Chapter 15
Harry woke up overwhelmed by the intoxicating scent of lilies, feeling just a bit disoriented. It took him a couple of seconds to remind himself of where he was, and a big smile formed on his face when he remembered with whom. Harry felt calm, and happy like he did very few times in his life. The boy groped around for his glasses on the nightstand, and the lens slid to his hands by themselves, without him even noticing. As the world came back to focus, the young wizard smiled at the mess around them, their clothes scattered all through the room, and the markings of their activities on the messy sheets. "I could get used to that…" The werewolf smiled.
Harry then looked at the beautiful witch beside him. Fleur was laid on her stomach, hair flowing around on the pillow, her eyes closed, breathing calmly. For a second, Harry had the impression that the veela's white skin and silver hair were glowing with a thin light. The werewolf feasted on the sight of her almost perfect skin, then he shivered at her relaxed back muscles and the perfect round mound of her bum. The scents of their lovemaking from the night before hit him back, and he felt magic running through them. "Is this the pack bond? It feels so good, so calm and so right. Maybe, I am just in love after all… but what about… " Harry almost instinctively rubbed the knuckles of his fingers softly on Fleur's back while those thoughts ran through his mind. The girl's skin shivered under his touch, and she let out a soft moan, bringing the werewolf back to the present. When Harry saw her face, all his focus turned to her. The sounds she made, her scent, the softness of her skin. A light smile appeared on Fleur's face, as Harry's hands continued running up and down her back, reaching a little further into her body each time. Harry smelled her arousal starting to form, and his member stiffened. The smile on her lips grew wider, and the wizard realized the veela was not sleeping anymore. Didn't she realize by now that he could tell? Harry's hand finally reached her round, flawless bun, and Fleur moaned a little louder, making Harry's cock twitch. "How does everything about this girl make me submit with no challenge?"
Harry softly caressed her bum, memorizing its form, and texture, feeling the warmth and firmness under his hand. Every time a small moan left her mouth, the wolf shivered, and his dick trembled. Without a word, Fleur lifted her hips, granting him access to more of her. Harry could clearly understand what she wanted and was happy to oblige. The boy lightly ran his fingers over her labia, feeling the silky texture of her most delicate skin. Harry teased her, running his fingers all through her mound. Feeling bold, the wizard pressed his fingers, sliding into her inner lips, feeling how wet she already was. Fleur moaned aloud as his fingers encircled her sensitive clitoris, slippery with her own fluids. Fleur started moving her hips, rocking his fingers up and down her pussy. A predatory smile appeared on his face and using her own movements, Harry sunk two fingers inside her. He was marveled, Fleur's moving ass was perfect, and her soft pussy lips were beautiful. Her scent was addictive. Fleur smiled and finally opened her eyes. "Good… morning… 'Arry… Aaah"
"Good morning Fleur…" Harry whispered in her ear, his fingers going in and out, producing delightful wet noises. Fleur moaned again, and Harry positioned himself, going on top of her. The veela boldly took her ass cheeks with both hands and spread them, granting Harry the most erotic view of his life. The wizard had to control himself not cum with the sight of her perfectly pink rosebud and dripping wet pussy in front of him.
"Fuck me 'Arry…" Fleur asked in a husky voice. The wolf grunted and let himself inside her again, diving into their passion and making her scream with pleasure one more time.
.oOo.
The flames in one of the fireplaces of the Greengrass Manor roared with a green hue, and Daphne watched Tracey Davies entering the room. The black-haired Greengrass girl hugged her friend, a little tighter than she usually would, letting Tracey know something was off. Before the blond witch could ask anything, however, the flames roared again, and Susan Bones stepped out of the fireplace. Daphne gave her a more conservative hug, despite knowing each other since they were kids, The two girls had grown a little apart in the last two years, and the Slytherin needed to know if the reason was really just house rivalries.
"Thank you for coming," Daphne said to her two friends, leading them into the sitting room. The Greengrass household was sober and tastefully decorated but without much opulence, which was considered an oddity between pureblood families. Maybe because they were not from the so-called noble blood, Arthus and Sarah were always more concerned with comfort than appearances. The three girls sat down, and Lizzy popped in with some tea and biscuits.
"It's good having you here again Susie…" Daphne greeted with a sincere smile. She had missed her friend, even after they fought a couple of years ago.
"Yes, it is… I missed you two…" The red-haired said with a shy smile. "I really did…"
Both girls sustained an uncomfortable silence for a couple of minutes, making Tracey visibly impatient. "Your note got me worried girl!" Tracey said, at last, her voice a little louder than normal. Daphne sighed and nodded, better to get it done with.
"Did you guys remember the express in the first year?" Daphne asked.
"Of course!" Susan said with a giggle. "You kept talking about how your family was close to the Potters and how you would be friends with the 'boy who lived."
