01A/N:
You've done a lot of capitalizing which isn't necessary. Heir, Head, Magical World. I haven't changed these. Otherwise look for the +
A high-pitched scream is heard throughout the room.
Rowling: Say it!
Muse 1: Never!
Rowling: Say it or be banned!
Muse 1: Okay! My lord does not own Harry Potter, Fleur, Gabrielle or any other Delacour, or any other character and/or place belonging to JK Rowling, WB, or their affiliates!
Rowling: What else?
Muse 1: He also doesn't speak for the British Government, the Monarchy, or anyone else connected to the House of Windsor!
Rowling: What else?
Muse 1: He does not condone any illegal acts portrayed in this story!
Rowling slashes her whip across the muse's chest.
Rowling: What else?!
Muse 1: No, I'd rather die.
Rowling: That can be . . . gkkk!
DrgnMstr steps out from behind Rowling, his hand raised up in the air as if choking the author.
DrgnMstr: (In a deep voice) I find your lack of taste in pairings disturbing.
Rowling falls to the floor clutching her neck.
Rowling: GKK!
Rowling slumps to floor, not moving. DrgnMstr puts his hand down.DrgnMstr nudges Rowling to find her not moving, but still breathing albeit barely.
DrgnMstr: Apology accepted, author Rowling. Be fortunate I don't own Lucas Films or any Star Wars related items, powers, characters, or world.
DrgnMstr Presents:
Harry Potter and the Veela Bond
Chapter 4: Discussions and Letters
Last chapter:
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.
Now:
The trip to Buckingham Palace was very short, leaving no time for Harry to ponder all the revelations that had hit him so far today. He knew that the girls were going to arrive today, but he didn't expect them to come over in the early morning and crawl into bed with him. Then Uncle Vernon woke him up yelling, and things started to move rather quickly from there. Now Uncle Vernon and Dudley were both dead, Aunt Petunia was going to jail, Dumbledore was revealed to be against the Delacours knowing him, Hermione's pregnant without ever having sex, and now he's royalty in the Muggle World as a part of the House of Windsor. It was now only one in the afternoon, and already his life has been completely turned upside down. At least he had the satisfaction of not being the only one that was taken by surprise.
It had become evident rather quickly that M. Delacour was also taken by surprise by today's events. He apparently had a timetable that had been turned upside down by one man: his uncle. Harry wasn't really dumb, he just lacked the chances a lot of people had to learn some of the things that were very important in life, thanks to abusive and neglectful parenting. But even he could tell that the meetings they had today were very impromptu affairs. Just the shuffling of huge stacks of papers could tell that. All in all, this made Harry nervous, or even more nervous than he would have been already.
Harry was expected to know proper etiquette in front of the Queen of England. He, who had never been taught anything other than how to survive, was expected to act like the upper class Englishman he apparently was. His upbringing did not prepare him for this. And to make matters worse, today's events had pushed everything forward so fast that he didn't have time to ask questions or get instruction from Fleur or Gabrielle. By the look on their father's face, the older statesman was apparently trying to figure out just what to tell him. It was obvious he had originally planned on having his daughters give him a crash course. Now, it was too late.
"Harry," Jean-Claude began, "I need to try to explain to you how to act in front of the Queen. One very important thing you need to realize is that she is the symbolic head of a vast empire in the muggle world, and the titular head of the British Magical World. You are part of the later world, as are we all, so you need to show respect. But, the way you will have to act around her and the way the girls and I will have to act around her are different. You see we, meaning my blood family and I, are visiting dignitaries of a foreign government. We are French citizens. And while you may also have a French citizenship, it is a joint citizenship with your British one. I'll explain how this came to be in greater detail later, but it suffices to say that in a very real way you are meeting your sovereign. Remember, you are part of her house and she is the Head of the House of Windsor. She has a great amount of power in the Magical World, even if it hasn't been used in several lifetimes. So show the utmost respect for her, and the most formal speech you can muster unless and until you're told otherwise."
Harry nodded to this while he was ushered into a large drawing room. Harry was unsure what this room was called, but he was sure it was an important room. It had green walls and hangings with creme and gold colored accents and a huge crystal chandelier handing from the center of the ceiling. There were royal guards posted at the doorways for some reason, Harry couldn't quite figure it out yet. The ladies had dragged him over to one of the sofas so they could spend time straightening themselves up. But almost as soon as they sat down, another couple of men dressed in formal mantels, approached and asked for him to follow them. For the first time, M. Delacour looked slightly nervous with this request, but nodded once to Harry to encourage him to go with them. This made Harry a lot more nervous, but he followed them anyway.
The two men took him into another side room with a single large window with its curtains drawn shut. He was then asked to disrobe, which surprised Harry even more. "Er . . . not to cause problems, but may I ask why?"
"Your Grace, Her Majesty has asked that you be garbed in vestments equal to your station, and equal to the honors that are to be bestowed upon you this day. Your Ladies are being garbed appropriate to their stations as well. I understand this may be confusing for you, but Her Majesty has declared this a royal whim. She has said you'll understand more after the ceremony." Harry wasn't sure what all of that meant as his head was pretty much spinning. And he was not used to the formal titles, though something told him he should attempt to become so, very quickly. Finally he complied to the men's prompting with a quick change of wash and change of clothing. Now he was wearing a dark suit with a white shirt and black shoes that they were originally put aside for the most important events. Once he was garbed an archbishop priest came in and gave him a brief but intense speech about the traditional right of rule and his responsibilities to the people. Harry paid as much attention as he was able, but a large portion of him was wondering just what was going on so it was not as much as he probably could have. Finally the archbishop waved him back out to join Jean Claude and his ladies. Already with them was the Prime Minister and the other elder statesmen who were at the prior meeting, all garbed in their own vestments. Harry's inside voice just resigned himself to whatever was coming.
Harry's face must have paled during all these preparations for Jean Claude bent over to whisper quietly, "Everything will be fine Harry. There's a small amount of formality that must be observed before we visit with Her Majesty privately. I'm sure you'll do fine as long as you remember what I told you."
Harry nodded at this as a tall thin man with thinning silver hair approached to inform them the Queen was ready to receive them. Harry and the ladies stood up and took a spot behind the elder statesmen with Jean-Claude falling behind them. They were lead to a set of double doors which opened up to another large room. This next room seemed to dwarf the previous by its elegance. It was designed in reds and maroons with a creme and gold accents. An impossibly large chandelier was suspended from the room's high ceiling, with two pair of smaller golden chandeliers leading back to the far wall. At the end of the chamber and perfectly centered between the furthest pair of chandeliers a dark red platform rose from the floor holding two chairs with a dark maroon backdrop. People were lined up on both sides of the room with one woman that Harry immediately recognized as the Queen of England standing upon the dais. All in all, Harry had to admit it was a rather imposing sight.
