A/N: Okay, to answer a few questions that have arisen:

Why the sudden jump from Hogwarts to the bedroom? Not much happened to Harry between those two times, and what did can be covered in references as opposed to actually putting it "on camera."

Isn't there a chapter missing between 1 and 2? No. At the end of Chapter 1 we saw Harry going to get something to eat and then to visit his friends. As I explained at the beginning of Chapter 2, he couldn't really talk to his friends, they were distant and elusive. Think Ron's avoidance of Lavender in HBP under similar circumstances. Sorry if my descriptions weren't that clear on that point. The gap between the end of Chapter 1 and the beginning of Chapter two was 4 days to a week. Thus his wanting to confront Hermione when she got out of the Hospital Wing.

What about the gap between the confrontation of McGonagall and Harry and Vernon's POV? Part of that was explained with the first question. As far as the professors? You'll find out within the next couple of chapters what's going on with them. Hermoine's side? This chapter. The Gabrielle/Hermione confrontation didn't take very long, and would not have done more than throw you all a bit more off than some of you already were. It's better, in my opinion anyway, that it come out this way.

As far as the other questions are concerned, I urge you to read on and you'll find the answers. I don't often answer questions like this, but these were some of the most blaring ones that really needed to be answered.

As per the last chapter, I don't own Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, any of the Delacours, or any creation of JK Rowling's, WB, or any of its affiliates. No copyright violation is intended, and I don't make any money off of this. This is solely a work of fan-based fiction and the opinions of the characters of this story do not necessarily reflect the opinions or beliefs of the author. Nor do I condone any illegal act portrayed in this story.

A young man with bright green eyes and messy black hair steps into DrgnMstr's office. "What about the legal ones? Or the semi-legal ones?" he asks with a smirk.

"Quiet you, and get back to Scotland Yard," the middle-aged man retorts. 'Damned uppity figments of imagination . . . '

DrgnMstr presents:

Harry Potter and the Veela Bond

Chapter 3: Revelations and Explanations

Last Chapter:

"Can someone please tell me what's going on?" Harry asked, trying not to sound whiny while doing so.

"When we get to the safe house Harry. There's a lot you do not know and need to, immediately. First is there anyone hurt up there?"

"Yes sir, my uncle and my cousin are dead," he said resignedly, ready to be hauled away.

Surprisingly enough not another word was said by anyone for the next about half hour. The coroner's office was called, and shortly the bodies of Vernon and Dudley were both carried away in body bags. Harry had moved to the sofa in the living room while they were doing so, along with the Delacour family. He leaned back against the beige sofa, and watched as people came into the house and went up the stairs with quiet resignation, wincing as the third step up creaked with each step up. As he watched yet another team of Muggle law enforcement head up the stairs, he wondered just how many years he'd spend in Azkaban over this. This had to be a pretty severe violation of the Statute of Secrecy, no matter what that one man said. Indeed, there was a detail of three people in dark gray wizard's cloaks that were working with the authorities, and they could be seen in short but intense arguments from time to time.

Finally the still-unconscious Petuniawas brought down by one of the cloaked people. Her body floated before him as the man walked down the stairs and headed into the living room, finally depositing her into a chair. What surprised Harry was the man then moved off to the side, but kept his wand pointed at her. He could feel both Fleur and Gabrielle on either side of him, hugging him in a simple but yet comforting manner. Jean Claude was in another chair facing the sofa, his elbows on the arms with his hands clenched and steepled in front of him as if in deep thought. Every once in a while, one of the Muggle law enforcement personnel would come up to him and engage the elder man in a brief but quiet conversation, then move away. Any other time the older man was simply staring ahead, not so much at Harry, but beyond him, deep in thought.

Harry himself still did not know what to make of this. He had expected to be arrested at once, then to be taken to the station for processing. Instead he was sitting in a sofa between the two closest people in his life while the Muggle police and intelligence agencies did whatever it was they were doing. He wasn't questioned yet as to what happened, which seemed to surprise him more. Add to that the cloaked men performing magic in front of the Muggles, and all of this began to make him wonder whether or not he was in some kind of alternate dimension. This had the feeling of being prearranged, but at the same time it had the feeling of a surprise, almost as if there were plans for this but his "guests" had not quite expected things to happen as they did. These feelings, of course, made him very uneasy, even before he got to his own feelings about killing two people.

