"I am so sorry about this, Harry. My father just won't stop interfering in my life."
Harry rolled his eyes.
"Start by telling me what's in the envelope. You're a Ravenclaw, for Merlin's sake. Get a bloody grip on yourself already."
Cho exhaled audibly and looked at Harry sympathetically.
"I thought you might have figured it out already. Harry, this is a formal marriage proposal."
Chapter Twenty-One: Wedding and Werewolves – Corrupting the InnocentDisclaimer: If you've seen it before, it belongs to J.K. Rowling. Otherwise, it's mine. Naturally, I'm making no money off this.
Harry met her concerned visage with a raised eyebrow.
"I didn't know that people did written marriage contracts these days. How very medieval. Regardless, you make it sound as if this is unpleasant news."
Cho stared at him as if he had lost his mind.
"Unpleasant is an understatement, Harry. I'm not even eighteen yet, and you're younger still. It's too soon for us to even think about marriage."
"But you're the one that brought it up first. I'd think you would be pleased."
"If you're talking about that rot I said to Zabini the other night, you know full well that I was only trying to rile that bitch up."
Harry was indeed fully aware of that fact and had only been trying to lighten the mood a little. He was torn on what to do about the offer. He would certainly at least read it, but didn't exactly fancy the idea of Cho being essentially given to him like a piece of property. She deserved better than that. On the other hand, he intended to wed her at some point in the foreseeable future regardless, and accepting her father's proposal would assist in procuring the influential Liangshan Alley wizard's loyalty at the same time. It really did represent the proverbial scenario of killing two birds with one stone. The question was whether or not he could potentially compromise her happiness for the sake of political advantage. Perhaps he could talk her around and thus win on all fronts.
"Yeah, I know. But still, it's a commitment that I'm ready and willing to make."
The beautiful Chinese girl's stare turned from incredulous to suspicious immediately.
"We've been dating for barely a month, Harry. You've never even actually asked me to be your girlfriend. I find it hard to believe that you're honestly prepared to marry me."
Harry inclined his head with a smile. He gently drew her into him by her slim shoulders.
"I've spent my entire adolescent life chasing after you. Of course I've thought about this before. I used to stay up at night when I was a bit younger and dream about what things would be like when we finally got together. I'm not really barmy about the whole written contract thing either, but it's irrelevant as long as we both genuinely want to be together. I am completely prepared to marry you. I've finally caught my butterfly and I'm not ever going to let her slip through my fingers again."
Cho looked annoyed and exasperated.
"I don't think you fully understand what's happening here. My father doesn't care about our happiness. He's trying to use us as a stepping stone to further his own prestige. He wants to secure his place in the history books by bringing Liangshan Alley out into the general wizarding community. This marriage is just a means to that end."
Harry agreed with her assessment to a point. Song Chang was a rather slippery and ambitious character, cut much from the same mold as Lucius Malfoy. The main difference being that the former's goal's were far more altruistic and less criminal than the imprisoned Death Eater's. However, that savvy was exactly what made Cho's father such a potentially useful ally. Harry had little to worry about from the man regardless. It wasn't as if they were going to be crossing swords, and the dakaathi hybrid could dispose of him easily even if they somehow did.
"I don't really care what ulterior motives he might have, and neither should you. Let him pursue his own schemes if he likes. Once our wedding has taken place, you'll never have to worry about being drawn into his plans again. Like I said before, I'm going to make you a queen. Once this is all over, your father will just be another one of our subjects."
Cho nodded with a feral smile, nuzzling into Harry.
"Okay, fine then. I've played the role of the obedient daughter for nearly eighteen years now. I can bear it a few months longer. You're a much more suitable mate than some obnoxious son of a Death Eater that my father would have tried to saddle me with should this arrangement have fallen through. And then once we've taken over, maybe I can force him to dance like a marionette for a little while. Just be a good husband to me, Harry."
Harry planted a kiss on her temple with a complimentary laconic grin.
"But of course, Queen Cho."
