AN: Hey guys and a warm welcome to a new chapter. Since a couple of reviews have mentioned how closely I am following events in canon, let me explain myself very briefly.
My goal with this story was not to recreate the entire HP universe. I am not interested in introducing brand new weird characters, or events for Harry. Therefore, events in the fourth year, like the tasks in the tournament were very much the same. If you are knowledgeable about canon you will see that pretty much everything I write about is very closely linked to events and information that is given by JKR.
For example: In JKR's seventh book, it is mentioned that Krum gets angry with the Lovegoods at Fleur wedding for wearing the sign of the Deathly Hallows. Krum also explains his reasoning. I use that information to incorporate it into my own story and create tension between my two champions.
Another example: During his captivity at Malfoy Mannor, Ollivander tells Voldemort that Gregorowitch claimed to be in possession of the Elder wand at some point before WW2. To pass this knowledge on to Harry, I simply let him do an internship at Ollivanders and allow him to discover the letter.
This is the way I intend to differentiate myself from the straight plot we are familiar with and add my own creativity to the story. Since my Harry is a lot smarter than in canon and more knowledgeable about magic, he starts questioning the things around him a lot more.
Why the hell did canon Harry never question that his invisibility Cloak is perfect and was passed on for generations? My Harry does exactly that and thus finds out about the Deathly Hallows a lot earlier than canon Harry did.
In future chapters, you can therefore expect events to unfold in a very similar fashion as in canon. For example: Umbridge will be sent to Hogwarts, but instead of letting her have her way with him, as Harry did in canon, my Harry will approach the problem differently.
I hope this does not discourage too many people from continuing to read my story. Let me know what you think and if you would like further details on my thought process.
As always, enjoy!
Chapter 44
June 25th, 1995
When Harry and Fleur arrived at the Great Hall for breakfast, all the exciting chatter died and every eye turned to them. The couple ignored the looks all around them and helped themselves to some food at the Ravenclaw table. The Durmstrangs from the Slytherin table were shooting him hateful looks. Harry could swear that a couple of them were already itching for their wands.
Harry also noticed Draco Malfoy standing up from the Slytherin table: "Somebody arrests him, he killed a teacher and a champion from another school!"
Harry rolled his eyes, just then Dumbledore walked into the Great Hall, followed by the real Alastor Moody, who looked a lot better already after a single night in Madam Pomfrey's care. Watching the man, who the students had thought dead, limp alongside the headmaster was too much for a few students.
Terrified shrieks and yelps erupted all around the Great Hall. Next to Harry, Fleur chuckled. Moody sat down at the head table while Dumbledore remained in front of the Hall to address the students:
"You all deserve an explanation for the events within the last 24 hours. Let me, therefore, start with what actually happened within the maze. As many of you have witnessed yourself, shortly after the last champion had entered, Ms. Delacour was attacked and tortured with the Cruciatus curse."
Dumbledore paused for a second to let the Hall become quieter once again. Harry gave Fleur's hand an affectionate squeeze under the table and the girl shot him a thankful look.
"Victor Krum's wand was analyzed and the Cruciatus curse had been castle multiple times with it. Here, I'd like to remind our guests that where ever they might go in the future, local law applies, not whatever they might be used to at home. Here in Britain, the Cruciatus curse is highly illegal and punishable by life in Azkaban."
This suppressed some of the angry murmurs from the remaining Durmstrangs. Still, they did not look pleased.
"Legally, Mr. Potter was therefore well within his right to defend his fellow Champion by any means necessary. Unfortunately, his... emotionally charged... reaction led to the death of Victor Krum."
Just as predicted, many people wore expressions that showed some understanding now. Of course, there were still some hardcore Quidditch fans, that would hate Harry for ending the life of a world-class Seeker, but Harry could care less about them.
"Soon after, both British Champions had a confrontation, which would decide who would win the Tournament. Mr. Potter defeated Mr. Diggory and secured his victory. Cedric Diggory is currently still treated for some injuries but will make a full recovery over the next couple of days."
At this only some of the Hufflepuffs seem to still show resentment towards Harry. It looked like the rest of the Hall admitted, that Harry had simply been the better competitor than Diggory.
"Now, you have all witnessed Mr. Diggory being levitated out of the maze after his confrontation with Mr. Potter and brought up to the hospital wing. Of course, you must ask yourself where Mr. Potter had been during all this time, as he only reappeared with the Cup roughly an hour later. I think that you have the right to know exactly how it came about."