He started to think back about what happened over the past few weeks. His godfather died, his first friends turned against him, and Dumbledore seemed to be out to to keep control of him at nearly all costs. The last part he couldn't really understand. What would it have hurt for him to have a relationship with Fleur and Gabrielle? It was almost as if the old man feared his connections to the Delacours, and most especially the two Veela. He hadn't thought that the headmaster shared the beliefs of Wizarding Britain, which stated that Veela were dark creatures, but apparently so, at least from his earlier statements. Dumbledore seemed almost panicked when the Muggles were knocking on the door, far more than what would have been justified by the secrecy laws. In Harry's mind, Dumbledore had to have seen whatever plan he had was in severe danger of failing, and began to get desperate. Desperate people don't act rationally most times, and those few that do usually react rather harshly. Not for the first time he wondered just what the various people around him were up to. He knew one thing, he'd have to take a much more pro-active stance in his life if he didn't want to be controlled like he had been before. He couldn't afford to be ignorant now.

But that begged the question about what to do with the two witches at either side of him. Normally he'd be rather red and uncomfortable with the way they were holding him, but the time he spent in telepathic communication with them made him capable of relaxing, even in front of their father. They both had their arms around him, one had her hand on his shoulder while the other one was grasping the opposite arm. Their attention seemed to be solely on him as they leaned their heads against his shoulders and arms. Not for the first time Harry wondered just how it was that he hadn't identified them. Their voices sounded just the same, whether thoughts or words, and he had talked to them both before. One could make the case that because of the rather limited time he spent actually talking to Gabrielle (a few minutes one day), it was only natural he had missed her voice. But that theory fell apart with Fleur added to the mix. He and the older witch had talked for hours during his fourth year, and kept in contact during his fifth. There should have been no way he could have mistaken her voice. Even he didn't understand that one, save for the possibility that he was too grief stricken to care to figure it out at first.

He had to wonder also what the silent communication between the three of them meant. It couldn't have been a spell, for something powerful enough to contact him through wards from France would have needed at least a coven of mages to cast, and would have ended in minutes. Something like floo or other types of communication would have been much better as far as power demands went. No, a permanent connection like this one was not a spell. Unfortunately he had no idea what else it could be, and that concerned him. He felt comfortable enough around them for them to hug him, something he never allowed for very long. It was perplexing to say the least, and slowly he was working to the point where he would need answers.

He finally worked himself up to the point where he could stand no more. He was about to start talking to the three French people when the noises of a commotion echoed from the front door. Harry and the Veela stood up at once, followed quickly by Jean Claude. As they watched several people in blue Auror cloaks made theirway in, pointing their wands at everyone present. It was obvious the Aurors were expecting some resistance, but it was equally obvious they were not expecting to find the people in the dark gray cloaks there. Nor were they expecting the three people in dark gray to be pointing their wands at them. The very air grew thick inside the room before one Auror fired a stunning spell at a Muggle as he was leaving Harry's room. Harry reached out toward the empty space between the Auror and the Muggle, and a silvery shield spring to life which reflected the stunner right back a the Auror.

The other Aurors turned to face Harry with spells glowing at their tips. But before anything could happen another masculine voice rang out, "Cease fire! No more spells will be fired without my orders." A tall black man with a bald head and an earing stepped toward Harry, only to be met by the wands from the two ladies. Immediately behind him was a tall man that reminded Harry too much of a lion for him to be truly comfortable. "Mr. Potter," Kingsly said to catch Harry's attention, "This is Rufus Scrimgeour, Minister for Magic."

Fleur and Gabrielle both lowered their wands, but did not store them away. This caused the Aurors to follow in suit, but it did nothing for the heaviness of the air. The officious looking man stepped forward and looked over Harry rather closely before speaking. "Mr. Potter, as you may not have been aware until just now, I have replaced Cornelius Fudge as Minister for Magic. At this time I wish to apologize for the problems the Ministry has caused you over the past year. While I'm sure you have justifiable reasons to distrust us, I would like, if I may, to discuss a proposal with you."

Harry was very leery of this, all things considering. Why did Scrimgeour need to come with so many Aurors, and why did they look like they were about to arrest somebody? In fact, one of the Aurors was in a rather heated discussion with one of the dark gray robed wizards, and neither was backing down. Even Jean Claude had taken a few steps forward now, bringing himself closer to the Minister for Magic. As Harry was debating what to say to the man, he was thankful for that gesture, and let the elder French man have the floor.

