Tick
Tock
Tick
Tock
Daphne curled her hands tighter around the bench she sat upon and checked the clock once more. 8:53am, just one minute later than when she last checked. Inwardly cursing, she shuffled in her seat and brought up her occlumency barriers. She hated herself for being so nervous, but she just couldn't help it. So much rested on how today went, so much.
Taking a deep breath she schooled her features and focused on sitting still. She was the Ice Queen of Slytherin, both feared and revered by her classmates. Her control was iron and unwavering. She could definitely sit still for seven more minutes. She'd once sat through double transfiguration without moving even a facial muscle, this should be no problem. Of course, that stupid clock hadn't been present in McGonagall's classroom.
Tick
Tock
Tick
Tock
Redistributing her weight she shuffled once more, cursing her impatience, meddlesome old men, and the creator of clocks. After a lengthy inner struggle she gave up and once more looked up at the clock. 8:54 am. Damn.
Sighing in defeat she resigned herself to watching the other audience members. Wizengamot meetings only happened once a month unless there was an emergency. That meant that twelve days a year the most prominent members of society turned out to discuss issues ranging from threatening dark lords to the crazy naked man that got drunk and danced out front of the Leaky Cauldron on Thursday afternoons.
Unsurprisingly, a lot of people turned out to watch these discussions. Part of it was admiration. It seemed that at each meeting every Lord and Lady was trying to outdo the other, both in terms of arguments and opulence. In fact, almost all of the robes said Lords and Ladies wore were custom made specifically for this day and cost more than the average wizard made in a year.
Another part of it was curiosity. Nothing new in the wizarding world could happen without the knowledge and consent of the Wizengamot. In order to be informed and stay up to date on their own society, people either had to go to the session or read about it later. Given the reputation of the Daily Prophet for telling more lies than the politicians they reported on, most people preferred to go and hear things with their own ears.
Finally, people went because nothing ever happened in the wizarding world and they were bored. Simple as that.
As Daphne scanned the crowd she noted the faces that looked like they were taking this seriously rather than regarding the meeting as entertainment. She had been to her fair share of Wizengamot meetings, what with her father being a prominent member, and it spoke to how bad things were that more the half the people were grim faced and tense, rather than the usual handful. She really hoped that would change soon, and if she had any say in things, it would.
Finally at 8:55am the members of the Wizengamot strode in, their resplendent robes shimmering in the spotlight and their noses firmly stuck in the air. Even her father stood tall and puffed out his chest a bit. Rolling her eyes, she noted the seating arrangement they took.
There were five rows, each with enough room to seat fifteen people. The unspoken rule was that those of higher status sat more towards the front where they could be seen and heard better. Then of course were the various factions.
Those of the "dark" side sat to the far left, leaving at least one seat free between them and the neutrals. On the far right side sat those of the "light" division, located closest to the small yet ornate table off to the side where the Chief Warlock sat.
It was on the other side of this table, opposite the Wizengamot, that she was most interested in. This side was smaller, holding only one bench. This bench, however, was a beautiful dark cherry, ornately carved and screaming of higher status. It could hold exactly twelve people, and on the bottom wall in front of the elevated bench was carved, just as ornately, "The Twelve".
This was where the members of the 12 sat during meetings if they felt it necessary. For the entirety of her life, Daphne couldn't ever remember them being occupied. It had been pointless, really, seeing as how a majority hadn't been available and thus they held no power. It had simply been easier and made more sense to sit amongst their peers than on "their" side.
Today, though, the courtroom was abuzz with excited whispers as Lady Bones, Lady Longbottom, and Lord Greengrass all took their place on the opulent bench, as was their right. All three factions were staring at the three members, either with curiosity, jealousy, fear, or a combination of all three.
When Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, holder of an Order of Merlin, First Class, Supreme Mugwump of the ICW, Grand Sorcerer, and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, stepped up to his usual table at exactly 9am, he almost dropped his gavel at the sight of the three powerful members using their rightful seating for the first time in over 200 years. Shock and curiosity flashed across his face, so quickly that you would miss it unless you were looking for it, as Daphne was. Smirking, she made a note on her parchment and sat back, waiting for the fun to begin.
