JK Rowling Owns Harry Potter

FASA Owns Earthdawn

Note: All conversations in France are in French unless specified. I may start with Bonjour or oui, but that is the true limit of my knowledge of the most beautiful language on earth. Sorry.

I am identifying anything in parcel tongue with §"Italic script"§

—-CS—-

Musee Carnavalet

Département des Mystères des Arcanes

Director Bellamy's Office

Paris

Madame Bellamy poured herself a tall glass of wine, finishing the bottle. How did everything turn to 'merde' so fast? Reflecting on this afternoon's meeting with Mr. Potter, she realized she needed more bottles of wine. Especially if she was going to be working with young Mr. Potter in any capacity in the near future.

The plan had been so simple. First, validate that Mr. Potter is what everyone in Britain seems to think he is. Then, determine if he is just a combat wizard, or if he actually knows what he is talking about. Life would be a lot easier if he had just been a combat wizard, that's for sure. Point him at a target and fire. Croaker warned her against playing games with the young man, now she understood why.

When she first met the young mage, she had her doubts. This young man was supposed to be one of the top mages in Europe? By the time a rare wizard actually achieves that level, they are so old they need help walking across a room. Yet, here was a young man who looked like a student, moved like a gymnast, dressed like a YUMMI, and even brought a date to a museum.

The minute he walked in, the wards noticed him. It was similar to how they acted when Dumbledore would visit. Like they were compelled to just stand up at attention. All the magical artifacts reacted ever so slightly when he made his tour about the museum. She could tell he recognized a few of the artefacts. But How? Some of those were so ancient that even her department were struggling with identifying them. Overall, the tour was simple and basic. He seemed to enjoy just looking and taking it all in. Until the final stop, that is. Then he got down to business. He pulled out all stops while interpreting the obelisk.

He found elements and details on the obelisk that no one should be able to find. That trick he did to 'pull out the details', was pure brilliance. Using magic to clearly show known details was not difficult and was commonly used. However, she had never seen anyone do that in a way that exposed new information. His knowledge is unnatural… How could anyone have so much knowledge about pre-recorded history? Someone had trained him intensely. Someone who possessed an obscene amount of knowledge on ancient history. The entire staff had been in awe within 5 minutes. Then it almost went to hell.

At some point, he noticed the dried blood around the bottom, and as the yanks say, 'the gig was up'. There had to have been other clues, but he wasn't talking at that point. Threatening, maybe. Talking, nope.

Once the drama passed, the meeting had been terse, but passable. Unfortunately, Miss Aris' cover was blown, but that was more a testament to his familiar. Madame Bellamy made a note to research runespoors to see if they were all this intelligent. Likely, his magic was enhancing the mental acuity – but something had to have been there already. To his credit, he did not lose his temper and start throwing a tantrum. To hear the stories from his school days, he used to be quite the 'hot head'.

Mr. Potter had agreed to scout out the possibility of an emerging Dark Lord and take actions as appropriate. The French 'Département des Mystères des Arcanes', aka the DMA, would give him the full briefing and case file Tuesday evening. The fact that Dominique Aris would be his primary contact did not seem to be well received, his acceptance of the rising agent had been icy. He had been firm that she would have to work with his British DOM contact – a Ms. Padma Patil as they had first option on his time.

In return for his services, the DMA would cover his care and expenses while on assignment. They would also protect his interests and privacy while in France. It was apparently very important for him to have complete privacy while in Paris and at his home in Yvoire. It was news to her that he owned property in Yvoire. It has been very simple to confirm after the meeting. She also found that his parents had planned to move there twenty years ago and his mother had applied for dual citizenship. The application was valid and covered her son as well. Perhaps they could be 'approved' posthumously...

She would have to take steps to make his stay pleasant enough that Yvoire would become a regular nesting place. His services would likely be in demand on a regular basis now that she knew how unusual his knowledge was. It would also annoy Saul Croaker to no end, and that definitely amused her. Something else to research. Perhaps she could call Perenelle to assist, she lives in Yvoire.

At this point in her mental review, she took another large gulp of wine. They say you can tell a lot about a Mage from the 'feel' of their magic. When his magic flared, Mr. Potter's magic felt icy clean. It seemed like a wintery forest. Oak and fir were prominent, but there was slight scent of… roses? Maybe a little analysis is in order. After all, research and analysis is what Madame Bellamy knows best. Settling into her comfort zone, she pulled out a piece of paper and began making notes.