"Mr. Scrimgeour, I am Jean Claude Delacour, and these are my daughters, Fleur and Gabrielle," the foreign gentleman started, "As attorney in fact for Mr. Potter, I must be present for any discussions between yourself and my client. While ordinarily I would at this point offer you a seat so we can talk, you have unfortunately intruded upon a crime scene which is currently under investigation. Thus this is not the time and place for such discussions. Furthermore, I must ask why you brought all these Aurors with you when the matter is already firmly at hand?"

Harry had not taken his eyes of the Minister at all during Mr. Delacour's speech. He watched as the older man's emotions played over his face. First was an angry shock, followed by incredulity. Those only stayed on his face for a brief time before the man's expression changed into apparent thoughtfulness followed by a serious demeanor that Harry did not like. "While I can definitely understand the pressure Mr. Potter is currently under, I am here to offer a way out of his current problems. The Aurors are here to assist both myself and the current investigators. While I am sure Scotland Yard is capable of handling their own investigation, they are not equipped to handle investigations where magic is involved."

Fleur and Gabrielle seemed to stiffen on either side even as he felt himself do the same. He began to understand just what was going on here. If he listened to what the statesman had to say, and agreed to help, then the Ministry would take no further action. If he had any reservations, however, the Aurors were here to help 'convince' him. Harry very briefly wondered if that was what the old man was worried about. For a brief moment Harry considered stepping forward to buy some time with a further explanation from the old man, but a look from Mr. Delecour seemed to forestall any questions from him.

Instead Jean Claude stepped took another step closer to the other Auror flanking the Minister as one of the men in dark gray cloaks shouldered his way past the Aurors to hand him some paperwork. The paper looked like a cross between Muggle paper forms and parchment. The French man held up his hand for a moment to silently peruse the documents before holding them out for the gray robed man. A quick spell later and he asked, "Who among you Aurors is in charge?" One man raised his hand, which was all that Jean Claude needed to press the copies of the paperwork into his hands. "These gentleman are with the British Department of Mysteries. After my client's involvement with the events there, the Department had placed a monitor on all monitors for this area. Standard procedure from what I'm given to understand. When those sensors went off they joined with their MI-5 counterparts to investigate the situation. These are their findings." The Auror in question started to scan through the papers while Jean Claude turned toward the Minister. "Sir, those papers I handed your Auror states that no magic recognizable to your Ministry's sensors was performed. While there was magic performed, it was against a family of a wizard who are automatically exempt from the statute of secrecy laws. Furthermore, all evidence points to any and all magic used was either accidental or in self defense and the defense of others. Mr. Vernon Dursley and his son attacked my client and my daughters with intent to kill. Furthermore, there is evidence this family has been abusing my client with neglect and emotional abuse at the very least. Under British law he cannot be charged with any crime relating to their deaths." Jean Claude looked the Minister in the eyes, almost daring him to call him on his bluff.

Minister Scrimgeour looked briefly outraged by this, but then nodded and dismissed the Aurors. Once they were gone he looked at Harry for a moment and said, "Mr. Potter, even though the your treatment at the former Minister's hands was less than desirable, I wish to build a working relationship with you. Surely you can understand the need for stability in the public eye. I have been voted into office to provide that stability, and to that end I need your help."

Now Harry had a very good idea of what the Minister wanted. He had dealt enough with Fudge over the years to understand this kind of thing completely, but he was unsure if he could trust them. "I fail to understand why you would need the help of a 15 going on 16 year old boy, Minister Scrimgeour. I am aware of my fame of course, the last year drove that particular point home rather well. But fame can only get me so far, and it will not help with what you need to do. Will my fame help you get more Aurors? Can my fame help you find Voldemort's secret base?" he asked, enjoying himself as the Minister flinched at the name. "No, it can't. Perhaps it can help the common people believe in the Ministry again, but considering the reaction I still get from your average witch or wizard, I rather doubt it. Many of them still think of me as rather off the bend, no thanks to the lies printed about me all last year. And so far there has not been one single retraction printed in The Prophet for the libel printed. Plenty about Voldemort's return, but nothing about how I warned the Ministry, or how I've been persecuted by some of its members. Also nothing about charges brought against certain Ministry officials for blatant abuse of power. I'm afraid I'll have to take a step back and wait until I am able to offer my aid. If I were to say anything now, I'm afraid it would hurt more than help."

