Previously on Ragnarok…

"As it is, Malfoy will soon become the Lord Black upon the end of the next month." Daphne stated, ignoring the little smirk on Harry's face, "-his power will dramatically rise, both in and out of Hogwarts, and hence, it is necessary to keep him from causing me problems, and why are you smirking like you won the damned Witch-weekly's most charming smile award?"

Harry grinned, placing his left fist upon the table.

The huge onyx ring on his ring finger glinted.

Daphne's lips curled up in a smile. "Tell me Potter, would you like to be my boyfriend?"


Harry Potter had never boasted about himself being overly intelligent. Hell, he had grown up believing that he was a Freak for ten years at the Dursleys. Upon entering the Wizarding world at the age of eleven, he had been shoved with the mantle of being the 'Boy-who-lived', and had to weave his way through the madhouse called Wizarding Britain. While all of that was true, there was also the fact that the events post the dementor attack had been quite significant for him, and he had begun to slowly understand the way things happened, and why things happened the way they did. He might not have been overtly clever or anything, but he was no fool. This girl, no matter how beautiful she was, or how attractive he found her, also had an agenda. The funny thing was, she had stated it loud and clear.

'I am a neutral, whose life exists on a balance—and my support shifts with the shift of power.'

He liked Greengrass, and was attracted to her. He could agree with that one. However, Daphne Greengrass had proven herself to be a quintessential Slytherin, someone who truly had the values that Slytherin House stood for- resourcefulness, ambition and tradition. She had downright understood the possibilities and the perks of being a close acquaintance of the Lord Black, and had instantly offered to be in a relationship with him, despite the fact that today was the first time the two had even had a proper discussion together. Such precision and resourcefulness on her part made her an extremely cunning predator. However, despite her own predatory instincts, her words held raw truth in them, and if Harry had to keep up with everyone else, he would need her expertise. The problem was, he wasn't sure about the true mindset that ruled Daphne Greengrass.

Harry considered her offer. "While it is a potentially intriguing offer, I must say that I am quite… surprised by the suddenness of it all."

"Oh."

"I am not sure why you want to be in any form of relationship with someone you have barely spent a day together."

Daphne frowned. She wasn't sure if Potter was actually trying to fish for answers, or simply trying to play 'hard to get'. After all, she herself had bolstered his ego, and his position in the Wizarding World. It had come as a complete surprise to her, when Potter had nonchalantly displayed the Black signet ring, giving away his position as not only the heir, but also as the Lord of Black. The problem was—she couldn't understand what was running in his mind. While she was pretty good at deduction, Potter's face gave nothing away at the moment. Daphne marvelled at how the Gryffindor could act as a Slytherin one moment and revert back to his Gryffindorish tendencies the next. Potter, truly was an enigma.

"I thought you were interested in me…" She returned softly.

"I admit I am," Harry confessed absently, playing with the signet ring still shining in his left hand. "But then again, you yourself admitted about your support shifting with the change of power. How can I trust you not to simply backstab me the moment something better walks through the door?"

Daphne smirked. "I will make a Slytherin out of you yet, Potter." She chortled. "You are right. While I don't really have a likeness for the Slytherin amusements of backstabbing and betrayal, my support will shift with the change of power. Then again, the two powers at the moment are Albus Dumbledore and the Dark Lord. The Ministry is simply a mere pawn for the titans to play at will."

She slowly pushed herself a little towards him. "Can you show me a third party to support, Potter?" Her voice had a seductive tone to it. "Are you giving me a third option, Potter?"

An old memory resurfaced in Harry's mind at that, something Moody had once mentioned as an offhanded comment.

The Ministry or the Order… the lack of a third choice has prevented a lot of real troops from actively participating in the fight…

"What are you asking of me, Greengrass? To rally citizens to my side and take up a career in politicking?"

Daphne fixed him with a blank stare. "I am asking what you are prepared to do. You say you aren't sure of my stance. Well, tell me this, how can I be sure that when the time comes, you won't allow the man to domineer over your choices?"

She pulled herself back. "Dumbledore, Lockhart, and Minister Fudge—all have had used your fame and cashed on it on multiple occasions, while reducing you to a puppet to domineer over. What's the guarantee that you won't allow them to do so in future?"

