The Devil in Me

The System is Done For

The chapter title is from the song:

Blood/Water by grandson.

Harry spent that evening in the Slytherin common room since Lily was busy overseeing Ginny's detention. Since he couldn't talk, he was reading and using Theo as a convenient book rest. The other boy didn't seem to mind much; he was playing chess with Tracey so every so often he would murmur an instruction to his pieces.

Draco was lying on the sofa with Blaise hovering above him trying to regrow his eyebrows.

"I don't know if I can make them grow back overnight, Draco-"

"Try harder then!" Draco snapped.

Theo sniggered, and Harry bit his lip to hide his amused grin. Draco glared over at them, "Think it's funny, do you? This is all your fault, Potter! If you hadn't been so distracted by Daphne saying you were hot, I would have eyebrows right now!"

From her perch by the fire, Daphne chuckled, "So easily distracted, Potter."

Harry smirked and conjured writing in the air, 'You are a worthwhile distraction.'

Tracey shot Daphne a knowing look, but the blonde girl just smirked, "It would take more than you to handle me."

Theo raised his hand, "Definitely up for a threesome."

"Greengrass's don't sleep with their cousins, Theodore."

Harry laughed silently.

Theo pretended to be offended as he flicked one of his captured chess piece in Daphne's direction.

She caught it deftly and smirked at Harry, "But since you were so easy to distract earlier, I suppose you aren't strictly into dick now?"

Theo snorted but bit back a comment which was rather unlike him. Blaise sniggered and nearly messed up Draco's eyebrow, causing many curse words to tumble out of the blonde boy's mouth.

"Come on, Daphne," Theo said, grinning at his cousin, "If it came down to it, Harry would pick me."

Daphne raised an eyebrow, "Is that true, Potter?"

Harry grimaced and shot Theo an apologetic look. The other boy slapped his hand against his chest and pretended to have a heart attack, "You wound me, Harry, you fucking wound me!"

Harry grinned and kicked him, "Shut up," he mouthed, smiling fondly at his friend.

Theo smiled back at him the same way, and Daphne shook her head in amusement. She closed her book and slipped it into her bag, walking towards the dorm room corridor via the sofa that Harry and Theo occupied.

When Daphne got there, she leant over the sofa and kissed Harry on the cheek, "You would pick him, a thousand times over, and do you know what? It's actually a little endearing."

Harry gave Theo a bemused look, and Theo joked, "See? She does want a threesome."

"Idiot," Harry mouthed, laughing silently at Theo's antics.

Meanwhile, in the dungeons, Lily was having an incredibly dull evening supervising Ginny's detention. At first, Amycus had been on his best behaviour, so Lily had propped open a book on her lap. Things took a slightly more sinister turn after a couple of hours though, and the first alert Lily had was a sharp intake of breath from Ginny.

Ginny had been forced to relinquish her wand at the beginning of her detention, so if Amycus did anything to her, there was very little she could do to defend herself. Lily glanced up subtly, watching as Amycus walked past Ginny and brushed his hand up her leg.

Lily's blood boiled and that tell-tale burning sensation began in her fingers. She raised a hand from her book and calmly flicked a finger in Amycus's direction. He hissed in pain and gripped his arm, frowning at the small burn mark that had appeared there. Amycus looked over at Lily, but her wand was still on the desk in front of her, and she looked utterly absorbed in her book.

With a frown, Amycus left Ginny alone for a little longer then tried the same trick again. Once more, he was burned, and this time, he caught Lily's finger twitching.

"Do not overstep your bounds, girl," Amycus hissed.

Lily looked up, innocently, "What, little old me?"

Amycus was less than impressed, "You are not invincible just because the Dark Lord appears to like you."

Lily leant back in her chair, "He does like me, doesn't he? I don't know how much he likes you though, or your sister. He called her a hag, did you know that?"

Amycus's nostrils flared, and Lily smiled sweetly.

"You can't come in here and undermine me," Amycus said, grabbing Lily by the shoulder, "You've barely had your foot in the door."

Lily raised her left arm and grabbed Amycus, as she did so, her sleeve slipped – revealing her dark mark. The older Death Eater hissed and cried out in pain as Lily channelled her magic, leaving him with a pretty nasty burn mark on his wrist, "Leave the poor girl alone, Amycus."

"The Dark Lord will hear about this!"

"Uh-huh," Lily said calmly, "Do I look worried?"