The Minister did not look happy with this, but the part about charges actually brought him to a halt, "Mr. Potter, I'm sorry but what Mr. Fudge did is not criminally punishable. Civil suits can be pressed if you wish . . . ."

Harry did not let him get any further, "Believe it or not I'm aware of that Minister. And while I find the lack of accountability within the Magical Ministry in regards to Fudge's actions rather appalling, it was not his actions I was referring to. Rather I was referring to Madam Umbridge for her use of Ministry controlled substances and devices, as well as her attempts to suppress the truth at Hogwarts. Not the least of which was trying to lay down bans that were not within her scope of powers and promoting children to professor status. Those actions are I was referring to."

"Mr. Potter, I don't think you fully understand the position," Minister Scrimgeour began but was once again cut off, this time by Mr. Delacour.

"Minister Scrimgeour, it does not matter what political position Madam Umbridge holds. If she has done those things she has broken the law, and no one is above the law. It would be a step in the right direction to charge her with those crimes. I am not aware of the specific crimes she is being accused of, but I would think an official inquiry would be in order, at the very least."

Harry watched the man stand up for him and couldn't help but feel grateful. Very few adults have done that for him, especially in recent times, and Harry was inclined to cooperate even more with the man from that. He stood silently for a moment while the two elder men talked and debated the point while he debated silently in his mind about exposing the scar. Both of the young ladies with him were silently urging him to come forward, and finally Harry decided that if Scrimgeour was going to try to take the old man's place, he'd have to show the man that he had quite a lot of ground to make up before his plans could even begin to work. "Minister, I don't think I'm inclined to help you right now. Not until certain things are done to prove the Ministry is willing to do something," he said. When the Minister was about to object he held up his hand to silence him as he took another step closer to the man. The elder man looked nervous, and Harry could tell he was reaching for a wand. "The wand won't be necessary, but I'm going to give you a list of things I want to see done before I even think of helping you, as well as some evidence. First, I want Sirius Black exonerated. There's at least 2 adults and 2 children who saw Peter Pettigrew alive in my third year. While one of those adults denies it because of his petty childish grudge, the very fact he's a Death Eater should be enough to warrant the use of Veritaserum. Not to mention there's several Death Eaters within the holding cells of the Ministry who could be placed under similar conditions. Second, I want Umbridge sacked and charged for her crimes. She used a highly restricted artifact to torture students, Minister. The use of blood quills outside of contract signing is a crime. So is sending Dementors into a Muggle area without proper authorization. So is the use of Veritaserum on a minor without the approval of the Head of the DMLE. And there are several witnesses to this, including the aforementioned Death Eater. Finally I want a full retraction of all libelous and slanderous comments from the Ministry against me in all the major news publications, including The Daily Prophet. It's time the Ministry's political arm extended to help me for once. If any of those demands are not meant, then the Ministry will not get any help from me." He sent a silent thank you to Fleur and Gabrielle at the end of this for their advice on Umbridge. He never would have thought to press half those charges without them.

"Minister Scrimgeour, I think you have Mr. Potter's answer. And before you try to bring up his legal status, I need to inform you that he currently holds joint citizenship in both England and France. As Mr. Black never received a trial for his alleged crimes in England, he was exonerated in France. Thus his Last Will and Testament cannot be frozen, and will be read by Gringotts. I have here documentation from Mr. Black assigning temporary to me. At the time of Mr. Black's death, he was a full citizen of France, and had filed as Mr. Potter's legal guardian for joint citizenship. The request was approved by both sides of the French government: Magical and Non-Magical. As Mr. Potter is not currently charged with any crimes, and as I am acting guardian for Mr. Potter, we will be leaving now to discuss important legal and familial matters. Unless there's anything else you'd like to say, I thank you for your time." As Jean-Claude was speaking he handed over several papers to the Minister. Whatever was written on them did not make the English Minister for Magic happy. In fact, he seemed to get less and less pleased with each paper. Harry watched on as the man shuffled through each page at least three times before apparently giving up in disgust and almost throwing them to Harry.

