AN: Author's notes will be at the bottom. Read or ignore at your pleasure. Lawyers, the disclaimer is on my profile page (as well as multiple chapters.)
WARNING! : IMPLIED SEX BETWEEN (emancipated and married) MINORS … to avoid, don't read any "Lord and Lady Potter's Bedroom" scenes. All you need to know will be found in the AN's at the end of the chapter.
AVDHP
Chapter 22
-===Hogwarts' Hallway===-
"You seem distracted. Something you want to talk about?"
Two weeks prior Merlin started talking to Harry casually during their practice sessions. He said it would help cement the muscle memory of the techniques Harry had already learned this year. Multiple failures to continue the patterns during the first week proved to Harry he had not learned them as well as he thought he had.
"Not sure," Harry responded as he added a spin to a blue ball. Merlin had taught him how to violate the laws of physics while juggling. Well, technically not violate… just… ignore for a time. Adding a serious spin would cause the ball to rotate in the plane of the spin… while ignoring gravity. Merlin explained it as 'conservation of forces' with the spin helping to counteract gravity, but Harry didn't quite believe that. Still, regardless of the 'how', the technique worked and produced mind-numbing impossibilities. This technique was called 'The Universe' by Merlin. Harry would throw a juggling ball in the air and it would hover in front of him. Yeah… Harry didn't understand that one either. It took over a month to get a ball to hover like that, but Merlin insisted it was crucial to many advanced techniques, so he learned to do it. After the hovering ball was stable, Harry would add another ball to orbit the first. Learning that took more time than he would prefer to admit.
Magic juggling was much different from juggling in the park.
"Hermione has picked a 'first wife' for me. It is starting to become real to me. I have to marry. I have to produce an heir. I have to have sex. I understand the mechanics. I have started having 'those' dreams, so physiologically (Harry said that word carefully, as though it had been drilled into him by a harsh instructor) my body is ready. But emotionally, I am just not there yet. I don't want to be married. I don't want to be an adult yet. I am still a kid! But I don't have the luxury of choice. Right now, if I die, my House dies with me.
Merlin just nodded along as he added another ball to his pattern, something Harry could not do yet without the whole structure collapsing.
"I have looked at her while we eat. She is pretty. And when she catches me, she does this thing with her head."
"Thing?" Merlin queried softly.
"Yeah, she drops her chin a little, tilts her head to the side a little, bats her eyelashes and gets this little smile. Kind of sad like, but at the same time kind of 'I know something about you'. She confuses me…"
Merlin laughed. "Harry, grown men with decades more experience than you have are still confused by women. Remember the story of Uther Pendragon? He was a leader of men; battle-hardened and courageous. Yet his desire for a woman brought him to ruin. His son, King Arthur, was likewise smitten by a woman who pledged herself to him as his wife. Eventually, she betrayed him, leading him to make mistakes Briton is still indebted with. There are many times many stories of men through the ages who didn't understand women. They are a constant, like gravity."
Laughing, "But you are teaching me to ignore gravity! It isn't a good example for women!" Harry exclaimed.
"True. And I can teach you to ignore women too. So, it is a better example than you may think," Merlin said with a smile and a wink, adding another orbiting ball to his pattern.
"Show off," Harry said with a grin. He knew he would be able to do what Merlin was doing, with more practice.
"If you got it, flaunt it, as the Muggles say,"
"When you first started teaching me some of these tricks that defy the laws of physics, I thought the only reason you could do them was because you are a painting and in your painted world, the same laws did not apply," Harry admitted cautiously.
Merlin nodded sagely, "A reasonable assumption, given what you knew about the world. What do you think now?"
"I think there is a lot more to the world than I suspect."
Smiling Merlin replied, "Ah, the beginning of wisdom. I have not wasted my time after all."
"But why are you teaching me? Surely this is boring for you. I tried to teach some of the other Hufflepuffs to juggle basic patterns… BASIC. They disappointed me greatly. Only one showed any talent at all, and that was very little. She did manage a basic cascade, with two balls… after a week of practice."
"And how long did it take you to learn a basic cascade?" Merlin chided softly.
"Less than a week!" Harry huffed loudly.
