Chapter 16

Harry Potter was a very happy wizard. He was devouring the enchanting class, and had already come up with new mirrors that linked Neville, Hermione, Ares, Persephone, Grandfather, and he had one more. It had been meant to go to Daphne, but he had overheard her say something nasty about Hermione in the Slytherin common room that Tracey agreed with.

She had tried to apologize seeing that Harry heard, but he called her on it. Said that she had been snippy for months. That a fake apology was no apology.

If she wanted forgiveness, that she would have to change and be nice to Hermione. After all, Hadrian was always polite to Tracey. They were not friends, but had been to the same parties and things in the past. How would Daphne feel if Harry started being mean to Tracey for no reason? Refusing to visit Daphne if Tracey were there?

Daphne had been very upset about that, and gone scurrying off to her room. Which did make him feel bad, but not enough to give in. That would be betraying Hermione!

Without an apology, she wasn't getting the mirror. End of subject.

-00-00-00-

The paper held nothing on the subject of the muggleborn girl at the ball. If the children had been older, it would be different.

For now, it was the witches sitting together in tea rooms complaining. They were the keeper of the families after all. The ones that brokered deals before they were put on paper.

Cordelia and Narcissa had been friends for many years, had gone to school together. They were at the forefront of a new hidden movement to stop this taint from spreading.

But they knew that they had to put on a good public face as well.

Narcissa stopped her friend from leaving after tea. "You did make sure that the girl has no money. It would ruin everything if she paid herself."

Cordelia nodded. "I double checked her trunk, and emptied her purse before heading back for the second term. I know the story well. The lovely girl from a poor family in trouble. The prince that is secretly in love with her and learns of her woes. He gives her the gold to buy santurary. By doing so, obtains the betrothal for himself. Many young girls were raised with that story. My girls were."

"If she comes to me, I'll grant it." Narcissa claimed.

"I think that she will go to Lord Black. She does want the Heir." Cordelia stated.

"That would take care of the recent smell at the manor. Most distressing." Narcissa sniffed.

They said their goodbyes, and paid and left. No one of their lofty social height paid any attention to servants. Or noticed their's.

Narcissa walked away, trying to hide her smile.

Lord Black had said some unkind things to Narcissa recently, and she would not be welcome at family dinners if she didn't watch herself.

That had just added fuel to the fire.

-00-00-00-

Classes came and went. Harry was keeping a small staff of muggleborn busy buying things at estate sales for him to fix up and enchant. And a completely different staff to sell the items now finished. He was very much enjoying that class!

The public adored the boy-who-lived. Being able to go into a shop and buy something that he enchanted? Even if the enchantments failed in a few months, it was still a marvelous thing.

They wouldn't know until much later that even his student work would last many, many lifetimes of long-lived wizards.

He had an idea for the end of the year project, but needed some materials. His support staff of purchasing agents was looking. But nothing had been found. Yet.

-00-00-00-

Arcturus Black was highly suspicious. Suddenly, all of Algie Westbrooks debts had been paid off. Since Neville's parents had prepaid his tuition, when House Black paid for the next 6 years, Lord Black requested the tuition be refunded be returned to Neville Longbottom's vault instead of his grandmother's purse as she requested. Hogwarts gladly gave the gold back to the child.

So where did such an amount come from?

It made no sense whatsoever, for if the man had ever worked a day, no one could find proof of it.

-00-00-00-

Daphne Greengrass received a letter from her father's solicitor, and went bright red. She looked down the table to the seventh years, and saw the Quidditch captain eyeing her, seeing that she received the letter.

The boy was serving his second year of being in seventh year. Clearly cleverness was not a requirement for all Slytherins.

He raised his pumpkin juice in salute, but she was already on her feet and halfway there. Before she could grab the glass and pour it all over him, her friend Tracey Davis had caught up with her.

Grabbing the girl around her waist, the dark haired witch whispered something to the blonde angry one.

She stopped, sent a glare to the youngest Flint boy, well, the youngest Flint at Hogwarts and a wizard. Not that the Flints would admit to a different younger boy being educated in the muggle world.

"You dare!" She hissed. "You try to touch me, and you're dead Flint! You're dead!"