Harry caught the papers, glancing down at them as he struggled to keep them from falling down to the floor. The top page almost made Harry jump for joy as it was a Muggle court order removing him from the Dursleys and placing him with Mr. Delacour. The papers were dated for the day he left Hogwarts, though there was a proviso allowing for a delay of five days. 'They're a day early for that,' he thought to himself, but that was a question he'd ask the Delacours later. In the meantime he was happy they decided to appear a day early, even if it left whatever the ladies wanted to talk to him about undiscussed. He added this to a ever-growing list of things that he really wanted answers to while he plead silently with Mr. Delacour to get them to leave. He was happy when the man at waved the three to follow him, leaving a fuming Minister for Magic behind.

10 Downing Street

London, England

Early Evening

June 24, 1996

The trip from Surrey to London took a couple of hours, including shopping, eating, and delay time, during which only a few of Harry's questions were answered. Fleur and Gabrielle had yet to tell him what they wanted to talk to him about, a fact both them and their father were most apologetic about. Harry wasn't sure if that was good or bad, considering what little he could get from them indicated what they needed to talk to him about was rather personal in nature. He could understand them not wanting to discuss such matters in front of their father as he'd be embarrassed, but their father seemed to already know what was going on. Not only that, it even though Harry was a bit thick in some regards he could tell their father already approved of whatever it was. But they refused to even give him a brief overview, instead insisting that such matters were for private ears only. Harry could only blindly guess what that meant.

Instead Harry received a crash course in deportment and manners when dealing with government officials and nobility. Harry was unsure why this was necessary at first, but he soon found out they were heading toward the Prime Minister's office for some legal discussions. The results of those discussions, so he was told, could very well require a visit with the British Monarchy. This only confused Harry more, prompting him to ask why they were doing this and what was going on. He was only somewhat mollified by the answer that for clarity's sake it would be best if the people most qualified to discuss it tell him, which was where they were headed. As they were not actively trying to keep secrets from him, he agreed. Finally as they were entering London the quick lessons ended, allowing Harry a few minutes peace while he stared out ofthe limousine's window. He watched quietly as they passed streets, cars, and pedestrians on their way to meet the leader of Muggle England. If anyone had told him even a couple days ago that he'd be doing this, he would have probably havethought them nuts.

The two ladies had been quiet after their refusal to have their talk, almost as if they were in deep mental discussions of their own. Harry thought it likely was that, given the occasional glances each girl gave the other. He was still confused what that meant, but he was one of the first to admit he didn't quite understand mind magics. He finally decided he'd have to have someone explain it to him. In fact, he thought about asking Jean Claude, as that seemed far enough away from any of the previous discussions as not to matter.

Harry was about to ask Jean Claude about it when Gabrielle cleared her throat. "Harry, we need to tell you something," she said quietly. Harry turned to look at her for a moment with a puzzled look on his face. He had to marvel at the change in her appearance though, as just over a year ago he thought she looked like an 8 year old. Now she looked closer to the age of a young teenager, probably about 13 or 14. At first he thought it was probably an aging potion, but the youngest Delacour seemed far too comfortable in her body for that to be true. She had lost some of the childhood pudginess and gained small but well formed breasts. In fact, it looked like she had toned up a bit. While her face was little girl cute before, it had grown a bit more angular but none-the-less prettier. Her golden blond hair had straightened out a bit, falling to her shoulder blades and fitting her profile very nicely. All in all, she was developing fast into a very attractive young teenager. Upon receiving a raised eyebrow and brief nod for her to continue, she ducked her head down to pull out an envelope. "I went and visited Hermione like I said I would. We sat down with her parents and had a discussion, one that to me looked like it was a continuation of something her parents had been discussing with her before she answered the door. At first she wasn't willing to discuss much with me, but after I explained how I knew what I knew, and she looked up something, she opened up to me. Harry, she's in trouble, and it's not something you can charge in to fix. She, with her parents help, wrote you a letter." With this she held out the envelope to him. It was not addressed on the outside, but there were a couple of spots on it that looked suspiciously like tear stains.

Harry was not sure he should take the letter, given the fight near the end of the year. But even he had to admit there was more on her end than met the eye during that fight. Hermione did not look right, and did not look like she was wanting to be the way she was. Finally he took the letter and opened it, concern for her and a wish to keep their five year friendship winning out over the sense of betrayal he felt.

