Chapter Twelve
"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN YOUNG MAN?" shouted a voice that Harry recognized immediately. Sitting at the staff table was a clean and sharp-dressed Sirius Black, with shorter hair and trimmed beard, next to an also clean and quite sharp Remus Lupin.
The silence in the Great Hall was absolute. Having seen a memory of him hours before, Daphne recognized the man who shouted as being Sirius Black, who had just risen from his seat.
"I guess you're a free man, then?" asked Harry, looking at the man in surprise. "That was unusually fast."
"Obviously. Given the evidence supplied by your parents' will, the DMLE and the Ministry had no choice but to declare me an innocent man," replied Sirius, not noticing the looks Dumbledore was giving him. "I've been a free man since nine o'clock yesterday evening. However, don't try to change the subject, where have you been? Imagine my disappointment when I arrived at Hogwarts around noon, intending to give you the good news in person, and you were nowhere to be found? Not only that, but a young lady was also missing, someone you have been very close for the past weeks," Sirius said, although under the concern, there was some amusement. "Where have you been for the whole day?"
Harry just glared at the man, hiding the bulk of his anger behind his mask.
"You intended to give me the good news around noon when the paper arrives around eight?" asked Harry, raising an eyebrow, noticing Lupin holding his laughter and Sirius actually looking embarrassed. "You got drunk celebrating last night, didn't you? And the hangover was too strong to actually get your ass out of bed this morning."
Sirius actually blushed, ignoring the nervous laughter heard around the hall, especially from Remus.
"Don't try to change the subject," admonished Sirius, and Harry actually shook his head.
"Glad to see you still have your priorities straight," replied Harry in a cold, sarcastic tone that made almost everyone shiver, even if they didn't understand his meaning. That effectively put an end to the amused atmosphere in the hall. "Now, if you're done, I'm going to have dinner. If you want to talk to me, we can do it afterwards," Harry said in the same cold tone, if not worse, glaring at Sirius.
"Although as you can see, I'm fine and I'm happy for you, even if you can't be bothered to send me a message, like you promised. You still remember how to call for Dobby, don't you? You know, house-elf, usually hangs around me?" asked Harry sarcastically, his temper rising. Daphne grabbed Harry by the arm and squeezed it, attempting to calm him. It worked, and Harry just nodded to their house table, intending to sit with their friends.
Sirius actually sat back in his chair in silence. After feeling his godson's anger towards him, he wasn't feeling as happy or as proud as had moments before and was now trying to figure out what he had said that could have angered the teen so much.
"Mr. Potter, this behaviour will not be tolerated. I demand to know where you and Ms. Greengrass have been for the whole day!" demanded McGonagall, rising from her chair when it became obvious that neither Sirius nor Dumbledore would say anything.
"We had an early breakfast right here; you can ask the people that were awake by then. We went to have a walk by the lake, where we stayed until we grew bored, and then we went to the Chamber, for some practice with our spell casting and our dancing for the ball. We stayed there during the afternoon, getting to know each other better, and then we decided to go for another walk by the lake until dinner time, to spend the meal with our friends," replied Daphne, much to Harry's surprise. He just smirked and extended his hand, helping Daphne to sit on the bench, at Tracey's side.
"Ms. Greengrass!" admonished Snape, refraining from taking points.
"The Chamber?" asked McGonagall, paling significantly.
"Where else would we be able to train in peace?" asked Harry with a smirk, noticing the apprehension on Dumbledore and McGonagall's faces. Daphne noted that Black had recovered from Harry's scolding and mumbled something to Lupin, who was trying to hold back a nervous laugh. Snape was surly and Dumbledore was silently contemplating the situation.
"If you really must know, there was no unbecoming behaviour," said Harry, and Daphne realized that most of the dorks were glaring at them. The duffers were milder in their hostility, the claws were indifferent, as were most of the Beauxbatons contingent, although their champion was looking amused by them, almost as much as their own housemates. The Durmstrang students were just watching the proceedings, although Viktor Krum had a sympathetic look on his face.
"What's going on?" asked Harry when he noticed their reactions.
"Oh, nothing at all," replied Tracey with a grin that made both of them anxious, while the staff was still looking at them.
Daphne realized that her sister was waving a page of the morning paper, and waved her wand, ignoring the shriek as the page flew from Astoria's hand into hers.
"Oh come on, how is that front page material?" complained Harry as soon as he saw the headlines of that morning's Daily Prophet:
Potter and Greengrass Romance
by Rita Skeeter
What followed was a detailed account of their Hogsmeade date, focusing on the fact that they never let go of each other's hands, their confrontation with the six dorks, depicting their friends support against Harry's former friends and their subsequent departure for their picnic thanks to a very strange creature that called itself Harry Potter's house-elf.
There were no remarks about Harry's story about the Chamber of Secrets or Weaselette's involvement though, and Harry wondered why. Maybe the bint decided that it wasn't interesting enough.
"Nothing, really?" asked Daphne, glaring at her friend, who grinned.
"Well, there may be one or two things, not really anything worth mentioning," replied Tracey, laughing. "How does it feel to be on the front page of the Prophet?"
Daphne ignored the laughter of her friends and looked at the picture. Their images mimicked their closeness, the smiles, and the charged looks. Daphne thought it was lucky that Skeeter hadn't gotten a picture of their first kiss. Who knew what the harpy would say about that? The thought made Daphne blush and a small smile appeared on her lips.
"HOW COULD YOU DO THIS, YOU FILTHY TRAITOR?! ISN'T ENOUGH TO BETRAY OUR HOUSE?" shouted an obnoxious, angry voice from the Gryffindor table. Everyone except Harry looked to the red and gold table and saw a fuming Ron Weasley, sitting next to a crying Ginny Weasley. At his other side, Granger was nodding violently, which was enough her thoughts on the matter clear.
For his part, Harry just levitated a steak and some vegetables to his plate.
"What would you like? Besides framing that picture?" he asked Daphne, who just rolled his eyes at him, not hiding her smile.
"Chicken," she replied, and he drew his wand and levitated some chicken to her plate. "Do you know anything about this?"
"DON'T IGNORE ME, YOU SLIMY ATTENTION SEEKING SNAKE!" shouted Weasel again, raising a commotion in the hall.
"Yeah, I forgot the bint was after my blood. I'm sorry to drag you to this," replied Harry. She was also chuckling, noticing the Gryffindors, who were fuming at the both at them as well as the Weasel, who wouldn't shut up.
"What do you intend to do about it?" asked Daphne.
"Apart completely destroying her?" he asked, shrugging, and turning to her. "Any thoughts?"
"I'll think of something," she replied, and he chuckled. She loved the mere thought that her opinion mattered to him, and the both of them ignored the looks everyone was giving them.
"POTTER, YOU BASTARD!" shouted Weasel again.
"For Merlin's sake, Professor, isn't there a rule against disturbing dinner by being an obnoxious loudmouth?" asked Harry, turning to Snape with a raised eyebrow.
"Mr. Potter!" admonished McGonagall "Mind your language!"
"Me? What about him?" asked Harry, pointing at Weasel, repressing the urge to actually reply to the Scot.
"Mr. Potter is right, twenty points from Gryffindor for disturbing dinner in front of...guests," replied Snape, even though he hesitated at the word, thinking about Black and Lupin, who actually looked shocked seeing the man actually taking Harry's side.
"WHAT? HOW IS THAT FAIR, YOU LOUSY, GREASY, SNAKE LOVER?" shouted Weasel again, probably what he believed was a smart comeback. Professor Snape just sneered at the redhead.
