Chapter 3- Wizengamot and Diagon Alley
" I hate all this shit." James grumbled. " All these rich and snobbish gits trying to lick each other's arses and trying to gain favors and stuff." He said and Sirius snorted. " You could say that. I absolutely resent this but if I didn't come, old man Archie would skin me alive. Bunch of old babbling baboons." Sirius whispered.
" Come again, you brat." A rough voice sounded and Sirius jumped as he recognised the voice.
" It's … uhm .. nothing." He said and gulped his eyes and met a steely gray pair of eyes. He came face to face with Baron Arcturus Black. His grandfather and one of the most celebrated wizards that the Wizarding world had ever seen.
" Are you sure, Sirius??" Another man called. The voice belonged to Baron Charlus Potter. Probably the most dangerous man that is around in the world. He can be a smiling and kind man and can become the war hardened warrior he is known to be in a matter of seconds. The entire wizarding world respected and feared the two stalwarts.
" Yes. I am really sure." He grumbled.
" So, what is this abou?" Charlus Potter asked the two of them. " It's not the time for the monthly session. Something must have come up." He said.
"Yes. Amos Diggory has pushed for a trial. He suspects Neville, to have murdered the Diggory heir. Augusta is not happy. But now, Fudge is doing all he can to get one over Dumbledore and Neville. The buffoon cannot accept the fact that Voldemort is back." James answered his father's question.
" Fucking morons." Arcturus seethed.
" Calm down, Arcturus. Let's see what happens." Charlus placated the man.
" Let's go. Things will get interesting out there." James said with a knowing smirk which resulted in raised eyebrows from the elder men.
&&&--
The wizengamot session was underway and the Lords and Ladies of Magical Britain had gathered whispering and discussing the agenda of the emergency meeting. Sirius rolled his eyes as the Minister of Magic stalked in with Lucius Malfoy next to him. Literally, everybody in this government body knew that the fool was in the pockets of Malfoy.
" Fool. You can at least expect some common sense. He is digging a huge grave." James whispered next to him.
The Minister banged the gavel and the courtroom fell into order. " Is there anything important to be addressed??" Fudge asked the entire body. James stood up and many eyes turned to watch him expectantly. His father cocked an eyebrow and James couldn't help but grin.
" There is someone new, who wants to claim his family seat. I would like to welcome him to this honorable body." James said and indicated to the door.
The Lords and Ladies turned to the door expectantly. A tall and handsome young man walked into the room. His grace was enviable and he moved with an air of confidence. The man walked up to the third row where the ancient and Noble houses are placed and walked to the seat next to the Potters. He touched the grand seat that sat idle and plain and a golden glow surrounded him and the seat and a flying thestral crest appeared on the seat.
The young man was about to take his place when a voice that Harry had despised with all his heart. A voice of the person who he hated as much as Tom.
" Hem..hem.." came the sound of Delores Umbridge.
An idea occurred to Harry at that instant.
" Ms Umbridge. It's a pleasure to meet you. Ummm.. no..it's wonderful to meet you. Wait… no, it's good to see you. Ummm… you know what. Forget it. Let's put the meet and see part to the side." Harry said as the hall burst in laughter and Umbridge's face was burning.
Harry smirked.
" Who are you, young man??" Harry turned to the sound and smiled at Madam Marchbanks. Harry had known the woman. She had taken his OWLs and NEWTs afterall.
" Ahh. Forgive me for being so impolite." Harry bowed here and the old woman smiled at his display of manners.
" I am the Lord of The Most Ancient and Noble house of Peverell. Harry James Potter." He announced. The hall was stunned into silence. The Dark and Light faction shivered at the name. They knew about the family. They also knew about the Potter's being the only family as old as the Peverell. They also knew about the union of the Peverell and Potter families even before many other old families had even stood up.
The thestral in flight glowed brightly as Harry announced himself. Lucius Malfoy stood up and watched the boy warily. " Harry Potter is dead." He said with a slow drawl that made Harry want to curse the man within an inch of his life.
" Says who??" Harry asked the man. " You didn't come to Hogwarts. Your family never spoke of you. They avoided your topic consistently." Lucius said. " So??'' Harry. " What my family gets up to, what they do is not of your concern." Harry said smoothly. " And you better watch your tone when talking to your superiors, you imbecile. When me or my family really take offense to you, you won't wake up to see daylight again." Harry spoke so coldly that the hall shivered. The Malfoy patriarch sat down, red in his face.
" Hmm...hmm." Harry grimaced but suddenly took something out and banished it to the woman. " I had heard that you have a very bad throat. And hence, the cough drops." He said as the said drops dropped interrupted her hand. The woman went red again and went to say something but was interrupted by Fudge.
" Lord Peverell. Take your seat. And stop with the dramatics. We have matters to attend to." The man glared at Harry when Harry grinned at the man.
Fudge continued. " We are gathered here to right a grave injustice that took place recently." He announced to the quiet courtroom. " Few months back, Cedric Diggory, the heir of the Diggory house had been murdered at the end of the third task of the Tri Wizard Tournament. The young man was brought back by Neville Longbottom, who claimed that..'' Here he gave a bark of laughter, " the Dark Lord is back. This was found suspicious. And hence, Lord Diggory has called up for an investigation and we have gathered here to conduct a trial." He finished shooting a smug look towards Augusta Longbottom. Harry shone his head as the old woman seethed in her seat.