Harry didn't reply. It was harsh, but there was truth in her words. He knew that he had power. Tons of it. But skill? He was unskilled. Simply having an arsenal of spells didn't make someone an exceptional wizard. Knowledge and experience towered over everything. Dumbledore and Voldemort both were epitomes of that truth. No matter what one said, everyone tried to steer clear of the two titans, since everyone understood one simple thing.

It would be a folly to be on their bad side.

"I think we can both agree that we are not in love with each other. But ponder over this, Potter. I can help you to understand and exercise that power and influence you have at your fingertips. In return, being your girlfriend would keep me protected under the same power. It's a mutually symbiotic relationship. Besides, you know you are attracted to me, and I personally have no issues against you. By the end of the term, my father would perhaps forcefully betroth me to one of the children of the Dark Alliance. As it is, you can't be worse than Malfoy. Where are the disadvantages?"

Point.

"What about Him? The Dark Lord?" Harry asked finally.

Daphne smiled. It was a good sign, since his line of questioning showed that he was seriously considering the proposal.

"I don't worry about my safety. After all, you are responsible for me, being my boyfriend." She retorted.

"And you just decided that I will value your life to be of supreme importance because of that?" Harry refuted.

"Of course, you are a Gryffindor."

Harry suppressed the urge to bang his head on the table in front of him. The girl was good, very good- he had to give it to her- her sense of logic was impeccable.

"Plus I am sure you, like most other boys, fantasize about the perks of being in a relationship with an attractive girl." Daphne stated blandly, smirking at the way Harry tried his best not to look flushed.

"I have a condition." Harry stated with a finality in his voice. "I am to understand that you and Hermione do not share the best of relationships… however, I would like it if you do not use the offensive word you are so fond of using." Daphne opened her mouth to say something but Harry cut her off- "and besides, if you want a third side, you better stop ingratiating towards the principles of the Pureblood fraternity. I might agree to your logic, but I believe in equality, for magicals—and that includes people and creatures alike."

"Yes, sir." Daphne mocked.

Harry sat up a little relaxed. "I must confess I never thought I would get into a relationship full of such political machinations."

Daphne smirked. "So what did you expect, my dear Harry, love and kisses and bouquet of flowers?"

"Wouldn't be too bad." Harry shrugged.

"Given how eloquent you get in front of me, I wouldn't bet on that chance…" Daphne mocked, as she chortled at his expense.

Harry sighed.


The news that Harry Potter had been on a surprise date with the illustrious, and slightly intimidating Daphne Greengrass had become the talk of the entire castle before the couple traced their way back to Hogwarts. Strangely enough, Malfoy or his cohorts hadn't intervened during the date, despite the fact that they had been in public all the time. There was even a moment when their paths crossed Mcgonagall, who was entering the Three Broomsticks with Flitwick and Hagrid. The stern old woman had raised her eyebrows in blatant surprise at the unexpected pair, since it had been many years since she had spotted a Gryffindor and a Slytherin spending time together publicly. However, as it seemed, Harry Potter never did things by half. She hoped the boy knew what he was doing.

The pair walked back along the village path, walking together towards the Hogwarts grounds, talking with each other, with Harry occasionally uttering something funny and Daphne snorting at it. The thing was, Harry felt good being with her.

"What happens now? I mean, Malfoy isn't going to take this nicely." Harry wondered.

"Aww," Daphne cooed, "are you going to be so overprotective of me even after marriage?"

That shut him up.

"I would bet on my entire trust vault that Malfoy would be throwing a big fit. That reminds me, how did you get the Lordship? I thought, Malfoy was getting it from his mother."

"Well, he would, but the blood heir decided to make things go differently." Harry answered casually, as they strolled down the street to the grounds.

"The blood heir… you mean, Sirius Black? But he-" Her eyes widened as it hit her, "Black was the dark lord's supporter. Why would he-?"

The question died in her throat as she noticed him smirking at her. "Morgana's damned tits, Sirius Black isn't the dark Lord's supporter?"

"Sirius is actually my godfather." Harry explained.

"Your—godfather," Daphne stuttered uncharacteristically, "but then, he, I mean, he betrayed your parents to-"

"He did no such thing." Harry retorted coldly, a sneer forming on his face. "He is innocent."

Daphne face-palmed. "This is blowing my mind."

"I appreciate that." Harry replied evenly.

Daphne shot him a glare. Her eyes then softened as a smile formed on her full pink lips. "Then, poor Draco is up for a nice, little surprise."


Later in the Slytherin dungeons…

"This is priceless, Daph! More than Morgana's tits, I mean, you and Harry fucking Potter?" Tracy screamed out enthusiastically.

