Chapter 18
Harry has been at the Malfoy's for a few days now, and he can say for certain that they have been some of the best days of his life. He never would have thought that something as simple as sitting down together at a dinner table could be so enjoyable.
It's midafternoon and Harry is seated in the library waiting for Lucius to arrive. The books the Malfoy patriarch has provided for him to study have given Harry a glimpse of magic in its entirety, not just the parts the Hogwarts staff has deemed acceptable to teach.
Harry looks up from his book as Lucius sweeps into the room, acknowledging him with a brief nod. Lucius takes the seat across from Harry, reciprocating his greeting.
"Have you read through the books I left for you?"
"Yes, I have." Harry answers, pulling out a sheet of parchment that he has filled with questions. "I am quite interested in the topic of Dark Magic. Specifically why it's been deemed corruptive and evil. It seems to me that it is merely another form of magic."
Lucius takes a moment to consider Harry's words. "I am rather surprised at your interest in this topic. However, I am not disappointed. The topic of Dark Magic is rather interesting and I will gladly answer any questions you may have." Harry smiles at the prideful tone of Lucius' voice. "To address your previous question, Dark Magic is a powerful form of Magic that is usually intended to cause harm. Take the unforgivable curses as an example. However, there are many other uses for it.
"Magic such as this is directly related to intention. If you intend to use it to harm others, then it would be safe to say that the magic is "evil", as so many put it. However, if your intention is to help someone the magic can no longer be considered evil. Thus meaning that the affiliation of Dark Magic depends solely on the caster's intention and force of will.
"Now, make no mistake, Dark Magic can corrupt. Dark Magic is power, and power is enticing to any and all who wish for success. Therefore, I caution you, Harry, to think about where this power will take you before you partake in magic of this form. The path to the light holds many twists, turns, and obstacles, while the path that leads to the dark is unencumbered and inviting, luring unsuspecting wizards into its domain and claiming them for its own. Do not allow yourself to become one of those wizards, Harry. I expect great things from you. I believe you are destined to overcome the darkness. But first, you must take control of your life, Harry. By any means necessary."
~~~Time Skip~~~
"Come on!" Draco drags out the "n" to an obnoxious degree, making Harry roll his eyes.
"I just don't see why this is necessary." Harry begrudgingly follows his best friend down the hallway to where Narcissa is waiting for them. He is dragging his feet across the floor, producing an annoying scuffing noise that echoes through the hall.
"Necessary? It's not necessary, but it's fun." Draco continues walking, Harry groaning behind him.
"Shopping is not what I'd constitute as fun, Draco." Harry's exasperation shines through in his tone.
"Well obviously you've never shopped with a Malfoy before."
"That would be correct."
Draco snorts at Harry's comment. "Don't try to be cute, Harry. The look really doesn't suit you."
They reach the main atrium, still bickering. Apparently Harry hadn't taken well to Draco's beautifully constructed and altogether devastating comment… Who could've guessed.
Nacissa clears her throat, gaining the attention of the bickering pair. "Are you boys ready?"
"Absolutely!" Draco replies immediately, his back straightening slightly in excitement.
Harry merely shrugs, considering the situation. The two Malfoy's turn toward the floo while Harry lingers by the grand doors of the Atrium.
"Actually," Harry calls, stopping his companions in their tracks. "Would it be possible for me to pay for my own items? I don't want to be a burden."
Narcissa's face softens in understanding. Based on his childhood treatment, it is likely that Harry is not accustomed to being cared for in any way. Thus, having people spend money on him is no doubt disconcerting and goes against everything he has grown up believing. The Malfoy matriarch walks over to the raven haired boy, the sound of her gentle footsteps bouncing off the marble floor and reaching the ceiling, only to return to the floor once more, causing the sound to reverberate and muffle.
