The Devil in Me

Sometimes to Win, You've Got to Sin

The chapter title is from the song:

Angel with a Shotgun by The Cab.

"Have you decided to go to Michael Senior yet?"

Harry shot Daphne an amused look, "I'm not quite there yet. I thought I might get Ginny on board, try and have her seduce Michael into joining us."

"Yes, because I am sure Longbottom would be entirely on board with that," Draco said dryly.

"Or the female Weasel herself, for that matter," Blaise added.

"He's into guys as well as girls," Tracey said, stretching out on the sofa, "You could always get Draco to win him over with his charm."

Harry snorted and looked at Daphne, "What was Plan B again?"

Draco threw a chess piece at Harry, "You're a dick."

Daphne smiled in amusement and got to her feet, "I'm overdue a visit to Aunt Adaline anyway. I'll go over for tea and talk to her, and I expect that's all it will take."

"She's not really your aunt, is she?"

"No, she's my father's cousin, but we call all distant relations aunt or uncle. Otherwise, it gets far too complicated," Daphne replied, shooting Harry a smirk.

Harry snorted, "Do you want me to go with you?"

"No, this is my family. They won't hurt me."

Harry nodded.

"You trust my faith in them?" Daphne asked, her tone laced with surprise.

"Of course I do. You're an excellent judge of character," Harry answered smoothly.

Slinging her bag over her shoulder, Daphne smiled, "See you later," she kissed him on the cheek and walked towards the door.

The moment she had left the common room, Draco asked, "Are you really just going to let her go without any protection?"

"Of course, I'm not. How stupid do you think I am?" Harry countered, "Blaise, follow her, make sure she doesn't see you."

Blaise nodded and got to his feet, "On it," he said, jogging out of the common room.

Draco looked at Harry in disbelief, "Sometimes, it's rare, mind you, but sometimes I see exactly why you're the Dark Lords right hand."

Harry smirked, in response, "Game of Chess?"

When Daphne came back a couple of hours later, the Slytherin common was empty, so she crossed Harry's dorm room and found him in the Head Common Room with Lily and Astoria.

Astoria was curled up on an armchair with a book in her hands, and she seemed utterly disinterested in the conversation Harry and Lily were having.

"So," Harry was saying, "You think the Smith's won't fight because they are cowards who will run from their problems? But and don't get pissy with me, what if you're wrong?"

Astoria whistled, "Wow. You don't value your life much, do you?"

Lily smirked, "Thanks for the support, Astoria."

Astoria smiled in response, "Ravenclaws have each others back, unlike those shrewd Slytherins."

Daphne snorted, "Oh please, Ravenclaws are as shrewd as Slytherins, and both of you know it."

With a playful smile, Lily leant back in her chair, "Anyway, Harry – do you honestly not think I have a plan B if the Smiths do decide to fight? And if that fails, a plan C, then a plan D then – well, you know how the alphabet works, don't you?"

Daphne and Astoria shared an amused smile as Daphne dropped down next to Harry on the sofa.

Harry smiled over at her, "How was your meeting with your aunt?"

Daphne gave him a knowing look, "It was fine, and if you honestly thought I wouldn't realise that you sent Blaise to tail me, then you must think I'm pretty stupid."

"Told you she'd know," Astoria aid in a sing-song voice.

Harry shot Astoria a glare, "You don't get an opinion, pip-squeak."

Daphne chuckled, and Lily smiled slightly sadly as Astoria stuck her tongue out at Harry in response. Harry figured he knew why which was why he lowered his voice and murmured, "Hey, you have a family too. Me, Tom, Amalthea? We're your family."

Lily's smile was a little more genuine at that, "Yeah."

"Yeah," Harry promised.

From his other side, Daphne, who had gotten the gist of that, leaned around to ask Lily a question.

"I take it you're on board with 'mission convince or destroy the Smith's' then?"

"I seem to have been roped into it, unfortunately," Lily said, looking pointedly at Harry.

Harry ignored the look and asked Daphne, "You got the Corners on board, then?"

"I did," Daphne agreed, "And since Aurora does everything Adaline does, I managed to get you the support of the Corner family with two possible new Death Eaters."

"Two?" Harry asked with interest.

"Michael Junior might be interested," Daphne said, "His mother told me that he was a hat stall, between Ravenclaw and Slytherin. He's ambitious, and he wants to carve out a name for himself."

"Yeah, that's believable. Who's the other one?"

"Lisa Turpin obviously," Lily said dryly, "Aurora Greengrass married the Muggle-born, Horatio Turpin, remember?"

Harry looked blank.

"You really need to be more aware of your future wife's family history," Astoria muttered.

Daphne chuckled, "She has a point, you know?"

"Why do the women in my life always seem to gang up on me?" Harry murmured, shaking his head in jest.

"Lisa is quite magically powerfully, but she has spent her whole life being overlooked," Daphne continued, "So she might well join too."

"You really think cousin Lisa will join?" Astoria asked, looking up at Daphne, "She's a typical Ravenclaw. She is book smart, and she likes rules."

"So does Hermione Granger, or Katherine Crouch as I suppose it is now," Harry said distractedly, "And now she has a snake on her arm and two werewolf boyfriends."

Daphne smirked and looked at Lily, "It's always the quiet ones."

Lily didn't deny it; she just chuckled, "It's always the Ravenclaws, more to the point. We like order, and we see reason. Logically, Tom is our best choice for the survival of our race right now. So, I concur with you, Daphne. I think Lisa will join."

"Well, looks like I've got myself some Ravenclaws to talk to," Harry said, clapping his hands together, "Don't suppose you want to help, Lil?"

"Nope."

"Too busy baby-proofing houses, are you?"

Lily glared at him, "He told you that?"

"Oh, he told me that," Harry smirked, "Mothering Amalthea already, are we?"

"No, Harry," Lily replied dryly, "What I am doing is ensuring that Tom's precious heir doesn't crawl off a balcony because we both know it is exactly the kind of thing that Tom would have overlooked."

"He still seemed pretty baffled about why you were doing it when he told me, so yes, that is probably true," Harry pointed out.

"But in all fairness, Amalthea is also a wizarding baby, so if she fell off the balcony, I guess she would just use accidental magic to catch herself," Astoria cut in.

