A/N Had to restart this story on a new account because I forgot the email I used to sign in with my original. Also been on a break for a year because I wrote a little over 30k words for this story and then my laptop hard drive went and I lost them and all motivation. Have some time so I am going to write again.
I stepped out of the shower and the water stopped flowing. I grabbed my wand from the counter where I had placed it and with a flick I dried myself. I wrapped a towel around my waist before opening the door and peering out into my bedroom.
I was happy to see that Daphne was thankfully still asleep. Her father's words had replayed in my mind all night, and I was getting to make sure Lord Greengrass understood who he was dealing with and the situation he was in. I had let him keep some sense of power or control while staying at my family's manor because I thought it would make the situation easier, but clearly he was going to need a reminder.
Kreacher popped silently into the room and helped me finish getting ready. The elf was quickly becoming someone I could count on, and I suddenly understood why so many people had been irate when Hermione tried to free them. The elves lived to serve, it was what made them happy and gave them purpose in their life. They wanted nothing more than the praise received after satisfying their master.
I did a check once more to make sure I had everything before silently thanking Kreacher and quietly leaving the bedroom. I walked down the stairs and I could hear noises from the kitchen, but I wasn't concerned with that at the moment. There was little time today before we had to return to the castle and I had no idea how long this meeting was going to take. I reached the fireplace and threw a pinch of floo powder in before whispering my destination and stepping forward to be engulfed by the emerald flames.
For once I had a somewhat decent exit only slightly losing my balance before regaining my footing. I walked confidently through the foyer and into the main hall where a pop greeted me. A familiar face with large, glee-filled eyes was staring at me from barely a foot away.
"Blinky it is good to see you again. I hope you have been treated properly." I was phishing for more things to fault the Greengrass patriarch on. Unfortunately Blinky bobbed her head at me excitedly.
"Oh Blinky is being treated very well indeed Master sir! But what can Blinky be doing for the master? Blinky was not aware master would be stopping by or she would have had this place clean!" The elf wrung its hands nervously in front of me while I looked around. The place was very nearly spotless and looked to be in pristine condition.
"Blinky its fine this is probably the cleanest place I've ever been in. However I'm not here for a social visit. I need you to let Mr. Greengrass know I'm here and that I need to talk to him. Now." With the last word my voice dropped. Blinky must have noticed how serious I was because she popped away without a word.
I decided it would be better to do this somewhere more private in case things became…heated. So I walked further in and opened the door to one of the small rooms located on the first floor. Not quite large enough to be a family room, but it would make for a well sized study room or office. I pulled a chair up near the fireplace and used my wand to light it. Then I dropped into the chair and waited.
I was checking the time every few seconds it felt like. Already it had been almost twenty minutes and Daphne's father had not bothered to show himself. Just when I was contemplating calling another elf to have him forcibly brought into the room the doors opened. I watched with no small amount of disgust as he entered with a half smirk, half sneer on his face and looked down the brim of his nose at me.
"Mr. Potter to what do I owe the…pleasure…of your company this morning?"
I took a moment to make sure I was composed. I was not ruling out the possibility of a hostile meeting, but would prefer to keep this professional if possible. "First of all, it is Lord Potter. Second I'm afraid I've received some very unfortunate news and wanted to bring it up with you." The words were leaving my mouth, but it hardly felt like me talking at all. It was almost like I was an outside observer to the power struggle taking place.
"Oh and what is this news, Lord Potter? I have heard of nothing to be worried about."
"Perhaps you should focus less on the outside then and more on what is happening within your own family. Daphne returned with Alexa last night in tears after having spoken with you."
He sneered at me fully this time with no trace of the smirk to be seen. "What happens between my daughter and I is none of your concern…"
I cut him off. "Let me stop you before you make a fool of yourself Lord Greengrass. What happens to Daphne is my concern. She is the mother of my child and my girlfriend. I care very much about her and her safety."
"Be that as it may she is my daughter and I will speak to her as I see fit." I noticed him clench his fist tightly, and so prepared myself in case he chose to escalate the situation as I kept pressing.
"Until now I have let you have free roam of my family manor. I've let you play the role of patriarch and have all of the power here. I wanted to make the best of an inconvenient situation for your family and yourself. However you took the little I gave and kept pulling. You became greedy and have, from the moment we both met here, tried to lord it over me. I came here today to tell you that will be ending."
His jaw tensed and his eyes narrowed even more, but I wasn't done. "Save your words. I am not done speaking yet. From now on you will address me with proper respect at all times. You are a guest here and that is it. You will apologize to Daphne, and never again try and interfere in our family."
As I finished the inevitable explosion came. "Who do you think you are?! A petulant child not even out of Hogwarts, and you have the audacity to berate me?"
I drew myself up from the chair I had been seated in as he began to approach me. "Who am I? I may be young, but I am the only reason your family is safe. I offered them shelter from a war that will claim hundreds of lives. You want to let your pride get in the way of that then so be it. I will have the elves pack your bags and you will leave the manor."
He stopped dead in his tracks when I said the last statement. "You would cast my family out? Let them all die? This is the reason I urged Daphne to leave, you care for no one but yourself!"
"DO NOT TWIST MY WORDS!" Finally I let the anger I felt boil over and into my words, "I said only you would be cast out. Your family is free to stay as they have shown no disrespect and in fact have made every effort to be hospitable. You on the other hand have become a poison. Change your behavior or leave, those are your only options now and I will not be having this conversation again."
I made to brush past him to leave, but as I did so he reached out and grabbed my arm hard before spinning me to face him. Before either of us could act though he was flung backwards and into the wall. I spun on my heel to find Blinky had appeared. "Yous is not to be laying a hand on Master! Blinky is not allowing it!"
I turned to face him once more. "You attempt to harm me in my own home. This is your last warning. You now have a time limit. Apologize to Daphne within the next day or leave and never show yourself here again. Not that you will be able to, I'll have it keyed to keep you away. Also if you mention this conversation to anyone I will also have you removed. Daphne does not need to know this happened, she simply needs to know you had a change of heart and trust her to make the best decision for her life."
I left the room before he could get another word in and made my way back to the foyer. I had one more stop before returning back to Grimmauld. If I wanted Daphne to not question where I had gone, since she would undoubtedly be awake when I got back, I needed a cover. I figured I would stop off at Diagon Alley and pick up some supplies we needed, since we hadn't been able to go to Hogsmeade to get them.
It took me about another hour before I stepped back into the familiar family room of Grimmauld Place. I noticed immediately that there were people in the room. Daphne was lounging on one of the couches, and Sirius was holding Alexa while sitting in his usual chair.
I pulled the supplies I had shrunken down from my pocket and set them on the table. "Got the things we needed for school Daph. Figured I'd make a trip since we couldn't get to Hogsmeade."
"Thank you Harry, I was wondering where you had gotten off too." She looked at me with no sense of distrust and for a split second I felt a pang of guilt for lying.
"Thought it would be best if I went early, try and avoid any reporters who might be sulking around the alley looking for stories."
She nodded at me, "Makes sense hopefully it was an uneventful trip then."
I made my way to Sirius and took Alexa from him. She giggled happily in my arms and smiled up at me. The simple action made me forget the stress of the morning and the persona I had to create in order to make sure I was taken seriously.
I settled in next to Daphne and she leaned in and took Alexa from my arms.
"Well how about some lunch and you two can tell me about what's been going on with your classes?" Sirius smiled at us.
"Sure sounds good, I'm sure Kreacher wouldn't mind preparing some food for us."
