Posted 11/05/2013, Edited 01/24/2014
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This is a work of fiction, based on the book series by J.K. Rowling. Neither do I claim ownership nor do I intend to.
Chapter Four – Mind and Traditions
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So he was the emotional-chaotic, instinct-driven, strong-willed type, Harry thought for the dozenth time, as he adjusted his grip on the broom. Naturally he was, what else had he expected? It was surprising how predictable that had been. Perhaps, deep down, he had known beforehand. How could he not? The difference between him and Hermione was glaring, no one in their right mind would think of them as comparable.
According to the book, people like him were fairly adept at emotionally powered spells. Well, that was true, in a way. His Patronus was quite strong. What worried him more was the flipside of that realization –the spells classed as emotionally powered were quite often dark, and he didn't consider himself to be dark by any sense of the word. Or was he mistaken? Did he perhaps fight against his own strengths by not using the darker magic? Smith had made a good point in her explanations; a lot of spells were classed as dark simply because they were harmful to a varying degree. Bone-Breakers were dark, or rather, shady. In the grey area. If they hit the right spot, they were potentially lethal. Yet Bone-Breakers were still not banned, despite their harmful nature. The same could be said for some cutting curses. Dark magic, Smith had mentioned, was not necessarily evil in itself; as with other kinds of magic, some were largely dependant on the intention.
Turning his attention elsewhere, he focused on the next part of his findings. He could understand the aspect about his chaotic mind. It was true; he made the strangest connections under the unlikeliest circumstances. Hadn't he made his breakthrough by stuffing the knowledge in his head and letting it rest for a while? Hadn't he found the answer while dreaming about his dying friends? Yes, it made sense. Since his mind wasn't orderly, forcing it to work that way was working against his type. He needed the mess, to a point, or had to have his mind completely recreated. That had to be the reason why Snape's lessons hadn't worked properly –it had been working against his nature. Snape had to have made some kind of mistake; he had likely chosen an ill-suited method to teach Harry. Why hadn't Snape done a few of those handy tests and checked first what he had to work with? Because it was Snape, a part of Harry told him, when had the bitter man ever done anything right when it came to Harry. But he didn't have time to focus on that, instead the continued his previous thought.
He had always been rather good with his instincts, Harry mused, catching the Quaffle from Hermione as if to prove a point. Easily evading Ginny, he thought about his past. His instincts, honed during his life at the Dursleys, had always helped him during Quidditch. And he had only survived his duel with Voldemort because he had trusted those instincts. So, yes; instincts were a strong point of his, Harry agreed. That they also made him more receptive to foresight was strange, but inconsequential. He knew he didn't have the Inner Eye. Years in Divination had proven he lacked the talent, so why should he worry about that. Then again, Harry thought with a smile, even the fraud might not know she had the gift, so it was entirely possible he had some skill in Divination after all.
With a lazy flick of his hand, he scored again.
"Aw, Harry! What's gotten into you today?" Ginny groaned. "I'm the chaser prodigy around here!"
He shrugged and returned to his spot.
The strong will wasn't unexpected, and it fit. Strong will, the book had said, granted resistance to external influences. It allowed shaking off the effects minor love potions and mind altering spells. It increased the likelihood of a witch or wizard noticing manipulations as well. Harry couldn't remember ever having been dosed with a love potion, but assumed Smith's theory was nonetheless true. Perhaps it also helped Harry shake off the Imperius? It would make sense, he mused. As far as he knew, no one else had ever successfully shaken off Voldemort's Imperius Curse, yet Harry had done it in the graveyard. And then there was Fleur's Allure. That too made sense once he took it into consideration. The first time he had met a Veela –at the World Cup –he had been captivated just like every other guy, even though they had been all the way down on the field. He might have jumped down just to impress them. He had been captivated by their power in the stadium, yet the same evening, he hadn't reacted to the Veelas in the forest at all, despite passing them close enough that he could have touched them.
He hadn't thought about it much back then, not with the attack of the Death Eaters and the other incidents that night, but while Ron had once more fallen for the Veela's charm and Allure, Harry couldn't even say whether he had felt anything special in that moment. And Fleur usually had no effect at all on him. Perhaps his strong will did help him overcome some of the hardships in his life; if so, Harry was thankful for that.
But even though he knew all that now, he still had no idea how it would help him learn the Mind Arts. Sure, it factored in somewhere. But where? Unfortunately, Mrs. Weasley had sent Ron to wake him just as he had wanted to start on the chapters about Occlumency. Tough luck.
He swerved, but failed to stop the pass. Ginny easily caught the Quaffle, streaked up the field past Hermione who... did something. It looked as if she had waved, but she had probably hoped to block something with it. No matter, Harry reasoned, Hermione and he were on the offence. He easily caught the ball and evaluated the situation. Ron was starting to get used to Harry's play. Ginny had shown her talents as a Chaser, and both knew on whom to keep an eye on.
But he was still far better at dives. He turned the broom upwards, forcing it to go faster. He missed his Nimbus. It had been a good broom. He missed his Firebolt; however, it would have been unfair to force Ginny on Charlie's old broom, she had reasoned. There was some truth to that, yet how she had convinced him to lend her his beloved broom, Harry had no idea.
They were tailing him. Good. He hadn't had a chance to try it at school last year thanks to Umbridge's intervention, but nothing would stop him now. For just a moment, he gave up control over the broom. No control also meant it was just a stick of wood and not controlled by the usual spells stopping narrow turns. He twisted in midair, a move he had thought up during the last summer, and within the blink of an eye, he had turned around on the spot instead of the arc it usually took. Jamming the broom between his legs, he urged it forward, downward, right through his friends and tails. Heh. Racing towards the ground faster and faster, he saw Hermione close to the hoop. He guessed the Weasleys were right behind him, Ginny closer than Ron, naturally. Pass or play? In the end, Ginny made the decision for Harry –she passed him, the superior broom helping greatly, and blocked his path towards his teammate, forcing him off-course. Well, alright. He tried the shot and missed, but it was still close. He lingered airborne, and smiled at his friends. It was fun.
"Are you mad?" Ginny yelled as soon as she was close enough. Well, fun for him, at least.
"A bit?" he replied with a laugh. "Come on, you know I'll never get to try that at Hogwarts, Hooch would have kittens, and McGonagall would have me serve detentions for weeks."
"You almost knocked us off our brooms! That was..."
"You're just jealous because he thought of it and not you," Ron interjected. "But she's right. Utterly mad, you are. Brilliant move, but mad. Any idea what you'll call it?"
Movement below caught his attention. Mrs. Weasley walked over to the pitch, but she wasn't alone. Neville was with her. Harry blinked, surprised his friend was there. Had they really played that long already? They had to have, but he couldn't quite believe it. He had thought they still had an hour at least.
Harry flew over to them.