"And she would probably use some sort of accidental flame-freezing charm if she got pushed into the fire by her older sister," Daphne added.

Lily raised an eyebrow and looked at Astoria, "She shoved you into a fire?"

"I was three years old!" Daphne defended herself.

"You were also a pampered princess who didn't like it because she wasn't the baby anymore," Astoria said, smirking up at her sister.

"All of that is believable," Harry said through his laughter.

Lily chuckled and nodded her agreement, "And you know who fell off a balcony and saved themselves with accidental magic, right?"

"Who, even in baby form, is that stupid?" Harry asked.

"Draco," Daphne and Astoria echoed.

"Exactly," Lily said with a roll of her eyes, "But all the same, I would rather be safe than sorry."

"And as ridiculous as he thinks it is, Tom does appreciate it," Harry promised her.

"I know he does," Lily said, smiling at Harry over her shoulder as she disappeared into her bedroom.

"She's in love with him," Daphne realised quietly.

"Oh, yeah," Harry agreed, "She has been for a while."

"She knows he can never love her back, though," Daphne said slowly, "Doesn't she?"

Harry sighed, "She thinks there is hope for them, and if I'm honest, Daphne…I do too. It's complicated, but my mother sacrificed herself for me, and I think she performed some sort of blood magic when she did. That sacrifice is in my blood, and when the Dark Lord came back, he used my blood to resurrect himself so-"

"That strong protection is in his blood, and it is fuelled by pure love," Daphne realised, "You think that's enough to counteract the effects of a love potion?"

"Maybe, but I think the love potion thing is a myth anyway," Harry said honestly, "I don't see how a love potion can affect the brain of a developing child like that. I think it's far more likely that children conceived that way grow up incapable of love because they have never seen natural love."

Daphne's frown deepened.

"There's no way for a love potion to affect the cranial development of a foetus even if the woman takes it throughout the pregnancy," Astoria chipped in.

"Love potions don't change the DNA. All they do is release a series of pheromones to encourage lust and affection, not true love."

Harry looked over at Astoria with interest, "I thought you weren't book smart?"

"She isn't, but she built a working model of a brain out of shoelaces and jelly sweets last year, then she experimented on it with different spells," Daphne said, giving her sister a proud smile.

Harry made a face, "You didn't eat the sweets afterwards, did you?"

"You've ripped a man apart, and you're grossed out by me eating sweets that have been experimented on?" Astoria asked, raising an eyebrow at Harry.

"As irrational as it sounds when you put it that way, yes," Harry answered, "But you're right, of course. I mean, I'm pretty sure Bill Weasley was conceived under the influence of a love potion, but he's capable of love."

"It's definitely in the upbringing," Astoria said confidently, "Think about it. A woman slips a man a love potion, the only person whose brain that could affect is his. It doesn't affect his sperm or the woman's eggs. So how could it possibly lead to a child incapable of love? The whole thing is a myth, designed to make people fear love potions."

"Which they should, to be fair," Daphne pointed out, "Because frankly, a woman who gives a man a love potion to marry him and have a child by him is essentially raping him."

"It is rape, no question," Harry agreed, "I hate love potions."

"I know…" Daphne mused, "But still. Whether in the DNA or the upbringing, this is the Dark Lord we are talking about. He's as bad as Grindelwald-"

"And Grindelwald's own destruction was arguably caused by love," Harry cut in, "He loved Dumbledore, and Dumbledore had to be the one to duel him and imprison him. I know the Dark Lord didn't know that until recently, but it proves what he has always said – love is weakness."

"So, how can you think he is capable of changing his ways?" Daphne asked.

"Because I'm not convinced he's just the Dark Lord anymore, I'm not convinced he ever has been, to be honest. He is Tom Riddle," Harry answered, "There's still that broken, abandoned little boy inside of him who wants to be loved as well as adored, admired and feared. Between Lily and Amalthea….I think his salvation is possible."

Daphne smiled and cocked her head at Harry.

"What?" He asked curiously.

"It's just funny, isn't it?" Daphne asked rhetorically, "How you joined the Dark Lord to save yourself, but in the end, you might end up saving him."

Harry chuckled, "Well, Hermione always did tell me I have a complex about saving people."

"You saved me," Astoria said from the other side of the room.

"He has saved a lot of people," Daphne said, giving Harry a knowing look, "A lot more than he has lost, I think."

As Harry contemplated that, Daphne took his hand and gently pulled him in the direction of his bedroom.

With a smile, Harry let her.

Daphne had been right about Michael Corner's eagerness to prove himself. Harry didn't even have to seek him out to ask him about joining.

In Offensive Magic, they were partnered up for mock duels, and Harry ended up with Michael. He shot Tom a look and thought, You want me to kill this guy or what?

Tom smirked and thought back. He asked to be partnered with you before today's class.

And then it made sense – Michael wanted to prove himself in combat which was noble and all, but Harry knew he'd destroy him if he went full out.

"Alright, Michael," Harry had said when they shook hands to begin the duel, "Prove yourself to me in this duel, and you've got the job."

Michael nodded and gave him a cheeky grin, then they turned, walked back to their places at either end of the duelling platform, and the duel began.

Harry had to give credit where it was due – Michael was good, he was a damn sight better than he let on, actually. He was powerful, his spell-casting was accurate, and he was smart.

All the same, Harry still won the duel, and by the time it was over, sweat was dripping off of Michael while Harry hadn't even broken a sweat.

"Well fought," Harry said, smiling and holding out his hand.

Michael smiled back and shook it, "Thanks, man. That was a whole lot closer than I thought it would be."

With a chuckle, Harry steered Michael to a quiet corner of the classroom, "Of course it was. We're in school, Michael; I wasn't going all out."

Michael raised an eyebrow, "So you pulled your punches?"

"Course I did," Harry replied smoothly, "I want to recruit you, not kill you."

Michael snorted, "Did I make the cut then?"

"You did," Harry promised, patting him on the shoulder, "At the full moon in a couple of days, we'll swear you in, but you are aware of the price you need to pay to join us, aren't you?"

"I know about the sacrifice," Michael replied, seemingly unphased by this.

Harry nodded, about to say 'good' or something in that ilk. Then Michael spoke again, "But Harry?"