" Bring in the accused." Fudge called in and Neville Longbottom was brought forth by the ministry Aurors. The boy sat down on the chair in the center of the room. He looked suitably scared and was nervous.
" You are Neville Longbottom. Son of Alice and Frank Longbottom and grandson of Augusta Longbottom??" Fudge asked and Neville nodded. " You are in your fifth year at Hogwarts and in Gryffindor house??" He asked and the boy nodded.
Harry again noticed Percy Weasley scribbling furiously. He scoffed. The boy was lot of trouble. He was far up in the ministry's arse and showed no signs of coming down.
He watched as the dark faction watched the proceedings with a smug smile. He grinned. He would play these shits to their cores.
" Court hearing, preceded by Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge, Head of Department of magical law enforcement Madam Amelia Bones, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister, Delores Umbridge…" he trailed off when Harry stood up.
" Witness for the Defense, Harry James Potter." He said and made his way to the pit. This was surprising. James and Sirius gaped at Harry. The courtroom was silent and staring at Harry.
Charlus watched this with raised eyebrows. He watched with interest as he claimed the Peverell seat. ' So this is my grandson.' he thought. He was impressive. More than him or his son. He grinned as the young man dressed down the headache of the wizengamot.
Arcturus leaned towards him. " Dorea will love the boy. I can see how good he is." He said and Charlus couldn't help but agree. He truly was good. He smiled at the thought of his wife. No doubt she would love this one. She was the one that was most hit when Harry had died. When Lily explained everything, she was ecstatic. She wanted to bring him home right away and had already started to move to Grimmauld when Lily had stopped and showed them her memories. To say that he had been shocked, was an understatement. To do the things the boy did, and still stay strong was not something easy.
He watched with curiosity as he made his way to the pit.
"What are you playing at??" Fudge demanded. " Get back to your seat. Now!!" He snapped. Harry raised his eyebrows.
" Are you denying the basic rights of a citizen of this nation??" He asked with a smile. Fudge stopped. He shook his head. " But...but.." ,
" For Merlin's sake, Fudge. You are coming out of this as an idiot. Get it done." Madam Amelia Bones hissed to the minister.
" Hem...hem.." Umbridge made to interfere. But Harry was ready. " Madam Umbridge. Nice of you to remind me." He banished a small vial towards her. " A cough potion. It helps." He said and turned back to the minister and smirked. The hall burst into laughter again but silenced as soon as Harry motioned to stop.
" Get on with it. We have better work to do." Arcturus Black snapped from his place and Fudge shivered along with many others.
" Yes. You are accused of being guilty in playing a major role in the murder of Cedric Diggory. Heir of house Diggory. How do you plead??" He asked the boy.
" Not guilty." Neville replied. " Noted." Fudge replied. " How dare you??" Amos Diggory roared as he got up to his feet.
" How dare you lie??" He asked. " You killed him. I know you did." He roared.
" Do you??" Harry asked and the man stopped. He looked at Harry dumbly. " What??" He asked. " Did you see Neville kill your son??" He asked the man. He shook his head in a negative. Harry nodded.
" No case here. Baseless accusations." He said to the minister and his entourage.
The minister gaped at the boy. He shook his head. " The boy might have tampered the evidence. He is hiding something. He was the one who brought the body back." Fudge said as he shuffled through some papers. " Is there any evidence to prove him as not guilty??" Asked Fudge.
Harry regarded the man. ' Good come back,' he thought.
" There is none." He replied honestly. Fudge grinned again. But Harry carried on.
" As I said, there is no case here at all." He said. " There is a saying. Innocent until proven guilty." He said as he observed the hall. " It's better to let him go." Harry replied.
Fudge knew that he had nothing to hold the boy with. He looked towards Lucius Malfoy who sat stiffly. The man did nothing.
" Is there any person here who can prove Mr Longbottom here guilty??" Asked Harry. The hall was silent. Harry smiled. " I rest my case." He said and stood with folded hands. The minister sighed in his seat. He had no choice but to let this rest. He thought that Dumbledore would interfere and had not let the man know of the change of timings, but this new guy had ruined his game. Lucius won't be happy. He thought.
"Those in favor of punishing the accused??" He asked and no one other than his Amos, his Undersecretary and himself raised their hands.
" Those in favor of clearing accused of charges??" He asked and every wand lit up. His face was now sour and Harry chuckled softly.
" Cleared of all charges." He said and banged his gavel.
Harry turned to the boy sitting in the chair.
" Scram, kid. " He said and Neville nodded and left the room. He looked back to the courtroom. " Clowns." He said and walked back to his father. He grinned at the awed look his godfather sent him.
He then turned and stiffened slightly when he came face to face with Charlus Potter and Arcturus Black. His eyes widened slightly. He stared at the two of them.
The two inspected him for some time. And the both of them grinned. " You made them look like fools." Arcturus said and Harry nodded. " Excellent. " The man barked a laugh. Harry smiled. " Indeed. Good job, son." Charlus smiled and Harry's smile was blinding, right now.
" Thank you, sir." He said and bowed a little. " I learnt from the two of you, afterall." The two men nodded.
" You see, young man, you have caused a lot of trouble for me." Charlus said and Harry frowned. " Your grandmother has been pestering me, day in and day out. Anymore and I will go mad. She is inches away from cursing me. I think she is in Grimmauld Place right now. Let's go and see her." He said and Harry nodded quickly.
They exited the courtroom. They were about to leave when Harry felt a familiar magical presence. He turned to see Lucius Malfoy strutting towards him. Harry looked around and he saw many others staring at them.