OK. The chill and iciness was indicative of a loner. Someone who is closed off and guarded. Certainly not someone who trusts or confides easily. Possibly a bit of personal trauma or abuse. Given his past, that made sense. No corruption, hence, the unbelievably clean and fresh feel of his magic. The forest flavor was odd, but he was rumored to be trained in the elements. She had heard that some old masters of magical theory consider wood and nature to be a part of the elemental structure. But that is a very old interpretation that has fallen out of favor. An ancient arboreal forest could be a quiet and somewhat lonely place. Could it be that simple? Oak and fir were there. But the faint scent of roses was really odd. It might play back to the icy nature of his magic – what with the thorns and all. Hard to get close to a thorny rose bush. She wondered if anyone in Britain ever got him therapy after dealing with their Dark lord.

Breaking out her venn diagrams and psychological profiling books, Madame Bellamy had a new project. Who is Harry Potter and how can we keep you around?

—-CS—-

Musee Carnavalet

Département des Mystères des Arcanes

Dominique Aris' Office

Paris

Dominique is one of the most promising and successful young members of the DMA, but right now, she did not feel like a success. She somehow tipped off the familiar that she was involved in the DMA duplicity. She really hadn't intended to lie to Harry, she just wanted to get to know him. He was a gifted mage and she enjoyed his company. They could talk for hours on end… If Madame Bellamy had been more honest and forthcoming, this never would have turned sour.

Her report to the DMA had been a confirmation of Harry's power level and the fact that his knowledge was vast. She also reported a heightened level of paranoia consistent with people who had been through trauma. She had urged a gentle introduction in a calming environment. Dominique had also requested to be allowed to share her affiliation. Both requests were ignored.

Madame Bellamy was the Director of the DMA and her boss, once removed. The Director had struggled with the belief that Harry Potter was more than a gifted combat wizard who had enjoyed a large measure of luck against the Dark Lord Voldemort. Mme Bellamy wanted to test his knowledge and ability before employing his skills at the DMA. Given his reflexes, she may have been right in his abilities with combat, but he is so much more. The old lady really bungled things up with her 'test'.

At this point, Dominique just sat back and shut her eyes. Now everyone knows Harry Potter is potentially a vast source of knowledge and 'problem prevention', but he no longer trusts them. He no longer trusts HER. And she had liked him. Not romantically, that was never on the table. For either of them. But as a potential friend, she really wanted that. Speaking of friends, what would she tell Fleur? 'Hi Fleur, yes I manipulated you into sending your 'petit frère' into the DMA offices with my recommendation of a museum for him to tour – Musee Carnavalet. I also neglected to tell either of you that I am a member of the DMA, but we're still friends – right?'

With a sad grimace, Dominique decided she would have to make time to practice her flame resistance charms. This could get ugly. Maybe she could fix things… a little crow in a humble pie?

—-CS—-

Greengrass Manner

The Same Day

England

Cyrus Greengrass was not a happy man. His younger brother, Gareth, had gone too far and would be put in his place. The scene he made at Gringotts was inexcusable. It was the last in a long string of bad decisions. His blood purity ideas had gone far enough! Looking about his study, he made sure all fragile materials were moved. This might get a bit messy. Sitting back and taking a deep breath, he summoned his house elf, "Tolly!"

Tolly popped in directly, "Yes Master Greengrass? You called?"

"Yes, Tolly. Has Lady Greengrass left yet?" He really didn't want Roxanne stumbling into this conversation.

"Yes, Master. Tolly helped her prepare and saw her off with Miss Daphne and Miss Astoria."

"Good. Will you tell Gareth that I would like to see him immediately? We have much to discuss."

Tolly has known Cyrus Greengrass his entire life. He was always an extremely focused wizard. He rarely became angry, but when he was – it was frightening. Tolly did not envy Lord Greenrass' brother. "Yes My Lord."

With a slight smile, Cyrus thanked Tolly. He always cared for the small creature. Tolly had helped with him as a child as well as his children. He would always take care of the silly little fellow. His brother, Gareth, on the other hand constantly irritated him. He was finally going to let him have it. It was time for Gareth to understand how little he really mattered. It was time for an attitude adjustment and a re-defining of their relationship.