"Twenty-Five points from Gryffindor for insulting a teacher and one week's detention with Mr. Filch as soon as the next term starts."
"WHAT?" the redhead shouted again, before being silenced by his brothers, although everyone could still see him ranting.
"Do try to keep your students in line, Minerva. The display of their Gryffindor idiocy in front of the other schools gives Hogwarts a bad name," replied Snape, and McGonagall actually spluttered, aghast at Snape's accusation. Then Harry spoke up.
"At least one professor takes his job seriously."
All of the Hogwarts students and teachers were bewildered hearing Harry Potter compliment Severus Snape. To be fair, the man in question was so shocked that he just gaped at the boy, who just kept eating his dinner. Some believed that the end of the world was coming. The Slytherins laughed, followed by the Durmstrang students, who had been informed about the hate bond between Potter and Snape.
"Mr. Potter, twenty points from Slytherin for insulting the staff," replied McGonagall, and Harry actually rolled his eyes.
"Figures," he whispered, ignoring the fact that his housemates were enraged with McGonagall.
"Behave," admonished Daphne with a small grin.
"Yes, dear," he replied and once again, those closest to them, his friends, actually laughed, ignoring everyone else around them.
"Tell us, Harry, did you know that you received a Howler?" asked Tracey with a huge smile.
"The mother Weasel?" he asked, and Tracey nodded.
"This very same morning. Since you weren't around, the Howler exploded and the contents were shouted loud and clear for all of us to hear," continued Blaise, also with a grin.
"How could you, Harry?" asked Millie, trying to control her laughter, "How could you start dating a snake and break hers and poor Ginny's heart? You should be with a proper girl from a proper family, like her sweet daughter."
Harry sighed, attempting to control the urge to do something nasty... like fade into the Burrow and cast a few deadly spells against its occupants.
"That woman has to be mad," was his reply, noticing Daphne's hand trembling. He picked her hand and squeezed it, making her look at him. "Do you want me to deal with it? Or do you want to?" Daphne's reply was a shake of her head, leaning her head onto Harry's shoulder, well in sight of everyone in the Great Hall.
In her mind, she was thinking about what she had discovered about the Weasel tramp. Daphne felt safe with Harry. Not only safe, but she also felt comfortable and happy. It was true that they had only been dating for a day, but the memories helped a lot. If the little bitch or her mother dared think they could do something to her, put an end to what she could become at Harry's side, or even separate her from Harry without a fight, then she would make them realize their errors. Her relationship with Harry was new, but she wouldn't give it up. She simply had too much to lose. The fact she had deeper feelings for the green-eyed wizard only sweetened it even more.
"What can you do?" she asked him.
"Give you my house protection, for now. Destroy them later on, with extreme prejudice," he whispered in her ear, making sure no one heard him. Daphne shivered slightly after hearing Harry's promise.
"However, it's up to you. If I have my way, you'll be the next Lady Potter, so you'll have my full support in whatever you decide to do, but in the end, they're doomed."
Tracey, Theo, Blaise, and Pansy just looked at them, as did some others. Greg and Vince were bored, sitting with Malfoy who was ignoring them, fuming that no one was paying him any attention.
"Um, guys?" asked Theo, waving his hand before them, trying to get their attention. "Is everything all right?"
"Everything's fine, Theo," replied Daphne, going back to her normal position and to her meal. "What else did we miss?"
"Lord Black showing up around lunch time wanting to see Harry, and the mess you two created by not being found," replied Theo. "The staff and the prefects scoured the entire castle but found no trace of you two."
"We were fine by ourselves," replied Harry, and Tracey giggled.
"What did you do, all by yourselves, alone for the entire day?" she asked, and suddenly everyone around them was very interested in their story.
"I already told you what we did," replied Daphne in a colder tone. "Besides, what I do with my boyfriend is between us and no one else."
"Fine, don't tell. I wonder if Rita Skeeter can get another scoop," replied Pansy and suddenly, Daphne turned to Harry.
"Could she find a way to..." started Daphne, and Harry interrupted her with a shake of his head.
"Dobby would know. I hope," replied Harry, and at that instant Dobby appeared next to them.
"Yes, I would, Master, Mistress. No one breached the Chamber without my knowing." Harry and Daphne actually sighed in relief.
"Weren't you aware they were searching for us?" asked Harry, and Dobby shrugged.
"You told me not to disturb you and to be ready at any time. I was in the Chamber the entire time and we were contactable by house-elves and any summons of myself. If no one decided to do it...
"Sometimes, you're just too damn literal," Harry replied with a smirk, "but you're right." Dobby nodded and popped away.
"Uh, secrets already? What do you have to hide?" asked Tracey with a glint in her eyes, making Daphne roll hers.
"Pardon, Monsieur Potter, Mademoiselle Greengrass, could I 'ave un moment?" asked the heavily accented voice of Fleur Delacour, distracting the group as they all turned to look at the Veela. Daphne glared at the French champion while Harry seemed curious. The others, Theo, Tracey, Blaise, Millie, and Pansy actually looked surprised; almost as much as Harry, who realized that Fleur was trying to keep her allure in check.
"What can we do for you, Ms. Delacour?" asked Harry, when he noticed that Daphne and the French champion were looking at each other and Fleur actually smiled.
"I just wished to give you my apologies for my past actions. It is true zat Veela seek strong mates, but I did not intend to step between you two. I was told that Monsieur Potter was single. I know now zat was not true." Harry looked back at her in surprise, ignoring the fact that their friends were all staring between him, the French champion, and Daphne, the latter's gaze focused on the older blonde.
"Do you really mean that?" asked Daphne, still glaring at the girl. Harry just smirked when he saw Fleur lower her gaze.
"Oui, I do. Unlike what people zink, Veela do not steal men from uzzer women. For us, a bond is most precious," the French girl replied, and Daphne found herself relaxing. She hadn't even realized she had become tense. Then she remembered that Harry had implied that in his alternative timeline, she and Fleur had actually been close.
The younger blonde looked at the older blonde.
"That is good. Keep remembering that and there will be no problems between us," she replied, and Harry actually smirked. Fleur smiled, and Daphne ignored the looks their friends gave her, as if she was either crazy or brave. "I couldn't help but notice that your allure isn't showing."
"Oui, I believed zat to show my true intentions I should attempt to keep my allure in check."
"Thank you," replied Daphne with a nod and Fleur smiled "Would you like to join us for the remainder of the dinner?" the younger blonde asked, and Harry grinned, amused at the way Daphne had manoeuvered the situation into her favour. Fleur was positively shocked.
"Are you sure?" she asked with a raised eyebrow, and Daphne nodded.
"Why not?" asked Daphne, holding Harry's hand. "This tournament is supposed to strengthen the bonds of friendship between our schools and governments, isn't it? If I have no reason to be wary of you, why couldn't we sit down and talk?"
"Ladies and Gentlemen, Daphne Potter, diplomat extraordinaire," thought Harry, his grin showing even more. For her part, Fleur smiled.
"I would like zat, Mademoiselle Greengrass," she replied, accepting Daphne's invitation and sitting with the fourth year Slytherins, ignoring the looks from the rest of the Great Hall, especially those from her schoolmates and the rest of Slytherin house.
"What just happened?" asked Professor Sinistra, looking to the Slytherin table, surprised with what had just transpired.
"I don't know, but I think that ten points are due to Slytherin for promoting inter-school friendships," replied Professor Babbling, drinking her tea, noticing her co-workers looking at her. "What? Isn't that the objective of this crazy tournament?"
