ensure that all necessary actions will be overseen by the appropriate people.'
Harry declared.
Professor Snape stepped forward, toward Harry.
'Potter, see here.' The Potions Master snarled.
Lily Potter's voice burst from the mirror.
'Severus Snape, you will cease this disgusting behaviour. I am on my way to see to the
wellbeing of my daughter. If I see you in the same room as her ever again, you will
regret the day you ever met me. We may have been friends, but with your behaviour
just now, you have forever ended any friendship we maintained.' Lily hissed.
Snape clenched his jaw and Dumbledore stepped toward Harry.
Harry drew his wand on the Headmaster, followed by Fleur and Nym.
'Headmaster, go. You will not change my mind on this. This is now beyond Hogwarts
and your jurisdiction, not even as Chief Warlock.' Harry said, his voice low.
Dumbledore let out a breath and stepped back, followed by Snape, and the two turned
and left the room.
Professor Sprout moved toward Harry.
'Are you all okay?' she asked, her voice filed with concern.
'I'm fine, but Holly, she…' Harry trailed off and Sprout nodded.
'How about we all go to the Hospital Wing and try to calm ourselves?' The Hufflepuff
Head of House suggested, and Harry nodded while Holly burrowed deeper into his
embrace.
'It's not me this time!' Harry said as the group entered the Hospital Wing ten minutes
later and Madame Pomphrey descended on him.
(A/N: Apologies. I hadn't considered that this chapter could cause distress in some
readers. I apologise wholeheartedly. I have included a trigger warning at the top of the
chapter in an attempt to mitigate this issue.)
Disclaimer: Trigger warning. Toward the end of this chapter contains a description of
sexual assault. If this makes you uncomfortable, please skip where you see *x*, once
the scene is over there will be another *x*.
Harry sat in the Hospital Wing, on a conjured couch next to Holly's bed. Holly slept in
the bed under the effects of the dreamless sleep potion.
Light slowly filled the Hospital through the windows and Harry blinked as he realised he
hadn't fallen asleep.
He'd been up all night, replaying the previous day's events in his mind.
Fleur slept on the couch beside Harry, her head on his lap and his fingers played
absently with her silver hair.
Nym had left hours before to the Auror office to file the report while James came to
Hogwarts, to deal with the situation as Lord Potter.
James sat on Holly's other side, along with Lily on their own couch. Both parents
watched Holly as she slept, their eyes red from tears.
Harry tore his gaze from Holly and looked at his father. His throat was dry, and he
struggled to form words.
'Dad, what time do we need to be before the Wizengamot?' he asked, his voice barely
more than a whisper, though in the silence of the Hospital Wing it sounded like a shout.
James sighed and rubbed his eyes.
'Ten. I'm proud of you for doing all of this with no preparation, son. I'm not sure if I would
have had the presence of mind to not just murder the little bastards.' James replied in
the same tone.
Harry growled, then let out a calming breath.
'I didn't. Fleur and Nym kept me from making any big mistakes. I'm lucky they were with
me, or I think I would have redecorated that room red.' Harry admitted.
Lily rubbed her eyes as she tore them away from Holly's sleeping form.
'They would have deserved it for harming my baby girl.' She hissed, her emerald eyes
blazing.
Harry nodded and took another calming breath. He relied on his Occlumency to steady
his emotions.
'But right now, we have a chance to deal a massive blow to Voldemort.' Harry said.
'What do you mean?' James frowned.
Harry narrowed his eyes and stared at his hands.
'This is going to be a Blood Feud, no doubt about it. It was attempted line-theft or could
be construed that way at least. Personally, I think it was simple petty revenge for what
Fleur and I did in Hogsmeade on the weekend.' Harry paused, his eyes narrowed to
slits.
'But if Holly agrees to my beginnings of a plan, we can convince the Wizengamot that
the Houses of Malfoy and Nott were attempting line-theft in their actions against Holly,
then we can hit those Houses hard. The fines alone would put serious financial stress
on at least the Nott family.' Harry sighed.
'If we play our cards right, we may even get some of Voldemort's dirty laundry out in the
open.' Harry mused.
James cocked his head.
'How so? Most of the Wizengamot are related to those little bastards or owe favours to
those who are.' He said.
'Exactly.' Harry grinned.
James frowned.
'Well, whatever your plan is, let me in on it. After what they tried to do, I'm going to
crucify them, literally if possible.' James said.
Lily nodded and leaned forward to listen to Harry's plan.
Hours later, at ten o'clock, Harry sat beside Holly in courtroom ten in the Ministry of
Magic. He held her hand as their parents sat on her other side.
Sirius sat on Lily's other side with the parents of Daphne and Hannah, with Augusta
Longbottom beside them.
Amelia sat beside Minister Fudge while Dolores Umbridge sat on the Minister's other
side.
Nearby, Lucius Malfoy sat with Cantankerous Nott beside him.
Various other Wizengamot members wearing their plum robes filled the rest of the
raised seating.
Once the court was full, the red robed Aurors, who stood by the large doors to the room,
shut and locked them to prevent any unauthorised comings and goings.
The court fell to silence for a few minutes until Minister Fudge stood and looked out over
the assembled Wizengamot.
'Today, we have been summoned in an emergency session by Lord Potter to resolve an

alleged attack against his family by members of various esteemed families present
today.' Cornelius Fudge began.
The Ministers eyes held anger and resentment.
'We will begin this hearing of the Sixteenth of February into offences alleged against the
Noble Houses of Malfoy, Parkinson, and Nott, as well as the Old Houses of Crabbe and
Goyle.' Fudge began with a quick glance toward Lucius.
'Interrogators; Lord James Charlus Potter; Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister of Magic;
Amelia Susan Black, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement; Dolores
Jane Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Ministry and High Inquisitor of Hogwarts
School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.' Fudge paused.
The Minister looked down at Percy Weasley and barely contained a sneer.
'Court Scribe, Percival Ignatius Weasley. Note that Lord Potter will not be acting as
Head Auror for the duration of this hearing.' Fudge said.
Percy scribbled down every word spoken with his own hand, while a dicta-quill did the
same beside him. Harry figured it was for redundancy. It was easy enough to confound
a dicta-quill to write something other than what was said.
The Minister looked around the gathered Wizengamot members, all in plum, and ended
with James.
'We will first hear from Lord Potter as to why he saw fit to summon this august body with
mere hours' notice.' Fudge said, the resentment in his voice almost dripped from his
words.
James stood from his spot beside Holly and strode down the steps, eventually stopping
beside an ancient looking chair where the worst criminals sat before being sent to
Azkaban or being released into the public.
Harry clenched his jaw at the stories his father and Aunt Amelia had told him about
Death Eaters going free at the end of the last war.
James faced the plum-coloured sea of robes that was the Wizengamot. He took a
moment to meet the gaze of many of them, he lingered longer on some than others.
'Yesterday, at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, there was an attack on my

daughter, second in line to the Potter title. It is fortunate for the members of this court
that my son, Heir Harry Potter, was able to thwart this attack on a daughter of House
Potter.' James begun.
Grumbling and muttering spread through the crowd at his words, but James held up a
hand, signalling silence.
'The Potter family is smaller than it ever has been thanks to the last two wars waged
against Grindelwald and Voldemort.' James watched as the room collectively shuddered
and he glared at them.
'Do not shudder at the mere name of the man, he is just a man.' James snapped.
Umbridge jumped to her feet from beside the Minister Fudge.
'Hem hem. It sounds like you are saying that You-Know-Who is alive, Lord Potter.' She
called.
James raised his eyebrows at the plump plum-coloured woman and stared at her. She
blinked in place for a few seconds under his stare, then paled and sat back down.
'I'll get to that Madame Undersecretary. As I was saying, the Potter line is the thinnest it
has ever been due to recent events and as such it could be imagined that unscrupulous
individuals would take the opportunity to force a claim to the House's wealth and
prestige.' James explained, his gaze locked on Lucius Malfoy, who wore a bored
expression.
'To begin this emergency session of the Wizengamot, I will call my son, the Heir Potter
to the fore as my witness.' James said.
Fudge blinked in confusion, then stood.
'A-are you sure, Lord Potter? Why not start with the accused?' Fudge asked.
James stared at the Minister with raised eyebrows, who nodded and sat back down.
Harry kissed Holly's brow.
'I'll be back soon. Everything's going to be okay, I promise.' He whispered.
Harry followed the same path his father had taken a few minutes earlier to join him.
James gave him a warm smile and gestured to the ancient looking chair.
As soon as Harry sat in the chair, chains shot out of the arms and wrapped around
Harry's wrists, neck, and ankles.
Harry looked up at the Wizengamot with a pleasant smile on his face.
Harry watched his father about to speak, but cut him off.
He looked up at Minister Fudge.
'I demand that Veritaserum be used in my interrogation.' Harry called, loud and clear.
The assembled Wizengamot fell to whispers and murmurs. They sounded like a beehive
to Harry's ears.
James looked over at an Auror who stood ready to stop Harry from escaping if he tried,
by law, one had to be nearby in case of escape attempts.
'What are you waiting for? Go get it, hurry now.' James said, and the Auror blinked and
ran from the courtroom through a small door Harry hadn't noticed until then.
The Wizengamot's whispers grew as they waited for the Veritaserum to arrive.
Fudge stood.
'Surely the Lord Potter wouldn't force his own son to take Veritaserum?' the Minister
asked, and the assembled Wizengamot stilled, waiting for a reply.
James moved to speak, but Harry beat him to it.
'Esteemed Minister, this is a matter of family honour, House Honour. Surely you
wouldn't stand in the way of our ancient traditions that you are sworn to uphold?' Harry
asked, purposely projecting his voice so everyone in the courtroom could hear his
words.
Fudge blinked at Harry, his mouth opened and closed a few times before the plump
man sat back down. Umbridge looked ready to explode if she turned any redder.
Harry hid a smirk as he noted the red of her face clashed horribly with the plum of her
robes.
Harry looked straight at Minister Fudge with a soft smile while he waited for the Auror to
return with the Veritaserum.
Fudge squirmed under the scrutiny.
A minute later, the unknown Auror returned and handed the vial to James, who nodded
and turned to Harry. He administered the standard three drops onto Harry's tongue.
Harry immediately felt the effects of the potion.
James smiled, then turned to the Wizengamot.
'The standard questions will now be asked by the interrogators to confirm the potion is
indeed functioning.' James declared.
The Veritaserum clouded Harry's mind. He felt the need to be entirely truthful with
anything asked of him. But after a few moments, his mind cleared enough to realise the
potion was akin to the Imperious Curse, but stronger and more subtle than either Peter
or Moody had used.
James moved into Harry's bleary eyesight.
'What is your name?' he asked.
'Harry James Potter.' Harry replied in a monotone.
The Veritaserum urged him to answer truthfully, but he was sure that he could answer
however he wanted, if necessary. He resolved himself to answer honestly for the time
being.
Minister Fudge peered down at Harry from his place far above.
'Where do you go to school?' the Minister asked.
'Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.' Harry replied in the same monotone as
before.
Amelia watched him, sympathy in her eyes, though it didn't show in her face.
'Where do you live?' she asked.
'Potter Manor, Wales.' Harry replied.
Umbridge stood and glared at him.
'What are you hiding from this august body?' she snarled.
The potion urged him to tell the room everything about the future he and Fleur knew of.
He was thankful this question came last as he realised how powerful the potion truly
was. If it had been first, he may not have been able to override his answer.
'Pink is a horrible colour to wear with your complexion.' Harry said with close to the
same monotone as his other answers.
A few chuckles circulated around the stands.
Umbridge looked like she would explode. She drew her wand and pointed it at him.
The stands fell silent.
James moved to stand in front of Harry, blocking her view.
'Sit down Madame Undersecretary. That was a foolish reaction, and your question was
out of line.' James snapped and stared at Fudge.
The Minister looked uncomfortable under the scrutiny but said nothing.
Umbridge took her seat, fuming.
James sighed.
'The Veritaserum is working.' He said and turned to Harry.
'Heir Potter, explain to the Wizengamot what happened yesterday once you became
aware of Holly Potter's disappearance.' James said.
'I was sitting by the Black Lake with my girlfriend and Auror Tonks.' Harry started.
'Hem hem.' Interrupted Umbridge.
'Not now Dolores, let him speak.' James snapped.
Harry continued over both as if they hadn't said anything.
'I had put a tracking charm on Holly's pendant due to the events of my third year.' Harry
said.
'Stop please.' James said, and Harry paused.
James looked up at the Wizengamot.
'The events he is referring to happened during his third year, when the Death Eater
Peter Pettigrew infiltrated Hogwarts and was controlling dozens of people through
potions and the Imperious Curse to enact a plan of revenge.' James paused for a
moment.
'He killed half a dozen people and impregnated dozens of muggle women and four
witches, two of which were underage students at Hogwarts.' James said and the
Wizengamot stared at him in silence.
'Harry created bracelets that can be purchased from Potter Enchanting to provide a
resistance to mind controlling effects such as the Imperious Curse and the potions
Pettigrew used. Harry gave these bracelets to his friends while they were in
development, and they included a tracking charm that could be activated if under
duress.' James continued.
'Pettigrew was apprehended due to Heir Potter's use of these tracking bracelets to find
Holly Potter and Heiress Susan Bones after they were abducted by Pettigrew.' James
finished.
The Wizengamot whispered amongst themselves for a minute before James raised a
hand.
'Silence.' He called, and the room fell into a silent hush, all eyes on Harry and James.
James turned to Harry.
'Heir Potter, please continue where you left off.' James said.
'I followed Holly's tracking charm up to the castle, and up the stairs to the sixth floor
after being stopped on the fifth floor for a minute due to the castle staircase moving. I
followed the tracking signal to a corridor on the sixth floor where I saw a fifth year
Slytherin girl standing guard in front of a door.' Harry said.
'Hem hem.' started Umbridge.
'Not now Dolores, you can ask questions later. You should know how these trials go by
now.' James growled.
Harry continued as if neither had spoken.
'By that time, I was furious and banished Pansy down the corridor.' He said and resisted
the urge to add that he did so without his wand.
'I broke through the door and entered the room to find a naked Draco Malfoy about to
penetrate my sister's maidenhood.' Harry droned, taking care with his wording to put
more pressure on Draco.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Holly clutch at their mother's arm as he spoke,
bringing up the memories she surely would have been trying to repress.
'I disabled both boys by the door, who had been watching. Then, with the assistance of
Fleur Delacour and Auror Tonks detained Draco Malfoy and Theodore Nott. We then
waited for assistance. Auror Tonks had fired a messenger Patronus in the corridor
outside.' He said.
James nodded, his jaw clenched and fury in his eyes.
'Go on, what happened next?' he asked.
'Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor Snape arrived within minutes and tried to solve
the situation by taking away house points.' Harry said, pausing for breath.
'That will do. Thank you, Heir Potter.' James said.
James turned around to the assembled Wizengamot.
'How many house points is the virtue of your daughter's worth? How many house points
is the safety of your children worth?' James called and whispers filled the plum-coloured
magicals.
James looked toward where Fudge, Umbridge, and Amelia sat.