Harry looked up, "Yeah?"

"Are there any considerations for Muggle-borns?" Michael asked, his eyes flickering to someone behind Harry, "Or are they still classed as second-hand citizens?"

"I won't lie and tell you that they are viewed equally," Harry said honestly, "But why? Who are you trying to protect?"

Michael shrugged and looked Harry in the eye, "If the rumours about you are true, I think you'll get it."

"What rumours would those be?" Harry asked, leaning on a desk and raising an eyebrow at Michael, "There are so many."

"I know," Michael agreed, "But I'm referring to the ones about you and Theo Nott. We all knew you two were messing around together, but rumour has it his death broke something in you, and if that's true…well, that's gotta imply you cared about him a hell of a lot."

Harry didn't reply with words. Instead, he looked over his shoulder at the person Michael's eyes kept flickering towards. As he did so, Justin Finch-Fletchley gave him a nod.

Harry gave him a wave and turned back to Michael.

"I get it," Harry promised, "But you're a pureblood, and the last of your line, whoever you keep on the side is up to you, but the Dark Lord is going to expect you to marry someone and produce an heir."

"I know," Michael said offhandedly, "I've got that all worked out, don't worry. I just need to know that if anyone finds out about the connection, they won't go after him."

"You have my word," Harry promised, holding his hand out to Michael.

Michael took it and shook it, "See you on the full moon then."

Harry smiled, "Looks like it," he agreed.

Grabbing Lisa Turpin to ask her intentions was less straightforward. She seemed to be actively avoiding him, so Harry waited until she walked to the library for her free period. Then he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her into a secret passageway.

Rather than being alarmed or pissed off by this turn of events, Lisa just raised an eyebrow at him – she did look a little like Daphne, come to think of it. They had a similar face shape, the same shade of blue eyes, but with dark, lightly curled brown hair instead of straight ice-blonde hair.

"Dear me, Harry," Lisa tutted, "What would my cousin say?"

Harry raised an eyebrow, "Well, if I were bringing you in here to seduce you, I would suggest that Daphne would attempt to freeze my balls off, again. But, as we're here to talk about our lord and saviour, Lord Voldemort, I doubt she will be concerned."

"And what does our Lord and Saviour want with me, exactly?" Lisa quipped, "He has you in all your glory, and he has his new Black witch on the side. He has the Malfoy family, the Greengrass family."

"You're an extension of that family," Harry said, pulling an apple out of his cloak pocket, "And you're pretty exceptional. That's why I want you, Lisa."

Lisa crossed her arms over her chest and raised both eyebrows.

"I'm thinking about rephrasing that," Harry admitted.

"Yeah, I think I would be more comfortable if you did," Lisa quipped.

Harry chuckled, "You are an exceptional witch. That is what makes you a sought after candidate for our new 'young Death Eater' programme."

Lisa laughed too, "Better. But you're wrong; I'm not exceptional. I mean, sure, my mother is a Greengrass but compared with Daphne?"

"So you can't do elemental magic," Harry shrugged, "Hardly anyone can. It doesn't make you any less exceptional. Look at this apple."

Lisa looked from Harry to the apple, sceptically, "I'm looking."

Harry smirked, "Is sarcasm a Greengrass family trait too then?"

"No, Potter, you just bring everyone down to your remarkably low level of intelligence," Lisa quipped.

Harry raised an eyebrow, "Now, whose flirting?"

"You're not my type, trust me," Lisa said, giving him an overly sweet smile.

Harry smiled in amusement, "Look at the apple – I want you to cut it in the most efficient way possible, without hurting me."

Lisa gave Harry an amused look and raised her wand. With a few swift movements of her wand, she levitated the apple into the air, sliced her wand through it to cut and core it, then transfigured a bowl in Harry's hand, which the pieces fell into.

Harry smirked and threw a slice of apple into his mouth, "That's why I want you – if you can stomach the sacrifice part, that is?"

Lisa made a face, "Oh, please, my father is a Hit Wizard. He's been taking out high-profile Muggles since before we were born, I think I can handle killing a street urchin to join your little band of merry men."

"And women," Harry corrected, ducking his head out of the passageway to check if it was clear. Once he had confirmed that it was, he pushed the tapestry aside and stepped out.

Lisa followed him, and they fell into step together, "I've started an equal rights for Death Eaters movement. It's like a feminists club; Tracey's all for it."

"She would be," Lisa snorted, "How many of the girls in this feminist club does she fancy, exactly?"

"Oh, at least 90% of them. I'm pretty sure one of them is her mystery girlfriend, but she won't spill the beans," Harry said, shooting her a sideways grin, "Speaking of mysterious other halves – I know I'm not your type because I've heard about your type from Daphne."

"Of course you have," Lisa said dryly.

"Your type is the older, rough around the edges, sort," Harry continued, "Cassius Warrington, isn't it?"

Lisa gave him an exasperated look, "What did she tell you happened at Yule? Because whatever version of the truth you heard from Daphne is grossly exaggerated."

Harry grinned, "She didn't tell me anything; I saw you snogging in the bushes. Not as dumb as I look, eh Turpin?"

"I hate you, Potter."

"I know! See you on the full moon!" Harry called, howling afterwards for good measure as Lisa stalked away from him.

Harry clapped his hands and looked around the main reception room of Rookwood Hall, "Well, isn't this a little dream team?"

Gus raised an eyebrow, "Considering that the full moon is tomorrow, do you think you may have, perhaps, left this a little too late?"

"No," Harry replied, smirking at Gus, "Granted, I have left it to the last gasp, but those of you who have been through school with me know that is how I do things."

Draco nodded, "Yeah, I'll concur with that."

"Me too," Blaise drawled.

Lily nodded, "You worked out a way to breathe underwater like five minutes before you got plunged into the black lake in fourth year, so yep, I'm with you on that one."

"And let's not forget your split-second decision to kill Albus Dumbledore, one of the greatest wizards of all time," Reyna finished.

"Yeah," Harry said, frowning slightly, "Do you know, for a guy with so many accolades, he was surprisingly easy to kill."

"Probably because he didn't expect his protégé to kill him," Gus said pointedly, "Are we done with the chit-chat? Can we actually get on with this?"