"The girl is a Veela. Do you think she is trying to seduce Potter?" asked Professor Vector, and Professor Babbling shook her head.
"Mr. Potter barely talked. He allowed Ms. Greengrass to deal with the situation alone, and she invited Ms. Delacour to sit with them. I don't think there is foul play from Ms. Delacour, although I might be wrong."
"Let us hope you're not, because I think Black is already planning to help Potter get his own harem," replied Professor Sinistra, rolling her eyes after hearing the muffled voices of Sirius and Remus two places to her right. The three professors chuckled silently.
Several places away from them, Flitwick just smiled while McGonagall glared at the group. Snape was just observing, as was Dumbledore, analysing the events with hawk-like eyes, intent on discovering something that could help him to understand Harry Potter's recent changes.
Unknown to everyone else, similar conversations were being conducted all along the Great Hall. The Slytherins were observing the interaction between the eldest Greengrass, their fourth year students, and the Beauxbatons champion. The Durmstrang students apart from Viktor Krum ignored the commotion.
Krum, however, had been intending to approach Harry and invite him for another sparring session. He thought about their meeting the day before and decided that a possible friendship with Harry Potter had several advantages. Besides, the younger boy was also a Seeker and perhaps the two of them could play a friendly game. He actually missed being able to play Quidditch freely.
It was not that Fleur Delacour was completely disliked among her schoolmates. For the Beauxbatons girls, their problem with Fleur was because of her allure. The boys would drool over her, and many of their own relationships had ended badly. Some recognized that it wasn't Fleur's fault, since that happened mainly due to an ability she still didn't have complete control over, but there were some that openly disliked her. For many it was out of jealousy for being what she was, a beautiful young woman with an ability to attract the attention of most men. A Veela.
Despite all that, they were all surprised to see their champion rise from her seat and approach the youngest champion in the competition. What initially was believed to be a blatant attempt at seduction quickly became an honest conversation, and in moments Fleur had been invited by Harry Potter's girlfriend to sit with them. They found it interesting, but at the same time decided to ignore it. Their hosts, Ravenclaw house, found the proceedings interesting, but their attention quickly turned back to their own designs. All they saw was the Beauxbatons champion being friendly with Potter and his group. There was nothing wrong with that, even if they were adversaries in the Triwizard Tournament.
The Hufflepuffs' hostility was more out of frustration than proper anger, and the source of that frustration was none other than Harry Potter. Hufflepuff house believed that it was their year, having a champion of their own. Their house would finally be recognized, but then Harry Potter's name came out of the cup.
Sure, in the beginning they actively believed that he had put his name in the Goblet of Fire, ignoring all common sense and actively bashing him to the point that he disappeared in Hogwarts. Then Potter's performance at the first task turned out to be amazing, far better than their champion's, although he was the one given a lower score. That's not to mention the oath he made, making all of them feeling like fools, or his vengeance…
Some among them believed that they reaped what they had sown, but there were others that still believed that Potter was an attention seeking prat. Cedric Diggory was not one of those people. He thought long and hard about his own actions and realized that he had been an ass to the youngest champion. He needed to try and make amends with Potter.
Some among the Gryffindors believed it had been a mistake to exile Potter from their house, but when Granger and Weasley spoke out against him they had to believe the teen was guilty. They figured that if his best friends took a position against him... How wrong they were. Because of their foolishness, they lost the Boy-Who-Lived, lost their star Seeker, and the privilege of having a champion from their house.
Others believed that Potter was guilty as charged, namely Ron Weasley, and there were others, namely the fangirls Weaselette and Granger, who believed that he was being controlled by a love potion or spell. That was another embarrassment, Granger and her stupid crusade to free the house-elves had made Gryffindor the laughingstock of both Hogwarts and Wizarding Britain.
However, somehow, even after all the embarrassment, Granger still became even more vocal, taking fervent stands in the Gryffindor meetings and attempting to make her opinion heard. Naturally, many ignored her, but some still paid some attention to her words. Something that most Gryffindor students agreed upon, however, was that Potter was a traitor for turning his back on them and joining the snakes.
~BREAK~
After dinner was concluded, Harry joined Sirius and Remus for a talk. Dumbledore attempted to join in, only to be rebuffed by Sirius, stating that it was a family matter. Dumbledore was forced to accept Sirius's demands and reminded Harry of his detention with him at nine o'clock.
When the three were finally alone in an empty classroom, Harry's eyes turned to the two adults before they could even speak.
"What the hell was your plan? I thought we had agreed that you would send me a message as soon as you knew anything?" asked Harry in a cold tone, almost a hiss, making Sirius flinch.
"Wow, calm down there, pup..." tried Sirius, only to be interrupted by Harry again.
"Don't even try. To be honest, I don't really care about you getting drunk celebrating. Hell, I'm happy for you and I hope you had fun. Besides, it's not as if you were going to come to Hogwarts and tell me after curfew," continued Harry, shrugging before sending another glare to the older man.
"You could have, however, sent a fucking message. And what were you thinking, speaking openly about the will? Did you even understand that I wanted to keep it a secret?" Harry snorted and started to walk around, fuming. "You singlehandedly just destroyed a couple of my plans. Now I'll have even more attention, and have lost a trump card," Harry glared at Sirius, "I find myself only willing to forgive you if you tell me that you got piss drunk and woke up with twins in your bed. Better yet, don't tell me at all. I don't want to imagine you naked," he gagged in disgust.
Sirius looked at his godson in surprise.
"Did...did you just prank me?"
"I think he did prank us," replied Remus, also in awe.
"Sort of," replied Harry with a renewed glare that froze them on spot, not to mention his cold hiss. "Why wasn't there an announcement about your exoneration in the Prophet?"
"There was, on the third page," replied Remus, and Harry sighed.
"Bloody rag, how is it that the love life of a fourteen-year-old teen is more important than the exoneration of a lord of an ancient house?" mumbled Harry, "Did you claim your lordship already?"
"Not really, I..."
"Didn't have the time?" scowled Harry with another glare, making Sirius feel bad again. "Honestly Moony, you're supposed to be the smart one. Couldn't you remind him about the lordship?" Remus mumbled something and Harry sighed.
"What about now, Sirius? You've already spilled the beans about the will in front of Dumbledore, and he will be smart enough to know something is up. Not to mention he now knows that I claimed my lordship. From there to having it announced will be a small step, and I wanted to keep it a secret for a while longer, that's why I asked the DMLE not to divulge the will."
Harry crossed his arms, looking to his godfather. "What about me? I'm a lord in my own right, that's true, but do I get to live the life that was denied to me for thirteen years and finally have a home with my godfather and my uncle, or will I have to live alone?"
"Wow, hold on just a minute, kid," said Sirius, recovering from his embarrassment, "You're my godson and I don't care if you're a lord or not, I'm supposed to be your guardian and I will act as such, whether you want it or not."
"At least that's something," replied Harry with a nod and a smirk. "I won't call you father, though."
"Was that a joke?" asked Remus with a grin.
"That one was," replied Harry, and Ramus laughed.
"Having someone call Sirius Black father!" he laughed, while Sirius actually felt embarrassed again, although he grinned.
"I don't want you to call me that, kid. I don't think I'm ready for that," Sirius replied, ignoring Remus's reply, "Will you ever?"
"That's good," replied Harry, sighing, deciding to play the 'hurt kid' card. "I didn't like knowing you decided to ignore what I asked of you..."
"I'm sorry, kid," said Sirius, hugging his godson, "I think I understand, and I'm sorry, I really am. I didn't mean for it to happen but...I'm sorry." Harry felt bad because he could hear the emotions in Sirius's voice, not to mention the change in his demeanour. He was being too hard on him and the old dog actually felt bad about it.