'Any other questions?' he asked.
Fudge shook his head, as did Amelia.
Umbridge scowled and glared at both Potter men and shook her head.
James gestured for the unknown Auror who had brought the Veritaserum earlier to
come closer.
'The antidote?' James asked, and the Auror produced another vial of clear potion.
He took the potion from the Auror and allowed three drops into Harry's mouth.
James took a breath.
'We have heard testimony under Veritaserum of the events, but before I call in the
accused.' James paused, and the Wizengamot peered closer to hear him.
'I call Holly Potter to the chair.' James said in a whisper that was heard by the entire
room.
Mutters filled the Wizengamot, and the public gallery as well.
Holly stood and removed her charm bracelet. She handed it to Lily and made her way
down to the chair, following the same path that both James and Harry had used.
The chains that bound Harry to the chair released him and he stood.
He pulled Holly into a hug.
'I'm sorry.' Harry whispered.
Holly shook her head. One hand wiped away her tears.
'This will never happen at Hogwarts ever again.' She hissed, and Harry nodded.
'I'm proud of you little sister.' He whispered, and she gave him a small smile.
'I hope so.' She breathed before she took a seat in the ancient chair.
Harry made his way back up to his seat. He sat beside his mother, and she wrapped an
arm around his shoulder.
'I'm proud of you Harry.' She whispered.
'I hope so.' He whispered back.
Harry looked down at Holly sitting on the very chair that convicted criminals sat in and
gritted his teeth. He quashed the urge to race down there and pull Holly away from this
situation.
He watched as the chains burst out of the chair and bound her to it, wrapping around
her ankles, wrists, and neck. Harry tensed as her eyes widened in panic, bound like she
had been the day before.
He let out a sigh as she took a calming breath. She brought herself under control once
more. Her green eyes snapped to stare at Minister Fudge.
'I demand the use of Veritaserum.' She called.
Harry felt pride swell in his chest, while the assembled Wizengamot stilled at the
demand, before whispering broke out.
Umbridge stood.
'We shouldn't bother with this farce; the girl has no business demanding Veritaserum,
and such a precious tool shouldn't be wasted on a sham trial like this.' the plum clad
toad woman shouted.
Holly strained against the chains that bound her to the chair.
'I will not accept people denying my story, calling me a liar because they don't want to
see the truth. I will testify under Veritaserum, to stop people like you from willfully
ignoring the truth. This is my choice, and I will do everything I can to stop anything like
this from ever happening again.' Holly snarled at Umbridge, who looked ready to
explode.
'Dolores, sit down and pay attention.' James snapped.
Umbridge turned to Fudge, who gave her a slight gesture to sit and with a glare that
could kill, the vile woman obeyed.
James placed three drops of Veritaserum on Holly's tongue.
'The standard questions will now be asked to determine the potions effectiveness.'
James said and turned to the three other interrogators.
James turned and looked into Holly's face.
'What is your name?' he asked.
'Holly Margaret Potter.' Holly replied in a monotone.
Minister Fudge peered down at Holly; he wore a calculating expression.
'Where do you go to school?' the Minister asked.
'Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.' Holly replied in the same monotone as
before.
Amelia wore a soft expression of concern.

'Where do you live?' she asked.
'Potter Manor, Wales.' Holly replied.
James and Umbridge stared at each other for almost a minute before she narrowed her
eyes.
'What house are you in at Hogwarts?' Umbridge asked, though her face remained a
deep angry red.
'Ravenclaw.' Holly replied.
James hesitated.
'Holly, please recount the events yesterday that led to your capture by the four Slytherin
students.' He asked, though it was clear he did not want to.
*x*
Holly spoke in the same monotone as before, but as she did, the Wizengamot clung to
her every word.
'I left the Great Hall after lunch, separating from my friends to get a textbook from my
dorm so I could meet back up with my friends to study.' She paused.
Harry saw the pain and fear in her eyes, and at that moment, realised that most of the
Wizengamot likely could as well.
'I was alone in the corridor when half a dozen spells came at me in short succession. I
evaded five. The sixth knocked me unconscious.' Holly said.
'When I woke up, I was in a room with five Slytherin students in the year above me. The
only girl, Pansy Parkinson, sneered at me. She said that all a blood traitor like me was
good for was bearing a child that would allow her Draco to claim the Potter fortune once
my brother and parents were killed by the Dark Lord.' Holly continued in her monotone
voice.
The Wizengamot burst into loud whispers and hissed arguments.
Harry's eyes widened. He hadn't expected the actual reason behind the attack to be
line-theft. It had been a convenient way to go after the Malfoy's in court, but he hadn't
thought it would have been the real reason.
'Holly, stop please.' James said.
James turned around to face the Wizengamot, his face twisted into a scowl.
'Will you people be quiet? This is traumatic for my daughter, and I don't want this to go
on any longer than it has to.' James snarled.
The plum-coloured magicals stilled and stared down that the girl who ignored the tears
that fell down her cheeks. She stared at Umbridge while bound to a chair like the worst
criminals in Magical Britain.
James gave the Wizengamot a single dark look before he turned back to Holly.
'Please continue.' He whispered, though it carried throughout the court room.
'Pansy was told to go stand guard out front of the door by Draco Malfoy, who then told
Crabbe and Goyle to go stand by the door and watch how a real man does it.' Holly
said.
Harry's clenched fists shook as he held them on his lap. Then noticed his mother doing
the same and took her hand in his.
'Nott stood by my head, and he told me that I would at least pleasure him after all the
trouble he went through to organise the get together. Malfoy told him to be quiet, that he
didn't want to hear him while he had his fun.' Holly said, and whispers filled the
courtroom again.
Holly, however, continued as if she had a silent audience.
'He said that this will teach the blood traitors for interrupting their Lord's plans for
Hogsmeade.' Holly said.
The entire courtroom fell silent as those words and stared at her in horror.
'Malfoy removed his clothes while Nott started to remove mine. Then the door exploded
inward, and Harry came into the room and stopped them.' She paused as tears slid
down her face.
'If Harry had been a few seconds later, Malfoy would have taken me.' She continued in
the same monotone.
But Harry watched her and saw all the emotions her voice couldn't carry due to the
potion. He could see in her eyes how hard this was for her.
'Stop.' James said, and Holly obeyed.
James turned around to face the Wizengamot, straight and full of rage, but his voice
was calm and cold.
*x*
'Any further questions?' James asked, his blazing eyes resting on Umbridge, who
looked pale.
None of the interrogators voiced anything, so James turned around and gave Holly the
antidote. He kissed her brow before he sent her up to sit beside Harry once more.
Once she joined him, Harry wrapped her in his embrace, and she cried silent tears into
his shoulder as Harry watched their father.
James held a challenging gaze up at either the Minister, or to Lord Malfoy. Harry
couldn't tell without disturbing Holly.
'I would like to call one of the accused, Draco Malfoy, to the chair.' James called.
Whispers from the Wizengamot filled the courtroom as Lucius stood up in his seat while
an Auror led Draco to the chair.
'I demand that the chains on that damnable chair not be used. My son has done nothing
wrong and is being wrongfully accused.' Lucius Malfoy called down from his seat near
the Minister.
As soon as Draco took a seat in the ancient chair, the chains burst out to restrain the
pale faced Slytherin.
James ignored Lucius, and the Wizengamot murmured among themselves. He looked
at Minister Fudge, his eyes hard.
'I ask that the accused be questioned under Veritaserum.' James asked.
Lucius, who was still standing in front of his seat, stomped his foot.
'That will never happen. Just because Mister Potter is willing to force his children to
endure the Veritaserum to spout their lies, does not mean proper parents would allow
the same thing.' Lucius snarled.
The Wizengamot murmured to themselves, and it sounded angry to Harry's ears as he

held Holly tight to his chest.
'I'm proud of you Holly.' Harry whispered in her ear, and she nodded into his chest.
Harry looked down at his father to see him staring at Fudge, who looked like he'd rather
be anywhere else than where he was.
'I second the motion to question the accused with Veritaserum.' Amelia said and turned
to look at Fudge.
Augusta Longbottom stood in her spot in her plum robes.
'I demand the boy take the Veritaserum, much like the two Potter children volunteered
to.' The old woman called.
Lucius paled.
'I won't allow it.' He shouted.

