JK Rowling Owns Harry Potter

FASA Owns the Earthdawn Game

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 designating anything in parcel tongue with §"Italic script"§

-CS-

A Tale of two Dinner Parties

Potter House

Yvoire, France

The House and the Gardens

3:45 PM

Harry and Andromeda returned to the house from Gringotts. Daphne went to see her sister. Entering the house was like opening a bottle of fun. Teddy was doing metamorph tricks for Victoire and she was laughing hysterically. Harry was almost brought to tears by the sight. Tonks used to do that to cheer him up when he was down.

Harry felt blessed to have these people in his life. "Hey guys, looks like you had fun!" Teddy ran over and leapt into his arms.

"Daddy! Victoire is funny! She laughs all the time!" Everyone was quiet. Well, Victoire was still laughing. Teddy had called him 'Daddy'.

Harry got a little choked up. "I know buddy! And so are you!" Harry then proceeded to spin the little guy around. Soon they were all laughing hysterically. He'd talk to Andromeda about this. She would help find the best solution. He did consider Teddy to be his son, but he was Andromeda's son too. And neither wanted to have Remus and Tonks forgotten.

Then Teddy walked over to Victoire and said "Bonjour, Mademoiselle." He made his hair flop about and change colors while he said it. The reaction was hysterical laughter from Victoire.

Harry looked over at Fleur and said, "Teaching the language I see."

Fleur responded with a confused look, "Non, Harry. I thought you were teaching him. He has been trying new words all afternoon." Harry looked at Andromeda and she shook her head.

Harry realized teddy must be a natural if he was picking up French so quickly. "Teddy, where did you learn French?"

"Catherine! She says you're a hero." Teddy was so proud of him. Harry looked over at Bill and Fleur questioningly. They just shrugged.

"Where did you see Catherine?" Harry was a little concerned now. He didn't know anyone named Catherine.

"She is in the mirror."

AH, an enchanted mirror obviously. Welcome to the world of outrageous flattery. Odd that the mirror downstairs knew about Harry. He hadn't even spoken to it. Maybe it had been talking to the one upstairs? Were they like paintings? Moving around the house? Still. Always cautious, Harry extended his perception and felt something. Something light, fun. Slightly familiar. He quickly focused on this presence, intensifying his astral reconnaissance tremendously. He suddenly froze.

He felt an ever so slight 'tug' on his astral presence. There she was. He could easily sense her now. Walking to the window, he began scanning the back yard. Catherine, the spirit girl from the catacombs was just visible through the trees. She was dancing in the clearing near the ley line intersect. She looked so beautiful. The Ley Lines were helping her get her 'glow' back. She was no threat, but it was a little disturbing that she could find him. The wards on this property were nowhere near as high as Harry normally liked them, 'could she have squeezed through?' Harry wondered. She stopped dancing for a moment and looked up. Harry just numbly smiled and waved to her.

Bill looked at Harry oddly. "Harry, who are you waving to?"

"A ghost child from the catacombs. She must have followed me back after I destroyed that foul guardian spirit. Her death was pretty gruesome and I avenged her." That seemed to get everyone's attention.

Harry motioned for Bill to come over. Once Bill was there, "Shift your focus Bill. To the 'lower' astral plane. Look deep into it, past the glow of the living. Everything is much more subdued. Quieter as a general rule. Do you see her? Right… there." Harry pointed to where Catherine was spinning about.

Bill slowly focused as Harry had taught him. Then he froze up. It's never easy finding yourself, unexpectedly, in the presence of the dead. Well, not easy for most people. "Harry… is she safe?" That reminded Harry of the questions he used to ask Bill while they were disarming ancient wards in Egypt during the summer before his third year. That was the best summer of his young life.*

Harry took the moment and made it educational. Bill did this with him in the field when looking at modern wards. It works. "Absolutely. Look at her closely... First, look at the edge of her aura. Can you see the dark 'blobs'?" Bill slowly nodded. "Those are the last remnants of the darkness that bound her in the catacombs. She is literally spinning them out of her aura. The ley line juncture is helping. It's like taking a deep and hot shower. Now look at her 'inner' aura. Notice there are no black streaks or malicious 'notes' close to her. No red streaks showing anger or aggressiveness. She is here because she wants to be." Bill was taking all this in. He was a natural. "Finally, look at the pulsing patterns around her head. The gold and silver sparks. A few blue notes as well. That is a bit of her personality. Brave, noble, mischievous… maybe other stuff too. She is kind of far away."

The entire room was watching Harry teach Bill about the supernatural. They were all engrossed. They could feel Harry's magic as well as Bill's. While Harry's was a cold and clean Alpine forest with oak and subtle hints of roses, Bill's was something else altogether. Not as strong as Harry's, but still present.

Bill's magic had a Sandalwood flavor to it. This was accompanied by a hint of Papyrus. He had the 'feel' of a warm breeze in a desert oasis. Extremely dependable. Like a rock. Egypt must have impacted him tremendously. He was hard to read with Harry in the room, but Fleur always picked it up.