Harry raised his head and stared at Dumbledore. What exactly did the Headmaster intend on telling the students?
"Harry Potter was abducted by a former follower of Lord Voldemort, here at Hogwarts. This spy has used Polyjuice for an entire year to hide as a fellow professor."
The news that they have been taught by a Death Eater, once again, led to an outcry in the Great Hall. A few students even looked like they were about to pass out.
"This Death Eater managed to turn the Triwizard cup in the center of the maze into a Portkey, which took Mr. Potter to the Dark Lord himself..." Dumbledore paused briefly, as the first students realized what just had been said.
"Lord Voldemort... has returned as of last night. But Harry Potter managed to escape the Dark Lord, come back to Hogwarts, and warn us of the impediment danger."
"You still need to tell me the entire story, Harry" Fleur whispered in his ear. It was now her, who was holding Harry's hand and providing comfort.
"The Ministry of Magic," Dumbledore continued, "does not wish me to tell you this. It is possible that some of your parents will be horrified that I have done so — either because they will not believe that Lord Voldemort has returned, or because they think I should not tell you so, young as you are. It is my belief, however, that the truth is generally preferable to lies.
When Harry Potter returned to Hogwarts, he immediately eliminated the Death Eater, who had hidden within our ranks. As you can see, the real Alastor Moody is currently recovering, he was in fact being held captive by the imposter for the entire school year." Dumbledore gestured to Moody briefly.
"Harry Potter showed bravely, loyalty, wisdom, and cunning while facing Lord Voldemort, and for this, I honor him." Dumbledore turned gravely to Harry and raised his goblet.
Nearly everyone in the Great Hall followed suit. They murmured his name, But through a gap in the standing figures, Harry saw that the majority Slytherins and all the remaining Durmstrangs had remained defiantly in their seats, their goblets untouched. Dumbledore, who after all possessed no magical eye, did not see them.
When everyone had once again resumed their seats, Dumbledore continued, "The Triwizard Tournament's aim was to further and promote magical understanding. In the light of what has happened — of Lord Voldemort's return — such ties are more important than ever before."
Dumbledore looked from Madame Maxime and Hagrid, to Fleur and Harry holding hands. Then to her fellow Beauxbatons students and to the Durmstrangs at the Slytherin table. "Every guest in this Hall," said Dumbledore, and his eyes lingered upon the Durmstrang students, "will be welcomed back here at any time, should they wish to come. All we ask for, is mutual respect and human decency. "
"I say to you all, once again — in the light of Lord Voldemort's return, we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided. Lord Voldemort's gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great. We can fight it only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust. Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open."
"It is my belief — and never have I so hoped that I am mistaken — that we are all facing dark and difficult times. Some of you in this Hall have already suffered directly at the hands of Lord Voldemort. Many of your families have been torn asunder. What is now necessary, is that we fight back together."
Fleur and Harry left the Great Hall soon after. They had three remaining days until the Beauxbatons would return to France. It was time to talk about the summer.
"Are we heading to the Room of Requirements?" Fleur asked him, holding his hand, as Harry led her out of the Great Hall.
"No... you deserve to see what actually happened to me... and there is someone else I need to show it to, too." Harry explained vaguely.
"I thought you have already shown it to your godfather, Harry...?" Fleur asked confused.
"I did... but there is another important person in my life... you could call him a grandfather, I guess... I think it's time he met my girlfriend."
Fleur did not seem satisfied with his answer but Harry simply gestured her to wait and see. He led the girl up the first-floor corridor and the secret entrance to the Chamber in the broom cupboard.
"If you simply wanted to fool around a bit, we could have gotten to the Room, Harry," Fleur smirked as they were tightly pressed against one another in the broom cupboard. Her hand started trailing over Harry's shoulder to his chest.
"Believe it or not, Fleur, but there are other things I occasionally think about, besides snogging you senseless." Harry laughed. He turned towards the tiny engraved snake in the wall and hissed the password.
The wall extended slightly and the stairs to the Chamber appeared: "Allow me, Madamoiselle," Harry held out his hand and Fleur let him guide her down the steps.
"Are you taking me to the secret Harry James Potter headquarters?" she chuckled.
"You could say so, I guess... I am taking you to the Chamber of Secrets."