Augusta turned to look at the Lord Malfoy.
'I suggest the Lord of the Noble House of Malfoy sit down while the Ancient and Noble
Houses conduct business.' The aged Longbottom Regent said as though she were
talking to a child who had trouble with a simple concept.
Lucius snarled before he sat in his seat beside Cantankerous Nott, whose red face
showed rage.
Minister Fudge looked around the room, seeing all the eyes on him from many
prominent families. Fudge closed his eyes for a moment and Harry figured the man felt
his career ending.
'Administer the Veritaserum to Heir Malfoy.' Fudge declared.
James turned and, after having a nearby Auror force open Draco's mouth, gave him the
three drops of Veritaserum.
James stepped back as the potion took effect. He nodded and turned to the
Wizengamot.
'We will now ask the standard questions to determine whether the potion is working
correctly.' James called.
The interrogators asked the same questioned they'd asked Holly.
'Draco Lucius Malfoy, Hogwarts, Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire. Slytherin.' He'd replied in a
monotone voice.
James stood in front of Draco.
'Detail what happened yesterday regarding Holly Potter.' He ordered; his voice cold.
'I organised the abduction of the blood traitor. The four of us hid in place using a map
stolen from Professor Snape's office that showed the locations of everyone in the
castle.' Draco started.
Harry's jaw tightened, making his ears pop as he watched the boy speak.
'We saw that Harry Potter was out at the lake and Holly Potter was by herself, headed
toward the Ravenclaw common room. So, we enacted our plan to take her then, when
no one else was around to protect her.' Draco droned.
'Once we had her up on the sixth floor, I wanted to finish the plan. I would get her with
child so that after the Dark Lord had killed her parents and brother, I would have access
to the Potter Family vaults. Then I would gift them to the Dark Lord to show my family's
loyalty.' Draco said in the same monotone.
James took a deep breath and whispers filled the courtroom.
'Is Voldemort the Dark Lord you are referring to?' James asked.
'Yes.' Said Draco.
Panicked whispers filled the room.
'Is Voldemort currently alive?' James asked.
'Yes.' Said Draco.
James looked up at Fudge, who was pale, his eyes wide with terror.
Lucius stood in his seat, face pale, and eyes blazing.
'Avada Kedavra.' Lucius screamed and fired the Killing Curse at James.
James sidestepped the bolt of green, which struck Draco, who was bound in the ancient
chair behind James.
Harry turned to stare at Lucius with wide eyes. He held Holly to his chest, now
physically protecting her, rather than emotionally.
Lucius' eyes went wide for a moment as he realised he had killed his only son.
Lucius turned to run but was stunned and bound in chains by a nearby Auror.
James stood. He gave a glance toward Draco's body in the chair, now no longer bound
as the life left his body.
'I will now question Lucius Malfoy.' James shouted over the screams of the
Wizengamot.
'Aurors will block the exits, and no one will enter or exit. I authorise lethal force to be
used in conducting these orders.' Amelia shouted and the Aurors in the room
straightened in their positions.
The Auror who had stunned Lucius, levitated him down to the chair and dropped him
unceremoniously to the ground as he then levitated Draco's body out of the chair. The
Auror placed Draco's body beside the chair and placed Lucius in the chair.
Chains burst out of the chair to restrain Lucius.
Holly turned her gaze down to Lucius and Draco.
'Serves him right.' She whispered.
Both Harry and Lily nodded in agreement.

James turned to the Wizengamot once Lucius was bound to the chair.
'I demand to use Veritaserum on Lucius Malfoy, whom we all saw kill his son with the
Killing Curse.' James called.
Fudge, his face white, just stared at Lucius.
Amelia prodded the Minister with her wand, then shook her head. She turned to face
James.
'Agreed.' she said, followed by nods from most of the Wizengamot.
James turned back to Lucius, and the Auror beside him.
'Auror, revive him and open his mouth for me.' James said, and the Auror nodded.
As soon as Lucius was revived, he struggled against his bonds, his eyes wild.
'Release me, I demand that you release me.' Lucius raged until he paused and stared at
the body of his son on the floor beside him.
At James' nod, the Auror waved his wand at Lucius and forced his mouth open. James
gave Lucius three drops of Veritaserum.
Within moments, Lucius went slack in his binds.
James looked up at the Wizengamot.
'We will ask the standard questions to determine if the potion is working.' He said and
turned back to Lucius.
'What is your name?' James asked.
'Lucius Abraxas Malfoy.'
Fudge stared in silence at Lucius.
Umbridge stuttered, her face pale as she stared at the blonde Lord.
Amelia sighed.
'What is your place of residence?' she asked.
'Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire.'
James looked up at Fudge and Umbridge. He raised his eyebrows and clicked his
fingers to gain their attention.
No change.
James looked up at the Wizengamot and shrugged.
'Where did you go to school?' James asked.
'Hogwarts.' Lucius said in a monotone.
Amelia looked at their other two interrogators and sighed.
'What House were you in at Hogwarts?' she asked.
'Slytherin.'
James nodded to Amelia.
'The Veritaserum is working properly.' James declared, then turned to Lucius.
'Is Voldemort still alive?' James asked.
'Yes.'
'Do you serve him?'
'Yes.'
'Who else serves him?'
'Anyone with the Dark Mark on their left forearm.'
Harry blinked and murmurs filled the Wizengamot.
James cleared his throat.
'What are the requirements to receive this Dark Mark?' he asked.
'To get the Mark, and become a Death Eater, a person has to torture, rape and murder
a muggle or muggleborn in the presence of the Dark Lord.' Lucius explained in his
monotone.
'Are there any exceptions?' James asked.
'No, everyone who bears the Mark has done those things.' Lucius said.
Harry looked around the Wizengamot, and several of them looked extremely
uncomfortable. Their eyes darted to the doors that exited the courtroom.
'Is there anyone in this room who you know bears the Dark Mark?' he asked.
'Cantankerous Nott-' Lucius said, but anything further was drowned out when more than
a dozen members of the Wizengamot, including the Head of the Noble House of Nott,
Cantankerous Nott, leapt from their seats and stared firing spells.
Amelia fired off a Patronus message and alternated between defending the cowering
members of the Wizengamot who weren't fighting and putting down the ones that were.
Harry wrapped his arms around Holly, and Lilly wrapped her arms around both of them
as spell fire burnt through the air between the irate plum clad Wizengamot members
and the crimson robed Aurors.
A vibrant yellow spell crashed into the seat Holly would have been sitting in if she wasn't
in Harry's arms and the seat melted into a bubbling puddle of goo that gave off noxious
fumes that burnt Harry's nose.
Through it all, Harry held Holly in his arms. He used his wandless magic to deflect
anything that would hit the three of them, but never let go of Holly. It was his idea that
put her in this courtroom, and he would not let anything further happen to her.
It only lasted a minute, though, and after the firefight ended, the twelve Wizengamot
members who had attacked lay bound and stunned by the chair where Lucius Malfoy
still rattled off names.
The Aurors around the room moved to stand evenly around the room until they could
react to any further attacks. A dozen more Aurors flooded into the courtroom and went
straight for Amelia, who looked as though she issued them muttered orders.
The new Aurors took their spaces evenly around the room, holding whispered
conversations with the Aurors who had already been in the courtroom.
James looked up at the depleted Wizengamot.
'This room is now under martial law. It is clear that an outside source has infiltrated our
ranks. We will not leave this room until we have uncovered whatever plot caused these,
our fellow Wizengamot members, to attack the rest of us.' James said, waving a hand
over the bound forms of a dozen influential plum-coloured members of the Wizengamot.
James turned back to Lucius Malfoy and cleared his throat.
'Have you bribed anyone in the Ministry for Voldemort?' James asked.
'Yes.'
'Who?'
'Minister Fudge, Senior Undersecretary Umbridge-' Lucius droned in a monotone.
Twelve hours later, Interim Minister Timothy Dunn stood in the place that now ex-
Minister and soon Azkaban inmate, Cornelius Fudge, had sat at the beginning of the
emergency session.
Harry looked around the courtroom and sighed in relief as the last of the bound ex-
Wizengamot members were levitated away by an Auror. He'd been glad when one of
them had finally taken Draco's body away from where it had lain.
The room had been so focussed on interrogating the rogue Wizengamot members that
they'd forgotten the child who had died by his father's hand.
Timothy Dunn, the wizard who had been granted emergency powers as Interim Minister
of Magic until one could be properly elected, was an older, dark-skinned wizard. The
man was an ex Auror whom had trained Alastor Moody in the academy many years
before and was head of his House simply because he was the last one standing.
Dunn ran a hand over his bald scalp as he looked around the diminished Wizengamot
and assembled reporters.
'This is my first address as Interim Minister for Magic. I wish it was not under these
circumstances. However, wishing cannot change reality, even with magic.' He said, his
voice strong, yet exhausted.
'The previous Minister for Magic has been found guilty of accepting bribes from Death
Eaters and acting at their behest. He has also been running a smear campaign on both
Albus Dumbledore and Neville Longbottom, the Boy-Who-Lived over these last few
months.' The Minister sighed and looked down at a document in his hands.
'The previous High Inquisitor of Hogwarts and Senior Undersecretary to the previous
Minister has been found guilty of accepting bribes from Death Eaters and acting at their
behest. She also tortured students under her care at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and
Wizardry, among numerous other antisocial behaviours.' Dunn said.
The Interim Minister sighed and tucked the document into his pocket with a shake of his
head. He looked at the many reporters and the Aurors who surrounded everybody.
Harry wondered if that man knew what he'd gotten himself into. Then he realised that
this was the world that he was going to enter once he took over the Lordship from his
father.
'This governing body has been purged of all those who mean harm to our world. It has
been reborn into this new age, an age of war. We must accept that the Dark Lord
Voldemort, thought to have been vanquished over a decade ago by Neville Longbottom,
still lives.' Dunn paused to take a drink from a glass of water.
'As such, Magical Britain is now on a war footing, Voldemort, and his Death Eaters are
officially an enemy of the state. They will have all rights stripped from them and fines of
twenty thousand Galleons will be enforced for any individual that bears the Dark Mark.'
Dunn said, his eyes met the gaze of each and every one of the reporters.
'Any who bear the Mark and are captured are to be given Veritaserum and questioned
in front of the Wizengamot, with no exceptions.' The Interim Minister said.
Minister Dunn looked up at Dumbledore who sat, pale faced, after such a drastic
change to the status quo.
'All fines from today's emergency session are to be funnelled into two new funds. One
will supplement the Department of Magical Law Enforcement whose job will now be
substantially more difficult, with a terrorist group to bring to justice.' Said Dunn.
'The second fund will allow all magical children to go to Hogwarts, not just the ones who
can afford it and who fit the threshold of magical power. This fund will also allow any
student who cannot or does not want to return home over the summer to stay at the
castle, in a separate wing of the school.' Dunn ran a hand down his face.
The courtroom was silent, save for the scribbling of quills.
Timothy Dunn looked down to Amelia, then to James who still stood beside the ancient
chair where he had interrogated dozens of influential figures over the last twelve hours.
'This is an important time in the history of Magical Britain, of the Magical World. We are
at war, and while the Dark Lord is a powerful foe, it is his idea of magical supremacy
that must be expunged, not just the man himself. This is a time of change; Magical
Britain will be at the forefront of this new frontier.' The Interim Minister declared.
Harry returned to Hogwarts, holding Holly's hand as the sun rose across the grounds of
Hogwarts. They moved slowly toward the doors to the Entrance Hall, both were
exhausted from the mammoth Wizengamot session.
'Harry, are you sure you want to take dad's place and deal with those people all the
time?' Holly whispered and Harry gave her a wry smile.
'Put it this way, if dad has to do it for much longer, he'll probably throw the rest into
Azkaban for annoying him. Or at least try to.' Harry mused and Holly rolled her eyes.
'The sad thing is, I can imagine that.' She muttered and Harry laughed.
He paused and watched as three seventh year Slytherin students and a seventh year
Ravenclaw were led out of the front doors of the castle with an Auror guard. All four of
the students' sleeves were torn from their robes on their left forearms, and each bore
the Dark Mark on their skin.
Harry and Holly shared a glance and hurried inside. It was about time for breakfast, and
they hadn't felt like eating in the few hours they'd been at Potter Manor, in fact, neither
of them had even slept.
Now, they were starving.
As they entered the Great Hall, Harry, and Holly froze. They were the centre of attention
as every pair of eyes in the Hall looked up from their, or a friend's, issue of the Prophet.
Professor McGonagall stood at her spot on the Head table and tapped her glass with a
spoon, drawing the attention of most of the student population.
'I would appreciate it if you would all leave the Potters be, they've had a long twenty-four
hours. If they want to tell you more, then they will. Otherwise, make do with what is in
the Daily Prophet, which for once appears to be the truth.' McGonagall said and sat
down.
Holly took Harry's hand and squeezed it.
'This is going to be a long day.' She muttered and he couldn't help but agree.
(A/N: I really hate courtroom scenes.)
(A/N2: My apologies. I had not considered that the description of sexual assault would
cause distress in some readers. It was a foolish oversight and I apologise. I have added
a trigger warning to the top of this chapter in an attempt to mitigate this oversight.)
Harry woke up as a House-Elf shook him in his bed.
He groaned and rolled over, he'd had a long day and it had only been an hour or so
since he'd bid Fleur goodnight on their mirrors.
The House-Elf continued to shake him, and Harry groaned as sleep faded from his
mind. He met the little creature's big eyes.
'What is it?' Harry asked, his voice barely more than a grunt.
'Young Master Potter sir, your friend Miss Granger needs your helps, sir.' The House-Elf
said in a low, yet still squeaky, voice.
Harry blinked and frowned as hid mind struggled to catch up to its usual speed.
'Hermione? What's wrong?' he asked as he rubbed sleep from his eyes with one hand.
'She is outside the Hufflepuff dorm room. She has been cryings, sir.' The little creature
explained, and Harry nodded.
'Thank you, what was your name again?' Harry asked and the House-Elf's eyed grew
wide.
'Oh no, me's be Plomb, sir.' It said.
Harry frowned.
'Plomb?' he asked, and the House-Elf nodded with a wide smile.
Harry shrugged; he'd never met a House-Elf whose name didn't end with a 'Y'.
'Thank you for the message then, Plomb.' Harry said and the little creature popped
away.
Harry groaned and ran his hands through his hair. He wondered what Hermione wanted
at this hour. It must be important.
Harry stood and moved to his trunk. He rooted around for a few seconds until he found
his Basilisk hide armour that he'd had made for himself and Fleur after their previous
year at Hogwarts. He'd used Fleur's contacts with the Goblins to have the Basilisk
corpse from his second year rendered. The proceeds from the Basilisk had gone into
Crocus Incorporated.
He pulled the Basilisk armour out of the trunk and hurried to remove his pyjamas. Harry
struggled to wriggle into the chest piece, which once it was on, shrunk until it formed
what was almost a second skin covering his torso. Over the top of the skin-tight torso
armour, he wore his training gear, a muggle style black tracksuit. Then he tossed on a
thick Basilisk hide long-jacket over the top.
The jacket looked like a warm woollen jacket, common to muggles across the world, but
the inner lining was Basilisk hide and would protect him from physical and magical
harm.
Finally, he put on a heavy pair of boots that Fleur had picked for him, she'd said they
made him look dangerous.
Harry looked down at himself and only saw a young man who could blend in with
muggles on the streets of London, or Paris.
He shrugged.
Harry hoped he was overreacting, and that Hermione simply had a purely academic
issue she wanted to talk over.
But he doubted it.
Harry left his trunk on his bed and warded everything before he left his dorm room and
hurried through the Hufflepuff common room.
He climbed out into the corridor and saw Hermione pacing back and forth beside the
wall, muttering to herself.
Harry moved to her and took her shoulders.
'Hermione, what's wrong?' he asked, his voice a whisper.
She jerked back, away from him for a moment, before she sighed in relief.
'Neville had a dream.' She blurted, and Harry frowned.
'Okay…' Harry quirked an eyebrow, and she looked down at her feet.
She looked up and met his curious gaze.
'This dream was about V-Voldemort. That He has Neville's Gran in the Department of
Mysteries and is torturing her.' Hermione said.
Harry groaned.
'Okay, this is obviously a trap. Tell me everything.' He said, and she nodded.
'Neville has already left, along with Ron and Ginny.' She said.
Her breaths came fast, too fast.
She was hyperventilating, panicking.
'Hermione, look at me.' Harry said and her breathing increased as she stared at his
chest, or rather through it.
'Hermione, I need you to look at me.' He ordered to no response.
Harry growled and looked around the corridor.
'Damn it Hermione.' He muttered and looked into her eyes.
Harry gave her a soft shake, nothing.
He shook her harder.
Nothing.
'Oh my god the libraries on fire.' He hissed in her ear, pointing down the corridor.
She blinked and followed his pointed finger, then turned back and glared at him.
Her breathing slowly returned to normal.
'That was not funny.' She said, and he shrugged.
'It was that or slap you and I'd rather not do that.' He said, and her glare grew more
intense.
'You were telling me about Neville leaving with the others. Why did they leave you?' he
asked.
Hermione's glare disappeared, and she looked lost.
'I told them not to go.' She whispered, and Harry nodded.
'Which they should have listened to. But what happened next?' he asked, and she
blinked away a tear.
'Neville shouted at me in the common room, he told me I didn't understand, that

