Hogwarts great hall
Harry was unashamed to admit he had ignored the first 'Your majesty' call to attention. It was the nervous looks of his fellow housemates, who aside from congratulating him on his verbal takedown of Malfoy didn't know what to say or do around him, over his shoulder that tipped him off.
The single long bench made it hard to turn on his seat so with as much dignity he could muster as the young woman called out a second 'Your majesty' with a bit more volume he rose from his seat and stepped out to meet whoever was calling his attention.
"Yes, can I help you?" he asked as he kept chanting 'act royally' in the back of his mind. "Your majesty. I present myself, Cressida Lyala of house Lyala and my companion Mia Develd." she declared. "Pleased to meet you." Harry replied as he tried to hide how unsure he was about the situation. "I suppose you are from the Witenagemot?"
"We are your majesty." Cressida replied for them both. Harry dithered for a moment on what to do when he noticed an awful lot of people were trying to listen in. "Let's discuss this somewhere more private." he suggested and Cressida acknowledged the suggestion with a nod.
He was about to ask Hermione if she wanted to join him when she stood up. Harry smiled slightly at his friend's loyalty and without further comment he led the trio of females out of the great hall.
He also took great delight at Severus impotent fuming.
Hallway leading to the kitchen
"You open the painting door by tickling the pear…?" Mia said bemused as the portrait swung open revealing the kitchen behind it. It also broke the silence that had descended on the quartet. "Some doors only open on certain days. Some aren't even visible if some condition is not met." Harry replied.
"Could you make…" Harry started to ask the horde of busy elves when a table appeared out of thin air loaded with food. "Thank you." Harry finished with a smile. "So these are house elves." Cressida said with some wonder. "They are efficient workers." More than one elf paused to preen in the praise before resuming work.
Hermione gave it all a disapproving look and Harry could feel it was an issue that would come up later. 'She will first need to visit the library however.' he thought with some amusement. He gestured for the woman to sit down. "To round up the introductions, Hermione Granger, my best friend." Harry said as he gestured to Hermione.
"Pleased to meet you." Cressida greeted as she seized Hermione up. "As well." Hermione replied as she was unaware what Cressida was looking for. "So if you do not mind me being direct, why are you here?" Harry asked directly.
"I am here to be your knight, your majesty." Mia replied directly. She interpreted Harry's curious gaze correctly. "As your knight it is my duty to assist you in battle in whatever manner you wish me to." she answered. She had been coached on what little information they could get on Harry's character.
"I am here both as an instructor on the wider world of magic and a witch." Cressida smoothly followed up. "I am well versed in magic of the heaven-based style. Despite bearing the same title as miss Granger my way of magic is far different than yours." Cressida explained. "I am here to offer my support as you desire your majesty."
Harry was surprised Hermione was not bubbling with questions on the 'heaven-based' style of magic and made a mental note to ask either witch what the difference was. He bought himself time to think by taking another bite. "And what will you do when I am not picking a fight with a heretic god?" he asked.
He saw Mia look confused at the question itself while Cressida flashed with that cunning look he had seen with the other Slytherins as they processed some bit of important information. "With your sufferance, your majesty. We would be at your side at all times." Harry blinked as he had expected them to be close. He had not thought they would be that close.
'Don't they have their own lives?' he asked himself. "Don't you have any other.. Duties?" Hermione asked much to Harry's relief that he didn't have to ask. "Miss Granger. To be in the service of a Campione is usually a lifetime commitment." Cressida replied in a no-nonsense tone.
Harry tried to hide his discomfort at that thought. He had accepted that killing a heretic god was a big deal which just warranted special attention. And he would be lying if he didn't like the idea of some more privacy. 'But having people swear to… protect? Serve? Something for life…'
"I see you are uncomfortable with that notion." Cressida observed neutrally snapping Harry out of his thoughts. Since the lady had caught him and settled for a conceding nod. "In that case allow us to serve you in a more open ended agreement. As long as we wish to provide you with our service and you are willing to accept, then we are at your command." the light blond haired woman suggested.
Harry relaxed at the suggestion. "That I can accept." he agreed. "Then your majesty, we are at your service." Cressida said formally with a seated bow that Mia hastily mimicked. "Uh… Glad to have you." Harry replied weakly. He then gathered himself. "I insist you call me Harry however."
"Very well Harry." Cressida agreed smoothly while Mia settled for a nod. "Harry, we should hurry. History of magic is starting soon." Hermione noted. "Can't we just skip it?" Harry asked hopefully. His hopes died a fiery death under Hermione's stern look. "We already skipped one lesson, Harry." she declined sternly.
"Okay." Harry conceded glumly. He knew Hermione well enough that no amount of weedeling would change her mind now. Cressida took in the by-play with an interested gleam in her eyes.
History Classroom
'Okay… next demand as a king. Replace the ghost teaching us.' Harry decided as he struggled not to sleep. With an envious eye he watched Mia from the corner of his eyes doing exactly what he wanted to do while Cressida was actually taking notes like Hermione was.