"Ah, good," Mrs. Weasley began. "Did you have fun?"
"Yes, I had," Harry replied, landing softly. "Hello, Neville."
Mrs. Weasley smiled warmly. "No problem! Will you stay for dinner?"
Ah, good Mrs. Weasley, Harry thought. Always trying to feed everyone she came across. At least with Neville she couldn't say he needed fattening up, he was properly fed and looked it too. "Err, no. Gran will expect me, I'm sure. The elf will have started already."
"You have an elf?" Hermione's voice cut in. Great. Another discussion Harry would have liked to go without, especially since he really wanted to learn whatever Neville had found out.
The boy scratched his cheek. "Yes, we do. But then, a lot of pureblood families have one or more. He was a wedding present to my parents, and he's helping my Gran and me now."
"But don't you see how awful that is? That is everything SPEW fights against! How can you –a member! –just stand by? You don't even call him by his name!"
Neville shrugged half-heartedly. "Well, mostly because I can't. He's from a distant relative who... err... gave him a name consisting mostly of x, h, f and g and no vocals. She had a speech impediment, you see, and thought it funny to have others struggle as well. And I don't consider it awful to let him work. I don't intend to free him any time soon -it would be stupid, actually, because he feels obligated to work for the Longbottoms; if I set him free, it'd break his heart. Additionally, shortly after leaving school, my father arranged to set a bit of money aside each week for the elves and their wishes."
Harry would have laughed at Hermione's expression of disbelief. Someone being kind to their servants seemed to have left her speechless, not to mention had left her robbed of her strongest arguments. After another moment, she caught herself and changed topics.
"How did you do in your O.W.L.s?"
"Ah, yes, that," Neville replied with a sad smile. "Gran was not happy, but it could have been worse. She was very disappointed with my Potions grade. I'm happy with my Acceptable. At least I don't have to see Professor Snape anymore. Acceptable, really? I wouldn't have expected it, to be honest. Luck must have been on my side. Could you imagine me continuing? Honestly, I'm surprised I managed an Exceeds Expectations in Defence Against the Dark Arts. I know I picked up quite a bit during our meetings, but..."
"Don't sell yourself so short, you were very determined," Harry interrupted. "I do think you deserve the grade; you are talented."
Neville nodded slowly. "Thank you. I already heard –Outstanding. Well deserved, Harry. You were a great teacher." Ron and Ginny, who had joined them, agreed loudly. Hermione nodded, but her smile looked a bit strained. After years around her, Harry could read her like... well, maybe not a book, but a brochure. While she was happy for him, not being the best did bother her more than she was willing to admit.
"So, I assume you came to talk to me? You said so in your letter," Harry began. No need to waste time, and best to extract Neville before Hermione got over her shock and distracted them more.
"Ah, yes. Err... you do have... a bit of time, right?"
Harry looked to Mrs. Weasley. He would have loved to talk, but ultimately had to follow her plans, and dinner was drawing nearer. She waved it off. "Don't worry. Dinner is in about an hour and a half, so unless you need more, you can of course talk about it right now."
It was Neville who answered, "That should be enough time, thank you. An hour and a half... it should work. I think. I'm not sure, actually. It depends. I mean..." He glanced at Harry, wondering about something, from the look of him.
"Well, best not to waste any more time, then," Mrs. Weasley interrupted. She took the broom from Harry and pushed it in Ron's hand. "Lock them up and then come inside. You can help me."
"But I wanna stay with Harry!"
Neville scratched his cheek. Oho, Harry thought. Something was up! He recognized the look. "Not really you want to," Neville said, avoiding Ron's eye. "It is painfully boring nonsense."
Bad move, Harry thought. Painfully boring nonsense that might take over an hour to explain away from prying ears was exactly up Hermione's lane. But then, she was fortunately too properly raised not to help Mrs. Weasley; although she wanted to stay, her sigh telling as much, she didn't complain and followed Mrs. Weasley and a grumbling Ginny inside.
Once everyone was out of earshot, Harry turned to his friend. "You set aside money for your elf?"
"We do. Of course, he is under orders to use it only for necessities like potions or stuff like that, to keep him alive, you know, so we don't have to decide every little thing. However, I wasn't about to tell Hermione that; she's already nutty about elves. But that doesn't matter right now."
Neville and Harry strolled towards the pond in silence. Finally, Harry had enough; he could tell Neville wasn't sure how to begin the talk. "Got a new wand already?" Harry tried.
"First thing Gran and I did after school let out. Now that You-Know-Who is out in the open... well, it's just the two of us, you know? And she fears..." He shook himself, but the grim look in his eye didn't completely vanish. "But that's not why I came here." He threw a glance over his shoulder. "I was approached yesterday. Bulstrode –Millicent, I mean –asked me to deliver a message to you."
Harry stared at his friend. When no further explanation followed, he stared out over the water. "Is that so? Bulstrode –Millicent, you mean –asked you to deliver a message? What are you, an owl? Why did she not talk to me directly?"
"Well, for one thing, you are kind of hard to get into contact with. And this is about... well, about a pureblood tradition, and they aren't that important anymore. Only feuds come to mind. Well, feuds and marriages, but..."
"Well, I can't remember ever dating someone long enough for marriages to matter, and I don't think it's a feud either," Harry replied, trying to move the talk along. "So what is it, then?"
Neville smiled nervously. "It's not easy to tell you, Harry; it requires a bit of an explanation, and it doesn't concern the Potter family, but the Blacks. Do you have any connection to them?"
It was Harry's turn to tense. A tricky question, he realized. He did have something to do with them –Sirius had left him a lot, but he wasn't sure he wanted to say that. "Neville? Do you remember our first year? When we took a stroll through school at night?" It had been a sudden inspiration, and Harry was quite happy with the idea.
"When you lot dragged me to the trophy room?" the blonde boy asked, raising an eyebrow. "And that crazy, three-headed dog? That stroll for which you still haven't apologized? Or did you mean that one time when I tried to warn you about Malfoy and the dragon? Or perhaps that time shortly before school let out, with 'We' meaning Hermione, Ron and you? You went out a lot that year."
He was Neville alright. "All of them, I guess. You never told anyone about the dog. You never pressed us for details either. You know how to keep a secret, and you have proven you can be trusted; you are a good friend. I have a connection to the Blacks, yes, but I'm not sure whether it's wise to tell people. Sirius left me a lot in his will. His house. Gold. A few trinkets, I guess. I had no time to look through everything, so I can't tell you what exactly. I'll do that later, maybe, but with everything going on..."
"Sirius Black? The... ah. Well, I guess that makes sense." Neville nodded slowly as comprehension dawned on his face.
"What are you talking about?" Harry asked a bit more sharply than he had intended. "Why does that matter? Did he do something wrong there?"