Dear Harry,

You don't have any idea how much I am sorry for what happened with Ginny before we left Hogwarts. I wanted so much to come to you later and tell you the truth in person, but Ginny and later Ron kept a very close eye on me. They would not have been happy to see any overtures on my part toward you. It tore me up to not sit with you on the train ride home, but what tore me up even more was the look you gave me when Ron and Ginny tried to get Neville and Luna away from you. I know I let you down, and you would be well within your rights to never speak to me again. But please, I beg of you to listen to me now. I did not want to side with them, nor do I believe one word that has come out of their mouths. But unfortunately I'm in a situation I can't get out of easily.

Harry, I'm pregnant. No, before you say or think anything else, Ron and I have not had sex in any way. Believe me, I would know if we had for I asked Madam Pomfrey to check me for memory charms, and their weren't any on me. This was a magical accident that even Madam Pomfrey had never heard of. None of us were sure what had happened until someone from the Ministry explained it to us. You see, that brain that Ron summoned had started to integrate itself into his body, and several DOM personnel worked to remove it. During this time I was being moved by him as healers were taking me to St. Mongo's. Just as we were closest to each other the people treating Ron began seeing success in removing the brain, but it fought back by attaching to both of us. They managed to get rid of it, but not before the damage was done.

The result of the brain's attempt probably saved my life, not to mention my ability to reproduce, but at the same time impregnated me. Biologically, the child is both Ron's and the brain' researchers of the DOM refuse to tell me what the brain was, but instead would only tell me what had to happen. The fact the child was conceived in this manner negates Ron's claim over the child, but at the same time makes me magically and physically dependent on Ron for not only the child's survival, but my own as well. I don't have to sleep with Ron or anything like that (though if this had happened even two years ago it would have required just that, or so I'm told), but I have to have a regular infusion of a potion with his essence (in the same manner as Polyjuice is made) in order to keep myself and the baby alive. This has to continue until my third trimester, or we both die.

I'm so scared Harry, and I wish you could be here with me. I need my best friend now more than ever, but I can't have him here. And it's not because of anything you did or did not do. It's because of the prat Ron and his over-bearing mother, Molly. You see, I have refused to marry Ron, and have refused to sleep with him. Fortunately my parents agree with my choice, as does Professor McGonagall. Without their help, I would have been forced to concede to the Weasleys' wishes. Instead, my parents, with copious help from the professor, managed to get a solicitor involved. Between him and the Weasleys they managed to work out an arrangement for Ron to provide me with the hairs and saliva for me to live. But to gain this I had concede something to them, something that I was quite willing to die in order not to give. I had to turn my back on you. That was their demand. Ron blames you for his injuries, and has declared you too dangerous to be around. He's trying to rally Gryffindor House against you, but fortunately for you he's rubbed too many people the wrong way to be totally successful. Ginny of course is trying to use this to make you desperate enough to take her, hopefully by force enough where she can trap you into marriage. I really am beginning to detest these old laws.

Before you go blaming Professor McGonagall for the fight, Harry, you should know it wasn't until the day we were leaving Hogwarts that she found out what Ron's demands were. She was furious at him, and he won't be too happy next year. But as she walked away I could tell her heart was breaking. Whatever you told her after your fight with Ginny has hit her hard. In fact, the day after I got home she came to my house and started working with me to counter whatever plans the Weasleys have for me, and she looked fiercely determined to fight for me. She even fought to keep me in the Wizarding World, as my parents have been planning to pull me out of it ever since they heard of my pregnancy. It's almost as if she's trying to make up for something. What did you say to her anyway?

But I guess that's not what's important now. Gabrielle is in front of me (she has really grown!) and is waiting for me to right this letter to you. She's heard everything, and between the two of us we have come up with a plan. Ron has me cornered, but not defeated. We have blocked any demands that I spend the summer at the Burrow (where I have no doubts Molly would have been waiting with a love potion or two), instead insisting that a weekly supply be sent to me in unbreakable containers via personal messenger (Professor McGonagall is insistent she be the courier so they can't do anything to their supplies and can uphold the agreement). This will continue all summer, and then any further donations will be collected by Madam Pomfrey. This gives me freedom until I return to Hogwarts in September. In exchange for this I am to have nothing to do with you socially or in any other way that isn't a school project. If I can't actively support them, I must keep my mouth shut. To tell you the truth, the only reason that I and Professor McGonagall are agreeing to that is that we'd both know how devastated you'd be if I died. I can't say anything against these terms, but believe me when I say the professor is saying enough for both of us.