"Yeap" Tracey continued. "I even saw you entering the train with him. Damn, he looked like a little stray at the time, didn't he?" Daphne looked at them, trying to remain calm; none of this came back to her.
"Yes, he seemed totally lost…" Susan's eyes widened. "But that was not the weirdest thing, now that you talked about it!" The other girls looked at her. "You entered with him on the train, but never came back after him later. We found you sitting alone in one of the compartments, looking a little sad… I thought he had been mean to you, that's the reason I didn't like him in the first year… and later… came to conclusions…." Susan looked at the ground, ashamed.
"True that! It was so weird! It seemed like you didn't even remember us right away." Tracey finished. "During the first and second years you avoided anything related to him like the plague, we thought it was because he had been a git that day, and he was so weird. Sneaking around, all those weird stories around him, and the way he behaved, especially with us Slytherins." The blonde girl shrugged.
Daphne kept looking at them, with a steady face. "And then?"
"I remember something changed in the third year." Susan blushed. "With the whole heir of the Slytherin thing."
Daphne looked her in the eyes. Those were painful memories for both girls, and she knew it, but she needed to be sure.
"You said it was impossible, that it was just a rumor," Susan said. "But I didn't believe you; I thought you were saying this because you fancied him. And I was angry at you for liking someone that treated you badly." Susan sighed. "I treated you both, and Harry so badly that year. I was so afraid… and he wholeheartedly forgave me this year. I hope you can do the same." Susan's voice faltered, and she looked at the black-haired witch with pleading eyes.
"Listen," Daphne said with a serious tone and a cold look that made the other two girls stiff in their seats. "What I am about to say to you cannot leave this room." Tracey and Susan froze. "Right before the violence of the war escalated, some very powerful and influential families were starting to create a political coalition. It started as a way to stop the other families, allied to the dark Lord to get their bills passed, supporting his efforts. But they found out this coalition had way more power than previously thought. They started pushing the wizengamot and the ministry towards some real change in the laws. Did you know that, some time ago, any muggle-born or people with other magical blood types used to be registered and constantly surveyed? It was not against the law to pay them less, or for them to receive bigger sentences from the DMLE. It was this coalition that started changing it. Longbottom's, Potters, Bones votes, with the money of the Greengrass's and some influential foreign families. The so-called light and grey families were ever so inclined to follow the ancient and noble houses' votes, even against the Chief Warlock and the Ministry." Susan nodded, as she had already heard something about it from her aunt.
"That tactic proved so effective that the Dark Lord had no choice but to escalate the violence. When he realized he would not win politically, he resorted to strength and terror. The coalition allied itself with the Ministry and Chief Warlock in order to fight. My parents took me to France and worked on financial and political aid. I believe that is the only reason they were spared…" Daphne looked at Susan, who had watery eyes. "But something else happened around this time; something that made both the Dark Lord and the Chief Warlock obsessed with the Potters and the Longbottoms. The rest, you know…"
The two girls were in awe. "Why are you telling us this?"
"As I said, they were obsessed with Harry, and for some reason, someone didn't want my family to get closer to him," Daphne stated.
"What makes you say that?" Tracey asked.
"Because someone messed with the memories of my first encounters with Harry, I don't remember anything from the train, and I was always predisposed to think everything he did was weird, like a compulsion." Daphne gritted her teeth, Tracey had wide eyes and Susan was about to cry now.
"But... this coalition doesn't exist anymore, and you and Harry were just kids, why would they do that?" Susan asked.
"Because, for some reason, they are still obsessed with Harry, with controlling his life, and mine, and yours, and Longbottom's, I don't know why, but that is what I'm going to discover," Daphne said in a voice that sounded almost like a hiss.
"Didn't it backfire on them? You and Harry are friends now. And he is friends with Neville." Tracey said.
"I guess there were some things they didn't take into account: Hermione Granger, Katie Bell, Fleur Delacour, and most important, Harry's own willpower." Daphne smiled.
"Wait, wait, now, who are they?" Tracey asked.
"The ministry and the chief Warlock…"
"You mean…" Susan trailed off.
"Yes, the headmaster." Daphne finished.
.oOo.
Fleur watched hungrily as her boyfriend buttoned his shirt. Harry had a bright smile and even messier hair than usual, his wolf eyes looked at her and they gave him a roguish look she found delicious. Harry looked good, truth, but He was by no means the prettiest man she had ever seen, but there was something about him the witch found irresistible, especially without clothes. The veela could sense something had changed last night. Something in herself had changed. Fleur finished putting on her jacket and Harry snorted.
"It will be really fun when I get back into the common room using the same clothes as yesterday." The boy sighed.