Amycus glared at her then spat on the ground before her, "Dismissed! Both of you!"

Lily got to her feet and opened the door for Ginny, with a sarcastic wave to Amycus, she walked out of the classroom after the redheaded girl.

"You didn't need to do that," Ginny said, "I can fight my own battles."

"Well you didn't have a wand to fight that one," Lily said, holding Ginny's wand out to her.

With a suspicious look, Ginny yanked it out of her grasp.

Lily rolled her eyes, "Walk you up to the towers?"

"Don't you need to go down?" Ginny asked irritably.

"To hell? That's a little dramatic."

"I meant to the Slytherin common room but if that's how you want to take it," Ginny said with a sarcastic smile.

"Why would I be going to the Slytherin common room?" Lily asked calmly, "Do you presume that you have to be in Slytherin to be an evil Death Eater?"

Ginny scoffed, "Not exactly, but you are sleeping with the Slytherin Head Boy, aren't you?"

"Harry? Uh, no," Lily replied, "Is that what this is about? Jealousy? Because that's over and done with. Besides, he's into guys this month."

Ginny frowned, "Malfoy?"

Lily snorted, "No, Theo - he still has taste."

Ginny fought back a laugh, and Lily noticed.

"Why do you care about me anyway?" Ginny asked, "What does it matter to you if he…did anything to me? Did Bill set you up to this?"

"Yes, Bill set me up to this but I would have cursed him for trying to touch you regardless," Lily said matter of factly, "Not all Death Eaters are evil, not all of us even practice dark magic – your brother, for one."

Ginny frowned, "Bill?"

"No, he is quite capable of dark magic, but he only uses it for good," Lily said with a shrug, "Quite a paradox. I can see what his stunning French wife sees in him."

Ginny snorted in amusement.

"But your other brother, Charlie?" Lily said, "He's a lover, not a fighter. He's more preoccupied with his dragons and his boyfriend than he is in scheming."

"Sounds like Charlie," Ginny agreed sadly.

Lily noticed and cocked her head at Ginny, "You know, I don't quite get you."

Ginny looked over at her, "What do you mean?"

"You're strong, independent," Lily said, "You're one of the guys. You feel like you have to be with the way you grew up, surrounded by boys."

Ginny nodded.

"So why would you feel so insecure that you felt you needed to dose Harry with a love potion?" Lily questioned.

"I don't know," Ginny admitted, "It seemed like a good idea at the time."

"Did you always like him?" Lily asked curiously.

Ginny's frown deepened. "I did when I was young, typical childhood crush, I suppose. But then I moved on. I dated a few other people, and I thought I was over it."

"So, what changed?" Lily asked curiously.

Ginny opened her mouth, but she couldn't seem to form an answer.

"I mean, was it your idea or someone else's?" Lily prodded.

"I think it might have been my…" Ginny frowned, "My mums, but it's sort of blurry."

"Blurry?" Lily asked sharply, "Like she obliviated you?"

"No," Ginny snapped defensively, "No, why the hell would she do that?"

"I don't know, Weasley but look at this logically for a minute," Lily said, grabbing Ginny by the arm and pulling her into a secret passageway behind a mirror.

"You have six siblings, one of them is working for the Dark Lords ministry, two of them are with the Dark Lord, another one is shacking up with Granger in a tent somewhere, and the other two are doing what?"

"Hermione is with the twins," Ginny corrected, "I don't know where Ron is, he went off on his own."

"Dead probably then," Lily said dryly.

"He's my brother!"

"And? He's probably still dead," Lily said, frowning at the Gryffindor girl, "Haven't you stopped to think why all of your siblings seem to turn on your mother?"

"Honestly, no. She's our mother; she wants to protect us. She just wants the best for us," Ginny replied in an almost robotic monotone.

Lily shook her head, "No…that doesn't swing it for me. Listen, just hear me out – can we talk to someone you trust about this? Just to make sure you are not under any charms, and that no changes have been made to your memory."

"Someone I trust? In this school?" Ginny scoffed.

"You trust McGonagall, don't you?"

Ginny paused, "I…well, yeah."

"Then we'll talk to her together tomorrow morning," Lily said, "And if I'm wrong, you can announce to the entire school that I'm a Death Eater."

Ginny narrowed her eyes at the Head Girl, "Are you really You-Know-Who's favourite?"