Harry, please believe me when I say that as soon as I can survive without Ron I will dump this charade and start loudly refuting everything they say. I am working closely with people to avoid falling into any further traps to keep me from doing that, but it's hard. Molly is really sneaky when it comes to things like this. I must caution you not to handle anything she touches or makes. She's desperate to get the One Big HappyWeasley Family at any cost. She'll try to poison you against me, and it starts with my "betrayal" of you. To that effect I must act in public like I'm on their side. Please, please believe me when I say I'm not. I can't bear to lose my other best friend, and the closest thing to a brother I'll ever have. I don't even have Neville and Luna to fall back on because of this, so if I lose you I have nothing. Please Harry, watch after yourself and don't believe anything I say aloud. I promise I'll try my best to make it up to you when this fiasco is all over.

Love,

Hermione

By the time Harry finished the letter he was shaking with rage even as tears rolled down his face. It all seemed so implausible, but what if it were true? He looked up into Gabrielle's face to see her crying as well. Fleur had moved to Gabrielle's other side to hug her while her father looked concerned at all of them. "I . . . Is this true?" he asked, his voice cracking on both the rage and hopeless sadness in his voice. Gabrielle could only nod before breaking down and launching herself into Harry's arms. They both cried as Harry felt his heart trying to reach for Hermione. It felt as if the world was dropping out from under him, and he wasn't sure where to go or what to do. The Weasleys were so close to him, they were the family he wished he could have. But this betrayal stabbed him in the heart like a stiletto, wounding him to his core. He resolved to get a message to Hermione, whatever way it took, to offer his support and understanding. He had to do something for her, he couldn't leave things like this.

At the same time another part of him was raging inside. He couldn't believe the Weasleys would do something so underhanded. He couldn't believe they would go to such lengths to make him do what they wanted. He wanted nothing more than to go the Burrow and start hexing people, but the support of the two ladies in the car with him kept him there. It was a close contest however. Fleur slowly moved closer to the both of them and hugged them both tightly. He was shaking in both grief and rage, different parts warring within him for control. He was so drawn up in his feelings he didn't even feel it when the limo made its last few turns and parked. The chauffeur rolled down the partition, but was silenced by Monsieur Delacour. The partition rolled back up to give them some privacy.

Harry continued to cry for a few minutes more, holding the two ladies for dear life. Finally Jean Claude spoke up, "Harry, I know how you feel. Gabrielle explained a bit of it to me in a letter she sent out early this morning before they went to your place. Anything you want to do in regards to the Weasleys, I will support. You and I can come up with something later. Please believe me when I say I will help you fight no matter what. But unfortunately we don't have time to plan, for I need you to get ready to meet Prime Minister Major. You and he have some important matters to discuss. I know the last thing on your mind is politics right now, but we need to ensure that you are firmly out of Dumbledore's reach, and you need to know what all tools you have at your disposal. Then we can plan what to do next for all your problems, okay?"

Harry gave each lady a tight squeeze as he fought for control of his emotions. He was not unintelligent, he merely lacked the knowledge of many facets of the world. He knew Mr. Delacour was right, he did need to learn everything, quickly. Ron and the Weasleys could and would have to wait. With that thought he tried to draw in his anger and grief, holding it in reserve until later. He felt more than heard Fleur and Gabrielle do the same, until all three of them finally separated. He then smiled at the both of them and murmured something about cleaning up before doing the same himself. A few moments later he was as ready as he could be. It was then they had stopped long enough to get a suit for him to wear, and luckily for him clothing resizing charms were able to be applied so they didn't fit him too badly. The suit was black, with a white shirt and a forest green tie, which the girls told him brought out his eyes. After running his hand through his hair a couple of times, he nodded to the elder man to show he was ready.