"I wish I was there to see you embarrassed," Fleur said, hugging her wolf from behind. The witch noticed he was a little bit taller than the first time she had hugged him, four months ago, but not much. The veela kissed his neck and bit his earlobe, her allure flowing freely around them, it felt wonderful to let it out, and how at ease he reacted to it. She finally understood when her mother said "your father makes my veela sing…" In her mind, Fleur started making plans of abducting Harry and moving him far away from conspiracies, politics, and dark lords. But the girl knew she couldn't. That was not him. "I'm just in love…" she thought. Harry turned his head and kissed her back, and Fleur felt the sparkles blowing between them again.
"You see…" Harry said on her lips. "You have your own room, and I have this invisible cloak…" Merlin, how Fleur loved that mischievous grin.
"If you are not here tonight, I'm putting a leash on you myself, mister loup." Fleur giggled before They heard a soft knock on the door. Fleur sighed, and Harry quickly hid in the bathroom with an amused expression. The veela undid the locking charms and said "enter" in french. The door slowly opened and a very shy Gabrielle peeked inside.
"Are you two decent?" The young veela asked in French and looked disappointed at Fleur's affirmative nod. "You can come out 'Arry."
"How did you know he's here?" Fleur asked as a confused Harry came out of the bathroom. Gabbriele blushed at him and giggled.
"You may have showered, but your room is a mess, just like mama and papa's when they have… fun together." Harry was making his best tomato impression as the French girl spoke and an evil smiling Fleur translated. "Also, Bertrand brought Harry this." Gabbriele showed them a letter, addressed to Harry. The wizard took the parchment with excitement and Fleur looked at him curiously.
"What is this?" She asked.
"Bertrand is an official ministry untraceable owl, right? I used him to send Sirius and Remus a letter, asking about the order."
"Did they know something?" Fleur was curious.
"Yes. It says here they know what it is! It seems like Remus; Sirius and my parents were even part of it for a while. It started like a group formed by Dumbledore dedicated to fighting dark wizards. But when they got in, especially after I was born, mom got worried, because they behaved more like a cult centered around the headmaster as the prophet of light than an army. The members of the group obeyed any order he gave. They decided to call it off when Dumbledore became obsessed with mom and me. Snape was in the order, just like the Weasleys. It probably exists to this day."
"Why does your headmaster want you so badly?" Fleur asked, her annoyance with the situation barely hidden from her voice.
"I have no idea; both Dumbledore and Voldemort can't seem to leave me alone. I believed the old man was trying to train me for some battle, but now I am not so sure anymore. I will tell this to Hermione and Katie, and we can talk about it when Daphne is back." Harry trailed off, tracing plans for the next few days.
Fleur felt a subtle shiver with Daphne's mention, her eyes narrowed for a second, and Harry seemed to get it. "Are you ok?" The boy asked.
"Yes, of course, just thinking," Fleur answered.
"Well, I gotta go. I need some clean clothes and to think." Harry kissed her, and she felt the sparkles again, closing her eyes and letting it linger. "See you later?" Harry asked when their mouths separated.
"Oui, I insist." The veela answered. Harry kissed Gabbriele on the cheek, making the girl blush furiously, and quickly strode out of the room, making sure he was not seen. Gabbriele left a little after, leaving Fleur alone with her thoughts. She tried to figure out her golden egg yet again, but her mind was not on to it, coming back to Harry and the last night (and that morning) again and again.
"Why do I feel threatened by Daphne and not by Hermione?" Fleur asked herself. "Hermione has been Harry's friend since the first year, she is incredibly intelligent and beautiful… but Daphne is also all these things. And she is cunning; she can be devious when needed. Both are in love with Harry, and he does have feelings for them, I can see it… I think... Daphne reminds me too much of myself…" Someone knocked on the door again, making Fleur jump. The door opened, and Regine stormed the room. Fleur braced herself for the barrage of teasing but noticed something was off when she noticed the other girl's red eyes. Regine had been crying.
"What happened?" Fleur quickly got up and wrapped her arms around Regine.
"I screwed it all up, Fleur." Regine sobbed at her shoulders.
"What do you mean?"
"I had started seeing the twins and Alicia without Angelina…" Fleur widened her eyes at her friend's confession. "Then, when I realized I was seeing the twins all by myself. It was so good, Fleur, it felt so nice. I knew it was wrong and didn't care. Two days ago, I let it slip to Fred and George I liked them. And they like me back… and we had sex just the three of us again…"
"Oh Regine, that is bad, you need to speak with Angelina, she is your cousin and your friend. Or maybe it is better if you don't get with them anymore, and let it pass, maybe it is just a fling…. I am so sorry… but, you need to be honest with each other." Fleur was lost on what to say.
"I can't do that anymore…" Regine sighed.
"Why?"
"I just discovered Fred broke up with Angelina, right after the ball, she slapped him and all… what if he told her… should I tell her…" The witch broke down in tears. "I broke my cousin's heart…" Fleur held her friend, trying to reassure her everything was going to work out, at least she hoped, both for Regine and herself.