"Harry, dear." Narcissa plants her hands firmly on the boy's shoulders, kneeling down to meet his eyes while her skirts pool around her. "You are never a burden. I know you can manage on your own, but it would be wonderful if you let us do this for you. We care about you, and when you care about someone you do everything within your capabilities to see that they're cared for. You will have other uses for your money in the coming months." Narcissa squeezes Harry's shoulders lightly. "Please, let us do this for you."
Harry considers her words, glancing at his best friend to see a reassuring smile on his face. Harry takes a deep breath, nodding once before saying, "Thank you, Narcissa. I didn't know that I needed to hear that, but I did. So, thank you."
Narcissa reaches up and ruffles Harry's unruly locks. "Of course, dear." She smiles once more and then stands, keeping one hand gently on Harry's shoulder, leading him to the floo.
Narcissa inspects both of the boys for a moment, wiping a dirt smudge from Draco's chin and fixing the collar of Harry's shirt before deeming them presentable. After all, image is everything. Especially when you're constantly on display like the Malfoy's and, as of recently, Harry. It has taken Harry quite a while to get used to the constant gawking of his classmates, the whispers that people think he can't hear and the assumptions that he can't seem to shake no matter how hard he tries. Slowly but surely he is accepting it. He doesn't like it, far from it, actually. But there really isn't anything he can do about the situation. It will always be this way. His life will constantly be displayed and in the spotlight, whether it be on the front of the Daily Prophet or in his day to day encounters. People will always have an opinion, and the best Harry can do is try to use it to his advantage. Learn the rules, play the game, and be smart enough to come out on top. Every. Single. Time.
Harry shakes himself from his thoughts when the floo powder is placed in front of him. He notices that Draco has already disappeared, probably having left while Harry was lost in his head… Again.
He takes a handful of floo powder and steps into the Malfoy's extravagant fireplace. "Diagon Alley!" He shouts, his wording clear and precise to avoid any miscommunication. He feels a tugging sensation that he is beginning to associate with traveling through the floo network and suddenly he is tossed out of a different fireplace as the world slowly comes back into focus. He lands squarely on his feet this time, thank you very much. And he doesn't stumble at all. Okay fine, there may have been minor stumbling, but at least he managed to keep his feet this time. That has to count for something, right?
It takes Harry a moment to comprehend where he has ended up. The store is lined with shelves filled with unique and colorful looking candy. There are more shelves placed throughout the room, holding even more sweets. The shop is cramped, yet the energy in the room is joyful making up for the lack of space. Harry's eyes immediately gravitate to the chocolate isle. He walks over to it in a daze, his eyes wide with wonder. He vaguely hears the fireplace flare again, no doubt revealing Narcissa Malfoy's arrival. He reaches the chocolate and his gaze rakes across the variety of choices.
"Impressed?" Draco comes up next to Harry and nudges him with his shoulder, a smile on his face.
"Yeah; This is amazing."
Narcissa comes up behind the two boys, gently putting a hand on each of their backs. "Come along, boys. We can come back later." Draco and Harry nod, turning away from the candy, Harry much more reluctantly than Draco.
When they exit the shop, Harry's vision is eclipsed by shining lights. Just like the first time he stepped foot in Diagon Alley, the auras are overwhelming. However, unlike last time, Harry is able to block them out, a skill he learned at the beginning of term, saving him from a constant headache.
'No matter how many times I see it, I don't think I will ever get over how amazing this is.' Harry's eyes are wide with wonder, taking in the color and life that's buzzing around him. Try as he might, he cannot seem to contain the grin that breaks out across his face.
"We'll go to Gringotts first, and then we have the rest of the day to go wherever you boys want."
Narcissa, Draco, and Harry begin making their way slowly toward Gringotts, meandering through the crowd and browzing the shop windows. As they come up to the bank's doors, Harry notices the two goblins standing guard. He believes they're the same two as last time. The guards bow at the trio as they pass through the doors and Harry stops for a moment to bow back, sending a quick smile their way as he rushes to catch up to the two Malfoys.