Tracey was trying to get her back to her seat, but Mrs. Johnson intervened.

"Miss Greengrass, please attend me. You may join us if you wish." Her nod was to Tracey, but her tone made it clear it wasn't an invitation.

"How dare he! How dare he!" Daphne kept repeating. None of the witches had noticed Harry disappear from the breakfast table, nor heard them being followed.

"I gather you received bad news. Now, it is none of my business. If you wish to talk, I promise to be discreet. But perhaps talking about it would help, rather than make death threats in public."

"My father has signed a concubine agreement with Marcus Flint's great-grandfather. He has 60 days to consummate the relationship for it to be valid." Tears were streaming down the young girl's face. "My father didn't even ask me anything about it!"

"Has Lord Black approached your father recently? Is this a movement to get you away from Hadrian Potter-Black perhaps?" Mrs. Johnson asked. The beautiful dark-skin witch had talked politics before with her House. She was clearly in the know of the major players of the Wizengamot, the up-and-comers, and who was currently spouting vitriol.

Lord Black had upset a lot of purebloods with his stunt of bringing a muggleborn girl to the ball. A young girl, his Heir's age.

He was declaring that he thought her worthy of marriage. That was upsetting to the racists of the group.

She also knew that Harry Potter clearly liked this girl, Daphne. This had to be a gambit against him. And Miss Greengrass had only turned 12 last spring - she was still very much a child!

Daphne thrust the letter to her head of house, and burst into noisy tears.

"He somehow obtained a waiver for the minimum age. That's just so wrong on so many levels. Wants to make sure that he has droit de seigneur, the wanna-be rapist. Oh, and you're not allowed contraceptives either. He's trying to get you out of school as well! Oh, this is awful!"

Mrs. Johnson continued reading, understanding full well why Daphne was crying. She didn't notice that she had started crying as well, until tears dripped onto the letter.

The door opened and closed to the room they were in. The ladies looked up but saw nothing.

Harry strode to Professor Snape's office. He still kept it in the dungeons, despite having a lofty position that could have given him a view office above. He hadn't been at breakfast yet, and the map confirmed his position.

Prongslet had also called Padfoot on the mirror before knocking. Telling them to listen.

"Come in Potter."

Harry paced. "I don't know what's going on but Flint made Daphne cry this morning. My family considers the Greengrass family to be a branch of our own. Draco is marrying her sister one day after all."

"And you've been friends with the girl since you were young." Snape stated.

Harry quickly agreed. "Yes, sir. But this feels odd. A setup. What for, and what about, I don't know. I just know my feelings."

"Get back to the Great Hall even if you can't eat. And Potter, 25 points to Slytherin for helping a classmate."

-00-00-00-

Heir Potter-Black went back to the table as quickly as possible. Draco cocked his head. But Harry had his reply ready.

"Sorry for not asking permission to use the loo, your highness."

"You are forgiven, this time, cousin. Don't let it happen again. I might need a servant to pour juice or peel an orange." Draco said in a snooty tone. Then both boys grinned at each other. Good. At least he wasn't mad.

Marcus Flint laughed far too loudly, and Mr. Johnson came over and gave him detention. But the student proved that he was just as intelligent as most of the students thought when he tried to argue with their head of house. Now he had two nights, and was working on a week when Daphne and Tracey made it to the outer door.

"Just make sure that Miss Greengrass and I get our new quarters together soon." Flint yelled.

"That's it, young man! You're coming with me to the Headmistress!" Mr. Johnson said, waiting for the boy to stand. As they walked by, Flint made kissing noises to Harry.

"Ewww. Stay away from me Flint. You're sick!" Said a third year girl who thought Flint meant her.

"I'm going to enjoy dessert tonight. Daphne…" Flint started, but apparently Mr. Johnson had heard enough, and had silenced him.

Harry didn't look at Flint. Ares and Persephone were on it, and he had learned to trust his family with these things.

Daphne and Tracey started to sit just after Flint and his escort left the Hall. Harry pulled them and Mrs. Johnson into a nearby room and warded the door.