.oOo.
"It's happening again!" Dolores Umbridge's voice hurt the headmaster's ears like needles on his mind. "Right in front of your eyes and you are allowing it! This time, it's even worse; the boy has the Black family vote!" The pink-dressed woman seemed on the brink of a breakdown. Her eyes were wide; her mouth was trembling, making her look even more like a toad. "Not only has he befriended that Greengrass girl, but he is also having an affair with a half-breed whore, an animal! What's next, Longbottom and a muggleborn?"
Albus sighed. "Longbottom is under control; his grandmother is a loyal follower of the light. And may I remind you, Dolores, those are just kids. They are not planning on overtaking the government. Ms. Delacour will leave the country in a few months ending her temporary romance with Mister Potter, and the slow pace of the Sirius Black process shows that the old alliance is not as strong anymore."
"Then why do you need the boy?" The short woman all but screamed, and Dumbledore clenched his teeth.
"I know it is hard for you to grasp how the minds of the simpler people work Dolores, but I have been dealing with them for more than seventy years, so let me educate you. Harry is a symbol, someone they can relate to. People will follow whatever he says." The old wizard's voice sounded tired, and he cursed the day he had associated himself with this slow witch. She was an example of everything he wanted to wipe out from the magical world.
"And what makes you so sure he will support us and not Greengrass or Bones?"
"That is for me to know. Anyways, I didn't call you here for this; it is not of your concern." The headmaster slid her a piece of parchment. "Here it is… it arrived today. You can put it in effect at the beginning of next term. It will only affect our students, of course." The woman's eyes shone as she took the parchment, and a big grin showed across her face.
"I will make the preparations right away." Dolores groaned before she left. Hateful woman, the headmaster thought, but she had a point. Harry was slipping from his grasp. The boy was able to keep his lycanthropy under control, and even befriended the Bell girl. And Fleur Delacour was a real problem. Dumbledore would send Severus to deal with Daphne Greengrass again. The death eater impostor was also making his moves, Albus suspected he would need Harry for a year or two more. Then it would be done, for his great sadness, he just needed to bring the boy back. The new bill would scare him, then Albus would offer him not only protection but also help to his friends. A mixture of fear and dependence would have to do it. The boy was more powerful than anticipated, but that was also good. Once the soul fragment was destroyed, Albus would have the clean path to install his greater good and get rid of Dolores and Fudge. His new order would prevail.
"I hope it is worth it, old man…" The voice in his head sounded tired.
.oOo.
A different Daphne Greengrass entered the Hogwarts Express with Tracey Davis and Susan Bones at that time. As much as she tried, her mother could not fix her memories, and both Daphne and her parents were certain whoever did this would try again, but this time she would be prepared. Daphne was determined to undermine their plans and get the upper hand, she knew Harry had to be controlled when he found out, but the witch was sure she could do it. Daphne wanted only two things:
Vengeance… and Harry Potter.
And she was determined to have both.
.oOo.
It had been a weird week for Katie after the ball. Fleur had somewhat apologized to her on the day after the dance, in a very "Fleur" kind of way, saying she was sorry, but trying to assert her dominance over Harry nonetheless. Not that she needed it at the time, she smelled like Harry all over her, in a very familiar way. Katie let it go, the veela had to deal with her own insecurities, but it felt nice knowing that Harry had stuck up for her. Fleur told Katie how her alpha refused to push her aside, and Katie felt reassured of her choice. For the next few days, Harry spent a lot of time talking with the she-wolf, about their night hunting together. Katie found it really cute how thankful he was to her, even though she didn't understand why. Fleur's jealousy seemed to subsidize a little after the veela had become intimate with Harry, although she still gave her some nasty looks once in a while. The fact that Harry kept sneaking into the carriage every night seemed to help, but Katie couldn't help but feel a little jealous of that, she missed him, and no other bloke was able to catch her attention now.
Harry had devised that, alongside the Patronus charm, he wanted to develop physical training just for the two of them, to get full use of some of their capabilities. Harry seemed determined to survive, driven to pass not only Voldemort, but the other subtler threats around him as well, and Katie could feel the impact that this was having on her and the others, everyone seemed renewed, maybe hopeful for the New Year.
Not all was going well though. Angelina was heartbroken with her breakup. Katie debated with herself if she should tell about Regine's smell on both the twins and Alicia. But, as her friend only seemed to confide in her and sometimes Harry, Katie decided to confront that at a later time. In a quickie exchange, she confirmed that Harry knew it as well and agreed with her. For now, Harry had welcomed their older friend with their little entourage, keeping her distance from the twins. Regine at least had the decency of keeping her distance in public. Katie was thankful for that, she really didn't need another pressure point between herself and her alpha's girlfriend, and she wanted this to work. But things were not so easy.