" Such blatant disrespect. You should learn some manners Potter. You might end up dead like before." Lucius drawled. " You think so, wouldn't you??" Harry drawled in a perfect mimic of the man. " You seem awfully sure that I was dead? Your master told you some secrets??" Harry asked. The man glared at Harry. " Little Hangleton seems like a very refreshing place, this time of the year, doesn't it??" Asked Harry and smirked as Lucius and his group blanched.
" Tell me Lucy. If Voldemort can raise from the dead, couldn't I rise too??" He asked and grinned ferally. " He seems very angry with a lot of you. Did he hurt ickle...baby Malfoy?? I know for a fact that he crucioed Nott." He said as the man in question growled at him.
He turned serious. " I dare you, Malfoy. I dare you to make your move. I want you to try whatever the hell you want to try. I will trump your plans. Every single time." He whispered as he leaned close to the man's face. His eyes were now glowing eerily and Malfoy gulped. " You will regret this, Potter." He snapped as he and his group turned away to leave.
" Ohh, Lucius. If I had saved a galleon every time people threatened me, I would have been a very rich man." He said as the man glared at him. " Ohh, one more thing." He called out as he turned to leave. " Hello, Tom. I am waiting. Get ready. I'll turn your entire world upside down. Good luck." He hissed in parseltongue.
Lucius and his group became pale and took hasty steps backward. " You...you..." He stammered and Harry took pity on the man. " Show your master this memory. He will love it." He said and turned back to his family.
" Gentlemen. Shall we??" He asked. The men nodded and walked towards the exit. " Well, that was eventful." Arcturus said. " You are a parselmouth??" He asked. " Yes. From the Black line." He said and his great uncle doubled up in pride.
--&&&--
Dorea Potter sipped the tea that Kreacher had provided as she sat across her daughter in law and grandchildren. "Rose. Hands off the table, young lady. I thought you better." Dorea chided her granddaughter lightly. The girl nodded and took her hand from the table. The children of the Potter house were a handful. Mischievous. But Dorea had brought up James Potter and Sirius Black. The kids paled in comparison to those two. And much to Dorea's chagrin, they still behaved the same way.
" Sorry grandma." Rose apologized. The Potter kids were pranksters of the best quality. But even they knew to hold themselves in when their grandmother was around. She is the sweetest lady that you would ever meet but she is dangerously scary when pushed too far.
" It's alright, dear. I can't wait to see your brother." She said excitedly. " Ohh, Harry is a very wonderful brother. He is already better than Alex." She said as she grinned at Alex who huffed.
" I can't argue on that. I like him very much already and it's been only a few days. That's not all. He is very strong. I don't know if there is anyone like him. The things he had been through." Alex said sadly. " I mean, he was right. I don't think we could survive a day with the things he had been through. We were handed everything with a silver platter. But, he had to fight for every single thing in his life. Even for the most basic of things. Compared to him, we are nothing but spoiled brats." He said.
Lily was surprised at what she was hearing. Her son was a good boy. Sure, he was a prankster, like his father but she didn't expect him to become so serious and thoughtful about this matter.
She was about to interrupt when another voice interrupted.
" That is where you are wrong, little brother." Harry spoke up as he entered the room. " You and I, we never grew up in the same atmosphere. If you had, you would have been like me. But remember this. Being normal is the best part of your life. And being someone like me, you will never get that chance.
I grew up this way out of necessity. I had a responsibility. If I had failed, there would have been deaths and darkness. So, I couldn't sit idle. But you, Alex, have a chance to grow up properly. To study for the fun of it. To gain knowledge. To be fascinated by magic. To play quidditch. To date and kiss beautiful girls.
That is not wrong, brother. That is just the way of life. In a perfect world, I should have grown up the same way. But, I have learnt by now that fate is a cruel bitch." He said sadly as he put an arm around Alex.
" Language, young man. I won't have any grandson of mine speaking so crudely." Harry stiffened when he heard that voice. His face lit up and he turned to the woman and took in the face of the one that was his grandmother.
" I always wanted to hear you scold me, in person." Harry spoke as he stepped towards Dorea. The woman regards him with a serious expression. She slowly approached him and cupped his cheek.
" I couldn't have expected anyone better to be my grandson." She said as she gathered him in a tight hug.
She let go of him. " A handsome one too. Even more than Charlus and James." She grinned.
Harry nodded. " I have been told so." He said. The group sat down. Harry watched the entire room with a smile. This is probably what it means to have a family. This was what it meant, to have someone to talk to.
He patted Alex on his shoulders.
" I have seen what people being spoon fed act like. If it's anything, you are not like that. Trust me, I will know." He said.
" And Longbottom isn't such a bad kid either. He just had it in his head. All this fame and stuff, it does that to you. The moment he gets these things clear in his head, he would be a much better man. He will remain in better company than the ones he has now." He said.
"Don't get me wrong. Weasley and Granger might be well in the future when they truly grow up, but right now, the girl is too bossy and will take offense to anyone doing better than her. The boy. Don't even get me started on that. They see him as tools to their betterment. They will abandon him the moment they realize that he has a larger target painted on his back. Selfish fuckers!!" Harry grumbled.
" Whoa. You better cool down, Harry. Let some steam off." Sirius told the boy. Harry couldn't help but sigh and nod.
There was a comfortable silence in the room until Jasmine broke the silence.
" Did you have a girlfriend??" She asked as Sirius and James perked up and Dorea and Lily frowned a little.