Harry chuckled and nodded, "Yes, we are gathered here today to 'convince' the Smiths to join us. However, we're expecting that to go south, hence the back-up."

He gestured at the others, "There are six of us to probably more than six of them, but I don't think they're that powerful, so it shouldn't be a problem."

"I would agree," Gus said.

"Now technically, I'm going in there to negotiate them into bending the knee to the Dark Lord," Harry added, "With my trusty sidekick."

Gus gave Harry an amused look, "Mentor, please."

"With my trusty mentor," Harry corrected.

Reyna shook her head in amusement, "And let me guess, because you're a bit of a dick, you expect to piss the Smiths off hence why you need back-up?"

"No, although you are right, Reyna, he is a dick," Lily piped up from Reyna's side.

Harry put his hand over his chest, "You wound me, Lilith."

Lily gave him a long-suffering look, "We are the back-up because we expect this to go south, as Harry said. The Smiths have connections with the Jones and Perks families, one of which is leading the militant rebellion and the other involved with the Order of the Phoenix. Whatever happens, they are probably going to try and attack."

"So they think they just have to take out Gus and me, but then surprise!" Harry waved his hands, "You four pop up like the A-team."

"Did you just do jazz hands?" Lily deadpanned.

"Yeah, not my finest moment," Harry admitted.

Lily grinned in response.

Reyna chuckled, "So we hide out on the grounds then?"

Draco nodded, "We sneak through when Ezekiel Smith lowers the wards to let Harry and Gus in. Then we lay in wait for the signal."

"What is the signal?" Reyna asked.

"AGHHH HELP! Probably," Blaise replied dryly.

Harry gave Blaise an amused look, "Don't be so dramatic, Blaise – it's red sparks."

"Although the yell of help would do the trick too," Reyna said, shooting Blaise a grin.

Blaise rolled his eyes, "Red sparks, not at all stereotypical," he muttered.

"Speaking of signals and such, we need codenames," Harry said cheerfully, "I'll be Eagle One-"

"Shouldn't it be Snake One for Slytherin-" Draco began to ask.

"Goddamnit it, Draco, have you never heard of Top Gun?" Harry quipped.

"Uh, no," Draco answered, giving Harry an irritated look.

"As I was saying, I'll be Eagle One. Reyna is… 'Been There, Done That', Lily is 'Never Doing That Again'."

Lily and Reyna shared exasperated looks.

"Draco is 'It Happened Once in a Dream', Blaise is 'If I Had to Pick a Dude' and Gus is…"

Gus looked at Harry warily.

"…Eagle Two."

"Oh, thank Merlin," Gus muttered.

Draco made a face, "I have no idea why we needed codenames, but can we get on with this? I do have better things to do on a Sunday night."

Harry holstered his wand and nodded, "Just remember – from now on, after what happened to Theo – we work in pairs. Draco and Blaise, Reyna and Lily, have each other's backs and do not separate."

"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on the little Raven," Reyna joked.

"We'll see whose looking out for who," Lily said, shooting Reyna an amused look.

Blaise got to his feet and patted Draco on the back, "And I won't let anything happen to the albino ferret, Harry."

Draco rolled his eyes, "I hate you."

Blaise smirked, "I know."

Gus smiled at Harry, "You trust that I've got your back, right?"

"Always. You trust me to have yours?"

With a nod, Gus patted Harry on the shoulder, "Always, kid."

"Alright then," Harry said, looking around the group, "Let's move out."

The small group stood on a hilltop near Darlington, looking down at the house before them. Harry cocked his head and asked, "You know what I mean if I say, sometimes a house just suits its owners?"

Lily snorted, "What, you mean the house is as pretentious as the Smiths are?"

Harry looked at the country house in front of them – Smith Hall – and nodded. It was unnecessarily high for the house's width; two or three floors would have sufficed like almost every other manor house he had visited. However, Smith Hall had a fourth floor, complete with ornamental arches, balconies and a roof terrace.

"The guy who commissioned it was totally anally retentive," Reyna said, "It's freaky as hell inside – totally symmetrical."

"Huh," Harry mused, "That could be useful to know."

"And how do you know?" Lily asked Reyna.

"Stuart was friends with Ezekiel. I got dragged here a couple of times."

"Hm, a pleasant experience for you, I'm sure," Harry remarked dryly as he and Gus walked towards the gate.

"One of the more pleasant ones, actually," Reyna muttered in their wake.

Lily gestured for Draco and Blaise to go around the grand gate in one direction, and she and Reyna branched off in the other direction.

"It's easier when you're in company, isn't it? That's when they can't touch you. It's when you feel safe."

Reyna looked up sharply, "I…I don't talk about it," she said with a shake of her head.

"And I understand why," Lily promised, "But sometimes talking about it is the first step to getting past it. I mean, you have to accept that it happened and that it wasn't your fault before you can move on."

Reyna frowned, and at that point, the wards dropped to let Harry and Gus through.

The two girls slipped into the grounds via a side-gate and positioned themselves close to the drawing-room window.

On the other side of the house, Draco and Blaise did something similar but positioned themselves next to the smoking room – they had no real idea of where Ezekiel would lead them to 'negotiate'.

"You sound like you know from experience," Reyna said.

Lily shrugged, "You know that my mother was a drug addict, right?"

Reyna nodded, remembering Lily's memorable initiation.

"Well, most of the time, she had no idea who was in the house. You can guess what kind of upbringing I had," Lily said.

Reyna sighed, "That's worse – you didn't have a choice; you had shittiness thrust upon you. I chose Stuart, and when I knew what he was, I didn't leave."

"It's a hell of a lot harder to leave someone you chose than to leave someone who was thrust upon you," Lily said sagely, "You got out, you survived, that's all that matters."

"Thanks to Harry," Reyna said quietly, "And my dad, obviously, but Harry was the one who worked it out, and I've been treating him like shit lately because of his engagement to Daphne."

"He's a good friend," Lily mused, looking up at the house, "Better friend than boyfriend material in my opinion, but Daphne seems to find something in him endearing."

"I saw it too," Reyna admitted, "But he and I? It would never have worked. We're both as messed up as each other. That's why it works, Daphne and him. She needs someone to fix, and he needs someone to protect."