Lily shrugged, "I intrigue him and when someone intrigues him, that can go two ways – they either end up in his favour, or they end up dead. I intend to make good of the situation and not end up in a casket."

The air in McGonagall's office was tense. Lily leant against the door with her arms crossed, and Ginny was sitting across from her Head of House. The older woman had just had a look into Ginny's memory and had cast a complicated spell that checked if she was under the influence of any mind-altering potions or spells.

McGonagall tried and failed to cover up the shock on her face. She cleared her throat and spoke quietly, "You appear to be under the influence of a compulsion charm Miss. Weasley. From the strength, I would guess that it is linked to something on your person, something that you wear every day?"

Ginny looked down at her right hand – on her index finger was a ring, golden but old and tarnished.

"But I only wear this," Ginny said, "It was my grandmother's, my mum gave it to me before I started Hogwarts."

McGonagall held out her hand, "May I?"

Ginny nodded and slipped the ring off. The moment she placed it in the palm of McGonagall's hand, she frowned because all of a sudden, a haze lifted and everything felt clearer.

"No," Ginny whispered.

McGonagall noticed the shift too. She cast a spell on the item, and it glowed purple, "Yes, it is a powerful, enduring compulsion charm, willing you to do the bidding of another."

"My mother," Ginny said, looking up at McGonagall in horror, "My mother asked me to get close to Harry, to make him fall in love with me, she had me brew a love potion last year!"

Lily stepped forward, "Are you okay, Ginny?"

"Okay?" Ginny shouted, pushing her chair back angrily and getting to her feet, "No, I'm not okay! The last two years of my life have been a lie! I never wanted Harry. I was falling in love with Neville then she told me that he wasn't bloody good enough! She wanted me to make Harry fall for me so that the Weasley family could gain prominence again, that was why she wanted daughters, so she could marry them off into big families and make something of her shitty, fucking life!"

Lily grimaced, "Well, I mean – there's not an easy way to take something like this, but Harry would understand because his whole life has been a lie."

Ginny shook her head angrily, "Dumbledore paid her, he paid her to take Harry in, to get Ron to befriend him, to make me fall in love with him. She manipulated her children for money and power, who does that?"

"A lot of people, Slytherins mostly, but it doesn't come as a surprise when they do it," Lily mused.

"Miss Moon, I do not believe this is helping the situation," McGonagall said curtly, "What do you wish to do about this, Miss Weasley? Do you wish to discuss this with your mother?"

"No," Ginny said furiously, "I don't want to look at my mother, let alone talk to her. I want my big brother, that's all."

McGonagall nodded, "I will fetch him right away. Until I get back, Miss Moon, please take care of Miss Weasley."

"Of course," Lily returned.

McGonagall left, and Ginny walked to the window, glaring out at the grounds furiously.

"Your whole life isn't a lie, she just manipulated a couple of choices you might have made anyway," Lily said, "There's a way to come back from this. But for Harry, there wasn't. Dumbledore did manipulate his whole life; he was the reason Harry was abused as a child, the reason he never knew the love of a parental figure. By the time Harry found out the truth, he was too far gone, but you aren't."

"Are you trying to recruit me or convince me not to join you?" Ginny asked in disbelief.

"Neither," Lily answered, "It doesn't make much of a difference to me whether you're fighting opposite me or by my side, but I just thought you ought to know that you aren't too far gone yet, not like Harry was."

"Thank you, I think," Ginny said, her gaze still on the grounds, "For everything."

Lily squeezed her shoulder but said nothing. They fell into a comfortable silence as they waited for McGonagall to return with Bill.

At the end of Defensive Magic that day, Bill called, "Mr Potter – stay behind please, I need to have a word with you in my office."

That caught Harry's attention. He raised an eyebrow at Bill as they waited for the classroom to empty – Harry had been able to tell that Bill was distracted during that lesson, he hadn't been his usual cheerful sarcastic self. Harry had doubted that it was for a significant reason though, until Bill called him into the office.

When Harry stepped inside, the door shut of its own accord. Bill lifted his wand, pointed it at Harry and muttered a counter-curse under his breath. Instantly, Harry felt the shift in magic, and when he sucked in a relieved breath, some sound actually came out.

"You know the counter curse?"

"Course I do, am I a bloody curse breaker or not?" Bill replied dryly.

"So you could have done that at any point over the last few days?"

Bill nodded and sat on his desk, looking at Harry warily.

"Why the fuck didn't you then?"