Harry's eyes dimmed and his face constricted painfully. The reaction didn't go unnoticed by the others.
" Yes." He nodded slowly. " Is she anyone who we know??" Alex asked. Harry nodded. His eyes began to tear up.
The sound of a door knocking could be heard and the door opened. Fleur Delacour entered the room.
" Uhm.. I hope I am not interrupting anything??" She asked. The group shook their heads. It was Lily that spoke.
" It's fine, dear. Just catching up." She said. It was then that they heard Harry sobbing quietly. He didn't look up to meet anyone's eyes but was particularly avoiding the new entry.
Fleur was confused and horrified. " Is anything wrong??" She asked frantically.
" No. Just some old memories." Lily whispered. Fleur nodded, a bit reluctantly.
" Lady Black, told me to inform you that she and Baron Black, are waiting for you to come to dinner." She said.
" We will be there." Lily informed with a smile and the girl nodded and left, shooting back a few looks towards Harry.
Dorea had been watching Harry the entire time. She had an idea why Harry had broken down. " It was her, wasn't she??" She asked Harry. Harry choked again as he nodded. " What happened??" She asked gently.
" It was after my fifth year. Around this time. We had not kept our relationship a secret. She was very strong. She told me that she wasn't afraid of something that didn't bother her much. She demanded that I must just accept this and wouldn't listen to anything I would say regarding her safety." He explained.
" Everytime I brought it up, all she would say was, ' the one I love is out there fighting and you want me to sit back in France and hide.' " he said as he stood up and walked to the window.
" She was perfect. The most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Mature, kind, intelligent and damn was she powerful. When she had a temper, I would feel more scared than while facing Voldemort." He said as he let out a weak chuckle.
" Probably the best thing that happened to me, in a sorry excuse of my life." He said.
" We used to meet without anyone's knowledge. It was our secret. Our best kept secret. A secret hideout where we would forget everything and just spend time with each other." He said sadly as he wiped his eyes.
" I don't know how he got that information but he did. He went to France. He went to her place. He razed the place to the ground. He killed everyone in there. He kept her alive. He kept her alive to let her see her father being killed. He then made sure to make her watch her sister and mother being raped in front of her." He explained to the horrified group.
" It was her turn, next. He didn't kill her outright. He let her die slowly and painfully." He sobbed. " I felt something bad. She didn't come to our cove that day. I rushed to their Manor. The sight that met my eyes is forever etched in my memory and will be till I die." He said to his family.
" She was lying in a pool of her own blood. Coughing and whimpering and groaning in pain. My heart broke completely. She left me in my lap. She stayed alive till I got there. She smiled at me, you know. She smiled her ever beautiful smile. She said that she will always love me. That I am absolutely forbidden to join her till I have had a satisfying life to the fullest. She said that she will be waiting for me. And she left me." He said softly.
He felt someone engulf him in a hug. He saw his grandmother crying softly. His sisters were crying openly. His mother too joined their hug. The room was silent with sniffs being heard around.
He left their embrace.
" I avenged her death. Every single one of them. I hunted them down. I cut each of their throats. I sat in front of them and watched as their life left their eyes. I watch their fear. I reveled in their fears. I made sure that everyone responsible was dead. I was their nightmare. They were never safe. They had no hiding place. They could not escape me. I killed them all. It's a pity I couldn't torture them, although I wanted to. Fleur would never have wanted that. But I killed them all." He said with an air of scariness and power.
" I would have expected nothing less." Charlus announced. " You are not ashamed??" Asked Harry with surprise.
" No, son. I am proud of you. It may not be what all would do, but you did what was right. Those are murdering scums. Rapists. They deserved it. If someone even looks at Lily the wrong way, I will destroy them." James said with a surprising amount of venom.
" I avoid her as much as possible. I still see that day in my eyes, everyday I see her. It's not her fault, but I don't like to see her like that. Again." He said with sadness.
" You must let it go, Harry. It doesn't do any good. Let it go. Start afresh. She is a very good girl. You can try again. She is here now. And this time, you can have a very long life. Happy life. A life you truly deserved." Dorea consoled him.
Harry nodded and the woman grinned.
" Come one. Let's go and have dinner. We must not keep Arcturus waiting. He is a git if he is hungry." Dorea chuckled.
" He is always a git." Charlus snorted.
The group chuckled again as they left the room.
&&&--
Tom Riddle exited the pensive that he used to watch the memory from Lucius Malfoy. 'Who is this boy??' He thought as he observed the way he conducted himself. He made heads turn. He would give him that. The surprise came when he started hissing in parseltongue. He almost fell over in shock. ' What the fuck??' was his first thought. How did the boy possess that gift?? He exited the pensive and made his way to a few books that he had stored in his Library. He started scoring book after book.
He couldn't find any relation between him and Potter except from the Peverell line and that too very slightly. He and Peverells were not connected like the Potters. Just a far branch of the family. He was getting frustrated. He didn't know what to do. He was just a boy, right?? He questioned himself, but there was something off about the boy. Something foreboding. Something dangerous. He would need to watch the kid. He knew too much for his liking.
&&&--
" You still need to go to Hogwarts for at least three years." James said as he grinned when his son groaned. " But why??" He whined. " Oh, quit whining, Harry. It's a rule. Every lord that belongs to a family as powerful and old as ours must have be educated. He needs his Newts and Owls. It's a must." Dorea explained.