It started with the welcoming feast. Katie was walking with a still little shaken Angelina, Harry, and Hermione to the feast. Most of the students had stayed in the castle this time, so very few people were arriving today, but Daphne Greengrass was between them. Katie heard the Slytherin girl she had learned to call a friend calling for Harry and turned to see the black-haired girl accompanied by Tracey Davies and Susan Bones.
Tracey gave them a bright smile. "Come on, after the dinner, I want to hear everything about the ball! Did Zabini and Weasley finally make out?"
Katie barely registered the chatting blond; all her attention was focused on Daphne now. The witch approached Harry with a smile and hugged him, an almost needing hug, and whispered in Harry's ear. "I've missed you…" Katie was sure Harry noticed as well, Daphne's scent had changed, it was way more powerful, dominant even, it was like Fleur's. Katie saw the magic flowing between them and gulped. Especially because she could smell the French witch approaching behind them.
The veela slowly, deliberately embraced Harry from behind and passionately kissed him, before giving Daphne a knowing smile.
"Welcome back Daphne, I hope you had a good Yule holiday…" Fleur said in a neutral tone, and Katie watched as the first power struggle in her pack started.
"Thank you, Fleur; I can say it was enlightening. I hope yours was great as well." Daphne answered in an adamant tone, even Hermione and Angelina could feel the tension growing between the two girls.
"I can assure you, it was… delicious…" Fleur responded, at this point, Harry looked about to explode, Katie thought it was kind of funny.
"Great, I can't wait for the first meeting of this term," Daphne said in a jovial tone. "We can talk more after dinner." The Slytherin girl walked to her tablet. Katie looked at Fleur who had narrow eyes looking at the other girl's back. Who knew veela's were so possessive, but again, Katie knew very little about them.
The feast ran, as usual, Harry pointed out Hagrid's absence on the professor's table, but Katie didn't pay much attention, the looks exchanged between Fleur and Daphne were way more fun. The headmaster made some announcements concerning the tournament, and the next task, and then passed the word to a ministry official, the pink toad lady as they used to call her.
"Good evening students, as some of you may know, I am the ministry sub Secretary and inquisitor Dolores Umbridge. I have an important announcement to make." The hall became silent, and the little woman seemed to rejoice in her power. "Due to the new dark creatures act, approved on the last wizengamot session on the 20th December, an act created with the sole intent of protecting the students from this prestigious school, any staff member or student known to be associated, or to be blood-related with a dark creature will now be monitored." Sounds of surprise and disapproval run through the hall, even at the professor's table, the expressions were a mixture of disbelief and anger. Katie could not believe it, not now. The witch was breathing fast, almost panicking. Harry held her hand and squeezed it under the table, trying to calm her down. Dolores continued. "Professor Hagrid is now removed from his teaching position…" Some people on the Slytherin table cheered loudly, Harry looked furious, and Madam Maxine started crying. Fleur and Hermione looked at the pink-dressed toad with disgust. "Also, the following students; Luna Lovegood, Millicent Bulstrode, and Katie Bell…" a gadget with the drawing of the moon appeared on Katie's uniform, and the girl let out a silent scream, people around her on the table looked in disbelief. "Are now to be monitored at all times and cannot participate in extracurricular activities such as sportive competitions, for the safety of themselves and the other students. This list can grow in the future as all the student's files are being reviewed and updated; of course, this does not apply to the foreign students." Umbridge finished looking directly at Fleur with narrow disgusted eyes. "Thank you."
The staff table exploded in protest.
People at the table looked at Katie. The girl tried to remove the pin but found out she couldn't. The she-wolf was about to cry, or let her rage explode. Ronald gave her a fearful look; she needed to get out before exploding. Katie looked at Harry, who was still holding her hand and ran.
.oOo.
Harry was fuming; his rage growing at every word coming from the short pink woman's mouth. How was that even allowed? The only reason he didn't let his anger explode right there was Katie's trembling hand on his. When the badge magically appeared, he held his own ground for her, his magic reassuring the girl. Harry wanted to scream and hurt the toad woman, but the human in his head warned it would only make things worse. When Katie left, he knew it was his duty to go after her. The wizard gave an obstinate look at Hermione and Fleur and got up. Harry didn't care if everyone in the hall was looking at him; Katie was his hunter, his pack.
The werewolf ran through the hallways, following her scent to the outside, it was freezing, but he didn't care, his body was burning, and all his senses were locked into finding her. He could see the colors guiding his steps, his rage was roaring inside himself. Harry found her near the carriage, on her knees. Katie screamed a roar of fear and anger. The wizard knew she was marked forever, just like Remus. Harry approached his friend, his lover, his hunter, and embraced her with all his being, his magic, letting the girl sob into his shoulders. Katie's teeth were sharp, and her ears almost pointed as she pulled him closer by the shirt. The young Wizard held her for a long time, before finally gathering the courage to say.