The rest of the afternoon was spent talking and catching up. Soon enough Daphne and I had returned to the castle. It was weird though because I had expected the old man and his twinkling eyes to be waiting for us with a hundred questions, but instead the office was empty.
We walked quietly back to the room together and got Alexa settled into her crib. I volunteered to go down to the dining hall and grab some food for us since dinner was getting ready to start. Daphne smiled at me and gave me a quick kiss before I left.
It was a quick walk down, and when I entered I found Neville sitting down. I took a seat across from him. "How was your weekend mate?"
Neville smiled at me, "It was good Harry, spent some time doing a few assignments, a little time in Hogsmeade with Hannah, and some time for extra studies."
I raised an eyebrow at him, "Extra studies? Now you've got my interest."
I watched as Neville looked around nervously, and then his eyes wandered to the head table. "We'll talk, but not here. Later tonight when there aren't so many ears around."
Now he had my interest and I nodded slightly. "Well I'm going to grab some food and head back up to the room. I promised Daphne I would grab us dinner. Give me about an hour and then I'll meet with you."
I snatched up a few of each of Daphne's favorite things, and then some food for myself before leaving. I was walking out of the hall when Malfoy bumped into me. He was flanked by Crabbe and Goyle per his usual, but as he did so I felt him slip something into my robe pocket. I kept the surprise off my face though.
"Watch where you're walking scarhead." Was yelled at my back as I walked by the glaring oafs behind him.
"Whatever you bloody say Malfoy."
I waited until I was in the secret corridor leading to the sixth floor before pulling out the parchment scrap. What was on it made me freeze in my tracks. I made my choice. Nott is planning to attack you next time he sees you with your daughter.
Theodore Nott I knew his father had been very well connected to Voldemort. The research I had been doing in my spare time to gather information for my summer affairs had told me that. And now it seemed that his son was going to continue the family name.
It was a rare occasion when Alexa left the room, and that had been by design. Daphne and I felt if we limited her exposure to the students it presented less opportunity for someone to do something. However we refused to just shy away and force ourselves to be backed into a corner. If Nott thought he was going to be taking a shot at my family then he was going to be in for an unpleasant surprise. I burned the parchment so no one else would know. Then I finished my trek up the stairs and back to the room to eat dinner.
A little over an hour later and I was waiting in the familiar corridor on the seventh floor for Neville. The room of requirement was as good of a place as any to have a secret meeting. I didn't have to wait too long as I soon saw Neville round the corner and stride towards me. I began pacing back and forth while thinking of a comfortable meeting room.
By the time he reached me I had finished and the door appeared. I held it open for him and received a polite thank you in return before doing one last check of the hall and then closing it behind me.
We each grabbed a chair and sat down. "So this is a little backwards isn't it Nev? Usually I'm the one with the secrets to tell."
He laughed at my joke and nodded his head, "Ay it is a bit different now Harry. However this is important. I've been doing a lot of thinking about everything that's happened this year and what you told me is coming. Specifically what you want to do about it."
I leaned forward in my chair anxious to hear what Neville had decided.
"I can't be the person you are asking me to Harry. I want to be able to help you and to defend myself though. I would appreciate it if you could lend me some books on defensive magic as I suspect you've advanced passed what Umbridge plans on teaching. However I can't do anything offensive or dark."
I was actually surprised by the response. I had expected Neville to take the opportunity to learn something he could use against those who had done harm to his parents.
"May I ask why Neville?" I voiced my question because I needed to know what was holding him back.
He didn't make me wait long for an answer, "I'm worried about how I would change if I were to start 'hunting' for lack of a better word. You know what those people did to my parents, and if I were ever to come across one I don't know if I would be able to stop myself from doing the same. I want to win, but what's the point of winning a war if you just become those you are fighting against. Make no mistake Harry, I'm not abandoning you." I could see the sincerity in his eyes and hear it in the tone of his voice.
"I think I can be best suited helping with other things. My Gran has been grooming me for politics since I can remember. Now with the confidence you've helped me develop and the friendships we're making I might actually have a chance to make a real difference. Also I can plan exit strategies for major wizarding areas in case of a mass attack. As of now Vold…Voldemort has operated quietly, but we both know that won't last."
I leaned back from the edge of my chair and just silently took Neville in. It was amazing how much we had changed in the short time we'd been friends. We still got to do normal student things, but then there were times like this where it was business only.
"So we're partners then. I'll be the hunter and you will be our voice within the ministry. I think if that's the route you are choosing to go you should look into contacting Zabini. I'm positive he has some very lofty political ambitions as well. As for the exit strategies I'm sure it couldn't hurt to have them ready. I don't know how we would distribute them since the ministry isn't listening to reason, but maybe someday they will."
We shared a smile and shook hands. I leaned over to grab the book on defensive magic Sirius had sent me earlier in the year. I had just pulled it from the bag when suddenly the door to the room burst open with a bang.
I immediately dropped the book and knocked the chair down thinking it would be cover from spell fire. However the room read my mind and transformed it to an actual wall blocking Neville and I from the door.
"Bloody hell who blasted the door Harry?" Neville was crouched behind the wall next to me now with his wand held ready to be used if needed.
"No idea Nev, but looks like we might be in for a bit of funny evening." That idea was stopped dead though when a voice rang out through the room.
"Mr. Potter, Mr. Longbottom you will come out now and surrender yourself to the Inquisitorial Squad and myself."
I groaned, "I'd recognize the toad's voice anywhere. Which one of her hundreds of decrees do you think we've broken now?" I picked up the book I had dropped and handed it to Neville before shouldering my bag and standing up.
We walked silently across the room and out of the doorway into the corridor to find ourselves presented with Madam Umbridge and six other students. All of them had their wands held at their side and were sneering at us. Unsurprisingly the other students were all Slytherins.
"Good evening Madam Umbridge, have we done something wrong?" I was trying my best to be polite as I wanted to avoid any unnecessary conflicts now that Alexa was around.
"Why yes Mr. Potter you have. My inquisitorial squad members informed me that you and Mr. Longbottom were having a meeting to plan a way to usurp the ministry."
If I had thought she was bonkers before I now had proof of it. She couldn't seriously think two students were planning on taking on the entire ministry, could she? "Madam what is the inquisitorial squad?"
Neville spoke up next to me as I continued to take note of the individuals there. I recognized most of them. Crabbe and Goyle were no surprise, but there were some upper year Slytherins as well. Warrington and Montague were the only two I recognized though. Each had small silver "I" placed above their slytherin crest.
"These are some of the finest members of our student body here at Hogwarts. They have special duties given by me to ensure that students are doing everything they should to support our ministry. When they hear news of students looking to besmirch the name of the ministry they report it to me so it can be handled accordingly."
"Well I hate to break it to you, but it appears that your inquisitorial squad heard wrong. Neville and I were here working out a schedule to prepare for our OWLs since we'll be having them in only a few short months now."
All I received in response was a heated glare, "Is that so? Well I suppose you won't mind me having a look at your bag then to make sure you aren't hiding anything." The woman held her outstretched hand at me as if expecting I would actually hand my bag over.
"Not bloody likely. There is nothing that says I have to let you search my bag, and you have no reason to keep us here. As such I'll bid you goodnight Madam and Neville and I will be going."
We went to walk past her but apparently the woman had different plans. She grabbed the book I had given Neville and ripped it from his hands. "Well what do you have here then? A book detailing how to cast advanced level spells. Why else would you have this if not for use against the ministry or your fellow students?"