Harry snorted. " You remember Crabbe and Goyle?? Those fuckers don't know one end of their wand from the other. If they can sit there, I am more than capable of sitting there." He said.
" Harry. No arguments. You should go." Lily said and Harry huffed.
" How about a truce??" Narcissa spoke up. Harry waited curiously as to what the woman would come up with.
" You could take your Owl's with the current fifth year. You can take your Newts in the summer and you can take your masteries under Flitwick and McGonagall. Masteries under Masters take two whole years to complete. And you have to study for a minimum of three years in Hogwarts." Narcissa said.
Harry was silent in thought. " Intelligent and beautiful. You are brilliant, Ms Black." He said finally and was rewarded with a small blush. " Ok. I will do it." He said and smiled as the others cheered. " I need another wand." He said. " Why?? You already have one." Alex said as he leaned in. " A very special one." He said.
Harry nodded." A secondary one is always important. I am ambidextrous. So I can carry two official wands." He said with a shrug. " Well, we have to go to Diagon Alley soon." Lily announced.
" Yes." James announced. " We will go together with Cyrus's daughters as well." He said.
Harry lost himself in thoughts. He needed to know the location of the Horcruxes. He really had no idea as to where they were. He needs to search for them. But I really didn't know where to begin.
" Ms Black." He called out to Narcissa. " Sorry to bring this up, but have you seen a diary in Malfoy Manor. The one with the name Tom Riddle." He asked the woman.
Narcissa thought for a while. " He didn't let me know about any of his possessions, Harry. He was secretive about his hidden stash. He made sure to blood lock them. Nobody and I mean nobody other than a Malfoy can open it. It's one of the rarer spells of his family. But other than that, there was nothing secretive he had." She replied.
" Damn it." He swore. " I'll see you guys later. Thank you, Ms Black." He said and made his way to the training room.
The others watched him go. " What was that about??" Asked Narcissa. " I don't know. I really don't know." Lily said as she watched the door from which Harry left through.
&&&--
Fleur was about to walk out of the room when she heard a crash. Her hand instinctively reached for a wand. She heard Bellatrix and Lily with their wands out moving towards the door on the far end of the hall. They opened the door and stopped dead as they witnessed what was happening.
Harry was throwing spells at an alarming rate from both his hands. His spells were hitting with such precision and blistering speed that they saw six to seven spells being fired within a blink of an eye. He was sweating profusely now and his shirt stuck to his body.
Bellatrix and Fleur watched in amazement. They were good duelists. But this was something new. Bellatrix had been the best auror in recent times. She had seen a lot of good duelists. But this was something she even doubted Albus could do.
" Amazing!!" Fleur whispered. Bellatrix could only nod in agreement.
Harry heard the noise. " Oh, hey guys." He greeted them as he continued casting.
" Anything wrong??" He asked. " We heard a crash. So we came to see what it was??" Fleur answered. Harry nodded.
He flicked his wrists and conjured a massive fire whip. He started brandishing the whip and cleaved the twenty dummies in front of him into two. Fleur stared wide eyed at that.
" How is that possible??" She asked him. Harry smiled. " With a bit of concentration, there are a hell lot of things that you can make possible, love." He said as he winked at her. She blushed brightly at his words but controlled herself quickly.
" Are you up for a duel??" She asked him. Harry stared at the girl. " Sure." He shrugged. " Make that two against one." Bellatrix said as she stood next to Fleur.
Harry raised his eyebrows at the impending challenge. " So be it." He said. The two women took their positions. " Begin." Lily said and the duel started.
Bellatrix fired curses at him with a vicious pace. Fleur followed her lead and did the same. Harry smirked. Bellatrix was even better than the previous one. The one he was familiar with. But, honestly Harry was not just somebody. Fleur had a wide variety of spells. She fired curses and hexes of various ranges but she was still a bit slower than he knew.
He began dancing and weaving through the spells. He waltzes around the room with his hands in his pocket. Not a single spell hit him. Harry had extremely quick reflexes that were further toned by his exercises. He always practices particular exercises just to better his reflexes. His natural speed with these efforts helps him a lot. That, coupled with the fact that he could identify the spells and their presence makes him very difficult to hit. Bellatrix and Fleur found it out the hard way.
This continued for at least half an hour. He just dodged each and every spell. Never even bothering to lift a wand. The two women became a bit tired. They were becoming restless as well. Harry decided to end it. Now was the perfect time. He stepped right in between the two of them. The two sized him up and down. They fired their spells at the same time. Harry moved out the way just by tilting to the side and the spells went ahead and hit each other. The two women fell down as the curses hit each other.
Harry expected better. Never once did they try anything dangerous. He seethed internally but held himself quiet. They still thought he was some young boy??
The room was silent for a moment and then cheering could be heard. Harry was surprised to see the order members and his family watching. He swelled up when he saw the pride in both his father and grandfather. Dorea was clapping hard with his sisters.
Harry bowed low in thanks. He went back to the two fallen opponents and helped them up. " What are we, some joke??" Asked Fleur. Harry snorted.
" No offense, Ms Delacour and Black, but this was not a challenge. I didn't even bring my wand out. You are good duelists. I will give you that. Precision and accuracy, excellent. But, the first rule of a fight or duel, never hold back when there is no need for that." He said as he walked across the room.
" What am I, a joke??" He asked. " I take great offense when people hold back themselves around me. You could have, at the least tried to make me draw my wand. Or make me use my magic. I felt extremely disappointed." He spoke as he shook his head.