"Ah, sorry," Neville spoke, blushing. "No, he didn't do anything wrong, it's just... it had consequences he might not have thought of. I don't know how... well, alright. Yes, I..." He took a deep breath, steadying himself for the uncomfortable revelation. "There is no easy way to tell you –there's a marriage contract for the Blacks dating back about a hundred years, and there's a small risk it might affect you."
Harry stumbled, but caught himself. Any talk with marriage in it was far too serious for his liking. Any talk with the word contract in it coming from a wizard made him even more wary after the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Any talk with the two combined could only spell disaster. A very bad feeling settled in the pit of his stomach.
"What... what do you mean by that?" His mouth felt very dry all of a sudden.
Neville sighed. "Am I correct in assuming you know nothing about contracts?"
"I... no! What... where... why would..." Harry blinked. If he had thought his mind had been chaotic before, it was nothing to how it was at the present.
Neville stared over to the pond. "Before I start, Harry, there is a strong likelihood that you might never have anything to do with that contract. Currently, you are only a candidate of Second Rank –although why, I'm not sure –so you are basically just a replacement should something happen to the current candidate for the Blacks. The way things look right now, there is only a small risk that it might concern you; however, there still is that small risk."
"Alright, thanks for pointing that out," Harry said, feeling his head clear somewhat. While still not good news –no matter what Neville said, there was a difference between a small risk and no chance of something happening; Harry knew what to expect with his luck –somehow, he would get roped into it. "So, marriage contracts. You said Bulstrode talked with you?"
"The contract isn't for Bulstrode, she was just asked to help get in contact with you. The contract in question continued down the line from Alphonse to Daphne Greengrass..."
"From Slytherin?" Harry asked, surprised.
"Yes, a Slytherin," Neville replied. "Not that surprising with Bulstrode involved, but it doesn't really matter all that much, does it? Some of my relatives were Slytherins in their time. Uncle Algie, for example. Granted, he is still frighteningly ruthless when he wants to be, but the point still stands –Slytherins aren't bad by definition, those at Hogwarts just act like that."
"Sorry, it's just... I don't know. I hadn't expected her name to come up, I think. Start from the beginning, please. Start with... what are these contracts? I don't want to assume, but..."
Neville smiled at him. "To understand what I'm talking about... Well, I don't have time for the long version of it right now, there's over a thousand years of traditions connected to it, but I'll go over the important aspects. In essence, marriage contracts are something like that: Two families decide to wed two people –one child of each family. It's an antiquated habit that has fallen out of favour for the most part, but it's dating back to the Feuding Ages. Back then, it was a means to stop a feud or strengthen the bonds between two lines by forming an alliance. Very rarely, it was part of a political manoeuvre that we would call an insurance against an attack.
"When people from two powerful families marry, the Blacks and the Malfoys, for example, and another family, let's say, the Bones, might have a feud with one of them, the Bones might demand some kind of sacrifice to calm their fears of an attack. That's where another tradition originated, first a ritualistic blood sacrifice which led to marriage contracts as insurances –spilling a bit of blood is cheap, but you don't fight with families you might have to marry one of your children off to –and ultimately to gold transfers to threatened families since gold is easier to come by than children and feuds weren't as commonplace –but I'm getting side-tracked. Sorry, it's just..."
"So if a Black and a Malfoy married," Harry interrupted, trying to get the facts straight, "thanks for the mental image, by the way, they had to marry another child to the Bones? Wouldn't that lead to a circular process? Threaten others?"
"Well, only if there is a feud with another family would there be the need for insurance in the form of yet another contract.
"So in the case of the Blacks and the Malfoys from before, they would sign a contract, either by naming two specific people –that's what we call a personalized contract; it only affects those expressly stated –or by saying, in essence, that should certain conditions be met in the present or future –usually something about age and blood purity and stuff like that –members of each family would have to be wed after the due date has passed; that would be a general contract. With me so far?"
"Families write contracts saying people have to marry. It's about a couple that is either already specified or still unknown," Harry summarized. "And they have to marry each other."
"Well, in the case of a general contract, should two people come along who fit the requirements, they will either have to marry or buy out, which is to say, pay a bit of gold to cancel the contract before a certain date –the due date I mentioned. And it's not certain a general contract has to be fulfilled; the conditions in the contract can be ridiculous, you see? A son born on the twenty-ninth of February and the light of a new moon, or the couple has to be born exactly fourteen days apart –stuff like that; as long as it's still possible, it can be put in the contract as a requirement. And most families preferred to buy out in the past, should a contract threaten to take effect, so general contracts were something of a moot point anyway, for the most part."
"Alright," Harry said. "So if two people meet the requirements, then that contract can be dissolved by buying out, or fulfilled by marrying. Got it. That's idiotic, but not unusual for purebloods. So now that I know what you are talking about, what's that got to do with me?"
"Ouch. Well, as long as the contract isn't activated, either family can buy out and dissolve the contract in its entirety, even if there is no one in the other family the contract applies to. Anyway, it just so happens that you are one of at least two candidates for a contract for the Blacks."
"You said something about Ranks," Harry recalled, slowly understanding what his friend was talking about.
"Yes, exactly. Well, these contracts, they were set up by purebloods. Which means they assign ranks according to one's relation to the family in question. In your case, your grandmother was a Black –Dorea, to be precise –married to Charlus Potter. Which would make you the grandchild of a Black, a Third Rank under normal circumstances, and unsuitable for the contract. A child of a Black would be a Second Rank if a suitable member of the Blacks existed, which would be a First Rank." Neville made a pregnant pause. "However, right now, you are considered a Second Rank, likely because a previous Head of House acknowledged your relation to the family. Think of it as that Head saying, 'That Harry Potter, that is one fine boy and paragon of the Blacks.' There is one other Second Rank around, Malfoy, and since no Black is around to be a First Rank, the Second Rank with the best claim at the moment is elevated to First Rank. That's Malfoy right now."
"I didn't know my grandmother was a Black. Didn't notice her on the tapestry," Harry spoke more to himself than Neville, thinking about what he had been told. "Malfoy, then. He's a son of a Black –Narcissa; I saw him on the tapestry, yes. So he's a First Rank?"
"Only since there is no suitable, living Black," Neville reminded Harry, nodding. "Should everything continue as it is, he would either have to marry according to the contract or buy out."
Harry snorted. "Okay, that's kind of funny. Can you imagine Malfoy marrying? Or rather, marrying Greengrass, what with him being with Parkinson? Does Malfoy know already?"
Neville rolled his eyes. "Yes. People of First and Second Rank get informed yearly and exactly a hundred and forty-four days before their birthday. They might have to fulfil the contract, after all, so..."
"Why a hundred and..."