I tried the polite method, and it clearly wasn't working. I saw Neville open his mouth to defend himself but I was done with this. "Well you see Madam it is OWLs year. Contrary to the tripe you teach in class we are expected to be able to show adequate proficiency in casting these spells when it comes time for the examinations. Just because you and the ministry want to have a generation of unprepared witches and wizards doesn't mean we have to accept it. Last I checked there was also nothing wrong with doing side studying or possessing a book that isn't on the banned list provided by the Hogwarts library."
The woman was fuming and her pale skin was now slowly beginning to match the ugly shade of pink on her dress. However my taunting of the woman had turned my back to the rest of the group she had brought. It was only the hairs on my neck standing up that caused me to drop to the ground and dodge the spell that flew through the space I had just been. I rolled over so I was on my back and looked for the source. Warrington still had his wand aimed at me and looked ready to cast another spell, but I beat him to it.
A stinging hex smacked his hand causing his wand to fall to the floor with a clatter. I took the opportunity to spring myself back up and made sure to keep them all in my sight this time.
"A-hem! Mr. Potter there is no magic permitted in the hall! I'm afraid I'll have to bring you to the headmaster's office now." The triumphant look on her face let me know I had been led on. This is what she had been hoping for. I didn't even bother to argue as I knew she would pull some bollocks out of nowhere.
"I'll see you in a bit then Nev. Looks like I'm paying a visit to the old man of the castle."
Neville eyed me as if asking if there was something he should be doing. I shook my head no slightly so that he would know to just head back before she found a reason to keep him as well.
I followed behind Umbridge as she practically skipped down the halls. Her inquisitorial squad followed next to and behind me blocking me in. It looked as if they were transporting some really dangerous criminal or something from one of those muggle crime shows Dudley and Vernon used to watch.
Before long I was walking up the spiral staircase to an all too familiar place. Umbridge went to knock and sure enough Dumbeldore's voice rang out from inside to enter.
None of the inquisitorial squad had followed us up. Most likely that would be too many potential witnesses to whatever Umbridge was going to say I did.
"I'm so sorry to disturb you so late headmaster but I found Mr. Potter here planning to usurp the ministry, and when I confronted him he attacked one of the members of my inquisitorial squad."
I rolled my eyes. This woman could say whatever she wanted at this point. Dumbledore was a lot of things, but he was not a ministry crony. Case in point being right now as I watched him steeple his hands and stare at Umbridge. I suspected he was using the mind arts to see the true events, but doubted she'd have any way of knowing.
"Those are quite large claims Madam. Have you any proof?"
I silently laughed as Umbridge tried to compose herself but could not stop the flush of red in her ears. "My word is backed by the authority of the Minister! And I have six other witnesses that will attest to the same story."
I have to admit I am enjoying this attempt at a power play when one side is clearly dominating. "Only six other witnesses you say? What about Mr. Longbottom? He was there tonight as well wasn't he?"
I was preparing to cheer Dumbledore for calling the woman out, but was held back by the smirk that was now forming on Umbridge's face. "I see you are familiar with the situation then! Perhaps because you have been sanctioning this to cause disorder within the ministry! Well I won't have it! I'll be filing a complaint and a full report with Cornelius immediately."
A few wrinkles appearing across the headmaster's forehead were the only visible sign of annoyance. "I assure you Madam Umbridge I had no prior knowledge of any attempt to interfere with the ministry. I merely make it my business to know where my students are. How else could I keep them safe?"
"I don't believe you and neither will Cornelius. Everyone knows you've wanted the job of minister for some time. This is just another power play."
I can't take listening to this anymore. "If the minister is so worried that two fifth year students could take down the entire ministry he probably has much larger issues."
Fawkes trilled as if in agreement with my statement, and I heard a choked laugh from the sorting hat as well. However something sounded off to me about the phoenix song. It once sounded so pure, beautiful. But now it was off-key slightly, and I thought perhaps the phoenix was approaching its burning day.
"Mister Potter I will not let you insult the Minister like that!" Umbridge was practically screeching as she spoke and I wasn't able to cover my wince from the tone.
"Honestly I'm tired and just want to go kiss my daughter goodnight and get some rest. Headmaster, Neville and I were merely setting a schedule for OWLs studying and Madam Umbridge and her inquisitorial squad interrupted as we were packing up to leave. One fired a curse at my back which I dodged and then shot a stinging hex at his hand to disarm. If I need to be punished then I accept that."
I was telling the truth. I was tired from the long day and wanted nothing more than to settle in for the night. This was really just getting in the way. "And honestly we've had this conversation before. Only then Madam Umbridge was accusing me and a few other students of plotting to over throw the ministry after we held a revision session in an unused classroom. Something we have been unable to do again for worry of unjust treatment."
"Well then I see it fit to assign you a detention Mr. Potter. You will serve it with me tomorrow night after dinner. As for you revision sessions I see no reason they couldn't be a Hogwarts sanctioned event. We could discuss perhaps setting a weekly time and place for this to occur and an adequate supervisor." I eyed Dumbledore critically but nodded my head. "You may go now if you wish though."
I thanked the headmaster and made my way to door only half listening to the futile protesting of Umbridge in the background.
It didn't take me long to make it back to the room and I entered as quietly as possible knowing Daphne was likely already asleep and Alexa too. However what I found when I entered was Daphne with her head down on a pile of parchment and an old looking tome. Apparently she had been researching something and fallen asleep. I did a quick check on Alexa who was sleeping in her crib, for now, before I used my wand to gingerly slide Daphne's chair away from the table. Doing my best to be careful I put my wand away and scooped her from the chair to carry to bed.
She half woke up on the way in. "Thank you Harry, g'night." And she drifted back into her slumber as I laid her on the bed and banished her robes to the wardrobe knowing she would sleep more comfortably. Once she was tucked in, I went back to the common area and started to clean up her research. The content of the book confused me, it was about the Grindewald era, but I wasn't going to get any answers tonight. I closed the book and organized the papers before tucking them into the bag.
I proceeded to move Alexa's crib back into the bedroom and do one more check on her before leaning down and placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. I then changed out of my robes myself and climbed into bed more than ready for sleep to take me away.
I was more than a little aware of the person following me out onto the grounds as I exited the castle. He'd been following me for a few minutes now, and the words from Draco's note flashed in my mind. I moved at a not too brisk pace though knowing I could easily defend myself from Nott. I pulled the bundle in my arms closer to my chest making sure to shield it from the wind. It was starting to warm up again now, but I was not willing to take any chances.
I walked towards the lake and a spot obscured from the view of the castle. Nott was a slytherin so above all he would make his move only where he knew there wouldn't be any witnesses. Finally I reached a shielded by trees so that no one else would see.
I pulled from my pocket a shrunk stroller and set it on the ground. I used my hand now to grasp my wand and enlarge the stroller. I tucked the bundle from my arms into the stroller and carefully shielded it using my body so no stray spells would do any harm.
"You know for a slytherin Nott you really suck at being sneaky. You've been following me ever since I left class. Care to explain why?"
Sure enough I watched as the he dropped the crudely done disillusionment charm he had been using. "So you know I'm following you and still wander somewhere no one else can see? You are dumber than you look Potter. Since you asked so nicely though I'm here to teach you a lesson on why blood matters. Maybe after I'm done with you I'll leave that half-blood daughter of yours a parting gift also. A nice scar to match her Daddy's maybe?"
I decided in this moment I was going to kill Nott someday. In my mind he had made his choice to follow a road that only led to death. I couldn't do it now, not at school, it would raise too many questions. This summer though would be the last for Theodore Nott if I could get to him. However that didn't mean I couldn't punish him now.
"You really lack that sense of self-preservation that Slytherins normally pride themselves on Nott. It's like you want me to cause you pain. Maybe that's your thing though. Guess we'll find out in a second."