" I truly expected a fight. A proper fight, even though it was a handicap. I wanted you to use all your strengths. You thought that I was a school kid attending dueling class for the first time?? Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but you guys aren't a match to me." He said directly. " You might take it as my arrogance. I don't care. I call it my confidence. If you don't respect your opponent, the very purpose of a duel is a waste. And for Merlin's sake, please don't waste my time again." He said and pushed his way out of the room.
" Harry...wait!!" Sirius called back but he didn't stop. " I'll see to him." He called out as he rushed behind the angry young man.
" Have I not taught you anything, Bellatrix??" Arcturus asked with a sigh. He was certainly annoyed. People usually don't know, but in a duel, if you perform below your standards, that is considered as a huge disrespect to the opponent. It's disrespecting the very abilities of the person. And someone of Harry's caliber, will not take kindly to it.
" But, I tried my level best." Bellatrix shot back. " That's not the point, Bella." Melania Black chided. " You were not up to your mark. Your spell range was not upto the mark. You fired school level spells at a person, who might I remind you, one of the most powerful wizards born??" She asked heatedly. Bellatrix looked suitably humbled.
" And you." She said, turning to Fleur." I hope you know what you did. Next time, don't make the same mistake." Melania chided and Fleur looked down in a bit of embarrassment. " Sorry." She said.
" You must ask that of him." Melania said as she shook her head. She rounded upon Bellatrix. " Make sure you apologize." She said with no hint of request there. This was an order and Bellatrix knew it.
" I won't." Bellatrix said with defiance. " He is arrogant and big headed. We tried everything. We didn't use certain spells because it was in our home and it would have been damaging. He must understand that." She said as she folded her arms.
" That's not the point Bella. If that was your condition, it should have been mentioned in the beginning. And moreover, you know how this place is. A mini war can take place and no one will ever find out." Arcturus said. Bellatrix shook her head." I am not apologizing. I just won't." She walked out of the room.
Arcturus shook his head. " Her pride has been hit hard." He said. James nodded. " She won't let this live. She will try to fight him again and again. I just hope she stops being so difficult. For someone as good as her, she is very petty in keeping these stupid grudges." He said.
" I won't stop it. Either Harry will have to put her straight or she must make do herself. Learn to not let her pride get in the way of things." Arcturus grumbled.
&&&--
Fleur steeled her nerves and knocked the door gently. She heard no sound. She knocked again. There was no sound. "It's open. Come in." Harry called from behind the door. Fleur entered the room carefully. Harry was reading a book by the windows. His feet lay on the table. He sat up straight when he saw the entree.
" What is it Ms Delacour??" He asked. His voice was still cold and Fleur shivered in fear. It wasn't like her to get flustered or scared in the presence of someone. But this man, there was something weird about him. Something dangerous and at the same time welcoming.
" Uhmm… I uhmm .. I wanted to apologize." She said. Harry stared at her and she couldn't help but avert her gaze away from him. His eyes would make you feel that he is gazing into your soul. His eyes softened.
" Sit down." He said as another chair appeared out of nowhere. " I shouldn't have snapped at you. I would have dismissed it at the beginning but I had my mind in a mess and I desperately wanted to let out some steam. But, you insulted my abilities, Ms Delacour. I know for a fact that you are a wonderful duelist. Holding back in a fight, that's just not right. Anyways, I am sorry. I shouldn't have let my temper get the better of me. I apologize." He said.
The girl stared at the boy with a dumbstruck expression. She had come here to apologize but, what the hell was happening here. She shook herself from her trance. " I apologize. I shouldn't have behaved that way. I honestly didn't think about it at that time." She said. " I got carried away by your spell casting. I didn't have enough sense. Sorry." She said but Harry waved her off. " Water under the bridge, Ms Delacour." He said as he smiled. She smiled back. ' Things are going well.' she thought.
" What were you reading??" She asked, eyeing the book in his hands. Harry held it out to her. " Animation charms." He said. He grinned as her eyes lit up.
" Judging by your expression, you probably love charms??" He asked. She nodded. " Take it. There is nothing there that I already don't know." He handed her the book and she took it. They spent some time talking about small things.
It was two hours later that they remembered the time. " Merlin, look at the time." Fleur gasped. She got up. " It was fun talking to you." She smiled as she got up. Harry stood up too. " I have something to ask." She said and Harry nodded.
" Did you know me in your world?? Were we close??" She asked.
Harry froze in position. Fleur felt the tension in the air. She observed the barely expressive eyes go through a myriad of emotions. " You need to leave, Ms Delacour. Now." He whispered and the girl nodded and all but rushed to the door. She exited the room and stood with her back to the door. Breathing heavily. " What was that all about??" She asked herself. Why did he react that way?? Her mind was in a mess. She slowly walked back to her room. Why was he so complicated?? She thought in frustration.
&&&&--
" Did you complete the potions assignment??" Asked Alex. Daphne nodded. Her favorite subject was potions. Although Snape was a git, she still loved the subject." Daph??" Alex shook her to break her from her thoughts.
" Yes, Alex. I am done with it. Almost a month back." She said. " I still need to work on my charms assignment. Other than that, I am done." She told the second Potter who hummed.
" What happened yesterday??" She asked curiously. She knew what happened, but only a vague idea of it.
Alex grimaced. " Not good." He said and started to explain what happened. Daphne nodded and frowned in thought. The new Potter was an enigma. An interesting enigma. One she wanted to solve.