Thirty minutes and two tumblers of fire whiskey later, Gareth Greengrass shows up.

Gareth was irritated at the summoning. He had better things to do on a Saturday afternoon than meet with his brother. Gareth was a large man, very broad and very strong. He was also very used to getting his way. He always looked at Cyrus as an indecisive and overly cautious man. Truthfully, not worthy to be the Lord of such a prestigious house as Greengrass. One of the sacred 28 families. Oh, he was affable enough, and a strong business mind… but not strong in the ways that matter. More of a social climber and cunning business man. To make matters worse, he married Roxanne Greengrass née Fawley. The same witch Gareth had his eye on. Well, time to get this over with, "Cyrus, how can I be of service?"

"Gareth, do come in. We have much to discuss. Help yourself to some fire whiskey." He watched his younger brother with a calm face that gave away none of his anger. The ice king. Obviously, Gareth did not want to be here. He took a generous glass of Cyrus' best whiskey.

Walking to the family tree mural that all the sacred 28 had, Cyrus beckoned his brother over. "Come over here, Gareth. Let's take a look at our tree. We need to discuss where our family is going."

Gareth was now interested. His brother was FINALLY coming to him for advice. Now it was time to turn the ship. "Cyrus, I am glad you're coming to me for family advice. It is long overdue if I do say so myself."

Cyrus politely smiled, "Yes, yes, Gareth. Look here. Look at how few of us are left. Over half of our family were lost when Grindlewald rose up. On both sides, I may add. Then Voldemort rose up and so many of our cousins perished. Most on his side, unfortunately. Against fathers express instructions to remain neutral. Dad paid for that instruction with his life. When the dust settled, only the core family was left. Michael, Daphne, Astoria, You, Me and Roxanne. By marriage."

"Cyrus, this is common knowledge... " Gareth stopped when his brother held up his hand. Gareth realized that Cyrus was invoking 'Paterfamilias Auctoritatis' to ensure he had full control. What was he playing at?

Cyrus smiled calmly. "We'll come back to this. Now, let's review the sacred twenty eight." He walked to another tapestry. One Gareth had not seen in the study before. "You are a genealogy expert, fill in the blanks for me. Let's start with the Abbott family." Seeing his brother begin to stare off, he added, "Gareth, stay focused please – let's start at the top. The Abbotts. Who are they, how many are there, have they grown or shrunk, and what are their financial position?"

"The Abbotts are a predominantly light family. There are currently about forty five Abbotts in magical Britain. About half were killed in You-Know-Who's first rise. The family is wealthy, but the next generation is small. Only about twelve Abbotts are of an age where they can continue the line. Including cousins."

Cyrus then pointed to the next family on the tapestry.

Gareth hesitantly gave his review. "The Avery family was nearly wiped out in the last two wars. There are perhaps a dozen left with only a half dozen or so cousins able to carry on the line. Some are half-bloods" He added this last piece with no disguise for his contempt. "Their fortunes are gone, consumed in the war and they are without wealth."

Gareth continued to the next family on the tapestry, "The Black family was all but wiped out. The main line is made up of half-bloods, and very few of them. Of the pure Blacks, only Andromeda Tonks is left, and she is not having any more children. Her sister is a Malfoy and part of that line. Andromeda's grandchild is the heir. He is a half-blood and werewolf mix." More contempt. "Their Fortune is extremely high and they are currently the wealthiest family in Magical Britain. Politically, their head of house is extremely influential."

Gareth started to move on, but Cyrus stopped him. "Tell me what you know about Lord Black."

Now Cyrus had another clue where this was going. "Harry Potter is the defeater of You-Know-Who. He is the heir of the Black, Potter, and Peverell families. Peverell is actually not a Sacred 28 family as it pre-dates magical Britain. It is the progenitor family of Potter, Gryffindor, Gaunt, and possibly more. He is also a half-blood and ill trained for his position."

Cyrus just looked at him and added, "You forgot Slytherin. He is the heir of Slytherin. Through his mother. She was likely a Gaunt decedent and he is, to the best of our knowledge, the last heir of Slytherin."

