Chapter 22: Of Secrets and Foes
Did that mean his mate was also upset about the few students that liked Harry? There can't have been that many, since no one had really spoken to him about it or confessed their love to him.
Admittedly, Harry knew he was sometimes slow to pick up on these things, but, there weren't that many people that really hung around him. Unless they were also being vetted by his unspoken task force...
His face was a myriad of red, and from shades of cherry to maroon, he was flushed all over. Not to mention completely wrong. When he took the time and thought about it, there were several people who kept trying to talk to him, all fidgety or red faced. They were almost always stuttering, then out of the blue either his mate would come up to berate them, or his friends would pull him away.
Oh... Oh! Now he understood. They were probably going to confess to him, or give him a gift in a way that would signify a challenge to his courting.
'So stupid!' He thought eyes widening. His mate had been protecting his spot as the only suitor to court him for so long.
Now off in his own world full of dark flames and darker eyes, Harry was lost to the conversation around him.
The voices ground to a halt when his voice came out in a hum. It started softly, then became the trill of a melody before it was gone. His mate really wanted to keep him?
Still unsure, his song never fully formed, but it was a start, and with that he tuned back in to the conversation.
"I don't want to talk to them just yet..." He admitted. "What about the others?"
Albus gave him a sad sort of smile, but allowed for the subject change. "Well my child," He started, catching Harry off guard. He'd never expected to hear the Headmaster switch to using a neutral term like that towards him. "As you are a minor, your name will not be mentioned in the reports, nor will the perpetrators be allowed to use your name in court."
"They have already been assigned dates for their trials, and while you may attend, I believe it best if you stay within the school on those days. As for your song, it seems that you have it within you still, we will continue to monitor your progress and mental health. Now, the final point I must make regards the bullying, and your new placement within the House of Ravenclaw."
The Headmaster cleared his throat before saying, "As Harry can be classified as a female, and wishes to be placed in the girls dorms within Ravenclaw, we must now discuss the changes that will have to be made, and the expectations that must be met."
All of the siblings were shocked. Each of them were either speechless or muttering about the schools horrible response time. Leo sat straighter lifting a brow. "The bullying has not only gotten to a point where he can't be alone in the halls, but it's also to where he has to change houses?" He asked, trying not to grit his teeth.
He is a fully trained Medi-Wizard, and while he might not know as much as Hollen in terms of mind healing, he knew that this was detrimental. Harry could have ended up with any number of serious injuries, or worse after what those kids tried to do to him. The teen could have been driven to self hatred, self harm, or even taking his own life.
"Unfortunately it did get this far. The signs had been ramping up early in the term, but after a few precautions were set into place by staff, we noticed a marked change in the students behavior. The reports have been skewed from that moment on, as some students have come to the Professors and myself with contrary information. We have found the claims to be truthful, and I must apologize for believing that those young men changed so quickly."
The elder wizard did look contrite, and in his eyes were no twinkling signs of wisdom or mischief. But Harry had something to say about it. The man felt he could just decide who had changed and who was too far gone. That wasn't possible, and no man or woman could make themselves the judge, jury, and executioner like Dumbledore had.
"Headmaster. You always believe in the best parts of the worst people." He sighed, standing from his seat. "From Tom's manic need for immortality and control, to my relatives and how they abused me for over eleven years... even those blokes who tried to hurt me in that room. You of all people should know that wolves like to imitate sheep for all the wrong reasons. Please excuse me, sir. Bye everyone, and thanks for checking in on me."
He hadn't meant for it to sound so cold or fed up. But in all honesty he was just disappointed that this year wouldn't be a quiet one either.
As he left the rest of the adults to talk about meeting his tormentors family without him, he allowed his siblings to bring him to the Ravenclaw table in the Great Hall. On the way down to their destination, Harry allowed his mind to wander back to his mate. The man had stayed by his side so much yesterday, and even the day before when the incident occurred. But remembering the way his mate held his hand and whispered to him until he fell asleep, made his mood several shades lighter.
Everyone was either in classes or the common rooms, so he and his siblings sat in the large hall practically alone. The Dunhill kids were waiting until their youngest sibling snapped out of his once again happy trance, so they could speak with him.
The group had already set up privacy charms, and had even taken turns waving in front of their brothers face, but Harry simply saw through them. His face, which was resting lightly against his palm, was in a state of bliss. His eyes were almost sparkling, so they knew for the moment he was a lost cause.
Instead of wasting any more time on getting him involved, the twins smiled deviously.
"I heard Professor Snape--" Ryan began just at a whisper.