She watched as Fleur took the seat next to her. " Morning." She greeted. Daphne and Alex nodded back. The other order members gathered for breakfast. Daphne grimaced when she heard the screeching of Molly Weasley. Merlin she hated that woman. As breakfast was being brought, Lily spoke.
" Where is Harry??" She asked Rose.
" He was working out. Told him he would be out by eleven." She shrugged. Lily nodded. As the clock struck the time, Harry Potter walked in.
Daphne froze as the young man walked into the room. He only wore his pants on. He was shirtless and had draped a towel over his upper body. His well defined abs and muscular body was a gift to the eye. Daphne didn't know but was almost drooling at that. She was shaken by a cough from Alex. " You are drooling dear." He said and chuckled as Daphne glared at him. She noticed many males shifting uncomfortably as well. She understood. Men like Harry will make other men a bit self conscious as well. She observed Fleur next to her. She was bright red and was looking anywhere but at Harry.
The most surprising reaction was that of Bellatrix. She was blushing badly. Her face literally radiated heat but she was trying her best to get herself under control. Daphne frowned. What was happening with her?? She thought.
" Harry. What happened to your shirt??" Alex asked. " Didn't feel like wearing one. It's still a bit hot, after those workouts. " He answered with a shrug.
" Is that a tattoo??" Asked James. Lily narrowed her eyes at him. Harry chuckled.
" Mum. It's alright. It's not a tattoo. It's just a marking. A magical one. My animagus form." He said as he displayed the marking right on his left chest.
It was the face of a roaring Asiatic lion. It looked majestic.
" You are an animagus??" Asked James in surprise. Sirius snorted. " You are surprised?? I don't even feel surprised anymore. That boy is Merlin himself." Sirius announced. Harry chuckled. " Shut up, mutt." He said. " You know about those??" Asked Sirius. Surprised.
Harry nodded. " I do. You were my inspiration actually." He said and chuckled as Sirius swelled up in pride.
" Look at that. I am an inspiration." He said and chuckled. " Can I see??" He asked.
" Maybe some other time." Harry answered.
He got back to his breakfast. His eyes roamed the table and fell upon Bill Weasley. He narrowed his eyes as he observed the discomfort of Fleur around him. " What are you doing??" He questioned the man. Bill stiffened at being addressed suddenly. He felt the eyes of the entire hall on him. " Nothing." He said softly. Harry nodded. " Yeah. And I am Voldemort." He said and rolled his eyes at the others who flinched.
He turned to Fleur. " You seemed uncomfortable. What's wrong??" He asked. She stared at Harry but she couldn't hide it from him. She really didn't understand this compulsion to be absolutely truthful to him.
" He is pestering me for a date. I am repeatedly turning him down, but he still bothers me. It's annoying." She said. Harry frowned and shrugged. He wanted to interfere, but that was not right. She must make her own decisions.
He got up. "I'll see you guys at Gringotts. Go ahead." He said and walked back to his room. " Make it quick, Harry." Lily called back. " Sure." Came the reply.
&&&--
It was half an hour later that Harry apparated into Diagon Alley. He lit a cigar as he walked towards the Bank. It was a habit that Harry had developed in his sixth year. He spent a lot of time studying and practicing. When he felt stressed, he used these cigars. It's a common practice in the Wizarding world. So, Harry found no issue in using one. Although, knowing that it didn't affect the human body helped a lot.
He saw the crowd near Gringotts. Understandable. It was almost time for Hogwarts and parents were shopping for their kids. He reached the entrance and frowned. Why was his group still in the entrance??
" Why are you still here??" He asked, surprising the group. " Security reasons, '' the goblins say. Apparently, they have taken measures to be careful. Especially since the last two months." James replied.
" Our William pulled a few strings and allowed us to move up front for a bit quickly." Molly said, beaming at her son. The man was still trying to woo Fleur and she was giving him the cold shoulder. Harry snorted. " You find this funny?? Do you know how difficult it is to have contacts within Gringotts??" Bill glared. Harry smiled. He walked forward and towards the entrance separately. " Hey. Don't. They will throw you out. It's against their rules." Bill shouted. Harry ignored him and walked forward.
He reached the twenty goblin guards standing guard in front of the entry. As soon as Harry stood in front of them, the goblins, to the surprise of the gathered people, dropped to their knee.
" Lord Peverell. Greetings." They greeted me. Harry nodded. "Fistfang. Get Ragnok to my account manager's office. Tell him I am waiting. It's urgent." He said. He turned to the watching crowd. He called his family.
" Come on. Let's go. " He waited as each of their companions approached, still watching him in wonder. He turned to Bill.
" There is always a difference between contacts and allies. You are a worker. Stay like that. Don't bother trying to play with the big shots." He said and turned and walked into the bank with each goblin bowing as he went. Bill Weasley burnt red in embarrassment. He saw Fleur chuckling at his plight and felt small. He glared at Harry. But he didn't dare fight the man. No.
" What was that about??" Asked Lily. Harry shrugged. " The goblins have a healthy respect towards me." He answered. Sirius couldn't help but snort. " Respect. They looked like they had pissed themselves." Harry sighed. " In the past, I had helped the goblins to filter out the traitors in the bank. The ones of dark families and in their paychecks. Almost around two hundred goblins." He said as he walked forward. " How did you help them?" Asked a confused Daphne. " Slaughtered them. Every single one of them." He said with a straight face that made her gulp. " These buggers will always recognise the ones with whom they are in debt. That's how they knew about me the first time I came here in this world." He said and entered the Office of The Potter and Peverell accounts.