Still, Harry figured out it would be best to wait until he was called into the room, so he stood as tall as he could while the four elder statesmen were announced by the tall man leading them first. The three strode forward with the Prime Minister leading until they were just short of the step up to the platform. There they knelt in front of the Queen and greeted her. A short conversation later and the three stood up to stand on either side of the dais Harry barely managed to avoid jumping in surprise as his name and the names of his ladies and their father was called. Harry only hesitated for a moment, just long enough to take a deep breath, before walking forward to present himself to the Queen.
The walk toward the throne seemed to be agonizingly long for Harry, though he knew it was comparatively short. Finally he stopped much like the elder statesmen did and knelt before the platform. "Good afternoon, Your Majesty," he said with only a slight crack in his voice. He had to will himself from blushing furiously as his voice gave indication to the butterflies in his stomach, though he did manage to look up at his sovereign. She gave Harry a slight nod, and before any of the statesmen could say anything he heard Fleur's voice say, 'She wants you to move up to the edge of the dais, Harry.' Harry couldn't do any more than gulp as he stood up briefly to take the last couple of steps to the edge of the platform. Another quick mental prompting indicated he should kneel again, so he quickly did.
The Queen in the meantime nodded and held out her right hand. The Prime Minister, acting today for one of her attendants, quickly relieved them of the Sword of State and handed to Her Majesty, pummel first. Harry then watched as she tapped his shoulder and asked, "Do you, Harry James Potter, swear to uphold the laws of Our kingdom, as decreed by the rightful government of the land, to not traffic with traitors, and to show honour and chivalry at all times?"
Harry was even more confused now, as he had no idea what was happening. He kept where he was for a few seconds until Fleur mentally prompted him with the correct response. Nodding once, he looked up and said, "On my honour and on my sword I so pledge."
The Queen then taped his other shoulder, letting it rest there as she spoke again. "Do you, Harry James Potter, swear to bear true faith and allegiance to your sovereign, the Crown of the Commonwealth, which includes the United Kingdom, and to govern the fiefdoms bestowed upon you by the same with respect and justice to those you serve?"
Harry now had a small indication of what was happening, but wasn't quite sure what to reply. For some reason though, Fleur was once again prepared with a response, "Upon my honour, my status, and my life, I so swear."
He was then handed a sheet of paper from the Prime Minister before the Queen intoned, sword still resting on his shoulder, "Then give us your oath."
Harry took a minute to read over the paper before looking up to the Queen and saying, "I, Harry James Potter, do swear on my status, my life, and my honour to uphold the laws of the Sovreign of the Commonwealth, to not traffic with traitors, to advise no evil, and to dispense justice in the name of the Crown. I swear this freely without any mental reservations or ill purpose."
Once more the Queen tapped his shoulder and then declared, "I, Elizabeth the Second, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, do hereby dub you, Sir Harry James Potter, and recognize you as a Knight Companion to the Most Noble Order of the Garter in recognition of your past and continuing fight against the forces of the Dark Lord Voldemort, known as Tom Morvolo Riddle." After she gave the sword back to the Prime Minister and stepped back as three attendants came forward, two on her left and one on the right, each person was holding a large pillow, each bearing a piece of clothing of one kind or another.
The person on her right was the first to hold out his pillow, from which she took a rather heavy looking mantle. It reminded Harry of his school robes, save it was split down the sides to the bottom hem so that it could fit over ordinary clothing. It appeared to me made of a dark blue velvet with a white taffeta lining. Sewn into the left side of the mantle was the heraldic shield of St. George's Cross ringed by a golden embroidered garter containing the words, "Honi soit qui mal y pense." On the right side of the mantle was a dark red hood and surcoat, partially hiding the dark blue and white cord that fastened the outfit together. This was draped over Harry while two more attendants came up to spread it out around him.
"Stand and extend your left leg," the Queen then commanded as she stepped back. Harry rose and quickly did as ordered while clearing the mantle away from it as much as possible. It was then he noticed one of the pillows actually held two items instead of one. The first item she took from the pillow as a dark blue velvet strap, a garter, bearing the same motto that was found on his robes. The Queen quickly buckled this in place and then told him to bow forward. The other item on the pillow, the collar of the knighthood, was then placed around his neck. It was pretty heavy for an object in size, something Harry was convinced that was done on purpose to remind the people wearing it of their responsibilities. Made of pure gold links and enameled roses, Harry was convinced it was at least a kilo in weight, with the vast majority of that being gold. And that was not including the pendent of a dragon slayer hanging from it.
Finally the last attendant came forward with another pillow. On this rested a black velvet tudor bonnet with two rather large feathers stuck in it. This was lifted off the pillow and sat upon Harry's head before the attendant was dismissed. With a nod from the Queen, the Prime Minister indicated to Harry he should step to the side and face both the Queen and the audience. Once he was in position the Queen called forth his ladies, who each came forward and gave a small curtsey. Harry was amazed they knew all of this, for he was completely lost.
Once they rose the Queen spoke out to the collected audience again. "Our newest knight faces several challenges in his future, including the final justice of Tom Morvolo Riddle. Such tasks are meant for an army of knights, not a single, brave individual. I may have charged him to continue this fight, but I do not mean for him to be alone, in battle or in life. It is thus I recognize Fleur Delacour and Gabrielle Delacour as his partners and present them with these symbols of Our esteem." Once she made that announcement two large jewellery boxes were handed to them by the Queen herself. Each woman curtsied and openned their boxes, only to stare open-mouthed at their contents. After moving to a point beside Harry he got a quick look at them and vowed to find out what the honour was that she bestowed upon them.
Finally the Queen was done, and she turned to the three young people before her and called out, "I now proclaim you The Most High, Noble and Potent Prince His Grace Harry James, Duke of Gryffindor, Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire, along with Her Grace the Duchess of Gryffindor and the Lady East Sussex. Remember your oaths, Gryffindor, and you will always do Us proud."
Someone could have knocked Harry over with a feather, he was so shocked. But slowly he bowed forward as his ladies curtseyed along with him. The tall man called out the announcement and appointments, then proclaimed the court meeting was closed. Harry then found himself ushered by the four elder statesmen through the green drawing room and into another receiving chamber where he and his "family" were asked to sit by the Queen. Then began a long explanation on how the Gryffindor family name, already considered royalty by their own rights, had once joined the house of Windsor by matrimony under the name of Potter into the Armstrong-Jones side of the family. Genealogy then indicated the woman marrying into the Potter line withdrew from the public life, where instead she joined the Wizarding World. Thus Harry was technically 28th in line of succession to the Muggle Throne, which meant that while he was non-magical Royalty he was likely not to ascend to that throne. His magical side was another story however.