"Your magic isn't flaring." Daphne noted dully, sitting as close to Harry as she could.

Harry pointed to the copper bracelets on either wrist. He wasn't going to take time just then to explain the advanced enchanting book or the project that his professor had helped him with in order to prevent another Dumbledore-like accident.

Or that he didn't need them right now.

"Daphne, you seemed very upset, and Marcus Flint is laughing his head off. He said something about seeing about a suite of private rooms in the castle for himself and his soon-to-be-new conquest. Now, I know that I have an unfair advantage in arithmancy because of Persephone, but I think that I know at least part of what's going on. Please tell me that you want none of this."

"Harry, you know that I don't! I do not want nothing to do Flint, I don't want him kissing my hand much less anything else!" The girl claimed.

"You could go to my grandfather and claim sanctuary. You know he would give it."

"I don't have any money with me." Daphne argued. She brushed back her hair.

She just lied.

"Gold can solve some problems. Words can solve others. Solicitors and barristers do cost good gold. I assume that you can repay it?" Harry said. He had to be very, very careful right now.

"What?" Daphne asked. He would spend thousands on HER but not give her a token amount for a ritual?

"Think Daphne! If I gave you the gold! The story of the secret prince, and giving the gold to the lovely girl. They then become betrothed."

Daphne blushed. "I guess I should go look in my trunk and see what I can find."

"You might want to figure out how to get out of the castle too. Preferably before Flint figures out that you're gone." Harry suggested.

"You're right. I'll go up and pack, find some money." Daphne sighed.

"Words and gold, my friend." Hadrian said, kissing her hand. "I do want your first kiss of your own choosing."

She clearly looked ready to give Harry just that kiss, but Tracey, more empathic than Daphne, pulled her friend back from making a dreadful mistake.

"Harry, do you think that Lord Black would be willing to try to arrange us instead?" Daphne asked in a small voice. "Save me from Marcus Flint?"

Tracey slapped her own forehead, and shook her head. She had tried to prevent this.

Harry liked Daphne, and could see that terrible things were happening right now. With nothing but truth in his heart, he replied gently "I doubt that Lord Black will ever arrange me before my majority. I would not want it to be done under these circumstances."

Heir Black shut his eyes in pain. He was willing to do a lot to help others. Would sacrifice a fortune. But he was only 12! He didn't feel those sorts of feelings about Daphne.

He was NOT willing to sacrifice his happiness for the rest of his life to save his friend.

Especially when everything about this was just off.

The Greengrasses were Slytherin to the core, all of them. Had they done this to their daughter to get Harry to rescue her from a boy that everyone in magical Britain knew treated Harry with nothing but disrespect? The boy had no particular wealth, certainly no good looks or social standing. Marcus Flint wasn't nearly good enough for her on an objective level. So why?

Ever since Gilderoy, Harry was seeing plots everywhere.

"Get out first. Let the adults solve this one." Harry said.

Tracey and Mrs. Johnson comforted Daphne who was crying again. His new head of house shooed him back over to the Great Hall.

Harry might not want Daphne for himself, but someone might have thought that he did, and was doing this to get to him? To hurt him through his friends. He still liked Daphne. Harry needed to be seen right now, but at his earliest convenience, he was calling Grandfather.

It bothered Harry a great deal that a friend of his might be in danger just for being his friend.

He plucked at his bracelets. He controlled when they came off. If Marcus Flint made one step towards Daphne, the gauntlets were coming off.

-00-00-00-

There were very few death eaters left. The ones that were left were mostly unmarked, secret workers in the ministry who supported the pureblood cause and didn't care about spilling muggle blood. And didn't think that killing mudbloods was a bad thing. Sometimes parasites grew on good trees, and had to be removed before any damage could happen.

Delores Umbridge was a witch on a mission. She had been appalled that a nothing girl was allowed at a ministry function! A function she hadn't been invited to!

The witch tried to hide her own parentage, had lied at school about her mother being dead when her mother was very much alive, and all muggle. Not even a squib. How could her father have done this to her!

No, she reinvented herself, just as she was going to help fight against this. But how? The ones with the gold were enjoying having all of the new shops and goods. Custom this and that. Custom catering. Imagine eating something a mudblood made?