"Louder Tracy!" Daphne scoffed. "Your voice isn't loud enough to reach the common room!"

Tracy ignored her sarcasm and looked like Christmas had come early for her. "Tell me," She all but jumped to her friend who was sitting on the bed, "How did this happen? And details! I want details!"

Daphne fixed her with a glare.

Tracy ignored it completely, looking at her with puppy-dog eyes. "Come now, Daphne, ain't I your friend? Your closest friend?"

"Smooth Tracey. Real smooth." Daphne chortled at her friend's antics. Pushing the other girl over and settling down comfortably on the bed, she sighed. "It's more of a mutual agreement, really, than an actual relationship and-"

"But it's Harry Potter!"

Daphne rolled her eyes. She had forgotten that this was the girl who had her room walls decorated with the Boy-who-lived posters at her home. Forget the little Weasley, Tracy Davis had a dragon-sized crush on Harry Potter, ever since she had begun to read those Adventures of Harry Potter books. While her friend was one of the most level-headed persons she had happened to meet, the girl's crush on Potter bordered on insane obsession, given how she would turn all mushy when his name was mentioned. Daphne suspected that the auburn-haired girl had some kind of multiple-personality disorder or something- she had read about it from the muggle books.

"Okay fine!" Daphne hissed in slight irritation. "Harry and I are in a relationship. He is attracted to me, which is more than visible to us both-" -"Lucky you", Tracy replied jealously- " and well, we agreed that being in a formal relationship will strengthen both of our positions, and so, we decided to bring forth this… well, amalgamation." Daphne finished, hoping that Tracy would drop the line of questioning from her heavy-words.

She had hoped in vain.

"Annnd?" Tracy drawled, "did you kiss?"

For the first time, Daphne blushed; surprising herself that she could actually blush over a boy. "No."

Tracy scowled. The expression stood there on her face for a moment before her face shifted into one of inquisitiveness.

"Do you think he is a good kisser?"

Daphne groaned.

"But Daph," Tracy began, her voice a little tensed, "Malfoy isn't going to take it lightly. He will try causing trouble for you, especially considering his-"

Her words died midway as there was a knock on the door.

Daphne got up, her wand spinning into her palm. Knowing Slytherin House, anything could happen at any moment. However, the fact that the wards outside her room did not flare up meant that whoever it was outside, she did not have any negative intent towards her. Thank Merlin for intent-based wards.

"Who is it?"

"It's Millicent. There is a House Assembly being called outside."

Damn!

There was no other explanation required. Of all the times, the brat had chosen to behave like a Slytherin on this occasion. She had thought that Malfoy would directly face her and demand answers like he did. Daphne could deal with that—as it was, she was better at wands than him.

The House Assembly however, was a completely different box of flubberworms.

Unlike other Houses, Slytherin House had an established internal hierarchy—a system that had been followed ever since the great Slytherin was the House Master at Hogwarts. Salazar Slytherin knew it well that people rich in resourcefulness and ambition would not be cowed by something like a Prefect position so easily. Hence, a system of House Assembly had been framed with the House Prefects being the nominal judges for the occasion. The rule for Slytherin House was that internal matters were exactly that… internal. Any kind of altercation between Slytherins was solved within the confines of the dungeons, and if the matter was of some reasonable importance, it would be presented in front of the House Assembly. The point was- if the House Assembly demanded answers, answers would have to be given without delay. The results otherwise would become highly… unpleasant.

She quickly put on a proper robe and slipped her wand back in the holster strapped to her arm. The House Assembly was not something to be taken lightly.

There was now, just one single thing left to do.


"We have gathered here for the assembly to accuse one of us for something no less than treason, to our House, to our beliefs and traditions, and to our faith in the Dark Lord." Malfoy spoke, as the entire Assembly listened with rapt attention, "-and I call upon the Assembly to judge Daphne Victoria Greengrass for her actions."

Daphne almost rolled her eyes. Almost.

"Go ahead, Draco." Augustin Flint, seventh year spoke up.

"Greengrass here went ahead to disgraced Slytherin House by whoring herself to Potter," Draco sneered, "—I want her disgraced just like the way she disgraced us."

"Greengrass, how do you plead?"

Daphne composed herself.

"You will get one chance to explain your doings." Flint stated.

Daphne took a deep breath. This was one chance that she would get; a chance that could make it or break it for her in Slytherin House.