"Damn it, now I feel bad," Harry thought to himself, hugging his godfather.
"Let's try to work it out, ok?" asked Sirius and Harry nodded. "So, that lovely young girl..."
"My girlfriend, Daphne Greengrass, as you may know after reading the Prophet," replied Harry, making Sirius and Remus chuckle.
"Harry, let us be serious for a moment..." started Remus, only to regret his words a moment later.
"Can I just be me instead of him?" asked Harry, and Sirius almost squealed in delight, hugging his godson. Remus actually chuckled after the initial shock.
"There is hope for Prongslet, Moony!" laughed Sirius, and Remus shook his head.
"That's an awfully bad joke, Harry, please don't encourage him," said Remus, attempting to hold back his grin. "Sirius, focus, will you? Like I was saying, did something happen between the two of you?"
Harry sighed and felt their sudden interest disturbing.
"No unbecoming behaviour took place, uncle," replied Harry, "That means no sex or other physical stuff apart from kissing. We've only been dating for a day, for Merlin's sake, not to mention we're fourteen. We're too young for that."
"Oh, thank Merlin," sighed Sirius, relaxing immediately. "Lily would kill us if you were."
"What?" asked Harry, ignored by Sirius.
"Listen, Harry, I'm going to be very serious, and no, that isn't a bad pun with my name. I want you, no, I DEMAND you be responsible and respectful to young ladies, is that understood?" asked Sirius with a no-nonsense look. "You have a lot of time to fool around, but you WILL be respectful, no matter with whom you fool around, understood?"
"Of course," replied Harry, leaving no room for argument.
"Now, unless someone gave you the talk before, I think we should meet again soon, say Wednesday afternoon?" proposed Sirius, looking at Remus, who nodded in approval. Harry paled. For a Dark Lord who fought in three wars, saw many horrible things…some of which had been caused by himself, and killed many people, he was absolutely horrified with the idea of being given 'The Talk' from those two once again.
"It works for me. Also, it's almost nine o'clock and we should let Harry join the headmaster," said Remus, and Sirius nodded.
"What did you do that got you a detention with the headmaster of all people?" asked Sirius, and Harry shrugged.
"I performed some accidental magic and accidentally apparated Daphne and myself into the Chamber of Secrets. I guess the old man wants to know more about that," Harry said, finding the looks from the two 'adults' amusing.
"You accidentally...Merlin!" exclaimed Remus, and Harry smirked.
"How?" asked Sirius.
"I don't know, it just happened," Harry lied. The two had no choice but accept the answer they got.
The three left the room and walked together to the entrance of the headmaster's office, from where the two adults intended to take the floo home. On their way, however, they crossed paths with a first year Gryffindor, who looked wide-eyed and very nervously at Harry.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Potter, can I have a moment of your time?" the firstie asked, much to the surprise of the three. Harry schooled his features and looked at the boy. He was medium sized for a first year, thin, and had medium length brown hair, with brown, frightened eyes looking up at Harry. However, along with the fear there was a determined look in the boy's eyes, which intrigued Harry.
"What do you want, firstie?" asked Harry in a cold tone, making the boy flinch and look down, somewhat diminishing his interest in the boy. On the other hand, he somehow looked familiar to Harry.
"Mr. Potter, sir, I-I'm not here in the name of anyone else but me, sir... It was actually luck that I found you, sir, I was coming from the library..." the boy babbled. Sirius and Remus smirked and Harry, who had his back turned to them just crossed his arms, amused.
"Get to the point, firstie," ordered Harry, and the boy actually gulped.
"I... I wanted to apologize for believing you put your name in the cup. I was afraid and I went along with what the older years were saying, instead of making my own judgement like I should have done. It's not a good excuse, of course, and I do feel humiliated by my actions," the boy said, ignoring the three surprised men before him. "I'm a muggleborn and I didn't know much about this world, but that's no excuse either. I should have known better."
"Why did you decide to come to me?" asked Harry hesitantly, looking at the boy, not able to figure out what was so familiar about him. "Why did you decide to approach me today? Is it because I'm not around more Slytherins and you felt safe from the taunting? Or is it because I'm with two adults and you know I'm not going to curse you?" Remus and Sirius flinched, as did the boy.
"I don't really care about that," the boy admitted, finding some courage within himself and looking Harry in the eyes, surprising the teen. "I really think Gryffindor has no excuse for turning their backs on one of their own. I think you did the right thing by not forgiving the house and even changing to the snake house."
"Then what do you really want, firstie?" asked Harry, recognizing something in the boy's posture.
"Nothing. I just wanted to apologize for my mistakes," the boy said, looking at Harry. "I don't want you to forgive me for what I have done. I don't think I deserve it."
Harry raised an eyebrow.
"Then why did you insist on apologizing?" asked Harry, and the kid's reply shocked him to the core.
"I don't want to be a mudblood," the boy replied, "I like this world and I know that if I want to be respected, I have to give respect first. According with what I've read, Gryffindor's behaviour nearly fits a mudblood's description, a person without honour and without respect for wizarding culture. That's worse than only being a magical traitor."
"You know what mudblood truly means?" asked a surprised Harry with a grin, "In that case, what are your thoughts on Granger?"
"According with all I read, she's a mudblood, alright," replied the boy meekly, and Harry grinned.
"Well, you have guts kid, I'll grant you that," said Harry, looking at the boy and losing his grin. "You're right, though. My former house turned their backs on me, accusing me of being a cheat without even listening to me or giving me a chance. You probably remember McGonagall's speech from your first day, about our house being our family. Do you think you acted as family would?"
"No, sir," the boy replied, looking down again. Harry looked at the boy.
"What is your name?"
"Jason Hallys, sir," the boy said, still looking down. Had he been looking at Harry, he would have seen his eyes widen in shock. Being behind Harry, Remus and Sirius noticed nothing.
DAMN IT, Astoria, it was a simple question!
Harry looked again to the boy, considering the new information. He aged the boy in his mind and there was no doubt about it, Harry was finally able to recognize one of his comrades in arms, and good friend.
"You're brave, Jason," said Harry, steeling himself again. "I can't forgive Gryffindor, and I really think I will never be able to." The boy nodded, looking up at Harry. Then, much to Jason's surprise, Harry put a hand on his shoulder. "You're the first to apologize and actually mean it. I don't really count what happened the day after the task as an apology," revealed Harry with a small smile, surprising Jason. "Don't say a word about this to anyone because I won't accept any more apologies. And don't worry about it, just don't be a mudblood." With a smile, Harry took his hand from Jason's shoulder. "Shouldn't you be packing for tomorrow, though?"
"It's all done. I just went to return some books to the library," the boy replied hesitantly, and Harry nodded.
"Then go back to the tower before anyone catches you," Harry replied, and the boy nodded.
"Thank you, Mr. Potter."
"Don't mention it kid. I mean it. People will think I went soft," was Harry's reply, and the boy went off in the opposite direction after a polite nod to Sirius and Remus.
"That was nice of you," said Remus approvingly, while Harry saw the boy disappear around a corner.
"Nice kid," commented Sirius, looking at Harry. "You did the right thing, even if you scared the crap out of him in the beginning," he said, putting his hand on Harry's shoulder.
"Yeah, I hope so," was Harry's reply, noticing the paintings on the walls. Dumbledore would know what had happened in a matter of minutes.
"I'll need Daphne's help for this one," Harry thought, starting to walk in silence with his uncles to the headmaster's office.