"I am here for you Katie and I always will; I will not let anyone hurt you. We'll find a way to change that… I will talk with the headmaster, it's not fair that you have to go through this and I don't."
Katie looked into his eyes. "Thank you, Harry, but you can't do that, not yet… other people need you too."
"The defense club?"
"Yes… Damn, I just realized I can't be part of it anymore, if I'm being monitored, they will find out!" Katie cried.
Harry thought for a second. "We will find a way. We will train you and we will make them pay. You are my pack Katie, you choose me, and I will do everything to honor that."
"Thank you, Harry..." Katie hugged him strongly. "Maybe when all this Dark Lord bullshit is done, we can make the ministry pay. Dark creatures act, how idiotic." Katie smirked, and Harry felt more at ease. The boy ran his hands on her face, wiping the tears out. Katie smelled so good, so close to him, he wanted to protect her so badly it hurt.
"We will Katie, and I will make it clear to everyone with whom you are. You are my hunter!" Katie blushed, and Harry was sure he blushed as well. "Let's go back to the castle; I will talk to the headmaster… before I do something with you I am fighting not to…"
"I wouldn't mind…." Katie whispered.
"Me neither, but it is not right…" Harry sighed, his entire being urging him to show the girl how much he loved her, and he was sure she could sense it too.
Harry took her hand and walked slowly back into the castle, letting Katie feel reassurance through his magic and presence, but feeling like the perfect hypocrite. The wizard finally left Katie with Hermione and Angelina and stormed out of the common room. His rage was building, But he had an idea. Two could play this game. The werewolf was surprised to find both Daphne and Fleur at the bottom of the stairs.
"How is Katie?" Fleur asked with real concern in her voice.
"She's really angry, she just lost quidditch, and everyone is about to know…" Harry reached the bottom and walked past the girls.
"Where are you going, Harry?" Daphne asked, holding his hand.
"To talk with the headmaster, try to see if he has anything he can do about it." He answered with a hard voice.
"Harry, that's exactly what he wants!" the Slytherin said between her teeth. "Don't you go get all Gryffindor on me now!"
Harry smiled at her. "I know Daphne. You must learn to trust me; I know what I'm doing." The girl looked concerned at him, but nodded, and let go of his hand. "I don't think I will be able to see you tonight Fleur… sorry."
"I understand Harry, do it for Katie" The veela sighed.
.oOo.
Harry walked through the headmaster's office door, just like Albus Dumbledore predicted he would. The old wizard took a good look at the boy; he seemed scared and angry, a little pale even, just like he sadly anticipated. The boy clearly had come for help, which the old wizard was more than glad to provide. Perfect. But his eyes looked somewhat disturbing, even to the old headmaster.
"Sir…" The boy quickly started in a pleading tone that delighted the old man. "What is the meaning of this? Why are you letting the ministry do this?"
"Harry my boy; I am as surprised as you about this. I fought fiercely against this particular piece of legislation, but it seemed the light families are too scared about the influence of dark creatures, like werewolves, on their children. Remember, most of the werewolves sided with the dark lord in the last war."
"But… Why was I not called out? Why does Katie have to go through this and I do not?" Now Harry was really angry. "I will go and out myself then, to show them what they are doing!
"You can't Harry…" The headmaster sounded tired.
"Give me a good reason not to!" The boy roared.
"I hope your goals are worth all this pain…" Dumbledore heard the voice in his head saying. "It's very noble on your part, Harry, to worry about your friend, and that is exactly the reason why I chose not to register your condition at the department of creature control." To Dumbledore's delight, Harry looked confused, for a second the headmaster felt tempted to try and read the boy's mind, but after what happened with Snape, he knew it could backfire. "Harry, I will not lie to you, as much as I disagree with this piece of legislation and how it affects Hogwarts students, werewolves are indeed dark creatures. You must know. You felt the rage; you assaulted young Malloy with violence not topical of yourself. More than once I considered removing you from the castle Harry." The boy looked surprised. "But you had been taking your potions and controlling yourself."
"I understand sir, but that should be even more reason for me to show that not every one of us is dangerous"
"Yes Harry, but we both know Voldemort is not done, and we both know the ministry doesn't believe that. Tell me, how would you continue your training with professor Snape if you were to be monitored? Or if a death eater infiltrated at the ministry gets a hold on your every step and uses it against you? No Harry. I will fight against this the right way, on the wizengamot, be sure of it. Until then, be sure to survive the tournament. Do you understand?" Dumbledore knew It was time to try and rebuild some trust between them.
"I think so…" The boy whispered.