"It is true that I sought an acquaintance with Harry James Potter."

Instantly a cacophony of noises filled in the House Assembly, mostly by children of Death eaters or sympathizers. A few exceptions, like Blaise Zabini, Tracy Davis and Millicent Bulstrode kept silent.

"Why would you do that?" Theodore Nott, heir to the Nott fortune spoke up. Theodore was one of the true Slytherins of their year, much like Daphne herself. It was a pity that he allowed his father's doctrines to wash over his own sense of judgement.

"It was profitable for me. After all, ambition is one of the cornerstones for the Slytherin mind. Isn't it?" Daphne asked everyone in general. "Everyone here is familiar with the fact that Lord Malfoy is interested in a betrothal contract with my family, and my father has shown an interest in it too."

She paused. "I resent that, and hence did what I could to get away from it."

"By latching yourself to Potter? You think that it will save you?" Draco hissed. "You forget, Greengrass. Your father is in the Dark Alliance, and by extension, is bound to accept the conditions placed by the leader of the alliance."

Daphne cast a frown at him. "I assure you, Draco, I did not forget it."

Draco seemed to have grown up by a couple of inches with his ego. "As the heir and upcoming Lord of Black, the Dark Alliance is mine to command. Previously, you were supposed to be my betrothed, despite your… rebellious behaviour in the past," he sneered, "—but now, now you will be my concubine."

Draco's lips twisted into a cruel smirk. "Of course, you can reject my decision, and suffer the consequences of it. I am not sure the House Assembly would prefer seeing such miscarriage of tradition happening during the session."

Daphne sneered at him, and then, her lips softened to form a smirk. "Well played, Draco. Well played."

Draco looked flustered for a moment at her odd comment. Cursing himself for losing control, he sneered back, "Whatever do you mean, Greengrass?"

"It's simple. I refuse to accept you as the heir and future Lord of Black."

"Daphne!" Astoria Greengrass, fourth year and Daphne's younger and the preferred heiress of Greengrass hissed, "What are you doing?"

Daphne smirked.

"Is this a joke, Greengrass?" Malfoy scowled, "I am the heir of Black, and by extension, the next Lord by my upcoming birthday."

"I refuse to take your word on that subject. I believe that superior contestants exist between you and the Black Lordship."

"Do they?" Draco sneered, "Who is it that has the courage to challenge me, Draco Lucius, heir of Malfoy and heir to the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black?"

"I do."

The sudden masculine voice took everyone by surprise, and the moment everyone turned towards the source of the voice, the surprise turned into outright shock.

Harry James Potter was standing, his wand twirling in his right hand, and the large onyx ring, signifying his position as the Lord of Black, shining brightly on the ring finger of his left hand- smirking as he stood at the doorway of the Slytherin common room.


FLASHBACK

A few hours ago…

"He did no such thing." Harry retorted coldly, a sneer forming on his face. "He is innocent."

Daphne face-palmed. "This is blowing my mind."

"I appreciate that." Harry replied evenly.

Daphne shot him a glare. Her eyes then softened as a smile formed on her full pink lips. "Then, poor Draco is up for a nice, little surprise."

"What do you mean?"

Daphne's smile lit up her lips. "Harry, what do you know about the political influence of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black?"

Harry smiled. Finally!

This was one moment that could justify all those sessions with Sirius about House nobility and history. All those lessons, all that mugging up and trying to converge his mind around the dry facts, all for this one moment.

"I know that House Black was one of the seven founding members of the Wizengamot, and had been borne out of the remnants of the Ruling House of Grimm. The Black seat commands seven votes, and is the interim commander of the Dark Alliance, though at present the proxy rests on the hands of-"

The words dried in his throat as it hit him. And then, Harry Potter smiled.

"The Ancient and Noble House of Malfoy wouldn't know what hit it." Daphne explained. "The sole reason why Lucius Malfoy commands such authority over the Ministry is because he, by proxy, holds the reins of the Black Alliance."

"I have a query," Harry raised, a frown floating over his lips, "-even if House Black holds the actual command, it could just cease to do so. I mean, the moment it becomes public that I hold the Black Lordship, the rest of the Houses would cease to do so. They could all just fuse among themselves with Malfoy as their leader. House Black, at the end of the day, is just one House."

Daphne smirked. "Your education in this field is still lacking, Potter." She pursed her lips for a moment, before she continued, "What are the prerequisites for one House to swear fealty to another?"