Cho appeared thoughtful for a moment and then shook her head in the negative.
"I think Empress Cho has a much better ring to it. Most magical governments across the globe are every bit as corrupt and useless as Britain's. Simply stopping with this takeover would be doing an incomplete job. You're good enough to rule the entire magical world."
Harry had to admit that styling himself an emperor was tempting. He hadn't really considered the global implications of his impending revolution. Now that he thought about it, it didn't seem likely that foreign magical governments would take kindly to what he was planning to do. Perhaps it would be prudent to plan for making this an international effort. For the moment, he was most surprised at the ambitious tone in Cho's voice. He hadn't heard anything like it until now.
"I offer you a kingdom and you push for an empire. You're such a vicious woman, trying to cajole me into becoming a warmonger. There's definitely some deviousness lurking underneath that kind and sweet disposition that you exhibit to the world. It must be that you resent your father simply because you're both exactly alike deep down."
Cho flashed a mock scowl and bopped him playfully on the side of the head.
"I am nothing like my father. I prefer to think of it as a result of your influence. I want only for my future husband to be the absolute best that he can be. As for my hidden devilish side, a girl is always entitled to keep some things to herself. But a married couple should share everything, so there can be no secrets between us now. Don't worry, I'll still be the perfect princess out in public."
Harry still had his one big secret. This whole marriage was nice, but he still had to factor in Hitomi. He was unwilling to give her up, nor would she ever let him go without a fight. He could probably get away with marrying both women given how generally archaic wizarding customs tended to be, especially for invested pureblood aristocrats such as himself. Hermione would surely know details, but he couldn't just ask her. The overly ethical witch would only fume at him for considering such questionable ideas as contracted marriages and polygamy. Perhaps it was time for him to break out that book from Bill. At any rate, he could do whatever he wished regarding the matter once he had completed his takeover, though he couldn't see Hitomi remaining patient for that long.
"You do that. Let's see just what exactly daddy dearest is going to offer me in exchange for taking on his beautiful daughter. It almost seems unfair to the poor man. He's quite literally paying me to steal away his most priceless treasure."
Cho voiced no opposition despite the fact that they were both missing class, so Harry picked the gold envelope up off the front desk and opened it. Harry scowled upon seeing that the entire document was written in Chinese. There were spells that could translate text between different languages but the accuracy of their results was sketchy at best when used with two languages as drastically different as English and Chinese. Cho's father apparently intended for her to have to interpret the document for Harry. It was a rather subtle means of ensuring that she would be willing to go through with the wedding before he could confirm the match. If he hadn't known better, Harry would have thought that the man was acting for the sake of his daughter's happiness. The fact of the matter was that it would have meant a great embarrassment for the entire Chang family if the young wizard were to accept the proposal only to have Cho then refuse to marry him. She seemed to understand the implication as well.
"Rather slick of him, I must say. He would never actually just ask for my approval."
Harry shrugged, not caring to think of anything pertinent to say in response.
"Let's hear the particulars, then."
"Don't be impatient, Harry. Give me a minute to read it over first."
She took a few minutes to peruse to document, eyes widening as she took in the terms. Cho's father was offering Harry an exhorbitant dowry to accompany her, though no actual coin. He seemed to be cognizant of the fact that the young wizard had little use for more gold given the huge amount that he already possessed. Harry was instead being offered substantial interest in several of the Chang family's business holdings both in Liangshan Alley and in mainland China, which included control over the distribution of ginseng being imported into Britain from overseas. As the herb was a key ingredient in many healing brews, this represented a surprisingly potent political tool. Not that Harry was aware of the fact, as his knowledge concerning potions was atrocious. He would also be gifted a house in the upscale sector of Liangshan Alley as well as a flat in the wizarding block of Hong Kong. But the last part was the most important to Harry. In exchange for the young hero's marrying Cho, all of the Chang family's assets as well as the wands and lives of their various clients and supporters would be pledged to assist in the fight against Voldemort.