"Was having a private conversation with some girl named--" Aubrey tried to finish conspiratorially, but Harry snapped out of his thoughts.
"Who?!" He asked, keeping his voice down, but no less green with jealousy.
"Oh what was her name? Ray?" One twin started. They genuinely tried to remember the name they'd heard in the rumor, but even still it took them a while. The whole time they fumbled for the right name, Harry's eyes were locked on to both girls, trying with all his patience not to snap at them.
"No, Raven, or was it Rian?" His eye twitched. His mate was his!
"Nah, it was--" Ryan raised a finger as if she just remembered an ancient spell.
"Rie!" They said together, and looked to Harry as if he'd go on a rampage.
"Oh." Harry relaxed, his eyes becoming its usual, more docile shade of green, and his body relaxed. He hadn't known that his claws were starting to peak out either, but now as he moved his hands down into his lap, he felt majorly embarassed.
"Tha--that was me he was talking to..." He admitted. "Because I'm not just a boy anymore, he also calls me Rie..." He blushed.
"Oh?" The younger twins started giggling, and even the older siblings joined in. Soon Harry was trying to bury his head in his collar and disappear while his family poked fun at him.
He had been jealous of himself! He wasn't even sure what made him snap like that. He knew his mate wouldn't dare go against something so sacred as a mate bond, but just hearing about another girl touching his mate--
Wait, huh? Another girl touching his mate? It was so weird for him to think of himself like that. He was sure he looked better as a boy, and he had never thought of dressing like or being referred to as a girl until now. He'd never referred to himself as a girl either, yet now that he's been able to accept his new body, he's suddenly ok with this?
It was obvious that he'd changed as he grew older, but was he so comfortable with himself and his body that he could act or dress either way? He hadn't thought of it, but he had a whole group of friends and family to talk about it with.
Still a boy in every way that counts but, "Would I even look ok in girls clothes?" He asked himself, unaware that his mouth had betrayed him.
"Yes!" Winona said in a high voice, taking him back out of his thoughts.
"Hm??" He questioned, just then noticing how ravenous the two sets of twins and Winona looked. It wasn't more than a moment later before he realized he'd spoken out loud.
"No, I didn't mean that!" He exclaimed with wide panicked eyes.
But in the end, he found himself surrounded by his siblings while five of them spoke about what styles he should try. Though the oldest siblings-- Leo, Brianna, and Hollen-- tried to save him from the inevitable, they were outnumbered.
To be completely honest, even Harry was curious to know. Would he make a cute girl, or would he look uncanny? Whatever feelings it provoked would be something he'd have to figure out on his own.
HPSSHPSSHPSS
By the time Harry was finally released by his siblings, most of the group and his parents were set to leave the school. They'd been adamant about him keeping up with classes and being more truthful about his school life, but overall, his first day out of the hospital wing was not an unhappy one.
He was still majorly embarrassed about his siblings putting makeup on him, but it turned out well. The only thing he really couldn't let Ryan or Aubrey do was dress him in their clothes.
It was mostly a matter of him losing all sense of calm when the twins and Winona pulled out a sky blue dress.
He hadn't minded the color, but the way it was cut was all too much for him to comprehend.
It was a cold shoulder dress, with long sleeves. It would have fallen to his lower thigh had he put it on, but there was a diamond shaped cut out on the chest that revealed a lot.
He was not ready for that in the least.
All of Aubreys clothing was too colorful or mentally uncomfortable for him, but Ryan felt that her wardrobe was too close to a masculine style. She had a few things that could ease her brother into dressing like his second gender, but by that point he had reached his threshold.
So the girls vowed to find Harry comfortable clothing that he could use to express either gender. In short they made him promise to go shopping with them on the next Hogsmeade weekend.
By the time the group had finished, and saw their family off at the school gates, it was time for lunch.
The Headmaster would be doing the big announcement the next morning, so tonight would be Harry's last in the Gryffindor dorms.
The twins had convinced him to keep on the makeup if he liked it, stating that no one should care if he wore mascara. It was up to him if he wanted to wear lip gloss or nail polish outside of the dorms.
As pretty as he felt with the soft natural look he wore, Harry thought it best that he at least take off the bright red lip gloss. It was the only part of the look, besides the blush and eyeliner, that really stood out. Without the gloss he felt more natural and left it at that.
Lunch was as usual. People were still talking about the randomly absent students, and many asked Harry if he knew. He wasn't sure what to say, so he only shook his head and smiled apologetically.
He looked around and realized that so many students were gone. It was more than the five that he'd known about, but now that he thought about it, didn't his mate say there others who were involved?