"They must have a difference in position." Harry answered automatically.

"The Dark Alliance holds seats from the Ancient and Noble families of Selwyn, Nott, Lestrange and Greengrass, the later only because my father, in all his wisdom, decided to bow before the Dark Lord. If House Malfoy intends to command a majority-"

"It must hold a Most Ancient status." The answer came to him automatically. "And that is why, House Black holds the reins of the Alliance."

"Precisely," Daphne grinned. "Even if they break out to form another Alliance, it will be a communion of equals, not one with a leader."

Harry nodded. "Is that why you jumped into a relationship with me? A relationship with the commander of the Dark Alliance would be seen as a perfectly Slytherin venture by your father."

"Of course, Potter. Give me some credit. I am a Slytherin."

Harry rolled his eyes.

"As for now, every House in the Dark Alliance has sworn fealty to House Black, and thus, by extension, House Malfoy." Daphne continued, "the fealty cannot be broken without proper reason, and of course, not before the next official session of the Wizengamot, which is during the Winter solstice. That gives you-"

"Two months to create my own block." Harry answered, gaining a little more clarity to the picture.

"As I said, I will still be able to make a Slytherin out of you." Daphne smirked. "That said, Malfoy is going to cause a ruckus tonight, most possibly in the common room with his cohorts, trying to cower me by displaying his apparent House superiority."

"And?"

"While I am confident not to have any issues, dealing with the brat, I might just have a contingency in place, if things turn sour." She took out a pair of sickles from her robes and handed it to him. "This is a communication device I have been working on since third year."

She held out the other coin. "That is yours, and this is mine. My best friend Tracy has another."

"How do these work?"

"A modified switching charm, although it's not completely ready yet. The runes on your coin connect the charms to mine. The reverse also holds true. You will need to hold onto the coin tightly and speak out. It can only hold in for thirty seconds so you need to say things clear and to the point."

"You made telephones using coins." Harry answered, amazed at her ingenuity.

"While I admit that I got the idea from the muggle devices, these coins could be made much better than them. No calling costs, for one thing." She shrugged. "It was essential, given how anything can happen inside the Snake Pit. Constant Vigilance, and all that." She glanced at the surprised look on his face, "What? You thought Moody invented the damn word?"

Harry chortled.

"If things turn sour, I might need some help, considering that the entire House would look at it with tainted glasses. You are not exactly, a reputable person in our House."

Harry laughed.

"Worse comes to worst, I might need you to come to the Slytherin common room. The way is-"

"The empty wall two pillars away from Snape's office."

Daphne's eyes went wide as saucers.

"How in Hell do you know that?" The exasperation and surprise was distinct in her voice.

"I have my ways..." Harry returned evasively.

Daphne rolled her eyes. "Right. The Password this year is Resurgence."

"Dark Lord themed?" Harry asked jovially.

"Tell me about it." Daphne muttered.


Sometime after dinner…

"Concido! Reducto maxima!"

The succession of hexes tore off three of the dummies as it hit them. Harry apparated out of the incoming hex and reappeared right behind another dummy. A single flash of purple and the entire dummy disintegrated to dust.

Harry grunted. The dark version of the pulverising curse was very effective indeed. The victim would be slammed with an overwhelming pressure, enough to squeeze his bones and muscles into jelly, if the remnants didn't fly away by the force that is. For completely solid objects like dummies, the curse disintegrated them to dust. It was a very effective curse, but like most dark curses, could be handled with the correct counter and shield.

Counter curses. That is something I need to study. Can't afford to let someone die only because I didn't know the counter.

He had been practicing, and was glad to find that he had lasted twenty seconds more this time. It wasn't awesome but it was significant. Twenty seconds meant something when you can only apparate with five opponents shooting curses at you in a limited field size.

He was just about to practice the whirlwind spell, a Black family spell when, the sickle in his chest pocket began vibrating powerfully. He paused, and with the wave of his wand, the dummies vanished into thin air. He took the coin out and realized that Daphne hadn't told him how to receive calls. Going by instinct, he pressed the coin hard with his fingers and felt some of his power get soaked into the coin as the runes glowed momentarily.

"Trouble. Come to common room. Instantly."

The voice message was short and precise, and it conveyed the message perfectly. However, the Slytherin common room was in the dungeons and he was up on the seventh floor. Even if he ran his way downwards, it would still take some time. It was a curse that apparation-

The thoughts stopped as an idea struck him.