I didn't give him a chance to respond. "Bombarda." I shot the spell a foot in front of him causing the ground to explode and shoot dirt and dust into his face. I watched his arms went up to shield his face which is what I had been anticipating. "Lacero!" The advanced cutting curse connected and ripped a long gash across both his forearms.
What I hadn't expected was for his arms to go completely limp. I must have hit the tendons in each. His wand fell to the ground and he screamed in pain as the blood oozed from the wounds. He desperately tried to pick up his wand, but nothing he did would make his hand close around it. I walked closer to him and gave him a cold smirk. "You made a mistake following me, and a bigger one threatening my daughter. You're lucky we're at school, if we weren't this would get a lot worse for you. Stupefy!" The stunner connected center mass with him and he fell forward into the dirt. I used a binding spell and then a mild sticking charm to secure him to one of the trees nearby.
There was so much more I wanted to do, but I needed to work on boundaries now or risk losing myself later on. Once I was done I picked up the bundle of blankets I had carefully wrapped to shape like a baby and shrunk them down along with the stroller. I walked back to the castle knowing that at the very least Nott would be deterred from trying something again soon. It seems like I now had to have a talk with Malfoy though, and so that's what I planned on doing. I had the foresight to send a school owl with a simple note. All it said was I owe you, we need to talk but I'm sure he'll know who it's from.
I strode confidently back into the castle acting as if nothing had just happened. I was only mildly surprised to see Malfoy casually leaning against a wall near the hourglasses showing the points total. I inclined my head at him just a fraction of an inch, but he got the hint and started to follow behind me. I'd purposely chosen this time to deal with Nott knowing Malfoy would be on his way to lunch when I had passed through the entrance hall. Malfoy was a bit of a creature of habit, plus having the marauder's map made it easy for me to track movements.
Soon enough I was entering an unused classroom in the dungeon. It was the place anyone would be least likely to look for me.
Malfoy entered shortly after me and I watched with interest as he layered the door with some impressive secrecy charms.
"Well that is interesting. It appears you've been holding back a little on your charms aptitude then Malfoy."
"Not all of us wear our abilities on our sleeves Potter. Some of us like to operate with a bit of finesse and secrecy." I smirked thinking about if only he knew.
"Fair enough, I do owe you a debt now for the heads up. While I don't think Nott would have ever really gotten a jump on me, but he may have been able to get a spell off which could have put Alexa in danger." I paused for a moment and really looked Malfoy over. He was his normal composed, aristocratic self, but there was also a slight caution to him. He was unsure of himself and it was noticeable to those looking.
"Your note also said you made a decision, so what's it going to be?" I figured since he helped me he was choosing to run, but I wanted to hear it from him.
"I can't become my father. I may not like the idea of mudbloods polluting the wizarding world with their ideas simply because they don't understand our traditions or history but…"
I bristled at his use of the word mudblood but reasoned that it was Malfoy and he grew up around the language.
"But my mother has done nothing but support my father, and he takes his frustrations out on her. The dark lord, I've heard the stories of how he killed and tortured his own followers. How could a man who has preached pureblood superiority then go and kill so many of those who support him?"
I listened and it dawned on me that Malfoy didn't actually know that Voldemort wasn't a pureblood. I smirked, "It'll probably blow your bloody mind then when you find out Voldemort is only a half-blood himself."
I wanted to pat myself on my back as Malfoy's face cycled through various emotions before settling on distrust but also anger. "What do you mean? Of course the dark lord is a pureblood. Why else would so many people follow him? "
I just shook my head. "Voldemort's birth name is Tom Riddle and his father was a muggle. He told me so himself on multiple occasions."
"This…this just can't be. Why? How have so many chosen to follow a leader that is the exact thing they hate?"
"Probably because they don't know and haven't asked. And I assume anyone who has asked is probably dead."
For a long time Malfoy just sat there staring at the wall in front of him, and I was content to wait for him to finish processing. Finally he spoke again, "Did you know my mother was a Black before you married my father?" I hadn't actually known that but I hid my surprise. "Your godfather and she were actually close when they were younger. Friends even. That changed as they grew up and the war tore families apart."
"Why tell me this?" I was curious as to the sudden topic change.
"I'm not going to become my father, but I'm also not going to ask Dumbledore for help. I don't trust the muggle-loving fool. Your godfather though, he is the head of house Black since he was never officially disowned from the family. He has the power to terminate my mother's marriage contract, and the power to give us a safe place to stay."
I thought about it. "You give me a tip to help protect my family and then ask for a favor to help protect yours in return. It seems fair enough to me. I'll see what I can do, and I expect we'll be talking again soon. Once this is done though Malfoy there is no going back, and even if you did try Voldemort would kill you."
I left the room after that taking care to make sure no one was in the hall before stepping out. It would do no good for me to be seen leaving a classroom in the dungeons. Although knowing the way the Hogwarts rumor mill worked the story would just be that that was where Daphne took me to dose me with love potions.
I passed the rest of the day studying with Neville and preparing for the OWLs. With everything I was up against the exams just seemed so mundane, but I liked that. It helped bring a sense of normalcy to the crazy life I was now stuck in. Daphne had asked that I leave her alone as she was working on something. I was confused, and asked if it had anything to do with the book she had out last night. All I received for my efforts though was that disarming smile of hers and an unhelpful answer. I knew better than to question her when she got like that. Someday Daphne would be the woman that everyone who is anyone had to talk to. The one who had all the information on those in power or those trying to make a move. I smiled as I leaned back in my chair at the library thinking about it. She was practically built for the role. Beautiful but with a hint of danger. Cunning but just enough mischief to make her seem genuine in all her conversations.
Neville's scribbling on his parchment brought me out of my thoughts. "Any idea what you want to do after Hogwarts Neville?"
Neville looked up at me, "Presuming we make it through without dying?" I smirked at the morbid humor. "Well I think I'd really like to take some time and travel for a bit. I love herbology and the world has so many exotic plants that I have only ever read about. I'd love to take the time and explore. Maybe even write a journal about my travels and anything I uncover. There is a book called Magical Beasts and Where to Find Them. It's actually my inspiration and I was thinking of something like Magical Plants and Uses to Know."
"That's actually something I can see you doing mate. Just do me a favor and try not to get eaten by a plant on your trip."
We shared a quiet laugh since we were in the library and not trying to get thrown out. "Well what about you Harry? What are your plans for after Hogwarts?"
"Honestly I don't know. I had thought maybe magical law enforcement, but I think by that time I'll have hunted down so many death eaters and bad guys it would just feel like I was stuck. Maybe I'll travel like you. Not for any real purpose, but just because I've never had the opportunity. I'll take Daphne and Alexa and we'll spend some time traveling and exploring all that is out there. Eventually we'll probably come back here though. I can't see Daphne leaving, and something tells me she has big plans for how her future plays out."
Neville looked at me, "So you're really planning on being in this with Daphne for the long haul then, eh?"
"Of course, I wouldn't just leave her now that we have Alexa, and this has actually become something I wouldn't want to walk away from."
"So then maybe before you travel and swoop her away to the ends of the earth you should make it official mate."
I eyed him curiously having an idea of what he meant. "Official how?"
He gave me a look as if to ask if I was daft. "Marriage you wanker. By that time you and Daphne will have been together for years, and since you've already gone ahead and started a family might as well make it official."
"Oy, how did we get on such serious topics? We were studying for OWLs a minute ago."
"I don't know Harry I guess it's just the realization that we only have a few more years left now before we're expected to be full contributing members of the wizarding world. Makes you really start to think."