Voldemort was going to kill his Gran. He screamed that he was going and that I couldn't
stop him. Then he stormed out of the common room and the others followed him.' She
whispered.
'A minute later, I tried to find them, but they were gone. They're on their way to the
Department of Mysteries, that place Neville dreamt of the snake that bit Mister Weasley
at Christmas.' She said.
Harry nodded.
'Okay. I'll handle it. Thank you for telling me.' He said and ran a hand down his face.
'I'm coming with you.' She declared.
'Please stay here.' He said, and she shook her head.
'No. I will never forgive myself if something happens and I'm not there to protect those
two idiots.' She said and Harry sighed.
'Fine. But we need to hurry.' Harry said and strode away from the Hufflepuff common
room, headed toward the entrance hall.
Harry pulled out his Potter family mirror.
'James Potter.' He said, and a few seconds later, a bleary-eyed James Potter peered at
him in the mirror.
'Harry? What's wrong?' he asked.
'Dad, Neville Longbottom is on his way to the Department of Mysteries and is walking
into a trap. He believes Voldemort has Augusta Longbottom and is torturing her.' Harry
said as he strode down the corridor.
'What?' James asked.
'Neville has Ronald and Ginny Weasley with him. I believe they are mounting a
misguided rescue attempt. Remember what I told you about Neville's connection to
Voldemort through his scar?' Harry asked and James blinked.
'Yes, we do dear.' Said Lily as she pushed her head into view of the mirror.
'Good, I believe that Voldemort has used that connection somehow to draw Neville
there for some reason that I haven't figured out yet.' Harry said.
James coughed.
'Thanks kiddo, we'll call the cavalry and take it from here.' James said and Harry shook
his head.
'I'm already on my way. I hope Aunt Amy is going to be ready for a fight if this doesn't go
well.' Harry said and James sighed.
'Yeah, me too, kiddo. See you soon.' James said, and the mirror faded to black.
Harry hurried to tuck away the mirror in his jacket and pulled out his mirror linked to
Fleur.
'Fleur Delacour.' He said, and a few seconds later, Fleur's angelic face appeared in the
mirror.
''Arry? What is wrong?' she said, her voice showing the only sign of how tired she must
have been.
'Neville Longbottom is walking into a trap in the Department of Mysteries. I'm on my way
to stop him, and both Mum and Dad are on their way. Are you able to join me?' he
asked.
Harry strode through the entrance hall and out into the frigid Scottish night air.
'Of course, I'll meet you at the Ministry apparition point my love.' She said, and the
mirror went dark.
Harry picked up his pace toward the ward line surrounding the school.
'Are you sure you want to come? This will be dangerous. No-one will think less of you if
you stay.' He said, not slowing his pace or looking at Hermione.
She glared at him.
'I have to go.' She said, and Harry nodded.
They weren't far from the ward line.
A few metres away, Harry paused and turned back to the school. He fired a messenger
Patronus, toward where he knew the Headmaster's office was, earning a confused
frown from Hermione.
'Just in case he wants to help us out at the Ministry.' Harry said, and her look morphed
into a frown.
'But what was that?' she asked.
Harry blinked.
'Oh, it's a form of the Patronus charm used to send verbal messages to another person.'
He said, and she cocked her head.
'My dad taught me over the summer. I'll explain it later, we've got to go.' He said, and
she nodded.
'How are we getting there?' Hermione asked and Harry strode over the ward line and
once they were through it, he smiled at her and took her hands in his.
'Like this.' He said.
They both disappeared with a deafening crack.
Harry appeared at the Ministry apparition point with Hermione, who immediately fell to
her knees and dry retched.
'Sorry about that, I forgot how first time Apparition is hard on the stomach.' Harry said
and helped her up.
She glared at him, then froze as she noticed the others around them.
Harry turned as Fleur wrapped him in a tight embrace.
'I missed you.' He whispered, and she squeezed him tighter.
Fleur wore the same outfit as Harry, right down to the heavy boots.
A cough distracted Harry, and he turned to see his parents, along with Sirius and
Remus, stood nearby.
'Don't we have pressing business here?' James asked, and Harry nodded.
'Amy is summoning the Aurors, and they'll be the cavalry to come save us if something
goes wrong.' Sirius said.
'The Order of the Phoenix will arrive soon as well. So, we should hurry to save your
friends from this trap.' Remus added.
Harry nodded and took Fleur's hand.
'Thank you all for coming on short notice.' Harry said and Lily smiled at him.
'We're just lucky that Hermione here thought to warn you instead of just going along with
her friends.' Lily said.
Hermione blushed and Fleur rubbed her back.
Harry turned to his mother.
'Mum, where is the Department of Mysteries?' he asked, and she sighed.
'Who else knew that I used to work there? I thought it was supposed to be a secret?'
she groaned and everyone but Hermione raised their hands.
Lily turned to Fleur.
'You too?' she asked, and Fleur pointed at Sirius.

'Your dog is not good with secrets.' She said and Sirius huffed.
'Last time I tell you the juicy gossip about the family, traitor.' Sirius muttered.
Lily glared at him.
Harry strode into the Atrium, Fleur on one side while his mother took the other. He
frowned as he looked around the empty area. There weren't even guards or janitors in
the Atrium, it was empty, and silent.
He whispered close to Fleur's ear.
'Could Neville really be so stupid as to not realise this is a trap?' said Harry.
Fleur rolled her eyes and smiled at him.
'Not everybody can be 'Arry Potter.' She whispered and kissed his nose.
A cough came from behind and Harry turned to see James wore a tiny smirk on his
otherwise grim face.
Lily and James took the lead of their group and moved toward the lifts. Behind them,
Harry and Fleur shifted to box Hermione in between them while Sirius and Remus
walked in the back of the group.
The seven entered the lift.
'Level nine.' Lily said, and the elevator gave a soft ping.
Sirius shifted in place at the front of the lift.
'Is this a bad time to mention-' he started.
'Padfoot, no elevator jokes. Just no.' James groaned, and Remus chuckled beside
Sirius.
Sirius pouted.
'Come on, one of these days you'll let me make the joke.' He whined.
'Sure, next time. We're busy right now.' James said and Sirius huffed.
'You guys are no fun.' Sirius said.
Lily laughed.
'Sirius, you're facing the other way, we can't see you pouting.' she said.
Sirius turned and beamed at her.