"Forty-four days, Harry. Twelve Goblins and twelve humans of their negotiation committees were present and still alive when the treaty was signed that gave the goblins the authority in this matter. Now back to topic or we'll never finish; yes, he knows, and has for all his life. He might have to marry according to the contract, yes, unless the contract is dissolved before the due date, which in this case is the day the younger of the contracted parties becomes a fully recognized member of the family –usually the seventeenth birthday."
"Well, fine, but what's that got to do with me? It's Malfoy and Greengrass, neither of whom is someone I'd call a friend. And anyway, what could I do?" Harry grumbled half-heartedly. "Just once, I'd like to watch from the side-lines, Neville, and not be part of the action. Then I could send Greengrass my condolences and be done with it." Harry chuckled a bit at that thought. "Do you think they sell cards for that? 'Sorry you had to marry the idiot?'" He shook his head. "Right, so... that's what Bulstrode wanted? To tell you... me about this contract with Greengrass because she couldn't get in contact with me?"
Neville bit his lip. "Well, should Malfoy die before the due date, or is bitten by a werewolf or something like that, then he won't be eligible anymore, and then you might have to step in. And Greengrass too has known all her life, but had expected the Malfoys to buy out. A reasonable assumption -that is what practically every family does -but they've fallen on hard times with Draco's father imprisoned and their accounts frozen. That's a problem, you see, because the Malfoys would need have to be worth as much -it's a sacrifice here and now, not ten years in the future or from someone else, so borrowing the money is out. Greengrass fears they might decide to go through with it to get their hands on some of her gold, either through marriage or by having her dissolve the contract. That might be why the Malfoys are stalling right now. That's why Greengrass is interested in meeting you, the new player, and one who might be useful to her. Since you might have to fulfil the contract, you can dissolve it on behalf of the Blacks. I think that's what Greengrass is aiming for –you buying out. That would free her and she would earn a bit of gold. Well, she wants to talk to you about it and suggested Gringotts, but she wants to keep it secret for the time being, especially from the Malfoys. If her fears are correct, they might try to intervene otherwise."
"Well, I think I get it now. Unless something happens to Malfoy, I'm good, but I can still do something for Greengrass," Harry summed up. "And these contracts, am I right in assuming they are magically binding?" he asked, following a shrewd feeling.
Neville nodded. "Yes, they are."
"Of course they are," Harry sighed, scratching his head. "Of course purebloods would use magically binding contracts. Why not... why not simply trust the other side to keep their word?"
"Promises can be broken?" Neville offered half-heartedly. "But there is something bothering me –your rank. If you were simply the grandson of a Black, you would be a Third Rank and out of trouble. Even in the worst case, with Malfoy dying, you would still be a Third Rank and improper for the purposes of the contract. With the recognition by a previous Head of the House, you are a Second Rank now, which is rare, but not unheard of. It might spawn questions, though. But the letter Greengrass received indicated you could somehow trump Malfoy's claim; it mentioned a potential candidate of Second Rank, and that doesn't make any sense; you are younger than he is, and you aren't a Black by birth. Unless something happens to Malfoy, he should be the only potential candidate." Neville started pacing. "You inherited a lot from the Blacks, you said?"
Harry nodded. "Dumbledore said so when he brought me here, yes, but I don't know what I got exactly, yet; he only said Sirius left me everything he owned. What does it matter?"
"When he...? Never mind." Frowning, Neville walked a bit further, Harry following him. "Well, if Mr. Black had left you a lot or even everything he owned... that'd be enough recognition to elevate you to Second Rank alright, but nothing more. Why would you be a potential...?" With a jolt, Neville whirled around. "Mr. Black was the Head of House, and the title passed to you! Of course, he was the last of the Blacks; it's reasonable that you'd inherit the title as well."
Confusion spread across Harry's face. He had talked about his family with Sirius, but never had they spoken about that. "Sirius never mentioned... well, stuff like that."
Neville chuckled for a while, shaking his head. "Oh, but he was! Yes, that would make sense. Hah! Oh, what wouldn't I give to see Malfoys face when he realizes that."
"Care to explain?" Harry asked.
"Well, alright. By making you his heir, Mr. Black also passed the Headship to you. For the purposes of the contract, the Head of House is also an original member of the family, a Black in this case. Someone who is to lead the House is effectively the house. With you being underage, you cannot claim the title of Head of House and logically aren't a Black, yet –you are a Second Rank at the moment. Normally, the Headship would rest until you are of age –seventeen, that is."
"Yes, Dumbledore mentioned that too. Coming of age at seventeen, I mean."
"... Dumbledore mentioned that," Neville repeated disbelievingly. "One of the most influential wizards of our time told you about the coming of age. What, did he sit you down over a cup of tea?"
"Err," Harry said, "it was a glass of mead, actually."
"One day, I will make you tell me these stories," Neville sighed. "So you would gain the Headship on your birthday. The thing is, Malfoy is younger than Greengrass –he's born fifth of June –and the contract would take effect once both candidates are fully recognized members of the family – can sign contracts and things like that in its stead. But then, there is no current Head of House Black. As such, you can gain your Headship earlier, or rather, you can be the Acting Head of House for a short moment, for example to sign off on some business deal that cannot be postponed; nothing major, though, just a few Galleons. Gran mentioned it once, since... anyway." He shook his head. Harry guessed where the comment would have gone –Neville's parents. "It would mean nothing, really, but as long as you are Acting Head, you are a fully recognized member of the House, even if it is only a moment in time before you step down from the position with the deal signed. Now then, if you were to take on the Headship –become the Acting Head for a while –before June fifth, Malfoys birthday, you would be old enough and of First Rank for a time, and with a better claim than Malfoy who'd be demoted to Second Rank. If Greengrass were an adult at that time, the contract would have found a match –Greengrass and you, respectively –and you'd have to marry her; the contract wouldn't allow you to step down before it would be replaced with a personalized contract for Greengrass and you and would keep you stuck as Acting Head. If you were take up the Headship after the fifth, it'd be Draco who would have to deal with the contract. You can actively influence the outcome of the contract."
"... That's really idiotic," Harry pointed out. "Could it be any more complicated?"
"That's how purebloods work sometimes. It's all about sticking to the rules. But it isn't that complicated. There are five possible outcomes. Draco buys out, Greengrass does or, well, you. Well, the family buys out in the candidate's name since signing the settlement requires a fully recognized member of the family, but..." Neville shook his head. "Otherwise, if you become Acting Head of House before June fifth..."
"I'd be me who'd have to marry Greengrass, otherwise Draco has to?"
"No. If you claim the headship before Malfoy's birthday, but after Greengrass', only then would you have to marry her. If you only do something before she comes of age or after he does, nothing changes and Malfoy has to marry her. See? Not complicated, just highly unusual."
"This is so weird to think about," Harry sighed. "I'll have a headache tomorrow. Are purebloods always so..."