The ghost meanwhile cheerfully droned on unaware that Mia was not the only one taking a nap. Harry would have drifted off himself if he could but with Hermione at his side his chance of getting away with it was just around zero procent. With a supreme show of willpower he focused on the droning voice of the ghost and tried to register as much information it spewed forth.
With great relief he legged it quickly as it could the moment the lesson ended. He thought he had to shake Mia awake but the girl was clear-eyed and ready the moment he stood up. "Did you know those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it?" Cressida asked once they cleared the crowd of other students. Most of them were curious who the two adult or near adult women were.
Harry shot his new companion with a puzzled look and her steady eye-contact made it feel like he was being tested. "I have heard of it." he replied as he carefully picked his words. "But I understand well enough that as long you play by the rules set, the goblins don't do anything. And I scrape by with History of Magic." 'Usually' he added in his thoughts.
The lack of reply neither confirmed nor denied that he had passed whatever Cressida had set up for him. It made Harry wonder what exactly the woman was planning. Unsure if he could get anything done in the common room Harry instead headed towards the library and started crunching on his classwork. Neville had been nice enough to pass a note with what was discussed and expected for the next transfiguration lesson.
Hermione joined him while Cressida went off to explore the library once she had confirmed Harry would be staying there until it was time for dinner. To his surprise Mia stuck around and didn't even take another catnap.
The woman seemed content to flip through Hermione's other books while he worked. Cressida returned just before they set off for dinner. Harry withheld a grimace as he fielded questions about the presence of the two near adults. Cressida answered her own inquisitors in a calm unhurried tone while Mia replied with short to the point answers that made it clear she had no interest at all entertaining the curious gryffindors.
Harry was silently relieved that his housemates stopped being convinced he would slaughter them all on a whim. He could have done without the requests to 'show off' his powers like he was some kind of charlatan.
Professor McGonagall's near the end was enough to fend off any further questions and the professor escorted them to the base of the Gryffindor tower. A portrait of a rather large knight stood guard over the hidden entrance. "On the headmaster's order I have unsealed the Gryffindor second common room. It has been a long while since Hogwarts had enough students to warrant the opening of the second common rooms."
Harry had to only glance to the side to know Hermione was bursting with the exact dates she knew from heart by having read 'Hogwarts a History' multiple times. He would not be surprised if she also knew the exact amount of students needed in a house to warrant the opening of a second set of dorms for a house.
"This mister Potter is only for you and whatever companions you pick up." Professor McGonagall said professionally. Nothing gave away if she disapproved or not of the special allowances made for Harry. "Miss Granger is expected to be back in the Gryffindor tower common room by curfew."
"That will be all mister Potter. Your dorm is over there." she pointed to a winding stairway. "And your two companions share the other dorm." she gestured to another stairway. "The other stairways are still sealed. I ask you not to break these seals. Do you have any questions?" she asked.
Harry shook his head. Cressida however spoke up. "Where can we train our abilities? I was led to understanding that any divine magic under the Hogwarts wards disrupts them." When professor McGonagall did not respond Hermione did for her. Relaying the headmaster's instructions almost word for word.
"Thank you miss Granger." Cressida said at the end of the explanation. "If that is all. I shall take my leave mister Potter." Professor McGonagall said primly. Harry with the girls in tow explored both dorms and found out they were the same as the one higher up the tower.
After some poking around they managed to light the fire and soon it roared like its counterpart upstairs. With some deft words from Cressida they spent the rest of the evening getting to know each other.
Second Gryffindor common room
Harry scratched his chin as he read the note in a familiar handwriting. Unlike the note in his first year this time it was signed by Dumbledore. The note was nothing special but Harry's thoughts were mostly on how Dumbledore got it inside the room. He couldn't imagine the man sneaking in, depositing the note and sneaking out again.
On the other hand it would be something highly eccentric which in turn would make it nearly Dumbledore's trademark. On a second thought he could imagine Dumbledore, clad in colorful robes and eccentric hat almost cartoonishly sneaking into the common room, check if nobody is around with some obscure spell, drop off the note and tiptoe his way out again.
"Harry?" Cressida said to call his attention. "Is there a problem with the note?" she asked carefully. Harry shook his head. "No, It is just headmaster Dumbledore letting me know when our planned… training sessions I suppose I should call it is." "Training?" Mia said as she perked up from half-asleep to fully awake.
"Uhm yes." Harry confirmed even as his instincts warned him he had erred. "Right, grab your weights and…" she trailed off when Cressida held up her hand. "It is with the headmaster later Mia." the witch said sternly. "Your ma.." she corrected herself upon seeing Harry's glare. "Harry, may I ask when this session is?" "Ten in the morning." Harry replied with a curious look.
"Then I suggest we schedule the hour after breakfast for a lesson on the current political situation in the wider magical world." she offered. Harry grimaced and Cressida started to fear for a moment that Harry would be as uncaring about the wider world as Salvatore Doni.
"I will have to deal with that as well don't I?" Harry asked in a forlorn tone that made it clear how much he didn't want to. Cressida kept her sigh of relief in the mental realm. "I am afraid so my lord." she concurred sympathetically. Harry gave her a half-hearted glance as a reply before heading back to his dorm. "I am going to grab my notes then. I might need them."