Clearing his throat, Dumbledore banged his gavel and began the meeting with the usual speech. "Lords, Ladies, honored guests, I call this seven hundred and fifty-third meeting of the British Wizengamot to order. Be advised that duels, formal and unformal, are not permitted in these chambers at any time and that only those wearing a signet ring or holding one by proxy are permitted to vote. Before we begin our business today is there anything that needs to be discussed?"
Daphne leaned forward in anticipation and grinned as the doors burst open, revealing a dark, cloaked figure with glowing green eyes.
"As a matter of fact, there is." Dropping his robe, Harry stepped forward and held his wand aloft.
"I, Harry James Potter, do hereby activate my seats for the Most Ancient and Noble Houses of Potter, Black, Peverell, Gryffindor, Slytherin, and Ravenclaw, as is my right my heritage. So mote it be." A golden flash burst forth, covering the chamber in a dazzling light.
Immediately half the members were on their feet, shouting, and the audience began chatting in excitement. The noise grew so intense that you couldn't even hear your neighbor from six inches away. Through it all Harry stood calmly, his face an emotionless mask. He eyes met hers for a moment and he winked before turning to face both Dumbledore and the Wizengamot and shouted "ENOUGH!"
Despite the lack of magical amplification, his voice echoed around the chambers, which immediately grew silent. Striding forwards, his black silk robes billowing around him, he laid a parchment on Dumbledore's desk and turned to the audience, completely ignoring Dumbledore's shocked face.
"I've just handed the Chief Warlock the results of my heritage test from Gringotts confirming that I am indeed Lord of all six Most Ancient and Noble Houses." Turning to Dumbledore he raised an eyebrow and gestured to the parchment.
With so many watching Dumbledore's only choice was to perform an authentication charm and announce the results. "It's authentic," he said with a nod, desperately trying to catch Harry's eye. He could feel his plans falling down around him and knew there wasn't much time to salvage them.
"He's not of age!" Lucius Malfoy was on his feet, desperately trying to stop this from happening. It would be disastrous if the boy took his rightful place. As Lord of six of the 12, a majority vote was now possible. He had recently been let off for the incident at the ministry earlier that summer. His lord would be extremely displeased if that decision was undone. Not to mention, it might spell the end of him.
"As the only living heir to a Most Ancient and Noble House, let alone six, I have automatic grounds for emancipation, which I have activated. Since I'm emancipated I am considered an adult in this society and thus may hold my titles and my seats."
"That's impossible, I did not agree to this and you cannot be emancipated without the support of your magical guardian." Dumbledore was standing now and obviously panicking, though he was hiding it very well.
"That may be true, but your actions of placing me with abusive relatives and denying me my heritage have negated your right of magical guardianship, which was taken illegally in the first place. Gringotts and even magic itself agree and have granted me emancipation despite your objections."
Out of the corner of his eye Harry could see several reporters writing furiously and several shocked faces staring at Dumbledore, who was rapidly paling.
"Harry, my boy, is this really necessary? I know you're upset with me but this is going too far. You're not ready for this."
"And whose fault is that? According to the law I should have been informed of my heritage at the age of eleven and have been taught my proper place in society thereafter. Instead I found out on my own and was forced to learn from other sources."
"And who might they be?" He was obviously desperate for more information, which Harry was happy to deny him.
"That is not your concern. Your role here is purely as Chief Warlock, so either accept my claims or give a good reason not to and move on with the meeting."
Growing irritated with Dumbledore's interference, Augusta slowly rose. "Chief Warlock, surely you aren't trying to deny a member of the 12 his rightful place in society?" Cyrus and Amelia rose with her and glared at him, presenting a united front.
Acknowledging defeat, Dumbledore banged his gavel and said, "This body recognizes Harry James Potter as Lord of the Most Ancient and Noble Houses of Potter, Black, Peverell, Gryffindor, Slytherin, and Ravenclaw and grants him his rightful place at the seats of his houses."