"Yes. Less than a week. And why did you learn so quickly?"
Harry hung his head a bit as he answered, "Because Dudley and his gang were going to beat me to a pulp if I didn't." His orbiting ball wobbled as he was distracted. Harry quickly gave it a swipe of his hand, almost too fast to see, imparting more spin to get it back in position.
"Did you promise to beat your students if they didn't learn?"
"No…"
"So, perhaps, in addition to having some real talent, you also had some extreme motivation that helped you learn faster than most?"
"Okay, you've made your point. I'll try to have a bit more patience with them. But that doesn't answer the question. Why are you teaching me?" Harry asked.
"You have potential most don't. I could sit back and attempt to teach you later, but it would be much harder after you have learned magic. You would have a whole list of rules of what can and can't be done. You'd need to unlearn so many 'facts' to reach your potential. It would be extremely frustrating, for both of us, and you would probably quit long before you learned all I can teach you."
Harry nodded. "But why are you teaching me juggling?"
"I'm not teaching you to juggle," Merlin laughed and vanished his juggling balls.
"I am teaching your mind a new way to view the world. To compare it to Maths; I want to teach you tensor calculus," Merlin laughed as he walked off the edge of the portrait.
Sticking his head back into the portrait, "But first, I must teach you to count."
Merlin disappeared from the portrait, leaving a very confused Lord Potter listening to his laughter echoing in the hallway.
-===AVDHP===-
-===Great Hall, Breakfast===-
A huge owl circled the Great Hall, allowing the lesser owls to make their deliveries.
"That owl is looking at you," said Neville as he bumped Harry's elbow with his own.
Looking up Harry noticed the large, black, circling raptor which was definitely looking right at him. He dropped his chin to his chest with a heavy sigh. This was it. As soon as that owl delivered its package; his childhood, if he could truly be said to have had one, was officially over.
The noisy hall quieted as everyone had now noticed the great owl with the very ornate scroll clutched in its talons. It continued to circle the hall until the last mail owl had left. Diving straight toward Harry, students seated across from him scrambled to get out of the way. The owl's backwash from its massive wings rippled the hair and robes of those closest to Harry, as it landed before Lord Potter.
Viewed close, Harry could see the owl was not actually black, but just very dark. The underside of its wings was a beautiful cream color, as were its feathered horns. But the wings were dark, brown maybe, with a greenish tinge to the tip of the flight feathers.
Harry reached for the scroll with his left hand, only to retract it rapidly as the owl moved as if to take a strip from the back of it.
Neville leaned over to whisper in Harry's ear, "Show it your ring and use that hand to take the scroll".
A brief nod to Neville and Harry raised his right hand, displaying his House Potter ring for the owl's inspection. After what appeared to be a slight nod from the owl, Harry reached for the scroll again, with his right hand this time. The owl raised the scroll to allow Harry to take it easily. After the transfer, the owl tilted its head sideways to look at Harry for a long moment before launching into the air once more. And as quickly as that, it was gone.
Harry was absolutely certain the bird had just called him an idiot.
-===meanwhile at the Slytherin table===-
Draco smiled as the owl left his friend (friend? Really? Why not tool? Pawn?). Draco shivered slightly to clear his mind of that distraction. Regardless, the next move was made. That was a Greengrass owl, the product of generations of selective breeding to completely change its plumage while retaining its predatory instincts. That was probably the owl Lord Greengrass used for business between himself and other Heads of House. Which meant, that was a response to Harry's nominal agreement to the betrothal offer.
Draco had insisted Harry ask for additional concessions to see how serious Lord Greengrass was. That owl all but guaranteed he had agreed on all points. Were that not the case, he would have waited longer to respond and used a lesser owl for the delivery. Insults are an art form, after all.
Looking three seats down, Draco noticed Daphne's response. She already knew the contract was accepted. Her serene mask would fool a Gryffindor, but the slightest elevation of the corner of her mouth indicated to any Slytherin she was pleased. Her nails were freshly done and her hair immaculate. The slight hint of color showed her makeup, tasteful, but not distracting. She was expecting this and had prepared.