This of course sparked a lot of questions from the political statesmen in the room as to what exactly Her Majesty was talking about. Once the questions died down, Harry was prompted by The Queen to explain what he knew about the magical world and the differences it held from the non-magical. Then Monsieur Delacour took over and explained more in depth about the political structure and maneuvering within the Magical World, which in turn led Harry to explain about Tom Riddle and his not-so-merry band of rapists, slavers and murderers. Once the explanations were done Elizabeth spoke up by saying, "Remember that the very existence of the magical world, and all that is going on within, is covered by the Official Secrets Act. In fact, they have their own version of this law specifically designed to prevent their members from releasing knowledge of their world to any non-magical. For now we support these laws, though we do not see such support continuing indefinitely." Elizabeth looked rather determined at that last statement, which was something Harry could not ignore.
"Your Majesty, what do you mean by "for now?"" Harry tried to ask as respectfully as possible. Gabrielle quickly explained to Harry in his mind that "ma'am" would suffice instead of Your Majesty.
"The Magical population of the Commonwealth is not covered by the Magna Carta as your non-magical counterparts know it. The treaty signed between Us and the royalty and nobility of the magical world is different, allowing the Throne to take action should the government fail in its duties. Even so, royal proclamations are just that, Law. Our interests are supposed to be watched by one of the four royal families of the magical world. I assume, Duke Gryffindor, you are aware of what those families are?" the Queen asked as she looked intently into Harry's eyes.
Harry had a sinking feeling that he knew exactly what she was talking about, and gulped once before speaking again, "The Houses of Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin?" he asked, hoping he was wrong.
Unfortunately for him, it turned out he wasn't, "Correct, Gryffindor. As of right now there is only one known descendant from those four families, and that is you. Thus upon your majority within the magical world you are to enter a royal internship so you can be declared as the Crown Prince of the Magical Commonwealth. After four years of internship, you would then assume the throne as the King of the Magical Commonwealth, answerable only to Us as the Throne of all the Greater Commonwealth. If there were any of the other families still extant or known, it would be up to me as to who would be Crown Prince."
Harry was glad he was in a seat and supported by his ladies, for if he weren't he would have fallen to the floor in a faint. As it was he felt rather light headed as his future seemed to roll out before him. But at the same time something else stuck in his head, something he could not ignore, even if he would rather die than allow the only other claimant to succeed in obtaining the throne. "Ma'am, the heir of Slytherin house is known, albeit to a select few," he pointed out. Something else occurred to him so hard he had to give voice to the thoughts, "Of course if he had known of this it would explain why he thought me so much a danger to him."
"Who exactly are you referring to, young Gryffindor?" the Queen asked in her full authority.
"Tom Morvolo Riddle, also known as Lord Voldemort, is the heir of the Slytherin lines ma'am."
The Queen blinked a couple of times then turned toward her Prime Minister, who nodded once and left the room. "He will not be in succession for long. We have long since held him as an usurper and traitor to the Throne, and thus his family becomes ineligible. We had understood that the Gaunts were the Heirs to Slytherin, however."
"Riddle was apparently the father's name, ma'am. His mother was a Gaunt. I do not know what exactly happened, but I was made well enough aware of his magically supported claim as the heir of Slytherin in my second year."
"We see," the Queen responded. "You have given Us much to think about and do, young heir, Thus We will explain the last pieces of information we must explain before you go." With that, the Queen explained that the French citizenship was temporary until he reached his seventeenth birthday. Upon that day he was an adult in the Magical World and would then revert back to full English citizenship. That would fulfill the requirements for him to be eligible for the magical throne, which would in turn give him just as much political protection as his current dual-citizenship would now. These terms were set up by his late godfather and the French and English governments to allow him to make his own choices and train for the upcoming conflicts. To help with this, a representative of Gringotts had delivered a letter to the Royal Family in his name. She handed over the envelope at this point, strongly recommending he follow through with the Goblins' recommendations. Harry took the envelope with gratitude and a farewell, as the Queen had indicated she and her advisors had some work to do.
With this in mind the Delacour family escorted Harry back to their car, where they made a short trip to the outskirts of London. Once on a road where no one could see, Jean-Claude activated a port-key which delivered them, the car and all, to their chateau in France. Harry had no idea what to expect at first, but he was surprised to see a modest three story house pained french blue with white columns and accents around the doors and windows. The front drive was a U-shape towards the front of the property with a gravel extension leading to a five-care garage. The driver had let them all out at the front of the house and opened the 3-meter-tall double doors with a sweeping gesture to signify they were to enter.
The first room they entered was obviously a sitting room. Three large windows draped in pink drapes that were almost white lined the white wall to the right while a set of oak stairs opposite led to the second floor. The carpet below them, which matched the drapes, covered the floor until it reached a large archway to the left. There the carpet changed to a blue color which dominated the design of what furniture he saw within. Jean Claude of course ignored the first room and its rather severe furnishings, opting for the blue drawing room beyond the archway where Mademoiselle Delacour waited for them. The older lady looked anxious and quickly walked over to her girls, drawing them both in a hug while speaking in very quick French. Monsieur Delacour was next to receive a hug, followed by a very surprised Harry who had been trying to discreetly sit on the large couch in front of the bay window that looked out over the front gardens. Mademoiselle Delacour seemed to sense both the surprise and hesitancy in the young man and stepped back to speak in slightly accented English, "Please forgive me 'Arry. I did not meant to startle you. I am just 'appy to see you all 'ome." The lady of the house started to guide Harry to the couch he was aiming for originally, and only chuckled when Fleur and Gabrielle sat on either side of him. Once everyone was seated and the maid sent off for drinks, she smiled and said, "Please, call me Apolline, 'Arry. And I'm sorry if you are sightly confused by everything. Did you have any time with my daughters at all?"
Harry was admittedly very confused by everything, and could only shake his head in automatic response to Apolline's question. "I'm afraid not, Ma . . . Apolline. I woke up to my uncle's . . . er. . . questions and . . . er. . . " Harry could only look between the two girls helplessly while his skin turned a vibrant shade of scarlet. The two girls chuckled at this and kissed him on his cheeks while sending amused reassurances to him.
Apolline seemed to be an expert at reading between the lines as her eyebrow arched and a faint frown appeared on her face. 'I'm in for it now,' Harry thought resignedly. Thus he was surprised when the eldest Delacour woman present turned to the younger two and asked, "They did not tell you what's going on between the three of you then?" Harry could feel both girls stiffen at the tone, but Harry was still to confused to understand who Apolline was upset at. "Fleur, Gabrielle, do you mean to tell me that you did not at least try to explain things while you were en route?" Harry's confusion skyrocketed at tone of her words, and he was about to ask what she was talking about but M. Delacour cut in.
"Apolline, they didn't have the chance, we encountered too many problems." With this Jean-Claude went into a detailed by-play of the day's events, pausing only to allow one of the three of them (not counting Harry) to answer questions. Finally the matriarch relaxed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "'Arry, I'm so sorry you 'ad to do that. Please accept my thanks for saving my daughters. And I'm sorry you had to go through so much just to get here."