Harry nodded, bowed to the general assembly, and, completely ignoring Dumbledore, walked over to the 12 and took a seat next to Amelia, who was grinning at him. He thanked Augusta for her help and gave a slight nod to Cyrus, attempting to keep their association a secret for now. He nodded back and then turned back to the proceedings.
"Very well, the floor is now open for discussion. Are there any complaints being addressed today?"
Once again Harry stood and all eyes turned towards him.
"I call for charges to be laid against one Dolores Umbridge for attacks made on not one but six Most Ancient and Noble Houses."
Augusta stood and said, "I second that request."
Amelia then stood and motioned for the aurors to go and fetch the woman who was rapidly turning purple in the audience. As she opened her mouth to explode Harry spoke once more.
"Due to the nature of the charges I request that Veritassium be used."
"Harry, my boy, is this really necessary? Dolores is a respected member of our government." Harry turned to glare at Fudge, who was very, very pale.
"I am not your boy and I did not give you leave to use my name. Am I to understand that you, the Minister of Magic, are trying to cover up crimes committed against a member of the 12?"
"No, no, of course not!" Even Fudge wasn't stupid enough to argue in front of so many witnesses.
"Then I expect no interference in this matter." Taking the floor, Harry faced a now bound Umbridge who was trying to kill him with her eyes. Amelia pulled a vial out of her robe and placed three drops of Veritassium on Umbridge's tongue, nodding to Harry when it took effect.
"State your name and position to the court."
Dolores Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic.
"Did you reside at Hogwarts last year?"
Yes
"Why were you sent there?"
To discredit that brat Potter and keep him quiet.
The court gasped at that but Harry kept going, knowing it was only the tip of the iceberg.
"Who sent you to do so?"
Minister Fudge. Amelia immediately motioned for two of her aurors to restrain Fudge, who had tried to make a run for it.
"Did you use a blood quill on students as a disciplinary method?"
Yes, the little brats deserved to bleed.
"Did you know that possessing a blood quill, let alone using one on a child, was illegal?"
Yes.
"Did minister Fudge know what you were doing?"
Yes, he was the one who gave me the quill.
The court immediately went into uproar as various members called for Fudge's head. The aurors quickly arrested Fudge and took him off to a secure holding cell as Dumbledore attempted to quiet the chamber. It took a loud blast from his wand, but at last the chamber fell silent once more.
"Did you use this quill on me?"
Yes
"What did you have me write?"
I must not tell lies.
The audience, quickly understanding the message, began to buzz in anger and threatened to riot once Harry showed his scarred hand to them.
Having accomplished his task, Harry nodded to Amelia, who administered the antidote and then silenced an extremely irate Umbridge.
"As the offended and a member of the 12 I enact my right to sentence the obviously guilty party. Dolores Umbridge, I sentence you to life in Azkaban for your crimes."
Without waiting for the bang of a gavel the aurors took the accused away, nodded to Amelia on the way out.
"Due to recent evidence I call for a vote of No Confidence of Cornelius Fudge."
"Seconded," Amelia said.
"Very well, we shall vote next meeting on this matter in order to give the accused time to prepare a defense," Dumbledore said. He made to bang his gavel but found he couldn't move his hand.
"Why on earth would we give him time to prepare a defense when he's obviously guilty," Harry asked incredulously. "I move that we vote right now on this matter."
"Members have not heard all the evidence against the accused," Dumbledore argued. He needed someone malleable to stay in the Minister's position. Incompetent he may be, but Fudge had his uses.
"They've heard enough," Lord Abbott declared, standing from his place in the Wizengamot seating. "I second the motion for a vote of no confidence."
"Very well," Dumbledore said, obviously not happy. "Those in agreement to remove Cornelius Fudge as minister, raise your wands." About 2/3 of the members did so. "All opposed?" A few wands lit up, mostly from the dark faction. "Majority ruled, motion passed. Do we have nominations for interim minister?"