"Quite the generous offer, especially the promise of military aid."
Cho nodded weakly.
"He's taking a huge gamble by interjecting the family into this war. My father seems almost fanatically driven to push this marriage through regardless of the cost. A dowry of this size is completely unheard of."
"I suppose I ought to reply with my acceptance, unless you object for any reason."
"My parents are going to both be at the Ministry Ball on Halloween. The letter says that my father wants to hear your answer then. So there's time to reconsider, just in case you decide later that being married to a jealous shrew like me is too much for you to bear."
Harry smirked at her casual mention of her horrible attitude the previous year.
"Meaning that your father intends to make a big public spectacle of announcing the fact that the Boy-Who-Lived is betrothed to his daughter to the entire wizarding world. That somehow fails to surprise me. I'll bet he's already drooling at the prospect of rubbing elbows with all of those corrupt Ministry politicians."
Cho rolled her eyes.
"That pretty much sounds like him, yeah. As much as I'd love to sit here and pass the entire morning verbally abusing my father, I'm already quite late for Ancient Runes. Do be a dear and walk your fiancee to class, Harry."
Harry had completely forgotten about classes in his preoccupation with Song Chang's marriage proposal and was likewise tardy for Charms. That being the case, he decided simply to skive off the lesson altogether. He needed to go and compose that owl to Remus, as the Hogsmeade visit was less than a week away and he would have no other opportunities to speak with the werewolf removed from Dumbledore's peering eyes for a good while if he missed it. He could spare enough time to escort Cho to class first.
"Sure, let's go."
Cho took his arm happily.
"After you, Emperor Potter."
Harry chuckled as the couple left the nondescript classroom. His advantage in this ongoing war was growing steadily with each passing day. Once the moment finally came for him to strike, he would wipe all of his foes clean with one glorious crushing blow.
The Owlery was unsurprisingly empty when he arrived. Hedwig was quite happy to take his scribbled note to Lupin. They would hopefully meet for a late lunch at the Hog's Head. He chose the dingy pub due to the fact that Remus would no doubt be reluctant to mingle among the larger Hogwarts crowd that would invariably be assembled at The Three Broomsticks. The lycanthrope was still sensitive about Snape having revealed his condition to the entire student body. Harry snarled inwardly at the thought of the greasy bastard. He had much bigger issues than Snape at the moment, but one of Harry's first acts upon taking over would be to have the man publicly executed. Assuming that he did nothing to provoke Harry to the point of killing him prematurely, of course.
As he departed downstairs, Harry mused on his classroom experiences over the last few weeks. Not even Dumbledore had been able to make heads or tails of the dilemma surrounding Harry's phantom Animagus form. Neither had Alphonse's books shed any light onto its possible identity. Harry somehow knew deep within that the great bird resided within the demonic realm, leading to the conclusion that his great-grandfather's research was not entirely complete. McGonagall believed that the beast's spirit was so powerful that it could not be invoked under normal circumstances, and that the full contact would be established when it was truly needed. In the meantime, Harry opted to abandon the study within the classroom and focus on dueling transfigurations with the majority of the class. Only Hermione and Blaise along with a few Ravenclaws chose to continue studying Animagus theory, and there was no guarantee that any would be successful with it.
He was making better progress in other classes. He could repress his aura much more effectively thanks to Hitomi's instruction and was much better with a sword than in the past due to Bashilov's. The Slavic hulk had abandoned his dislike of Harry for the most part upon seeing that he was genuinely tough and willing to get his hands dirty. Hagrid's class was a total waste of his time. Though the half-giant tried his best to make things interesting, learning about how to care for pets simply wasn't high on Harry's personal list of priorities. Defense Against the Dark Arts and Charms weren't much better. Moody's lectures on Auror battle tactics were helpful, but Harry's practical dueling skills were on such a higher plane than those of his classmates that he honestly gained very little from the lessons on the whole.
An annoyingly familiar voice halted his reflections when he crossed the threshold from the stairs into a corridor.