The trio reaches the front desk where Sharpfang is once again working. Narcissa clears her throat to get the teller's attention, however the gesture isn't particularly insistent or impatient which surprises Harry. Based on her pureblood heritage, he had expected her to act the same as most wizards do toward Goblins, but apparently he had been wrong.
Teller Sharpfang looks up from his stack of papers, his gaze raking over the trio and stopping for a brief moment on Harry as his eyes widen in recognition. "What can I do for you?"
Narcissa smiles briefly at him before removing a key from within her expensive black coat. "We would like to access both the Malfoy and Potter vaults." She hands Sharpfang her key and he looks at it with a critical eye, finally deeming it acceptable and handing it back to her. "And Mr. Potter? Do you have your key?" Sharpfang addresses Harry directly. It is then that Harry has a startling realization. He doesn't have a key, he never has. As far as he knows, that particular item is secured firmly in Albus Dumbledor's manipulative hands.
"I- I don't have it." Harry mutters, looking at his hands morosely. As he expects, Narcissa Malfoy is looking at him with concern in her eyes. What he doesn't expect, however, is for Sharpfang to stand and enter a previously unnoticed room behind him, muttering a quick "wait here" to Harry as he leaves his post.
So there he is, waiting apprehensively for Sharpfang's return, hoping that there is a way for him to enter his vault without having to go through Dumbledor. Some sort of loophole, a cheat code, hell, he'd even take an obscure line written in tiny text from one of those documents people never take the time to read. As it is, none of those scenarios come to pass. What does happen, however, is a minor miracle. Or at least Harry thinks so.
Sharpfang emerges from the back room with a glimmer in his eyes. "Mr. Potter, because of your unique circumstances and your history with The Goblin Nation we have decided to give you another key to your vault. Keep it close, Harry. We will not be so forgiving in the future." And just like that, Harry knows that Sharpfang understands his situation and is willing to help him work around it. Harry can't find the words to express his gratitude, so he settles for a simple "thank you" in the hopes that Sharpfang will understand. He does; Harry can see it in his eyes as he calls another Goblin to take them down to their vaults.
~~~Time Skip~~~
Draco is eagerly pulling Harry toward one of the shop windows, all the while yelling something almost unintelligible. Harry picks out words like "brooms" and "Quidditch". Harry decides that he likes where this is going. He doesn't know much about Quidditch, but from what he does know he can easily say that he would wholeheartedly enjoy the sport. He has his eye set on the seeker position on the Slytherin Quidditch team next year.
Draco comes to an abrupt stop, making Harry bump into him from behind, almost sending the pair flying into the window. Harry is about to yell at Draco when he is distracted by something shiny… Again. Look, it's not his fault that he is so easily distracted. Shiny is his vice and if he gets "lost" in the process of fulfilling his dreams then so be it.
Behind the window is the most beautiful broom Harry has ever seen. Granted, he hasn't seen very many, but from the way Draco is practically drooling beside him he can guess that the sentiment is shared.
"What is it?" Harry asks in awe, his eyes traveling along the broom's sleek body.
"That is a Nimbus 2000; The fastest broom ever made." Draco's voice holds the same amount of awe as Harry's.
Harry hears Narcissa come up behind them, chuckling at the boy's antics. "That is also one of the reasons we came." She puts a hand on each boy's shoulder, beginning to guide them into the shop.
"Wait, what?!" Draco whips his head around to look at his mother, mouth gaping and eyes shimmering with hope.
"What can I say? Only the best for my two favorite boys." Narcissa smiles warmly and stops walking, turning Harry and Draco to face her. "You boys look around while I go purchase your brooms." She turns to the counter, leaving Harry and Draco behind her bursting with joy and excitement.
"We are trying them out the second we get home!" Draco is bouncing on his toes and grinning from ear to ear, unable to contain his excitement. "I can teach you all about Quidditch so you'll have a head start next year."
"That sounds fantastic! I can't wait to play, I'm really hoping to make the team next term. I just hope I'm good enough." Harry feels doubt start to creep into his mind, putting a damper on his good mood.
"Good enough? Of course you'll be good enough. It's in your blood."