"I nominate Amelia Bones," Lord Abbott said once more. Apparently he and Amelia went way back and his daughter Hannah had grown up with Susan. Harry nodded his support and seconded the motion. Malfoy nominated Pious Thicknesse and Elphias Dodge nominated Amos Diggory.
After a quick vote, Amelia was sworn in as Interim Minister and took her place next to Harry once more, whom she glared at menacingly. Shrugging sheepishly he grinned at her and scooched a little closer to Cyrus. He was well aware of the witch's temper and had no desire to be on the receiving end of it.
"Minister Bones, do you have any motions today?" Dumbledore looked like he desperately didn't want to ask that question, but his role as Chief Warlock said that he must.
"Yes, actually. We all know of the current threat to our society. Death Eaters have been surfacing in large numbers and killing off innocent members of society. I intend to out a stop to that. As such, I propose that the possession of the dark mark be made illegal and that any found guilty be immediately interrogated under Veritassium."
"I object," Lucius Malfoy said smoothly, standing tall. "It is a well-known fact that some were forced to take the mark under the imperious curse. Making possession of the mark illegal would be punishing innocent victims."
Amelia nodded. He had a good point, though she knew the imperious defense was complete bullshit. "Lord Malfoy makes a good point, which is why I propose that the first question asked be if they were forced to take the mark. If so, they will be administered the antidote and declared innocent. If not, the interrogation may proceed."
Malfoy stood again. "Why harass prominent members of society with charges we know to be false. I, for one, will not stand for this." Amelia rolled her eyes but responded politely.
"What you deem harassment could save hundreds of lives. Surely you're fellow members recognize that?" Malfoy had no defense against that and nodded.
"Well then, it seems obvious that the only ones to vote against will be the ones will something to hide. On that note, let's begin." She nodded to Dumbledore, who looked like he'd sucked on a lemon.
"All those in favor," he gritted out. 90% of the wands rose in the air. "All those opposed?" No wands were raised, since it would be seen as an indicator of guilt. "Very well, motion passed." Amelia smirked in satisfaction as the gavel banged down and returned to her seat, where she was congratulated by her fellow members of the 12.
"Are you going to pass a motion for checking ministry workers for the mark," Harry asked her quietly.
She shook her head. "No, I don't need to ask the Wizengamot for that since it falls directly under my departmental duties. Besides, it's best not to tip them off too soon." Harry nodded and fell silent once more.
"Are there any other concerns to be addressed," Dumbledore asked, praying to any gods who were listening that there weren't. He sighed in relief as no one stood and quickly ended the meeting, banging his gavel for the final time.
Standing, he walked purposefully towards Harry, who was surrounded by well-wishers and those trying to get into his good graces.
"Harry, my boy, may I have a word?"
"Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious," Harry drawled in reply. He turned to leave but Dumbledore jumped into his way.
"I'm afraid I must insist. It regards your living arrangements for the rest of the summer." Not stopping to let Harry respond, he continued, "We've finally found you a safe place to stay and have prepared you a room." He was obviously alluding to Grimmauld place but couldn't say it since there were so many people around.
"Thanks Albus, my boy," Harry said mockingly, "but after the last few places you've chosen I no longer trust what you consider safe. I think I'll stay where I am, thank you."
"And where might that be?"
"It's none of your concern."
"I disagree, your safety is-"
"No longer your concern," Harry said, cutting him off. "Anything school related can be sent to me through Gringotts." He leaned closer, looked Dumbledore straight in the eye and brushing off his Legilimency probe. "I want to make one thing very clear, Albus. I am no longer willing to be a pawn in your game. Try to gain control over me and I'll tear you apart."
"I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean," he said calmly.
Harry snorted. "And I'm part hippogriff. Just stay out of life, Headmaster." Turning he walked away, leaving a very confused and nervous Dumbledore behind.