"Harry, my boy. Unless I am mistaken, you are supposed to be in class."
Harry barely repressed a scowl as he turned to meet the twinkling gaze of Albus Dumbledore. He instead affixed a conciliatory smile onto his face.
"I'm quite sure that you noticed my rather forced exit from the Great Hall this morning. Some rather heavy business has suddenly sprung up and I find simply myself a bit too absorbed in thought to sit through class lecture at the moment."
Dumbledore only nodded jovially.
"I must admit that the sight of Miss Chang dragging you from your morning meal made for quite an amusing scene. An absolutely splendid young lady, if an old man may be so bold. Much like your father, you exhibit impeccable taste regarding the fairer sex. And I daresay that she has made matters no easier on you than your mother did on him."
Harry's smile deepened ever so slightly despite himself. For some reason he felt inclined to share the news with the wizard whom he had once regarded as a surrogate grandfather.
"I have certainly been after her for long enough. We are to be married soon. The official announcement will likely take place at the Ministry Ball on Halloween."
The old man visibly brightened at the revelation, as if it had summarily quelled some fear that was rooted firmly within his heart. Harry concluded that Dumbledore had been terrified that he was turning to the dark and that the idea of him apparently falling head over heels for the sweet and demure Head Girl contradicted the notion entirely. He had to fight down the urge to snort. As if he were so two-dimensional. Nor did the wizened sage have any inkling of the treachery that lurked deep within the beautiful Ravenclaw. Dumbledore's blind faith in the so-called power of love was sickening. Harry's intuition had proven fruitful. The old man took him by the hands with a beaming smile.
"That is absolutely wonderful news, Harry. Marriage is an enormous commitment, though I have no doubts at this point that you are mature enough to make it. Now then, as seem to be free for the remainder of the day and I have been meaning to speak with you for several weeks now, let us retire to my office for a cup of tea."
Harry could hardly refuse and reluctantly followed Dumbledore to his office. The gargoyle leapt aside without the password, assumedly recognizing the old man. Harry took a seat in the same armchair that he had occupied the last time he had visited the room, when he had steadfastly refused to join the Order nearly a month ago. Dumbledore poured him a cup of tea from a pot on his desk as Fawkes napped on his perch. Harry drank without hesitation, confident that the old man's convoluted morality would prevent him from spiking the beverage with a truth serum or something similarly underhanded. The headmaster was too honorable to try anything beyond a Legilimency scan. The tea was flavored with raspberry. Harry looked from the glass to the old man, taking care to avoid eye contact.
"Raspberry tea. You really do have too much of a sweet tooth for a man your age."
Albus raised his teacup.
"Ah, this tea is a courtesy gift from Professor Kurahama. I thought that I might sample it today. You appear to be her favorite student, as it happens. She constantly boasted about your progress in her class at the last staff meeting. A lovely woman, it really is a pity that she spends so little time inside the castle. But enough of this old man's ramblings. You seem to have been keeping yourself rather occupied thus far this term..."
Dumbledore trailed off with that remark, obviously entreating Harry to explain. He supposed that it was too much to hope for that the old man would not have been aware of his frequent departures from the school over the course of the last month or so.
"I am at the head of three families, sir. I have countless obligations to attend to. I am doing my best to balance my outside responsibilities with my schooling here, but it's proving to be a rather difficult undertaking."
Albus shook his head in obvious disappointment, the twinkle in his eyes dying a bit.
"Harry, your parents' bloodlines are nonexistent now save for yourself and the Black family's daily operations are handled by others. None of the Order's operatives within the Ministry of Magic have ever so much as seen you within the building so far this year. It is not my desire to accuse you of wrongdoing but please do not lie to me."
Harry realized that he was cornered and would have to reveal some more of the truth in order to stave off further suspicion. Things were only now beginning to gel together and having all of his plans becoming known would ruin all. Perhaps sharing some of his intelligence on Voldemort would do the trick. Letting the old man in on the information now did no damage to Harry's cause, after all.
