"I was lead to understand that you and some of your… colleagues… have completed your NEWTs?" Madam Bones asked.
"Not exactly…" Harry corrected. "We've sat some of them. Charms, DADA, potions and transfig, only. We still have the other core subjects and our electives to do."
"Ah… Yes, that's true." Madam Bones said. "Well, I wish you good luck and hope that the rest of your time at Hogwarts is calmer than it has been to date."
"Thank you, ma'am." Harry grinned. "I'm hoping the same, too."
Harry knocked on Snape's door and opened it when he heard the potions Master tell him to enter.
"How are you feeling, Professor?" Harry asked.
"Much improved." Snape replied, laying his book aside.
"I brought you some information and something to keep you occupied." Harry withheld his grin by the slimmest of margins.
"That is something I neither require, nor want, Potter."
"Oh, yes, you'll want this." Harry let his grin show.
"What have you done?" Snape frowned at him.
"We took Riddle down, right?"
"I am aware." Snape's expression morphed to a bland look but to those that knew him, his pleasure was clear.
"Well, it turns out, that killing him made squibs of his Marked followers." Harry went on. "They will all be questioned under veritaserum but there were a few at the Burrow, that weren't there because they wanted to be there." Snape raised a brow. "They were unMarked. That raised an issue for the DMLE. Most of them were underage and had a parent or grandparent that wasn't Marked, so the DMLE sent them home, with an Auror to explain what is expected of them. Almost all of them got Good Behaviour Bonds. Three were released completely. Daphne Greengrass' parents were being held prisoner in Malfoy manor, to ensure her obedience. Tracy Davis' father was executed and her mother tortured, she's in St. Mungo's while Tracy stays with the Greengrass family."
"And the other?"
"We notified the Minister and the DMLE of your Vow and what it entailed." Harry sidestepped the question. "We didn't think that you would object, seeing as how Riddle died and we came out without injuries. Your pardon." Harry held out a scroll, secured with the formal ribbons and seal of the Minister for Magic.
"My what…?" Snape blinked.
"Your pardon." Harry repeated. "An official pardon for any and all crimes, committed prior to today." He smiled brightly. "You're free, Professor. No Azkaban hanging over you, anymore." Snape didn't know what to say. "And while the school year is only a few days away, the school-age members of The Unit are on stand-down. Most of us are going to spend this last week with our families." Snape's face went blank. "So, I figured you might like some company. With his parents now squibs and his Aunt and cousin fully occupied with the aftermath of last night… Draco needs his godfather."
"Draco?" Snape stood up, quickly.
Harry stepped aside and Draco entered the room. "Uncle Sev…?" Those that didn't know Draco well and those that hadn't watched his as closely as Harry had, wouldn't have seen the fear on the blonde's face. Fear of rejection, fear of disgust, fear of the unknown.
"Draco." Snape held out a hand and the young wizard crossed to his side quickly, letting the Professor's hand rest on his shoulder. Snape turned back to Harry. "Conditions of his release?"
"None." Harry smiled. "He, Tracy and Daphne were released completely. A few others weren't so lucky. Kingsley will give you and Professor Flitwick the details for them, this afternoon, as you're their heads of house."
"I shall see that they don't backslide." Snape nodded.
"I know." Harry turned to Draco. "And if you want, you can join us for extra-curricular training. The Unit is here to protect our world and the Statute. We hope to be working in conjunction with a muggle organisation that will do much the same thing, from the muggle side. The muggles aren't ready for magic, not yet."
"They may never be." Snape warned.
"I know." Harry nodded. "And even if it does happen, it won't be anytime soon."
"No, it won't." Snape agreed.
"But that won't stop us from working towards a time when we will be accepted." Harry smiled. "Think about it, Draco, no pressure but you'd be welcome."
"Thank you, Potter." Draco nodded but he was still wary of agreeing to anything his school adversary suggested.
"Talk to Snape, he'll explain more." Harry looked at Snape. "Recruiting level information only."
"I understand." Snape replied.
The 1st of September came and The Unit sponsored students gather near Platform 9¾'s public floo fireplaces, their trunks shrunken and tucked away. Each of them had a satchel or backpack tossed over a shoulder, holding snacks and something to occupy themselves with, during long train ride. Reminders were given out about disclosure and what they could talk about and what was restricted information.
After that, greetings were given to friends and The Unit's students split and went their separate ways, some finding empty compartments, others searching out friends.
Harry and Hermione found their usual compartment and settled in, joined soon after by Luna and Neville. They chatted away and sipped at the drinks they'd brought with them, while they waited for the Express to get under way.
A few minutes before eleven, Draco appeared at the door to their compartment. "May I join you?" He asked quietly.
"Sure." Harry nodded.
"Thank you, Potter." The blonde entered and set himself down beside Luna. "I owe you an apology." He said the girl. "Uncle Sev took me to Gringotts to sort out the mess that my parents made of the Malfoy estate. Because there were so many family members blasted off the family tree without actually being disowned, we had no idea whether there were any living family members, so the goblins suggested that I have a blood heritage made up."
"Excuse me, Draco?" Hermione asked. "What is a blood heritage and how does it differ from a family tree?"
"A family tree is like it sounds but people can be removed, either disowned or cast out." Draco replied. "A blood heritage ignores things like disowning, being outcast or killed. It records everyone, depending on how much blood you give as to how far it goes back." He shuddered. "I had two brothers and a sister but according to the blood heritage, they're dead. Killed for being squibs or not being powerful enough."