'But you knew I was doing it.' He said.
'Padfoot, focus.' Muttered Remus.
Sirius sighed.
'Fine, keep your eyes peeled, people. Let's lock and load and stay frosty and all that.'
Sirius said as he drew his wand.
James groaned and facepalmed.
'We are never letting you watch movies with us again.'
The lift gave a soft ding.
'Department of Mysteries.' Declared the voice of the elevator.
Immediately, the banter of the adults died, and the group filed out of the elevator, their
wands drawn.
Harry stepped out of the lift and noted the black tiled walls that, unlike the rest of the
Ministry, didn't have windows. It seemed the Department of Mysteries was content to let
you know you were deep underground.
In front of them lay a long corridor, lit by torches which glowed with blue-white flames. At
the end of the corridor stood a single door. On his right, some stairs led to courtroom
ten.
Harry blinked as he realised the emergency hearing had only been the day before.
It felt like it had been longer.
Lily moved to the front of the group and turned to meet each of their eyes.
'No-one should speak. Just follow my lead.' She whispered.
Harry nodded, along with the others.
Lily led the group toward the door at the end of the corridor and pulled it open. She
entered the next room, and the others followed her.
As Harry entered, he held in a gasp. It was an entrance chamber, with a dark marble
floor, it looked almost like standing water. The room was large and circular, lit by
candles on the walls, which bathed the room in a cool blue light.
Harry shivered; the room was eery.
Evenly spaced around the circular room were twelve handleless doors, like hours on a
clock.
Once Remus shut the door behind them, Lily turned to Hermione.
'Is there anything else that Neville told you about what was happening in his vision?' she
asked in a whisper.
Hermione blinked and frowned.
'Neville said the vision took place in a room filled with silver spheres. Is that helpful?'
Hermione asked.
Lily sighed and nodded. She took a deep breath.
'Hall of Prophecies.' She said, a clear note of command in her voice.
The door in the three o'clock position to them opened and Lily led the group through and
into a room like Hermione described.
It was dark, silent, and filled with shelves. It was almost like a library, but instead of
books, each shelf held dozens of glowing silver spheres.
As Harry walked through the doorway, a chill ran down his body.
Opposite him, he saw another door and the Hall of Prophecies went off to the right.
Once inside, Harry heard a voice he knew well. He'd heard the voice many times
through his childhood at Ministry sponsored events he'd had to attend as Heir Potter.
Most recently he'd heard the voice speak in a monotone as it had been questioned
under Veritaserum.
Lucius Malfoy.
Harry frowned and shared a glance with Fleur. Lucius Malfoy was supposed to be in
Azkaban after the emergency hearing the day before.
Harry met James' eye and his father nodded.
Harry put a hand on Hermione's shoulder. She looked at him with wide eyes and he
gestured to stay behind him. She nodded.
Fleur took her place on Hermione's other side, in the centre of the adults. James and
Lily stood in front of the group while Sirius and Remus monitored the door they'd
entered through.
Lucius Malfoy towered over Neville, who held a silver sphere in his hand.
'Give me the sphere, Longbottom. If you don't, your pet Weasley's will die, and the world
will be better off.' Lucius snarled. He pointed his wand to Neville's right, where Ginny
stood.
Neville glared at the Malfoy Lord.

'I'll never hand it over to you.' Neville snapped and as one, three stunners flashed
toward Lucius.
Harry quashed the groan that wanted to escape. He'd taught them to never use
Stunners in deadly situations.
James and Lily both fired spells at Lucius in that instant.
Lucius deflected the Stunners and leapt out of the way of the spells fired by James and
Lily with centimetres to spare.
A moment later, the Hall of Prophecies exploded into action.
Death Eaters, who had until then been hiding behind the shelves of Prophecies, burst
out and fired a volley of spells at Harry's group.
Harry wandlessly summoned Neville, and used his wand to summon Ronald, while
Fleur summoned Ginny beside him.
The three teens flew through the air, avoiding spells sent by the Death Eaters which
passed through where they had been standing a moment before.
Hermione leapt at Ronald, catching him, and his momentum sent them both to the
marble floor. Harry stopped Neville in the air and let him down on his feet with his
wandless magic.
'Stay behind us, Brother.' Harry growled as he pushed Neville behind him and shielded
what looked like an Entrail Explosion Curse as Fleur caught Ginny.
'Fall back.' James called from the front of the group.
Harry pushed Neville backward, toward the door they'd entered through. He deflected a
sloppy Piercing Hex and felt his lip curl.
He still had nightmares sometimes about that hex. They always showed what his hex
had done the night of the Third Task.
Harry growled, deep in his throat at his distraction, and fired a Bone Breaker at one of
many masked Death Eaters in front of him. The figure dropped to the floor a moment
later with a shattered leg.
The door behind them exploded.
Seconds later, Death Eaters streamed in through the door like a nest of enraged ants.
One figure stood in the front of the group, a hulking man who wore tattered robes that
clung tight to his body. The hulking, brutish man snarled, and sounded more like a beast
than a man.
Fenrir Greyback.
Harry felt a thrill of fear from his childhood clutch at his heart for a moment, before it was
overwhelmed with anger at seeing the monster again.
Surrounded on both sides, the ten formed a circle with Neville, Ron, Ginny, and
Hermione in the middle.
Harry conjured animals to intercept a flurry of Killing and Crucio Curses and shielded
the others. His actions were replicated by the others in the group.
From the opposite side of the Hall of Prophecies, a door burst open, and the Order of
the Phoenix filed in, led by Mad-Eye Moody. The Order set to work attacking the Death
Eaters led by Lucius.
James batted away an orange spell and leant in close to Harry.
'You and Fleur have to get the kids to safety, get them to the Atrium. We'll provide
cover.' James hissed, and Harry nodded.
He turned to Fleur, and she nodded to show she understood James' instructions.
Harry turned around to face Neville, whose face was pale and covered in sweat.
'Okay guys, follow Fleur and me. We'll get you to safety.' Harry said.
Hermione nodded, echoed by Ginny. Hermione elbowed Neville, who nodded, followed
finally by Ronald.
James blocked a Killing Curse with a flock of birds.
'Now.' He shouted and as one, the three Marauders, and Lily, fired a barrage of spells at
the Death Eaters who stood in the doorway to the spinning entrance hall.
Harry leapt up and ran toward the door he'd seen when he entered and opened it.
Another room lay beyond and, not seeing any Death Eaters inside with a cursory
glance, Harry turned back to Fleur.
'Fleur, this way.' Harry called.
Fleur spun and saw the open door; she took hold of Ronald's collar as he stared at her
with a blank look.
'Go through the door, hurry.' She hissed.
Ginny and Hermione both took hold of Ronald and dragged him away.
Neville followed behind and Fleur was the last one through the door.
As Harry stepped through the doorway, a strange chilling sensation passed through him
again, like when he'd entered the Hall of Prophecies the first time. It was like walking
through an arctic breeze, but once he was into the new room, it faded.
All sound from the other side of the door disappeared. It didn't fade, or just get quieter, it
just wasn't there anymore.
Harry looked around. The room was huge. In the centre of the room stood a great black
arch. Blackness, was the only thing on the other side. As Harry looked at it, the
blackness in the archway rippled like water disturbed by a fish beneath its surface.
Harry shook himself and noted that the rest of the room looked like an ancient stadium,
with raised seats surrounding the arch on all sides. It was lit with a weak white light from
an unknown source.
The seats consisted of eight levels and Harry wondered for a moment what the room
was for. He also wondered how the doors worked. Normal doors didn't make you cold
as you moved through them.
Neville stared at the black archway, drawing confused looks from Hermione and Ronald,
who stopped with him.
'Can you guys hear that?' Neville whispered.
'Hear what?' Hermione asked.
'There's people inside that thing.' Neville whispered as he took a step toward the
archway.
'What are you talking about? There's nothing in there, there can't be anything, it's just an
archway. Neville, let's get out of here.' Hermione said and took hold of Neville's wrist.
Neville shook himself. He turned to Hermione and nodded.
Harry led the four other students through the room, toward another doorway, the only
other exit he could see in the room. Fleur moved at the rear of the group and kept a
close eye on their surroundings.
Harry froze five metres from the door as it opened.
Bellatrix Lestrange stepped through it into the chamber with a crazed grin. Her wild eyes
flitted over the others in the group before they rested on Fleur in the rear.
'Oh, pretty little bird. I know about you; how would you enjoy the attentions of my
husband and his brother? I can't stand them, but who am I to judge the preferences of
deviant little birdies? I know what your people do out of the public eye.' The black-haired
woman said.
Her violet eyes shone with madness.

Fleur's gaze hardened.
''Arry, lead the others out. This one is mine.' Fleur said.
'You sure?' he asked, and Fleur nodded.
Harry turned to Bellatrix, ignoring the incredulous expressions of the others in the room.
'Fleur will take care of you. I have bigger fish to deal with.' Harry said.
Bellatrix cackled with glee. Then fired a Crucio at Harry.
Harry conjured a flock of birds. One of them fell to the ground, twitching.
'Run.' Harry called and moved toward the door.
Bellatrix leapt aside to dodge a Piercing Hex from Fleur.
'I am your opponent. I will allow no harm to my beloved and no-one insults my family.'
Fleur snarled.
Bellatrix cackled with delight and a moment later, fired a stream of spells at Fleur, who
matched the crazed witch spell for spell.
Harry ran to the door and opened it, waving for the others to go through. Once Neville
and the others were through, Harry fired an Explosion Hex at Bellatrix and moved
through the door. He ignored the icy chill that passed through him.
He closed the door behind him.
As soon as the door closed, silence filled the room he found himself in, the entrance hall
with a dozen doors.
Harry looked at the door they'd just gone through. He was sure on the other side was a
furious battle that would no doubt be loud.
Then it hit him. All the doors in the Department of Mysteries had to be portals, which
was why it chilled him as he passed through it. He was sure the entire department
would not fit together if they were normal doors. But the last detail was the complete
lack of sound. They weren't soundproof. Physically, he was far further away from Fleur
than only a few metres.
Harry shook his head and turned away from the door. He saw Hermione checking if
Neville was okay, while Ginny did the same with Ronald.
They were in the circular entrance hall, the room with a dozen doors.
Harry wondered how the room worked, but figured he could ask his mother later. If they
both made it out of this alive.
The thought gave him pause, but he shook his head to clear it.
'Exit.' Harry commanded the room and the door in the six o'clock position opened.
Harry nodded to himself and moved to the now open door.
'Quickly, lets get out of here.' Harry said and followed the group of four once they all
passed him.
They ran up the corridor toward the lift and once inside, Hermione pressed the button to
take them back to the atrium.
The elevator gave a soft chime and Harry saw four figures rush out of the Department of
Mysteries entrance hall, running toward them.
Harry's eyes narrowed as Lucius Malfoy, Antonin Dolohov, Rodulphus, and Rabastan
Lestrange closed the distance between them.
Harry put up a powerful shield that protected them from a rain of Stunners and other
low-powered spells. He frowned and wondered why the Death Eaters weren't using
anything lethal.
The doors to the elevator closed, and they sped upward.