"I ought to have known that you weren't just looking for a simple chat. Since you insist, I have been working independently to keep tabs on what Voldemort has been up to lately. Don't ask for my sources, because I won't reveal them. Suffice to say that I have never shared your unwavering faith in Snape's loyalties. My people have supposedly managed to uncover the locations of a few of his strongholds across the British Isles. I also know that he is recruiting heavily overseas in an attempt to replace the forces that we destroyed back during the train attack. He also intends to make a direct attack on Azkaban in the near future. Many of my excursions from the grounds have been to set up a network of contacts and to persuade neutral parties not to join or support him."
Dumbledore steepled his hands, closing his eyes for a moment. Harry decided to keep the impending attack on Hogsmeade to himself. Not even his own people knew about what was going down that night, and he certainly wasn't telling Dumbledore.
"Professor Snape has proven to be true time and again, Harry. Your antipathy for him clouds your better judgment. He has reported on Voldemort's overseas exploits, particularly in Eastern Europe and among prominent vampire clans. The Order is doing its best to stymie those efforts, but a lack of suitable operative in those regions is making matters difficult. We are also aware of his plans for Azkaban, though Kingsley reports that the Minister has personally increased the guard already. I would venture to guess that you took the liberty of informing him. I strongly disapprove of your newfound relationship with Cornelius Fudge, but it has nonetheless proven helpful in this particular instance. He would never have taken my counsel on the matter to heart."
Dumbledore didn't even mention wanting to see Harry's information concerning Voldemort's facilities, which the young wizard took as further proof that the old man had no plans of ever prosecuting an offensive war. He was still plodding along in an attempt to simply hold out until Harry fulfilled the Prophecy.
"Disapprove all you like, but he's still the Minister for Magic. He's surging on a wave of popularity at the moment by riding the hem of my robes and he literally couldn't be blasted out of office. Somebody has to be able to deal with him and he has too much of an inferiority complex to ever cooperate with you. Regardless of that, he seems to finally be doing some things right as far as this war is concerned."
Albus nodded again.
"There is some logic behind your words. However, what concerns me the most is that you have been repeatedly observed Portkeying several of your fellow students from the grounds at night in recent weeks. I would like to hear an explanation."
Harry shook his head, blowing a wisp of hair from his forehead in annoyance.
"Extra practice in self-defense. As I told you during our last little chat, there are those among the student body that will invariably follow me into battle. I am sparing no effort in ensuring that they will be as fully prepared as possible for what awaits them. The emphasis that you have instructed to be placed upon dueling technique in all of our core classes has been most helpful, but it still doesn't cover all of the bases. The Minister upon request authorized a permanent Portkey for my personal use which has been utilized to ferry us to and from one of my holdings that is properly equipped for practical training. The Room of Requirement has been compromised due to last year's Inquisitorial Squad fiasco with Umbridge and her Slytherin cronies and is not a workable option, and nowhere else on the premises possesses the facilities that we require."
Dumbledore didn't seem pleased but declined to push the issue, having learned from his previous mistake of levying accusations towards Harry without any solid evidence. The old man's unwillingness to alienate Harry any more than he already had was making it easier for the young wizard to get away with things. The heavy subjects addressed, Albus contented himself with making small talk with Harry for a while longer, until the approaching lunch hour gave the latter an excuse to get away. All said and done, the two powerful wizards parted under much more amicable terms than they had during their last meeting. Harry was still determined to force the old man from his pedestal if need be, but there was no point in being hostile to him until then.