"Because it was hilarious watching you learn sign language," Bill said with a slight smile.

"Oh, fuck you," Harry said, leaning against the door and crossing his arms.

"You're going to be saying that again in a minute," Bill said, rubbing his eyes, "Because this is a hell of a bit of news."

"Spit it out then," Harry said, watching the older man warily.

"I had to give Ginny one hell of an apology this morning, and I think you need to as well," Bill said.

"What?" Harry snapped, "Why the fuck would I do that after what she did to me?"

"Because of this," Bill said, slamming an old tarnished ring onto the desk, "This was our grandmother's ring, our mother give it to Ginny before she started Hogwarts and it has an insanely powerful compulsion charm linked to it. Do you know the last time Ginny can remember making a decision entirely of her own accord?"

Harry looked at Bill and shook his head.

"Her fourth year," Bill said, his fury at his mother clear, "She kissed Neville in a secret passageway after a DA meeting. Then after the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, they promised to write to each other, but that never happened because that summer, our mother decided that Neville Longbottom wasn't good enough – Ginny had to fall in love with Harry Potter."

"Shit."

"You can say that again," Bill agreed.

"I want to fucking kill your mother," Harry growled.

"Get in line behind me, Charlie and possibly Ginny," Bill said, his voice low and laced with fury.

"This means Hermione hasn't done anything wrong as well, doesn't it?"

Bill nodded, "If she survives being on the run, we owe her a damn good apology too."

Harry sighed, "Where is she? With Ron?"

Bill shook his head, "No, she's with Fred and George."

"Fred and George?" Harry asked in disbelief, "On the run?"

"That's what I said," Bill muttered irritably.

"But Fred is a werewolf," Harry reminded Bill.

"Oh," Bill said sarcastically, "Now you're worried about Hermione's welfare?"

Harry frowned, he knew he sounded like a hypocrite but knowing the truth about Hermione had changed his perspective on things.

"Do you know what's happening with all of your siblings?"

"More or less," Bill replied, "Char is with us, obviously. Percy is still arse licking his way to the top at the Ministry. Fred and George have run away with Hermione and Ron is probably dead in a ditch somewhere since he decided to try to make it on his own in the wilderness. I don't know if he'll die of starvation or be mauled by a wild dog first."

Harry snorted, "And how is Ginny? I mean, is she taking it okay?"

"Oh, she's great," Bill said sarcastically, "She got pissed, and now she's passed out in my quarters. I've got Fleur waiting by her bed for the inevitable first hangover she's going to have when she wakes up."

"Well, once she's gotten over the inevitable hangover and she's in a fit state, let me know, and I will apologise to her," Harry confessed, "Whether she takes that well or not… I don't know."

"No, neither do I," Bill admitted, frowning over at Harry, "And Harry? One last thing."

Harry looked up, "Yeah?"

"You killed the Abbott girl, didn't you?"

"I was involved, but no, I didn't kill her," Harry answered honestly, "Her death sent out a message though, just as the Dark Lord intended."

"She was an innocent schoolgirl," Bill said, his cautious blue eyes on Harry's, "If that's the kind of collateral damage we're dealing with here, I'm starting to doubt what I signed up for."

"You're one Unbreakable Vow too deep for that, Bill," Harry reminded him, "If it makes you feel any better, I doubt it's going to be a regular occurrence. Howard Abbott was the main financier for the Order of the Phoenix. An example had to be made."

"Well let's hope no further examples are needed in the future, shall we?" Bill said coolly, "It's just a little close to the bone for me, Harry."

Harry nodded, "It wasn't an easy order for me to accept either, Bill. But I knew when I signed up for this that there were going to be good days and bad days – at the moment, it's a whole heap of the bad ones."

Bill sighed and gave him a nod, "You had better get going. I don't want to make you late for Charms."

Harry pushed himself off of the door, grabbing the handle and looking back at Bill, "Thanks, Bill and…I'm sorry, about Ginny."

"Yeah, me too, Harry," Bill said with a note of finality.

With his silencing charm lifted, Harry enjoyed the freedom of speech once more. He used it to speak to Padma Patil about Lavender's situation and her 'neutral' family.

Lily had let her into the Head Common Room via her bedroom, which linked up with the Ravenclaw Common Room.