Harry flushed a moment in shyness before taking a deep breath and trying to center himself. He hadn't really had the time to sort through everything that happened today. Instead it had been a series of rushed movements and discussions, followed by a meeting with the Queen of England. In a way, it was really too much to handle at once. His body started shaking slightly, which resulted in the young women to either side of him to hug him. He didn't quite know what to think of this as he was unused to being hugged, but eventually he let himself be drawn into the hug. He didn't know quite how long they sat like that, with the adults watching, but eventually he seemed to relax. It was only then he remembered that the parents were indeed still there.
When Apolline noticed he was a little more relaxed she poured him some fresh tea. "Here, it's chamomile. It will help you relax a bit more."
Harry took the tea gratefully, added a little honey, then sipped it while he leaned backward. The cup and saucer was laid upon his lap while the girls draped an arm each around his shoulders. As his left hand moved away from the cup he felt a crinkle of paper in his pocket. Fleur giggled and reached in for the letter as her body was too close for Harry to comfortably pull it out (at least with the parents in the room). When she pulled out the envelopes, Harry blinked and then remembered he had yet more news. "I forgot, McGonagall and Gringotts . . ."
"Harry," Jean Claude called, "I think you should go ahead and open them now. The more you know the better you can plan."
Harry was reticent, but when everyone in the room appeared to be in agreement to Monsieur Delacour, he had to reluctantly agree. "It's just that I don't know how much more I can take. My entire world has been turned upside down, and I have both Dumbledore and the British Ministry of Magic wanting to control me. What if these are more of the same?"
"Then we'll deal with it together," Fleur answered. "We have yet to discuss what we needed to tell you Harry, but I can promise you this. Gabrielle and I will not leave you. We will not abandon you. We will be here for you, no matter what."
"I'm not too sure you will want to do that," Harry responded sadly. "You don't know everything, but my future isn't looking too bright."
"You are referring to the prophecy between you and . . . L . . . Lord . . . V . . . Voldemort?" Gabrielle interjected. At Harry's shock she simply smiled and shook her head before becoming serious again, "We've been in your head for how long, Harry? You've told us nearly everything but what it says, but I can be pretty sure it involves you stopping him in some way. That's one reason we're telling this to you now. We won't leave you, even if you have to kill him. And we'll help in any way we're able. I promise you."
Harry had to say that Gabrielle was more mature than he thought she should be, and it showed now in the vehemence of her statement. He quietly resigned himself to their stance for now, vowing to try to reason with them later. Instead he pushed aside the hundreds of implications to their conviction and looked at the envelopes. "I'm not sure what to say," he admitted quietly. "But thank you." He blushed deeply when the women kissed his cheeks and smiled at him. Desperate to change the subject, he opened McGonagall's letter, shifted a little and then proceeded to read the letter aloud.
Dear Mr. Potter,
I would have called you Harry, but two things prevent me from doing so. First is that you are quite unused to me calling you anything else but Mr. Potter, and thus you would have immediately disregarded anything else I have written as being from someone other than me. Second is because I feel at this time I do not have the right to be so familiar with you, despite the relationship I should have with you.
You may be wondering what I meant by that last sentence, but before I answer that I must insist you promise to read this letter completely through. Some things will come as a shock to you I'm sure, but you need to know everything. To this end I have spelled the rest of this letter to only respond to you once you promise to read what I have to say. I'm not trying to manipulate you Harry, nor am I really trying to withhold anything from you, but the fact of the matter is you have every right to be angry with me. I just want you to fully understand the whys behind the secrets as well as the secrets themselves. If you can't do so with this letter, then please write me back and allow me to visit you. I will promise to tell you everything here, if you are willing to listen.
Harry closed his mind for a few moments as he tried to think things through. 'I think you should, Harry. I think you might have gotten through to her,' he heard Fleur say, with support from Gabrielle. He had to silently agree with them, albeit reluctantly. The adults merely looked supportive in whatever decision he made, so he took a deep breath and decided to follow along with their recommendations. "I promise to fully read what Minerva McGonagall has to say."
The letter flashed once and then more writing appeared:
Thank you, Mr. Potter. I am quite well aware your trust in me is almost non-existent at this point, and you have every right to feel that way. I spent every spare moment for the past week thinking over what you have said, and I must sadly agree with you. I have not done my job by you and the rest of Gryffindor House. Further, I know that a simple apology will not suffice, but you have that first. I am very sorry for having failed you. It wasn't until you gave me specific example after specific example that I saw what was happening, and by then it was too late. I realize that now.
But as I said, I know that a simple apology will not suffice to make up for years of blindness. I know that in order to gain forgiveness, I must first earn it. I must earn it with actions and truth, vision and perseverance. And that is what I promise to you now. I will stand not only for you, but for all my Lions against everyone, including the Headmaster. You may ask yourself why I included the Headmaster in on things, and you would be right to ask such a thing. However the facts of the matter are hardly clear, but here's what I know:
Headmaster Dumbledore is a good man, but he is just a man. He is also very old, and thus makes the same mistakes most old people make. First he forgets what it is to be young. He forgets that young people have different needs than the older do, and he forgets that young people don't see things the same way. When he fails to remember his youth, he makes decisions based upon the views of his age, and winds up hurting people. For example, he sent you to the Dursleys year after year to protect you. I just recently managed to get out of him why he thinks your safer there than anywhere else, but even blood wards can only protect your body, not your mind. When he first left you there, I told him they were the worst kind of Muggles. As you said, he knew you would not lead an easy life, but he thought your physical safety outweighed the consequences of leaving you in that kind of place. He forgot that he himself needed loving kindness and affection when he was young, and thus did not take that into account, despite warnings from me and others through the years. Finally he witnessed the results of that mistake just before you left for the holidays. I dare say he did not like what he saw. I say it was natural, and if I were in your place I would have revolted sooner.
The second mistake of old age is closely tied to the first: the fundamental belief that what you are doing is right. Several people have tried to tell him that he was missing the bigger picture when it came to you. Sirius Black himself once told the Headmaster, "You know Professor, one of these days He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is going to attack Harry and he's not going to fight back. You're leaving him with nothing to fight for. Never mind not training him, which is an important enough priority as it is, but he doesn't have many reasons to fight now, and your "concern for his safety" is removing more and more of his reasons as each day goes by." I can see now Sirius was right, and not just from your side. Mr. Weasley has finally shown his true colors in his greed to possess Miss Granger, and he once again failed to understand the true nature of the relationship between the three of you. He lives in hope that you three will once again come together to be as you were before, which from Miss Granger's viewpoint will not happen. But I do not see that happening, and if things continued as the are you would lose yet something else to fight for, leaving only Miss Granger, who is now in danger for her safety.
Miss Granger has told me she talked to your representative, but not who that representative was. It saddens me that Miss Granger would not tell me more, but I can fully understand your need to be private for the moment. I can only hope to earn both yours and your friend's trust eventually. Please know that I'm going to help Miss Granger as much as possible through her present situation, even against the Headmaster himself. My students are supposed to come first, and I am supposed to protect them from all that would harm them. Thank you for reminding me of that.
