Meanwhile in Mystic Falls, a very different conversation was being held. Not in the Forbes' house, but Elena Gilbert's… Elijah had finally tracked her down and got himself invited in by her Aunt Jenna, under the pretense of working with the Mayor on researching historical sightings of the Founders. Now he had the doppelganger alone in her bedroom, "wanting a chat."
"-Forgive the intrusion, I mean your family no harm."
"-Why did you kill those Vampires when they tried to take me?" asked Elena, for she had tried to surrender herself earlier.
"-Because I didn't want you to be taken," answered the elder Vampire, sitting down on the padded windowsill. "Klaus is the most feared and hated of the Originals. Those that fear him are desperate for his approval. Word of the Doppelganger exists gets out? There will be a line of Vampire waiting to take you to him, and I can't have that."
Elena was confused, "-Isn't that what you are trying to do?"
"-Let's just say…my goal is not to break the Curse."
Elijah went on to tell her that Klaus' obsessions had made him crazy and unpredictable. Which had caused him to leave his inner circle of followers and Loyalists. Elena then guessed Elijah's plan to use her as bait to draw Klaus out.
The Original gave a soft smile before saying, "Well in order to do that, I need you to stay put and stop trying to get yourself killed."
"-How do I know you are telling the truth?"
"-Well if I wasn't being truthful? All of your family would be dead, and I would be taking you and Hen-Harry to Klaus right now. Instead, I'm here, and I'm prepared to offer you a deal."
"-Leave Harry out of this. He has enough problems already with the entire British wizarding community trying to find him before an escaped mass Murder does."
Elijah's eyes briefly darkened in anger, as he mentally filed that information away for later. "-Getting back to the deal?"
"-What kind of a deal?"
The Vampire stood up and walked around the room, inspecting it as he explained, "-Do nothing, do nothing and live your life. Then when the time is right, you and I shall draw Klaus out together. And I shall make certain that your friends will remain unharmed."
"-And then what?" said Elena, wanting to know the catch.
"-Then I kill him," Elijah finished,
"-Just like that?"
"-Just like that," he confirmed," I'm a man of my word Elena. I make a deal, I keep a deal."
"-How are you going to be able to keep everyone safe?" she asked.
"-You know, I noticed you have a friend, Bonnie? Is it? She seems to possess the gift of magic, like Harry-"
"-Harry is not supposed to use his powers. He was rescued from an abusive situation not even four months ago. Where his magical core was shot, from an enormous burst of accidental magic and years of trying to keep his health from deteriorating. He's only now starting to stabilize and rebuild both his body and his life."
The Original's black pupils dilated fully as he tried to reel in his anger before it exploded in a blind rage all over his face and the room. Alerting the other occupants of the house to his presence after he'd supposedly gone.
"-Regardless," he said once he could speak again. "I have other friends with similar gifts."
"-You know witches," Elena stated.
"-Yes, and I'm sure between all of us, we will find a way to keep everyone safe. Do we have a deal?"
Elena took a step towards him, thinking of Stefan who had recently found himself trapped earlier in the cursed tomb with Katherine. "-I want one more thing."
Elijah raised an eyebrow, "You're negotiating?
...
After having the spell lifted, freeing Stefan Salvatore and compelling Katerina to stay put. Elijah Mikealson later found himself following a familiar scent which led him to a lit outside basketball court on the high school grounds.
"-Five more minutes Harry!" Caroline called from the bleachers, "I promised Mom, we'd be home by six!"
"-That's fine! I want to see if I can make a basket!"
"-Honestly Harry? I don't see why you insist on playing out here in the cold weather, when it's warmer in the gym!" she said, slightly shivering through her warm coat.
Harry shrugged as he tossed the ball,
"-This is nothing compared to the English or Scottish winter, and I'm used to playing the wizarding sport Quidditch in all kinds of crazy weather, including a wind, rain and thunder storm."
"-That sounds rather dangerous" said Elijah flashing onto the court, catching the ball with his hand.
"-Harry! Stay behind me!" ordered Caroline as she whooshed in front of the boy to protect him. "What do you want?"
The Original sighed, growing tired of this reaction. "-Caroline Forbes is it?"
she just glared,
"I recently made a deal with one, Elena Gilbert. Both you and young Harry are now under my protection, as long as she keeps her end of the deal. I mean you no harm-"
"-Bullshite!" said Harry, not buying it for one minute. His cousin obviously agreeing with him, not budging from her defensive position.
"-I'm a man of my word," said Elijah,
"-Which means nothing to me, I don't trust blindly. Not anymore, and if you expect me to forget what happened, what you tried to do to us a couple days ago in that Mansion? Sorry. You are just going to have to PROVE your word Mr. Mikaelson."
"-I wouldn't even give him that," said Caroline.
The Original seemed to consider this, "-What would I have to do?"
"-For starters, let us go. Now, without any repercussions"
"-Done," answered Elijah as he flashed out of there.
Caroline just gave her cousin a look of astonishment before scooping him up and rushing home.
"-Harry?" she asked later that night, "How did you know he would leave us alone?"
"-I didn't, but he had an air of a pompous Lordship about him, like Lucius Malfoy. In my experience that sort, knows how to say the right thing to get himself out of trouble. But believes and acts the opposite in private."
"-That sounds kind of snobbish of you"
"- Sorry, though I'm a Gryffindor. I do regretfully have some Slytherin tendencies."