The remainder of the week passed without any noteworthy incident, and Harry now found himself strolling towards the Hog's Head for his luncheon with Remus. He had been able to avoid Madam Puddifoot's after all, but Cho had dragged him around the village shopping all morning instead. Ron had finally mustered up the courage to ask Hermione on a date, which she gladly accepted. A miraculous victory for the Cannons over the Tornadoes financed the outing at Cho's grudging expense. The Chinese beauty rather blatantly hinted at her upcoming eighteenth birthday as she and Harry pored over racing brooms at the local Quidditch supply store. He had told her days in advance that he was making plans to meet the old werewolf, and she had consequently arranged to spend some time with her friends during the afternoon. He got the distinct feeling that she disliked the filthy establishment. A pair of soft hands covered his eyes when he passed by the Shrieking Shack.
"Guess who."
Harry smirked, easily recognizing the husky whisper.
"Good morning, Professor. Shouldn't you be back in the throngs chaperoning the students?"
Hitomi moved her hands from his eyes and rested one on Harry's shoulder. She was dressed a bit more conservatively than usual, abandoning her tight training suit in favor of a pretty electric blue kimono with pink embroidery. It was cut rather low, though, showing off the kunoichi's shapely thighs. She wasn't nearly as flirtatious as when they were alone, keeping in mind that when out in public she was a Hogwarts staff member and he was one of her students.
"But I am. Somebody has to keep you out of trouble. This is seriously out of the way. If you really wanted to escape the crowds, you ought to have just gone to my house or something. I'm sure we could have found something fun to do."
The kunoichi paired the last remark with a suggestive wink.
"I'm meeting somebody for lunch at the Hog's Head in a few minutes. He's the one that doesn't really like being around masses of people."
"I think I'll invite myself to join you, then. It certainly beats being ogled by a bunch of hormonal little boys. Even worse than them, I caught Snape staring at my breasts during a staff meeting a few weeks back. I preferred it when he was lusting after you."
Harry wasn't pleased with the idea of that greasy git making eyes at his woman. Petty jealousy was beneath him, but that was just revolting. Even the dirtiest trollops in Knockturn Alley were too clean for the likes of Severus Snape. Harry jokingly resolved to send the man a memory of the young wizard fucking the ninja girl if he ever attempted to use Legilimency against him again. The pair entered the Hog's Head and spotted Lupin staring disconsolately down a glass of Gillywater at a the bar. The werewolf still dressed in shabby robes despite being willed a large sum of gold from Sirius. Harry made his way over and sat down at an adjacent stool, Hitomi following behind.
"You look like shit, Moony."
Remus snapped his head up and gazed at the grinning Harry.
"I feel like it, cub. Have a seat. I see you've brought company."
Hitomi sauntered forward and shook the lycanthrope's hand.
"I'm the Magical Stealth and Tracking instructor at Hogwarts. Harry's one of my best students. I just saw him heading this way and decided to tag along."
"Remus Lupin, an old friend of his dad's."
Harry ordered a Firewhiskey from the scruffy barkeep, the smelly and unpleasant old man that for some odd reason reminded Harry of Dumbledore. He got his drink without even a mention of his age. Hitomi asked for a bottle of sake, which the establishment surprisingly had in stock. Harry turned back to Lupin.
"Now that we're all introduced, mind telling me what has you so down in the dumps?"
Lupin sighed and looked into Harry's eyes, speaking in a quiet tone of voice.
"Just about everything. I'm not happy with what I'm doing with my life. The whole wizarding world is now mobilizing against Voldemort, yet the Order continues to do next to nothing. Some of the most potent wands in all of the British Isles are sitting idle because of some misplaced loyalty to Dumbledore and blind faith in his judgment. I'm so proud of you for telling him to stick it when he tried to pressure you into joining, Harry. Padfoot would have been too. I want revenge for your parents and Sirius, but I have nowhere to go due to my condition. The Ministry would never accept me and there's nothing I can do on my own. I'm quite literally stuck with the Order."
Harry could sense somebody watching them intently from a far table. It was likely a member of the Order. They were patrolling all over Hogsmeade that day alongside the school faculty. Dumbledore seemed determined not to be caught unprepared again, though Harry believed it to be inevitable. At any rate, he couldn't talk seriously with Remus while they were being eavesdropped upon. He shared a glance with Hitomi, who picked up his vibe and spoke in a louder voice.