Instead of heading home, Harry took the elevator to the 4th floor and located the Department of Magical Transportation, where he quickly and easily passed his apparition test and acquired his license. Dispelling the tracking charm a panicking Dumbledore had placed on his robes, he apparated silently to an alley in muggle London. Using his handy Gringotts card he bought a bus ticket and rode to Crawley, where Hermione lived.
Harry had never actually been to Hermione's house, but he'd heard her mention it enough to get a good idea of which one it was. He knew it was on Mulberry Lane, which he had teased her about mercilessly, constantly asking if she knew the muffin man. He also knew it was cream colored with a circular drive and hedges trimmed to block the view from the street to the yard. Finally, he knew that both her parent's cars were yellow, since she'd expressed her disgust at the color in depth last year.
About halfway done the street Harry found a house that matched the description and checked the post box for a name. Smiling at the word Granger spelled out in gold stickers, Harry whistled a tune and calmly walked up the drive, slamming the brass knocker several times and absently throwing up his glamor to make him look like his old self.
He'd initially been a nervous wreck about this meeting, but Daphne had snogged him senseless and repeated their mantra. "Nothing's going to change. We'll still train, you'll still smack down Dumbledore, and together we'll kill the dark lord. That's that." With the help of his occlumency barriers and raging hormones, Harry was pretty lax about the whole thing now.
He heard someone approaching the door and put on a serious face. It was show time.
The woman who answered the door had to be Hermione's mother. She had the same brown eyes, curly hair, and easy smile that her daughter had. Behind her stood a large man with Hermione's nose and facial structure but a much stockier build.
"Can we help you," Mrs. Granger asked politely.
"Hello Mrs. Granger, Mr. Granger. My name's Harry Potter and I'm a friend of your daughter's. I was hoping to have a word with her." At the name Harry Potter recognition flashed through their eyes along with deep apprehension.
"You're the boy that's always getting into trouble and dragging Hermione in with you."
Harry gave an easy grin. "Yep, that's me. Although I've never dragged her into anything, she just always insists upon coming. And I'm mighty thankful for that. She's saved my life several times over."
They didn't look appeased by that fact. In fact, they looked even more hostile. Mr. Granger stepped up and spoke to Harry in his deep, threatening voice.
"Yes, we're aware. We're also aware that you got off scot free while she lay close to death this past spring."
Harry's eyes flashed in anger and his face hardened. In a cold voice, Harry replied, "the loss of my godfather and the aftereffects of possession are not scot free, and your daughter made her own choices to come and was hurt by a murdering psychopath. I assure you he will face justice, be it muggle or magical, but I'd appreciate you placing blame where it is due."
Mr. Granger's voice hardened as well. "Be that as it may, none of this would have happened if our Hermione hadn't gone with you." At that Harry's face softened, as did his voice.
"I know, and I'm working hard to make sure that doesn't happen again. That's why I'm here, actually." It was stretching the truth, but it did the trick and the Grangers grudgingly opened the door to let him in.
"Fine. I'll go get Hermione." Mr. Granger stomped off up the stairs while Mrs. Granger disappeared into the kitchen to make tea. As she finished she brought him a cup and took a seat on the couch, gesturing for him to do the same.
He would have liked to, but several things stopped him. First, he wasn't all that comfortable with the place he was in and why he was there. The second was that he knew Hermione too well.
Sure enough, with a cry of "Harry!" a brown haired missile launched at him in a grapple hug and they both fell sideways onto the couch. Harry couldn't help himself and burst out laughing. He was quickly joined by Hermione.
Regaining their balance the two teens sat down and faced her parents. "Harry, whatever are you doing here?! Does Dumbledore know you're here? How did you even get here? Did the Dursley's let you come? How did you find me?"
When Hermione stopped to take a breath Harry held up his hand to silence her. "Breathe, Hermione. It's good for you." She mock glared at him but held her tongue. "As to why I'm here…well, I'd like to apologize in advance." Before she could ask what he meant he turned, firing silent stunners at her parents and then hitting her with a petrificous totalus.