The Room of Requirement.

He closed his eyes as he faced a wall, the image of the dungeons, clear in his mind. He focussed on the engraved serpent he had seen a few feet away from Snape's office. He felt the magic around him twist and churn and then by instinct, opened his eyes.

In front of him was an open door facing the engraved serpent.

You gott'a love magic!

Quickly, he tapped his head with his wand, letting the cold feeling flow through his body, as the disillusionment charm took effect. For good measure, he applied a modified silencing charm as well. After so many days of practicing it, he was barely a ripple in the air. A smirk floating on his face, he walked out of the Room.

The Slytherin common room looked just as he remembered. He touched the wall, just like Malfoy had done in his second year and whispered, "Resurgence." The wall cracked silently, allowing him to walk through the narrow portal. He couldn't even feel it when the door closed silently behind him.

The entrance was empty. Remembering the passage to the common room, he walked towards the common room and-

It was teeming with people. It seemed the entire House had assembled in the common room for some kind of meeting. He briefly wished he wasn't late. His worries faded as he heard her.

"It's simple. I refuse to accept you as the heir and future Lord of Black."

Harry grimaced. That girl had a bountiful amount of biting remarks up her sleeve.

"Daphne!" He heard another girl say, and walked up a little ahead, making sure he was still unseen.

"Is this a joke, Greengrass?" Malfoy was openly scowling, "I am the heir of Black, and by extension, the next Lord by my upcoming birthday."

Harry resisted the incredible urge to chuckle.

"I refuse to take your word on that subject. I believe that superior contestants exist between you and the Black Lordship." Daphne confronted.

"Do they?" Draco sneered, "Who is it that has the courage to challenge me, Draco Lucius, heir of Malfoy and heir to the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black?"

This was the moment. Harry allowed the disillusionment and the silencing charms to fade off completely. He took a step forward, as he projected his will as the Lord of Black, the signet ring materialising on his finger and shining vibrantly.

"I do."

The sudden masculine voice took everyone by surprise, and the moment everyone turned towards the source of the voice, the surprise turned into outright shock.

Harry James Potter was standing, his wand twirling in his right hand, and the large onyx ring, signifying his position as the Lord of Black, shining brightly on the ring finger of his left hand- smirking as he stood at the doorway of the Slytherin common room.


Back to the present…

"Wha- POTTER!" Malfoy screamed, "What are you doing here, in the Slytherin common room?"

Harry took a glance at the change of stance in the common room. Almost the majority of the people there had their wands out, either standing down or in a defensive gesture.

Malfoy took a step forward.

"I repeat, what is a Gryffindor like you, doing in the Slytherin common room?"

"I didn't know it was illegal for Houses to enter into each other's common rooms. Why the concept of inter-house unity and-" Harry strayed, enjoying the scowl deepening on Malfoy's face.

"This is not Gryffindor!" Draco screamed, "this is Slytherin. You have no right to be here."

"On the contrary, you will find that I have every right to be here, especially when I am being impersonated by someone else."

"What childish dream is this? Who is going to impersonate you?"

"You." Harry continued, in his composed tone. "A moment before, you were impersonating as the heir and future Lord of Black!"

"I am the heir and future Lord of Black. Who are you to say otherwise?" Malfoy screamed with rage.

Harry smirked, as he brought his left fist slightly upward, playing with the large signet ring on his ring finger.

"That- that-" Pansy stammered, "that is the crest of the House of Black!"

"You are right, Parkinson!" Harry answered, "this is the crest of the House of Black. Do you know what it means?"

"You are the Lord of House Black?" Theo questioned, his eyes narrowed.

"Precisely, Nott." Daphne answered in Harry's place. She walked across the floor to stand with Harry. "Harry here, is the present Lord of Black!"

"And since when is Potter, Harry to you?" This one came from the illusive and infamously neutral Blaise Zabini, who seemed to watch the proceedings with great interest.

"Since she became my girlfriend, and that being such, she is under the official protection of the Most Ancient families of Potter and Black. I hope that is enough to warrant my presence here?" Harry answered for her.

"I object," Draco snarled. "Potter is an imposter. I am the legal heir to the Black Lordship through my mother Narcissa Druella Malfoy nee Black. Potter's mother was a mudblood."