Harry did note that Catherine seemed tied to HIM rather than to the house or the catacombs. That's probably why he did not immediately feel her, she was personally attached. Probably happened while he was in combat. Harry noted that he needed to be more careful and observant, he couldn't let himself miss this kind of thing in the future. He briefly considered cutting the threads that tied them together, but decided not to. She was not pulling any measurable amount of mana from him, it was more like a frightened child holding his hand. When she was ready, he would help her move on. Until then, he would care for her. His desire for a family and kids probably made it easier for her to attach herself. Intent… Harry still had a lot to learn. It pained him to admit it, but Dumbledore really did know a lot. Things you can't learn in a book.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and half the room jumped out of their skin. Harry just smiled. He had already felt Colin coming through the wards. Catherine and continued dancing off in the distance.

Colin came in and had the obligatory house tour, then the Weasley's went out for their photos. Teddy went down for a nap and Harry took the time to begin enchanting a few charms into Gabby's bracelet. He could do a lot in a few hours. The bracelet was primed to receive simple enchantments by the jeweler. Harry's enchantments were anything BUT simple.

Harry went out to the ley line intersect point to give this a little more oomph, and to save time. He enchanted each of the seven sapphires. He added a disillusionment charm, toxin detection, potion detection, a summoning charm, shielding charm, and finally, a healing charm. The detection enchantments were constant and the charms were good for one use before needing to be recharged.

-CS-

Potter House

Yvoire, France

While Colin is Taking Pictures Outside

Finishing up the enchantments, Harry came upstairs and saw Bill at the table reading over the Malta notes. Colin was likely doing a few photographs with just Fleur and Victoire. Andromeda was out with Teddy.

"Hey, Bill. How was the photo shoot?"

Bill looked up from the notes and smiled. "Very nice, Harry. Thanks for doing this. Mum is always after me to take pictures No doubt we will be financing Colin's next camera!" They both laughed at that. Colin had invested much of the Basilisk funds Harry had given him into wizarding photography training and equipment. He was good, but a bit poor. The young guys just couldn't say no to a new camera.

Harry glanced at the table before asking, "Looking over the Malta notes?"

"Yeah. I've made a bit of headway. Still plenty to decipher. But that's not why I came back early."

Looking at the door to make sure Fleur was not near, Bill quietly warned Harry, "Harry, I thought I would give you a gentle heads up. I think Fleur is laying the groundwork to set you up with her sister. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but I don't want you to be blindsided. Gabrielle thinks the world of you, and this is not her doing. So, don't screw that up if things get weird."

Harry was a bit stunned. "Oh, ok. Thanks for the heads up. Isn't she kind of young? Like, 13 or 14? I just turned 21 last month." Harry started trying to do the math in his head...

"No, Harry." Thinking about it, Bill continues, "You do know she was a first year during the tournament, right? Had the little blue uniform and everything. She's about 3 years younger than you. About two years younger than Ginny. She turns 18 in September. Everyone used to think she was younger for some reason. In a way, she is kind of like you. Looks younger than she is. Well, she used to. Then she hit 16 and that ended." At this Bill just raised his eye brows and shook his head.

Narrowing his eyes a bit and evaluating Harry's blank look, "Harry, we talked about this before you left for France. Don't you remember? She's a rising seventh year? Needed an escort? Fleur got so excited she floo called her father? Does this ring any bells? You do know you are going to the event, right? With Gabby."

Thinking back, Harry responded with a little shock, "I know I'm going with her, I'm just fuzzy on the details. I remember having just dealt with that article from Witch Weekly. I do recall Fleur saying I could take Gabby. And there would be dancing… I even got her a gift. I just did not remember it was a seventh year only event." Pausing and thinking back a moment, he added, "Don't forget my anxiety of sitting around and waiting for Ginny to show up. Then the Wizard Auction came up… I still can't believe I'm actually doing THAT."

Thinking about how the conversation started, Harry added, "Bill, you know I am still dealing with my break from Ginny, right? I'm really not wanting to start dating anytime soon. Definitely not anyone still in school. That would be…inappropriate. I never really saw Gabby as anything other than a sweet little girl. Kind of like Luna - like having a little sister. Are you sure she's almost 18?"

Shaking his head, Bill just grinned. "Harry, if you have to ask that, then you must have been crazy in love with Ginny. Gabby is an inch taller than Fleur and has an Allure that is just as strong." Sitting back and being Serious, "Fleur and I both know you need a break from dating, just know that she may be laying the foundation for more in the future." In his mind, Bill wondered if Harry would still think it 'inappropriate' when he saw her clearly. He'd have to suggest they all go swimming and watch Harry's reaction to seeing her in a bikini. Inappropriate! Ha! Harry is more innocent than most third year students.

"I'll make a deal with you Harry, you don't tell Fleur I warned you and I don't tell her you forgot Gabby was a rising seventh year."