"-And that's also the second time you've mentioned that family, what's your deal with them?"
Harry sighed, "-You might want to get comfortable, it's a long story."
By the end of it, Caroline was shaking her head in anger and disgust. "- Wait! So, you're saying, Lucius Malfoy actually got away with placing that- that thing in Ginny's cauldron?"
"-Yes,"
"-But that not fair! Couldn't you have said anything? Or Dobby?"
"-Caroline, in some ways the Wizarding World is still very backward compared to the Muggle. The use of magic has halted the need of technology and electricity for one. The radio is still considered to be a new contraption, never mind television. So, it goes without saying that surveillance cameras do not there exist either. And Dobby is a house elf, they are not considered people in the eyes of the law and they have no rights, as far as I know. Plus, at the time, I despite being "the Boy who lived" was only twelve-years-old, and He was and still is to this day, a very powerful politician. The odds were stacked against me."
His cousin angrily threw her hands up in the air and began pacing. After a few minutes she stopped,
"-I see your point Harry, even if I don't like it. Are you sure you eventually want to go back to that crazy world?"
"-I don't think "Want" is the word. More like "Have to," the Blood Wards Liz had Bonnie cast keep enemies like Voldemort out but… I'm sure they won't keep out people who have "my best interests."
"-Meaning Dumbledore?"
"-And others, it will only be a matter of time before they find me. I'm glad through, I've gotten taste of what it's like to be part of a real family. And the fact that it came from people I actually shared blood with who loved me. Has made it all the more worthwhile."
"-But they can't send you back to Petunia, she signed away her rights. It's a legal document,"
"-That won't matter to some of them, as long as their symbol of hope is back under their thumb and country."
"-Is there anything more we can do?"
"-Not unless we get MACUSA involved,"
"-What's that?"
"-According to Ron, it's the Magical Congress of the United States of America, located in New York."
Caroline's eyes widened as an idea came in. "- So, why don't you wait until Mom's day off, and then you and her can go to them? Explain the situation, and get her to legally adopt you through there. Which will make you a dual citizen. Something to think about"
Harry shrugged
…
Less than a week later, Harry began to feel a little claustrophobic, always having someone watch him.
Sure, he sort of understood where Liz and especially Caroline were coming from, with his and Elena's recent kidnapping. Thank Merlin, they both got back safely. But still, Harry found himself lately, desperately wanting some alone time.
He was home from school now temporarily, and Caroline just texted that she was on her way, having briefly stopped off at the Grill to pick up something for dinner.
Opening up the window and looking outside. It was such a nice day, why not go for a quick flight with Hedwig before she came arrived home? He hadn't done that in ages.
With that thought in mind, Harry raced to his trunk under the bed where the nimbus 2000 was packed.
"-Want to go for a flight girl?" he asked opening her cage.
Hedwig hooted joyfully and soared out the window, while Harry ran downstairs and out the front door. Boarding his broom and taking off, the former Gryffindor Seeker flew high above the trees and houses before joining his faithful winged companion towards a wooded area on the outskirts of town. Where he landed softly, hearing voices.
One of them he recognized was Elena's Aunt Jenna.
"-The old "Fell" property used to be just beyond that fence."
"-Ah, the "Fells," One of the founding Families."
Harry tensed upon hearing the male voice that accompanied her, realizing it to be Elijah.
"-Why do you say it like that?" asked Jenna.
"-My research has showed me that this land was settled nearly two centuries earlier. It was a migration of townsfolk from the northeast. Salem, to be precise." Answered the Original,
"-Massachusetts? As in the witch trials?"
Elijah seemed to agree, "Which means the ever-lording families didn't actually found anything."
There was some more back and forth before Alaric or "Ric" as Harry had taken to calling him joined the duo. Claiming to want to help if he could, being the history teacher. But when the Original stated that he wanted to learn more about the slave properties, Jenna supposedly went back to her car to get the right maps. Leaving the two men to get down to business. After some more clarifying to make sure Elena's deal was still intact. Alaric made it a point to tell him that Jenna was off limits.
To which the Original said "I don't go for younger woman. Now if you'll excuse me Mr. Saltzman, I believe something more important just came up. Please give my apologies to Jenna."
Before flashing out of there and coming face to face with Harry…
"-Are you spying on me, Mr. Potter?"
"-Hardly," said Harry keeping his face neutral. "This is where my familiar wanted to stop and rest before we go back," gesturing to the snowy owl perched on his shoulder.
"-A magnificent animal," said Elijah as he admired its beauty, having not seen its breed in this region before. "What is his name?"
"-Her name is Hedwig," answered Harry, stroking her snowy white feathers to which she then preened.
After a few seconds, the Original sighed.
"-Mr. Potter – Harry. I want to apologize for the first impression I gave you. I am sorry if I brought up any bad memories and my actions reflected that. But I truly mean you no harm-"
"-What about Elena?"
"-Miss Gilbert unfortunately has very heavy burden placed on her because of what she is. I can only do so much to prevent it for the time being, but yes…"
"-Kind of like me, only it's not Vampires, but the Wizarding world."
"-Yes, I heard a little bit about that situation from Miss Elena. I want you to know, I will do everything I can to help."
"-Why?"
"-Because one day Harry-" said Elijah looking earnestly into his eyes.
"-I hope we can be friends…"