"Thank you for pointing that out," Harry replied, almost genially, surprising everyone. "I am of Black blood, descended from my great-grandmother Dorea Potter Nee Black, the sister of Arcturus Sirius, the previous Lord of Black. However, all of that is moot point, since the present and surviving blood heir, Sirius Orion Black, is my godfather and presently, my adopted father. That makes me the legal heir, and as you can see, my adoptive father has no qualms over receding the Black lordship to me."

"YOU ARE LYING!" Draco screamed, "My father told me that I am the heir. You are LYING!"

"Enough, Draco!" Theodore scoffed, making everyone glance at the usually reserved and reclusive Slytherin fifth-year. "Stop behaving like a petulant child. Potter wears the ring, and has even given proof of his genealogy. You cannot even touch a Lord's ring unless you have the family blood flowing through your veins."

Draco sneered back. "Know your place, Nott. My father leads the Dark Alliance."

"The Black family leads the Dark Alliance." Daphne retorted. "Your father held the reins by proxy of the Black seat. Now, the Black seat isn't yours. It's Potter's. You are now, an Ancient and noble family, at par with House Greengrass, Nott, Lestrange and Selwyn. Know your place, Draco."

Draco looked at her murderously. Almost instinctually, Crabbe and Goyle walked over, to stand behind him.

"Ahem," harry intervened, "While all of this is potentially intriguing, I am only here to protect my interest, that is- Daphne Greengrass herself. As for the Dark Alliance, I understand that you might wish to break away to form your own independent stronghold. However, you might be interested in holding a meeting about the objectives of the real Lord of Black, I welcome you to a party sometime next week. I am sure my girlfriend will be able to inform every one of the timings."

"There is nothing to learn about your objectives, Potter." Flint exclaimed, "everyone knows that you are Dumbledore's golden boy."

"If you are so sure of that, you have no need to be there at the meeting." Harry countered dismissively.

"ENOUGH!" Malfoy raged, walking towards Harry aggressively. The Black signet ring vibrated powerfully, telling him to use his family magic against the intruding family member, who was effectively betraying him.

"I, Draco Lucius Malfoy, challenge you to an honour duel over the Black Lordship!"

"You can't!" Theo snapped. "An honour duel works between equals. Potter here holds at least one Lordship. He has the entire fortune of the Black and Potter families at his beck and call. You on the other hand, have right only to your trust vault."

Daphne smiled at the boy. It seemed the young Nott had truly understood the significance of the events.

"I concur." Blaise agreed from the side lines.

"Would you like to challenge me, over your trust Vault, cousin?" Harry returned, his tone amused at the turn of events. "I assure you, my trust Vaults hold much more than yours. As you well know, I am not an exhibitionist over robes."

Malfoy snarled. It was beyond what he could bear. He had thought that calling in the House Assembly would give him a significant edge against Greengrass, but now, he found his own plan crumble in front of his very eyes.

"I agree." He sneered.

Augustin Flint walked up front. "By permission of Professor Snape, I am authorized to undersee duels happening in the Slytherin common room."

"By the laws then, I am ready to duel my cousin over an honour duel." Harry agreed, his wand twirling in his hand.

The central zone of the room was instantly deserted as everyone pushed back towards the walls, leaving the two duellists to battle in the centre. Augustin waved his wand, as wards materialised all around the two duellists like a ring, a necessary equipment to prevent any stray spell from hitting a spectator by accident. It also prevented anyone from the audience from intervening in the duel. A fair event, contrasting to famous Slytherin amusements of backstabbing.

"Three, two, one… DUEL!" Augustin commanded, as Draco instantly shot off a decapitation curse at Harry. Clearly, the boy wasn't duelling wearing kid gloves.

Harry crouched, allowing the spell to traverse over his head, hitting the wards behind him which glowed an angry red. Draco sneered as the curse missed his nemesis.

Harry whipped his wand, and whispered, "Stupefy!"

The red colour of the stunner was distinctly visible, and a couple of people chortled at Potter's poor choice of spells. Malfoy instantly parried the stunner and sent back a dark version of the stunner instead. Harry whipped a blasting curse which met the stunner midway, resulting in a thick smoke midway.

"Ventus!" He whispered, as a gust of wind blew the smoke towards Malfoy who coughed, never having a chance to defend against the petrifaction hex sent his way.

"Harry Potter wins the honour duel! Draco Malfoy, you are obligated to transfer the contents of your trust vault to Harry James Potter." Augustin ordered.

Harry whipped his wand again as the petrifaction spell faded away, leaving a scowling Draco Malfoy on the ground.