I knew he was right. "Yeah well right now all I want is to pass my exams. But I'm bloody tired of studying now, and I've got thirty minutes before I have to be at Dumbledore's office for my detention."
Neville cringed, "I can't believe he's making you sit a detention when you were just defending yourself. Sodding toad woman is a nightmare. Hopefully the curse gets her too, and this will be her only year here."
"We could only be so lucky. I should start making the trek to Dumbledore's office. No idea what he plans on making me do for detention though. I'll probably see you tomorrow though since I'll be staying with Daphne and Lexa again."
I was packing my books back into my bag while Neville spoke, "Has anyone said anything to you about that? Like do the professors care you've been staying there?"
"Honestly I don't know if they're aware or not. I imagine the headmaster is; he has a way of knowing pretty much everything that goes on in this castle unfortunately. But no one has told me I can't yet, so I plan to continue doing it."
I finished packing and closed my bag. A final goodbye and I was soon headed out the door and to what I was sure would prove to be a very interesting detention.
As I entered the door into the headmaster's office I found my mind instantly wandering to what I would be doing.
"Ah, welcome Harry, right on time. Please take a seat and let us begin your detention." I was cautious in my approach, I had no idea what the old man had planned and did not want to be caught too unaware. "You should know Harry that a student was found attacked earlier today."
I let shock play across my face. "Attacked?"
"Yes it is unclear of what happened, but Theodore Nott from Slytherin was found stuck to a tree outside with some very serious cuts to his arms. He will need some time to recover, but it does appear he was found in time to preserve full mobility of them."
I was uncertain now and I'm sure it helped me fake the way I was feeling. "Who would do that sir? And why are you telling me?"
"Truth be told I am unsure as to who would want to harm Mr. Nott. He is refusing to talk to anyone right now about it as well. I am merely warning you in case you find yourself in a situation where you may be in danger. As you and I both know we live in troubling times."
I nodded my head to show I understood. "What will I be doing tonight for punishment headmaster?"
"Well Harry I am not a professor, so I have no papers for you to correct and my office is already quite clean. So I think for tonight you will be subjected to a history lesson."
I knew better than to expect any ordinary history lesson so I sat patiently waiting for him to elaborate. "You know Tom Riddle had a muggle father, but what you don't know is how this came to be. Or how the evil that is Voldemort took route. I think it is important for you to see and understand what caused the actions that have led us to today. I have prepared my pensieve with three memory strands for you to view. When you are done I will answer any questions you have and then you will be free to go for the evening."
I eyed the pensieve warily. Remembering the last time I had taken a trip into it. I rose from my seat and stood next to the basin staring down looking at a silver swirling mist. With one last look around the room I plunged my head into the surface and soon felt my consciousness being pulled into the memories.
I had no real sense of how much time had passed once I finally emerged from the memories. That wasn't all that important to me now though. I had just witnessed memories of not only Riddle, but his parents.
I took my seat again across from Dumbledore and looked back at him. "Riddle has been hurting people for a long time them. That boy in the cave for example."
"Yes Harry he has indeed always been prone to violent solutions for his problems."
"All this time you knew that about him though. While he was in school, even after, and you did nothing to stop him. You simply let him become what he is today."
Dumbledore suddenly looked all one hundred and fifty something of his years. "That is somewhat true Harry. I had my suspicions about Tom, but I could never definitely prove anything. I had no way of knowing the steps, lengths he would go to later on. I merely thought him lost, misguided and in need of a reliable guide. It is one of my greatest mistakes and one I will bear the guilt for all of eternity."
I didn't know what to say, or rather I didn't trust myself to say anything. "I'm going to leave now headmaster. Goodnight."
Dumbledore made no effort to stop me but I could feel his eyes following me as I walked to the door. My pace was brisk as I wanted to put as much distance between myself and those memories as possible. As I entered the suite I took a moment to calm my emotions so as to not worry Daphne.
I plastered a small smile on my face and continued the walk in. Her head rose from the piece of parchment she had been writing on as I entered and she gave me a small smile.
"How was your detention?"
"Oh you know he never does anything normal. I just had to play wizard's chess against him and then he let me go." The lie slipped off my tongue easily, but I just wasn't ready to talk about what I'd seen yet.
She looked at me with a light in her eyes and a playful smirk, "Am I to assume you lost? From what I've been able to pick up you are not very gifted with most magical games."
I placed my hands over my heart and made an exaggerated show of flopping into the chair. "You wound me. I'll have you know I'm getting better. But yes I did not win this time."
I cursed that knowing smile she always gave me. "Did you hear that Nott was attacked today?"
I feigned ignorance, "I hadn't until Dumbledore mentioned it to me. Shame, guess he made an enemy of someone he shouldn't."
"I suppose he did. You wouldn't happen to have any idea who might have the ability or means to do something like that to him, would you?" It was a normal question, but I could detect the subtle accusation in the tone. After spending time with Daphne I was becoming very gifted in the art of knowing what she was saying even when she didn't say it.
"I have a couple ideas, but none that have any real proof to back them up." I decided to change the subject though, "So tell me what you've been doing all day that you didn't want me to disturb."
"Just doing some research. You'll know when I have more information gathered, I promise. I expect you'll tell me if you find out who attacked Nott also. I think I'd like to properly thank them." I swallowed as her tone dropped.
"Well you know what I think maybe I might know who it is." I shifted over from my chair to the arm of hers and leaned down to place a kiss on her neck. "Why don't you go get ready for bed and we can discuss more about it there. I just need to check something with Sirius quick and I'll be right in."
I'm pretty sure she was more purring at me now than speaking. "I've taken the liberty of asking Dobby to watch Alexa for a few hours, so don't take too long. Wouldn't want to waste any time we have, now would you?"
My throat was slightly dry at the thought of some alone time with Daphne. It had been something we weren't able to have much of lately. "You know what I think my conversation with Sirius can wait."
We stood up and she placed one hand gently on my chest before kissing me softly on the lips. "Good choice Harry."
First Week of April
"I swear. It's a muggle holiday and they tell their children a magical rabbit comes and hides eggs for them to find in the morning."
I was currently explaining to Neville, Hannah, and Daphne what Easter was. The topic had come up because I was showing them what professor McGonagall had been teaching me in the detentions about conjuring.
The Dursleys used to make a big deal about it. Always making sure there were plenty of eggs for Dudley to find and even more chocolate for his fat arse to eat. But as an example I'd conjured up plain wooden eggs for the four of us. I still hadn't been able to incorporate the ruins to make them permanent, but these would last a few hours.
"Also they usually color the eggs before they hide them." I demonstrated by flicking my wand at the wooden egg lying in front of me and with a silent coloring charm it changed to a bright turquoise.
"What a strange tradition. How did it start?" Hannah was the one to ask. Neville looked interested also, and Daphne was just doing her best to not laugh.
"Truthfully I don't know Hannah. Never got to celebrate myself I just know about it because I saw my relatives doing it. They usually gave him chocolate bunnies as well."
"Well I don't know about this egg nonsense but anything that allows me to eat chocolate can't be that bad." Neville laughed as his girlfriend spoke and I couldn't help but agree.
Daphne finally spoke, "I can't believe you get to learn conjuration early. More importantly I can't believe you didn't tell me about it sooner." I knew I'd have to choose my next words very carefully.
"I was asked not to. McGonagall was doing me a great favor by using the detentions to tutor me, and she didn't want it to seem like out right favoritism. "
Neville scoffed, "It's definitely favoritism mate. Just it's not the type that comes because of your house, it's because you're bloody good at transfiguration. It's like how Sprout has been showing me the ropes in the greenhouses since second year."