Padma sat in an armchair by the fire with a cup of tea in her hands – her dark, brown eyes surveyed Harry but with interest rather than fear. If he was honest, this was the real reason that Harry liked Ravenclaws. They did not fear the unknown; they were curious until they had a reason to be scared.

"How is Lavender coping with the death of her scumbag of an Uncle?" Harry asked after a long minute of silence.

Padma raised an eyebrow at Harry, "Do you think I care? Lavender is my sister's friend, not mine."

"You have more taste than Parvati, then," Harry said with a slight smile.

Padma scoffed, "Parvati cares about fitting in and being popular more than I do. She became friends with the other Gryffindor 'it' girls to blend in with that crowd. She shunned our childhood friends the moment she was sorted into Gryffindor."

Harry nodded thoughtfully, "Unlike you."

Padma shrugged, "We grew up very close to Parkinson Manor, and unlike my sister, I didn't start treating Pansy like the enemy when the hat decided we didn't belong in the same house."

"Different with Slytherin and Gryffindor though, isn't it?" Harry mused, "Old rivalries and all that."

"Stupid rivalries," Padma argued.

Harry nodded, "Oh, entirely. Look at Lavender, her family is irrevocably linked to Slytherin families, but she refuses to admit that."

"All of the supposedly neutral families have mixed with traditionalist families at some point," Padma said offhandedly, "Where do you think their fortune tends to come from?"

Harry chuckled, "They rewrite their family history though, don't they? They pretend not to know about the parts they feel are shameful."

Padma leant back and sipped her tea.

Harry continued, "Not like your family, you are incredibly open with your family affairs. It's well-known that you and Parvati are half-bloods, after all."

Padma nodded and set her teacup down, "And I am not ashamed of my muggle-born father, not in the slightest."

"And I am not ashamed of my muggle-born mother," Harry countered, "But this isn't a conversation about our blood status, I don't care about that."

"You care about getting the Browns under control," Padma said sagely.

"Precisely," Harry agreed, "And you seem to be the person who can tell me how to do that."

Padma watched him for a moment, her eyes on his, "It's simple – you go straight to the head."

"Kevin Brown?" Harry asked with interest, "Laurel and Lavender's father?"

Padma nodded, "You said it yourself in the great hall when Lavender confronted you. Laurel and her Death Eater husband regularly visit Brown Castle with their son, Caius. Kevin loves both of his daughters, and he loves his grandson – he doesn't care about their loyalties which in my opinion does not make them very neutral at all."

"And it also makes Kevin the key, you're right," Harry said with a nod, "I'll arrange a visit. Thank you for your assistance, Padma."

Padma bowed her head, "You are welcome, Harry."

"And of course, I have to ask where your family's loyalties lie?" Harry asked. This time he surveyed her with interest.

The question did not faze Padma; she merely acted as if she had expected him to ask it.

"Do you have a use for us?" Padma asked calmly.

Harry decided that honesty was the best policy with a logical Ravenclaw like Padma. He shook his head, "Honestly? No. Your family aren't crucial to our cause; we are interested in Britain, not taking over the world and your family have far more hold in India than they do here."

Padma nodded, "We are more than happy to focus on our Indian business and leave the Traditionalists to their own devices. Since my branch of our family emigrated to England back in the 1950s, we have always tried our best to refrain from involving ourselves in British politics."

"That's fine by us," Harry said honestly, "But we would appreciate a show of loyalty, to nudge some of the other neutral families more than anything else. You don't need to make an oath or anything like that, but if you could subtly support us, then we would appreciate it."

Padma smiled, "I will speak to my mother. She is the representative of the Shafiq family in this country, and as such, she makes the decisions. I expect we could come to an agreement though – perhaps a trade deal?"

Harry smiled back at her, "I think the Dark Lord will be amenable to that. If you were able to aid us in convincing the Greengrass family to join us then it would go a long way in showing your support…Greengrass Shipping is a major partner of your families company, isn't it?"

"They are our largest partner certainly," Padma agreed, "My grandfather and Daphne's agreed that it would serve our families better to work together than to be in direct competition. I believe that we now hold around 80% of the trade deals with wizarding governments. But Daphne and her father are very alike, and if you know Daphne Greengrass as well as I do, then you know the girl isn't for turning."

Harry chuckled, "Indeed," he said, a smirk playing on his lips, "I aim to change that."

"Good luck," Padma said, smiling fondly at Harry before making her exit.

