A/N: Thanks to Treck and Nedlin for checking these stories for me.
Chapter 2: Discussing the Details
The portkey activated and both Harry and Tonks were surrounded by swirling colors as the familiar tug of portkey travel pulled them away from Privet Drive, for the last time.
Harry landed, and slightly tripped before righting himself, in some fancy entrance hall. He stood up and proceeded to help Tonks to her feet, as she couldn't land straight even if she were walking, before looking around. Harry still hated to travel by portkeys. He pretty much relied on apparition now that he was of age - though he had yet to get his license and tried not to do it around many others. Even though it felt weird to do it, it was the only method of wizard travel that didn't make him want to lose his lunch in the process.
As they looked around, Harry gaped and Tonks let out a whistle as she too took a look at their surroundings. It was probably the most elegant entrance hall either one of them had ever set foot in. Everything was made from elegantly shined and polished marble and hardwood(Cherry).
They were shaken from their musings as they heard footsteps approaching their location. Battle tactics and training ingrained into their skulls, both of them pulled out their wands; looking for cover despite the fact that they were guests in this person's house.
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Fleur Delacour was now twenty years old and very mature as far as veela were concerned. She had spent the last three years of her life, her years following the tri-wizard tournament and her subsequent graduation from Beaubaxtons, staying with her great-aunt to understand more of her heritage.
Her mother had left the veela community at a young age to seek out a husband in the wizarding world and, as rules dictated, she was unable to return to the veela village. The offspring of those not to return are not punished by choices they did not make, though. This is the reason that Fleur had sought out her aunt in hopes of learning more about Veela in general.
In the last three years, everything she had been taught at Beauxbatons was skewed beyond recognition. Her ancestors had a much more insightful way of looking at magical theory. The main problem is that, though the theory is sound, to make the most of their knowledge you had to have a great deal of magical strength. There was no need for wands or incantations when learning with them. Everything was about intent.
It was now drawing close to the time when Harry was supposed to arrive and she couldn't believe how nervous she was. Deep down she expected Harry to blame her for being taken away from his friends and forced to live in their community. And though she didn't know him very well, she didn't want him to hate her for this. She herself had only known of her aunt's plans for a little more than a week and she had spent most of that time trying to talk her out of them.
Harry was set to arrive in five minutes and she had elected to go with her aunt to greet him and his friend. She figured she owed him that much, to be there at least as a show of support and so that he would know somebody else while he was there. If he accepted her aunt's proposal then he would need people he trusted to be able to help him cope with the stress this situation is sure to add to his already hectic life.
Harry, she knew, had just turned 18 a few weeks prior and was starting to enter his magical maturity. It was a very trying time in itself, but with the training he was supposed to do and his other, obligations, it was sure to drive him to the point of insanity.
She was also curious about the friend/guard that Harry was bringing with him. Her aunt had told her very little about her except that she used to be an auror and had become good friends with Harry over the last two years, but even more so in the last few months. Was there some romantic interest involved there? If so, how would he, not to mention she, deal with her aunt's ideas.
She sighed and realized that Harry should be there by now and she still needed to meet her aunt before going to find them. She met her aunt in her study and followed along, just behind her, to the entrance hall.
Once she was there she could barely stifle her laughter at Harry's friend. The auror was apparently a bit clumsy. While Harry appeared ready to defend himself against whoever came through the door, his friend was lying face down, cursing like a sailor at a small end table that she had apparently tripped over. The emerald green hair did little to take away from the scene.
She watched, with a smile, as Harry studied both her and her aunt before relaxing his pose and sheathing his wand. He gave them both a small smile and nod before walking over towards Tonks and offering her a hand.
Section Break
Upon realizing that they weren't in any immediate danger, Harry sheathed his wand, gave his welcome party a small smile and nod before getting to his feet and going to pick Tonks up from the floor. She gratefully accepted his hand up and picked up the end table once she was situated. She was glad that she didn't damage either the table nor the floor with the accident
"How are you doing Harry?"
Harry stood up and studied the young woman in front of him for a second before it dawned on him. Dumbledore had mentioned in his letter that Fleur was staying in the village since her aunt lived there.
"Not to bad, Fleur. Yourself," he asked?
She shrugged noncommittally and turned to introduce her aunt. "'Arry, this is my aunt, Cassandra Delacour," Fleur said formally.