"I suppose, but if she hadn't asked I definitely would have told you sooner. I just wanted to let things settle down with Umbridge. Speaking of which; I talked to Dumbledore and he said we were welcome to use the side chamber of the great hall once a week with a professor supervising if we want to do revision for our defense OWLs. I also already cleared it with Flitwick who said he would be happy to supervise it."
"That's great news! Now Umbridge can't try and string you up for practicing. Did you tell the others yet?"
I nodded at Neville, "Yeah I let them know and they were all excited as well. Just have to pick a day and time that will work now."
Alexa cooed happily or possibly hungrily from her spot in Daphne's arms drawing all of our attention. "Can I hold her Daphne?" Hannah asked somewhat timidly. It was the first time she had asked, so she was probably unsure.
"Yes but please be careful. Here let me show you how to hold her." I watched as Daphne carefully slid her into Hannah's arms and then gently maneuvered them into the correct position to support Lexa's neck and head.
Neville turned to me while the girls were adjusting, "So where's Tracey at?"
I shrugged, "Don't know said she had plans tonight. I assume she's with Zabini though. Which reminds me…" I lowered my voice so we wouldn't be over heard. "Have you spoken to him yet?"
Neville nodded at me slightly. "Actually I did. He was thrilled, or as thrilled as Slytherins get, and wanted to make sure we spent time this summer after OWLs looking into things and discussing our stance on major issues. I have a feeling he wants to make a major name for himself quickly after school."
"Sounds about right from what I know of Zabini, which is admittedly not that much. But I'm glad you spoke with him."
Anything further I was going to say was cutoff when I heard my name being called from within my bag. I looked down and noticed the roguish face of my godfather had appeared on the two-way mirror he had given me.
I pulled it from the bag and excused myself before stepping into the bedroom and casting a privacy charm at the door.
"Hey Padfoot, everything okay?" It'd been a few weeks since I had spoken to Sirius.
"Yeah kiddo, everything is fine. Just wanted to let you know I looked into the contract issue you asked me about. It is possible for me to break it. Normally something like that wouldn't be possible for the bride's side of the family, but fortunately for Cissy the Black's aren't normal."
"Thank you Sirius. I really appreciate you doing that for me." And I really did appreciate him. I knew he didn't exactly like his role as the head of the Black family.
"I'd do anything for you kid. I just want to make sure though. You're sure this isn't just some trap or trick by the Malfoys? I know you haven't really ever had a good relationship with their son."
I nodded. "I know Sirius and trust me I considered that too, but Malfoy let me know when someone was trying to harm Alexa. He gave me the ability to protect my family, and so I'm repaying him. Plus I might have passively read his surface thoughts for deception."
Sirius looked at me gobsmacked. "You used legilimency on him? Harry that's illegal without consent you know. If he had found out you could have been in serious trouble."
"The book did mention that. Honestly I'd been looking for a way to try it out for a while, and when the opportunity presented itself I took it. Regardless, yes I am sure there is no plot by Malfoy this time. He just wants to keep his mother safe."
"Alright I'll use your goblin contact and ask him to discreetly start having the paperwork filed to end the contract. The Black family has a lot of properties also; I'll pick one that's not too run down and get it warded for them. Cissy was always one of my favorites growing up, so maybe this will be a chance for us to both start over."
It was weird watching Sirius talk about someone in his family without utter disgust. I could relate to that though and knew what it was like growing up lonely. I could only imagine it was ten times worse for Sirius from everything I had heard from him.
"Alright thank you Sirius. We'll talk soon, try to keep Moony out of trouble."
Sirius choked out a laugh and said goodbye before I cut the connection with the mirror. I made my way back out into the common room to see Alexa had changed outfits.
"Oy, what is that thing my daughter is wearing?" I couldn't keep the smile off my face though even as I said it.
"Isn't it just great? I had it custom made for her. Got to start spoiling my goddaughter after all." Neville was looking at me with nothing but mirth in his face. Daphne and Hannah were both chuckling as well.
Alexa was currently wearing a pink outfit that looked to be made of some soft material. It had a matching witch's hat as well, but the best part of it was the lettering. Stitched across the front it read "I love my Godfather."
"Nice mate, I'm sure you'll get a real rise out of Tracey when she sees it. Guaranteed she'll come back with something proclaiming her the world's best godmother." And I fully believed Tracey would. That girl was far too competitive for her own good sometimes.
I did notice that Hannah frowned slightly when I mentioned Tracey. It was curious, but I let it go. If it was just simple jealousy it wasn't my place to tell them how to handle it, and if it was something else then I'm sure I would have heard about it by now.
"What did Sirius want Harry?" Daphne's question drew my attention.
"Eh he was just checking in with me. We haven't really talked in a few weeks so he wanted to see how we were doing. He asked about Lexa and all."
Daphne smiled, "It's comforting to know he's taking his role as pseudo-grandfather seriously."
I couldn't resist. "I mean…it is his name Daph."
I received a punch to the shoulder for my cheek. It was definitely worth it though. "It's getting kind of late. Neville and I should probably head out so we don't get caught out past curfew. I'm glad we got to hang out like this though! It was fun and we should definitely try and do it again soon."
We said goodnight to the couple as they left and then I smiled at Daphne as she did her best to cover a yawn. "Time for bed then? I'll get Alexa tucked in so you can get changed."
Without waiting for confirmation from her I levitated the crib into the bedroom, and proceeded to get everything situated for Lexa. She was almost a month old now, and so Poppy would want to see her for a check-up soon to see how she was doing.
I smiled as I started to fall asleep. For the first time I had a year at school where things weren't so crazy. There was no plot to kill me, I had a beautiful girlfriend, real friends, a daughter, and I was top of my year in pretty much every subject. Life was good right now.
May 8th
It was my first time back in the Gryffindor common room in a while. I'd been spending most of my time with Daphne and Alexa and when Neville wanted to hang out it was either in the room of requirement to practice defensive spells, or studying in the common room of the maternity suite since it was quieter.
Truth be told I was only coming back here now because I was looking for Fred and George. They'd finally made good on their promise to prank me for what I did to Ron. I'd tried everything I could think of, but it was no use, so now I was going to be reduced to begging them to fix it.
The it I was referring to was the fact that my ear lobes had suddenly become elongated and elastic. They bounced with every step I took and hung around my waist. I'm not sure how they managed it, but I was going to figure it out.
The room practically went silent as I stepped out of the hall. I received many odd looks, whether because of my current situation or the fact that I was still the pariah in the house I didn't know, nor did I care.
Lavendar was sitting on a couch, so I figured she would be my best bet at getting a real response. "Hey have you seen Fred or George? I need them to fix this."
Lavendar looked up from her seat at me and burst out laughing. "Oh, are you sure though Harry? It's a good look for you." I scowled but with no real malice. Unlike most of the house Lavendar hadn't particularly cared that I was dating a Slytherin. If anything it just gave her more to gossip about. Thinking about it now, it was funny to me how the supposed house of the light was the one that was the least accepting.
She finally got herself under control from the laughing and answered. "Yeah I think I saw Fred head on up to his room, no idea where George is though. Snogging Angelina possibly though."
I thanked her and reminded her about the revision session with Professor Flitwick on Saturday before heading to the staircase. I walked past my old dormitory room and further up until I came to the one where Fred and George slept. Normally I might have knocked, but right now I just wanted to get myself fixed up.
"Oy, Fred you tosser. Are you in here?"
Sure enough Fred peaked his head out two beds in. "Harry mate, lovely to see you. Might I add you look stunning today. Have you done something with your hair?"