His mind was running wild with what he had just learned. While it was true that Jason was a close friend, as close as Theo, Tracey, Blaise, Millie, and Astoria had been over the years, he didn't know much about Jason's Hogwarts years. He only knew that he was in Gryffindor, a couple of years behind him, and that he fought in the final battle against Voldemort and the Death Eaters, despite being too young for it. He grew up to become an Auror in Theo's unit before being reassigned to a temporary post at Azkaban after his recovery from the nasty mission that almost killed him. His death in the Witching Wars was a low blow for all of them, especially his girlfriend.
"Not this time, brother," Harry swore to himself, raising his head and looking forward.
"What were you thinking?" asked Remus, and Harry looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"What do you mean?" the teen asked, and Remus chuckled.
"You looked absent, much like your mother when she was thinking about something important," he replied, and Sirius chuckled.
"The kid may look a lot like James, but I tell you, his character is much more like Lily's," Sirius replied, to which Harry smiled.
"I was thinking about what the kid said," Harry lied, looking ahead with a grin. "I think he has potential to be a good wizard."
"At least his heart is in the right place, and he seems to have a brain, unlike a lot of people I could mention," mumbled Sirius, and Harry agreed. "I noticed how Gryffindor house was looking at you and your girlfriend. It looked like they blame you for all that has been happening."
"Let them," replied Harry with smirk. "It's not like I care, do I? Besides, what are they going to do? Curse me in the back? They consider themselves too honourable for that. Mob me? They tried it before, and I stood my ground."
"Don't be so cocky, Harry. Even the most powerful can fall from hubris," warned Remus, and Harry looked back over his shoulder to his uncle.
"True," Harry recognized with a nod, turning his attention to his front again. "But you should know that I am prepared."
"Just be careful, pup," said Sirius with a tap on his shoulder as they reached the gargoyle in front of Dumbledore's office.
"Kit-Kat," said Harry and the gargoyle started to move. The group of three went up the stairs, and before Harry could even knock on the door, Dumbledore spoke from the inside.
"You can come in."
Sirius looked to Remus, who just shrugged.
"Ah, Harry, Sirius, Remus, come in. I trust your conversation was profitable?" asked Dumbledore with a twinkle in his eyes.
"Yeah, sure. I have a question for you, though," said Sirius, stepping forward. "Well, two actually. How do you know that people are at the door?"
Dumbledore smiled sagely.
"I would say some kind of ward?" replied Harry, and Dumbledore looked at him with an amused expression.
"Right you are, Harry. Or should I say Mr., or better yet, Lord Potter?" asked Dumbledore, as Harry sighed.
"Happy, Sirius?" mumbled Harry with a sigh. "Call me what you wish, headmaster, but I'm not that fond of the title."
"Ah, a good thing as well. Humility always helps, Harry. I trust you will be receptive to your friends' and family's help with your affairs, should you need it." replied Dumbledore, and Harry raised an eyebrow.
"You don't offer your own help, headmaster?" asked Harry, and Dumbledore chuckled.
"I won't impose myself, Harry. Besides, I think you and I have a pending conversation regarding your affairs that I have given orders to manage?"
"No, we don't," replied Harry, "You gave your orders as the Chief Warlock and the goblins followed them. If anything, I should be thanking you for giving them orders to manage my family affairs."
"I merely tried to do my duty," replied Dumbledore, and Harry thought he saw some relief in elder wizard's face. "What about you Sirius, do you plan on claiming your Black lordship?"
"You know, the pup has been quite insistent about that, as well," replied Sirius, looking at Harry and Dumbledore. "I expect I'll do it tomorrow morning."
"I'll believe it when I see it," replied Remus.
"Then you make him," said Harry, glaring at the two adults while Dumbledore chuckled.
"What was the other question you intended to ask, Sirius?" the older man asked, and Sirius changed his demeanour.
"The behaviour of Gryffindor house towards my godson was, in a word, abhorrent. Has Harry done anything to deserve it?"
Dumbledore sighed.
"While it is true that there is a cloud of bad luck looming over the lion's house, I don't have any proof pointing at Mr. Potter, or anyone else for that matter. Gryffindor's behaviour has reached a new low, and I believe it's all because of Mr. Potter's resorting and failure to forgive them."
"That's just too bad," replied Harry with a scowl.
"But forgiveness..." Dumbledore started, before being cut off by Harry.
"Is not a right. It should be deserved by those who seek it. Now you tell me, Headmaster, I've been a pariah since Halloween, especially among the lions' house, MY former house. They had the audacity to ask forgiveness only after the task and after I had proven I was innocent once and for all. Do they deserve it? Would you forgive them?"
"I would," replied Dumbledore and Harry raised his eyebrow, as did Remus.
"Why?" asked Sirius, the most vocal in his displeasure.
"Because forgiveness prevents resentment, and resentments can only lead to the Dark," Dumbledore replied, making Harry snort.
"I do respect your opinion, but I find it to be a load of crap. Let them resent me if they want. I am happy and among people that respect me for who I am and not because of my titles. Now, if you're done Yoda-ing me..."
"You are?" asked Sirius.
"Yoddling you?" asked Dumbledore, confused. "My dear boy, I must admit that I am unsure of what you mean." Harry sighed in frustration.
"It's a muggle thing. Yoda is a character in muggle fiction that has similar views to what you just said. Just forget it, it's not important," replied Harry, trying to drop the subject. He managed to, although he noticed Remus's grin. "What did you ask me, Sirius?"
"If you are respected for who you are and not your titles in Slytherin."
"Well, yeah sure, my titles may give me some head start, but in the end I am judged as a member of the house, just like any other student," replied Harry.
"Huh, I always thought all snakes were power hungry and always followed the most influential one," Sirius replied.
"The most influential are not always the leaders, Sirius. Sometimes, the real leader is in the shadows, manipulating those with the influence," replied Harry, as Dumbledore stiffened in his chair as he listened to the conversation. "The point is, I am respected in Slytherin, not as someone with titles or influence, but because of what I've proven I can do and the type of person I am. They know I can back up my words, and that gets me respect. That's it."
"Are you sure that's it, Harry?" asked Dumbledore with a twinkle in his eyes, observing Harry as he turned to him.
"I don't want followers, Headmaster, if that is what you mean," Harry replied in a cold tone. "I want friends and people I can trust, not people that will turn their backs on me like my former house did. In Slytherin, while I am respected, I will have my housemates' support."
"If you say so, pup," replied Sirius, thoughtful. "Are you sure you're fine? I mean, I did see the snakes standing by your side, but..."
"I'm fine, Padfoot. Better than I have been in a very long time," Harry replied, and it wasn't a lie. He truly was happy.
"Any trouble and you send me a message, got it?" Sirius demanded, and Harry nodded. "I mean it. You may be a lord but I'm still your unofficial guardian and I will make sure you're fine."
"Fine, I will. And do claim your lordship," replied Harry, and Sirius nodded. After some goodbyes, Sirius left first by floo, leaving Remus for seconds.
"Since Sirius forgot... Headmaster, we would like to have your permission to have a meeting with Harry outside Hogwarts this following Wednesday," said Remus, and Harry almost dropped his mask and begged Dumbledore to deny the request. "Family business."
"If Mr. Potter is an adult, then I can do nothing but acquiesce to your request, Remus, least of all if it is a family matter," the older man replied.
"Thank you, Headmaster," Remus said with a bow. Turning to Harry, he grinned, "Don't forget, Harry. Wednesday. And really? Yoda-ing me?"