Lily looked down, the cogs in her head whirring as she realised how similar those dynamics were to her relationship with Tom.

"Yeah, I think that's it," She confessed softly.

Harry and Gus had just been led into the entrance hallway by an elf. It bowed lowly and disappeared, giving them a chance to survey their surroundings – the entrance hall was tiny in comparison to those at places like Malfoy Manor, and it seemed to be the only way in and out of the house too.

"Drawing room to the left, dining room to the right," Harry muttered to Gus.

"Staircase straight ahead. I can guarantee there will be a trapdoor into the elf kitchen in that hallway," Gus murmured.

"And an exit out through it," Harry added in a whisper, "Good shout."

"This isn't my first rodeo, kid," Gus said, shooting Harry a sideways grin.

Harry chuckled, "You've never sounded so much like a muggle, like a muggle cowboy at that."

Gus raised an eyebrow, "I'm trying very hard not to take offence to that."

Harry snorted in amusement, "Think he'll keep us on this floor?"

"I bloody hope so, otherwise we're going to need a new plan," Gus murmured back.

Harry gave a slight nod, then shut up when Ezekiel Smith strode forward. He clearly thought as highly of himself as his son did. His dark blonde hair was slicked back, and when he stalked forward, he had his hands behind his back and his nose in the air.

"Good evening, Augustus," He said, attempting to give his voice some gravitas that did not come naturally.

"Ezekiel," Gus responded.

Harry raised an eyebrow, "Good evening, lovely to meet you," he said overly politely.

Ezekiel cast a disdainful look at Harry, "Hm, quite so."

Gus bit back an amused smile at the look of horror on Harry's face that someone wasn't awed by his presence. Then he said to Ezekiel, "I presume you know why we are here?"

"I do," Ezekiel agreed, "And it is a conversation I believe we should have in private."

He turned around, and Harry and Gus shared a look that said, 'oh shit'.

"Indeed," Gus said, following Ezekiel into the drawing-room. It was half the size of the drawing-room in Malfoy Manor and very gaudily decorated. It was where they were hoping to talk because the room was lined with windows, and as such, it would be easy for their reinforcements to reach them if they were compromised in any way.

Ezekiel pressed his hand on a mirror the same width as a doorway. It stretched from the floor to the ceiling.

When the mirror was touched, the reflection changed. Ezekiel motioned at it with a false smile, "After you."

Harry and Gus shared another look, fully expecting an ambush once they stepped through the mirror.

"Come on then, kid," Gus said, stepping forward first.

Harry internally cursed him for being a noble bastard, but he followed, all the same, his hand going straight to his wand holster after he had stepped through the portal.

"Did you two see that?"

Draco jumped, "Lily! Aren't you two meant to stay over there?"

"Technically, yes, but didn't you see a flash on this side of the house?" Lily asked.

Draco shook his head, "No, we didn't see anything."

"It came from up there," Lily said, pointing to the middle window.

"Are you sure it wasn't just the moon reflecting off the window or something?" Draco asked sceptically.

Reyna gave him an irritated look, "Just because we didn't all see it, that doesn't mean it doesn't exist."

"Not unlike Sadie's feelings for you, Draco," Blaise deadpanned.

Draco gave his friend an exasperated look, "Did anyone ask for your opinion, Blaise?"

Before Blaise could answer, another flash emanated from the house.

"Okay, I saw that," Draco said, his eyes on a window to the right of the house, "Reyna – what room did it come from?"

"Uh,…not one I know of," Reyna answered, "It's right above the drawing-room, though."

"Most old houses have small secret areas above the drawing-room," Draco said quickly, "And if he's drawn them there, it's a trap – come on!"

The four of them jogged to the house together, breaking through the front door and heading for the drawing room

"Look for a secret passageway; you'll know what to look for," Draco said, specifically to Reyna and Blaise, who had grown up in pureblood houses.

Reyna pulled back all the tapestries and shook her head, "What if it's a family secret related to a portrait?"

"I doubt it," Blaise drawled.

"The mirror," Lily said, her wand focused on it, "Magic is emanating off it like crazy, look," she twirled her wand, and a blue fog appeared around the mirror.

"That's portkey magic," Reyna said with a frown, "It transported them to a secret room."

"With no way out, probably," Lily said. She twisted her wand and flicked it in the direction of the mirror. When the spell hit, the reflection changed to show a backdrop of a small lounge, "Let's go!" she said, grabbing Reyna and pulling her through.

Draco and Blaise followed, but it turned out to be a double trap.

When they stepped out of the mirror, Reyna, Lily, Harry and Gus were nowhere to be seen.

They were in a lounge on another floor, and two wizards had their wands on them.

"Oh, you bastards," Draco muttered, "Using portkey magic to separate us all across the house?"

A man with messy, dark blonde hair smirked, and a very familiar boy by his side grinned, "Got you, Malfoy."

"There's no way I'm getting killed by a Smith," Draco muttered, stepping forward, elbowing Zacharias in the ribs and pulling his wand out.

During the distraction, Blaise pulled his wand out too and focused it on the other man.

"This is Blaise Zabini, by the way," Draco smirked, "In case you don't know the name, shall we just say his family are big in certain Italian circles?"

"And I never miss," Blaise added, smirking and looking the man straight in the eye.

Draco had his wand at Zacharias Smith's head, "So what's it going to be? Surrender or death?"

"Death before I join you," Zacharias spat.

"On your head, be it," Draco shrugged, "Stupefy! Incarcerous!"

Blaise cocked his head at the other man, "And you?"

"Neither," He said, his eyes moving away from Blaise's to seek out Draco, "My name is Elijah - Ezekiel is my elder brother, and since I presume you're going to kill him tonight, soon I'll be the head of this family, and I want to cut a deal."

Draco narrowed his eyes, "I'm less inclined to bargain with someone when they have their wand to my head, Smith."

"And I'm less than inclined to bargain with the lapdog of the Dark Lords right hand," Elijah countered.

"Firstly – Harry doesn't command me," Draco said, his wand still on Elijah.

"He's not my lord, he's my brother and secondly – I am Lucius Malfoy's son and heir, and I am more than capable of dealing with you, Smith, however that needs to be – either by bargaining or at the tip of a wand."