Neville shrugged. "Not normally, no. This is just a highly unusual situation with you inheriting the title without being of age and a marriage contract waiting for its activation on the day both are fully recognized members of their families. That's two separate issues muddled together –without the inheritance, you wouldn't have that influence on the outcome, perhaps even be a Third Rank; without the contract, you would have just gained the title of Head of House on your birthday. With both combined and another candidate currently having a better claim, you get such weird results."
Harry shook his head. "You know, these traditions stink. Fine, I'll talk with Greengrass, but you're coming with me. There's no chance I'd find my way through this muddle otherwise. Fine, let's see what Mrs. Weasley has to say about it."
"You want to tell her?" Neville raised his eyebrows.
"Well... in a way, yes." Harry's eyes moved to the Burrow as he walked along the edges of the pond. "Why didn't you want to talk about it in front of the others, by the way? Wouldn't they have known what this was about?"
Neville sighed. "Well, nothing against them, of course. But... it's a private business between Greengrass and you. I can't simply decide with whom to share it, and Greengrass wants to keep it quiet so the Malfoys don't know what is going on. Also, as much as I... Well, think about Hermione. She wouldn't let me leave until she has learned everything about it. With purebloods, one things leads to another, and unless I'd have escaped her somehow, she would have kept me here for days. Gran waits for me at home. And knowing Hermione's stance on house-elves, do you think she'd have been delighted to hear about it?"
Harry had reached the kitchen door and entered. Hermione was cutting carrots, Ginny set the table and Ron, from the sound of it, was still washing his hands. Typical.
"Err, Mrs. Weasley? I was wondering whether I could go to Gringotts in the next few days? I have a small business matter to take care of there." He felt slightly bad about the lie, but it wasn't his secret to share. Besides, he knew he wouldn't be allowed to go if he told the Weasleys just what he wanted to do, of that he was sure. Following a sudden inspiration, Harry added, "For example, Friday? While the rest of you buy the books? We'd be in Diagon Alley anyway, and all I'd have to do would be go in."
The woman stared at him for a long time before answering. "Well, I don't know. We already have your gold, you know? Bill was kind enough to get; you don't need to go there..."
"It isn't about gold. I... there are some formalities pertaining Sirius' inheritance. I really think I should take care of that, and Neville already offered to organize a room, so there's that." The boy in question squeaked, but Harry continued as if he hadn't heard anything. "Most of the stuff we have to buy is books, supplies, and robes; you don't need my input for the first two, and the second can be dealt with first."
Maybe it came from years of having to look after the twins, but Mrs. Weasley threw him a suspicious glance. Harry gave his best to not look guilty telling himself he hadn't done anything wrong. Not your secret, he repeated in his head, but it didn't sound completely sincere.
Finally, Mrs. Weasley relented. With a shrug, she added, "Well, I'll have Bill escort you to us as soon as you are finished. That is not negotiable, Harry. We have to think of your safety; Sirius wouldn't have wanted for you to walk into a trap just because he left you unfinished business."
The days had passed faster than Harry would have liked. He had managed to evade both the Weasleys' and, more astonishing, Hermione's questions, but mostly by focusing their attention on the homework assignments. It had the unwelcome side effect that he hadn't had the opportunity to read in Smith's book much. So far he had only gotten an overview of an approach to Occlumency that centred around redirecting the intrusion. It would work, but mostly for people with highly structured minds, but low creativity. That combination led to bland uniform memories that were easy to switch. Harry doubted it would work properly for him.
Finally, Friday came, and it brought a cold morning and a clear sky. It was very difficult to escape Hermione's curiosity so close to the visit to Gringotts, especially after he had received Neville's letter to inform him of the time of the meeting the day before. Ron had never been a morning person, and had been really grumpy the previous evening when the change of plans had been announced –due to Harry's excursion to the wizarding bank, their visit had been rescheduled to begin as soon as the stores opened. Ginny had taken it better than her brother, but mainly because she hoped to wheedle a few additional minutes in Diagon Alley out of Mrs. Weasley. Harry had wished Ginny luck, and both had gone their separate ways –Ginny to talk to Hermione and Harry to sneak into the kitchen for a late meal. Hermione however had been very interested in Harry's business ever since Neville's visit and had tried to charm it out of her best friend; since he knew her well enough to recognize the signs, he had managed to keep his secret. Until now. Breakfast was in full swing, and Hermione was busy securing some food for herself, but her eyes repeatedly shifted to Harry. He knew her mind was racing, trying to find the angle that would grant her the answers she sought.
At half past nine, Mrs. Weasley rose. "Alright. Half an hour. Ginny, would you help me clean up? Ron, I've seen that! Hermione, do you have your list? Arthur, could you please... thank you. Harry, I've laid out one of Arthur's robes for you. If you are doing business with the goblins, you might as well look like it."
"Ah, thanks, Mrs. Weasley." Reading Hermione's expression, he quickly slipped up the stairs. Trust Mrs. Weasley to give her such a good lead-in. Still, when he saw the robe she meant for him, he decided to forgive her. It was obviously one of the best pieces they owned, a very fine fabric shimmering slightly in the light. He would have to find a way to repay the favour in some way. He slipped it on. It fit better than he would have expected. This wasn't Mr. Weasley's robe anymore; his wife had altered it, no doubt. Harry really needed to repay the favour.
"Looks good," Hermione commented. He hadn't heard her stepping up to the door. Cornered like the prey he felt he was.
"Thanks, I do try to stay in shape."
"Well, don't. You could use a few more pounds," she countered.
"Potters always stay thin. Sirius said so." Crap. Why did he have to give her openers as well? "Lupin too. I'm not sure, but I think Pomfrey scolds me for it every time I see her, right before adding that Dad was the same."
"Right. Sirius would have said something like that," she spoke in what seemed like an innocent voice. "We haven't had time to really talk the last few days. Strange, you know, considering we're stuck here all day."
"Homework, it had to be done. I didn't hear you complaining," Harry tried.
"Which was downright bizarre to see you proposing to do homework. I know you had a lot finished already before we began."
"You weren't complaining," he repeated.
"Only because it meant getting Ron to work. Merlin knows without you there, he'd have tried to sneak off. Boys, honestly."
"Now, that's sexist, and you know it," Harry chuckled.
"I can live with it. But anyway, it still meant not talking to you as much as I would have liked. I never got to ask you what you were discussing with Neville. He seemed to have a lot of surprises for you for simple inheritance issues and 'painfully boring nonsense', as Neville put it."
"You watched us? Curiosity killed the cat, Hermione. Well, that's what it is, though, boring nonsense. My inheritance brought up some issues I want to look at. Contracts, obligations, that kind of stuff. It doesn't look like I have to do something, but I think it's something I should take a look at –better be safe than sorry. To get an overview of the situation. Neville arranged the meeting because with... you know... well, he would know about it." He felt bad about his misdirection. He hadn't lied, technically. His inheritance had brought up the issue. It was about a contract, but one Hermione would be equally unfamiliar with. And Neville knew about them due to him being a pureblood.