"You know Star Wars?" asked Harry, surprised.
"I lived in the muggle world for a time. Werewolf, remember? However... I can see some resemblance," said Remus, looking at Dumbledore with a chuckle. The older man was unsure of what they meant but assumed by Harry's chuckles that everything was fine. "See you, cub."
Remus took the floo, leaving only Harry and Dumbledore in the office.
"So, I guess you want to talk?" asked Harry, his hands crossed behind his back.
"I do indeed, Mr. Potter. Congratulations on your emancipation, though."
"You don't want to tell me it was a mistake on my part?" asked Harry with a raised eyebrow.
"While I do admit that I think you were hasty in your decision, it's not my place to make judgement. The decision is yours and only yours," replied the older man.
"Then why didn't you tell me about my position as an heir?" asked Harry. He already knew Dumbledore's answers from his past life but decided to ask them all the same.
"I didn't think it was necessary to encumber you with extra responsibilities before your OWL year, since you had so much to do and learn already. In fact, most heirs only take an active role in their political affairs after Hogwarts."
"What about protocol training and extra classes to compensate for my lack of upbringing in this world?" asked Harry again, already knowing the answer.
"I had expected to help you by appointing some tutors for you in your NEWT years. Again, I had expected you to enjoy the freedom of your childhood before dumping more responsibilities on you." Dumbledore looked thoughtful. "Although I did hope that your contact with the Weasley family would start to help with your integration into the Wizarding World."
"It did, to a point. You forget that the Weasleys are biased, though," said Harry, sighing. "You should have brought me up on these matters in my first year, instead of keeping me in the dark or dumping me among the muggles," replied Harry in a cold tone, looking at the headmaster. "But I thank you for keeping my family's financial assets growing and attempting to place me with a proper family where I could be protected. You failed completely, though, since I didn't have a proper upbringing, but that doesn't matter anymore."
"Yes, it does," confessed Dumbledore, regret clear in his voice and face. "I knew what I was sending you back to at the end of your first year. Again, at the end of your second year and most of all, last year. Every time I had hopes that the muggles would treat you right, but... I just hope you can forgive me one day."
"I won't so soon," replied Harry, looking coldly at the headmaster. "Like I said before, if you want forgiveness, you must earn it."
"I will try, Mr. Potter," replied Dumbledore solemnly. "However, if you may indulge an old man's curiosity, if you believe that forgiveness must be earned, why did you forgive young Mr. Hallys?"
"I knew it," thought Harry with a sigh.
"I wondered if you'd bring that up. I guess it's true that you have eyes all around the castle?" asked Harry, and Dumbledore smiled.
"The privileges of being the headmaster. All paintings report to us, should we need them to," replied Dumbledore, and Harry nodded.
"He came to me and apologized," replied Harry, holding Dumbledore's attention, "That's it. He was the first one from Gryffindor that came to me and actually apologized for what happened. He's just a firstie, true, but he had the courage to do it and the brains to realize they were wrong," Harry shrugged. What else could he say? That he forgave the boy because of who he was?
"That was it?" asked a surprised Dumbledore, and Harry nodded. "I must say, I found it refreshing that you were able to forgive him."
"I liked the kid. He seemed smart enough," replied Harry, hearing a chuckle from one of the shelves.
"Mr. Hallys reminded me much of yourself, Lord Potter," said the Sorting Hat.
"You mean he should have been a Slytherin?" asked Harry, and the hat chuckled again.
"Not at all, Mr. Hallys is a quintessential Gryffindor. While he is brave and headstrong, much like you, I might add, he has a much deeper sense of nobility and strong will. I was unsure about your placement in Gryffindor, but I am very sure of his placement."
"If you say so," replied Harry, knowing very well what the hat meant, also understanding what the hat had seen in his own mind.
"I'm glad," said Dumbledore, pointing to a chair. "Please, Harry, sit down. I am sorry I hadn't offered you a seat before."
Harry nodded and sat before the headmaster.
"Where's Fawkes, by the way?" asked Harry, noticing the absence of the phoenix.
"Stretching her wings, no doubt. It can be boring for a phoenix to be cramped in this office for a full day." Harry found it curious but accepted the answer. "Lemon drop?"
"No, thank you. So, what do you wish to talk about?" Harry asked, and Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.
"First of all, I would like to ask you to refrain from disappearing from the grounds with company, at least without letting someone know in advance," said Dumbledore with a chuckle, and Harry's eye twitched.
"Again, Headmaster, I was at the Chamber of Secrets, in the castle. We were safe and reachable, should Sirius or Remus have thought to contact Dobby."
"I do not doubt that, and I admit it was a lack of judgment not to attempt to summon Dobby. However, I was sure you and Ms. Greengrass would be safe and together, that's why I didn't force a deeper search."
"You trust too much, Headmaster," replied Harry.
"Are you saying I should be concerned about Ms. Greengrass being alone with you, Harry?" asked Dumbledore with a twinkle in his eyes.
"NO!" replied Harry, much to quickly, only later realizing that he had just been led by Dumbledore, giving him an answer far deeper than he thought.
Dumbledore just smiled.
"I thought so," the older man replied with a smile, "Now, I wished to talk with you about your performance in the Great Hall, yesterday during dinner," the older man replied.
"I thought so," replied Harry with a sigh. "What do you want to know?"
"I'd say everything," Dumbledore replied, drawing a scroll and a quill with a wave of his wand, making sure it would register all the words spoken. "What did happen?"
Harry retold the story from the previous night, being careful not to make any mistakes and avoiding anything that could be used by Dumbledore to prompt more questions that he didn't want to answer. Harry did respect Dumbledore, but the old man had the tendency to be tenacious and notice the smallest details. It would take only one mistake.
"So, you claim that you were scared and that you wanted to explain everything to Ms. Greengrass, is that it?" Harry nodded. "Then, you wanted to have her in your arms and be in a safe place?" Harry nodded, and Dumbledore peered over his glasses at Harry. Then he sighed and leaned back in his chair. "I'm sorry but that's where I have doubts."
"Are you accusing me of lying, Headmaster?" asked Harry, in his best indignant voice.
"Yes, I am," Dumbledore replied with a renewed and decisive voice, although his eyes didn't lose the twinkle.
"That was what happened," replied Harry, twitching his fingers imperceptibly, casting a wandless Compulsion Charm on the older man.
"Let's be honest, Mr. Potter, your story has some deep holes in it," Dumbledore replied after a few moments.
"Such as?" asked Harry, steeling himself in the chair, ready for anything.
"I do not believe it was accidental magic, at all," Dumbledore replied, looking at Harry. Harry twitched his fingers again, focusing on the headmaster. "I believe your actions were anything but accidental. I have watched my memory of the event and I am positive, as are Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall, that you performed two acts of impossible magic, that for all purposes you shouldn't know how to do."
"An ability triggered by strong emotions, then?" asked Harry, with a hopeful tone, hiding his growing nervousness. Unless he was mistaken, his Compulsions were not working on the headmaster.
"What kind of abilities do you know, Mr. Potter? Abilities that you are born with?" asked the headmaster, looking at Harry, "Apart from being a seer?" Harry looked back at the older man.
"Parseltongue," replied Harry, and Dumbledore looked at him.
"True. What else?" replied Dumbledore.
"Metamorphmagus," replied Harry, remembering Tonks and her ever-changing hair. "Why are you asking me this, Headmaster? Are all possible magical abilities documented well enough that it's not possible for new abilities to show up at any given time?" asked Harry, and Dumbledore smiled.