"Deal!" Harry loved hanging out with Bill. The guy was just so cool. He did wonder why Fleur would even think about setting him up in the future with her sister. Harry never felt half as cool as Bill.

"Why me, Bill? It's not like I'm cool or anything. I mean, we both know I am not the kid from those crazy children's books. That kid was tall and perfect, I'm only a shade over 5'9" and far from perfection. And this scar…" Harry points to his head, "It will never completely fade. For crying out loud, it's right in the middle of my forehead!"

"Harry, are you serious? You are an attractive guy, I know because Witch Weekly keeps featuring you and your 'dazzling emerald eyes'. Seriously, it's an adjective now! 'Potter Eyes', I kid you NOT." They both laughed at that descriptive.

"And no, you are not 'cool', but you are sincere. That beats 'cool' every time." Smirking, he added, "And you do give off a rebellious vibe. Seriously, you are the bad boy of Hogwarts that called Snape a 'Fucking Deatheater' to his face in front of witnesses. Right after you killed a Basilisk with a sword! No, Harry, cool's got nothing on you, little brother." Harry loved it when Bill called him that.

Getting back to the topic, Bill dropped a bombshell, "When Fleur first met you, she thought you weren't into girls." At that Harry just stared at Bill.

Harry started to chuckle when Bill held up his hand and continued, "Don't laugh. You were fourteen years old and full of hormones, but you were not affected by the allure. At least, not much. You seemed a little affected at the world games. I have a high tolerance, but yours was even higher. Then, she saw you DID like girls and she was 'taken aback'. That means, at fourteen years old, you were stronger than ninety five percent of the adult wizards. After you rescued Gabby, she was ready to adopt you."

"You also earned a life debt when you protected her in the maze. She is sure Krum was going to kill her while under the imperious curse." Bill added with a smirk.

"So that's all it is, a life debt? You know, half of England owes me a life debt at this point." Harry added with a laugh and shaking his head.

"No, that's not it. Well, not entirely. Fleur really does not have many friends or people she cares about. Veela tolerate each other, but they are also very competitive. Normal witches often behave in a petty and jealous way. You know, even Ginny treats her bad. Her own sister in law. She calls her 'Phlegm' behind her back." This seems to make Bill really pissed. Harry knew he told Ginny to never call her that in his presence again. Harry had said much the same.

Bill continued, "Most boys and men act like love sick idiots around a Veela. Nothing endearing about that. Hell, even my own brothers act all lovey-dovey around her. So, my wife loves her parents, her sister, me, a half dozen or so friends, and, she loves you."

Harry ran his hand through his hair, "I just assumed she had tons of friends" considering Bill's words carefully, he asked, "What do you mean by 'Veela are competitive'?"

Pausing to collect his thoughts, Bill gave him a funny look. "You are resistant to the allure, right? Well, the vast majority of wizards are not. Most Veela want a family, just like most wizards and witches. However, they don't want a family with a man who can't handle the allure. They also need a wizard powerful enough to protect them should any 'allure driven fools' get any aggressive or possessive ideas. It happens, believe me. I have the scars to prove it."

Bill continued as Harry just listened, "So, unless a Veela can meet a strong enough wizard, they just have to live with other Veela in a commune of sorts for companionship and protection. Usually, the rare wizard strong enough, is at their peak magically. That happens sometime between 45 - 70 years old. Not what an 18 year old beautiful young witch dreams about. And by then, the 'good' wizards are usually married. You, Harry, were strong enough at 14 to resist the allure. You are nice looking and very athletic. Very… symmetrical, I guess. You are kind and caring... You are wealthy. No struggling wizard here. Wealth is far less important to a Veela than to most witches, but security and stability are important to everyone." At this, Bill shrugs one shoulder and tilts his head. Basic stuff.

Bill wrapped up with, "Now, the competitive side. Your resistance to the allure is not something my wife wants other Veela hearing about! I promise you, she will feel threatened by any Veela that comes within 10 yards of you. Veela can be as aggressive and possessive as an allure crazed wizard. Fleur would never let another Veela 'stake her claim' on you without your consent. She sees you as a little brother and, I suspect, a possible love for her sister. Before we were married, she was very 'protective' of me around her Veela cousins."

Given the events of the last two weeks, Harry was not interested in anything related to romance or of possible love affairs. He needed time without any romance or female attention. So, he steered the conversation to curse breaking. The conversation wound around and eventually turned to Malta. Bill had made some headway on the information, but needed Harry to fill in the blanks.

Harry was the only known individual fluent in Theran runes and script. Bill was learning fast, but Harry was the only 'guide book'. Bill confessed that he was having second thoughts on breaking the seals on the kaer, assuming they could even locate them. There was a risk of freeing whatever was trapped down there. Harry felt much the same way.

-CS-

At Six o'clock, Draco and Astoria arrived with Daphne and… Narcissa Malfoy. "Lady Malfoy, welcome to my home. You know Lord Weasley and Lady Weasley." Harry knew to keep things formal. The Malfoys and the Weasleys are not especially fond of each other. Pleasantries were exchanged and hands were kissed.