It can't have been that many boys after him right? There were at least eight people missing from what he heard, and if they were in on his attack...
Nope. No, he wasn't going to think about that here. He could talk to his friends or his mate later and see what it was all about, but he refused to have a panic attack in the middle of his first day back.
Almost as soon as he settled into his seat, with Hermione on his right and Neville on his left, he watched his meal materialize on his plate.
It was a piece of magic that still made him giddy. His food would always be different from the rest of the school's meals, but no matter where he sat it was always in the right spot.
Today his meal was simple, baked chicken with potatoes, asparagus, and some sweet tea. He wasn't much of an asparagus fan, but he knew that because it was from his mate, he'd want to finish it all.
With his lunch came a note that simply said "Eat well, Treasure."
The fact that his mate considered Harry as a treasure made him infinitely happy. It was common knowledge that to call anything a treasure meant the dragon would never let it go. His heart spasmed in a way he wasn't familiar with. It tingled but beat faster at the same time, and his chest felt lighter.
A small smile lit up his face, and he began to eat. At this point he had already stopped trying to sneak glances at his mate, as the man would look as emotionless as always.
He could try to figure it out using the bond, but after the bond got to the point of feeling one another's physical state, his mate always kept his side closed off. Harry could understand, his mate was usually in pain when at Death Eater meetings, but he felt it would be nice to know how his mate felt in times like these.
At the Ravenclaw table, Ryan and Aubrey were watching their brother fidget. The boy was adorable, but he couldn't sit still. Every once in a while he would look at the note near his plate, blush, then fill his mouth with food whenever someone noticed him. He spoke quietly with Hermione and Neville, and seemed to be a bit happier.
There were still people looking at him in anger, and others who had noticed his makeup or just watched him in general. The twins were sure that Harry would look amazing in more than just their makeup, but the only way to prove it was to get him some new clothes.
Either way, their little brother was less oblivious to the angry and lovey dovely stares now, and that's all they really cared about. They would still have to protect him from backlash from what was coming, but it would be worth it.
For Harry, the second half of his day was a trial. He had double DADA with his mate, and right after that Potions to finish off the day.
The night passed slowly as well, the dorm room held one less student, and after tomorrow, it would be down to three in that room.
He couldn't really sleep. He was scared that when he closed his eyes, he'd open them to find himself back in that classroom, or worse yet, back with the Dursley's. So he stayed up for a good few hours, looking through his photo album. He studied his parents faces, watched as the scenes came to life. He gave himself time to truly mourn the family he'd never met. He even looked at the photos of his godfather and the images with his mate.
They all looked so young, full of life and love, and now it was reduced to nothing. Before he was born, before he inadvertently sealed the fate of everyone he cared for.
He was irrevocably tied to Voldemort, who killed his parents. His parent's looming death caused Sirius to be falsely arrested, and breaking them apart further. Severus had been tied to him since the man first saw him as a baby. Remus would not have had to go through so many years alone...
It made him think, as he finally settled in for the night, what would their lives had been like if he weren't born?
HPSSHPSSHPSS
The next morning, Harry couldn't help but fidget in his seat. He had been updated by his mate just a few minutes ago about what was going to happen. Instead of being in the girls dorms, he would be given his own room within Ravenclaw tower, that his friends could come to visit as well.
The room would have a portrait and a password which he had already decided on, and it would only allow those he invited in.
His mate would be adding wards and extra safety measures as well, but that had to wait until no one was around if he couldn't convince the man to just use the invisibility cloak. As it was, Harry still had a day away from classes, so he would be using it to add his own protections, and settle in.
The Headmaster had taken the time to inform the school of the new changes without dragging Harry into it all. Dumbledore addressed the missing students, telling everyone of what happened.
Many students looked scared or appalled, like they couldn't believe their classmates would stoop so low. Everyone looked around to see who was missing again, and while they whispered and talked, Harry tried his hardest to be inconspicuous.
He really didn't want the gossip mongers to hear that it had been him who was targeted.
As it were, Dumbledore simply spoke out about a few new changes, and the allowance of a few students who wished to change their houses.
This, was new to Harry. How many people wanted to change houses that badly that they were also involved in covering up this debacle?
Professor McGonagall came in with the sorting hat and explained that she needed those resorting to line up.
From Gryffindor, Hermione and Neville stood. Harry stayed seated because he knew that Ginny might follow if he didn't. From Hufflepuff there was only one, no one stood from Ravenclaw, and surprisingly Malfoy and Blaise Zabini were also looking to be resorted.
Everyone was in shock, as the blonde was the ice prince of Slytherin. He had never seemed unhappy with his house, but here he stood, proudly making his way up to the head table to be resorted.