Draco realized he had spent more time than he had intended inspecting Daphne as he suddenly became aware of Harry standing behind Ms. Greengrass.
"My Lady," Harry said in a conversational tone as he held out his hand to Daphne.
"My Lord," Daphne replied as she took his hand and stood with a grace only possible after years of training.
Draco smiled.
The student body grew silent as they watched Harry and Daphne leave the hall as a couple. Harry was becoming the mover and shaker Draco needed. The world was beginning to sway to Harry's rhythm. And since Draco moved Harry, Harry's rhythm was Draco's rhythm.
-===Gringotts' Bank===-
Lord Sirius Orion Black of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black stepped forth into the sunshine of Diagon Alley, taking a moment to enjoy the crisp, cold air entering his lungs as he took a deep cleansing breath. Clean clothes befitting his station, showered, shaved, well-fed, and a night's sleep without nightmares: these were all new to him, having not experienced them in nigh on a decade. The only drawback was the cane he now used; the handle a silver serpent's head with emerald eyes whose tongue would periodically slither forth to taste the air; the cane body, ebony carved with the rest of the snake's body. Sirius never thought he would use a cane, especially one of Lucius'. It made him look like a poncy prat, like Lucius. Still, until he recovered his strength, he would need the cane if he walked further than across the house.
Lucius proclaimed it made him look aristocratic. Cissy said it made him look dashing.
Sirius was strongly tempted to add an eye-patch but somehow resisted.
Standing off to the side of the top step of Gringotts', leaning against a pillar, Sirius Black, The Black of Blacks observed the flow of people in the alley. New stores where old stores were. People in new clothing styles mixed in with those wearing traditional robes. Here and there he caught an eye as someone looked him over, attempting to determine who he was. Two young witches winked at him, causing him to smile and wink in return. A bit of flirting would not go amiss, even knowing he had not the stamina to engage in the promises the flirting might imply. Fortunately for all concerned, it went no further than a smile and a wink. Given a month or two, Sirius was sure he could rise to the occasion, but for now…
-===Hogwarts Hallway===-
"My Lord Potter, may I ask where we are going?" the beautiful girl on Harry's arm inquired.
"We are going to meet your father in the headmaster's office."
Glancing sideways at Daphne, Harry asked, "Are you familiar with the provisions of the betrothal contract?"
"Intimately," Daphne snarked.
"Including the additions I requested this week?"
"If you mean the additions that included a 3 bedroom, 3 bath house on a cliff overlooking the North Sea, then yes, I am. I am curious: why did you add that?"
"I wanted to know if your father was enthusiastic about this contract or if it was just a convenience," Harry responded as Draco had scripted. "I want a wife whose family strongly supports our union."
Harry stopped as the gargoyle came into sight, turning toward Daphne and confirming he had her complete attention before asking, "Is this what you want? If you give me an heir, you will be with me for the rest of your life. The contract has no escape clauses after my heir is born, for either of us. Divorce is a foreign concept among the Most Ancient and Noble Houses. We do not know each other. We have rarely spoken. Are you sure? Is this what you want?"
Although she recovered quickly, Daphne's face momentarily expressed surprise. Harry's question was completely unexpected, especially at this point in the negotiations.
"Lord Potter… Harry, I have known my entire life I would be married for political or business purposes. It is common practice among Pureblood children, especially those of our status. Thank you for considering my wishes, but trust me when I say, I am very happy with this match. I have seen the others my father was considering. Regardless of your involvement, I will be married before my 17th birthday. The other potential matches were much less desirable," Daphne said evenly. "The eldest was nearly 90. Still young enough to father children. He has strong connections which would aid my Family. While I would have done my duty for my Family, I much prefer this match."
Smiling for the first time since the Great Hall she continued, "Which is why I asked Father to place those provisions in the contract. He would not have included them had I not requested it. I know they are archaic and it was unlikely any other families would include them. Those provisions, along with my other attributes, almost guaranteed you would pick me."
Taking a deep breath before continuing, "So, yes Harry, Lord Potter, Husband, this is what I want."
Harry smiled wistfully. "Then My Lady, we should not keep your father waiting."
Approaching the gargoyle, Daphne and Harry looked quite the couple, both accepting this would happen and they would each get what they desired from the union.