Fleur frowned: "Did you not tell me that Dumbledore sealed the entrance in that horrible bathroom because it was still dangerous?"
Harry had told her about his adventure in the second year, but not about coming back down in the Chamber afterward: "He did seal it, but I figured out a second entrance to it... this is the place where I learned most of the magic I wield today."
They had reached the antechamber by now and walked over to the locked wall that would grant them access to the main chamber. Harry hissed 'open' once more and the wall parted for them.
"Merde..." Fleur gasped as they walked into the Chamber that was still larger than the Great Hall. Then her eyes fell on the dead Basilisk and Dragon down at the feet of the stature.
"So this is where that enthusiastic elf of yours took your dragon... I always wondered what you did with it... And you started harvesting the organs, too?" Fleur seemed genuinely surprised.
"Well, my endeavors and rituals are quite expensive... you will see my latest investment soon. We can't all be born into rich aristocratic families, you know..." Harry smirked.
Fleur huffed in annoyance but seemed very interested in the dead magical creatures. She was inspecting the head of the Basilisk now
"I can't believe you killed this thing when you were only twelve... Did you sell the eyes?" She noticed the large holes with the missing eyeballs.
"No... much better... I used the most powerful eyes in the world to fix my own eyesight. Actually, it's more than just a fix. My vision is probably much better than any others and my children and grandchildren will never need glasses themselves." Harry explained.
"A worthy sacrifice then... but the eyes would have made you a rich man," Fleur added. She walked over to the Dragon, of which many parts have been harvested already.
"Well was that all you wanted to show me? Two huge dead magical beasts? I must admit I am slightly disappointed, Monsieur Potter. I was hoping for this date to be a bit more romantic, after all."
"Calm your feathers, firebird..." Harry laughed and received an elbow to his rips. "You have not seen the best part yet."
He turned towards the statue of the founder: "Speak to me Slytherin, Greatest of the Hogwarts four."
The mouth of the statue started opening and the small staircase appeared, leading up to it.
"I sometimes wish I could understand it... What did you say?" Fleur inquired curiously.
"Just feeding my ancestors ego..." Harry laughed as he led her through the large pipe until she stood in front of the door to Salazar's Chamber.
"What do you mean, your ancestor?" Fleur frowned as they opened the door and entered the founder's private Quarters.
"Hey, old man! I am back and I brought some company for you!" Harry seemingly yelled into the empty rooms. Fleur was too perplexed by what she saw and did not notice the giant Portrait on the wall, at first.
"Well, I am glad you are still alive and... oh... this must be a very certain French witch if I am not mistaken..." Salazar grinned.
By now, Fleur, who had surveyed the entire room in awe, had taken notice of the Founder hanging on the wall...
"Harry... is this who I think it might be?" Fleur whispered.
"Allow me to make the introductions... Salazar, this is the French Champion from Beauxbaton, Fleur Delacour, my beautiful girlfriend."
Fleur seemed too shocked to speak.
"Fleur, this is the infamous Salazar Slytherin, Founder of House Slytherin and perhaps the greatest Parselmouth in British History."
"It is an honor to make you acquaintances, Mademoiselle Delacour. My heir has told me much about you, but even his endless brabbling failed to accurately describe your beauty." Salazar greeted the perplexed blonde witch in very old French.
Harry chuckled while Fleur seemed to slowly regain her composure:
"The honor is mine, Monsieur Slytherin... even at Beauxbaton your name is well known... excuse my curiosity... but did you just call Harry your heir?"
"Please, call me Salazar. And yes, of course, anyone with the ability to speak Parselmouth born on British soil can only be my descendant. Parseltongue is a dormant trait in the blood of any of my children."
"You never told me this, Harry..." Fleur turned towards him with a hurt expression.
"Well, would you have believed me?" Harry grinned: "Anyways, Salazar... I have just won the Triwizard tournament, but I think it's best if you see for yourself. Fleur here plays a vital role in my life now, so I think it's only fair if she witnessed the memory as well. Afterall I could not allow my least favorite teacher to see it, but not my girlfriend, could I?"
Harry walked over to the corner and levitated his Pensieve towards the center of the room.
"Harry James Potter! You have a Pensieve and you never told me?" Fleur growled angrily.
Salazar chuckled while Harry tried his best to save his skin "Well... in my defense, I only acquired it this year and it was very expensive, so please... no fireballs in here."
"You have lots of explaining to do, young man. Now finally show me this memory."