The look of betrayal in her eyes cut Harry deeply but he'd had no choice. Looking deeply into her eyes he whispered "Legilimens".
Upon entering her mind he was surprised to find some rudimentary defenses in place, but this was Hermione, he reckoned, and she'd probably read several books on the subject as soon as she'd heard it mentioned last year. Despite her obvious effort Harry had no problems bypassing her defenses and immediately began digging around in her memories of Dumbledore and the Weasley's, hating himself the whole time.
He found what he'd pretty much expected. There was an admiration and a deep trust of authority figures, especially Dumbledore. Ron she had a crush on and found both annoying and, here Harry shuddered, cute. Still, she was in no way in Dumbledore's pocket and didn't suspect him of anything, especially betraying Harry or paying Ron to do so. Confirming what he saw, Harry swiftly pulled out of her thoughts, desperately trying to ignore the tears running down his friend's face.
Ending the binding spell he leaned back and braced himself. She didn't disappoint. SMACK! "How dare you?! How could you?! How-"
Harry cast a silencio on her and resigned himself to receiving a cold shoulder from his friend for a while. Hopefully she would understand.
"Hermione, I need you to stop talking and listen for a moment. I know what I did was wrong and you have every reason to be mad at me, but there are more important things we need to discuss." He stared into her eyes, begging for her trust, and after a few moments she nodded. He released the spell and sat back.
"Fine," Hermione spat. "What's so important you had to stun my parents and dig through my head?"
"This." He cancelled the glamor on himself and pulled out a copy of his Gringotts heritage test, handing it to her silently. She took turns gaping at him, and then the paper, and then him, and then the paper. As she opened her mouth to say something, Harry held up a hand and said softly, "there's more."
"This," he pulled out a paper, "is a list of all the withdrawals made from my vault, the Potter vault, since my parent's died." She looked it over and when her face took on a mask of confusion, he continued. "You'll notice that Dumbledore and the Weasley's have both helped themselves to what isn't theirs. You'll also notice that none of it was ever spent on me except each fall on school books."
"What-"
He cut her off and pulled out another paper, "This is the results of my medical exam done at Gringotts last month." He handed it to her and continued. "Ignoring the products of abuse, which I point out that Dumbledore knew about and yet didn't change, you'll find that there were blocks on my magic placed by none other than Dumbledore himself. There was also residual dark magic from-that night- that Dumbledore must have noticed."
"Harry, I don't-"
"This," he pulled out another paper, "is a ward analysis of number 4 Privet drive. Dumbledore insisted that blood wards my mother made kept me safe there. Except the analysis shows that Dumbledore himself placed the wards, which are illegal, I might add, to draw from my magic. In combination with the magical binding I should be dead right now."
Hermione was now staring at him, eyes still teary, looking totally confused.
"The point of this, Hermione, is that Dumbledore isn't who he says he is. He's been using me for his own gains. For what purpose I'm honestly not quite sure, but it can't be good or legal. He's been paying Ron to be my friend ever since we met on the platform. My whole life is a lie Hermione, and I had to be sure that you weren't in on it."
That finally snapped her out of her reverie. "I would never betray you!"
"If I had asked you if you thought Ron would ten minutes ago, I bet you would have said the same thing." She shut her mouth with an audible click, shamed. "It's not personal, Hermione, I just don't know who to trust anymore." He sounded lost and young and Hermione couldn't help herself. She leaned in and crushed him in a hug.
"Oh Harry, I'm so sorry." He smiled weakly at her and hugged her back.
"Thanks. For what it's worth, I'm sorry too." She nodded and hugged him tighter.
After a few minutes they pulled apart.
"Harry," she began hesitantly, "are you sure…" He nodded seriously and looked her dead in the eye.
"He's guilty, Hermione. They both are." He could see she wasn't convinced.
"Maybe the money isn't for that. Maybe it's for something else."
"Like what?" She thought for a few minutes and sighed in frustration.
"The order? Or wards? I don't really know but there must be something!" Harry smiled at her sadly and stood.