"It is very nice to meet you, Ms. Delacour. My name is Harry Potter and this is my good friend, Nymphadora Tonks. Though as you can see, she hates her name and prefers to simply be referred to as Tonks," Harry exclaimed, while rubbing the back of his neck were Tonks had slapped him.
"It is nice to meet you as well, Tonks, Harry, please call me Cassy. It will make things easier on us all. There are currently three Ms. Delacour's living in this community and they all show up frequently, so it will help to avoid confusion.
"Now, I'm sure that both of you have some questions as to why you are here. Specifically you, Mr. Potter," She said in an amused voice.
Harry couldn't exactly understand why, but Fleur was beet red and even Cassy's face was tinted a slight shade of pink. Tonks looked just as perplexed as him.
"I think it would be better to continue this discussion elsewhere," Cassy stated, regaining her composer before she turned and led the three young people out of the room.
Cassy's study was every bit as elegant as the entrance hall was. All of the furniture was made of polished hardwood and soft fabrics. If Harry had to guess, he would think she was some sort of royalty.
"Please take a seat," She motioned to three chairs that appeared in front of her desk. Once all three were seated she continued. "Fleur, I know you are aware as to the reasons why your friend and Ms. Tonks are now with us so please, humor an old lady as I explain it to them."
Harry had to hide a snort at the 'old lady' comment. If anything Cassy looked no older than thirty. Yet Harry knew she must be at least twice that to be Fleur's great aunt.
"During Voldemort's first rise to power he had specifically sought the allegiance of many magical creatures. He wanted all of their help to overthrow the ministry and Albus. Though he never knew that we understood that he would turn on us as soon as he could. He understood that magical creatures had a way of understanding magic that few humans would ever understand.
"What he didn't understand is that magical creatures also have their own way of telling what the future may hold. A seer amongst us was able to sense something related to you and Voldemort. That seer was Maria Delacour. My niece, Fleur's mother. Somehow Voldemort learned of the contents of this prophecy and was not pleased with the results.
"In short, the prophecy stated that you, the marked one, would travel abroad and be taught a different sort of magic. It was also foretold that it was our, clan, if you will, that is supposed to train you."
Harry chose this point to interrupt. "So, I'm here because of another prophecy was made to dictate my life?" He was starting to get frustrated with the total lack of control he had over the affairs in his own life.
"In short, yes. But there is another reason as well."
Harry resigned himself to hearing her out and listened to the rest of her speech.
"Our clan has a problem. Many people don't realize that there are in fact male Veela in addition to the females. If there were not, then there couldn't possibly be any pureblooded Veela left in the world, unless we were a mixed breed.
"Every clan is made up of two communities. One community houses mainly the males and one community houses the majority of the females. The reason they are kept separate is simple. Once a Veela is married they can choose to live in either community.
"Voldemort, after learning of our role in his downfall sought out our clan and destroyed the male community. He had never learned of the way clans are split and therefore did not seek us out. As a precaution we have completely relocated our community to where we are today and have a new governing body to maintain the way of life we have become accustomed to."
Here she paused to make sure they all understood so far. Upon receiving conformation that they were following the story she continued. "I am the leader of this clan/community and act in a similar way as the Ministers of Magic does over their own countries.
"Our clan is now in trouble. We have not had a male community in quite sometime. Thus we have several women that are now at the age of choosing husbands, or mates, and have nowhere to look to find them. The only option they have as of now is to leave the community and find a husband in the wizarding world or muggle world. Either way, they will not be able to live in the community ever again.
"Now we're getting closer to the main reason you are here. We already knew that you would come to us one day to train in our brand of magic. Therefore you will be entitled to live in the Veela community as a sort of surrogate child of the Veela."
Here her face became almost as red as Fleur's had earlier and Fleur herself would not meet either Tonks or Harry's eyes.
"To be blunt, Mr. Potter, we are asking you, in return for your training, to help repopulate our Veela community. This has only happened once in the history of our species. We are asking you to take ten wives, or mates, from amongst the 32 eligible Veela between the ages of 21 and 29."
Harry Potter; The-Boy-Who-Lived, Defeater of the Dark Lord Voldemort at age 1, Tri-Wizard Tournament Champion, Defeater of Death Eaters……fainted……….and so did Tonks.