"Yes, we just made some new stock in over at the store. Come and take a look. You friend looks like he could use some new robes as well. We can all grab a bite to eat up in my grandpa's flat instead."
"Sounds good to me. Come on, Moony."
A rather confused Lupin followed the other two from the Hog's Head, leaving the old barkeep staring intently at them with a thoughtful expression. The former professor received warm greetings from several of his old students in passing, which seemed to improve his mood tremendously. Hitomi's robe shop seemed to be doing great business. Harry recognized a few young people from the village tending to the customers, many of whom were Hogwarts students. The employees bowed respectfully as their lord passed. He responded with a nod. The three made their way upstairs and sat down on the lounge floor. Hitomi remained formal, not knowing where Lupin stood on things and not wanting to give her actual relationship with Harry away to a relative stranger.
"I'm going to go make tea and fix us something to eat."
Hitomi went into the kitchen with that declaration, leaving Harry alone with Remus. The old werewolf eyed him suspiciously.
"You're up to something, Harry. Tell me what's going on here."
"Suppose I told you that there was another option, other than the Order or the Ministry."
"I'd say you were pulling my leg."
Harry shrugged with a smile.
"Let me tell first you a story about my mother's heritage, Moony..."
Harry proceeded to recite his tale and rail against the old man and the Ministry for what seemed to be the ten thousandth time. It probably wasn't all that necessary in this case, but he knew that the lycanthrope would feel somewhat hurt and betrayed if he wasn't forward with the whole story from the start. He was a bit irritated to note that he had his recruitment speech almost down to a routine. It almost reminded him of Uncle Vernon hawking his drills to wealthy clientele. Part of him wished Halloween would hurry up and arrive. He was beyond bored with the whole act of sitting back idle and arranging his chess pieces. Much the opposite of Dumbledore's thinking, Harry felt that the fighting couldn't come soon enough. His inner demon screamed for blood. Remus sat silent for several minutes once he was finished before finally speaking up.
"So Lily was the heiress of Lord Grindelwald and never knew a thing about it."
"Yeah, I couldn't believe it either. But it's the truth. I've seen too much to doubt it now. I'll finish what my ancestor started all those years ago. Sirius told me to change the world in his last letter. I'd like to think that he wanted me to make life better for everybody. Once my work is done there will be no more corrupt Ministry."
Harry expected Remus to be completely sympathetic, having suffered as much as he had due to the wizarding world's bigotry. For once, he was completely wrong. The werewolf instead wore a look filled with cold anger.
"Harry James Potter, I am shocked and appalled that you would dare sit there and tell me that Sirius would have wanted you to go through with this madness. That man fought through Hell and paid the ultimate price so that you would be safe. Lily and James both sacrificed their lives so that you might grow up and have a normal one of your own. But instead you listen to some ridiculous advice and embark on this fool's crusade against the entire established magical world. Listen well to me, boy. I am not happy with the way things stand out there. I hate the Ministry of Magic every bit as much as you do. I want to kill Voldemort and his sick lackeys every bit as much as you do. But you seem to forget that for every person that feels the way we do, there are also hundreds that are perfectly content."
Harry regarded his elder with a vicious sneer.
"Content with being herded along like sheep and being lied to and manipulated by a rotten government. That contentment is nothing more than pitiful complacency. Things have to be changed, Moony. Our world is dying a little more with each passing day, and soon there will be nothing left. You've seen firsthand how rotten the status quo is. I would have expected you of all people to see sense."
Lupin's expression didn't falter a bit.
"I never told you that Voldemort once tried to recruit me over to his side during his first rising. He sent Bellatrix Lestrange to sway me over, years before Azkaban reduced her to insanity. It might shock and surprise you to hear that her words then were very much the same as yours are now."
Harry closed his eyes, almost choking with blind rage.