Harry gave them a tour of the home and the consensus was that the home was charming. Harry sensed that Narcissa was being polite. As the tour ended, Narcissa pulled a small box from her bag and opened it to reveal five miniature pieces of furniture. "Harry, I have a few pieces of furniture that would work very well in your home." She placed them at different points in the main room and expanded them. They were a perfect fit. Adding a nice area rug completed the picture. So, this is where Andromeda goes for decorating advice.

There was a medium camel back sofa, a pair of very attractive chairs and a center table that was very sturdy looking. Nothing matched and everything went well together. Perfect French country styling. Now he just had to fill the walls and the upper room was done.

"Thank you, Aunt Narcissa. I don't know what to say. I'll have to get your advice when I rebuild my manor house." Harry had said the last piece half joking, but she took it seriously.

"Manor house? Yes, you absolutely will Harry. I look forward to the challenge." Regaining her composure, she added, "Perhaps we can talk further at the Yule celebration?" This would be the first big Malfoy event since the war ended. Having Harry would be a real coup.

"I can't wait. I had planned to RSVP when I returned to London." Narcissa just smiled. "Oh, and I believe we are planning a family celebration as well. We have not picked a date, Daphne and Mum will be setting it up." Oops. He called Andromeda 'Mum', it just slipped out. Narcissa just smiled and looked at her sister. Andromeda looked back with pride.

Harry and Draco expanded the Dining table and seating to accommodate the crowd. The meal was roasted pheasant and it was excellent. Harry and Bill avoided the wine, they were working later. Draco and Harry fell into their verbal melee through dinner, but it was all good natured. Mostly quidditch focused. Then the topics turned to Harry's titles.

Narcissa brought it up first. "So, Harry, I understand you are the new Lord Slytherin. What are your plans for enhancing the image?" She looks almost predatory in her eagerness.

"I am still coming to terms with it. I think I want to focus on reinforcing traditions, encouraging those of muggle birth to support the wizarding economy, and stress education." Yes! Focus on education. Andromeda looked like she approved. As did Daphne. Why did Narcissa make him on edge?

Narcissa nodded approvingly. "Will you be teaching at Hogwarts? I understand that is what is needed to be on the board. The school could use your positive influence."

"I am still considering all my options. It is hard to commit to teaching when I could get a call from a number of ministries in need of my… talents." That should do it. Harry is a light wizard who specializes in doing the things other light wizards don't have the stomach for. "The Department of Mysteries needs its Reaper."

Then Teddy got bored and wanted to play. Andromeda politely excused Teddy from dinner. Harry's familiar came down from upstairs and joined in. Narcissa and Draco had not seen the runespoor in over a year and were shocked at her size. She was not small. Astoria just stared. Runespoors tend to put people in shock. Especially when they like to wrestle with three year olds.

Harry hissed out to his familiar, "§Good timing 'girls'. Play gently, we have a few new people and don't want to scare them.§" The 'girls' just laughed. What everyone else heard was hissing. Fleur winked and Selene winked back. They loved the theatrics. Fleur took Victoire in to join the fun. A runespoor, a toddler and a baby. What more could you ask for? Harry waved his wand and the noise level dropped to a fraction of what it had been. Not silent, but manageable.

Draco was laughing and shaking his head. "Harry, you always bring the entertainment with you. At least this time it is not muggle inspired." Thinking for a minute and becoming serious, he added, "I do hope you consider the Hogwarts position. You're terribly needed. Things have gotten… Bad. Having you as head of Slytherin would be a massive step in the right direction. Consider what a positive influence could accomplish."

Daphne added, "I've heard stories about how Slytherin house is scorned. Innocent children being treated like dark wizards. McGonagall has done very little to curtail it."

Harry knew all about McGonagall putting her head in the sand. "Who is the head of Slytherin now?" Last he heard it was Slughorn. Not that he kept up. When he left Hogwarts, he cut all ties. He really wasn't a Gryffiindor anymore. No house rivalries as he resented them all at the end.

Astoria chimed in, "No one wants it. Horace retired and now they have a rotation of heads. Apparently, it carries a stigma."

Harry pondered that. Every house needs a head. "I'll think about it, but first I have a dark lord to track down." Seeing the shocked looks on all the faces except Bill, he quickly added. "Why do you think I'm in France?" The Malfoys looked blankly at him.

"At the DoM we call it 'Scout and Scythe'. I find them, and… I deal with them. Everyone was stunned. High time these family members knew he was no cream puff of a wizard. He suspected the Black side was just more surprised he had it in him. "I recommend not hanging around in Paris until I… wrap things up."

Bill then chimed in, "Speaking of wrapping things up, are we ready to get down to business?"

Harry gathered his Familiar and he led Draco, Bill, Astoria and Daphne out to where the ley lines intersected. He had advised them to all dress warm as it would get very cold. Thankfully, they had listened.