Gareth had heard enough, "She was an uppity Mudblood whore who…SMACK!" His brother had backhanded him full force. Since Cyrus had enacted 'Paterfamilias Auctoritatis', he had to just take it. If he resisted or retaliated, the wards would kick in and he would be a memory.

Cyrus calmly added, "She is a national hero and the mother of the wizard known as 'the savior of magical Britain'. A hero we, house Greengrass, are trying to align ourselves with. Now, let's continue."

They walked the families one by one. Most were in dire straits. A few were either extinct or near extinct. The wars had decimated the families of Britain, especially the sacred 28 families. They still held a great deal of power, but it was fading fast. When they were finished, Cyrus had him repeat the process, but with the analysis focused on Squibs. It was horrific how many squibs there were in the sacred 28. It seemed to get worse in each generation. Cyrus next made him count the children that 'disappear' around eleven. The ones who, perhaps, never got a Hogwarts letter. It was depressing. The truth was sinking in. Purebloods were becoming sterile or interbred to the point of becoming squibs.

Birthrates, Gareth, tell me about them.

"Birthrates and fertility have been dropping among the pure bloods. Too many branches have been eliminated. Too many deaths." Gareth knew what was coming, but it still hurt.

"Gareth, forgive me, but why don't you have children?"

"I'm infertile and you damn well know it!" Cyrus let the disrespect go. This time. Making Gareth say it out loud was enough of a blow. Cyrus knew Gareth treated Daphne and Astoria as his own children.

"Now Gareth, let's talk magic affinity levels. We'll use the Merlin scale. A ten is a mythical number that we suspect Merlin may have been. I already know the DOM randomly monitors magic affinity, but I'm really only interested in a few numbers. Specifically, the average wizard, the average muggleborn, the average half blood, and the average pureblood. Add to that, the level of Grindlewald, Voldemort, Dumbledore, and Harry Potter."

Gareth had no choice but to proceed. "The average pure blood witch or wizard is between 3.5 and 4.2 on the Merlin scale. The average half blood is between 3.8 and 4.3 on the scale. The average muggleborn is between 3.2 and 4.1. There are plenty of exceptions, but these are the ranges within two standard deviations. We classify anything over 8.0 as a true mage. Magic works differently for them. It's subtle, but different. We do not know the level of Grindlewald, but Dumbledore was higher and had approximately 9.1. You-know-who had 9.3." Taking a deep breath, he added what he knew Cyrus really wanted, "Harry Potter is not really known. His level is guessed to be at 9.8, but anything over 9.5 is too high to accurately measure so we just call him a 10."

"I see. So there is not much difference 'magically' between wizards of different blood statuses. If the DOM is saying Mr. Potter is a '10', the mythical 10 is no longer mythical. What do they call it?"

"They call it the Peverell point. You obviously know that Cyrus, why…BAMM!" That was a fist. Gareth's nose was now bleeding. Gareth was beginning to see his brother in a new light.

"So, tell me, Gareth, what is the reason you went out of your way to antagonize the most powerful wizard in Britain? The head of the wealthiest magical family? And a very influential man at that. Why were you trying to sabotage a plan to align our families and strengthen the Greengrass family's financial and political position?"

"What the Hell Cyrus, that little shite got exa…CRACK!" Gareth's eye would likely swell shut over that comment. More blood, now from his eyebrow. Calmly and with a hint of tremor in his voice, "I did not want Daphne to serve an inferior family." He flinched, but no blow came.

Cyrus was still outwardly very calm. Gareth was seeing something that terrified him. His brother could be vicious while maintaining a calm facade. "Daphne, is not SERVING the house of Black. Read the contract… right here." He passed a copy of the document to Gareth. The area Cyrus wanted read was underlined. "Read it, please."

And Gareth read, "As a show of friendship and alliance, Daphne Greengrass, of house Greengrass, will assist the houses of Black, Potter, and Peverell in assimilating into wizarding society." He had not noticed that sentence in his first reading. It set the tone for the relationship.

Doubling down, he implored his brother, "Cyrus, we don't need them! We have been affiliated with the Selwyn fa… SMACK!" His lip was now split open and bleeding.