"I suppose this is where we part ways. Make whatever ludicrous comparisons you will. I know that the spirit of the coming generation and destiny itself are on my side. I will not stop until my goal is achieved. You just sit back and lament your bad luck while I avenge my parents and Sirius. I'll build a world that they can look down upon with pride."
Harry knew that he was being cruel, but didn't particularly care at the moment. Lupin remained seated, defiant of Harry's obvious dismissal.
"You won't be rid of me that easily, I'm quite sorry to say. My best friend and your godfather asked me to guide and protect you in his will and I will not despise his last wishes. I'm disappointed with you right now, Harry. You speak of destabilizing an entire society and slaying countless people in the name of an ideal, and risking your life for something stupid. Just as Sirius pleaded that you not. Regardless, you can bet your very last Knut that I will be right there beside you when times are tough. I owe that much to my departed Marauder comrades, and to myself. As for the rest, I need some time to think."
Harry took a deep breath and nodded curtly.
"I can grant you that much. For Padfoot's sake, I'll trust you not to reveal what I've told you to anybody else. I don't want you as my enemy, Moony. Please keep that in mind."
"I will never be your enemy, cub. I would far sooner commit suicide than ever raise my wand against you or betray your trust, and I'd swear a Wizard's Oath to either."
Hitomi returned with food and drink at that point. She wore a strained look on her beautiful face, as if she had been listening and wanted to defend Harry but knew better than to interfere in his personal business. He was thankful enough just to have something to distract him from having to think about some of Lupin's angry words. Lunch was a rather tense and silent affair, after which Remus took his leave and departed with a thin smile. Harry hoped that Lupin would keep his mouth shut as promised. Otherwise he would be forced to dispose of the old werewolf, which was something that he was not entirely sure that he could do. He stayed with Hitomi until the time came that he was expected back at the castle. Her presence soothed him and quelled his discontent.
(End Chapter Twenty-One)
Author's Note: Finally done with this chapter. Sorry about the wait, but there's only so much I can do when a hurricane strikes. I'm generally happy with this chapter, aside from the conversation with Remus. Harry's sentiments on all of the recruiting are very much an echo of my own. Glory, but I am tired of writing that crap over and over again. Some may think Remus should have joined instantly, but I wanted for something not to go in Harry's favor for a change.As I wrote, I noticed thatthings were always falling into place for him, and I don't wantit to be that easy all the time.Just one more chapter until I'm all set to do a real battle scene again. I can hardly wait. Now that most of Harry's allies are recruited and the pieces are in place for his army, the plot will finally pick up some steam. My gratitude goes out to all of you who have stuck with this story through all the slow parts. I promise that things are just about to get much more exciting. On what is likely a less welcome note for some of you, Zharrghast will also be back next chapter, and expect him to pop up a lot more often from Halloween onward.
Those of you concerned about Hitomi's future role, don't be. She's not going anywhere, nor will she cease being with Harry. She's my baby and I couldn't possibly bring myself to write her out. To answer a few questions, first, Dudley was not an heir of Grindelwald through Petunia. Being the heir to a wziarding line implies actually being one, which Diddydums was not. It wouldn't matter anyway, as the fat tosser is dead. Second, I just made up the name "Shinn Kohaku." I stopped watching InuYasha after like twenty episodes. Now, somebody made an interesting point about Voldemort and his having wings. Yes, he does in theory have chaotic power like Harry, but he doesn't yet know of its existence and naturally has no clue how to harness it. Harry learned through Alphonse's books, to which Tom has no access. While he doesn't have the ring, he doesn't need its catalyzing effect like Harry did. Tom is so much more powerful than Harry magically that his own chaotic reservoir would be enough to initiate the transformation, and his serpent body has more affinity to the chaos than Harry's previously human body. Harry has his own tricks to stabilize things a bit, but he is no match for either Tom or Albus in a straight wizard's duel.
Next chapter will be the Ministry Ball, and maybe Harry having to break the news of his engagement to Hitomi and make things right with her. Prepare for some fireworks in any case. Hope you all enjoy and please take a moment to review.