"Well, yes, but shouldn't you take someone with you? Bill? Or perhaps the Headmaster. In case something does come up?"
"Ah, don't worry. In a year, I will have to decide things like that all by myself anyway; I'll have to stand on my own two feet."
Hermione frowned. "And you think you are prepared for it? And anyway, Neville did look far too tense for some small matter. Ron may not have noticed it, and Mrs. Weasley trusts you too much to question you as much as she should. But I don't have these problems or reservations. There is something you're not telling me, I know it. I can read you. So what is up?"
Caught. Harry considered his options. He couldn't tell her about the contract. First of all, he wasn't sure whether it was his secret to share similar to how he didn't tell her about the guy talk in the dorm. And second of all, with her position in regards to wizarding traditions, she'd be very irritated over something neither could change. She might even insist on joining him or might make pointed statements around the house, something he couldn't allow if he wanted to avoid suspicion. But he could tell her something. "Well, alright. I'll tell you a bit about it, but, Hermione, you have to keep quiet. No talking to the Weasleys or Dumbledore."
"I don't... Harry, if it is that serious, you really should..."
"No. It isn't really... look, Sirius made me his heir. Left me everything he had, basically. Neville pointed out that since Sirius had been Head of House, the title would have passed to me as well; I will automatically become the Head of House Black when I turn seventeen. But then, since there are no Blacks left apart from those who married into other houses, I may be allowed to do something before then. There is something called Acting Head of House for small business matters that can't be postponed. As to why I don't want Dumbledore or the Weasleys poking in... It is my family, or it will be, one day. It is something personal. Sirius left it to me, not Dumbledore or the Weasleys. It is mine and my decision." Again, sidestepping the truth, he managed a halfway convincing smile. "I want to know what I can do, and I don't want someone breathing over my shoulder."
"I... alright. I won't tell," she told him with a sad smile.
"You okay, Harry?"
"Yeah, Neville. Thanks for being here, I don't think I could deal with this without someone at my side who knows what is going on." He pulled the collar of his shirt.
"Can't let you walk in there alone or Gran would have my hide."
Harry made a noncommittal sound, glancing around the room.
"Ah, almost forgot," Neville spoke up. "I asked Gran about it, about becoming the Acting Head of House. I made it sound like a follow-up on her thoughts."
"Right, good idea. And?"
"Well, it's like I told you. You can be Acting Head of House. For example, if you have to sign some documents for the family. It doesn't really have all that much power to it, but you could still become Acting Head. Once the deal is done, you'd automatically resign. Well, that's why you are a potential candidate, though. Not something you should mention, of course, but at least we know the reason now."
"So I could become Acting Head for occasions like signing the buy-out agreement," Harry said, cottoning on. "Makes sense."
Neville blinked. "No, everything but that one. To sign it, you'd have to be the Acting Head; once you are, the contract considers you as the one to fulfil it for the Blacks –you couldn't step down, and the settlement would be void. You'd automatically resign as Acting Head and would be a Second Rank once more. Now that I think about it, I'm not even sure you could sign the settlement as Acting Head of House. There isn't a lot of power to the position."
Harry was about to comment, but was interrupted when the door opened. In walked a dour goblin, a ledger under his arm. Two girls followed him. Bulstrode looked exactly like Harry remembered her. Still every bit as broad-shouldered and reminding him of a troll, she had opted for simple robes of black to hide her bulky body. She hadn't succeeded. Her companion was also easily recognisable, even if he hadn't paid her a lot of attention in school. She had chosen rather more revealing clothes than Harry had expected, but he didn't mind. To each their own, he guessed; it was summer, after all, and he could imagine Greengrass preferring lighter clothes in the heat. And she did have a form to fit it to. Her brown hair framing her face rather more than he'd seen in school seemed slightly curly at the tips. Being home had also given her a bit of a tan, and he did notice the rich blue colour of her eyes.
"Well then," the goblin began. "I am Grobuk. House Black is present." He nodded at Harry. "House Greengrass is present." He inclined his head in the girls' direction. "The topic is the marriage contract between Phineas Nigellus Black and Alphonse Greengrass, signed 18th of November 1891."
"Great, him," Harry sighed. "Phineas Nigellus. Knew he'd have something to do with it."
"Yes. As is custom, since House Greengrass requested the negotiation, they may begin." The goblin sat down and, after pulling it out from his ledger, threw a piece of parchment on the table.
Greengrass blinked. "Ah, yes. Good to see you, Potter. Nice of you to agree to this meeting, and I hope we will find a satisfactory solution for all involved. You know Bulstrode, of course; she helped me set up this meeting."
"Yes, I know her. You really left an impression last school year, Bulstrode," Harry replied, still slightly sore about the large girl joining the Inquisitorial Squad, and he was pleased to see a faint blush on the girl's face. Feeling Neville give him a slight nudge, he added, "And you are familiar with Neville, of course, since you got him involved. Since I trust him, I asked him to join us."
Greengrass nodded slightly, sitting down in her chair. "Well, Longbottom explained the situation to you, I hope?"
"He did," Harry told her, watching her closely for signs of deception. "You are contractually obliged to marry someone from House Black unless someone pays to have the contract dissolved. You want to find out whether I'd do you the favour. The other from House Black is Draco Malfoy, and you suspect he might either not be willing or capable of helping you there. You suspect it's the former."
She frowned and shifted slightly in her chair. "Straight to the point, that is what I'm facing and also why I asked to meet you, yes, but neither the only reason for the meeting nor the only option I have left. I'm only checking whether we can work something out. I have to say, though, I was rather surprised when your name came up while I was searching for the mysterious candidate of Second Rank. I wasn't aware of any connection you had with House Black. I'm guessing you were recognized only recently as part of that family?"
Shrugging slightly, Harry nodded, but Neville answered for him. "It was only recently, yes, and without you pointing us towards it, he might not have known for a while still."
"I also didn't know about contracts, much less of this one," Harry added.
"I guessed as much," Greengrass admitted, "especially since it doesn't affect the Potters. It is rare for someone to be elevated to a higher Rank, and even rarer so close to the due date. If you have a question, feel free to ask. I'd be happy to help you." She shifted slightly.
"Well, I do have a question. Why should I get involved?" Harry spoke up. "The way I see it, the best course of action for me would be to stay as far away from this mess as I can. There is only a small risk the contract will ever matter to me, and I do have a window of at least a month after Malfoy's birthday to get a settlement in place should Malfoy be unsuitable for one reason or another. And there also doesn't seem to be any hurry to deal with it; you still have ten months left. Not to be overly rude, but the contract is your problem; I have my own. No need for me to trouble myself with it, at least not now. In the worst case, I'd still have over a month after Malfoy's birthday to come up with something."