"Not at all. However, since the time of Merlin, there have been no reports of any ability that allows its wielder to apparate like you did," replied Dumbledore with a smile.
"Therefore, you are convinced it wasn't an ability?" asked Harry, shifting in his chair, trying not to look nervous. What was happening? Why wasn't Dumbledore being compelled to believe his words?
"No. I am convinced that it wasn't an accidental ability, as you put it," replied Dumbledore.
"Then a case of accidental magic like the one when I apparated to the roof of my primary school?" asked Harry, once again trying a Compulsion.
"Apparition is a fairly easy method of magical travel. Some say that apparition is the easiest method possible and is so widely known that many believe it is the only way possible."
"Really?" asked Harry. The Compulsions weren't working, he was sure of it. Once more, Dumbledore was strange, seemingly relaxed but with a strange edge in his demeanour.
"Which tells me that somehow, you learned some method of magical travel lost in the aeons of time, which should not be possible to one such as yourself," continued Dumbledore, looking at Harry with a smile on his lips and a twinkle on his eyes that barely concealed the steel behind them.
"What do you mean by that?" asked Harry coldly, with steel in his voice.
"I mean a child, even if the child has shown wondrous proof of skill," replied Dumbledore.
"All gained through hard work at the Chamber of Secrets over the past couple of years," replied Harry.
"Oh, I believe it... partially." Harry almost felt his tense body relax, only to suddenly stiffen harder than before.
"What do you mean, sir?"
"You know, Mr. Potter, had it not been for the magical oath, I would find hard to believe that you're Harry Potter at all, such are the changes in you. Yet, as I have come to believe, magical oaths can be cheated."
"I'm not sure I understand your meaning, sir," replied Harry, twitching his fingers once again, with more power.
"I believe you do..." replied Dumbledore, this time not smiling at all. "A hint from a more experienced wizard, if I may," said Dumbledore, relaxing once again and bringing his hands to his belly, playing with the sleeve of his robes. "Compulsion Charms can be negated fairly easily if one knows he's under one, or if one has an enchanted object in his possession doing it for him. I would think you'd notice after the first three failed, at least."
Harry's eyes widened in surprise, recovering just in time to see Dumbledore's eyes focused on him and the Elder Wand on his hand. The pressure he felt in his head indicated a full Legilimency assault, but it wasn't an assault like any Harry had experienced before. Dumbledore's assault had all of the ancient wizard's power behind it, which was significant. Harry put all his power into his Occlumency shields, and for several moments the two wizards stared at each other in a silent battle of wills, both of them channeling their magic.
Harry started bleeding from his nose, as did Dumbledore, who had a crimson strip staining his silver facial hair. Harry gritted his teeth into a silent snarl while Dumbledore maintained his calm demeanour. Harry knew that if they kept it going like that, Dumbledore would win the battle of wills. Dumbledore was extremely powerful, almost as much as Harry, but he was more skilled than him in the mind arts and that made the difference. In that moment, Harry understood why Voldemort feared Dumbledore.
Changing his strategy, Harry enveloped Dumbledore's mind probe with his magic and guided it through his own shields. Trapped, Dumbledore felt himself being dragged through Harry's shields into a dark mindscape.
Time passed in the headmaster's office. The paintings watched in silence, unsure of what was happening, seeing the back of Dumbledore and Harry's front. The boy was bleeding from his nose, and it seemed that he was starting to bleed from his ears and eyes, and Dumbledore didn't seem to be faring any better. Both of them were still breathing, although they were locked in a stare.
Both convulsed a couple of times and then Harry finally reacted, breathing in a long, deep breath, almost immediately coughing up what seemed to be blood.
"What is happening, boy?" asked one of the ancient paintings and Harry turned to it, noticing the many eyes looking at him.
"Nothing," Harry replied and another scoffed.
"Albus accused you of using Compulsion Charms on him and you say it was nothing?" a headmistress questioned.
"OBLIVIATE!" shouted Harry, making sure he would catch all the paintings, his wand flaring immediately. "The headmaster and I were talking about my performance in the Great Hall, and I admitted that I had found an ancient book in the Chamber of Secrets with very ancient spells. I studied them, and I found the apparition spell I used. I've tried it without success and last night, under stress, I performed it twice," said Harry, bending over the headmaster's desk, feeling sick and broken. "Then he decided to test my Occlumency, and we went all out against each other, which was a mistake."
Harry coughed up blood again, and the paintings recovered from their glazed looks.
"Are you all right, child?" asked a headmistress.
"I can't believe Albus would be so foolish as to test a child's Occlumency like that," complained another.
"I'm alright, ma'am," replied Harry, and a headmaster scoffed.
"Clearly, you're not, boy. ELF!"
"Dobby," mumbled Harry and two elves appeared before him, a normal one from Hogwarts and Dobby. The normal one squeaked and Dobby jumped to Harry.
"What happened?" asked Dobby and Harry shook his head, and Dobby understood immediately.
"Summon Madam Pomfrey, elf," one of the headmasters demanded, and the Hogwarts elf vanished again. Within moments, the fireplace roared, and Madam Pomfrey stepped through it, gaping at the sight. Dumbledore was unconscious on his chair, eyes wide and bleeding, as were his ears and nose. His mouth was also wide open and had blood trickling from the corners. Then there was Harry Potter, who was sitting in his chair half bent over the desk, bleeding from the same places as Dumbledore.
"What happened here?" she demanded, and ran to Harry as he coughed up blood again. Harry pointed to Dumbledore, but Pomfrey ignored him, starting to wave her wand around him.
"At Mr. Potter's request, Albus decided to test his Occlumency, and used their full power, it seems," a painting said.
"ARE YOU INSANE?" Madam Pomfrey roared, making Harry wince. "Are you even aware that you could have fried your mind?"
"It was a mistake," tried Harry, as the world around him was starting to become blurry.
"Of course it was a mistake, a very foolish mistake that could have cost you...Harry!" she shouted, accompanied by Dobby, which was the last thing Harry heard before everything went dark.
~BREAK~
Harry woke up with his head throbbing, hearing what seemed to be distant, familiar voices.
"What happened?" he wondered, in a whisper.
"HARRY!" shouted the unmistakable voice of Daphne Greengrass, as she hugged him. Her scent roused him and brought a smile to his lips.
"Am I dreaming?" wondered Harry, hearing a scoff.
"Not at all, mate," replied Theo in an amused voice, and Harry noticed the presence of Tracey, Theo, Blaise, Millie, Pansy, Greg, and Vince.
"What happened?" asked Daphne, letting go of her hug, looking down at him, her expression a mix of worry and anger.
"I asked Dumbledore to test my Occlumency, and we overdid it a bit," lied Harry, seeing a twitch in Daphne's eye. "How long was I out?"
"Four days," replied Tracey, pointing at a bed next to them. "The headmaster is still out."
"Damn," Harry complained, trying to get up before being stopped by Daphne.
"Stay down, Harry. You need to rest and take some potions," she said in a determined tone, and Harry sighed.
"What was wrong with me, and what about the old man?" asked Harry, looking at Daphne.
"Magical exhaustion and some internal nerve damage. Nothing too serious," she replied. "Dumbledore is slightly worse than you."
"Occlumency, you said?" asked Blaise. "Whatever you did was hard on the old man."
"Will he recover?" Harry asked and Daphne nodded.
"Madam Pomfrey says he will. No lasting damage was made."
"I thought I told you to call me if he woke up?" asked Madam Pomfrey, approaching the group.
"He just woke up, ma'am," replied Blaise and she huffed, waving her wand over him.