Elijah slowly lowered, then holstered his wand, "Fair play, Malfoy."

Draco kept his composure, even though he wanted to sigh in relief, "Before we cut any kind of deal with you, you had better tell us where the others are."

"The mirror only leads into the upper reception rooms," Elijah replied, "One of which is here; the other two rooms are the upper drawing room and the admiral's lounge."

"Take us to them and let us finish this messy business, and then we'll talk," Draco said, his grey eyes focusing on Elijah once more.

"Deal."

"Doublecross us, and Blaise will put a piercing curse through your brain," Draco warned him coolly.

"I don't doubt it," Elijah said, his eyes warily flicking over to Blaise.

Harry and Gus held their own over Ezekiel Smith and a couple of thugs he had drawn in to help him fight in the upper drawing-room. Despite the ambush, they had taken the thugs down relatively quickly, and they were now duelling Ezekiel.

It should have been a very easy duel because Ezekiel wasn't fighting offensively; he was exclusively defending himself. Still, it meant that it was almost impossible to hit him with something.

"Oh fuck this," Harry muttered after ten minutes of this to and from, "Cover me, Gus."

"Sure thing," Gus said, throwing a shield charm over Harry as he ran full-tilt at Ezekiel and shoved him back into the fire.

The older man screamed and dropped his wand.

"Avada Kedavra!"

The spell came from Gus's wand and took Ezekiel out for good. Harry shook his head in disbelief, "What an idiot."

"We can't say we didn't expect it, though," Gus pointed out. He touched the mirror and sighed, "We can't go back this way."

"Why not?"

"It's a magical mirror, imbued with the same magic as portkeys," Gus replied, "It's not accurate. Only the Department of Mysteries can create a stable connection like that. This one will transport us around the house, but there is no guarantee what room it will take us too."

"Is there another way out of here?" Harry asked, looking around the room – there were no obvious doorways.

"There will be. No room is ever without an exit unless it's a dungeon," Gus replied. He was walking around the room, running his hand along every wall. When he got to the wall with the fireplace on it, he stopped and frowned.

"You got something?"

"I think so," Gus replied, pushing his hand into one of the stones.

A grinding sound came from the wall, and then a small door materialised.

"See?" Gus said, pulling the handle and ducking through it into a sparse, stone corridor lined with wooden doors, "This is the house-elves tunnel."

"Yeah, I could have guessed that, funnily enough," Harry said, having to duck down to walk through the tiny passageway.

"Don't be a smart arse," Gus said quietly, "We might have dealt with Ezekiel and his thugs, but he has a younger brother too, and then there's the 'decrepit' father. We haven't cleared the house quite yet."

"Father? I thought Ezekiel was the head of the family?" Harry asked.

"He was. The father isn't of sound mind according to St Mungo's records," Gus returned.

Harry opened his mouth to ask Gus which door they should go through, but then a familiar cry reached their ears.

"Reyna," The two men said in unison.

Gus rushed towards the sound, and Harry followed. Halfway down the corridor, Gus dove through a door, only to get disarmed the moment he entered the room.

Harry waited for a moment before following him inside.

"Augustus," An unfamiliar voice said, "Ah, my old friend."

"We are not friends, Ebenezer," Gus ground out, "And we have never been. Your problem is with me, so let me be clear, you leave my daughter out of this."

"Why on earth would I do that, Augustus?" The man asked, "You took what I loved most, so shouldn't I take that which you love most? It would certainly be poetic, wouldn't it?"

Harry edged towards the door and peered around – Reyna had been stupefied, and Gus had been disarmed – Harry had no idea where Lily was.

The man speaking looked a bit older than Gus; his hair was grey, but it was apparent that he was a Smith, and he almost had his back to the doorway. Harry figured he was the 'decrepit' father that Gus had just referred to.

The man had his wand on Reyna, and Harry could hear the smirk in his voice when he said, "So it seems that you will finally get to walk your daughter down the aisle. Only she will be in a casket instead of a gown."

At this point, he turned entirely away from the door.

"Not exactly the image you had in mind, I presume?"

"Sectumsempra!"

Harry's spell went right through the old man's neck, and he fell where he stood.

Harry stepped out of the small doorway, "He talks too much. Why do the bad guys always talk too much?"

Gus sighed in relief and grabbed his wand, "I don't know, but I'm glad he did. Thanks, kid."

"Looks like I'm not the only one who runs in recklessly when someone I care about is in danger, huh?"

"Yeah, it might be time to admit we're more alike than we initially thought," Gus agreed.

"What did you do to piss him off so much?" Harry asked, nudging his head in the dead man's direction.

"That's Ebenezer Smith, Ezekiel's father," Gus replied, "And I kind of killed his daughter, Elisha."

"Kind of?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow, "How do you kind of kill someone?"

"It's complicated," Gus said evasively, "We were kids, just out of school. She wanted me to marry her, and I knew I had to marry Johanna because of the marriage contract in place, so I rebuffed her. She fell from grace for losing her virginity before marriage; her father exiled her, and then she died in poverty."

"So he killed her then," Harry said, nudging his head at Ebenezer Smith.

"Technically, I suppose, but he always blamed me," Gus said with a shrug.

"Semantics," Harry mused, "Anyway, where the fuck is Lily? I gave her a big speech about having your partners back, so she better have had a damn good reason for abandoning Reyna."

He yanked open a door into a hallway where a massive duel was ongoing, and at the centre of it was Lily – "Okay, she had a good reason," he muttered.

With the element of surprise on his side, Harry sent a hurricane through the corridor, which created the distraction he had wanted it to.

It enabled Lily to knock out two combatants, Gus knocked out another two, and Harry used a cascading jinx to stupefy the remaining two.

"How many members of this fucking family are there?" Harry asked in disbelief.

"Not that many; he just employs thugs," Lily said, wiping the sweat from her forehead, "Is Reyna okay?"

"She's fine, just stupefied," Harry answered, "How long were you holding them off for before we got here?"

"Ten minutes, give or take," Lily replied. She was breathing heavily.

"Six of them, and you haven't a scratch on you?" Harry asked in disbelief, "You're amazing."

With a smirk, Lily said, "I know – wake Reyna up. We need to find Draco and Blaise."