"She is even better than how you described her... I like it a lot already... she reminds me of this one Veela I met on my journeys through Mesopotamia... she was a real beauty, as well... I remember when we had to spend a few nights in a cave..."
"I don't want to hear about right now, Salazar..." Harry quickly intervened. Talking about Veela and whatever they got up to in that cave was probably a bad idea as long as Fleur was still in the same room. He cast a quick glance at the French witch, who had blushed, but seemed very amused at the banter between the two wizards. Harry pulled the memory from his temple, placed it in the Pensieve, and activated the surrounding runes.
"Well, enjoy the show," Harry said as they watched memory Harry run through the entrance of the maze. He conjured two fluffy chairs for him and Fleur to sit down, but the Veela had other ideas and took a seat on his lap. Harry pulled her tightly towards him and held her hands as they watched the battle between him and the Skrewt.
He wondered how Fleur would react to the next scene. The girl in his lap let out a little gasp at the sight of herself lying in a puddle of blood. She could not keep her eyes off the sight and her hand squeezed Harry's tightly while witnessing the memory's reaction to the scene.
After memory Harry killed the boggart with Fiendfyre, she turned her head towards him: "I am glad I mean so much to you, Harry. Soon I will show you just how important you are to me, too." She brought her lips down to his and started kissing him gently. Fleur turned in his lap entangled her hand in his hair as the kiss became more passionate. When Harry's hands started roaming down her back and onto her butt, Salazar cleared his throat:
"You two realize that I am still here, right..." Harry and Fleur blushed furiously and broke the kiss. The girl smirked at Harry and readjusted herself on his lap, which Harry was very thankful for.
"Later then, perhaps..." Fleur winked at him and wiggled her butt ever so slightly before turning her attention back to the holographic display of the memory.
A minute later the scene between Fleur and Krum was shown. None of the three spectators said a word until memory Harry shot the red sparks into the air and turned back to the maze.
"What you did was necessary Harry. The Bulgarian might have been under the Imperius, but you could not risk that. Eliminating him instantly was the only correct option in that situation."
Fleur nodded in agreement: "Thank you, Harry." She placed a chaste peck on his cheek and turned back. Noone commented during the confrontation with Diggory and the giant spider. Harry just received proud nods from Salazar and light squeezes of his hand from Fleur.
"Let us watch the memory in one go and afterward you can ask your questions, okay?" Harry asked the others and received nods in confirmation.
Almost an hour later the memory ended with him being petrified by Dumbledore after he killed the Imposter Moody. Fleur, once more, shifted on his lap to face him. She had tears in her deep blue eyes and engulfed him in a bone-breaking hug: "You are so brave, Harry... I don't even know what I would have done. I am so proud of you."
Harry patted her back with one hand and stroked her long blond hair with the other: "I will always return to you, Fleur." He whispered in her ear and held her tightly.
"I am very proud of you, Harry. You fought him well and killed a few of his followers. You also crossed his plans by surviving and exposed him as a fraud among those, who have previously fought for his cause. I am also very glad your dragonfly spell worked exceptionally well. You can now safely use it in the future."
Harry seemed to disagree: "He is strong, Sal... So much stronger than I would have thought. He was playing with me... I pretty much did not stand a chance against him."
"No, Harry... He has over fifty years of magical experience and knowledge on you. Of course, you are not ready right now. You are 15 years old, how could you? But just as you said... your learning curve will be steeper than his and one a day... you will catch up to him.
In addition, you don't need to be more powerful than him... You can beat him in other areas: Be more cunning, use your resources more effectively, kill his followers one by one. Even Tom Riddle can't win a war all by himself."
Harry nodded. Salazar was right about that: "We have another problem though. The Ministry does not acknowledge Voldemort's return. The Minister outright called me and Dumbledore a liar and will do anything in his power to stop us from spreading the truth. The Hogwarts students know the full story now, but many won't be convinced. I assume the ministry will start a bashing campaign over the summer... They might even try to interfere here at Hogwarts, in Dumbledore's little kingdom."
Salazar frowned and seemed deep in concentration for a couple of minutes: "There will be four major parties then: Voldemort and his Death Eaters, Dumbledore and his Order, the Ministry, and you. I would be careful not to fully align yourself with Dumbledore at this point, Harry. Being in the crossfire between Dumbledore and the Ministry will not do you any good."