"Gareth, you just read the fortunes of the Selwyn family. Were you even listening to yourself? They are struggling to maintain their status and are near bankrupt. Voldemort drained them dry to fund his little war. Like so many of his supporters. And after the war, the reparations finished the job. So, who will they turn to when they move to shore up their resources?" Cyrus could see the lumos coming on. "Don't be shy Gareth, answer the question."

"They will draw from their cadet lines." Gareth said as the picture was growing clearer.

Cyrus calmly responded, "And which of their cadet lines is not yet in a dire financial position?"

"Greengrass." Pausing to think of how to frame the words and avoid being struck, "Can we not afford to assist them? I'm not challenging Cyrus, just asking…"

Cyrus calmly nodded, recognizing that Gareth was beginning to understand their relationship. "No. Not without selling off assets." Pausing and considering a moment, Cyrus adds, "You see Gareth, our competitors are holding up your publications as a definition of our family. Most of our customers are half-bloods to some degree or at least related to half-bloods and muggleborns. Hard to read those publications about a relation or loved one. The impact to our bottom line has been brutal. Politically, no one will ally with us. We are losing our footing and our fortune. Slowly."

"I did it to protect the family, Cyrus. Your voting record was in question with the new regime. They were talking about marrying off Daphne and Astoria!"

No punishment for this, even if it was self-serving. "I know Gareth. But you have said so many things over the last few decades… No one would believe it if you claimed it was under duress. And you did it without informing me." Pausing and pouring another whiskey. One for him, and a refill for Gareth, Cyrus continued. "Did you know I was feigning terminal illness to buy Michael time? He was playing the same game you were, only better."

"Michael is in Azkaban, Cyrus. WHOOSH!" The blow came right to his stomach. Gareth fell to his knees gasping for air. His Whiskey all over the carpet. Mixing with his blood.

"Michael is where he needs to be to stay safe. Once the last pureblood holdouts are rounded up, he will be released as an undercover sympathizer who helped half-bloods and muggleborns escape to the continent. For now, he has to stay under guard to ensure his own safety."

"And why would anyone believe that?" Gareth croaked out while lying on the floor. "CRACK!" Gareth felt a few ribs break.

"Because it is true. He assisted many of his half-blood and muggleborn friends and their families. Plus a few others. Enough to show he was no blood purist. And no one who knows him can say he has always been a bigot. No, they'll say he played the game, toed the line, and saved lives at his own risk."

Considering his words, Cyrus added, "They will believe it, because it will come from Harry Potter. Harry Potter, who already knows Michael saved lives and provided information on snatchers and death eater cells. As does Ronald Weasley, the most aggressive and relentless Auror on the force."

Cyrus was a little worried at this point. Gareth's re-education was taking longer than he expected. His hand was aching. It might be broken. He'd have to use his left hand and the steel toe shoes he bought specifically for this conversation. The girls would be devastated if anything happened to Uncle Gareth, but Cyrus was sorely tempted to just arrange for an accident. Hopefully it would not come to that.

"Now, Gareth, let's talk about Astoria…"

—-CS—-

Harry's Rented Apartment

Same Night

Paris

Harry came in and sat his stolen 'tour guide magazine' down in the designated spot for Fashad. This completes the three nights of stolen materials. No thrill this time, he was too annoyed. Dominique had lied to him. And after he had declared them friends! Add in that she took advantage of his 'grande soeur' and he was in no mood to play. He really hated being deceived, and the fact that Dominique did this triggered all his trust issues.

Oh well, one less 'so-called-friend' to keep up with. Say what you will about the DOM, Padma had never pulled this crap with him. At least, not in a way his 'girls' ever picked up on.

Artemis knew immediately that she was feeling guilty about something. The girls had originally decided it was because Harry is such a handsome man and she was having scandalous thoughts about him so soon after her breakup. Harry did his best not to roll his eyes at that. Sometimes the girls sounded like either a romance novel or a soap opera.

In the ministry, while Harry and Hecate were working on the obelisk, Artemis and Selene both picked up on her being very familiar with everyone present and the return of the guilty behavior. One knowing look was shared between Dominique and Mme Bellamy, and the truth was out. Selene had offered to bite her, but Hecate told her not to. Something about seeing everything play out.