"Harry, you must understand, I've known the Bells for many years… I know about their… unorthodox beliefs, their refusal to drink wolfsbane for example. They are dangerous Harry, some of the worst monsters I ever met were from their family. And yet, I accepted Katie into this school." Harry sighed, looking defeated. "I know she is your friend Harry, and I know she will be passing her full moon cycles here with you, maybe you can help her, my boy, bringing her back to the right path. Bring her back to complete humanity." Albus gave the boy his most brilliant smile, he knew Harry couldn't resist helping others and that was the reason he was perfect for his order.
"I will try sir…"
"Go back to the tower Harry and rest assured I will see this foul piece of legislation overturned. You need to work on surviving the tournament now."
"Yes sir, thank you, sir."
Harry left his office, seeming even more confused than when he entered. Just like the headmaster intended, his ignorance of the wizardry laws played in his favor. If Harry didn't cooperate this time, harsher measures would have to be taken.
.oOo.
Daphne entered the room of requirements only to find Harry lost in thought, sitting on a chair, one of his legs over the chair at his side. His tie was undone, and he was playing with the golden egg on his lap. His feral eyes looking at nothing in particular, Daphne thought he looked so good with that messy hair she liked so much. The boy looked at her and smiled.
"Hello Daphne, I missed you. I am sorry for yesterday…" Harry said, sounding a little tired.
"It's ok, what happened was a low blow. We are very lucky you're not registered." Daphne took a seat in front of him, trying to give him her most predatory smile. "I really missed you too…" The girl knew the werewolf got her intent. Harry looked right into her eyes, he knew something was different. Daphne moved closer to him. "We need to talk, Harry… things changed…"
"I can see, and smell that…" The werewolf said, his expression a mixture of worry and curiosity.
The door opened, and Hermione entered, looking inquisitive at them. Daphne sat back and not a second later Fleur entered the room. Daphne could almost feel the looks the French girl gave her. The Slytherin simply smiled back at the two girls.
"It's good to be back with you girls. It has been a busy holiday it seems." Daphne said in her usual neutral voice tone.
"For you too, Daphne?" Fleur asked.
"More than you can imagine, Fleur." Daphne's tone was serious, trying to convey the truth behind those words. These are their friends, maybe not like Tracey, but almost. Also, Harry loved and trusted them, so why not trust them too.
"Katie should've been here…" Harry sighed; Daphne could feel the guilt in his voice. But there was also anger and a lot of it.
"We all feel like that, Harry." Hermione said. "But it's too dangerous." The wizard nodded in accordance.
"So, how was last night with Dumbledore?" Fleur asked.
"He blatantly lied to me; he thinks I don't know how the law-making structure works. The headmaster looked into my face and said he didn't know about it, but it must have passed through him to be voted in the wizengamot."
"Glad to see our lessons stuck," Daphne said. "How come he didn't realize you were lying and fishing for information?"
"I simply did not." Harry gave a mischievous smile that made Daphne hold her breath, and she could see it had the same effect on Fleur, Hermione just hung her head. "I told him the truth, but only the parts that I felt were necessary, I know he is smart enough to catch me in a lie. Also, in his arrogance, he thinks he knows everything about me. The old man still thinks I am obeying him and taking the wolfsbane potion."
"Very Slytherin of you, I am proud," Daphne stated.
"Wait, you're not taking it?" Hermione sounded scared. Harry waved his hand and gave her a reassuring smile.
"That thing is poison Mione, I feel much better since I stopped taking it."
"But it's not too dangerous? When did you stop?" Hermione's eyes were wide open.
"Three months ago, the first cycle after Fleur arrived at the school…" Both Daphne and Hermione seemed to do some math on their heads.
"Well," Daphne said. "I can say I approve of the changes. Back on track, why didn't he register you as a werewolf?"
"I thought he had done it, but he said he trusted me, and he needed me to keep training outside the ministry's control. Not everything he told me was a lie, and that was a true one. He is a weird man, seems like he is trying too many games at the same time, but he seems obsessed with keeping control over me." Daphne remained silent; this was a conversation to have with Harry alone. "I really need to discover why, I can't have him trying to control every step of my life without knowing. He tried to make me suspicious of the Delacours before and now he is trying the same with the Bells."
"Does he want you to keep having occlumency lessons with Professor Snape?" Fleur asked.
"Yes, I think so." Harry sighed.
"Then there is your answer. I bet the weird greasy professor knows the reason. He is too close to the headmaster. He is even in the order, isn't he?" The French girl concluded with a prideful voice.
"Truth," Harry whispered.
"I say keep trying to get it from his mind, do to him what he is trying to do with you." The veela looked almost evil now.
"I agree," Daphne said and Hermione just uncomfortable bit her lips. Harry nodded, it was not the best plan, but it was something. The door opened, and Blaise Zabini entered. He gave them a smirk then looked at Daphne.
"You were right, something is off with Malfoy, seems like his mind isn't working well, really, someone is messing with it." Daphne nodded. The girl was sure Pansy was up to something.