Harry released his shield and let out a deep sigh. He turned to the others in the lift.
Neville's face was pale and covered in sweat. The boy struggled to catch his breath.
Hermione looked to be trying to use Occlumency to calm herself while Ginny's eyes
darted throughout the lift, looking for more threats.
Ronald scowled at the door.
The elevator slowed to a stop.
'Atrium.' The elevator's soft voice said in a pleasant tone, at odds with the situation.
Harry ran out of the lift, his wand out in front. He first ran toward the apparition point, but
changed direction when he realised he likely couldn't apparate the four out with him in
one go.
He ran toward the floo stations.
Harry heard a faint voice from behind them.
'Atrium.'
Harry spun to see the four Death Eaters, led by Lucius Malfoy, rush toward them.
'Get to the floo. I'll hold them off.' Harry growled.
He slapped away two spells and dodged the other two. He fell back a step as the four
Death Eaters drew nearer.
Lucius and Dolohov broke away from the Lestrange brothers and went toward the floo
area.
Harry fired a Bone Breaker at them but was forced to dodge out of the way of a Killing
Curse from one brother.
Harry tried to keep an eye on Malfoy and Dolohov while he defended against the
Lestrange brother's spells.
Another Killing Curse sped past Harry, who avoided the bolt of green onrushing death
with a smirk.
They weren't going to play with him. It was the others that they wanted to capture for
some reason.
He was fine with that.
Harry focussed on the brothers Lestrange and monitored the low scale duel between
Lucius and Dolohov against the four teens.
Harry let loose. He knew that the other two Death Eaters would not kill the others, which
gave him time to deal with the Lestrange's. Idly, he wondered how Fleur was doing with
Bellatrix.
Another ding echoed through the cavernous room.
'Atrium.'
Another Killing Curse sped by him, missing him by centimetres, and Harry moved closer
to the Lestrange's.
Harry conjured a cloud of black smoke a few metres away from the brothers and both
conjured a powerful wind to clear the smoke.
But that was all Harry needed as both brothers dropped their guard for a moment.
Harry fired a Ardenti Lux beam from both his wand and his off hand, piercing the hearts
of both brothers at once.
Before the two brothers even hit the ground, Harry spun and rushed toward Lucius and
Dolohov.
Harry felt something crash into his side, something large.
He hit the ground and waved his off hand toward whatever had hit him, it flew through
the air a moment later from his wandless Banishing Hex.
Harry growled and stood, he turned and saw Fenrir Greyback recover in mid-air, and as
soon as the beast landed, it launched itself at him with inhuman speed.
Harry fired an Ardenti Lux at the werewolf who avoided the condensed beam of light
and covered the distance between them in moments. Harry sidestepped the hulking
man's lunge and fired an Expulso Curse at him. The werewolf dodged with unnatural
speed.
Fenrir leapt at Harry, his claw-like hands outstretched toward Harry's face.
Harry's memories of when he was a child flashed to the forefront of his mind, when
Fenrir had held Harry above the floor and his head had felt like it would pop in the
monsters grip.
'I remember you. I remember that look in your eye boy. You won't escape from me this
time.' Fenrir growled.
Fenrir rushed toward Harry, who gritted his teeth.
More memories rushed through Harry's mind of his first year at Hogwarts, when he
learned he could transfigure objects into silver, and how he trained for months in the
Room of Requirement for this exact situation.
Harry moved his wand in a circle, starting at his thigh and in a clockwise direction.
Fenrir was three meters away.
Harry's wand was above his head.
Fenrir was two meters away, and Harry could see the scar tissue that covered most of
the beasts face.
Harry's wand closed the circle, then he stabbed it toward the monster in front of him.
A hundred silver arrows materialised out of thin air, conjured with a single overpowered
spell.
Fenrir's bloodshot eyes widened.
'Oppugno.' Harry growled.
The silver arrows rained down on Fenrir with such force that some passed through his
body entirely, then burrowed into the marble floor of the atrium. The remaining arrows
pinned the werewolf to the floor as the silver poisoned the savage man.
Harry glared at the creature who made him the man he was, who had put him on the
path he'd walked ever since that day in the Quidditch shop when he was a child. A part
of him almost wanted to thank the beast, the rest of Harry just wanted it to die.
Harry turned from the soon-to-be corpse of his childhood nightmare, and back toward
the floo station.
Harry's eyes widened as Dolohov fired a purple zigzagging spell at Hermione.
The purple spell crashed into a marble tile torn from the floor in front of the bushy haired
witch.
Harry glanced behind him to see Fleur running toward them from the lift.
Dolohov turned to face Harry as Fleur drew nearer.
Lucius ignored them and leered at Neville. The Malfoy Lord held out his hand toward
Neville.
'Give me the Prophecy boy, or your friends will die.' Lucius hissed, pointing at Harry.
Harry and Fleur moved to either side of Dolohov. He knew how the man duelled;
Flitwick had shown him memories of as many of the Death Eaters' fighting styles as he
had access to.
Dolohov was a world class dueller, like Flitwick himself was, so Harry had seen the man
duel many times.
Harry fired a Bone Breaker at Dolohov, drawing the man's attention. While Harry fought
the man, Fleur distracted the world class dueller with Tripping Jinx's and the like.
Harry smirked as the man ignored most of Fleur's spells after a few seconds of useless
prank spells. Once Dolohov turned his focus on Harry, Fleur hit Dolohov with a Cutting
Curse and removed his wand hand.
The man screamed and drew another wand, holding it in his off hand, only for an
Ardenti Lux beam from Harry burnt a hole where his heart had been.
Harry let out a breath and turned to face Malfoy and Neville. Fleur stood beside him.
'Ready?' Fleur asked and Harry nodded.
Neville screamed and cradled his head in his hands. He writhed on the floor while both
Hermione and Ginny tried to restrain him.
Ronald stared, white-faced, as Voldemort appeared in the atrium in a burst of shadows

that appeared alive.
Harry followed Ron's gaze and saw Voldemort.
Harry turned his wand on the monster and Fleur followed suit, her face pale at the sight
of the Dark Lord.
Lucius reached down to the writhing Neville. He ignored the two girls and plucked the
Prophecy orb from him.
The blonde man stalked across the atrium toward his Lord while Harry watched,
unwilling to begin a fight with the most powerful Dark Lord Britain had ever known.
Even if he had defeated a shade of the man a few years earlier.
Harry watched as Voldemort took the offered Prophecy orb from Lucius and Neville's
screams echoed louder in the atrium.
Voldemort narrowed his eyes at Harry.
'Harry Potter, I once thought the Prophecy to be about you. But then I lost my body at
the Longbottom Estate so long ago.' The flat-faced man hissed.
Harry eyed the man's slit like nose with a deep sense of revulsion.
Voldemort's mouth split open with a disturbing smile, too-wide to belong on a human
face.
'Now I have the Prophecy in my hand, we shall all hear what it says.' Voldemort said.
Voldemort glanced at Neville, who stopped screaming and slumped boneless to the
floor. The snake faced man crushed the Prophecy orb in his hand and Professor
Trelawny's ghostly voice echoed through the atrium.
'The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches … Born to those who
have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies … And the Dark Lord will mark
him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not … And either must die
at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives...'
Voldemort grinned as the ghostly voice faded and turned to the motionless Neville and
laughed.
The Dark Lord fired a sickly green Killing Curse at Neville's prone form.
The curse exploded against a marble tile, ripped from the ground by a flick of Harry's
wand.
Splinters showered Neville and the others around him, leaving them with dozens of tiny
shards of stone buried in their flesh.
'You won't be killing anybody else, monster, this ends here.' Harry snarled.
Voldemort only smirked and fired another Killing Curse at Harry, who conjured a flock of
birds to take the curse.
Harry ran through the cloud of birds and fired a handful of curses at the Dark Lord. Fleur
ran right beside him, matching Harry spell for spell.
Voldemort deflected and shielded every spell from Harry and Fleur and fired back just
as many.
The air between the three grew hot as a steady stream of spells flashed in a narrow
triangle, each spell fatal.
A flash of fire burst into existence beside Harry and Dumbledore stepped out of it while
Fawkes flew up into the rafters to watch the oncoming duel.
Voldemort fired another Killing Curse at Neville, only for it to be blocked by another
chunk of the floor torn up by Fleur. Another wave of stone shards drew gasps of pain
from Hermione, Ron, and Ginny.
Dumbledore stepped toward Voldemort.
'Tom, please, stay this madness. There is no way for you to win here tonight. You know
the Prophecy now, stand down. You can be redeemed.' Dumbledore urged, and
Voldemort sneered.
Voldemort fired another Killing Curse at Dumbledore, which was blocked by an

animated statue of a golden House-Elf from the fountain of magical brethren.
Lucius stood to the side, watching as Dumbledore joined the fight against his Lord.
Harry noted Dumbledore was trying to restrain Voldemort, while he and Fleur worked to
kill the man.
Beside Neville, Ginny, and Ronald watched the fight while Hermione pulled thick
splinters out of her arms. None of them noticed as Neville forced himself to his feet.
'STUPEFY.' Neville shouted, his voice ringing out through the atrium.
The red beam of light rushed at Voldemort, who slapped it away with contempt.
With a smirk toward Dumbledore, Voldemort burst into a cloud of black smoke which
rushed toward Neville.
Neville screamed, his hands on either side of his head for a few seconds.
Then fell silent.
Neville looked up to Dumbledore, with eyes as red as Voldemort's.
A smirk played across his features and his crimson eyes glittered.
'You've already lost Dumbledore. The moment young Neville stepped foot into the
Ministry, he was doomed. Not even the back-up Chosen One and his half breed could
protect the Boy-Who-Lived.' Neville said, his voice sibilant and full of victory.
'Neville, break free of Tom's control, think of those who rely on you, your family and
friends.' The Headmaster urged.
Harry sighed and fired a Stunner at Neville, who sluggishly moved his wand to deflect
the weak spell. But Neville's hand hesitated before the spell hit him and he flopped to
the floor, like a puppet whose strings had been cut.
The black smoke reformed into the Dark Lord, he stood behind the stunned Neville.
Voldemort's yew wand pointed down at Neville and fired a Killing Curse at point blank
range.
The bolt of green light hit Neville before anything could intercept it and Voldemort looked
up to Dumbledore with a too-wide smirk.
Ginny and Hermione screamed.
'Is that it? The Chosen One defeated with no genuine effort? Pathetic.' Voldemort
laughed.
Harry and Fleur rushed forward, both unleashed a stream of curses as Dumbledore
hesitated, his eyes wide as he stared at Neville's still body.
Voldemort waved his wand and a pulse of energy burst out from it, it carried Hermione,
Ginny, and Ronald, as well as Neville's body away from Voldemort like rag dolls.
Neville's body flew past Harry, who had eyes only for Voldemort.
Harry deflected a series of dark spells before a golden statue of a centaur leapt in front
of him and took a Killing Curse, which tore the statue in half.
Dumbledore fired a handful of powerful spells that Harry didn't recognise at Voldemort,
who evidently did.
Voldemort blocked the spells with a golden shield that rang like a gong.
A searing pain erupted in Harry's shoulder as something hit it, the force sent him
sprawling to the floor. Harry rolled on impact with the ground and on impulse saw Lucius
Malfoy aiming a wand at him. Harry fired a Defodio Hex mid-way to his feet, and the
spell struck Malfoy's hip and created a deep gouge in his hip. Blood burst from the
wound and the blonde man dropped to the floor with a scream.
Fleur fired a Confrigo Hex at the fallen Malfoy Lord and it struck his chest, which
exploded in a shower of gore.
Harry finished his roll onto his feet and thanked the Basilisk hide armour. It was likely he
would have lost his arm, or worse, without it.
Harry returned to the fight, only having lost a few seconds because of his painful
distraction.
Voldemort stepped back a few steps, struggling under the combined attacks from his
three opponents.
A shout from the other end of the atrium revealed Interim Minister for Magic Timothy
Dunn.
Minister Dunn pointed at Voldemort.
'Capture Voldemort.' The Minister ordered.
The dozen red robed Aurors around the Minister, including Amelia and Nym, rushed
toward the fight with wands drawn.
Voldemort sneered at Dumbledore and pulled a portkey out of his robes.
'Pure-' the Dark Lord began before his hand fell away from his body, separated by a
Cutting Curse from Harry.
Voldemort's hand fell to the floor with a wet thump.
'-blood.' Voldemort finished, and the hand disappeared.
Fleur removed Voldemort's wand hand with another pinpoint Cutting Curse and Harry
bound the Dark Lord in chains.
Voldemort fell to the marble floor, struggling, and glared at Harry.
Harry smirked before he fired a Stunner into the Dark Lord's face.
With the Dark Lord unconscious at his feet, Harry looked up to the Minister as the dark-
skinned man came near.
'Minister, is there a way to dispose of this man? Everyone thought him dead when I was
a baby. I would like to make sure the job is done.' Harry asked.
Silence filled the atrium.
Harry turned his gaze toward Fleur, then down at the stunned Voldemort.
'I suggest the Veil of Death? Wasn't it used for executions like this in the past?' Harry
asked.
Minister Dunn blinked at Harry, then looked to Dumbledore, who let out a sigh.
Dumbledore stared down at Voldemort and nodded.
Minister Dunn gave a single clap.
'Aurors, lead the way to the Department of Mysteries, there may be more Death Eaters
around.' The Minister said and half a dozen Aurors rushed toward the elevator and took
it down.
Harry looked over at Neville and blinked in surprise as he saw Neville standing.
'Uh.' Harry said, and Fleur turned around and gaped at Neville.
Hermione, Ron, and Ginny all ran toward Neville and pulled him into a group hug.
'How do you suppose that happened? How did he survive another Killing Curse?' he
asked, and Fleur gave an exhausted shrug.
'I do not know, my love. But we should follow the Ministry people.' Fleur whispered and
Harry turned to see the Minister watching him with a faint look of awe.
Harry shook off the uncomfortable feeling and levitated the stunned and bound Dark
Lord.
Harry walked over to the wand hand of Voldemort and picked both it and the wand up. A
feeling of revulsion coursed through him as he held the cold hand. He placed them both
in a pocket inside his jacket.
He tried to ignore the whispers of the Aurors who had formed a ring around them as
they made their way to the lift.
Ten minutes later, Harry and Fleur stood beside Dumbledore in the Chamber of Death,
the same room where Fleur had duelled Bellatrix Lestrange.
A few metres away lay the broken body of Bellatrix, her robes torn and burnt. She bore
a hole in the middle of her forehead. Her wand lay discarded a few metres away from
her body.
Behind them, on the raised seating that surrounded the Veil, sat dozens of Aurors, the
Minister and most of the Order of the Phoenix who had dealt with the Death Eaters in
the Department of Mysteries while Harry had been fighting in the atrium.
The Minister turned to Dumbledore.
'Would you do the honours Headmaster Dumbledore?' Minister Dunn asked.
Dumbledore turned to Harry and Fleur.
'Would you finish this? I don't think I have it in me, I'm afraid.' Dumbledore said with
sorrow in his voice.
Harry and Fleur shared a glance and nodded.
Harry held Fleur's hand, and both levitated the stunned and bound Dark Lord toward the
inky blackness of the Veil.
Once Voldemort touched the inky blackness of the arch, it seemed to reach out to
envelop him.
Harry felt his Levitation Charm break, and Fleur blinked as hers failed as well.
But Voldemort woke and his chains faded, as though all spells on the snake faced man
were expiring on contact with the Veil.
'No, I will return.' Voldemort screamed as the inky blackness of the Veil consumed the
Dark Lord.
Harry looked down at his pocket and drew the Dark Lord's severed hand and wand from
it. He tossed them both into the Veil, which greedily devoured them.
Dumbledore gave a soft clap and looked down at Harry and Fleur, whose hands
tightened around each other's.
Harry turned to see the Minister behind him.
'I'm glad to meet you sir.' Harry said with a tired smile.
Minister Dunn smiled.