-===Headmaster's Office===-
Albus was well aware of Harry and Daphne standing before the gargoyle. He chose to ignore them for the moment as he dealt with the couple in his office, Lord and Lady Greengrass.
"Thank you for informing me you would be here today, although I would have preferred more notice. I might have been otherwise detained and therefore unavailable for these proceedings," Albus complained mildly. "It would be a shame if you had to leave without fulfilling your purpose in visiting today."
Lord Greengrass was amused. "Headmaster, had you been 'unavailable for these proceedings', I would have moved the signing to a rented room in Hogsmeade."
"Ah, but the children would have been unable to meet you there without my permission. Hence the request for more notice in the future."
Frowning Greengrass responded, "What do you think you are playing at, Dumbledore? You know Lord Potter is an adult and has been since he put on that ring. He doesn't need your permission to leave the castle. And if you think you can prevent me from taking my daughter from this school for a day trip, then she will be enrolled in Durmstrang before the day is out! Are we clear on that point?"
Albus nodded reluctantly.
"Do I need to enroll Lady Potter elsewhere?" Cyrus twisted the dagger a bit.
Albus shook his head in the negative.
"Very well. Shall we send an elf for the happy couple? Or would you prefer to do it?" Lord Greengrass asked pointedly.
*Knock knock*
"Ah, there they are now," Dumbledore smiled as he waved the door open. Having moved the gargoyle moments before, he was well aware who was there.
"Harry, Ms. Greengrass, please come in. I am sure you are aware who this couple is," Dumbledore indicated Lord and Lady Greengrass with a hand wave.
"It is Lord and Lady Potter, Headmaster. Good morning Lord and Lady Greengrass," Harry nodded politely to the couple.
"Lord and Lady Potter. Good morning to you also." The Greengrass couple replied.
"Well, let us complete the contract. I believe Lady Potter has an unbreakable vow to make." Harry's voice trembled a tiny bit as he requested the last step of the agreed upon process.
"Harry," Albus said worriedly, "an Unbreakable Vow is not to be taken lightly, especially at her age."
"Nor is marriage to be entered lightly," Harry riposted. "Lady Potter became an adult when I signed our contract."
"I thought this was a betrothal contract?" Dumbledore said with a worried frown.
"Your participation in this event is merely as a spectator, Headmaster, to assure you the proprieties have been met when Lord and Lady Potter consummate their agreement and cohabitate." Lord Greengrass responded with more than a bit of irritation. "The contract specifies Daphne will be referred to and treated as Lady Potter unless she is put out due to failure to produce an heir. She has ten years to do so before she will be considered infertile. No one will interfere with the Potters' ability to produce an Heir for the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter. I will duel anyone who does in an Honor Duel on grounds of Line Theft."
Dumbledore was rather shocked, judging by the widening of his eyes. "Line Theft? How do you make the leap from interfering with a specific conjugal event to Line Theft?"
"Lord Potter has graciously agreed to provide the Ancient House of Greengrass an Heir, should he have a third son. Thus, interfering with any attempt by Lord and Lady Potter to procreate will reduce the chances of the Greengrass Heir being produced. You seem to have some issue with this. Must we aid Lord and Lady Potter in changing schools or perhaps seeking private tuition?"
Albus held up his hands the classic 'I give up' motion, "No, no. This will not be an issue. I suspected this would occur and have a room ready for the new couple," he smoothly responded.
"Then let us get the details out of the way so the new couple can get about their day," Dumbledore said as he stood to watch the vow. "Who is to be the bonder?"
"At the request of my daughter, I have been granted that privilege," Lady Evelyn Greengrass spoke for the first time as she drew her wand.
-===Many Hours Later in the Headmaster's Office===-
Albus sucked on a lemon drop as he considered his plans for 'Lord Potter'. The firewhiskey the lemon drop had soaked in provided a nice little burn to go with the sweet and sour treat.
'Harry is moving forward in his plans to re-establish his House… How should I alter my plans? Should I alter my plans? If that scar is what I think it is, then he must die. Because of the prophecy, Tom must be the one to kill him. If Harry were to sacrifice himself for the good of all wizards in magical Briton, then Harry's sacrifice would grant his protection to those same wizards and Tom's power would be greatly diminished."