"I suppose there is more to duelling than knowing dark curses, isn't it, Malfoy?" Harry smirked.

"Was that how you killed Cedric?" Draco sneered.

What?

Draco got up, rejecting the aid from his henchmen. "You won the duel using the smokescreen. A poor attempt at cheating. I suppose you killed the Hufflepuff using such tactics." He sneered.

"I did not kill Cedric." Harry countered evenly, the blonde's words getting to him. "He was murdered by Voldemort."

"Bah!" Draco retorted. "You killed Diggory, in an attempt to acquire more fame; just like you allowed your mudblood mother to die for-"

Draco couldn't speak any further, his throat was already inflamed as an overwhelming pressure made him succumb as he grabbed his throat, gasping in pain. Everyone saw Draco Malfoy, the self-appointed Prince of Slytherin, slowly get levitated in the air, gasping and holding his throat, as he was slowly pulled up from the ground.

Harry Potter walked up to him, taking one single step at a time, his wand raised in front of him. And then, he spoke. "Never, again, repeat that in the future, Draco Malfoy, or else it will be your last mistake."

At that moment, no one tried to even stop him. Magic was rolling off him in waves, as his aura flickered brightly, with his bright green eyes pulsing with eldritch flames. At that moment, everyone in the room understood why Harry Potter was the one who had brought about the unfortunate demise as a mere toddler.

"Harry- Harry," Daphne was saying from behind him, but it seemed as if she was miles away, as only a slight whisper to him, "Harry leave him, or he will die."

Harry didn't move, his fingers tight around his wand. Draco continued whimpering and gasping, his fingers around his neck.

"Potter!" Theodore Nott called up. "Let him go or Draco will die."

"Harry please." Daphne tried again. The rest were too scared or shocked to say anything.

Slowly, his fingers loosened, as Draco was dumped down on the floor, spread-eagled, gasping for breath. Harry allowed his wand to run back into the holster, as he moved back slowly, feeling the wards getting dropped, indicating that the duel was now over. He turned towards Daphne, who smiled hesitantly, as he took a step towards her only to-

"Lacero forte," Draco bellowed, using whatever remained of his energy, sending the pale yellow curse at Harry.

"HARRY-" Daphne screamed.

A number of things happened. Harry Potter spun around, lightning fast, as his hand moved up automatically, forming a pale silvery shield around his person, as the curse slammed against it, dispersing in a couple of seconds. His wand came down spinning into his palm, as he pointed it towards the fallen boy, who seemed helpless for a moment. Harry's mind clouded as he allowed his magic to take over.

"Ossis Fragmen!"

Barely had the thought materialised in his mind, that the spell manifested itself, flowing out of his faithful holly wand, shooting out at the boy fallen spread-eagled, on the floor. The magenta coloured spell lit up the area as it hit Draco Malfoy right in the abdomen, breaking a couple of his bones, making the boy shriek out in pain and agony.

"Curse you, Potter!" The blonde boy yelled, at the same time, trying his level best to control himself from crying out in pain.

Harry levelled his wand towards Draco, right in the eye. The wand edged closer, standing dangerously close to the boy's face. "Tell me cousin, what is there to stop me from sending another spell right between your eyes? I bet from this distance, it would hurt… a lot."

Draco gulped.

"You have been a nuisance for a long, long time, Draco Malfoy. You shall never trouble me, ever, ever again."

The last statement flowed down his lips almost like a command, and almost in unison, Draco Malfoy obeyed, as if his entire mind set changed as the command registered in his mind. Had anyone noticed, they would have observed the sudden cloudiness that gathered over the blonde's eyes for a moment, before his eyes cleared.

"I-, I- understand. Potter."

Harry slowly lifted the wand off Draco's face. "I want to make some things extremely clear. I am not responsible for Cedric Diggory's death. You all know who is, and I honestly don't give two knuts over whether you want to accept it or not…but I will tell you this. I am done with the hate and the bashing. Attack me or my girlfriend without provocation, and I will destroy you all. Taunt me without reason, and I will teach you pain."

The entire Hall stood silent as Harry Potter stood up, and walked out of the Slytherin common room.

"Pshew! That was intense!" Blaise Zabini commented finally, as the Slytherins looked at each other in silence.


AUTHOR'S NOTE: For those who haven't noticed it yet, i changed the picture in the background image part, and replaced it with an image of how I imagine Amarok looks like. Do let me know what you think of it?