"Wait," Harry said. "Something is wrong with Malfoy? Something I should know about?"
"Maybe when you invite me to your secret meetings, I will tell you, Potter? I hope you are at least planning for something good." The tall boy grinned.
"Nothing less than world domination Blaise," Harry joked.
"And here I was hoping for an orgy…" Fleur said with a sultry voice, making Hermione blush. Harry laughed and let his egg fall. The weird golden thing made a loud shrieking noise before an annoyed Harry closed it.
"Why do you egg scream in mermish?" The Italian asked.
"Mermish?" Both Fleur and Harry said at the same time.
"Yes, my grandfather does business with them in Italy, that is exactly the sound they made outside the water." Blaise shrugged.
Harry gave Fleur a big smile, and Daphne felt weird, only later she was going to realize it was jealousy.
.OvO.
"You called for me headmaster?" Harry asked, looking around the old wizard's office. The piles of books and parchments, the weird instruments, and the old headmaster portraits around the walls. To his surprise, Albus was not behind his table, as he usually tended to be, but seated in one of the chairs around the coffee table. Harry took a deep breath, trying to read his old mentor's scent.
Again, it was weird. All his instincts said he couldn't be trusted, that no one with two scents could. Two scents, that was it. The man had two different smells.
"Yes, Harry, my boy. Please have a seat."
Harry did so. Something was weird.
"Harry… I know things between us are going astray…" The headmaster raised his hand when the boy tried to protest. "No Harry, you and I know it's true. I have no idea what the Delacours and the Greengrasses had told you." Dumbledore looked right into Harry's eyes, but the young werewolf couldn't feel the now familiar feeling of intrusion from a legiments attempt. "But I trust in your judgment my boy."
Harry raised his surprised eyebrows.
"I also know that this is in great part my own fault. See Harry, I took you for granted, and I'm seizing the fruits of it."
Harry decided to enter the game. "You know sir, I have learned a lot about my family this year, and unfortunately it was not from you. How do you think I feel? How can I know you didn't do it by design sir?"
"Fair enough Harry. You are right about this, just as I tried to protect you from the fame your name bore, I also believed that not knowing about the… convoluted… political past of your family would be a good thing for you. Again, a miscalculation on my part"
"Yes sir, you miscalculated the fact that I'm still human," Harry said with a sad voice.
Dumbledore gave him a hurtful look, but sighed in resignation, Harry was right. "Yes Harry, again, you are right. Now it came to my knowledge that professor Snape may have overstepped his barrens during his occlumency sessions. And that caused some… backlash."
"That is an understatement…" Harry snorted.
"I can guarantee you that he has been reprimanded for his brash actions, my boy. But in the end, professor Snape's unkind actions can serve for something good."
"And what is that sir?"
"It can serve for us to start the process of mending our bridges, Harry. Now, are you interested in knowing about the order of the Phoenix?"
Harry's eyes got wide, and he simply nodded as much as he knew he couldn't trust everything the headmaster said, he could at least compare it with what Sirius and Remus had told him.
"Alright, Harry. The order, as your parents Sirius and Remus knew about, was the second interaction of the group. The first one was formed more than half a century ago, to fight against Grindelwald. In its essence, the order is a group of wizards and witches, servants of the light that rise against the darkness wherever it may appear. With lord Voldemort growing in power and gathering more and more followers, it became imperative to reform the order." The old man looked at Harry to make sure the boy was following. The werewolf nodded. "You see, more worrisome than the violence, was all the support Voldemort was able to gather around the blood purists, who detain a great part of the political power and wealth of the magical world. So, it was important to show the public that an alternative existed, and we were this alternative…"
"Lead by you, sir?" Harry asked.
"Only because of the circumstances Harry, it was never my intent or desire to lead, but it was needed at the time. And right after your father finished his auror training with Louvor and your mother entered the unspeakables, they approached me to join the order. And for advice"
"Advice?"
"I don't believe it's my story to tell Harry, but something was happening in between then. Maybe one of his old friends can talk with you about it. My part is to say that they were received with open arms by me and everyone in the order. And they stayed with us for more than a year."
"Why did they leave then?"
"Political differences…You must understand, that they were no longer part of the order, but they were always our supporters. We are still allies to the end against Voldemort."
"That… that is a lot…" Harry felt overwhelmed and confused, why was Dumbledore telling him this now? Was he really so afraid of losing his influence over Harry?
"I understand my boy. You can ask your new allies about it and take the time you need to think about it. And you can be sure to come to me anytime you need. I know sometimes it doesn't look like Harry, but I am on your side."
"Thank you, sir," Harry said standing up, his mind and senses racing. "That means a lot."
"Good night Harry, send my regards to Miss Delacour." The headmaster winked at him. "Oh, and Harry…" The boy turned to look at him. "To further prove my point, I will be there at Sirius's side."