"Ha-ha you got me. Now please fix this." I was doing my best to keep it from sounding like I was begging.
"Are you telling me the great Harry Potter, boy-who-lived, can't undo a simple prank?" Fred was clearly loving every moment of this.
Whatever I was going to say was cut-off though when Ron burst into the room behind me. His face was panicked. "Fred come on, we need to go to the headmaster's office now. Something happened to dad!"
For a second I felt bad, I may not be getting along with most of the Weasley family, but Arthur had never been anything but nice and genuine to me. Fred suddenly had become serious and he simply waved his wand as he jogged past me to follow Ron out of the room. My ears slowly shifted back to their normal and appropriate length.
Whatever had happened I hoped it wasn't serious.
June 11th (day before OWLs start)
"I don't know why I haven't spent more time out here before. This is lovely." Daphne was speaking out loud as we lounged on the bank next to the Great Lake. The sun was shining brightly and the warmth spread through our bodies.
"Probably because it's too cold to be outside most of the year here."
"Most you always be such a prat?" She shot back at me.
"You probably wouldn't love me if I wasn't. But honestly you're right. I haven't spent much time out here either, but this is wonderful. I'm also really grateful that your parents and Sirius agreed to watch Alexa for the next few days while we take our OWLs."
"I know it'll be great to have a full night sleep again. It's only been a few months, but I hardly remember what it was like."
I knew what she meant. "I wouldn't change it though. Alexa is…perfect. This life we have now is almost too good to be true."
Daphne rolled onto her side and looked at me. "I know how you feel. I wake up every day wondering if this was all just some dream. But then I see you or her and know it is not."
For a few moments we just lay silence. "Remember tomorrow for your defense OWLs to let them know you can do a patronus. Guaranteed you'll get some bonus points for that."
"I never did say thank you for teaching me that did I?" I looked at her curiously.
"Daphne you don't have to thank me for helping you…" But she cut me off.
"Yes, yes I do. You took the time to really get to know me. I started off our whole relationship based off of lies and manipulations, but somehow you found it in yourself to see through that and give me, us, a chance. I didn't want to fall for you Harry, but you changed my mind. You taught me, cared for me, and loved me. The memory I use to power my patronus is based off the feelings I have for you. It's because of you that I can create one. You made me stronger."
I didn't know how to respond. This was way out of character for Daphne. "You're welcome. This summer I'll teach you to conjure if you'd like."
She smiled at me. "I'd like that very much Harry."
Defense OWL
The written portion of the exam was a farce. A short essay on a dark-creature of our choosing and ways to counter it. I breezed through it and moved right into the practical section.
The longest and hardest part was waiting for an open examination booth. I progressed through the spells required easily and non-verbally. A fact that my examiner had noticed and commented on.
"Impressive control and non-verbal casting. Tell me I've heard rumors that you can create a corporeal patronus. Would you be able to demonstrate this for me?"
I nodded my head in agreement and called my memory to the front of my mind. "Expecto patronum!" And just like before the silver stag sprang from my wand and prominently pranced around the examination booth. Its head pivoted back and forth seemingly looking for the threat it had been conjured to fight off. When it determined there was none the stag turned to face me before bowing its head and slowly dissipating.
"Incredible, never in all my years have I seen someone demonstrate such mastery of the patronus at such a young age. I know it is technically a charm, but its use in repelling dementors makes it relevant to this exam." I nodded my head already having assumed that. "Well that will be all congratulations on completing your defense against the dark arts OWL, and good luck with the rest of them."
Charms OWL
If I had thought OWLs were going to be difficult I was definitely surprised. So far my hardest question had been to describe the cheering charm. It honestly was a bit of a joke as to what passed for an examination.
After I finished my written portion and handed it in I moved to the next room and waited for my name to be called. It only took about five minutes before I was being called over for my practical evaluation.
This examiner was no nonsense and almost immediately set right in. She just fired off charm after charm at me. She started with the levitation charm, then the colour changing, shrinking, and so on.
The last part of the evaluation was to make an egg do somersaults on the table without cracking. I concentrated on the result and flicked my wand at the egg and watched happily as it did just what it was supposed to.
The examiner finished making some notes or marks on a piece of parchment in front of her and then told me I was excused. I thanked her for her time and left thinking that maybe these exams weren't going to be all that bad.
Transfiguration OWL
Today I was going to have a tough choice to make. I wasn't sure exactly how much I wanted to show off with my skills. I certainly didn't want to show my full hand, but I suspected McGonagall might have tipped off the proctors that I was gifted.
Ever since I had walked in I felt like they had been eyeing me differently. It was unnerving, but I was rationalizing that at least this attention had been earned by my own merits and not my parents sacrifice.
The written portion for this had turned out to be much shorter than the previous two. Only a single question was asked. It was about switching spells, and that caught me off guard because it was something we had learned towards the end of last year. It was much more advanced material than had been asked about before. Nonetheless I was able to recall what had been talked about, and what I had studied with Neville.
I didn't have to wait for an examiner to be open this time and was immediately paired with an excited short man. "Oh I'm so happy I get to evaluate you Mr. Potter. Minerva has told us how gifted you are, and I certainly can't wait to see it. Now normally the practical portion of this includes changing a match to a needle and then a vanishing spell." I raised my eye brows at him.
"That's all you need from me? Well here you go." I waved my wand over the match currently lying on the table and the examiner watched in awe as it changed to an ornate needle. I'd decided to add a decorative touch to it in hopes of some extra points. Instead of a plain silver needle there was a serpent circled around it, and the head opened up at the top to show the eye.
"Well I'm not sure of its practical use but this is definitely a needle Mr. Potter. Very impressive and your knack for detail, even the snakes body has scales! Quite impressive indeed. Now for the vanishing?"
I waved my wand again and thought the incantation. The spell left tip of my wand and struck the needle in his hand and shimmered out of existence. "Marvelous! The pinpoint accuracy you have in your spell work is truly amazing. I do wonder if you could humor me though."
I had plenty of time and not much else to do today, so I figured why not. "Sure what is it you'd like to see?"
"Minerva, or rather professor McGonagall, has told us you are working on conjuration already! I'd love to see what you're able to do."
It was decision time. I could go all out and show him some of the animate conjuration I could do now, but I decided that maybe it was in my best interest to have a secret or two of my own.
"Alright, I've yet to manage a permanent conjuration, but I can make them last for a few hours at a time now."
"Desculpo." I carefully kept the image of the chair I was trying to conjure in the forefront of my mind. It wasn't anything too fancy, but it was far from just a plain wooden chair either.
As I finished the examiner let out a soft oh next to me as he set to inspect the work. It was impressive looking if I was being honest. A dark wood, high backed dining chair. I'd added some spiraling back bars as opposed to the standard straight rods, and a seat cushion in a dark burgundy for comfort. Overall I was pretty happy with how it came out.
"There is definitely something special about you Mr. Potter! Minerva is rarely wrong when she heaps praise on someone, but I just had to see it for myself. I do hope you'll consider working in the transfiguration field after school. With your ability already I have no doubt you'd be able to pioneer many new discoveries."
The exam wrapped up with us exchanging pleasantries and me promising to consider a career in research. I smiled as I left the room, it'd been another successful day.
Herbology OWL
In the past I had struggled with herbology. Not because I didn't find it interesting, but simply because I couldn't find a really practical use for it.
This year though since I had become friends with Neville that had changed. It was his passion and he always made sure I understood exactly what some of these plants could be used for. It was actually impressive the broad spectrum the uses covered.
However studying and learning with him didn't quite undo the past four years of lacking knowledge. I managed to scrape enough information together for the written portion, or so I thought at least.