"It's too late for that Sal... I have pretty much chosen my side last night. The Minister was about to send me straight to Azkaban for killing the Imposter Moody and Krum... He will not let this just slide by... I might have angered him a bit..."
Salazar groaned: "You really need to learn to keep your temper in check, Harry."
"Why don't you strike a deal with Dumbledore?" Fleur suggested. "Play his golden boy to the public and let him use your godfather's house for his headquarters... in exchange, ask him to teach you everything he knows."
Harry cringed at the thought of having to spend even more time with the Headmaster.
"She is right, Harry. The amount of people that could still teach you is very limited and Dumbledore is on top of that list. He needs your public image and popularity, just as you need his wisdom and experience. Try to find common ground." Salazar advised.
"I don't think he will agree, guys... Think about it... He knows about the prophecy... if he actually wanted me to beat Voldemort, why did he never offer me training? Why does he not help me become as powerful as possible? I believe his inaction can only mean one thing... He does not want me to survive..." Harry explained.
"I think he is afraid, Harry... Afraid to repeat his own mistakes. Try to see it from his perspective. 50 years after Tom Riddle left the school, another incredibly gifted student arrives at Hogwarts... another Parselmouth, who shows no regrets at killing his enemies... Who shows immense magical power at an early age already and who is very head strong does not let others influence him too much. Dumbledore is torn between defeating the current Dark Lord and not creating the very next..."
"You are wrong! Harry could never be a Dark Lord." Fleur spoke up, visibly upset. "He is affectionate and kind and passioned."
Salazar laughed coldly at the naive girl: "Imagine a world where Harry loses the only two people he actually cares about... you and his Godfather... Are you seriously trying to tell me that he would not go on a rampage and might lose himself in the process?"
Fleur gulped... she had no answer for that. Harry frowned... Salazar was right... if someone took Fleur and Sirius from him, he would not stop at anything. He would kill thousands to return this girl back into his arms, he might even sacrifice his humanity for that.
"Salazar is right... I need to talk to Dumbledore." Harry replied after a few minutes of silence. "But first, let's plan our summer." He turned to Fleur with a smile.
The Veela's eyes beamed up at the change of topic: "Are you really going to visit me?"
"Of course, nothing could keep me away from you." Harry laughed.
"Well, why don't you spend some time with us from July until the beginning of August? I could take you on some trips around the French countryside, visit Beauxbaton with you and we could even go to Paris together." Fleur could barely contain her excitement at this point.
"Alright, alright!" Harry grinned as the blonde witch practically jumped in his arms: "How about I visit you from July 10th until August 10th. That way we have an entire month together and afterward can still spend time with our own families and prepare for the next school year."
Fleur nodded eagerly and placed soft kisses all over his face. Harry couldn't help but grin at how excited his girlfriend was to spend some time outside of school, tournaments, and dueling with him.
"Alright, how about I take you back to the Beauxbaton Carriage before I talk to Dumbeldore. I will tell you how it went afterward." Harry suggested.
Fleur nodded, so the couple said goodbye to the Fuunder and allowed Dobby to take them back up to the castle. From there, Harry accompanied Fleur to the Carriage before calling Dobby once more and asking the elf to apparate him in front of the Headmaster's office.
"I would like to talk to the Headmaster," Harry told the Gargoyle. Half a minute later he was granted acces to the staircase up to the office.
"Come in, Harry" Dumbledore voice sounded from inside.
"Thank you, Headmaster. I hope not to take away too much of your time."
"Nonsense, my boy. I am simply, once more I should add, trying to find a Defense Professor for the next term. Unfortunately, Alastor did not enjoy his return to Hogwarts."
"I can't imagine why." Harry chuckled: "The position really does seem to be cursed, headmaster."
Dumbledore looked up from his stack of parchments: "Indeed it is, Harry. However, I am afraid that it is a curse, which even the best curse breaker won't be able to lift... it was cast by someone too powerful after I denied him the position almost 30 years ago."
"Someone too powerful even for you to lift it?" Harry asked perplexed. "Voldemort wanted to become a DADA teacher?"
"I believe he sought to return to the castle for more than simple to gain a teaching position. He did not take kindly to being refused and cursed the position... It is a Parselstongue curse that even you won't be able to break, unfortunatly."
Harry grinned: "I know a thing or two about wards... I could give it a try."