"What do you mean?" Harry fixes Draco with a perplexed expression, wondering what his blonde friend is going on about.
"You're father dummy. He was a seeker for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Like I said, it's in your blood." Draco is still practically buzzing with excitement.
"Really? I had no idea!" Harry is officially determined to make the Quidditch team. He wants to follow in his father's footsteps, to do something that he knows his father would have been proud of had he still been alive.
Suddenly Narcissa comes back up to Harry and Draco, levitating two large, broom shaped parcels behind her. "Well, this is just our first stop. Where to next?"
Draco and Harry look at each other, their eyes sparkling with anticipation for the rest of the day.
~~~Time Skip~~~
Harry and Draco are walking through the Manor, attempting to pass the next hour quickly. Snape will be arriving within the hour and neither of the two boys can wait for their professor's arrival.
They are meandering down one of the Manor's many long hallways admiring the Yule decorations that had been put up by the houselves the previous day.
"So Professor Snape comes to spend Christmas here every year?" Harry has his hands in his pockets as they walk.
"Most of them, yeah." Draco replies, stopping and sliding down the wall to the floor. Harry follows Draco's descent, coming to rest at his side.
"That's pretty cool, I guess. Well, except for the fact that he can nag at you about your homework." Harry chuckles, tracing a finger along the swirling patterns in the floor.
Draco snorts. "Yeah, why do you think I did it already."
The two friends lapse into a comfortable silence, their shoulders brushing slightly. Harry takes another moment to look at the decorations adorning both sides of the hallway and wonders what exactly they mean, or if they have any meaning at all.
"Do these decorations mean anything? Like, tradition-wise?"
"Well, um… Yeah." Draco pauses, his face scrunching up in thought. "Oh! I remember. In Pagan tradition, the Ivy symbolizes death and rebirth while Holly is said to protect your home and trap any evil spirits that attempt to enter. Wreaths and Boughs are also put up for protection, but they're also seen as a celebration of victory. It's all rather interesting, really."
"Isn't the solstice also rather important in Paganism? I was reading about it the other day."
"Yeah, we don't celebrate that as much, but we recognize its significance."
Another silence descends upon the two boys as Harry contemplates what he's learned, deciding to read more about it later to sate his curiosity.
Draco groans and begins to stand. "We should probably go. Mother and father want us to be there when Severus arrives." Draco reaches out a hand to Harry, heaving the dark haired boy to his feet.
"You're right; Let's go." Harry and Draco make their way down the decorated hallway to the main atrium to greet their Professor.
~~~Time Skip~~~
"Have you thought at all about this custody trial, Harry?"
Severus, Lucius, and Harry are seated around a table in the Malfoy's library. A stack of books is sitting on the table in front of them, each one holding large amounts of legal information, ranging from the logistics of a wizarding trial to the intricacies of wizarding law.
"A bit, but not as much as I probably should have." Harry fidgets in his seat under his head of house's scrutiny.
"Very well; I guess we will start from the beginning." Snape selects a book from the stack after a moment of perusal, inspecting the cover before handing it to Harry. Harry struggles under the weight of the book and almost drops it, recovering right before the tome falls to the floor.
"This book details how a wizarding trial is conducted. You should read it in its entirety before you begin compiling your evidence." Lucius advises Harry, smiling lightly in the young boy's direction.
"I guess we should leave you to it." Severus and Lucius stand, making their way to the door, leaving Harry to his reading.
A/N: Hey guys! So here is the next chapter and we're really sorry that it took so long. We finally got a base down for how we want the next few chapters to go so we will be posting every other week unless we run into some problems. By the way the next chapter will be the last Christmas chapter, finally, and we should be back to the regular storyline by chapter 20. FreerSpirit is having internet issues right now but you should be fine to post every other week. As always we would like to hear any suggestions about anything you want to see even if we have to add it to earlier chapters during editing. We hope you enjoyed this chapter and thanks for sticking around!
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RavenGrey2107