I just have one request of you Mr. Potter. Can you please give me some way of contacting you in a hurry in case Miss Granger needs your help? I'm sure Mrs. Weasley and Mr. Weasley will try something to gain full control of Miss Granger at sometime, and she may need your help soon. If you do not feel you can trust me enough for that, send something in a sealed envelope and I will get the envelope to Miss Granger without tampering on it. You can have my Witch's Oath on it if you wish. Please let me know as soon as possible.
Minerva McGonagall
Harry put the letter down for a moment and closed his eyes. The letter seemed a little disjointed compared the transfiguration Professor he knew and had actually liked, but he could tell it was indeed from her. If he were honest with himself he didn't know quite what to think about it. Part of him wanted to believe she could change, but part of him was unsure. And what was this about Dumbledore? What did all of that mean? This letter generated more answers than questions, truth be told. "So, does anyone have any ideas?" he asked hopefully.
He opened his eyes to look first at Apolline, who seemed very contemplative. Jean Claude looked pretty much the same but he did speak, "I can say that while your professor probably finds herself in a very confused state right now, she seems to be dealing with the problems at hand, letting those problems help her work through her thoughts."
"That makes a bit of sense Harry," Fleur added, "She's admitted you had very valid points, but I don't think she quite knows what to do about them, other than beg your forgiveness. Instead it seems like she's vowed to help you while she works within the system where she is."
"She could be a valuable help Harry," Gabrielle said softly. "I don't think she's going to find it easy, and I think there will be a rift between Dumbledore and her for a while which may reduce her effectiveness, but she's trying. I don't know, I want to be angry with her, but I think we need to wait and see. My main concern is Hermione. She's right there, you may need to step in eventually. In fact, they could force your hand at any time."
At this point Apolline finally speaks up, "'Arry, if I were you, I'd ask 'Ermione to spy on those . . . Weasleys for you." She held up her hand quickly to stop any instant protests so she could respond. "If I'm right from what you told me so far, your young friend wants you to understand what's happening and she bears no ill will, correct?" With the nodding of everyone in the room she leans back and steeples her hands in front of her while she works out what to say. "Then write McGonagall back with a letter for 'Ermione. Let this Professor be your go-between. This way you can test the Professor's loyalty. With your first letter we can include a portkey to get 'er out should the situation become unbearable. We can even provide another emergency beacon so that if she gets in trouble and the portkey is either taken or doesn't work we can know and do something about it. In the meantime this will help give 'Ermione a way out and be a test to the Professor as well."
The room became silent as Harry thought over the most recent proposal. After a few minutes Harry sighed deeply and shook his head. "A large part of me wants to go to the Burrow, shave Ron bald, then go to London and collect Hermione myself. I'm sure preservation charms could keep his hair fresh over the required time. But I think that will cause us more problems than we're ready for, especially with both Dumbledore and the Ministry wanting control of their weapon back."
Gabrielle stopped his speech with a slap up the back of his head, "Harry you are not a weapon, you are a human being."
Harry winced at the smack but gave her a loving smile, though there was a little pain in his eyes that quickly vanished. "I know Gabrielle, but that's what they think of me and that's the point I'm trying to make. It's not what I believe, thanks to mainly you and Fleur." He put his arms around both rather slowly and tentatively and for the first time in his life initiated a hug, even if it was a cautious one. Not seeing the brief look of pain on their faces at the cautiousness of his embrace he continued on, "No matter how much my sense of brotherhood toward Hermione objects, right now I don't see any other way to deal with this situation. I need to know more about what I'm working with and what it all means before I step up and try to take on the Headmaster in any arena. And I can't forget about Voldemort either. Merlin, I hate politics, but it looks like I'm going to have to get involved in them. No more relying on worse than useless Ministers for Magic to try to curb the Death Eaters in the Wizengamot or the Ministry."
The girls' father smiled at that and bowed from his seat toward Harry. "If you wish I can give you a crash course in politics. My position in the French government has taught me more than a few things about politics you know. As far as what being Duke Gryffindor means? I don't know. But maybe the Goblins can help you there?" He held out the envelope he picked up off of the table and offered it to the young man. "If this is what I think it is they'll want to see you as soon as possible anyway."
Harry took the letter with the Gringott's seal on it and sighed, "Let me guess, Sirius's will?" With a nod from the Delacour patriarch he opened the letter and read what the Goblins had to say.
Harry James Potter:
Recently we became aware of the death of one Sirius Orion Black, head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. As you are listed as the primary beneficiary of the Black Estate, we require your presence as soon as possible to finalize procedures for the reading of his will. Also to be discussed is why you have ignored summons from our branch in the past regarding your inheritances from your own House of Potter, as well as our annual requests for audits of your accounts.
Be aware if you do not answer this summons you will be forfeiting your rights to your inheritances. As such, as per Bank and Ministry laws we are sending this letter to the highest Authority over you to ensure you get this letter. You have until your sixteenth birthday to comply.
Come ready to discuss business and be sure you leave ample time for this discussion. Time is money Mr. Potter. Do not keep us waiting.
Sliphook
Senior Account Manager
Harry wasn't quite sure what to think about this letter. "What annual audits?" he asked both surprise and anger. "And what notices? I never received anything from Gringotts"
Apolline frowned at this with a raised eyebrow. "Are you sure?"
Harry dropped the letter on the table and started to shake with anger. "That manipulative old BASTARD. It's not enough he sends me to the Dursleys year after year, but he keeps me from my business as well? And he intercepts my mail?! It's a wonder that Hedwig hasn't been hurt!" With a comforting touch from both Fleur and Gabrielle he takes a few deep breaths to get his anger at least capped. "Can we go talk to the Goblins tomorrow? Do we need to let them know when we're coming or make an appointment?"
Apolline quickly summons a quill and parchment and hand it to Harry, instructing him, "If you want the Goblins' help you'll have to make up for insulting them by ignoring them. I know you didn't even know you were doing so, but still they'll be angry. Still with the situation as it is, I do not believe it would be safe for you to attend them at Diagon Alley. I'm not convinced we can keep you from being abducted, or one of my daughters for that matter. So I would explain the situation to them briefly, with the promise of a longer one when you meet, if they so wish. Also ask them to meet you Gringotts, Paris, citing the danger for you right now as the reason. But keep it short 'Arry. They're displeasure is evident enough with the "Time is Money" reference."
Harry nodded for a moment, then came up with an idea. "How much does hiring a Curse Breaker cost?"
"Why?" Jean-Claude answered tilting his head to the side.
"Because I have an idea to hire one from Gringotts to make the portkey and beacon devices, then send on the letters to McGonagall and Hermione directly from their offices. That way I can write Hermione directly once, maybe twice to get her what she needs, and I don't have to rely on Professor McGonagall to get those things to her."
"Well, they can be quite expensive, but the problem is I don't know exactly how much you have in your trust vault and you can't access your inheritance from Mr. Black until after the will reading. Not to mention how do we ensure their curse breaker can't be bought out by someone else?"