Days passed and nobody saw hide nor tail of Ginny. Harry presumed she was having some sort of mental breakdown about the whole thing, which didn't seem her style. He had voiced this opinion to Theo late one night. He had said, "I didn't have a breakdown when I found out."

Theo had rolled over in bed, raised an eyebrow at him and pointed out, "You killed Albus Dumbledore in cold blood then decided to become a Death Eater without giving it so much as 24 hours to sink in."

Harry couldn't argue with that, "True," he'd been forced to admit, much to Theo's amusement.

All the same, as more time passed, Harry began to wonder if Ginny would be able to get over what her mother had done. A few days after Bill had told Harry, he caught him having a worried, whispered conversation with Neville who was frowning and looking at the older Weasley in shock. He guessed that was Bill's last-ditch attempt to bring Ginny out of whatever depression she had sunk into – telling Neville the truth about what had happened and hoping that he believed him.

Harry put it out of his mind and tried to tell himself that he didn't feel guilty and that he wasn't worried about Ginny, but he knew it was a lie. Despite the fact he wasn't at all interested in her romantically, she was still his friend, and a part of him wondered if, unlike Ron, that had been real for her.

"You seem deep in thought."

Harry looked up, past Theo, to check the time on the clock behind him, "Yeah, I have a meeting with Kevin Brown tonight."

Theo snorted, "Does Kevin Brown know this?"

"No, he thinks his son-in-law is visiting," Harry said, shooting Theo an amused smile, "Cadmus agreed to get me in the door but he made it clear that I'd have to convince Kevin for myself."

"Sounds like a fair deal," Theo mused.

"And you are particularly persuasive," Draco pointed out, dropping down next to Harry.

"You got the Shafiq's to sign a very favourable trade deal with us," Theo agreed thoughtfully.

Harry smiled slightly, "Ah, Padma didn't need convincing. She's sensible; she knows we've all but won this war and between her family and the Greengrass's, they control trade between the UK and Asia. They want to keep us sweet so that when the dust settles, trade continues peacefully between the two regions."

"You have a fantastic grasp on politics these days," Draco said, casting a glance over Harry, "Pyrites must be a good teacher."

"He is," Harry said with a fond smile, "But he just taught me the politics and what matters. You're the one who told me who everyone was. You're the one who knows all of their secrets."

Draco chuckled, "You can thank my father for that."

"Lucius Malfoy – the biggest bitch amongst the Death Eaters," Theo teased.

Draco shot Theo an exasperated look, "He's a politician, knowing things means that he can blackmail people."

"And he's also a gossip, let's be real," Harry said, pushing himself to his feet

"Fair point," Draco admitted, "Do you want back-up?"

Harry thought about that for a moment – realistically he didn't think he needed it. Kevin Brown wouldn't be that difficult to handle, and Cadmus would be with him, after all. But there was the possibility that Kevin had allies and that Cadmus was double-crossing them, so Harry nodded, "Yeah, Draco. You good to go?"

Draco got to his feet and tucked his wand away, "Yeah."

Theo got up too, but Harry stopped him with a shake of the head, "Draco and I will go this one alone."

Theo raised an eyebrow.

Harry stepped forward and murmured, so only Theo could hear, "There's a reason the Dark Lord doesn't want Death Eaters to get involved with each other. It's because, in situations like this one, they could do stupid things to protect each other so stay here."

When Harry drew back, Theo nodded. He didn't talk-back, he didn't ask Harry sarcastically if that was an order, he just nodded and sat back down.

With one last apologetic look to the dark-haired boy, Harry left the common room with Draco.

"What did you say to him?" Draco asked when he and Harry reached the entrance hall.

"Nothing that concerns you," Harry replied.

Draco rolled his eyes, "I knew that would be your answer. You do realise that Theo actually cares about you, don't you?"

Harry said nothing.

"This is the closest to a relationship I've ever seen him get," Draco continued while they walked through the darkened grounds.

Still, Harry said nothing.

"He's falling in love with you, and you're using him."

Harry scoffed, "You're hardly one to talk, Draco. Have you ever been with anyone for the right reasons? You were with Pansy because your father wanted a marriage contract to be drawn up, but her father insisted that she be given free will. You were with Theo for what? To fulfil a need because you can't admit that you're gay?"

"Coming from you?" Draco asked in disbelief, "You're using Theo too."

"I'm not using Theo," Harry snapped, they had reached the gates, "I care about him; that's why I didn't bring him along tonight."