"I'm sorry…" Hermione didn't know how to react.
"He killed them, just because they weren't what he wanted." A single tear ran down Draco's cheek before he tightened his jaw and drew in a shaky breath. "But I have family. An uncle and a cousin. Apparently, my grandfather cast my Uncle from the family when he refused to take the DarkMark." He turned to Luna. "Your father is my uncle, we're cousins."
"Cousins… Family…" Luna whispered.
"I can't bring you back into the family until I'm seventeen and take the Malfoy Lordship. Father automatically lost it when he was… when he became a…" Draco couldn't say it.
"A squib?" Hermione said, hesitantly.
"Actually, no." Draco shook his head. "When he became chattel to someone who hadn't even claimed a head of family let alone a Lordship." When he said the word 'chattel', Draco screwed his face up into a sneer.
"Riddle?" Neville asked.
"Yes." Draco replied. "He might have called himself a Lord but he'd never magically claimed a Lordship." He sneered. "He hadn't even claimed the position as head of his family. Not magically, at any rate."
"And that makes a difference?" Hermione asked.
"Oh, yes." Draco nodded fervently. "Lady Magic is the one to bestow Lordships on us and of course, if we do not act as She would approve of us doing, She can revoke them. Anyone can say that they are a Lord but only Lordships bestowed by Lady Magic are recognised. The Malfoys have been Lords, Magically, since the 1300's, only for my… for Lucius to cast all that away on a madman."
"But can't you claim the Malfoy Lordship?" Hemione asked.
"I went to Gringotts to ask that." Draco replied. "Lady Magic has put conditions on my ascension to the Lordship. I have to claim the head of family and disown the traitor before I can make my claim and give my Oaths. If I ever go back on those Oaths, I lose the Lordship, not just for me but for all my descendants."
"Whoa…" Harry whispered.
"Not something to take lightly." Draco said quietly.
"No." Harry agreed. "Doesn't sound like it. Will I have to go through that?"
"To a point." Draco replied. "When you go to Gringotts, they'll tell you the exact details, Lady Magic set them out differently for different people. It's going to be more involved for me than it would be for you, mostly because I listened to… Lucius, instead of thinking for myself."
"Oh… okay…" Harry trailed.
"Don't worry about it. Gringotts will talk you through it." Draco waved his hand in a dismissive gesture.
"He's right." Neville cautiously added. "Gringotts will get you through it."
"I'm still not sure that I'm looking forward to it." Harry muttered. "Sirius told me that when dad found out what he had to do, he chickened out."
"He didn't take the Lordship?" Draco asked.
"Apparently, not." Harry shook his head. "Something to look forward to, I guess."
"You're not your father, what you'll have to do isn't the same as what he would have had to do." Neville said.
"What about you?" Luna asked.
"No idea." Neville shrugged. "You have to be sixteen to find out and I was going to leave it until I could actually claim the title. I figure, if I found out too far in advance, I might not wanted to do it. But now that dad is back on his feet, I don't have to worry about that for years, yet."
"I wasn't aware of how old I had to be, so Uncle Sev took me in to find out." Draco said.
Harry and the other sixth year boys settled back into their dorm, leaving their trunks at the base of their beds. This was the first year that Ron wouldn't be joining them and it gave them a little more room, meaning that the dorm wasn't quite so cramped. A shower and all four were falling into their beds.
"I wonder how Ron's doing?" Seamus said.
"Mol-Millie said he was beginning to set down." Harry had received a letter from the former Molly Weasley, now Millie Prewett, early that morning. "He didn't like the new house for a while, neither did Percy." He snorted a laugh. "Although Percy settled down, as soon as he saw the tree house."
"What did they do about the Percy and Ron remembering the others?" Dean asked.
"The healer's changed their memories, made it look like Bill, Charlie and the twins are their cousins, that with Molly and Arthur supposedly leaving the UK, they'd be seeing a bit more of them." Harry replied.
"So…? They're still family?" Dean asked.
"Yep, just not quite as close." Harry said.
"That might not be such a bad thing." Seamus said. "Ron won't feel as overshadowed if he thinks he's only got Percy and Ginny to compete against."
"True." Harry said. "And without Pettigrew to shape him, he'll be more like what he should have been, without the traitor's interference."
"It'll be interesting to see how they turn out." Neville said. "Ron wasn't the nicest of guys, at times."
"He was a right prat." Harry laughed. "I just hope he's happier, this time around."
"No Pettigrew to mess with his head." Dean said.
"No Potter to drag him into harebrained adventures." Neville added.
"No twins to use him as their test subject." Seamus added.
"Yeah, he'll be happier." Harry laughed as the lights went out. "G'night." He lay back and smiled. His friend would have a better life, he just knew it.
The year passed with no dramas, unlike the last five years. There were a few curious looks when The Unit sponsored students, as well as Draco, Tracy and Daphne were spotted running around the grounds of the castle and up-and-down the Clock Tower's stairs. Even more curious looks came when some of the sponsored students, minus Draco, Tracy and Daphne weren't in four of the core classes.
It reached the point where Professor Dumbledore was forced to announce that they were being sponsored by The Unit and what The Unit was. This was followed by what that meant for the students and how their summer training had them sitting OWLs and NEWTs in DADA and for a select few, NEWTS in potions, charms and transfiguration.
After watching Bucky and Sirius put them through a workout, down by the lake, the curiosity turned to sympathy, the few that had thought they could join them, found keeping up nearly impossible and they ached for days afterward.