"The last part is easy, papa. Simply request Bill Weasley to do it." As if sensing the protests from the room she turned her body toward Harry and added, "Bill is on your side, Harry. When we broke up," she put her finger on his mouth to stop the interruptive protest, "Non, it's okay. Please hear me out. When we broke up he was upset, but he had told me he would not change the situation at all. To be perfectly honest, he was going to break up with me at the same time I did with him, I just brought it up first. We talked about you, for reasons we will discuss tonight, and he asked me to watch after you. I believe he knew what his family was doing and disapproved. You see, he started to work in Egypt to get away from his mother. I never understood why until after I met her and talked to Hermione. I think he knows about all of this and can't do anything about it. Helping you will give him something to do about it."
Harry looked at Fleur as if he were lost for part of that discussion, but at the same time he seemed to understand her point about Bill. "Okay, then I'll ask for Bill to do it, but isn't he on assignment?"
M. Delacour appeared thoughtful for a moment, then smiled widely. "Leave that part to me, Harry. You just write your replies and then hand me the letter to the Goblins. Afterward Apolline and I will step out to ensure the letters get delivered to Gringotts and for a couple of other things, giving you three a chance to talk."
Satisfied with the plan, Harry quickly finished his letter to McGonagall before turning his attention to the final letter to the Goblins.
Mr. Sliphook:
First, let me apologize deeply for the lack of response you have received from me in the past. Please understand it was not meant as a slight in any way. You see, I never received any mail from Gringotts, especially not the letters that you referred to. I believe someone has been screening my mail without my knowledge. Still I should have inquired directly about my accounts the last time I was in the bank, and I did not. Please forgive any insults my inaction has caused.
Recently I was informed that I stand as Heir to more than just the accounts of Potter and Black. In fact, the inheritances I stand in line for quite old and famous, likely leaving me with more responsibilities than most were probably aware of. As such, I wonder if it is possible to obtain a full listing and explanation of all my inheritances, including any political seats they may hold? I realize this is asking much, but I am willing to reimburse you for any extra time this requires.
There has been a great many upheavals in my life recently, Mr. Sliphook. This latest revelation of Owl tampering concerns me greatly, bringing the matter of my personal safety into question. In fact, combining both the news of what I have learned and this latest bit of information, I fear for my personal safety on the streets of Diagon Alley. Could we possibly meet at Gringotts in Paris? That would be a far safer and easier place for me to meet you. If not, can we come up with some other way for me to arrive at your office? I promise to give a more thorough explanation of the reasons behind my requests when next we meet.
Lastly, I wish to hire the services of a curse breaker for the construction of both a portkey and an emergency beacon. One of the people under my protection is in danger, and I need to have these devices constructed to work in areas otherwise warded against such devices. I understand this would be an expensive endeavour normally, but I also must ask for a specific curse breaker: one William Weasley. He is most familiar with the wards through which these devices are most likely to have towork. If cost is an issue, Monsieur Delacour is enclosing a letter granting permission to withdraw the funds from his account for the devices. I am also enclosing two letters I ask be sent out from Gringotts, if you can. The portkey and becon device should be inserted into the package for Hermione Jane Granger. Please make these devices unobtrusive, and please withdraw whatever fees you require for these services.
I look forward talking to you as soon as a time and place can be arranged.
Sincerely,
Harry James Potter
Once he was finished he handed off the letters to the elder Delacours, who got up to hug the teens before leaving them alone to talk. Harry was perplexed when Fleur asked him to take the chair opposite them, and began to grow more than a little concerned. The girls seemed to sense his mood, which prompted Fleur to speak up, "Non Harry. It is nothing bad, and the, how do you say, other shoe is not about to drop?" After receiving his nod she continues, "But there are some things we need to explain, such as the mental communication we have been sharing between the three of us, and what it means."
"I've been wondering about that," Harry sighed in slight relief. "But even if I had the reference materials I'm not Hermione who can just search through books to find the answers. And I don't have anyone that I really trust enough to talk toabout this kind of thing, other than the two of you, so I was going to ask you."
Gabrielle looked distressed but stayed where she was and sent a feeling of comfort to him. "We'll help you, Harry. I promise," she said as she took a breath. With encouragement from Fleur she seemed to gather up the courage to ask a question. "Harry, what do you know about Veela?"
Harry blinked at this non-sequitur as it derailed his thoughts. It took him a few moments of leaning back to gather his thoughts before answering the question. "A race of magical females with a rather strong attraction based power that pulls men toward them for . . . er. . . personal relations." Suddenly a flashback to the Quidditch World Cup came to the front of his mind and urged him to add, "And it is wise never to get them angry, they can throw fireballs. They look rather avian-like when they do become enraged. And you and Fleur are at least a quarter Veela. That's all I know."
Fleur smiles a bit at the ghost of Harry's memories before taking over from Gabrielle. "There's a lot more than that, Harry. First of all, you need to understand that there's no such thing as a "quarter veela." You either or you're not. And the . . . genes . . . that control that part of our heritage is dominant in females and non-existent in males, meaning that the vast majority of females born to a Veela are Veela. And just like normal witches, the strength of an individual Veela's power can vary from individual to individual. Even so, the same rules apply no matter what strength the Veela in question is. Do you understand so far?"
Harry seemed to think about it before saying, "So what you're saying is that neither one of you are "part-Veela" but you're both full Veela. And the main difference between the two of you is the strength of your Veela powers. Like Hermione is more powerful than Lavender."
Gabrielle smiled and said, "You may not be Hermione, Harry, but you are very intelligent. Do not let anyone say different. Yes, you are right. Of the two of us I'm more powerful in my Veela powers than Fleur. She's more powerful of a Witch, but the differences there are not as large as the differences between our Veela powers. For example, the "attraction power," which we call allure, is more powerful in me than it is in Fleur. Same thing with those fire balls. Fleur's is reddish blue and can blow a large hole in a wall. Mine, when I'm in full fury, is sky blue can blow up a small cottage. Grand-mère is more powerful than either one of us and hers is cobalt blue and could destroy this building. Mama is between Fleur and me. But even Fleur is considered above average in power compared to most Veela. She merely has better control, which comes with practice."
Harry was managing to keep up and understand the lesson, a fact he was rather surprised at a. "So a powerful Veela mother doesn't necessarily mean a powerful Veela daughter."
"Oui, Harry. That is precisely what we mean. Now, another fact about Veela is that we are late bloomers. I'm willing to bet you thought Gabrielle was 8 when you rescued her from the lake, non? Well, that's because a Veela doesn't normally hit puberty until they're about 15 or 16. Until then they stay in a younger preadolescent body. Gabrielle is actually three years younger than you. She turns 13 in late August. But once a Veela hits puberty, it normally takes half a year for them to gain an almost-adult female figure that if they were a normal witch they would have at 18. In many ways I'm rather less buxom for most Veela my age," Fleur returned.