Albus paused for a sip of firewhiskey, having sucked the spirit from the current lemon drop.
'If Harry has a child before Tom returns, then Harry won't sacrifice himself for everyone. Instead, he will sacrifice himself for his wife and child, giving them the same protection his mother gave to Harry. But that would only provide two people, one likely still a child, with that protection. That is not enough. The child would have to grow up, become trained and then fight Tom. And even if that all occurred, the child would likely lose to Tom. Thousands would die while that plan sought to bear fruit. No. Unacceptable.'
Albus Dumbledore, Greatest Wizard of his time, poured another three fingers of firewhiskey into a separate glass and sat this one beside his soaking lemon drops. This was definitely a three-finger problem, if not more.
-===Lord and Lady Potter's bedroom===-
"Look, no one has to know what goes on in our bedroom. No one!" Harry rambled nervously. "We don't have to do anything. We definitely don't have to do IT. We can wait until we are a little older."
"Harry, my mother will test for my purity the next time she sees me. Knowing her and my father, that will be tomorrow. If I am still a virgin tomorrow morning, my father will assume the fault is mine and he will be 'irritated' with me."
Just the way Daphne said "irritated" made Harry think of Vernon.
"He can't do that. You are my wife. He has no right to punish you now!" Harry was quite agitated at the thought she could be punished for something he did or didn't do in this case.
"Actually, until we consummate our union, he can." Daphne thought about faking a tear, one of her best tricks for manipulating boys, but decided this was something they needed to get through without any manipulation. There would be time for that later, but not now.
"So, now that I have made the unbreakable vow to not reveal your secrets," 'and to distract you for a bit," Daphne thought, "why don't you tell me a secret I am not allowed to reveal?"
Her smile distracted Harry for a moment before he decided to forge ahead.
"I have next to no training to be a Head of House, much less one Most Ancient and Noble," he said quietly.
"And?" she asked.
"What do you mean, 'and'?"
"Husband, every Pureblood in the castle who is training as Heir or Heiress knows that," Daphne said with a mischievous grin.
"Uh?"
"Quite articulate, My Lord," Her grin increasing.
"Why hasn't anyone said anything?"
"And lose the advantage of knowing something others do not?"
"But… you just said… You just said everyone knows!"
"No, I said everyone who matters, knows. The mudbloods don't. The halfbloods don't. The purebloods who have not been training to take over as Head of House someday do not know."
Harry frowned, "I don't like that word. I really don't. Please don't use it any longer."
Noticing the mask slipping back into place on Daphne's face, Harry quickly explained, "Hermione is a first generation witch, what some would call a 'mudblood'. Yet she is brilliant. She holds an important place in my House, excuse me, OUR House. Some people deserve to be insulted. Some of those people are first generation magicals. But if the only thing you can hold against someone is their blood status, then maybe you should rethink your opinion of them."
"Also... some people would call my mum that word." Harry hung his head as he took a deep breath. Raising his head once more to look into Daphne's eyes.
"As you wish, My Husband," Daphne said with a smile. "Now, tell me a secret, since that one barely qualified."
"I think I am ticklish behind my right knee," he said with a grin.
"Ah! I shall have to evaluate the veracity of your statement!", Daphne crowed, "Get into bed."
"I wonder how many marriages start with a tickle fight?" Harry wondered as he was attacked by a pretty girl in a long night dress.
-===Headmaster's office, same night===-
'And now I have Lord Black to deal with! There is no chance in Hades he will stay out of the situation. So, with a wife and likely a child AND a godfather in the picture before Tom returns… This problem is just going to keep getting bigger as Harry continues to gain allies and confidants. Getting bigger…'
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore grinned. His plans could be salvaged after all. And if it worked the way he hoped, Tom would never see it coming!
Downing the last of the firewhiskey and tossing the last three whiskey-soaked lemon drops in his mouth, he hummed happily as he decided to take a walk through the castle. It felt good to stretch his old bones now and then.