'What can I do for you two, the Heroes of the hour?' the man asked.
Harry smiled.
'Would it be at all possible for me to take my NEWTs soon? I have a lot of work to do,
and it can't begin until I finish at Hogwarts.' Harry said.
Dunn looked at Dumbledore, then back at Harry.
'Why haven't you taken your NEWTs yet, you look the right age to have graduated
already?' the Minister asked.
Harry rubbed the back of his head.
'I had a bit of a growth spurt, but I'm in my fifth year, well, kind of sixth, but completed
my OWLs early in the summer.' Harry said.
The Minister blinked.
The Minister looked Harry up and down.
'How does next week sound?' he said, and Harry nodded.
'That sounds brilliant Minister.' Harry smiled.
Dunn returned the smile.
'Its only a minor thing to help one of the Heroes who defeated Voldemort.' Dunn said
and turned to Fleur.
'What can I do for you, young lady?' Dunn said, his eyes a little glazed over.
Fleur smiled and after a moment of concentration, the Minister's eyes refocussed.
'I have everything I need, Minister. Perhaps a small favour in the future?' she asked.
The Minister smiled at her.
'Of course, young lady. Now I must be off. Paperwork waits for no man, it seems,
especially paperwork detailing this mess.' He waved a hand around the Chamber of
Death.
Harry and Fleur smiled.
'Thank you Minister.' They chorused, then smiled at each other.
Dumbledore gave them a weak smile.
'It will be a sad day when you leave the school Mister Potter, but you have had an
eventful time at Hogwarts, haven't you?' Dumbledore asked and Harry nodded.
'Every year was something new, Headmaster. Now, is it possible for me to return home
until sitting my NEWTs? I would like to come by on the weekend to talk to my friends,
but I think it best to spend some time with family at the moment.' Harry asked.
Dumbledore nodded. His twinkling gaze went from Harry to Fleur and back to Harry
again.
'Of course, my boy. I do hope you'll stop by my office for a chat on the weekend.'
Dumbledore said and without further word, turned and walked away toward Neville and
the others.
Harry and Fleur stood alone in front of the Veil.
James and Lily stepped down from the raised seating and pulled them into a tight hug.
'I'm so proud of both of you.' Said Lily and kissed both on the cheek.
'I can't believe you two beat the Dark Lord. What else can you do?' James asked as he
let them go.
Fleur smiled.
''Arry is taking his NEWTs next week, by allowance from the Minister.' She boasted, and
Lily beamed at him.
James sighed.
'You really don't know how to relax, do you?' he asked, and Harry shrugged.
'No, not really.' Harry admitted.
James laughed.
'But once you graduate, you can take on the Lordship. This is brilliant.' James grinned
and Harry rolled his eyes.
'Yes dad, I'll take it off your hands. Seeing how eager you are to get rid of it, I almost
don't want it.' Harry said.
Sirius stepped down from the raised seating and joined them, grinning.
'If Amy would let me, I would have you be my proxy for the Black seat too.' Sirius said.
Amelia slapped the back of his head.
'You will do no such thing. You will be a proper influence for Orion. The boy is already
taking after the three of you Marauders. I don't want him or Charlus to get any worse.'
Amelia growled.
Harry grinned at the sight and squeezed Fleur's hand.

It was a good start to their plans.
*Chapter 55*: Epilogue
Epilogue.
Harry woke in his bed, his arms wrapped around Fleur as three small girls jumped up
and down on the bed.
Each girl had silver hair. The eldest had green eyes while the middle-sized girl had dark
blue eyes, flecked with green, and the youngest had light blue eyes.
Harry laughed and released Fleur from his embrace to scoop the eldest girl in his arms,
who burst into a fit of giggles.
'No Daddy, let me go.' She called as she fought to escape his grasp.
'Not a chance Amaryllis, I'll never let you go.' Harry laughed before the two other little
girls glanced at each other.
'Iris, let's get Daddy and rescue Amaryllis.' Said the youngest.
The two little girls dove onto Harry, and buried him in a pile of limbs and silver hair.
Fleur laughed at the sight.
'Monique, you know its not fair to gang up on your father.' Fleur admonished as she
scooped the youngest into her arms and showered her small face in kisses.
Amaryllis was six, Iris five and Monique three.
Harry pulled himself out of the pile of Veela girls and climbed out of bed in his pyjamas.
'Out with you all, I need a shower.' He grinned as Amaryllis ran out of the room with a
delighted scream, followed by Iris.
Monique squirmed in her mother's grip until she managed to escape. Her shrill scream
echoed in Harry's ears as she ran to catch up to the other two girls.
Harry turned to Fleur, who beamed at him.
'I never tire of waking up to their faces.' Fleur whispered, and Harry moved over to pull
her into an embrace.
'Neither to do I.' Harry mused and kissed her.

A baby's cries broke their moment and Fleur smiled at him.
'I'll go handle Evangeline. You shower and get breakfast ready.' Fleur kissed him and
walked out of their bedroom, wrapping a dressing gown around her as she left the room.
Harry smiled and went to have a shower.
After he finished with his shower, he walked down the stairs of Potter Manor and down
into the dining room where his three girls sat with bowls of cereal. A House-Elf stood
nearby with a wide smile as it saw him.
'Master Harry, sir, what do you want for breakfast this morning?' the House-Elf asked,
and Harry sighed.
'Come on, Kipsy, we've had this discussion a thousand times. You don't need to make
breakfast for us, we can do it ourselves.' Harry said and the little Elf shook its head.
'No, Master Harry, sir, for the thousandth time. A good Elf feeds its Master's, sir. Now,
what will it be?' the stern-faced little Elf asked.
Harry laughed.
'Fine, you win. Can I just have some toast please, you know how I like it.' Harry asked
and a moment later, a plate of toast appeared at the seat he usually used, the head of
the table.
Harry sat with Amaryllis on one side and Iris and Monique on the other.
Amaryllis looked up from her cereal.
'Daddy, are we going to visit Grandma Lily and Grandpa James today?' she asked.
Two intent younger sisters watched her.
Harry finished chewing a bite of toast.
'Yes, and you're going to be seeing them most days from now on. Are you excited about
that?' he asked, and the three girls cheered.
Fleur entered the dining room with a one-year-old girl in her arms and a grin on her lips.
'What are they all excited about?' Fleur asked.
Harry grinned and took another bite of toast.
'They're just excited that they'll be seeing their grandparents more often than usual, is
all.' Harry said.
Fleur shifted Evangeline on her lap.