Harry mulling that information over for a moment before finally saying, "But Gabrielle looks almost 13 now! But from what you told me she shouldn't."
A faint flush crept up on Gabrielle's face as she drew her hands into her lap an looked down. "Merci beaux coup, Harry. That's because I hit puberty early, just as I was leaving Beauxbaton's. Yes, that was a full three years earlier than expected, which never happens without some motivating factor pushing it along." At Harry's apparent shock she quickly added, "Oui, we do know what happened this time, which I promise to explain tonight. Just let us set it up so you'll properly understand, okay?"
At Harry's nod Fleur continued as the girls were obviously playing tag with the explanation. "Thank you, Harry. Now, as I said before the rules are different with Veela than they are with normal humans. You see, Veela magic centers around two things: Anger and Sex. Sex is normally the most prevalent part of a Veela's magic, but anger has its own motivation on a Veela's magic. Sex controls most of our daily lives while anger controls our spell casting abilities with hexes, curses, and our transformation process. Thus the reason behind both our allure and our alternate forms. We're practically a race of fierce warrior lovers."
Gabrielle interjected there with the next part, "Any magic that involves either of those emotions aspects will act differently with us than they will anyone else. Take for example bonds. As you know there are different types of bonds in a Wizard's life. The bond of blood (for relatives), the bond of friendship, the bond of enmity, and even bonds of lovers. Each of these bonds do something to a normal wizard or witch's core. For example, you share a bond of friendship with Hermione just as you shared one with Ron. You have classified them for years as your "best friends," non? Well in the Magical World that is not a title to use lightly. The friendship bond in your case spurs you to not only spend time around them, but to help them no matter the cost to you. At the same time, if that bond is betrayed, you tend to be more angry with them than you would with anyone else."
"I've never heard of this before! Why hasn't anyone ever explained that to me?" Harry asked, rather upset. He was sure that no one ever even thought about explaining this kind of thing to him.
"That is because Magical Britain is geared toward pureblood witches and wizards, who already understand this kind of thing," Fleur said derisively. Obviously she was not a fan of the British way of doing things. "Half-blood wizards and witches are barely second class citizens, and first generation wizards and witches are just above pond scum, where non-magical beings, half-breeds, and magical non-humans are. It's been like that for centuries, but over the past half-century it has been getting worse. So of course this kind of thing is not explained to you. After all, everyone knows about these bonds already, right?" Fleur turned her nose up at her own statement there, and Harry could see where the anger part of the Veela controls came in. She looked ready to tear something apart.
Gabrielle turned her head toward her sister and reached over to touch her arm. "Calm down Fleur. Things will change, sooner or later." Harry watched as Fleur bit off a childish snap at the soothing voice, while Gabrielle smiled at her before continuing. "Now one thing you will want to know before we continue on, Harry. Breaking a friendship bond in the Magical World carries penalties equal to the level of betrayal involved in the breaking. So during your forth year when Ron turned his back on you he was almost friendless at Hogwarts. Now, however, he's more than likely to have rather severe repercussions for what he has done. More than likely he will not enjoy life. Declaring someone your best friend and then betraying that bond is not something to fool around with."
Harry wasn't quite sure what to think about that. A part of him was happy that he'd receive the pain he was dishing out while another part really felt for his former friend, knowing what was coming was not going to be good.
"Don't forget Harry," Fleur added, "He has betrayed more than just you. By what he is attempting to do to Hermione he has betrayed her as badly if not worse than he has betrayed you. Magic permeates all of our lives, he will likely be miserable for it for quite a while. But remember, it is not your fault. I know you feel guilty for what is going to happen to Ronald Weasley, but he has brought it upon himself." She locked Harry's gaze with his own and seemed to be willing her words to soak in deeply into Harry. Finally Harry had to admit she was right. In a way, Ron was worse than Dudley, and he would likely be meeting a similar fate. Magic, not him, would see to it.
"It is most likely that this is what caused your Uncle and Cousin's demise as well Harry," Gabrielle added. "They weren't magical themselves, but they lived with you and there's no way they could keep your magic from effecting them. They had long since betrayed you, and thus magic made them push too far against you when you were strong enough to do something about it. You didn't wish it upon them, but they got what they deserved. But that is a theory, and one based upon a wizard's magic: yours. Fleur's and mine are different, and bonds of nearly every type tend to be different because of it."
Fleur sat back, yielding the floor to Gabrielle as the younger witch continued with her original point, "As was said before, our magic is wrapped around anger and sex. The bond for enmity for us tends to be an all out war. Not the "I'd rather just ignore him and only blast him if he hurts the people I care about" conflict you and Malfoy share, but complete and total war. If Malfoy were to become my true enemy, he'd be dead within a week, if he survived that long. If the situation with the Dursleys had not gone as it had, they would have had such a bond with the both of us, with disastrous results."
Harry could not help but to wince at the thoughts brought to mind by that statement as Gabrielle continued, "A bond of friendship, on the other hand, tends to be rather . . . sensual with a Veela. When a Veela declares someone a "best friend" it is normally done after a long talk with that friend. That's because friendship falls into the positive emotional category, which in Veela is centered around sex. To put it bluntly, a Veela's best friend will be a sexual partner for a Veela, pretty much for the rest of their lives. Sex between a Veela and their best friend, of either gender, is just like a hug between best friends of a wizard and witch, normal and completely overlooked. And a Veela normally has at least three or four best friends, of mixed genders."
This floored Harry as he thought about, and began to truly understand what they were saying. If what Gabrielle was saying was true, and it seemed like it was, then there was already one explanation for a connection between him and Gabrielle at the very least. Not to mention the thoughts being brought to mind by Gabrielle's explanation and possible repercussions so far. He blushed bright red as he just had to ask, "What about parent bonds? And when does the Veela's sex drive start?"
Fleur broke out into laughter while Gabrielle had to giggle herself. "No Harry, we are not laughing at you specifically. You just asked the two questions everyone not a Veela ask when they hearof the Veela's drive. To answer your questions as you were too polite to ask them: No, most Veela do not wind up having sex with their parents. That is rather rare. They are however very . . . "touchy feelly" with their parents. We were toning it down today because its your first day here. But it is very rare for that mother/daughter father/daughter sex to actually occur. Sibling sex depends greatly on how the siblings feel for each other really. In most cases, it never gets beyond . . . up top exploration. In rare cases, though a little more common than the parent child coupling, a pair of siblings can sometimes become sexually involved. France and other countries that understand Veela psychology and physiology make exceptions to the incest laws for Veela for those specific reasons. Even so, sexual contact does not begin for Veela until they hit puberty. So as long as a Veela looks like an eight year old, they are safe from sexual advances and bound by incest laws."
"But you said, or at least implied, you are undergoing puberty yourself," Harry interrupted. Inwardly he was breathing a sigh of relief at least on one front. At least he wouldn't have to worry about that with his children. Wait, where did that come from?