What they needed was a man, a leader who had kept the mudbloods in line. Kept them where they belonged. Either in the muggle world, or dead.

The fact that the leader she was looking to was dead himself at the moment didn't bother her at all. It was a matter of research, asking for help from the right people.

Magic could solve so many, many problems.

-00-00-00-

"My Lord, I am concerned about these cuffs. If the boy loses control of his magic, they could drain him. Turn him into a squib! He would never recover his magic!"

"Sometimes, for the good of society, one has to remove a danger before the danger presents. A baby basilisk has not hurt anyone yet. But if allowed to grow, it will kill, guaranteed. This little snake hasn't killed just once, but twice. How many others will we allow to be killed before we act?

"I could have sent an assassin after all. No, let the boy live. But let him live as a muggle. His family likes them so much, let him move there. To the world where he belongs."

"It's for the Greater Good."

-00-00-00-

Lord Black received a letter just moments before Jexter had popped in a guest.

"My Lord Black, Mr. and Mrs. Black, Miss Black." Daphne curtseyed. "I apologize for coming unannounced..."

"Please be welcome here anytime, and under any circumstances. Hadrian did write a short note. He said he would explain more later when he knew more, but for right now, you are in danger, and offered sanctuary. Do you wish to claim formal sanctuary?" Persephone asked.

Pureblood rules, and she knew the forms.

"My Lord Black. I am a maiden of 12 years of age. A wizard, fully grown, seeks my hand by forcing me to his bed. Once I am with child, he will then offer formal marriage. My heart belongs to another. I did nothing to entice this wizard, I have avoided him. I have never even spoken to him. May I have sanctuary under your roof? I have gold with me to pay for my needs, I can support myself. What I cannot do is protect myself. May I have your protection, my lord? I will swear fealty to the House for said protection."

"I have not one, but three unmarried young wizards in my house." Lord Black informed her. Technically, he could also count the twins, but he was referring to Harry, Draco and Neville.

She hung her head, but was brave enough to admit the truth. "Hadrian Potter-Black does not wish to pursue a contract with House Greengrass for me at this time."

That had hurt to admit that. Silent tears were falling, as all her dreams crashed. She didn't know why her mother would allow her father to sell her so. Flint! And now, when she needed him most, her friend had helped rescue her, but not in the way she wanted.

But the dream of marrying the prince was just that. A dream. She wanted to sob, but would not break down in public.

"What of Neville Longbottom? Would you be opposed to a contract with him if he is agreeable?"

Daphne thought about it. It was a pastime that many of the witches pursued. Who was the best match at Hogwarts, out of Hogwarts, under 75, and too weird to contemplate, over 75.

"I consider Neville to be a good friend. We have interests in Herbology that could lead us to future careers. I would not be opposed. He is a second cousin once removed, but we have called each other cousins for a long time. I would much rather marry him than Marcus Flint." Daphne shuddered at the thought of the Flint boy. Neville wasn't Hadrian, but he recently became a member of the main branch of the family.

He was now second to Harry as Heir. He would one day hold House Longbottom. No, it wasn't what she wanted, but it wasn't terrible either. Anyone, even Ron Weasley would be better than Flint!

"Daphne, Neville loves you. Like you, he is very young. But we can write a contract that is open-ended. If either of you want out, you walk away. No penalties. Do you have any idea why your father would do this?" Persephone asked.

"Money. Algie Westbrook owed the Flints a lot of gold, and was getting it too. Then Neville used a different manager, and my father was helping. This meant to the Flints that Lord Greengrass had stolen their gold. They are thugs, to the last one. I don't know what hold they had on father, but he obviously folded. Now, we'll have to pay the penalty clause. The money I gave you really isn't mine. Harry loaned me some of that before coming here."

"And he told you he didn't want to betroth? That may have hurt your feelings, but Heir Black does try to be truthful. Better that, than to string you along, yes?" Ares asked gently.

Persephone glared at her husband before turning to the girl.

"Hush, it allowed you the proper forms. The Potter's would be happy to see a little of their gold help one of Harry's friends, and you have been friends for a long time. Let's send a note to Minerva to let her know where you are, and you had best write your family too. Then we let the lawyers handle this." Persephone finished.