-CS-

Meanwhile, Back at the House.

Fleur went downstairs to feed Victoire and Teddy fell asleep on the sofa. This gave the Black sisters time to talk. Narcissa started with a simple one word question, "Mum?"

"Harry and I have grown close over the years. He was there for me when my husband and daughter were killed. He is quite impressive, Cissy."

"So I hear. I brought a pensieve, I would love to see how the Gringotts visit played out. It sounds like Harry is high drama at Gringotts. Ms. Greengrass says they didn't even collect wands this time."

Andromeda smiled, "He is a celebrity at Gringotts more so even than in wizarding society. He has no idea how much he gets away with. Ragnok treats him better than he treats the minister."

The Pensieve was placed on the table and Andromeda extracted her memory. "Cissy, absolutely no acting on anything you see, understood?"

Narcissa considered a moment, then agreed.

The sisters dove into the memory. Andromeda 'fast forwarded' past the sensitive details and boring information. She found the 'fun' parts and slowed things down.

After about an hour, the sisters came out of the memory. Fleur had at one point come up and taken Teddy to bed. She was out on the downstairs patio now. She said in a note she left that 'sisters should catch up', she would take care of the kids.

"That was impressive Andromeda. His power has grown, as has his business acumen. The idea to expand Hogsmeade has merit. I never knew he could be so blood thirsty as when he heard about his family property."

"That was a bit surprising. If Harry wasn't always checking his food and drink, I would suspect the Goblins are spiking it somehow. I do suspect the wards magnify power somewhat to cause a buildup, Harry never has 'electrical arcs' like that."

Andromeda poured a cup of tea for them both. "His childhood must have been horrible. He is both fanatically loyal to his family and ruthless to anyone who threatens him. Trust me when I say, never get on his bad side. He reminds me so much of Arcturus and Dorea. And he is learning. Daphne will help him get there."

Narcissa considered that for a moment. "I can see that. Now he is Lord Slytherin. Any hints of a Lady Slytherin?"

"No. But he is young. Ginevra was half way out the door when he proposed. She left with dignity, returning the stipend, not drawing it out… Say what you will, the Weasleys are very honorable. I am sorry it did not work out, but Ginevra was unprepared to lead an ancient and noble house. Had she shown any interest, I would have gladly helped her. I seriously doubt she would want to be Lady Slytherin."

"Two birds with one stone… What about the elder Greengrass daughter? Or the younger Delacour girl?"

"That would be his choice. I think my Harry needs to heal and grow. I'll support him and guide him as he needs and requests. I do like Daphne." Andromeda did not like the two birds and one stone comment. Ginevra left on her own. Right? Changing the topic, "Did you know he loathes spending money from the Black account? He feels like he is robbing from Edward. He is a very trustworthy young man. I hope he takes the Hogwarts position, it would be good for him in the long run."

Narcissa agreed. "The more he grows, the more he will attract followers. I'm glad he and Draco are getting along. The house of Black is on the rise. I like his ideas about Hogsmeade. I suspect he has other ideas as well. The Hogs Head inn could be very nice with the right improvements. A nice upscale place for parents or visiting families."

Andromeda took the moment to ask about her sister's family, "How is the house of Malfoy?"

"Recovering. The health issues of Astoria are distracting Draco. Hopefully, Harry can help with that. Our finances are stable, but we need a formal alliance with the Potter house to begin repairing our reputation. There is a reason Draco has been studying in France."

Andromeda knew the reason. No one wants to be treated or work with a follower of You-Know-Who, and the Malfoy family was the poster child for his followers. Lucius' legacy lives on. "My offer to apprentice him stands. He truly is a gifted healer. He could stay at Grimmauld place and strengthen our allegiances. People need to see how much he has changed since getting away from Lucius' influence. They need to see that he never took 'the mark'."

"I still miss Lucius. The Lucius from my youth. He was a gifted wizard with such a bright future, before that damn mark. So much potential. It destroyed him. His father forced him to take it, I curse that man to hell and back." Looking at her sister, she smiled. "I'm glad we were able to re-connect, Andromeda. It is good to have someone I trust and can talk to. I regret all those years apart." Looking around she added, "I do like this house. It's… charming. Let's make sure Lord Slytherin builds a suitable manor house in Oxfordshire. I remember the original Potter manor. It was impressive. Dorea did a good job with it."

Andromeda listened to her sister. She had missed Narcissa, but that was in the past. Andromeda considered correcting her on Lucius being forced to take the mark. Harry had stressed to her how important it was to be taken freely. Also, the vile acts that had to be performed to qualify for it. No point bringing that up, though.

To Narcissa's credit, she never bought into the Voldemort propaganda. Andromeda knew Narcissa was a snob and believed in pure blood superiority. But where Narcissa was concerned, it was more cultural than biological. She would accept a muggleborn who recognized pure blood traditions easily enough. Unlike Bellatrix. Andromeda had made Bellatrix pay dearly for that.