She sent him a mysterious smile. "Well, I have a plan that might catch your attention... a plan that we might both like." She leaned forward, her robes falling loose around her.
Harry didn't have to look. Dean had occasionally voiced his envy of Harry's peripheral vision, and it did have its perks. But then, he had played Quidditch over three years with three girls, all of whom were less than overly prudish while changing into their robes. Had she expected him to fall over himself because a bit of skin? Admittedly, it was nice skin, but he wouldn't fall for that so easily; he did have other things on his mind, the looming war being the top priority. Instead, he gestured for her to continue, and added, "Go on, then. What is your plan?"
She blinked, but caught herself quickly. "Well, I have known all my life about the contract. Many families have one or two unresolved arrangements. Almost all opt to dissolve it. I had expected the Malfoys to buy out since I know they had plans for the future as well, but recent... developments may have put these plans in jeopardy. You see, the sum depends on the families affected, and since both the Greengrasses and the Blacks had been wealthy at the time of the signing –and with Mr. Lucius Malfoy, their Head of House, unfortunately imprisoned –they might decide to go through with it, or more likely, expect the Greengrasses to buy out, earning the Malfoys a decent amount of gold. Currently, they are stalling."
"It is still not my problem," Harry pointed out. "If they can't do it, why not offer to buy out? If the Malfoys want it, what is the problem with that?"
"Well, House Greengrass doesn't have the funds available on such a short notice, unfortunately. It was almost guaranteed the Malfoys would buy out, after all, and all of our funds are tied up at the moment." Greengrass raised an eyebrow, and her smile grew. "However, you could make it your problem. Since you are eligible to fulfil the contract, you could offer to buy out to save yourself from the risk, no matter how small it may seem. If you do dissolve it, you ensure your... well, freedom, in case something stopped Malfoy from respecting his obligations. That is my plan. You buy out. Malfoy won't have a chance to disagree, House Greengrass will be happy..."
"... And get a bit of gold, I assume?" Harry interrupted.
"Well, indeed, but then, there is no reason there can't be a second business arrangement on the side, which is another reason for you to help me with this matter. We could have House Greengrass give House Black a security of considerable worth, for example," she tried. "Perhaps an heirloom."
"I have more than enough trinkets to last a lifetime," Harry pointed out. Well, to last his lifetime, but they didn't need to know that.
"Or we could write a contract to make House Greengrass to pay a certain amount of gold should I ever marry someone –for example, the settlement price with interest. Or to have to pay should I celebrate my twenty-fifth birthday. That would give my family enough time to get the money, including the interest."
Harry perked up. "Ah. So if I buy out today, you'd pay me back tomorrow. A loan, basically, even if it isn't written as such." He felt the pieces fall into place. He didn't really care about the money, but she did have a point. As long as the terms were reasonable, he could secure House Black a nice future income with little risk. Whether he could use the gold or not, he could still pass it on to his heirs.
"Well, that was the idea, yes," Greengrass confirmed, apparently glad he hadn't been more hostile. "I do believe it is a good idea for both of us, and the eight years are also enough time to avoid any rumours about an underhanded deal of sorts. No one even needs to know about the 'loan', as you called it." Greengrass smiled softly. "We both would get the looming contract out of our way. In the short run, House Greengrass would gain a bit of gold, in the long run, it would repay the debt. I get my freedom, you get gold."
Neville coughed, drawing attention to him. "And just who would have to pay that loan back?"
Harry stared at him. His friend had raised a good point, Harry realized, as he thought about it. Better safe than sorry, so to speak, and even more so since he was dealing with a Slytherin. If he wanted the gold, he needed to make sure she had no loopholes to abuse.
Greengrass rolled her eyes. "House Black and House Greengrass, of course. We could disguise it as a bet I will lose without a doubt. That way, I would have to pay my debt, and no one needs to know just why. I can cite humiliation or something equally flimsy if necessary, or come up with a reasonable excuse. It's not like I won't have time to think of something. With that done, it is a simple enough matter –we set up the necessary parchment to dissolve this marriage contract, we both get someone from our families to sign the papers for the Houses and then..."
"Wait," Harry interrupted. "Why have someone else sign it?"
It was funny, in a weird way, to see both Bulstrode and Greengrass blink so rapidly, trying to grasp his question. In the end, it was Neville who leaned over and whispered to Harry, "Neither of you can; I explained that earlier, remember? It has to be done by fully recognized members of the family. If you wait for your birthday, the contract will already be active with Malfoy. If you, Harry, try to sign the dissolving agreement as Acting Head of House Black before Malfoy's birthday... well, the first thing, before anything else, would be this contract, and once it's active, you can't dissolve it, voiding the settlement you wanted to sign in the first place. Without anything to keep you as such, you'd resign as Acting Head, but the settlement would still be void. And that's assuming you could sign it as Acting Head, which I'm not so sure about."
"Longbottom has filled you in?" Greengrass asked with a frown that he didn't like. True, he had made a few mistakes as far as he could tell, but he still thought he had done well, especially considering he had had no idea of any of these procedures a week ago. Did she expect him to be born with this knowledge?
... Well, perhaps, since she had probably been taught these things from her childhood. Was that why purebloods looked down on Muggleborns? Because they didn't act according to etiquettes they had no idea existed? Shouldn't it be the job of... someone, really, to teach these rules to them? That sounded like a good idea for Hogwarts. He'd have to remember that thought for his next talk with Dumbledore.
Was it odd to consider a talk with one of the most influential wizard of the time as normalcy?
Harry nodded, returning to the present meeting. "He did, yes. So you want me to dissolve and get an adult to sign the settlement for me. In return, you would pay me back sometime in the future –or rather, House Greengrass would." A good plan, or in theory, at least.
Greengrass smiled. A nice smile, in Harry's opinion, but then, it was probably the first time in a while that she had a reason to. "That is what I had in mind," she replied, "yes. You do see the benefit of it, don't you? The way I see it, we both get something we want. You dissolve the contract; in return, you will secure a sizable amount of gold for House Black at a future date. I pay you back with interest and get my freedom. It is a deal, nothing more."
Harry peered at her over his glasses. She seemed genuine, and even though Hermione had called him out on his tendency to help people, he would have liked to go along with the plan, partly to see how much he could get out of it. She needed him more than the other way around. But it wasn't to be. "I don't think it'll work. I'm sorry I can't help you there." He rose to his feet. "I wish you luck, Miss Greengrass. You still have time to come up with a solution, after all. We will see each other at Hogwarts in a few weeks, I guess?"
