Chapter 11

The Winter of Albus' discontent

The Christmas holidays were always a strange time for Harry Potter. His own parents now long dead he was alone in a lot of ways. Minerva McGonagall liked to visit the last of her remaining friends and family over the holiday period while Archer visited his biological parents. Thought they felt incapable of raising a magical child Archer held no ill will against them and so he spent the time between Christmas and new year's day with them. Sirius was always invited but he stayed behind to look after Harry. It was always strange since it was in this time for family that Harry was often reminded of what he lacked. Halloween was bad being the day of his parents' demise and the rest of the wizarding world celebrating their death but at least in France they had mostly ignored it.

Sirius looked to his depressed god-son, once again Harry was displaying how little he was excited for Christmas. He knew Harry needed to be distracted so he thought it best start a conversation on a topic he knew made Harry awkward.

"So Harry," Sirius started, "met any delightful young witches?"

Harry grimaced which was not the reaction Sirius was hoping for.

"I've met one that I know is my future, I just don't know if I'm particularly happy with it."

"Ah, Potter men, you always commit early and commit for life. Your dad was set on your mum from first year, he never asked anyone else to Hogsmeade which upset more than a few girls. He used to go and sulk somewhere in the forest or down on the quidditch pitch to avoid seeing her if she ever had a date."

"I don't think it's anything like that." Harry replied in a dark tone that Sirius missed.

"Not many dared to ask her out, everyone knew that your dad adored her and few would dare annoy James Potter, leader of the marauders. It led to the only people willing to ask her to Hogsmeade being more arrogant than Prongs or too stupid to realise that if they annoyed your father we'd get them back. Your mother was torn between hating the slime that asked her out and going to spite Prongs." Sirius reminisced, "In the end she admitted that your dad did really care for her and she'd liked him since second year but he was such a prat to Snivellus who was her friend she could never admit it."

"Padfoot, honestly its nothing like that. Did my parents ever talk to you about the contract?"

"contract?"

"Well that answers that," Harry sighed deeply. "My parents signed a marriage contract when I was born, the idea was it would protect us both and could be cancelled by our parents as soon as we found someone else, they may have hoped we liked each other but the contract was built to be cancelled hassle free."

Sirius looked shocked, "No pup they didn't tell me that. What's the problem then, you said it could be cancelled hassle free?"

Harry looked to the floor before answering. "I said it could be cancelled hassle free by my parents. They aren't exactly around to cancel it anymore."

"Shit."

"Yep."

"Surely there are some loopholes, can't the girl's parents cancel it?" Sirius asked.

"Not from what I've been told, it was never meant to last so they didn't bother with exit clauses other than the one which said if both sets of parents agree they can cancel it." Harry grumbled.

"Can't you do something as the last Potter?"

"Accepting that mantle would lock me in, there is no way out. Its magically binding too"

"Well, what's she like?"

"Cold." Harry replied.

"Not a great start."

"I don't know any more Padfoot. What am I meant to do, I love the story of my parents, the idea of finding someone to love and settling down to have a family has always been a dream."

"So what's changed?"

"What? Everything, I'm trapped. I have to marry this girl who resents me for taking her freedom even if she won't admit it. This doesn't seem like the start of some great romance."

"So?" Sirius asked giving Harry a serious look, something that looked very strange on the older man's face. "Harry you have to marry her, have you given her an honest go as a person or are you letting the contract dictate your life?"

"I know I just feel robbed."

"Harry, this sucks to say as your dog-father but suck it up. You have to deal with this and I don't see why you can't make it work."

"I'll try Padfoot, I'll try."

"Why don't you invite the young lady over to dinner one night. I'm sure you two could find some common ground especially away from all the pressures of school."
"Sure, let's try that."

That's how a few nights later Daphne Greengrass found herself in the old Black home. Initially she'd been reluctant to come but her parents had pressured her to accept reasoning that at some point she'd have to make peace of marrying the boy.

Sirius had instructed Kreacher to cook dinner for the two before retreating up to the library leaving them alone.

Harry wasn't sure where to start. Daphne looked as unfazed as ever.

"So Daphne," Harry started, she raised an eyebrow at him but didn't say anything leaving Harry to continue. "It has been made clear to me that though this might not be our choice there isn't much we can do about it. Therefore, we should try and get to know each other better."

"I agree Potter; it would be preferable if we could bare to be in the same room."

"Well that's not quite how I would phrase it but that's the point. So how do we do this?"

Daphne raised another elegant eyebrow. "You make it sound as if this is a regular occurrence in my life, I assure you that you are my only finance chosen or otherwise."

"I was trying to get your opinion on tonight not imply anything." Harry replied sheepishly.

"I know Potter; I guess we'll just have to get to know each other." Daphne replied shrinking back into her seat. For the first time she looked truly human to Harry, and tired at that. "Well then tell me about how you met Pittman and how you haven't killed him yet."

"Oh Archer, merlin that was a while ago. So Archer as you know is muggle-born..."

As the evening progressed Harry and Daphne started to share small stories about their lives. They also agreed that next year they would give dating a real go, but for now they were just focusing on getting to know each other. Daphne left the Black home will new hope that she could live with Harry even if she didn't grow to love him. Harry felt the evening went well even if she was still a tad cold.

A few days later Neville visited proudly wearing his new wand in the thigh holster Harry bought him for Christmas. While wrist or forearm holsters were in fashion they had problems. The thigh holster let Neville's palm rest on the pommel of his wand in a relaxed position. Forearm holsters either had to be cross-drawn using your other hand which was a slow draw and lacked subtlety, or spelled to eject your wand into your hand, not the most reliable method even if it looked cool. Harry had it commissioned out of basilisk skin that the goblins had recovered from the Chamber of Secrets earlier in the holiday. Augusta Longbottom must have been shocked with the changes to Neville since she saw him last. The strength and conditioning that Harry and Archer enrolled Neville in had given him a more defined shape and the support and belief they had in him and meant that he was much more sure of himself. It wouldn't be long till he learnt to say no.