-===Lord and Lady Potter's bedroom, next morning===-
Harry was mortified. He knew what was necessary to procreate. He liked 'procreate' much better than other words he had heard for that function. Daphne ended up talking him through it, step by step. She'd said her mother had given her very explicit instructions because they knew Harry was unlikely to be experienced in this matter.
Looking over to his wife, Harry blushed red in embarrassment.
Daphne, noticing this, walked over to her husband and kissed him gently on the forehead, as you would a child to give comfort.
"It is okay Harry. You performed your duty, as did I. Our marriage is consummated. We don't have to do that again until you want to. Promise."
Daphne leaned down to give Harry a peck on the lips.
"I will be skipping classes today. It is expected after your wedding night. If you stay in our rooms with me, it may increase your standing among the other young men," Daphne said mischievously.
"Dobby!" Harry called, hoping Draco's elf would answer him.
"Yes, Young Master's Friend Harry Potter Sir?" The words sounding as Dobby popped into the room.
Looking at Daphne, Harry quickly said, "That's another secret."
Daphne laughed, "So that is how you have been pulling this off! I had wondered."
"Dobby, please ask…" Harry turned to Daphne, "Who is the biggest gossip in the school?"
"In our year? Probably Lavender Brown. She is a Gryffindor."
After writing a quick message to the Headmaster explaining he and Daphne would not be attending classes for the next two days as they attended to their new obligations, he folded it, sealing it with his Ring.
"Dobby, I want you to take this to Lavender Brown. Tell her I told you to give this to the Headmaster, but you have to do something else right now. Give this note to her and ask her to please give it to the Headmaster for you. Hand her the note, then pop away before she can say anything else. Do you understand?"
Dobby was nodding his head so fast his ears made a flapping sound as he took the note and popped away.
"That, My Husband, was rather Slytherin of you," Daphne beamed happily.
"I am a Slytherin, hiding in Hufflepuff," Harry laughed. "And yes, that is a secret too!"
-===Hours Later===-
Harry was introducing Daphne to his favorite thing ever!
Juggling!
AN: For those who skipped the bedroom scenes. All you need to know is Harry and Daphne are now married. They consummated their union and won't be doing that again for quite some time.
AN: I took the names of the Greengrass adults from "Partners" a fanfic by Muggledad. If you have not read it, give it a chance. It is a well-done Harry/Daphne fic.
AN: For those who think Harry's favorite thing should have been the activities of his wedding night, Get Real! LOL! He is eleven, his hormones are just starting to make an appearance. For him, the night was Mortification surrounded by Embarrassment topped by Humiliation with a side order of Awkwardness. Give him another 3-5 years and yeah, favorite thing ever! But right now, his opinion is, 'glad it's over, let's never talk about this again.' FYI: Youngest married couple I could find with a brief search, 11-month-old boy to a 3-month-old girl.
AN: Several points I would like to address.
Over 600 unique individuals read my last chapters. No one voted in the poll, except James018 via review. So, James018 picked a more canon-ish Dumbledore, so this will be closer to canon than I had originally planned. It will still be a Dumbledore with more backbone than canon because I thought canon was a bit too wimpy. Voldemort will be given more depth than canon.
Thank you James018 for voting!
Guest Reviewer of Chapter 5 on Sept 2nd: "Please don't attempt to pass off your Dumbledore as anything but corrupt and evil".
Based on the rest of your review, most world leaders are 'corrupt and evil'.
Guest Reviewer of Chapter 20 on Aug 30th: "Your writing skill does not embarrass you." When I read that, all I could think of was my Drill Sergeant saying, "We might make a soldier out of you yet."
I take your comment as I did my Drill Sergeant's, as a huge compliment. THANK YOU!
To my readers: I seriously considered writing a few more chapters to tie up all the loose ends, write a summary of the various plotlines I have in mind, and end this story. I hate it when an author doesn't finish a good story, so you have my promise, should I decide to stop writing this story, I will tie up loose ends and let you know my idea of how the story should flow: who wins, who dies, etc.
But, I noticed I am continuing to accumulate Favs, Follows, and Reviews. Some readers are enjoying the story! Thus, I think I will be able to maintain my resolve to finish the story.
Thank you all for the encouragement!