Cressida and Mia waited patiently as they waited for Harry to return. Harry hid his surprise that they were waiting for him. Usually when he said such a thing Hermione and Ron knew to go on ahead to the great hall for breakfast. With the two other women at his flanks he headed on towards the great hall.
To his surprise Hermione wasn't there already although that made sense. Harry was reasonably certain the loyal girl would have headed to his 'room' if she had been up and about already. He just hoped she would head to the great hall first instead of making a now futile journey to his 'room'.
'Maybe I should have left a note.' Harry mused as he sat down. Fred and George wasted no time relocating to the opposite side to him. "So Harry the Campione got his own area." Fred said with a grin which took all the sting out of the comment. "A place to... " George started "...to plot to…" "...take over the..." "...world and laugh…." "...I do not believe his majesty was looking for a pair of court jesters. But I will keep your appliance in mind on his behalf." Cressida interrupted in a tone that made Harry think of an unamused secretary.
Fred and George both looked like they had run face first into an invisible wall. Then seemed to roll over Cressida's comment in their minds for a few seconds and then broke out in deep belly laughs. "Oh wow, only mom has ever interrupted us before." Fred said as he gasped for breath. "We are most grateful for your thoughts." George replied with an exaggerated bow towards Cressida and then the pair swaggered off still giggling.
The giggling had the tone most Gryffindors recognized as the twins planning a prank. "You'd best be on your guard. They will probably try to prank you now." Harry noted. "I will be fine, your majesty. I thank you for your warning." Cressida said confidently and Harry hoped the twins didn't hear that. They would take it as a challenge and Cressida had already put herself on their hit list for reasons Harry couldn't fully grasp beyond the obvious.
Harry gave the woman a long look as he tried to find the best words to warn her she was underestimating her foes. On the other hand it struck Harry that she might be insulted by the lack of confidence in her if he pushed the issue. "Is something the matter, your majesty?" she asked and Harry shook his head. He would tackle the entire 'your majesty' thing later.
Hermione appeared seemingly out of thin air with her hair even more bushy and chaotic than usual that showed that the girl had indulged in some late-night reading. The books under her arm indicated she was far from done either.
"Good morning Harry." she yawned. "Good morning Hermione." Harry replied and Hermione continued to greet Cressida and Mia. She plopped down and started to eat her breakfast in the distracted read and eat manner Harry knew he shouldn't interrupt.
He was distracted when the flock of owls winged their way into the great hall and started depositing the Daily Prophet with the odd Quibbler interspersed on the tables. He curiously glanced over the headline.
"Sirius Black Innocent! An unjust imprisonment for the minister's political career!" it proclaimed loudly and proudly. Underneath was both a photo of Sirius dashing through the floo like he was caught in a prank and a very nervously smiling Fudge denying everything. Harry glanced to the professor's table to find the headmaster absent for breakfast.
'He must be dealing with the fallout.' Harry mused as his sight went over the teachers. Most looked neutral about the news. Professor McGonagall looked genuinely shocked while Snape seemed to be sucking an invisible lemon. 'I wonder if he could get into trouble for accusing Sirius of befuddling us.' Harry thought with a hint of viciousness.
Harry was unsurprised that the article caused a new eruption of whisperers and rumor mongering and he wondered how many people knew he had stood up for Sirius's innocence that year. No-one approached him to ask a question so he settled for shooting the best 'I told you so look' to anyone daring to make eye-contact.
Not that many people did and when he was done he waited for Hermione to finish nibbling on her breakfast. He then dragged her with him towards his common room for Cressida's lesson. He was certain the girl wanted to sit in on it.
"Well Harry. Shall I start?" Cressida asked as a confused Hermione looked up from her book from the seat Harry had parked her in. Harry nodded from his own seat. "Very well. I shall start with the seven other Campione and what the Wittangamot knows of them generally." Hermione immediately perked up with interest as Harry had expected. "The oldest Campione is the old wolf Voban. His full name…"
Time flew by and Harry was convinced Cressida once must have had some experience or desire to teach as she kept his attention and provided what she knew in a way that stuck in his head. He learned of the monster that was Sasha Dejanstahl Voban that even the Headmaster was wary of. The eccentric superhero of Los Angeles made him wonder if he could pull the same trick.
He paid close attention as the information Cressida provided matched what Dumbledore told him, although from time to time it also gave him some insight on their authorities. It also raised him the question why Voban and Lou Hou seemed to have less authorities than he would have expected. An heretic god sounded like a semi-annual appearance.
The answer was there could be long periods where no heretic gods appeared or years when they seemed to come one after another. Furthermore if two children of Pandora ganged up on a single heretic god none would gain an authority. It was an event that happened more often than one would expect.
And with visions capable of predicting up to a day and modern travel speeds it was possible for multiple Campione to descend on the same area a heretic god would descend on. It was so fascinating he lost track of time and he would have missed his meeting with Dumbledore if Mia had not interrupted.
The group hurried the best they could without looking hurried. Cressida had rightfully noted that if Harry started running now he would either set off a panic as people presume there was another heretic god nearby or draw much more attention than he wants as people are curious why he is being hasty.