With a mischievous grin, Andromeda asked, "Would you like to see Harry intimidate Gareth Greengrass?" The Black sisters poured a glass of wine and enjoyed the memories.

—CS—

That Same Night

Potter House in Yvoire

While Narcissa and Andromeda are Enjoying the Penseive.

Harry led Bill, Draco, Astoria, and Daphne to the clearing behind the house, at the Patch of Grass Where the Ley Lines Intersect. Harry had prepared a magic circle in advance for this event. It was approximately ten feet in diameter. Inside the circle he took chalk and made a triangle, cutting his hand and placing a few drops of blood at every corner. Technically, blood magic was illegal, but he wasn't worried. "If anyone is wearing anything enchanted, can you either hand them to Draco or step back about ten feet?"

Harry sat at one of the triangle points and had Astoria sit facing him in the grass. She was at the center of the circle. He put Bill on the left point and Daphne on the right point. He had Draco stand behind him about ten feet, well outside of the circle.

Taking a slow and deep breath, he instructed the participants. "Now, this would be a good time to relax and clear your minds. It might get a little cold." Harry slowly assumed his 'astral face'. His hair slowly turned silver, his skin turned deep black, and his teeth became flat white with small runes on them. His eyes blazed green and his scar lit up with silver fire. His familiar matched him in reverse. The temperature dropped dramatically.

Gazing upon Astoria, he began slowly untangling her pattern. As he proceeded to gently peel apart her pattern, without damaging the 'threads', he saw the curse deep inside near her core. Mostly dormant. He slowly and gently began tracing it back to her center. It was a 'birth curse' that had been inverted. A slow withering triggered by having a child. Originally, it had been a curse on the child. Somehow it shifted. He had heard of a similar curse before, in Scytha, long ago. Before recorded history. But this is a more modern curse. Maybe… a millennia old, possibly two. It was difficult to pinpoint the age because it is a generation skipping curse. Looking over at Daphne's pattern, he gently delved in and saw it there too, but completely dormant. If Daphne had children, it would be passed down. A daughter might cause it to awaken. A son would just carry it.

Turning is perception back to Astoria, he caught images. A jungle. A stone city very high up in the mountains. A great cat cried out in the distance. Not a lion roar, something else. A deep 'sawing' roar. Rain. Ozone. Clouds. STOP! The curse was twitching. He ever so slowly backed out of her pattern. Slowly. Gently. Calmly. He heard Selene whispering to him. Hecate, too. His vision returned to normal. He saw two owls in the trees, watching him. Catherine was there, watching also. Now that he was aware of her, he could sense her with ease. Almost instinctively. Odd. He should have expected that, but he didn't. His appearance slowly shifted back to normal.

Harry was exhausted. He had to strain to be that gentle. And he held it for hours. Careful as he was, the curse almost noticed him. Almost, but not quite. Another minute and it may have become active. He lay back and looked at the stars. Bill came over after seeing to Daphne. Helping him up, he asked, "You OK, Harry?" Looking over, Harry saw Draco and Daphne helping Astoria. Artemis whispered, "You were focused for hours, Harry."

Harry rose up, stretched, and looked at his watch. "Let's go inside and warm up." Astoria and Daphne were both a bit pale. Never easy to have someone poking around in your pattern. He had told them what to expect, and not to resist. Easy to hear, harder to experience. He was very proud of the way they adapted.

Once inside, Pipsey served hot chocolate and tea while Harry brooded. "That was difficult." They were all gathered around the table. Harry offered the sofa to Astoria, but she wanted to know what the saw.

Bill started, "Harry, I saw the curse, but it was very faint. I'm afraid all I got was a general feel for the effect."

Harry nodded. Had this been Egyptian or maybe Babylonian, Bill would have recognized it. Probably. Bill was learning, but Harry was the Master. "I saw a lot. But not enough. I need to speak with the dead."

Draco spoke up. "What did you see? We were out there for hours. You looked like… something else, Harry. What was that?" Draco was a bit shaken up. Daphne and Bill had seen him like that before, but Draco and Astoria had not.

"That was me at using full power. Well, 80-85% full power." Harry sipped his earl grey. "It is much harder to do delicate work than bludgeon around and knock over buildings. I'm knackered. Bill, take the first pass, please."

Bill started, "It's a withering curse. Very deep and tied to your family. Not active, but present."

Harry Nodded. "Agree, the malediction is 'semi-dormant'. It likely stirred at puberty. It is tightly tied to childbirth and causing deep emotional pain. I suspect the original curse was impacting the children, but it was at some point inverted. It is part of your family pattern and will never end until it is neutralized at the source." Looking at the sisters, Harry added, "It is in both of you, but Daphne's is fully dormant and will only pass down to her children."

Looking at Astoria, he added, "I think I can neutralize it right here, but that would make you infertile. From what I saw of your magic, I don't think you will not stand for that. You are a life giver." Astoria nodded.