Ten minutes later found the group of them brought into the study of 10 Downing Street. To his left was a large table with chairs all around, beyond that was a book case with a bust on top. On the right were several more comfortable chairs around a coffee table. Book cases lined the room, full of law books and other, older books on many subjects. They were directed to sit at the table to wait for the Prime Minister. Harry himself had never been in a room quite like this before, and spent most of his time looking at the artwork while he collected his thoughts. Fleur and Gabrielle each took a hand to give it a gentle, reassuring squeeze as he looked at the windows. He gave them each a small smile in return.

A few moments more and the door opened to admit a tall dignified man with gray hair, a slightly shorter and bulkier man with dark brown hair and a full dark brown beard, along with another thin earnest looking gentleman with no hair and lightly colored eyebrows. Mr. Delacour stood up, motioning the three younger people with him. The tallest man reached across to shake each of their hands while greeting them, "Monsieur Delacour, it is nice to see you again. I am thankful to you and your people for their efforts to help us in this situation." He smiled at the others and said, "For the younger people who do not know me, I am John Major, Prime Minister of Her Majesty's United Kingdom. These gentlemen are members of my cabinet. This is the Right Honorable James McKay of Clashfern, Lord Chancellor. Beside him his the Right Honorable Viscount Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, Leader of the House of Lords, and beside him is the Right Honorable William Hague, Secretary of State for Wales. Gentleman, may I present Monsieur Jean Claude Delacour, of France."

Jean Claude smiled and shook each of their hands and introduced his side. "The young man next to me is Harry James Potter, the reason we are all here today. Along side of him are his ladies, and my daughters, Fleur and Gabrielle Delacour," he responds, introducing his side. As the three other gentlemen started in surprise, he looked over to the Prime Minister with a raised eyebrow asking something quietly. Harry had a pretty good idea he was asking about his compatriot's knowledge of the Magical World, but he was determined to keep his mouth shut.

"My Lords," John began, getting their attention, "Due to circumstances that are, unfortunately, highly classified, I cannot tell you why Monsieur Delacour has introduced his daughters in the manner he has. It must suffice to say that there are extenuating circumstances that do not make such arrangements illegal or even immoral. I can say, however, if you wish to know more you will have an opportunity to find out later. I must caution that if you do take us up on that offer, it will greatly change your life forever and will be covered by the Official Secrets Act. In the meantime, I must ask we get on with the business at hand."

With the agreement of everyone on hand, what started was two hours of surprises for Harry. In that time he found out that his mother was heiress to a minor nobility in the non-magical world, holding what amounted to a Baroncy of East Sussex, however, paled in comparison to his father's side of the family. It appeared that the Potter name was known in both world as remarkably a remarkably powerful and generous House. It turned out his father was a cousin to David Armstrong-Jones, Viscount Linley. While it was not clear what exactly happened, his mother married into the Potter line privately and "disappeared" into anonymity in the public life. This made Harry part of the Royal family, putting him somewhere in the top 30 of the line of succession. This nearly gave Harry a heart attack. While it was highly unlikely he'd ever see the throne, it was rather startling to him to find he was related to Royalty.

Finally at the end of those two hours Mr. Major passed him some laminated cards. When Harry took a closer look at them he noticed they were ID's for the palace. "After a while you won't need those, but you and your entourage are expected in Buckingham Palace in one hour. Her Royal Majesty would like to meet you. You are her relative after all. But before you leave, there is one matter we need to clear up, my Lord."

Harry looked at the people at the other end of the table, and from the Chancellor's grim expression he knew exactly what it was. Finally Harry took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Let the courts do with Petunia as they will," he said quietly. He wanted to take the high road, but given what her likely response was going to be he knew even if he did,nothing would ever change. The Lord Chancellor nodded once, grimly, then looked down at his paper to make a couple of notations. Once the man was done Harry could do nothing else other than leave the room, feeling like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. The others followed but just before they got to a more public area an owl flew through a nearby open window. It circled him once, dropped a letter and then flew off. Harry bended down to pick it up, noting the handwriting on the envelope. He paused, looking at the letter carefully.

"Who is the letter from Harry?" Fleur asked, peering over his shoulder.

"McGonagall," Harry answered in a resigned tone.

"Do you want to read it now, or should we go?" Jean Claude asked, concern tracing across his face.

"We should go, I'll read this after we meet the Queen," Harry replied as he pocketed the letter and followed his family out the door.

A/N: Extra thanks to my beta for his help by clarifying British royalty for me. Thank you Brigrove!