"I know it's hard for you to accept but they really aren't the good guys here. They never were. Still, I'm not expecting you to suddenly turn on everything you knew and believed with open arms and pledge your undying allegiance to me." He didn't mention that Neville had done exactly that, as had Susan and Daphne. "You have the evidence in your hands. Think on it, really think on it. Don't just trust your view that all authority figures are good. I mean, look at Umbridge."
"She was from the ministry, though."
"Yes, but do you truly believe Dumbledore couldn't have found another teacher? Or didn't know that a teacher was torturing students in his school? You've read Hogwarts, A History. You know the wards tell him things like that, and when giant snakes are moving around the school. Think about it Hermione, and try to see what I see."
"What if I don't," she asked bravely.
He shrugged. "Then you don't. You go on living your life. Marry Ron, settle down, have little red headed babies. Nothing changes. We can still even hang out sometimes. But I won't be able to share everything with you, not if I can't trust you."
"So you're making me choose?" She sounded so lost and confused that Harry was having a hard time keeping his nonchalant attitude in place.
"No, Hermione, they are. But don't worry right now. You have all summer to think it over. When I see you on the train you can tell me what you think. For now, though, enjoy time with your parents." He waved his hand and her parents started to wake up.
"I really am sorry Hermione, but I have no choice." He stepped out the door and waved goodbye to her for what could possibly be the last time. Then with a small pop he was gone, leaving a totally bewildered and heart-broken Hermione behind.
When Harry got home and saw the owls holding presents from Ron and Hermione he snapped. Tossing off his robes he stalked to the reinforced dueling room they'd made in the basement and systematically began pulverizing dummies. When they all lay in pieces he would reparo them and start over. And so it went.
Daphne found him testing his bone exploding hex on a dummy two hours later, exhausted and sweaty and shaking. Gently lowering his arm and absentmindedly repairing the dummy she led him over to a chair and sat down on his lap.
"Since this morning was so successful I'm guessing that you encountered problems with Hermione?" As she spoke she massaged his shoulders and he slowly began to relax.
Eventually he responded. "It's just not fair, to me or to her. I show up out of the blue, tell her everything she knows is wrong, and make her choose between the only two friends she's ever had. I didn't even give her a choice."
"You didn't have a choice."
"That's better than being given two choices that suck. She either sticks with Ron and betrays me, or sticks with me and betrays not only Ron but Dumbledore, whom she idolizes."
"Remember when we were talking about what happened at the department of mysteries and you told us that your friends had made their own choices and chose to stick with you? Well, except for Ron, who got paid, but still."
"Yes."
"Well, if you trusted your friends to make the right choices then, trust them to do so now."
"It's not that. I mean, I want her to choose me, but it won't kill me if she doesn't. These last few months turned years it's only been you I need. Sorry to sound sappy, but it's true. It's just that she was one of my first friends and I feel bad putting her through this."
"I know, but that's her choice now, not yours. Besides, you're forgetting that she has a third option."
"What's that?"
"She could always choose to stay out of the drama and go her own separate way. Look, I may not like her, but I agree that she's pretty smart. She'll be able to figure this all out, just like you had to. And she has a loving family to support her, just like you." He nodded and hugged her. "Now, said loving family is upstairs putting together a birthday party just for you. Go take a shower and then meet us in the dining room. I want cake."
At that he finally smiled. "Yes ma'am." He got up and headed over to the stairwell.
"Harry?" He turned to look back at her. "It'll be okay, I promise." He nodded and disappeared up the stairs. As he left she sighed. "Oh Harry, why does it always have to happen to you?"
Harry felt marginally better once he was clean and dressed once more. As he headed downstairs to his first ever birthday party he thought back to the changes in his life. Yes he lost a family, but he'd also gained one, too. A big, loving family who told him the truth and listened to his opinions. A family who believed in him. A family who made him cake.
He grinned and opened the doors, being instantly covered in confetti and tackle hugged by Astoria, and realized that no matter what happened with Hermione, he was happy with his life right now.