Harry continued, "We need to go to the source of the curse to destroy it. I sensed mountains, a jungle, clouds, stone structures, rain. Can any of you identify this sound?" Harry replicated the cat he had heard with an audible illusion.

Narcissa spoke up, "Jaguar. Maybe a leopard. In the distance. They roar in a distinctive 'sawing' way. That goes with the jungle theme. South or Central America. Unless it is a leopard. Then it is Africa."

Bill added in with, "Could be either, but I think South America given the mountains. There are mountains in Africa, but the description fits South America better."

Hecate reared up and hissed at Harry. He relayed her thoughts, "Don't rule out India or China. Unlikely, but you have to consider all options."

Harry leaned back and thought about this for a minute. "Hold up. Let's outsource this. Rain, Forest, Mountains, Stone City in the Mountains, a great cat that is either a Jaguar or a Leopard, Clouds." Harry put this on a paper and ended it with 'Where am I? Please respond in 24 hours – If you can!' And added a smiley face. He held the note up to show the others, put the letter in an envelope, addressed it, and put it in his banishing box.

Andromeda seemed inquisitively amused. "Care to explain?"

"Who do we know that will take a simple puzzle and obsess over it until every possible detail is known? The little challenge at the bottom will make this a personal mission to research from every possible library in Britain. Someone who can't pass up an intellectual puzzle or challenge…" Then Harry started laughing.

Draco's eyes went wide and he leaned back and burst into a deep belly laugh.

When the laughter ended, Harry just said "Hermione".

"Let's check again on Halloween. Or Samhain if you'd rather. I need to consult the dead and that is the best time. It will take a bit of preparation. Daphne and Astoria – find out anything you can before then. I need to know which of the dead to summon. Ancestors, explorers… In the meantime, I need to research a similar curse created over ten thousand years ago. There may be a link."

Daphne took Astoria's hand. "OK, let's convene again at the Greengrass Equinox party. Midnight." Looking at Astoria she said a very simple phrase. "We have hope."

It was after midnight and the group began to break up. Teddy went to bed hours ago while Harry was outside. Victoire was sleeping in Fleur's arms. Bill had spread out a make-shift and hand drawn map of different mountain ranges and was showing the group different possibilities

Harry saw Astoria in the kitchen area getting water and decided to have a word with her. "Astoria, I remember when you helped me in my fourth year. In the courtyard. I never thanked you for that, but it meant more than you know. I was beaten down to a point where I almost gave up. Your kindness made a difference. Thank you."

Astoria just hugged him. "That was horrible, Harry. I never saw anyone go through that much betrayal in my life. And now you are returning the favor. And please, call me Tori. That's what family calls me. I am looking forward to joining your family."

"Me too, Tori. Me too."

Astoria quietly said, "Outside, the air tasted so fresh, like a snowy forest. Switzerland maybe? Trees, roses, icy cold, but so clean. Was that you Harry? Your magic?"

"You now know me. That's my magical signature. Supposedly it gives insight to the wizard or witch, and I guess it does. But sometimes, I think we draw what we want from it. Like divination." Looking at her, he added, "Would you like to know what your magic feels like?" Seeing her hesitate, he quickly added, "It's all good. Trust me, when I say, that's not always the case."

She just looked at him, considering the choice. Finally, she nodded.

"Your magic has a Rosemary flavor. And a hint of Thyme. Very hearty and strong. Impressive. It is the magic of a 'family' person. Warm and comforting. That's how I knew you would never go for 'option 1' that would have left you unable to have children." Noting that she seemed to deeply consider this, he added, "Draco's magic has a flavor of Sage. It is intense and somewhat embracing. He is a natural healer. Very empathetic. You two make a good match, magically speaking. And seeing the two of you together, I'd say non-magically as well." He couldn't help but feel slightly jealous of the both of them. Happy for them, but wishing he had a partner as well.

Astoria just stared at him, slowly smiling. She had a warm smile. "You are a very surprising wizard, Harry Potter."

—CS—

Paris Catacombs

Mme. Bellamy took a deep breath. That act had been a mistake, as she nearly vomited her dinner all over the scene. Charms could be used to block the smell, but a deep enough breath let you 'taste' the air a bit. This is air that should never be 'tasted'.

The French ministry had rejected Harry Potter's demands for immunity. They actually scoffed when they heard he thought they already had an emerging Dark Lord on their hands. They believed the previous murders were likely 'one-off' crimes. Horrible, but not coordinated enough to be the work of a Dark Lord. Afraid Harry might spread rumors, the ministry decided to discredit him rather than listen to him.

The French Ministry had been preparing an article focused on Harry as a victim of post-traumatic stress that the British magical community had failed to treat. It outwardly appeared to be a sympathetic call for help to the famous young wizard, but it was actually intended to discredit him. The only reason it did not go to print was one insightful bureaucrat who mentioned that the Black family lawyers and the well-respected Delacour family might not react well to the article. That political nervousness, thankfully, delayed the release.