Harry heard all this while he was examining the not-so-ancient dried blood and the lack of sand residue. He had already formed an excellent idea of who he was dealing with, but sending in Dominique brought the whole scenario down a few levels in respectability. If they wanted to play like this, he decided to put them in the hot seat. If he wasn't a bit hurt and offended, he would have enjoyed watching them scramble around. To Mme Bellamy's credit, she did not call security. That would have worked out horrifically for all involved parties.

The tour had been nice up until that point. Harry had noted that there were quite a few ancient artefacts in the DMA area of the museum, but they did not seem to know what to do with them. One was quite impressive and begged to be used. Instead it was on display in a glass case. Sad really. He may have to 'liberate' it at some point. No less than they deserved.

Sitting down and relaxing, Harry checked his banishing box for correspondence. It was not empty… Well, time to dig in. "Pipsey, can you help me out?"

Pipsey appeared suddenly with a 'pop', "How was Master Harry's date? Did master's witch like the flowers?" Pipsey was so excited. The girls just looked at each other embarrassed. This would be an awkward conversation.

"Well, yes, she liked the flowers very much. Unfortunately, we decided to not continue seeing each other. We just don't have enough in common." Like honesty and integrity, he glumly thought. At that, Pipsey just patted his hand sadly. "Hey, you know what would make this all better? Some of your famous grilled cheese and tomato soup for dinner?" At that, Pipsey beamed with pride and started in the kitchen. Pipsey really does make the best comfort food on earth. Her grilled cheese and tomato soup is amazing. Sitting back, he started on the letters. Thinnest ones first!

Ah, this is from Colin! I can always count on a fun letter from my little buddy! Harry wrote up a brief response. They would be getting together Tuesday. He had a tour scheduled at the Eiffel tower and they could just hang out. Harry had a midnight tour of the catacombs tonight – maybe Colin could come along to that as well! He'd send a different message for that.

Focusing his thoughts, he conjured a midnight black owl, whispered the invite – and away it went. Harry knew Colin would go crazy over that! It's a combination spell he came up with that combines an ancient spell called Dark Messenger with a simple conjuring of an owl. It only worked at night, but it was after nine so…

Next thinnest letter, oh. Ginny. He shuffled that to the bottom. Maybe tomorrow. Nexxxxt…

Padma Patil. Padma wrote him a nice note describing a few of her experiments. She was always very bright… In most ways, just as smart as Hermione, but not as inclined to 'over-do-it' to the point that people become frustrated. She was working on some kind of dark magic detector. He'd have to work with her on that. Very promising. Doing a double take, he exclaimed, "What the hell?" Harry got the part where Padma asked how he liked the DMA. She must have seen the itinerary and assumed he knew… Damn. He filled in the girls and just shook his head. The he started to quietly laugh. "More in common with Hermione than he expected apparently!" Smart girls tend to assume everyone knows as much as they do. How on earth would he know the Département des Mystéres des Arcanes was in the Musee Carnavalet?

In the spirit of not procrastinating, he pulled out a piece of paper and began a letter, just then, his soup and sandwiches arrived. OK – that first. "Thanks, Pipsey!"

Hecate was reviewing the letter. She had a few thoughts on the experiment too. Harry would convey both of their ideas the next time they met up. He enjoyed reading to the girls, it was one of their morning rituals. Usually they had little to say, but liked being included. No way was he reading Ginny's letter to them!

Once Harry finished inhaling his meal, he thanked Pipsey again and went back to writing. He filled Padme in on the whole DMA fiasco and that his 'Date" over the last two days would be his contact for the DMA. He wasn't too happy about that, but at least he had a good read on Dominique. Padma would work out the way they would interact. On a whim, he thanked her for never pulling that kind of crap with him.

Next letter… Neville Longbottom!

§"Hmmm. Apparently his classes are expanding and Pamona is stepping back. He is moving into his own place with Hannah during winter break. Apparently his Gran is scandalized that he has been living over a pub. I don't now girls, I think his Gran is right. Neville needs to have less alcohol in his life. We've been invited to his holiday house warming party. We'll send a gift."§ It was obvious to the girls that Harry had no intention of going.