"Anyone else?" Dumbledore asked, and Harry was waiting until he got the signal from his mate to stand.
"This is your last chance, if there is no one else, then we will soon begin..." The older wizard said with finality.
As Professor McGonagall lifted the sorting hat from the stool, Harry saw a flash of electric blue eyes, and took a breath. He had to fight down his blush as he stood. The first few steps were the most nervewracking, especially when the school fell into a harsh silence.
In a few moments, Harry had stood up, and walked just as gracefully as his blond classmate to the small group of students.
"Following again Dunhill?" Draco teased. The two teens had somehow managed to become friends after the blond tried to denounce his name two weeks ago. Malfoy had spent a long time fleeing his fathers eye, and Harry had been asked to help.
The brunette only gave the other his assistance after having the other sign a pact with him, stating that he would lose his magic if the smaller teen was double crossed. That was how their friendship began, though they still bickered like they used to.
"Malfoy, the only way I'd follow you, is if you became a whole different person." He retorted quietly.
The soon to be Ex Slytherin Prince smirked and turned away. "If I simply became Snape you'd follow me anywhere, yes?" His voice remained just as low as Harry's.
Harry snorted, "What makes you think that ferret?" the blond can't have known about his crush on the older man, or about the fact that they were mates.
"He happens to be my godfather." Draco admitted. "And I've only known him to devote this much attention to those he cares for. Even just the flash of his eyes had you standing at attention."
At that moment, the only thing keeping Harry from gaping was his honed skill in acting like nothing was wrong.
"He told me Dunhill, but even as his charge, I will expect for you to keep his reputation from shattering."
"As his charge?" Harry's spoke, a devious smile present in his voice though his face remained neutral. "No, Severus would hardly do to his charge what he's done to me. We do share a bond, but have you never wondered who sent those notes every morning since first year?"
Malfoy made a small sound, one of confusion.
"Have you ever wondered why my meals were always set up for me since I came to Hogwarts? Or why as soon as I came out I was being traditionally courted?" The teen was having fun, and when Malfoy turned back to look at him briefly, Harry smirked.
"I'm his mate." His final sentence was spoken so slowly that even Draco had a tough time hearing it. However, once the taller teen finally grasped the situation, he looked at his godfather. The man had been the one to suggest a resort, so he could get away from his father, but now that strained their outward relationship. The dark haired man only looked at him with eyes that projected anger and disappointment, butpast that facade was a look of acknowledgement.
His classmate and former rival was his Godfathers mate... What a world.
Meanwhile, outside of the small conversation, Headmaster Dumbledore was speaking, moving the sorting along, and cutting off the rest of the school from coming forward.
"Very well then, we shall now commence the resorting, please stay in your seats until everything has ended." Albus spoke, keeping an eye on the students.
He noticed the shock and pure anger on Ms. Weasley's face, but in all his years he had never thought the two youngest Weasley's could have such severe emotional changes.
Perhaps it would be pertinent to keep Mr. Potter away from the young girl. At least for the time being. Perhaps she is not as ill as the children made her out to be, but the teen had made a valid point yesterday. He looked at the good in most people and yet they have each revealed a dangerous hand. Watching the young dragon kin stand between his friends and once enemies solidified the thought.
He had hoped that young Draco would see the light, but for him and Harry to be getting along so well made him think. Perhaps the boys were truly close enough to switch houses.
Turning to Severus, who was beside him, he asked if the blond was the brunettes suitor. Snape had to fight hard not to choke on his tea, but the fact that his employer had asked if his godson was courting HIS mate?
No, he loved the child like his own, but if Draco ever tried to pursue his gem, the boy would find himself on the wrong side of Severus' wand.
"No, Albus. Draco has already found his mate. And as it is, he will not be the one courting Potter." Ever. He added in the complete privacy of his mind.
He used the jealousy to keep his façade of anger, knowing that if he reacted any differently, it would be like telling the world that he'd already known the boy wanted out of Slytherin.
The man watched as the teens were resorted. Granger in Ravenclaw, Longbottom was now in Ravenclaw as well, huh...
The previous Hufflepuff, a girl named Alice Stonne, was a new addition to Gryffindor, and both Blaise and Draco were Ravenclaws.
Harry was the final student to be resorted, and unlike last time, the hat was only on his head for half a minute before he was announced as a Raven. Of six students, five were resorted into the house of wisdom. His mate was bursting with happiness through their bond, and Severus allowed himself to loosen his control. He sent his little treasure a wave of happiness and pride, which caused the boy to lilt softly.