Deciding Potter was a bit too much of a wildcard, the French Ministry chose to send in their own DMLE Aurors to begin the subterranean reconnaissance. They selected four outlying areas of the catacombs that needed scouting. In total, there were twelve experienced aurors split up into four teams of three. The plan was simple. Teams One and Two would scout their designated areas with teams Three and Four remaining above ground, serving as backup. Once the first two teams returned, teams Three and Four would be deployed and the first two teams would be backup.

The Team One found nothing of note. They finished their job in the first hour and a half. Much of the area they were investigating had collapsed and there was no evidence of any activity.

Team Two hit the jackpot and discovered an area where muggles had been operating an underground cinema**. There was a lounge, a small restaurant, a well-supplied bar, electricity, and a movie screen. That was good for a chuckle. The Team Two Auror report read, "We have found the secret lair of Harry Potter's Dark Lords. They are muggle cinema enthusiasts!" Everyone in headquarters had a good laugh at that. The ministry brought in reporters and photographers, deciding to use the opportunity for a little humor.

Mme. Bellamy seriously doubted anyone was laughing now.

The Third and Fourth teams descended into the catacombs, full of jovial enthusiasm. Both teams hoped to find something as entertaining as the muggle movie theater. An hour after descending, Team Three discovered the site that had the DMA called in.

It was the scene of a macabre feast. Four very long tables, each with artistically arranged human heads for a centerpieces. The heads were very real and relatively fresh. The faces were all locked in various states of emotion. Some looked happy. Some appeared to be in the middle of laughter. Some were sad. A few appeared to be terrified. A quick wave of the wand told her the muscles in the face had been frozen like this. Some sadistic maniac's idea of 'artwork'.

The magical community was not very big. Hopefully, they were not people she knew. Steeling her resolve, Mme. Bellamy forced herself to look closer at the faces. That was when she noticed the eyes had been enchanted to occasionally move and blink. She actually did lose her dinner at that point. She was in good company. Thankfully, she did not recognize any of them. Her nightmares would only be horrific, but not personal.

The remains of the meals were piled in an adjoining small alcove. Some of the remains were quite old. Some were not. The bones had been gnawed on to get to the marrow and it was a messy affair. A few organs were half eaten… was that a liver? All the remains appeared to be human. A second adjoining room was a slaughter house and cooking area. There were other bodies hanging upside down. Head and Internal organs removed. Like some kind of horrific butcher shop.

Due to ministry incompetence, the press was now involved. Once the movie theater was photographed and reported on, the ministry decided to send down a few reporters with teams Three and Four to document that the catacombs were safe. A few ministry officials also went along, thinking it would be fun. Big mistake. When the horrific feast was found, the reporters had taken it all in. Thinking it a prank, they took photos as they approached the scene and enjoyed the inventiveness of muggles. Then, upon entering the main cavern, the smell assaulted them. There had to have been a charm holding it back or the catacombs would have smelled for miles.

The aurors immediately secured the area and evacuated the accompanying civilians. Among those civilians evacuated were the reporters. The aurors failed to confiscate the cameras. Mme. Bellamy was certain the whole scene was now going public in the morning. They might be able to delay the some horrific details, but no guarantees and certainly any information withheld would not be withheld indefinitely.

The Fourth Team had yet to return. Teams One and Two went looking for them. Being underground made communication tricky. A Patronus was sent to locate and summon the Team Four back, but everyone was now on edge. Pulling herself together, Mme. Bellamy pulled out her wand and went to work. There were plenty of arcane symbols and runic sequences. She had already called for DMA support to analyze the scene. Hopefully they would arrive with an empty stomach.

Harry had warned them. He had said, once the dark wizards and witches realize you are on to them, they will be much harder to track down. Mme. Bellamy knew she needed to pull out all stops to get Harry's involvement approved. As soon as the ministry did that, she would have Dominique call in Mr. Potter. She said a silent prayer that they would move quickly.

Things will start heating up from this chapter on. Harry is forming his new 'Circle of Friends'. In the Dance of Death, Harry and Draco will eventually work things out. But they will always enjoy needling each other.

Malta is no longer the only potential site for investigation. Harry has picked up a new ally spirit, it will be interesting to see how that goes. Hey, he is the master of death, stands to reason he would have a few ghostly fans. Hopefully my 'Feast' is within the "T" rating.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Now I need to brush up on key combat spells in preparation of the coming chapters. Fun.

Authors Notes

* To be covered in Harry Potter and the Dance of Death Chapter 8. I really need to get cracking on that story. I have ch8 almost done.

** This underground club was actually found in the catacombs. Look up "Arènes de Chaillot" to read the fun details.

Coming soon:

The Beauxbaton Garden Event, Babysitting Victoire and the Wizard Auction.

Harry has a Heart to Heart with Andromeda about Teddy

Catherine and Harry get to know each other

Padma pays a visit to the DMA.

Ginny has a chat with Katie and Fay.

Draco considers moving back to London.