Selene picked up on his mood change as soon as the letter mentioned Hannah. §"Harry, why don't you like Hannah? She seems nice enough. Kind of quiet, but nice. Neville seems to like her, but you don't."§

§"Well, it all goes back to that fourth year. You guys weren't around back then, but I REALLY needed you." These were painful memories and Harry didn't want to dwell on them too long. "She was one of the people I remember most vividly antagonizing me. She felt I was stealing the thunder and fame from Cedric, her friend and house mate. She also had a bit of a house issue. Some of the Hufflepuffs had a real chip on their shoulder because they thought no one respected their house. The Horcrux was fueling this horrifically to the point where the Puffs were more likely to hex me in the back than the children of death eaters"§

Selene continued to look at him, waiting for more information. Artemis and Hecate were also listening, but trying not to be obvious.

Harry decided to just wrap it up. §"Well, one day I was trying to get out of the castle and she blocked me. Holding up that damn pin she used to wear. She was taller than me back then, or maybe she was just standing on a step higher. I don't know. She and Ernie blocked me and I had to squeeze through. Ten steps later, someone hexed me from behind. Right in the middle of the back. It was a nasty Hex and I had to just lay there until I was recovered enough to get up."§ Harry took a sip of tea at this point.

Then, finishing the story. §"People were laughing at me as I lay there, struggling to get up. Some people even threw garbage at me. Ernie looked a little embarrassed, but Hannah looked… proud. Happy even… Just laughing away. I never knew who cast that hex, but she seemed to take delight in my pain. For some reason, that stuck with me. There were plenty of other hexes and ambushes that year, but that one was one of the ones that I can't shake. She was also a distributer for those damn buttons throughout Hufflepuff."§

He then quietly added, §"Even Susan had one."§At one point, in his third year, he and Susan were friends. He'd forgotten how much that hurt. §"Did you know Hannah is in training to be the new Medical Matron at Hogwarts once Mme Pomfrey retires?"§ That seemed to really get to him. How could she be a healer when she took delight in his pain?

Artemis looked ready to kill, Selene looked sad, and Hecate just looked confused. Artemis was in combat mode, so she started, §"Harry, how could anyone get the drop on you? You always sense attacks. It's impossible to catch you like that."§

§"Back then, the Horcrux was really blocking me on most things. Learning anything new was more difficult, my magic was being siphoned off by both the Horcrux and the protections against it. Developing my 'danger sense' and magical 'awareness' came later. Probably because of that horrible year. I was ambushed and hexed more times than I can remember. I was beaten down so low at that point…"§

Selene timidly added in a very soft and caring voice, §"Do you want us to kill her for you, Harry?"§ Harry was touched. And more than a little horrified. It reminded him of Hedwig. And Andromeda. Crazy Protective. Loving. Predator. Frightening. The other girls were not correcting or contradicting Selene. The offer was serious.

§"No. Thank you, but no. The Horcrux affected everyone. Badly. I can't hold her responsible. In all honesty, she was a victim too. If I decided to hold people responsible for the fourth year, I'd be holding it against the ENTIRE school. This is just something I need to deal with. I don't even know if she was the one who cast the curse. It was a bad one, so it probably wasn't her. I never want to re-live that year, not even in conversation. But for what it is worth, Ginny never turned on me."§ He let that sink in.

Hecate gently asked, §"You see Hannah often enough, has she ever apologized? Have you ever asked about it? I know you like Neville, but you avoid him when he is with Hannah – which is most of the time. Have you ever thought about talking to Hannah about this?"§ The other girls were nodding along. Great. Harry's emotions must be showing on his face. How could he be such a strong occlumens and have no poker face?

Ignoring them, he picks up the next letter. Time to move on. §"The next letter is from McGonagall. She wants me to teach a NEWT level course on one of a few select topics. Let's see, Elemental Magic, Illusion Magic, Combat, or Ancient Magical History."§ Harry just shook his head. He had no intention of returning to Hogwarts as a teacher. Hell, he'd go to Beauxbaton's first. §"I think I'll let Daphne field this one. Seriously, 'Combat Magic'? Is that how they get around the DADA curse? By just renaming the course?"§ Harry shrugged his shoulders. He'd have Daphne offer a pro-bono curse breaking to the school. He would meet with McGonagall while on campus. Maybe discuss a potential apprentice or two.