" Bearclaw." He greeted the goblin. The goblin stood up. " Lord Peverell. Lord Potter." He greeted the two men.
" Is it ready??" He asked the goblin. Bearclaw nodded and took out a wrapped object out of his table. Harry took it and opened the package. There was a dagger there. It's hilt had the face of the same lion that Harry's chest had. He took it out and placed it in a holster. " It's beautiful. Thank you." Harry said. " Pleasure, Lord Peverell. I think his majesty is here." He said and sure enough, a grand looking goblin, old and wrinkled but wise arrived and stood in front of Harry. " Lord Peverell." He held out his hand. " Ragnok. Greetings." Harry greeted. " The goblin shook hands with Harry before being seated.
" Did you get it checked?? Harry asked. The goblin king shook his head. " It's not possible, Lord Peverell. We can't check it, especially someone as old as the Lestranges. I am sorry. We will try everything possible. Of that, you can be guaranteed." Harry slumped a little. "Don't worry. I understand. It's alright. We will think of something." He said and got up.
" May your enemies perish from your blade, Ragnok." He greeted me with a bow.
" May your vaults overflow with gold and may your enemies fall before your wand." Ragnok greeted and bowed back.
Harry exited the room. " Fucking hell." He cursed. " Harry. Language." Lily chastised him and Harry sheepishly rubbed his neck.
" What was that about??" She asked him. " Nothing of much concern, mum. Something that the Lestranges might have. It's only a theory. No solid proof." He said and exited the corridor. He stood waiting for the other families to arrive. The Weasleys and Greengrasses returned.
" Let's go. We don't have a lot of time to waste." He said and led them out.
" Ok. Let's spread up. Go and get everything we need. And then meet up near Ollivander 's." James announced and everyone nodded and disappeared to complete their own shopping. Harry and Lily made their way around the Alley shopping for the materials. Lily recommended the books he needed for the purpose of mastering. Especially charms. His mother was a genius when it comes to charms.
It was an hour and a half later that the two of them returned to the spot where they were asked to meet. " Last stop. Ollivander's." Sirius called and entered the shop. The shop was as silent as always.
" Where is the old git??" James mumbled and Alex snorted. " James!! Language!!" Lily scowled at him. Harry looked around and moved forward but stopped abruptly near a very old cupboard. He sniffed something in the air. " What's wrong Harry??" Asked Rose. She was observing Harry and was confused by his actions.
" The old man likes his theatrics. He likes how young children are curious around his shop and he likes to surprise them in his eccentric actions. Ain't I right, Garrick??" He said to no one in particular, but suddenly, out of nowhere, the old man appeared.
" Harry. I knew you would come here soon. Had another vision." He said.
" I knew you would have known by now." He said. " Give me a second." He said and walked in. He saw the questioning stares of the others.
" What??" He asked. " Want to explain this??" Asked Sirius.
" Ollivander or any good wandmakers are, for the lack of a better word… psychics."
"Psychic, as in, the one who talks to souls??" Asked Daphne with confusion. Harry was truly shocked. " Very good, Ms Greengrass. Didn't think that you would know about such terms. But no. There are no such things as psychics. They are truly frauds trying to gouge out as much money they need from people. No. Here, I mean that, he can feel the essence of our souls. It helps in matching wands with the person. The reading is not always perfect. And because of that, he takes some time and gives at least two or three probable wands before deciding on the perfect match. It may take a hell of a lot of time too." He said with a shrug.
Ollivander walked into the front of the store with a small box. " It's a gift. Our family magic. And only mine and Gregorovitch and Marcels of France are gifted with such magic. That's why there is nobody as good as us in making and fitting wands." He placed the small box that he had brought out. " Your wand, Harry." He said as he pushed the box to Harry.
Harry opened the box slowly. He smiled slightly. A piece of fine art. Reddish brown in color. Approximately somewhere around thirteen inches. " Redwood and obsidian. Thestral hair and mane of an Asiatic lion. Thirteen inches. Fused in Basilisk venom. Blood bound, once you provide a drop of blood. " Harry immediately slashed his wand without a hint of emotion and let three drops of blood on his wand. The wand glowed lightly before humming gently to his magic.
" Perfect. It's perfect. Almost as good as the 'one'. " Harry said as he holstered his wand. " How much??" He asked the man. Ollivander smiled. " I don't want a Knut, Harry. It was a special experience. Different and curious. I can't take any money for that." He said.
Harry frowned. " Garrick. Those materials are very costly. They are rare. I appreciate your sentiment but please don't give it away for nothing. The cost please." He asked the man who smiled again.
" As I thought. You are very curious, Harry Potter. If only everyone is as good as you, the world will be a very good place." He said. " That will be five hundred galleons. Expensive, I know but you know the reason." Harry didn't say a word but placed the money on the counter.
" Thank you, Garrick." Harry nodded to the old man and walked out with his family.
Daphne Greengrass leaned towards Fleur and Alex. " Life is certainly interesting with him around. Things keep happening. I am expecting a lot in the future." She said with the two nodding along.
TBC--
Hey guys. The next chapter is here. And thank you guys for waiting. I have been very busy with my college sports team.
Thanks for all the good reviews you guys are giving me. It's inspiring and motivating. It truly helps. Thank you. Please continue reviewing and supporting.
I have thought about getting a beta according to many of your suggestions. I don't like it, but I may give it a try. If anybody is interested, dm me. We might work together if we come to an agreement.
Enjoy and stay tuned…...