Gus ducked back into the room to do just that, and seconds after he had done so, a door at the end of the corridor opened.

Harry and Lily, both being extremely on edge now, pointed their wands at the person.

"Woah – I'm surrendering!" he said, raising his hands.

Draco and Blaise stepped through behind him, "Yeah, he's a coward," Blaise remarked.

"Or an opportunist," Draco added.

"Same thing," Lily chipped in.

Harry raised an eyebrow, "Elijah Smith, I presume?"

Elijah nodded, "I want to make a deal."

"Course you do," Harry said with a shake of his head, "Congratulations, you're the head of the family – we just killed your father and brother. Actually, wait – where's Zacharias?"

"Stupefied back there," Draco said, nudging his head in the direction they had just come.

"Blaise, take Lily back there," Harry ordered.

He then turned to Lily, "You know how we deal with those who refuse to turn."

Lily nodded and walked over to Blaise.

Draco gave Elijah a nudge, "We're not negotiating in the corridor."

Harry motioned into the study that they had just killed Ebenezer in, "After you."

Harry felt a bit like a James Bond villain as he sat with one leg crossed over the other, leaning back in an armchair, surveying Elijah while his dead father lay at their feet.

"Elijah Smith."

Elijah nodded, "Harry Potter – the man-who-turned, I've heard great things about you."

"Really?" Harry asked sarcastically, frowning at the thought, "Because I'm kind of a dick."

Draco snorted in amusement but said nothing.

Harry smirked at Elijah, "So, this deal?"

Elijah leant forward, "Yes, as you said, I'm the head of the family now, which means I'm the one who decides where our loyalties lie."

"And unlike your stupid brother, you aren't opting for the Jones?" Harry asked sarcastically.

Elijah chuckled and shook his head, "No, anyone with eyes can see that you guys have won this war. The victors write history, so if you want to get anywhere, you need to be on their side."

"Hm," Harry said, smiling slightly. He opened his mouth to ask Elijah what he wanted out of this arrangement, but before he could, the door opened, and a middle-aged blonde woman flew into the room.

"Elijah! What happened?"

Harry, Gus and Draco (the three people in the room who were awake since Reyna was still sleeping off her stunning charm) all pulled their wands on the woman instantly.

"Woah!" Elijah said, getting to his feet and raising his hands, "Woah, woah, guys, don't hurt her!"

The three men didn't holster their wands, but they didn't fire either. Elijah grabbed the woman and drew her into his arms, holding her tightly.

"It was a bit more violent than anticipated. Are you okay, Lucy?"

Harry raised an eyebrow, "Lucy as in…?"

"Lucinda," Gus said with a nod, "Smith, formerly Talkalot."

Harry cocked his head at Elijah and Lucy, who were hugging tightly.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me. Could this be any more cliché? You're fucking your brother's wife? No wonder you were so happy when we killed him."

"He's dead?" Lucinda asked, pulling away from Elijah and wiping her eyes.

"Did you not notice the bodies littering your manor?" Harry asked in disbelief, "Yeah, he's dead."

"Thank Salazar," Lucinda sighed, looking over at Elijah, "I've been asking you to do it for years."

"Sorry, love, I didn't fancy Azkaban," Elijah remarked sarcastically.

"So you get Death Eaters to do your dirty work for you?" Gus asked, "Huh, you guys haven't changed much."

Elijah narrowed his eyes at Gus, "You would do well to remember that my sister died because of you."

"No, your sister died because your father was an arsehole," Harry corrected, "He killed your brother, and I killed your father. Our friend Lilith killed your little army out there, Draco – you were kind of useless."

"He surrendered," Draco pointed out, nudging his head in Elijah's direction.

"Yeah, but you could have killed Zacharias. Come on; it wouldn't exactly have been hard," Harry pointed out.

"Zacharias is dead?" Lucinda asked.

Harry made a face, "Oh, yeah, I forgot he was your son – yes, he's dead."

"He's not my son," Lucinda said with a frown, "But you won't hurt Ben, will you?"

"Who the hell is Ben?"

"Our son," Elijah answered.

"Wow," Harry said with a shake of his head, "Draco, Gus – are you guys keeping up with this? Because I'm not going to lie, I'm struggling. This is like the gossip column in The Daily Prophet."

Draco smiled in amusement.

"Reading between the lines here, I'm going to hazard a guess that Ezekiel was as terrible a husband as he was a person. Therefore, he had an affair – Zacharias was the product of that affair. Ezekiel then had his wife pretend that Zacharias was legitimate because the Smiths are all about saving face – no offence."

"None taken," Elijah said calmly.

"Lucinda Smith, probably as a result of her husband being a waste of space, began to have an affair with her brother-in-law, and she fell pregnant with his child," Draco continued, "Oh and Elijah, you have a daughter as well, don't you?"

Elijah nodded, "Yes, my wife Fiona passed away when my daughter Sally was born."

"Sally Smith," Harry mused, "Sounds familiar."

"Yes, Harry, it should do since you shared a common room with her for six bloody years."

Harry frowned, "What?"

"She is a Gryffindor in our year. Merlin, you are clueless," Draco muttered under his breath.

Harry waved his hand, "Okay, so wait a minute – who is Zacharias's real mother?"

Lucinda made a face, "A skanky reporter that Ezekiel had an affair with."

"Rita Skeeter? Fucking hell, now it all makes sense," Harry said with a shake of his head.

"If we're quite finished gossiping like a pair of old witches, can we get down to business?" Gus cut in irritably, "They want to know if their other children get to live so Harry, do they?"

"Well, I don't see any reason why not," Harry returned, "You've already hinted that you are on our side here. Although I get the feeling you want something out of the deal."

Elijah shook his head, "I have everything I could possibly want. I can be with the woman I love without going to Azkaban for killing my brother. You played right into my hands, actually."

"You planned this whole thing out?" Harry asked in disbelief.

"Why do you think none of you ended up seriously injured or dead?" Elijah quipped.

Harry leant back and surveyed him, "Huh – I kinda like you, Elijah. What was your Hogwarts house, Ravenclaw?"

Elijah smirked, "Slytherin."

"Go figure," Harry chuckled, "Fancy joining us in an official capacity? We could use you."