"If you need anything, anything at all, you just have to ask. Persephone, can Daphne stay in your guest suite upstairs?" Lord Black asked.

"Of course, Acturus. I'll have the house-elves show her where she's staying. Daphne, you can freshen up. We were going to be sitting down to breakfast in a quarter hour."

The girl nodded acceptance, and curtseyed to everyone including the toddler before following Jexter upstairs.

Ares and Arcturus spoke for a minute, and wanted to get Neville's acceptance before doing anything else. Ares called for Dobby, seeing how the healer had cleared him.

"Is Dobby really alright?" Persephone asked.

Just then, Dobby popped in, wearing the multicolored socks that Harry had given all his house-elves. Elven sized clothing had to be given in a special way so that elves were not accidentally freed.

Unfortunately for everyone in the room, Dobby was only wearing socks.

"Dobby, go put on a pillowcase - right now!" Ares commanded.

"I guess that answers that question." Persephone said dryly.

Everyone in the room shuddered.

The healers had said Dobby was suffering from overexposure to torture, but knew that he had been a Malfoy elf, so that there was nothing to be done against the owner. They were trying different potions to help the poor thing. At least the torturer couldn't hurt anyone else as he was safely dead.

Lucius indeed was currently suffering for all of his crimes, and would be doing so for awhile yet.

Everyone was so serious right now. Ares couldn't help but want to pull a prank, but sending Neville a 'congratulations on your betrothal' didn't seem right.

Especially when he couldn't watch the reaction!

-00-00-00-

A few days later, Harry was working on homework with Hermione, Neville, Susan, Hannah, and Padma Patil. With Daphne's absence, Padma had shyly asked if the chair next to Harry was available. Harry had never really talked to either twin, but Hermione had given him a brief nod when she asked, so no one objected to her presence either.

They were batting around ideas for the charms project, when red-robed aurors came into the library. Professor McGonagall was right behind them, shouting at them. Harry reached for his gauntletts.

Most of the few hardcore Dumbledore supporters were in the Order of the Phoenix, and a few were aurors. Hadrian nodded to Mad-eye Moody, a long-time secret mentor, friend and ally, and stood, his gauntletts going into his bag.

Hadrian stepped forward, Neville following just a few steps behind him. Hadrian knew one of the men but not the other.

"Mr. Potter, you are being detained for questioning in the disappearance of Daphne Greengrass."

"Are you saying that Miss Greengrass has disappeared? And her family doesn't know where she is?" Hadrian demanded.

"It's not her family making the charges Potter. Come along quietly or we'll make you come along."

"Auror Flint, I don't know or care who you bribed to get your position, but in this school we follow protocol. Mr. Potter is far too young to be arrested. If you want to take him to the Ministry, you have to have his guardian here. If you want to question him here, you have to have his guardian here." The Headmistress had put up with this family far too long to have to deal with their stupidity outside of class.

With a silent spell, Neville and Professor McGonagall had been dropped, and heavy cuffs were placed on Hadrian before he could react with magic.

While Flint dragged the now-bound Potter to the front doors, Mad-eye kept a watch out for teachers. Harry watched. His magical eye was moving properly. Not a decoy or polyjuice. Why was his mentor betraying him like this?

"You're not Auror Moody!" Harry accused, cursing himself for letting his guard down. He was silenced with a spell after that, but shuddered at the man's awful smile. Harry was suddenly very afraid. He tried to remove the cuffs magically and felt himself drained. Suppression cuffs - they could drain his core dry, turn him into a squib if he wasn't careful. Especially if his magic got out of his control. He took deep breaths, and tried to calm himself.

He had been taught about them by the very man now taking him out of the castle!

Severus Snape was at the front door. "I cannot let you pass without seeing your warrant."

A parchment was presented to him - a blank one. Before the man could object, the potion master was on the ground as well.

"Sorry professor. At least it was just a stunner." Flint consoled the unconscious man, not that he cared.

The pair got to the front gates, and disappeared in a swirl of magic.

-00-00-00-