Draco's eyes softened, "Then why not just admit that?"

"Because of what the Dark Lord will do if I admit that," Harry said, meeting Draco's eye, "So let him believe it's stupid and pointless for a bit longer, okay?"

Draco nodded, "Okay."

Harry took a deep breath and shut his eyes, in preparation to apparate to Cumbria for his crucial meeting with Kevin Brown.

"It will be fine," Draco's voice said, and Harry relaxed when he felt his friend's hand grip his shoulder.

Harry opened his eyes, immediately seeing Draco's concerned grey ones, "Kevin Brown is a follower, not a fighter. Trust me; it won't take much to convince him."

Harry nodded and looked up at the night sky, "Let's go then."

Cadmus met them by the gatehouse and granted them access into Brown Castle. The Brown family were still wealthy, but nowhere near as influential as they had once been in the North of England. The Nott family, who were Yorkshire based, had swallowed up much of the smaller families properties over the years.

"As I said the other day, I will grant you an audience, but I'm staying out of it from that point onwards," Cadmus said.

Harry was only half-listening; he was far more interested in the castle before them. Draco gave him a strange look as if to ask what his fascination with wizarding architecture was about, but Harry ignored him. It had nothing to do with architecture, but everything to do with strategy.

"Knowing how well-fortified our potential enemies homes are is useful, Draco," Harry murmured in the other man's ear.

Realisation shone in Draco's eyes, and he gave Harry a small nod.

"Thank you, Cadmus," Harry said, returning his attention to the imposing castle before them. It was a typical northern fortress, probably dating back to the wars between England and Scotland. Here in Cumbria, they were close to the border after all. The dark, rainy sky only made the fortress look all the more daunting.

All the same, Cadmus didn't seem to be double-crossing them, so that was something. He led them into the castle through draughty stone corridors, reminiscent of those at Hogwarts, until they reached a small, ante-chamber that most likely led into the drawing-room.

Kevin Brown was sitting by the fire, watching the door as if he was expecting them. He was a middle-aged man with greying blonde hair and a figure that Harry guessed would once have been slim, but he was on the dumpy side now.

"When the wards alerted me that you had guests, I guessed that they would not be welcome ones," Kevin said, his eyes meeting Cadmus's, "But it was only a matter of time until you brought your brethren here."

Harry took a step forward, "I am here to talk, Lord Brown, that is all. Once you have heard me out, I will take my leave."

Kevin laughed, "Will you? Don't your kind tend to slaughter the families of those who do not join them?"

"As far as I am concerned, you have joined us," Harry said, "Your daughter has married well, she has given the Selwyn family a much-needed heir. That grants you protection."

"But that protection does not extend to my wife's family, clearly," Kevin said coldly, "You ought to be grateful that Annabella is not here tonight."

Harry shook his head, "With all due respect, your wife knows exactly what kind of man her brother was. If she chooses to mourn his death despite that, then that is up to her."

Kevin rose to his feet, but if he had aimed to be imposing – he failed. He was barely taller than Harry, who smirked and took a step closer to the fire so that he could lean against the mantle, "You are a father, Lord Brown. You have two daughters – if Cadmus here treated Laurel the way that Stuart treated Reyna Rookwood, how would you react?"

Kevin's jaw set and Harry gave a small nod, "You would want to rip him apart for hurting your little girl because regardless of what age they are now – both of those girls are still your little girls."

Kevin didn't argue, and Harry continued, "With Laurel's loyalty, we are content to leave you and your wife, and Lavender to your own devices. If Lavender rebels with her fellow Gryffindors within the school, then that changes matters, but if you keep your heads down, then we will leave you in peace."

At this, Kevin frowned, "You see us as a lost cause then? You think we are of no use to you?"

"We are looking for fresh blood to join our ranks," Harry said, his eyes on the older mans, "Young men to become Death Eaters and replenish our ranks. You have done us a service with Laurel's marriage to Cadmus, but beyond making an advantageous match with Lavender, you are of no further use to us. You have daughters, not sons."

Harry pushed himself off the mantle and walked away from Kevin, "This estate is splendid, and this fortress is truly something to behold, but it will fall into the Selwyn family upon your death with no male heirs to inherit."

He was aware that he was taking a risk, by inciting anger in Kevin Brown, but thankfully, it worked.

"But you can change that," Kevin said.

Harry smirked at Draco, then turned around, "Can I? I cannot magically grant you a son."