"Oui, I did. Because I am toward the end of the first stages of Veela puberty. And to answer the question you are far to noble to ask, no I am not a virgin. I do not have much experience mind you, but that is from lack of opportunity and time." Harry found it odd that Gabrielle did not blush when she said this, but she did not appear boastful. Then he remembered what she just said about Veela and sex, and had to admit he would be as matter-of-fact as she was if he had the same magical "wiring." "Casual friends are not included in the friends with benefits that best friends are, but we still tend to be a bit more touch-oriented with our casual friends. Fleur, for example, will still be close to Bill, for they are still casual friends."
"Not that I would turn down another chance of sex with him, if my primary lovers allow," Fleur interjects smoothly.
"What do you mean by primary lovers? Do Veela require more than one . . . mate?" Harry asked, now confused again.
"No. Normally a Veela would take one primary lover. This lover would be indoctrinated into what it means to be with a Veela as much as possible before they get to the point of no return. In that respect, it's much like falling in love with a normal witch. You don't want the partner to be unpleasantly surprised," Gabrielle answered with a sideways glance toward Fleur. A moment later her expression changed and she smiled. "But Fleur and I, and you, are in a different situation. With us, there's at least two different bonds that need to be taken into consideration. One of those is responsible for the mental communication we share. The other, well I'm not sure what part it is playing yet, save that I'm a bit deeper into things than Fleur. That's why I'm explaining all of this. Please understand Harry, magic is having its own way in this. Neither one of us are meaning to trap you."
Harry could tell they were trying to soften the blow of whatever news they were trying to tell him. Since they had shared so many memories and conversations in his head over the past few weeks and in dreams for the past few months, he knew whatever it was that they had to say would likely be of a major shock to him. He had a feeling all of those shared dreams and memories meant he was closer than the "best friend" category, it was the only thing that made sense with the way they were acting. But at the same time he knew getting pissed if that were true would not help, and would likely hurt them, so he steeled himself up against the inevitable. "I've had a lot of shocks today, and a lot of things happen to me today, so I really don't know how many more surprises I can handle. But . . . I need to know. Tell me."
Gabrielle looked back to Fleur and gulped, but apparently pushed on in a much less confident voice. "I don't know if you know this or not Harry, but when you save someone in the magical world without selfish reason and at risk to you, a life debt is formed. From what I've seen in your dreams you are owed two life debts at the very least: Hermione Granger and Arthur Weasley."
"Three actually," Harry interrupted. "Ginny Weasley. I saved her from Tom Riddle and his basilisk."
Gabrielle nodded at this, a bit surprised, but continued on with the questions unasked. "Four in that case Harry. Mine. You saved me from death, despite what Dumbledore thinks. Merpeople and Veela never got along. They think we stole their beauty, and we think they're . . . greedy. That's a history lesson for another time though. The short story is that they will not hesitate to kill a Veela when they get a chance. They stopped Fleur and were going to kill me. You saved me just because you thought my life was in danger, and the merpeople would have killed you if they could have. Thus I owed you my life. The life debt forms a bond between the two, where if one betrays that life debt they're made to suffer for the rest of their lives, unless it transfers to progeny. Now I just got done explaining what Veela nature does to bonds to Veela, right?"
Harry was afraid of this. He could see where this was going, and was afraid of letting it happen. If having a death sentence in the form of Voldemort wasn't bad enough, now he had someone else's life to worry about. To make matters worse, Fleur was caught up in this somehow. He groaned loudly and put his head in his hands. "Don't tell me, you're now some kind of . . . sex slave to me, right?"
He felt a hand on his head. He felt it slide between his head and his hands, cupping his cheek as it was pulled up. Gabrielle had gotten up and sat down on the table, so when he looked up he was looking directly in her eyes. "Normally, oui, that would be the case if I did not have a bond of lovers. But there's another bond in place that supersedes that bond, and reduces the influence of the life bond. That is the bond you, me and Fleur share. Let me ask you this, is having two people who would always be on your side and truly desire to make you happy such a bad thing?"
Harry wanted to shout "YES!" but something stopped him. His life was crap now, and in many senses he would be all alone emotionally if it weren't for them. He couldn't really deny what they were saying, "I really don't want to be alone, but I'm afraid for anyone who gets near me. Voldemort is still trying to kill me, and he'll use anyone to get to me. I don't want anyone else to die for me."
Fleur apparently joined Harry and reached out with her other hand for the cheek closest to him, "Harry, I was asked to join the Order. I know more about the dangers than most before the bond, but after the bond? I know exactly what I'm getting myself into. You won't make it on your own, Harry. The situation with Scrimgeour earlier today should tell you that. What would have happened if we weren't there?"
Harry couldn't deny it, "I would have been arrested for leverage to do whatever it was that he wanted me to do."
Gabrielle smiled and nodded. "Exactly Harry. You know we saw the prophecy in your mind. And let me explain now that our bond, once finalized, makes us immune to mind control and mind reading spells. Completely immune. And that includes you as well. No one can force any of us to tell any secret outside of the bond. They won't even be able to tell we knew it. And neither Fleur nor I have told anyone, not even our parents. There are other protections the three of us are afforded, so long as we're together. That, combined with the efforts each of us will put into the safety of the others, will keep us all as safe as possible. Not only that, but the bond the three of us share will empower you with powers you did not have, or at least did not know you had. Any of those could be the true "power he knows not." Do you see now Harry? Pushing us away would be worse than useless, it could cost you your chance to win."
Harry was quite for a few minutes as he thought about all of what was just said. This other bond had to be very powerful to do all of that, but he could tell there was a great deal of truth in what was just said. His own heart was slowly becoming less and less divided, knowing they were telling him the truth. A fierce protection of both of them was welling up inside of him, which was devouring his sense of desperate loneliness and resolute isolationism. Finally he could not deny them any more, he knew they were right. It was as if magic itself was leading him to the answer, and it would not let him go any other way. Finally he nodded and gave them a sad smile. "Part of me wants to push you away, but that would be killing myself and I just can't do that. The rest of me knows you're right. The only way for me to win is forward. So I won't push you away any more. But please, can you tell me what this bond is that we share that does that?"
Fleur answered this one after kissing him gently on the corner of his mouth. "It's called the Triumvirate Bond. It joins three people as one, making them eternal lovers and more powerful together than they could ever be separately."
A/N: Please forgive any inaccuracies regarding the knighthood ceremony. There is precious little on the internet about the modern knighthood ceremony. So I had to base it off of knighthood ceremonies in the SCA, bended to a modern, real world direction. Otherwise I tried to be as accurate as possible with vestments of the Knighthood order and everything else. Thanks to Brigrove not only for an excellent job of his normal beta duties, but a great job finding references for me for knighthoods, titles, and other important royal court information. Also Harry's exact position in line for the Muggle throne was a random, arbitrary number within the top 30 I had mentioned before.