Dumbledore smiled grandfatherly: "That is very kind of you, Harry. However, there is a problem. While I do not understand the language, I figured out enough about the nature of the curse and learned that it can only be broken with the death of the caster."
That was indeed a problem, Harry frowned: "Well I might still be your best bet the... which brings us to the reason for my unannounced visit."
"And how exactly may I help you, Harry?" Dumbledore finally put away the quill and seemed fully focused on Harry now.
"I offered you the ancestral home of the Black's as headquarters for your order. I will also publicly stand at your side and spread the truth about the Dark Lord's rebirth. In return, I would like you to finally teach me." Harry explained.
Dumbledore's grandfatherly smile vanished from his face, his eyes stopped twinkling: "I am afraid, I can't help you, Harry.
The temperature dropped a few degrees as Harry processed what he just heard. The Portraits of former headmasters become visibly nervous. The next sentence was spoken in mere dangerous whispers: "And why do you refuse to teach me?"
"I simply don't think it's wise for you to learn even more dangerous magic or grow any more powerful at this age." Dumbledore seemed unaffected by the sudden change in temperature around them.
"I am a curious, Headmaster, and I recently embraced my inner Ravenclaw and started thinking rationally, you know..."
"And what conclusion to you come to, my boy?" Dumbledore seemed still calm as ever.
"You know about the prophecy, Professor... You put so much faith into it that you advised my parents to go into hiding... so you obviously believe it to be true..."
Dumbledore frowned at this point. Perhaps he already figured out which direction this conversation would go.
"You know that I have to be the one to kill Voldemort, yet you do nothing to prepare me for the confrontation... even now that he has returned... You know what that tells me?" Harry asked in an ice-cold voice.
"Harry, it's not what you think.." Dumbeldore tried to explain himself.
"It tells me, that you do not wish for me to survive... It tells me that you don't want me to succeed. For whatever reasons, you decide that it is not worth it to teach me the magic I need to beat Voldemort... you want me to die... don't you? You want me to fail?"
"TELL ME THE TRUTH!" Harry roared, slamming his fist on the table.
The sudden outburst and rage had Dumbledore instantly on alert with his wand pointed at Harry. The portraits were yelping and shrieking.
"Are you going to curse me now, Dumbledore?" Harry laughed.
"Harry, you don't understand... you share so many similarities with him... You have so much potential in you, more potential than me, perhaps even more than Voldemort himself. But you could also end up worse than any of the Dark Lords, I have faced in my life... it's all there inside you... I helped in the creation of two Dark Lords, already... I cannot and will not create a third."
"You will still be dealing with the second one then. I am nowhere near as powerful as Voldemort. I even doubt you could stop him at this point!" Harry yelled.
"Harry, there are other ways to stop a Dark Lord then to simply duel him. The prophecy speaks of 'A power he knows not'. Voldemort knows plenty of raw magical power... It's a different sort of magic... a very different sort of power that he knows nothing about..."
At Harry's dumbstruck expression, Dumbledore continued: "Love, Harry... Even after everything you have endured you are capable of love. Voldemort was already once defeated by pure love, when your mother sacrificed herself for you. I believe he can be beaten that way again."
Harry laughed coldly: "And who is supposed to sacrifice himself this time? Me? For who? I want to live Dumbledore! I want to have a family. I want to grow old with a wife and kids. I want to have a life!" Harry roared the last sentence and a few of the glass frames burst into tiny shards.
"If you don't want to teach me, then you are actively preventing me from living life the way I want to. A life without Voldemort... where I am finally free. If you do that, Dumbledore, then I consider you my enemy. And looking for new headquarters will be the least of your concerns." Harry threatened the ancient Headmaster and turned to leave.
"Harry, please wait!" Dumbledore seemed completely defeated. "I will share some of my knowledge with you. Some... because I want to ensure that it is not used for the wrong reasons. The further we go, the more I will share."
Harry nodded. This was acceptable: "I would like to start at the end of summer. And I will allow your order to move into Grimmauld Place."
"Don't make me regret this, Harry. You might be powerful, but if I only get the slightest hinge that you abuse the knowledge I teach you, then I will stop you... and if it's the last thing I do."
"I understand, Headmaster," Harry replied neutrally.
"There is so much good in you, Harry... More than when you arrived at this school four years ago and it seems to keep increasing the more time you spend with the charming Ms. Delacour. I wish you both a very enjoyable summer."
There it was... it was back... Even stronger than before... that stupid twinkle was bad.