§"Up Next. Gringotts! Well, it seems I have a few documents to sign now that I am 21. More properties and all. The Potter inheritance kicked in and this also completes the legal requirement for the Peverell inheritance. All in person."§ Pausing and thinking, Harry decides he wants to do this sooner, rather than later. "§What do you say we go to Gringotts Paris next week? Maybe Tuesday morning. Before I hang with Colin. I'll arrange with Daphne and Director Ragnok.§"

Harry wrote three brief letters, To Daphne, Andromeda, and Director Ragnok. Hopefully Tuesday at the Paris branch of Gringotts would work. He held off on sealing Andromeda and Daphne's letters until he had a chance to read the letters they had written him.

The letter from Daphne was up next. "§Ok, Daphne… She wants to know when we can get together and discuss plans and events. She apparently has been busy scouting the social events of the fall up through New Year's Eve. Hmmm. Thinking about a Black holiday party that does not interfere with any other big events. And… Apparently, Narcissa has invited us to the Malfoy Christmas party. The Longbottom New Year's Eve event is once again planned. What's this? The Greengrass Equinox party on Sept 22nd. Looking for direction around Samhain. Wanting to know if that would be a good time to kick off a charity in my parent's name. No pressure…§" Feels like Andromeda may have given gentle direction in this. "§We'll talk in person. Maybe she can come to Yvoire on Monday with Andromeda to review.§" God how he hated Halloween. Samhain. Whatever.

The girls looked a bit bored, Selene perked up a bit at the mention of a party, but then they just settled into whispering to each other. Harry suspected they were whispering about him.

"§OK – last letter. (Beside Ginny's) This one is from Andromeda. Teddy loves the snow globe, but he is driving Andromeda a little nutty with it. Using it to answer all sorts of questions. Hmm, maybe I can spell it in a way that matches what Andromea wants him to do. I don't know girls, I guess I am still a marauder at heart! Good prank and I can score a few points with the Lady Black… She has been meeting with Daphne and seems to really like her. She is urging me to not be hasty in dismissing Samhain's day. Yeah. I don't see her out celebrating on the fall of Voldemort day.§" Silently, he cursed himself for that. Losing Tonks and Remus was nothing to make light of. "§Oh, look here, Teddy sent us some pictures.§" They all enjoyed the pictures and it broke the tension. The girls kept a picture that featured them.

Glad he held out on sending Andromeda and Daphne's letters. He invited them both down Monday. With Teddy of course. They could talk business plans and social calendars. He had to be back in London on Tuesday to meet up with Bill and Fleur, but they could stay in Yvoire the week. Assuming it's not a dump. Or a mess. He was checking it out tomorrow. Hopefully it was not too bad.

Now, the best for last. He excused himself and went to sitting room to read Ginny's letter.

Dear Harry,

I hope you are well. I miss talking to you and hope things will be normal for us soon. The Harpies break ends a week from Wednesday and I am expecting the practices to be especially grueling. The following Saturday will be a good game. We are playing the Appleby Arrows. I am sending you a few tickets to the next few games. It should be enough for you to bring Andromeda and Teddy. I hope Paris is treating you well. Don't let the socialite life keep you from being who you are, take time to enjoy yourself. Maybe we can synch up soon and talk. I'd like that.

Katie says hi. So do Mum and Dad.

Sincerely,

Ginny

Well, that was… polite. Four tickets to the next game. That might be fun. Harry wasn't up to a response and didn't really know what to say. He was not sure if the letter made him feel better or worse. Ginny's Birthday is a week away, he needs to send something. Fleur could help, he'd talk about shopping on Tuesday night after spending the day with Colin.

Speaking of which, he was meeting Colin at 11:30 - in an hour and a half, for the midnight catacomb tour. Should be fun. He would take the elder wand and his original holly and phoenix wand. But that's all. Hey, I'm on vacation, time to act like it. No armor, pistols, potions, flights of paranoia… He'd relax and just be a tourist.

Seriously, it's not Halloween. What could possibly go wrong?

-CS-

Notes:

What could go wrong? We'll see next time.

I'm ready to write a little action to be certain.

So, do you readers think I was too hard on Gareth?

Please read and review if you have any constructive feedback.

Trying to decide if I need to focus solely on Harry or keep a little side story for Ginny and some of the others. Let me know your thoughts if you feel strongly one way or the other.

Thanks