The practical was slightly easier for me as it was plants we'd seen more recently. There was no actual care of them in the practical it was simply being able to identify them based off of the key characteristics of each. Overall I thought I would do okay. If not an O then definitely and E.
Potions OWL
As I read the question on the parchment in front of me I had to wonder if Snape had any influence on this. It was asking about polyjuice which we had never brewed in class and only touched on slightly in the book.
Thankfully I had some experience with the potion outside of the classroom, but that didn't stop the question from being difficult. It was asking for specific properties of most of the ingredients, and while I remembered some I definitely fudged a few of the answers. It took me the longest to complete of all the exams so far.
The brewing portion of it was much simpler as it was simply just a calming draught like we had done at the beginning of the year. While I was stirring I did wonder how Neville would do without my help, but also without Snape breathing down his neck.
I really took my time with the ingredients making sure they were prepared precisely. I was hoping to make up for my lack of knowledge on the written portion with a perfect potion. As I turned it in, I took a moment to appreciate how much better I had become at brewing from last year to this year.
Care of Magical Creatures OWL
There wasn't a written section for my Care of Magical Creatures OWL and I soon understood why. There was four tasks we were expected to complete within the allotted time.
The first thing we had to do was identify a knarl hidden among a bunch of hedgehogs. It wasn't too hard you just had to know the behavioral traits of them. Knarls thought everything was a trap when food was involved, so if you offered them something they would go bonkers and ravage the garden. There was a bucket of milk for us to offer individually to each, but I decided to stream line the process and levitated the bucket to the middle of the group.
Sure enough I found my knarl as the hedgehogs clambered to get close and the knarl started to run backwards.
Next up was the proper handling of a bowtruckle. While they were far from my favorite creatures to deal with this wasn't that bad of a task. As I went through the steps I realized I hadn't really spent any time with Hagrid this semester.
I felt bad, but part of me was also suspicious. Why was Hagrid the one to come and pick me up from the Dursleys? Surely there were other professors available. Flashes of the conversation we'd had as he took me through Diagon Alley flashed through my mind. Him steering me towards Gryffindor by telling me how great it was suddenly felt less like an honest opinion and more like a manipulation.
However I could also just be getting really cynical because Dumbledore had played me like a fool. I finished up with the bowtruckle and waited for the examiner to give me my next task. I grimaced as I watched them bring over a cage containing a fire crab.
Thirty minutes later and I had only sustained two minor burns. I had had to wash and clean the fire crab without receiving serious burns, so I figured I'd alright if the two red patches on my skin were all I received.
The last task was the easiest being that we simply had to pick out foods safe for a unicorn that was sick. It only took me a matter of minutes to select the appropriate diet, and then I was done. Only three exams were standing between me and my summer plans now.
Astronomy OWL
I arrived early enough to see two younger students being chased out of the astronomy tower by the proctor. I smiled and laughed a little at the two as they passed.
Because the practical would involve looking at the sky it had to be held at night. I'd had all day to study the books and notes from our classes in hopes of covering any details I might have missed.
The written portion I noted wasn't too bad. I simply had to list all of Jupiter's moons by name, and then categorize them by size. It took a little work, but I was pretty confident I managed to get at least ninety percent of them in the correct order.
For our practical the telescopes were fixed in place and we were given a blank star chart at each table. Our goal was to fill in the star chart with what we were observing through the telescope. This include major stars and constellations.
It was well past midnight by the time finished, and it happened that Daphne finished almost at the same time. So we walked together back to the suite.
History of Magic OWL
I had gone to my divination OWL only to find out it was basically as much a sham as the rest of the class. There was no written portion, and basically the practical consisted of determining if you had seer ability or not. If you did, you passed, if not you got a T.
I'd put it out of my mind as I couldn't see myself choosing any career where I'd need to be able to read tea leaves anyway. Today was the last day for OWLs and I couldn't wait to be done. It'd been nearly two weeks since I'd been able to see Alexa.
There was no practical portion for history, but I found myself having trouble staying awake for the written. It was just so boring. None of this really interested me, but I reasoned that it was just a necessary thing I had to do. I wrote line after line about goblin riots, the statute of secrecy breach, different wand legislations, etc…
Finally after what seemed like days, but was only two hours I handed in my exam and walked out of the room. I stretched my arms above my head and cracked my back as I felt the tension leave my body.
"It's finally time to relax." I said it out loud not caring if people thought I was crazier for talking to myself. I'd already packed all of my stuff so it was just a matter of retrieving my trunk and bag from the suite now. The train was set to take everyone home in a few hours, and honestly I couldn't wait.
In years past I would have given anything to stay at Hogwarts. It was the only thing that kept me away from the Dursleys then, but now I had a family and a place I could stay where I was wanted, needed.
"Ah I'm so glad I caught you Mr. Potter! I was afraid I might miss you before you left." Dumbledore had seemingly appeared out of nowhere and I felt a cold pit form in my stomach.
"I just wanted to let you know that you'll need to return to your relatives this summer Harry. It won't be the whole summer of course, but part of it."
I couldn't believe what he was telling me. Was he insane? There was no way I was going to spend even a day at the Dursleys.
"No. I will not be going back there ever again headmaster." I was going to stand firm on this issue.
"I'm sorry Harry but you really must. There are powerful blood wards in place that keep your family safe, but they need you there to replenish the strength."
I couldn't help it and I let out a laugh. "You really expect that to convince me? That I should feel some obligation to the people who starved me, beat me, and treated me like a slave for years? No headmaster, I couldn't care less whether or not those wards you say are in place fail. I'll be spending this summer with my godfather and my real family."
The man put on his best disappointed face. "Please Harry, this is unlike you. Surely you wouldn't knowingly put your family…"
"They are NOT my family! I was nothing more than a servant to them! I do not care what happens to them. That is the end of this discussion."
This time when I walked away Dumbledore did nothing to stop me, though I suspected that was simply because we were in public and not the privacy of his office.
Train Ride Back
"I can't believe he tried to make you go back there. Is he insane?" After I had told my friends what had happened they had been questioning the headmaster's motives ever since.
"Yeah I don't really know. The man is a nutter for sure, and now I just have definitive proof of it. Anyway I told him I refused to go back, so it should be done with."
"I don't know mate the old man is used to getting his way. I'm sure he'll try something." Neville voiced his concern and if I was being honest I agreed with him.
"You may be right, but there is nothing he could actually do to make me go there. He holds no power over me. So do any of you have summer plans?"
The conversation took a change then as Hannah and Tracey excitedly started discussing their vacation plans with Neville and Zabini respectively. I'd noticed that there still appeared to be a little discomfort from Hannah around Tracey, but again it wasn't my place to say anything.
Daphne leaned into my shoulder. "Do you think maybe we can take a mini-vacation this summer Harry? We can take Alexa somewhere nice with us. We worked so hard this year and I think we've earned this."
I smiled down at her. "Sure Daph, we'll start looking into places and figuring out the safest way to do it when we get back."
The rest of the train ride was spent with conversations regarding places to go and things to see. It was nice, it was normal, and I couldn't have been happier. So naturally something would be going wrong soon.
Sure enough when we exited the train Daphne and I were almost immediately ushered off to one corner of the station. It wasn't her parents though who had done it or even Sirius all of whom were mysteriously absent. Rather it was Remus and Tonks.
"I know you have questions Harry but right now we need to go. It's not safe on the platform right now."
Before Daphne or I could protest they had grabbed a hold of us and it felt like I was being squeezed through a pipe. The last thing I saw before the station vanished was Neville looking confusedly in our direction.