Blinking, she jumped up. "No need to rush your decision, Potter. And I can assure you we will find a solution; after all, I only made the suggestion with that loan, as you called it. I'm sure we can find something else; there has to be something you want. How about that? Since you'd do me a favour, I could do the same. You help me and I help you."
He heard the urgency in her voice. Well, he couldn't fault her. Having to marry Malfoy... He too would try everything he could to get out of it. "I don't rush my decision. I was merely stating a fact. The settlement has to be signed by a relative? Probably with ties to the Blacks?"
Beside him, Neville hummed. He had understood Harry's train of thought, but it left Harry wondering why no one else had thought of that. Greengrass and Bulstrode might not know it, but Neville at least should have realized Harry would not get one of the remaining Blacks to sign the settlement, not after Harry had helped send Lucius Malfoy to Azkaban in June.
Greengrass nodded curtly. "Yes, with ties to House Black. I don't see the problem, though."
"Well," Harry continued. "Of the Blacks, only Narcissa and Bellatrix remain. Their other sister who I've forgotten the name of has been cast out of the family, and I doubt she would be acceptable as a representative for House Black."
Neville shook his head slowly. "Very unlikely. She was disowned, right? If so, then she can't act for the Blacks. It would make the settlement easily disputable. And if there is one thing purebloods like, it's getting their peers in trouble without any risk to themselves. No, the third Black sister won't work."
Harry continued. "That leaves either Narcissa Malfoy or Bellatrix Lestrange. I seriously doubt that I can convince either one to do me a favour. The latter is not only an escaped prisoner, but also loyal to a man who thinks I'm his mortal enemy. Bellatrix is also unhinged and will likely hate me as well after we met at the Ministry –she doesn't like to lose, I think. Narcissa Malfoy on the other hand doesn't really like me to begin with, and after last June, she'll be even less willing to do me any favour. If they want you to buy out, they won't help me with the contract. And even if they don't, they're working for Voldemort," Harry ignored the shivers from the girls, "and handing me over would be far more profitable than getting Draco's freedom. Either way, talking to Narcissa Malfoy is an enormous risk, especially since you still have some time left before it gets pressing.
"And lastly, I have no relatives who could be coerced into signing anything for anyone under any circumstance short of threatening them with death, and that's ignoring they are no Blacks. In essence, since I have no one who could sign for me, so any talk would be useless. Or am I wrong?"
Beside him, Neville shook his head. "You aren't. You can't sign, and if no one can do it for House Black... No, Harry, you are right. I'm sorry I didn't think of it before."
Harry waved it off. "Ah, don't sweat it."
Grobuk jumped up. "Are you finished then with this exercise in futility?"
Harry didn't pay him any mind. Goblins were goblins, simple as that, and part of their culture seemed to be their bad-tempered personality. Instead, he searched Greengrass' eyes. He felt like he should say something to her, like it was the right thing to not just leave her without a few parting words. It wasn't her fault they couldn't go through with the plan, and he did want to help her, but he also couldn't see anything that might solve the problem. "I am truly sorry. Maybe you can convince the Malfoys to do it. Should work, right?"
She laughed humorously and rolled her eyes. "If they had the money, they would buy out, remember?"
He hadn't until she had said it. Great, she was really in trouble, and he had all the reasons to feel a bit guilty, even if he knew logically that is also wasn't his fault he had no relatives he was on speaking terms with; and he was only partly to blame for the simple fact that all of the surviving Blacks hated him. Harry hadn't made Lucius Malfoy a criminal, and Bellatrix couldn't solely blame him for the defeat that night, could she?
Well, she probably did anyway. Didn't he have enough maniacs out for his blood already?
Nodding to Greengrass, he sent her a small smile. "Well, you still have about ten months left. That should be enough time for you to see whether the Malfoys can't pay or don't want to. If it's the former..." He left the sentence hanging. "I'm not making any promises. I'm truly sorry I can't help you right now. Perhaps one of your other options works out for you."
She nodded slowly.
Well, that's that. Hary was finally informed about the contract, has a decent idea about where to go with Occlumency, had time to talk with Neville, and met Greengrass, even if he couldn't help her in the end.
.
Since it was asked what the Malfoys might want, there are a number of ways it could play out:
The Greengrasses can somehow get enough money to buy out (has to happen before Daphne's birthday, the 19th of December) -Malfoy gets money.
The Greengrasses can somehow get the money, but don't buy out, but the Malfoys can -Malfoy has enough time to act and buy out himself (until the 5th of June, Draco's birthday)
The Greengrasses cannot get the money, but the Malfoys can and don't want to - wedding bells with Draco getting access to whatever the Greengrasses might have in terms of wealth in the future. And keep in mind, just because there is no better match for Draco at the moment does not mean one might show up later. there might not be divorces, but there are widowers.
Neither the Greengrasses nor the Malfoys can get the money to buy out -wedding bells, although neither might fancy the other.
If the Malfoys want either the Greengrasses to buy out or the contract to activate with Draco (both would earn them money, either a large sum at once or a constant income of whatever Draco can redirect), then Harry has very little chance of getting them to dissolve for him. If the Malfoys want out of the contract, but can't, it would still be a question of either helping Harry or handing him over to Voldemort; that would be very rewarding in itself. The Malfoys also have over six months to come up with the gold after Daphne's birthday, and that's assuming they really don't have it at the moment. Daphne heard they're poor, how much they have stashed in their house or might get by selling trinkets and heirlooms Daphne might not know.
Also keep in mind the Greengrasses might not have a lot of gold in their vault at the moment, but they also have Daphne's father, who apparently causes considerable property damage on a regular basis, thus creating a money sink. Remove the father from the equation -keep him busy elsewhere with a job, say -and they might actually be worth something sometime.
.
Changed the talk at Gringotts to include an explanation as to why Harry doesn't simply reinstate Andromeda -lack of power of the position as Acting Head -as well as the possibility for Harry to revisit the topic should all else fail for Daphne. I also changed the phrasing slightly to make it less stuffy and added another reason for Harry not to talk to the Malfoys -they work for Voldemort, handing Harry over is far more rewarding than getting Draco out of a contract. Lastly, I stressed the point that the threat is not actually imminent right now. Until Draco's birthday, Daphne can still try to get the Malfoys to dissolve the contract.
Also added an explanation of the possible ways the Malfoys might want to use the contract.
Included a patch in Neville's explanation of contracts as to why Harry doesn't simply lend the Greengrasses the money -it's a sacrifice. The family needs to be worth as much, and since promises are cheap, the gold needs to come out of the family's vaults, not borrowed from others. If the Malfoys have to pay 25,000 Galleons, they'll need to have 25,000 Galleons, not the promise of 25,000 Galleons once they get their spoils of war or some other time in the future.
Fixed a mistake in Daphne's dialogue about who'd have to repay the settlement price. It's now correctly the Greengrasses paying House Black and is the correct answer to the previous line.