The two boys spent the day playing games and working together to get their assignments finished every few days for the rest of the holidays. They'd all agreed not to send the photos of them with the stone until all three were together again.
As term started the three were reunited. On the train back they plotted how best to send the photos, they also planned out some rough study guides for their subjects and extra-curricular activities.

Shortly after the welcome back feast at Hogwarts Harry and Neville separated from Archer as he headed towards the dungeons and started to head to their dorms, it was then Harry was once again ambushed by little Astoria.

"So How'd dinner go, and I'm not talking about the feast?" she asked popping from the corner and dragging him away from Neville by his arm.

Harry nodded to Neville indicating he should keep walking towards the dorms before replying. "I thought well, didn't your sister tell you?"

"You've met her, do you really think I'd get details?" replied Astoria with a smirk.

Harry laughed, Astoria and her sister couldn't really be more different in his mind, one seemed open and happy while the other earnt her reputation as the ice-queen. "True, well we sat we ate and we chatted more in an hour than the rest of our lives. I'd call that progress."

"Daphne chatted?" Astoria asked smirking. "Daphne hasn't 'chatted' since she started Hogwarts."

"Err, yeah I mean she didn't have great chat, I wouldn't rank her as an all-time great conversationalist but we did talk."

"Good, now remember if you hurt her I'll bury you, so promise me you won't, I wouldn't want mud on my robes, nightmare to clean you understand?"

Harry couldn't say no to that cute face even if she was trying to make death threats.

"I promise I'll do my best.

Astoria smiled and disappeared into a shadow as quickly as she'd appeared her wavy chestnut hair bouncing as she walked away.

Harry walked back to the lion's den ready to start the term fresh in the morning. Copies of the photo of him, Neville and Archer was sent with a school owl to both Remus and Dumbledore the next morning. The looks on their faces suggesting that perhaps it was not such a good idea after all. All three boys were summoned to the headmaster's office that day.

As they were invited in they saw not just Dumbledore but Snape, Minnie and Remus there to.

"Well, we may just be in for it." Hissed under his breath Archer to Harry using parseltounge to keep the conversation private.
"Harry my boy, could you explain the photo you've sent us please." Requested Dumbledore after he'd made sure they were seated and lemon drops offered.

"Errm, well we found Remus' assault course and ran it early." Harry replied. After the photo made the tried and tested marauder strategy of deny everything a tad pointless.

"Assault course?" Remus asked, "what assault course?"

"You hinted that the end of year exam for third year would be an assault course of some kind. We assumed that this was something to do with that." Archer answered.

"Well that is not this at all." Dumbledore replied eyes twinkling before taking on a more serious expression. "We need to know what you have done with the stone now."

"The stone? It's in a bag locked away somewhere, is this what that was all about?" Asked Harry.

"Indeed the stone is an extremely valuable object that must not fall into the wrong hands."

"If it's so valuable why did you protect it with tricks a first year could get passed, that's ridiculous." Archer said.

"That may be but we need to know the location of the stone." Dumbledore continued.

"What its valuable and not only did you not protect it but you failed to put any tracking charms on it. What are you playing at?" Archer said getting quite angry.

"Now Mr Pittman, regardless of your opinions the stone must be found."

"Not until you tell us why the stone is so valuable."

"The stone belongs to Nicolas Flamel." Dumbledore conceded.

"You put that in a school full of children, giving a speech that encouraged people to look for it! You're senile old man." Archer raged and Harry couldn't help but agree.

"What is the stone?" Asked Neville, not quite following.

"The Philosopher's stone." Harry answered. "It can supposedly turn any metal to gold and creates the elixir of life which can make the drinker immortal."

Dumbledore sighed deeply. "Nicolas asked me to look after the stone, he felt that it was increasingly under threat. I do not know what you mean by encouraging the students I did the opposite, I warned them of a painful death if they searched."

"To which Gryffindor's see as a challenge and Slytherins see as potential glory. The Ravenclaws would be intrigued, only Hufflepuffs would leave it alone. Either you did it deliberately or you are incompetent."

"Mr Pittman that is enough, please respect your professors." McGonagall added out of duty but not really believing it.
"When he earns it McG."
Snape just sat smirking not really taking a side, Remus was sat with his face in his hands. Dumbledore sat calmly with his eyes twinkling. Neville was just confused; he'd stay strong with his friends against anyone but this didn't seem like the right fight to pick.

"The stone was well protected here," Dumbledore started before Harry interrupted him.

"No it wasn't I didn't want to go but we took one afternoon to get through your protection, that's ridiculous."

"Harry my boy, you have to understand there were reasons for everything, you're just too young at the moment to understand."

"Mr Potter to you Albus." Harry replied bitterly. "tell us how to contact Mr Flamel and we'll see the stone returned to him."

"Harry, the stone needs to remain in the castle."

"Why?"

"You're too young to understand, for now just enjoy your childhood and let us worry about the bigger picture."

"What kind of answer is that?" Asked Archer.

"You boys return to class; we need to have a chat here." Minerva interrupted before tensions could spark again.

The three youngest people in the room got up and left without a word.

"well what do you think that was all about?" Neville asked as they walked towards the greenhouses for the next lesson.

"Dumbledore has lost it for real this time." Archer answered. "We should have gone to Beauxbatons if we had to go to a school at all."

"We met Nev though" Harry responded.

"Sorry Nev but this is not exactly what I thought school would be like." Archer said shrugging.

"I'll see if an owl can find Flamel and then we can go from there, anyway Minnie might have more information for us."