"Not tomorrow," Elijah replied, "I would need more time than that to consider but perhaps on the February moon after Imbolc."

"Deal," Harry said, holding his hand out.

Elijah shook it.

"Pleasure to have you on board," Harry said, catching Lily's eye when she appeared in the doorway with Blaise behind her.

Gus grabbed Reyna and threw her over his shoulder.

"What, you're leaving the place like this?"

"We just killed your brother for you and made your dreams come true," Harry said in disbelief, "You think we're sticking around to help with the clean up too?"

"We're Death Eaters, not house-elves," Draco agreed.

Harry shot Draco an amused look as they all strolled out of the room together.

"Nice quip there, we're Death Eaters, not house-elves," Harry chuckled.

"I'm not going to lie; I'm visualising you in a loincloth now, Draco," Blaise added.

Lily made a face, "Could someone please obliviate that image from my head?"

"Zacharias is dead, I presume?" Harry asked her.

"Dead and headless," Lily replied.

For the first time, Harry noticed the specks of blood on her clothes and face, "You've got a bit of a Lady Macbeth thing going on there. Tom's not into that, is he?"

Lily shot Harry an exasperated look and muttered, "Scourgify."

"Guess that's a no then," Harry said with a grin.

"You, on the other hand," Gus said, patting Harry on the shoulder, "You get an adrenaline rush out of a fight and take it from me, kid – that doesn't get you very far in life."

"Listen to your latest pseudo-Dad for once," Draco muttered, "Because he's right."

"You saw what nearly happened to me today when I got too cocky and brash," Gus said as they all descended the staircase, "Don't let that happen to you, not when you've got a good marriage and a nice life all lined up for yourself."

Harry nodded at Gus, "I promise to take that on board."

They left the house together, and Gus nodded, "You had better. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, bye Gus," Harry said offhandedly as Gus apparated away with Reyna.

"You okay?" Lily asked.

"You're asking if I'm okay?" Harry asked in disbelief, "You duelled six guys by yourself."

"Yes, but they were Ezekiel's minions; they weren't very powerful. It was like fighting six Crabbe and Goyles," Lily pointed out dryly.

"Where did he find them anyway?" Harry asked.

"His work probably," Draco answered, "He headed up the Welfare office at the Ministry."

"The Ministry has a welfare office?" Harry asked in surprise.

"Yeah, it's a joke, like Ezekiel Smith was," Draco said with a shake of his head, "They are an old family, you know – old money and all that. They haven't had any political power for centuries, though, but they still cling to the fact they did 300 years ago."

"They think throwing money at their problems can solve everything," Lily agreed with a roll of her eyes, "But that doesn't help anything."

"Hm," Harry mused, "Galleons are actually great projectile weapons."

Lily gave him a long look, "You're projecting, and you are also deflecting. You do that when something is wrong; you did it after Theo died."

"She's right, you know?" Draco cut in.

"I don't like it when you two agree," Harry muttered.

"Yeah, well, I hate to break it to you, but when your best friend and your adopted brother agree that something seems up with you, it's probably because something is up with you," Lily said. She paused to lean against the grand stone gate before they apparated back to Hogwarts.

"So, what is it?" Draco asked.

Harry sighed and turned around, "It's Daphne, alright? I don't think I'm good enough for Daphne."

They both looked at him in surprise.

"That wasn't what I expected him to say," Lily said, turning to Draco, "Did you expect that?"

"No, I thought it was about the love triangle he's got going on with Reyna and Daphne," Draco confessed.

"I thought he doubted his loyalties to the Dark Lord," Lily added.

Harry hit his head off of the stone wall, "I do not doubt my loyalties, and I don't really care that much about Reyna, but I do care about Daphne. I think I even…no… I know that I love her. I don't know why because I barely know her, but I do. She's so pure, she's so kind, and how the hell do I deserve that?"

He turned around and kicked a tree trunk, "I'm a monster and a killer. I'm a fucking assassin for the Dark Lord – I've killed Muggles, I've killed purebloods, I've killed my own fucking family!"

With a fire burning in his eyes, he spun around to look at his friends.

"And despite that, she lies with me every night to help me sleep, to help me through the nightmares that are born out of the awful things I've done. She holds my hand, and she supports me through my mental struggles with the things I've done and why? Why would she do that?"

Lily and Draco shared a disbelieving look.

"Is he really that dim?" Lily muttered.

Draco nodded, "Apparently so."

"I'm right here, you know?"

Lily looked Harry in the eye and smiled in amusement, "She loves you too, dumbass – that's why she does all of those things."

"And I know you don't understand why she loves you, but we do," Draco added, walking forward and gripping Harry by the shoulder, forcing him to raise his green eyes to Draco's grey ones.

"You're a killer and an assassin; that much is true," Draco agreed, "But you have a good heart, Harry. You care, you love deeply, and you would lay down your life for the people you love. That's why she loves you."

"Trust me," Lily said softly, "When you fall in love with someone complicated – someone who isn't definitively good or bad – you do it because you see the good in them."

Harry sighed again and shook his head, "She deserves better."

"It doesn't matter what she deserves," Draco said, "She wants you, and you've signed a contract with her father, so there's no going back now."

"I know," Harry said.

"You getting cold feet, Casanova?" Lily joked.

Harry shook his head, "No…I just…I never expected to feel this way about her, and not so soon either, but she changes me. When I'm with her, I feel…different."

"Merlin, you and Tom need to get drunk together and talk about your inability to deal with love and affection," Lily remarked, gripping Harry by the wrist and giving him a half-smile, "Maybe you could learn something from each other."

Harry laughed weakly, "Yeah, we're more alike than I initially thought," he agreed.

"Come on," Draco said, patting Harry on the back, "Let's head home."

Harry nodded, and they all moved away from the gate together.

"Thank fuck for that. Any more cheesy romance and I think I might have vomited."

Harry jumped, "Shit, Blaise, I forgot you were here."

Draco snorted.

Blaise waved a hand, "Yeah, I figured – don't worry, I'm used to it."

Lily fell into line with Harry and murmured, "No wonder he's such a good assassin, huh?"

Harry chuckled and hooked his arm through hers as they trudged up the path together.

* TBC *