"No," Kevin agreed, "When I married Annabella, it was a good match. The Fawley's are a fellow northern family, we thought it would strengthen the bloodline, but she could only give me girls, and after Lavender's birth, she was unable to have any more children."

Harry raised an eyebrow at him, "And how can I help with that?"

"Because the Dark Lords plan is to carry on magical bloodlines, is it not?" Kevin asked, "Through marriage laws to muggle-borns, he aims to repopulate?"

Harry glanced at Cadmus, who looked apologetic.

"While Cadmus was not at liberty to discuss those plans, yes – that is correct," Harry said, eyeing Kevin with interest, "But to be eligible, you have to be unmarried or widowed."

Kevin smiled darkly, "I am sure an accident could be arranged."

Harry shook his head in disbelief, "So you will swear your loyalty to the Dark Lord if he promises you a young, fertile Muggle-born to carry on your line? All to satisfy your pride, to keep your lands in the Brown family? It's no wonder Lavender is so selfish and self-absorbed."

"At the end of the day, Potter, all we can leave behind when we die is our name," Kevin said, "That is our legacy. Without it, we have no legacy."

Harry scoffed, but looked Kevin in the eye, "Swear your loyalty to the Dark Lord on the October moon and for the love of Merlin, get your youngest daughter under control and you will have your wish."

Kevin's eyes glinted with ambition. He bowed his head, "Thank you."

With one final nod, Harry left the room with Draco hot on his heels. Cadmus followed them out, and as he escorted them from the castle, Harry apologised.

"I'm sorry that converting your father-in-law just effectively signed your mother-in-law's death warrant."

Cadmus scoffed, "Annabella? That's no sore loss; I can't stand the bitch, and Laurel isn't keen on her either. She was never the maternal type; house-elves practically raised Laurel and her sister."

"Did you know he was such a dick?" Harry asked, gesturing back at the room they had left.

With a low chuckle, Cadmus nodded, "Of course I did. He's a typical northerner; he's terrified of dying without an heir and losing everyone he worked hard to keep. You know what it's like up here, a family dies out and the Notts are right in there to seize their property."

Harry didn't know that, but Draco seemed to. The blonde boy nodded, "They've done it with a few families now. They picked up the Prince estate when Eileen married a muggle, and they have control over what used to be Black Manor too, don't they?"

Cadmus nodded, "Yep, they seized it after Sirius Black went into Azkaban. The only person who would have fought them for it was Bellatrix and she was in prison too."

They left the castle and Harry looked back with a frown, "From that shrewd display, I'm going to hazard a guess that Lavender being in Gryffindor is unusual?"

"She's certainly the odd one out," Cadmus agreed, "Her mother is a Fawley, and as you know, they are traditionally a Slytherin family."

"And the Browns, as neutral as they claim to be, are of Ravenclaw stock," Draco continued.

"Typical," Harry said with a soft snort, "Ravenclaws, they act so high and mighty, but they're just like Slytherins underneath it all."

Draco gave Harry an amused look, "Are you suggesting we Slytherins don't act all high and mighty?"

Cadmus chuckled, "He makes a point, Harry."

Harry shot Draco a grin, "He does. Thanks for your help tonight, Cadmus."

"You're welcome," Cadmus said, patting Harry on the back, "See you boys around."

Theo forgave Harry for abandoning him, thanks to the excellent apology he had prepared. It was almost entirely physical, but Theo didn't seem to care.

Harry was also in the Dark Lords good books for confirming the loyalty of two ancient families, and for securing the newly seized Voldemort-run ministry an excellent trade deal, thanks to the Shafiq family.

Less than 24 hours after Harry's chat with Kevin Brown, Lavender was pulled aside by McGonagall and informed that her mother had died in a strange accident involving the lake on the land of Brown Castle. She had cried for an entire day then in no uncertain terms blamed Harry for her Mothers death.

Harry hadn't even looked up at her as he drawled, "If you are looking for someone to blame, then perhaps you should talk to your father. After all, he did seem more bothered about getting himself a young mudblood wife who would give him sons than he did about your mother who failed to give him an heir."

Lavender had burst into tears and ran from the hall with Seamus. The next day neither of them had shown up to classes or for meals, and it became apparent that they had fled the castle. Harry suspected they would try and join up with the militant, revenge crazed Army of the Phoenix if they could.

* TBC *