'I hope so, because I won't be able to take them to work with me.' She mused as she
took a mouthful of the porridge that appeared in front of her.
Breakfast finished soon afterward, and the three girls left the table at a run, all headed
upstairs to their rooms.
'I need to go soon. But you'll give my love to your parents, right?' she asked, and Harry
nodded.
'Of course. It's great that they're going to take turns with your parents to look after them
when we can't for the next few years.' Harry said, and she nodded.
Fleur stood and handed a sleeping Evangeline to Harry.
'I have to go. I love you.' She whispered and gave him a gentle kiss, then kissed
Evangeline's brow.
Fleur walked upstairs and Harry gently bounced Evangeline on his hip, and he beamed
down at her.
'We're going to go see your grandparents today, little one. They love it when they see
you and your sisters.' Harry whispered and kissed her brow.
A few minutes later, Fleur walked down the stairs and through the dining room. She
blew him a kiss and with a soft crack, disapparated.
Harry walked to the base of the stairs.
'Amaryllis, Iris, Monique, come on, Evangeline and I are waiting for you.' Harry called
and a chorus of voices filtered down to him, all unintelligible.
Harry shook his head and paced back and forth, bouncing Evangeline as he went. She
smiled up at him at reached out toward his face. Harry gave her a finger, which she
readily took hold of.
A minute later, three little Veela barrelled down the stairs and stood in a line in front of
Harry.
Then Amaryllis grinned and ran into the entrance hall and placed a hand on the
fireplace.
'Come on Daddy, we're waiting for you, slowpoke.' She called and Harry laughed.
'Oh, I'm sorry I made you late.' Harry said, and the three girls fell into giggles.
Harry walked to the floo and stood beside it, then looked down and met each of the girls'
faces.
'Now, do you all remember how to use the floo?' he asked, and three nods answered
him, and he sighed.
'Okay, Amaryllis, you're first.' Harry said.
Amaryllis jumped into the fireplace, took a handful of floo powder and threw it on the
ground.
'Potter's Retreat, Godric's Hollow.' Amaryllis called, and disappeared in a flash of green
flames.
Iris and Monique shook with excitement and grinned at Harry.
'Okay Iris, you next.' Harry said.
Iris followed suit and threw a handful of floo powder into the fireplace.
'Potter's Retreat, Godric's Hollow.' Iris said and disappeared in another flash of green
flame.
Monique let out a squee.
'Now you, honey.'
Monique shot him a grateful look with her light blue eyes.
'Potter's Retreat, Godric's Hollow.' She called and disappeared with another flash of
green flames.
Harry smiled and, with a soft crack, apparated.
Harry appeared in the front garden of his parent's house in Godric's Hollow, where
they'd moved after he took up the Potter Lordship nine years before.
He walked into the house and grinned as Amaryllis laughed in James' arms while Iris
and Monique tried to squeeze the life out of Lily, who did the same.
James beamed at Harry.
'It's the Lord Potter, and he brings a gift.' James said, holding out his arms toward
Evangeline who did the same to James.
Harry laughed and handed his youngest over to James.
'Thanks again for looking after them, I really appreciate it.' Harry said and Lily scoffed.
'Nonsense Harry, we love having the kids here.' Lily said as she kissed his cheek.
Lily ruffled Iris' silver hair.
'It's a pity that we have to share them with Apolline and Dominique. You know we would
take them more if you like?' Lily said and Harry laughed.
'You know what's funny? They say the same thing.' He grinned.
'Have you guys heard from Holly recently? Fleur and I have barely heard from her since
she and Gabrielle went on that world tour for research.' Harry asked.
James laughed.
'I still can't believe you two fell for that. What kind of research could those two do in
twenty three different countries?' James asked.
Lily huffed.
'I trust them, if Holly and Gabrielle say they're doing research in Hawaii, then I believe
that they are.' Lily scowled at James.
'Hawaii?' Harry frowned.
'Last time I got a mirror call from her was when they were in Japan.' Harry mused.
Lily shook her head.
'Anyway, how is Hermione going? Didn't she start at Hogwarts last year?' Lily asked,
and Harry nodded.
He scooped Amaryllis into his arms, making her squeal.
'Yeah, the muggle studies students didn't know what hit them that year from what I
heard.' Harry said and let Amaryllis down where she ran away into the next room.
James rocked back and forth with Evangeline as she played with his finger.
'What about the Greengrass girl, Daphne? Are her parents talking to her again now?'
James asked, and Harry sighed.
'Yeah, they've finally accepted that Daphne and Luna are together. They're actually
planning to adopt in the next few months.' Harry said and Lily nodded.
'I'm glad that they're happy together. At least having Amy as Minister is helping us to
make the Wizarding World a bit more progressive.' Lily said.
James frowned and looked away from Evangeline and into Harry's eyes.
'Please tell me that everything you guys have been doing has stopped that future from
happening.' James said, his voice low.
Harry sighed.
'As far as we can tell, it has. But we don't know for sure. I hope to know by tonight
though.' Harry said and James nodded.
A knock on the door drew Harry's attention and Lily moved past him.
'Oh, don't worry, you two. Albus knew you were dropping by this morning and wanted to
say something to you.' She said and opened the door to reveal Albus Dumbledore and
Neville Longbottom.
Harry smiled as Lily ushered the two inside.
'Did the two of you want some tea, or coffee?' she asked, and Neville smiled.
'Tea please, I don't understand how anyone could like coffee.' Neville said and Harry
huffed.
'Its great with a little honey.' Harry defended.
Dumbledore smiled, his eyes twinkling.
'Lord Potter, how great it is to see you. It's been quite some time.' The aged man said,
accepting the tea a House-Elf offered him before it popped away.
'Just Harry, Albus. How have you been? I figure since it's the two of you here that its not
a social thing?' Harry asked, and Neville chuckled.
'No, not a social thing at all.' He said and Dumbledore sighed.
The old man took a sip of his tea and smiled. His light blue eyes met Harry's.
'How are the Houses of Potter and Delacour going?' Dumbledore asked.
Harry groaned.
'Politics was never my dream, but it is necessary. The Houses are well, but unless we
change the inheritance laws, the Houses will always be joined as one.' Harry paused
and smiled at the cup of coffee that appeared in front of him.
'As it is, Dominique and Apolline are enjoying being grandparents and seeing the girls
every other week, either at Potter Manor or the Delacour estate.' Harry explained.
Neville smirked.
'Well, while you've been playing house, we've just finished of the last of the Horcruxes.
We hunted down the last one last night.' Neville said with a satisfied sigh.
Harry echoed him.
'That's brilliant news. Congratulations, both of you. What are your plans from here?' he
asked.
Dumbledore took another long drink of his tea.
'I will retire and enjoy my twilight years.' The ancient wizard said, and Harry quirked an
eyebrow.
'You already retired; it was front page news last year.' Harry said.
Dumbledore shrugged.
'I mean, actually retire. No more running around after deadly artefacts of my past
failures.' Dumbledore said and Harry nodded.
'Retirement will do you well, I believe. You might have time to catch up on all those
books you've collected over the years.' Harry said and Dumbledore laughed.
'I don't think I have that much time left in these bones.' Dumbledore laughed and looked
to Neville.
Neville shrugged.
'I suppose I'll need to take up the Lordship of House Longbottom. How to you deal with
all the complaining old people?' Neville asked.
Dumbledore laughed, along with James.
Lily looked horrified as she glanced at Dumbledore.
'Brother, it helps if you don't call them that to their face.' Harry said, drawing a grin from
Neville.
Dumbledore cleared his throat.
'Well, I must be off. I have much retirement to do, fare well Potters and Longbottom.'
The ex-Headmaster said with a slight bow and left the house, whistling a jaunty tune as
he went.
Neville shook his head at the old man and turned to Harry.
'Thanks, again. This whole thing is over now, and I can finally move on with my life. It
turns out the Prophecy was about me this entire time. It was with my hand that we finally
ended the last Horcrux. I don't know what to do with my life now.' Neville admitted.
Harry smiled.
'I think Ginny has been waiting a long time for you to say that. That said, I think she's
busy training with the Harpies for the next few weeks.' Harry said, and Neville sighed
and looked down at his feet.
'You're right. I've put her off for too long. How long have you known?' Neville asked and
Harry scoffed.
'What, that it wasn't one-sided? At my wedding. It's really not hard to see, don't put it off
any longer.' Harry said, and Neville nodded.
'Yeah, yeah you're right.' Neville muttered.
Neville looked up at James and Lily, then at Evangeline and Harry.
'Yeah, you're right. Okay, I'm off. See you at the next Wizengamot session.' Neville said
and left, deep in thought.
Harry sighed and met his parents' gaze.
'I'm off too. I need to see Amy and Susan before tonight.' Harry said and James nodded.
'Of course. Just let us know if we can help with anything.' James said and Harry looked
down at Evangeline in James' arms.
'You're both already doing a lot.' Harry said and Lily rolled her eyes.
'Rubbish. We adore these kids. I want to give you another sibling, but your father thinks
the gap is too big.
Harry laughed.
'What? We can live to what, two hundred? Why not have more kids?' Harry asked, and
James froze.
Lily beamed at Harry and they both turned to James, who stared at Harry with wide
eyes.
'Harry, you're not helping. Just go see Amy and tell her to have more kids.' James
muttered, swaying with Evangeline in his arms.
Harry laughed and turned to face the door.
'Amaryllis, Iris, Monique, I'm going now.' Harry called and a few seconds later, the three
Veela ran into the lounge.
Monique held a grumpy looking cat in her arms.
Amaryllis and Iris hugged Harry's legs and Harry scooped Monique into his arms,
allowing the cat to escape her clutches.
He kissed each of the girls and looked back at his parents.
'Thanks again guys, I'll see you later.' Harry smiled and, with a soft crack, apparated.
Harry appeared in the apparition area in the Ministry and after a few minutes greeting
well-wishers, he made his way up to the Minister for Magic's office.
Inside, he saw Amelia and Susan, who was the Head of the Department of Magical Law
Enforcement, Amelia's old job.
Susan pulled Harry into a tight embrace while Amelia smiled at them.
'I still think you two would have made a good couple.' Amelia said and Susan rolled her
eyes.
'Yeah, maybe, but you guys raised us like siblings, so it's your fault.' Susan said, and
Harry laughed.
Amelia shook her head and huffed.
'Fine, be like that. Anyway Harry, everything is going according to plan. You should be
free to take a more relaxed stance with the Wizengamot from now on, its all under
control.' Amelia said and Susan nodded.
'We're now just keeping an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. We've done a lot of
work these past nine years; you can relax.' Susan said, and Harry tried to smile.
'I hope so.' He muttered and Amelia put a hand on his shoulder.
'Harry, in the last nine years, we've changed the magical world for the better. We wiped
out the Death Eaters, stamped out their ideology and educated all levels of society in a
new way for our society to coexist with the non-magical world. Trust us, everything is
under control.' Amelia said and Harry nodded.
Harry sighed.
'Thanks, you two. I think I needed to hear that.' He muttered, then squared his
shoulders.
'Okay, I need to go, one last stop for the day.' Harry said and received hugs from both
women.
He left the Minister's office and made his way back down to the apparition area, where
he disapparated with a soft crack.
Harry appeared in Hogsmeade.

It was dark, and he smiled as he watched Hagrid stand on the platform waiting for the
children to arrive on the train.
Harry walked up the path to the castle, his thoughts on everything that he'd been
through since he first saw the massive spires in the distance.
Half an hour later, Harry entered the Great Hall of the castle and up to the head table
where he saw Fleur beaming at him.
He took a seat beside her and kissed her.
'I missed you today.' Harry whispered.
She kissed his cheek.
'Me too. How are the girls?' Fleur asked, and Harry couldn't help the smile on his face.
'They're having a great time at my parents' place.' He replied and lost himself in her
eyes for a minute.
The doors to the Great Hall opened again to reveal hundreds of students. Finally, the
first years entered the Hall, following along behind Hermione.
Harry squeezed Fleur's leg as he counted the first years. There were at least a hundred
of them.
Once the First Years were standing amid the House tables, Headmistress McGonagall
stood and tapped her goblet with a spoon.
'A few start of term announcements will need to be made. Firstly, we have two new
Professors this year who are splitting a new class between them. They will teach
Enchanting.' McGonagall said, and the Hall sat in silence.
'I speak, of course, of the Heroes of the Wizarding World, Harry and Fleur Potter.' The
old Scottish woman announced with a wink toward them, and Harry couldn't help but
chuckle.
'The Professors Potter will be here for their classes and a short time before and
afterward, as they have a young family at home who will start to join us here at
Hogwarts in a few years' time.' McGonagall paused as the cheering from the students
slowly faded.
'Professor Harry Potter will take OWL students for Enchanting, while Professor Fleur
Potter will take NEWT students.' The Headmistress announced and as the whispers
slowly faded, Fleur rubbed the heart shaped charm on her bracelet.
She looked down at the fresh faced first-year students.
Harry followed her gaze and halfway through the sorting ceremony, he froze.
'Brian Johnson.' Hermione called and a young boy left the group of unsorted First Years
and sat on the stool where Hermione placed the Sorting Hat on his head.
The boy was smaller than average with brown hair and frayed clothes beneath his
robes; and held a hint of fear in his eyes. But he also looked excited, which, for the
moment, overpowered the fear.
'Slytherin.' The Sorting Hat shouted.
The Great Hall burst into cheers from all houses and the young boy, beaming with pride,
leapt off the stool and made his way over to the House of Snakes with a wide smile.
Fleur leant over to whisper in Harry's ear.
'I think this is a good sign.' She said.
Harry squeezed her hand as he watched the eleven-year-old Brian glow with happiness
at his acceptance in the Wizarding World.
Harry smiled as the last vestiges of his worries for the future faded into the past.
The End.
(A/N: Whoa. There we have it, all done. Thus ends Harry Potter and the Smallest
Change. It was great fun to write and I hope you all enjoyed the story.)
(A/N2: Added what Holly was up to.)

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Harry Potter and the Smallest Change

Story: Harry Potter and the Smallest Change

Harry Potter and the Smallest Change.

'Who is the Secret Keeper?' he hissed, danger in every syllable.

'I am, m-my Lord.' Peter stuttered.

'Tell us the Secret, Wormtail.' Voldemort commanded, and Peter straightened.

'I will handle the Longbottoms.'

Harry Potter and the Smallest Change.

'Did I do something wrong Mumma?' he asked, worry in his eyes.

He slumped with a sigh and turned to Lily.

'I can't do it Mumma.' He admitted, eyes downcast.

'Who wants lunch?' Lily said as she patted her belly.

Holly's hand shot up, a wide smile on her face.

'Me, me.' She called, bouncing in place.

'Who wants chicken in their sandwich?' she called.

Remus grinned and gave a soft chuckle.

The man was searching for their scent.

He kissed Holly's forehead.

Harry broke the chain.

'Harry, I was so scared.' she sobbed and clung to him tighter.

Harry returned her embrace.

His magic did this.

'I did this.'

Harry handed it to Holly with a smile.

'Mum?' Harry asked, his head cocked to one side.

Harry shook his head.

'I promised I would protect her.' He continued.

Harry Potter and the Smallest Change.

Chapter 02. Christmas 1990.

Harry turned back to the mirror and his scowl deepened.

Harry huffed again and turned back to face Holly.

Harry let out a breath and smiled at Holly.

'Where are the ladies?' Harry asked with a frown.

Harry saw the grimace and cocked his head.

Harry turned back to his father, an incredulous expression on his face.

Harry rolled his eyes.

The three Marauders grinned at him.

Harry gave the man a deadpan stare.

James and Remus snickered, and Sirius huffed.

Sirius' jaw hung slack, as did James'.

Harry glared at his father.

Susan gasped, her hands covered her blushing face.

'No, it's not like that at all.' She cried.

James looked down at his watch and shrugged.

Harry turned to Holly and kissed her brow.

Orion started to cry.

Harry rolled his eyes.

'Shall we go?' Harry asked and Susan smiled up at him.

'Longbottom Manor.' She said and disappeared.

'Yes, we shall.' She nodded, taking his arm in her own.

'Why does he have to be here?' Harry groaned, and Hannah chuckled.

Harry smiled at Susan, who returned it, her cheeks reddening.

The girl shook her head before sighing again.

'What is wrong? Why do you look sad?' he asked.

Harry cocked his head to the side.

'What did you do?' the girl asked in a whisper.

'It must have been terrible.' She said.

She hesitated for a moment before giving him a small smile.

Then her name hit him. Delacour.

The Delacour's were among the most powerful in France.

Neville froze, his face growing an impressive shade of red.

'Padfoot, you're in trouble.' James slurred back.