"Very well, you foolish boy, what happened?" she asked, and Harry replied with the same story about his Occlumency defences, using some Compulsions to make it more believable. This time he smiled when he realized his Compulsions were working.
"You seem to be telling the truth. I'll have you know that the Gryffindors are after your blood for nearly killing the headmaster."
"Oh joy," Harry replied to snickers from his friends and even an amused smile from Daphne.
"Your uncles also came by and were very worried, not to mention Dobby," Daphne replied, and Harry smiled.
"I missed 'The Talk' with them, didn't I?" he asked, and some of his friends raised their eyebrows, while Daphne blushed. Madam Pomfrey laughed.
"Get some rest and take the potions Ms. Greengrass will give you," the matron replied, turning to the group. "You may stay a while longer but let him rest."
"Yes, ma'am," they all chorused with the newfound respect they've had for the matron ever since they discovered she had been a Slytherin.
They stayed a while longer, telling Harry about all that had happened over the past few days, including the mood that had settled over the castle since the accident and the belief that Harry had tried to kill Dumbledore, which, of course, had originated from the Gryffindors (three guesses who came up with that idea). The first and second years had already left for the holidays, as well as the third years that wouldn't go to the ball. The other champions had come by to check on him as well, including Diggory, most surprisingly.
The rest of them eventually got up and left, leaving only Daphne, who sat next to the bed holding Harry's hand. When she believed they were safe and wouldn't be overheard, she waved her wand and cast silencing wards.
"What happened?" she asked, her fear mixing with her anger.
"Dumbledore figured out that something about my story didn't make sense and was able to avoid my Compulsions. He confronted me, since he seemed to be convinced I wasn't actually Harry Potter and I had somehow cheated the oath, then he blasted me with a full powered Legilimency attack." Daphne's eyes widened. "I resisted at first, but ended up having to redirect his probe into my mindscape and confront him in the Chamber, with Bael's help. I was able to destroy his memory of the event and implant others that gave him the impression that the meeting went well up until the 'accident'," said Harry with a sigh, his head still throbbing.
"I locked his mind with a Parseltongue spell just to be sure the new memories would settle and be accepted by his mind without him realizing something was off." Daphne raised an eyebrow at this revelation. "It's better to be safe than sorry."
"I agree," replied Daphne, slapping Harry.
"Ouch, what was that for?" he asked, only to have her throw herself into his arms, trembling slightly.
"Don't do that again, you idiot," she mumbled, and he was sure she was crying. He embraced her and caressed her hair and her back.
"I'll try," he replied, and the two stayed like that for a moment.
"I was worried about you," she confessed, leaning into to his chest and revealing her face to him.
"Thank you," he replied with a smile.
"Dobby has been worried as well. Maybe you should call him," she said, feeling comfortable in his embrace. Harry chuckled.
"Dobby," he called, and the house-elf appeared next to the bed.
"What happened?" he demanded, also agitated but clearly happy. Harry recapped everything for Dobby and the elf shook his head."
"Will this be problematic?" asked the elf, and Harry sighed.
"I didn't want to kill the old man." Daphne flinched in Harry's arms but made no comment. "If the memory implantation worked as it should, then he won't even suspect something is amiss. We do, however, need to forge a book of spells with Fading somewhere in the middle."
Dobby huffed.
"I'll see what I can do," Dobby replied, snapping his fingers and conjuring a vial with a light blue potion inside.
"Thank you, Dobby," Harry said and Dobby vanished.
"What about the paintings in Dumbledore's office?" asked Daphne, and Harry assured her he had taken care of everything before passing out. He just picked his wand from his holster and pointed it at Dumbledore.
Daphne was only bothered when she heard the hiss of Parseltongue.
"What are you doing?" she demanded, rising from him, "You should be resting."
"Just waking the old man," he replied, and she huffed, dropping the wards and checking on the headmaster, ready to call Madam Pomfrey if necessary.
Dumbledore started to stir and opened his eyes, making Daphne call for Madam Pomfrey.
"Ouch, my head hurts," the older man complained, "What happened?"
"Albus Dumbledore, you irresponsible man, what do you think you were doing using a fully powered Legilimency attack on a child?" she shouted, making Dumbledore and the two children wince. The matron waved her wand over the older man and continued to scowl.
"Not so loud, Poppy my dear. Could you please repeat that? My mind is hazy and I'm not sure what happened."
"What do you remember, you old fool?" asked Madam Pomfrey.
"I was in a meeting with Mr. Potter. We talked about many things, including his display in the Great Hall... I seem to recall he admitted to reading a certain book, a somewhat Dark book from the Chamber that had the description of the spell he used to apparate in the Hall... he said he tried it without success... but somehow, likely because of his emotional state, he was able to do it then..."
"What else?" asked Pomfrey, looking at Harry who was still on his bed, turned towards them.
Dumbledore saw her glance and turned to his other side, seeing Daphne and Harry.
"Hello, Ms. Greengrass. I suspect you're here because you accepted our Poppy's offer of learning from her?" Daphne blushed a little and nodded.
"In part, sir," she replied, nodding to Harry. "Whatever happened, you and Harry were admitted to the hospital wing four days ago."
"Four days?" asked the headmaster, surprised. "That is... very curious."
"Do you remember what else happened?" asked Madam Pomfrey.
"I asked the headmaster if he could try my Occlumency shields at full power," interjected Harry, and Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey turned to him.
"You did? Why would I do that?" asked Dumbledore, trying to recall. "Yes, I seem to remember something like that... I tried to withdraw when I faced Harry's protections, but I wasn't able to and we somehow lock into each other..." Dumbledore lift an eyebrow, "I remember blue eyes, from that giant basilisk in your mind. I looked into them, it seems."
"You have a basilisk in your mind?" asked Madam Pomfrey, gaping.
"It's part of my protection," Harry replied.
"Then, shouldn't you have died?" asked Poppy while Daphne raised her eyebrow at Harry.
"Well, gladly I didn't. Fascinating, isn't it?"
Madam Pomfrey huffed and took a potion from the cabinet, giving it to Dumbledore.
"Drink it and rest," she ordered.
"I feel fine, Poppy. I'm a little sore and my head hurts, but fine all the same," Dumbledore complained, and Poppy huffed.
"Drink the potion and rest. I'll have an elf bring you two some dinner soon. Ms. Greengrass, please say your farewells and leave your boy to rest."
"Yes, Madam," she replied, going back to Harry.
"Be careful," she told him after a soft kiss. "I'll come back tomorrow, all right?"
"I'd rather you stay, but sure." Daphne smiled, glad Harry was awake, and left the hospital wing.
"Ah, young love, always a pleasant sight." Harry turned to Dumbledore, who was smiling. Slowly, the smile vanished. "Harry, I'm not sure what happened but I want to apologize." Harry hid a sigh, allowing himself to relax.
"It's my fault, as well. In fact, it was I who asked you to attack me with your full power."
"Why did I do it? It makes no sense," replied Dumbledore, thinking to himself. "What I meant was that I'm sorry, Harry."
"It's fine, sir. I'm sorry too," Harry replied, and Dumbledore looked back up at the ceiling.
"Maybe we should rest now."
Harry did the same, only in his mind he was reliving the events that took place in the Chamber of his mind. The conversation with Dumbledore, the duel they had and his victory over the older man, who had proven to be quite powerful. Even in his mind Dumbledore had been a formidable opponent, nearly as powerful as him.
One thing was certain, though, Harry would do whatever would take to fulfill his goals.
Dumbledore fell asleep thanks to the potion, dreaming of giant snakes with sapphire-blue eyes.