A/N: Wow! It has been so long since I have updated this story! For that, I dearly apologize to all my readers whom have followed this story for such a long time. As you know, real life is a bit hectic, so it will take quite awhile for me to write up any and all future chapters – not just for this story, but for my other stories as well. Don't even mention about the crazy writer's block all writers have – it is not like we can pull inspiration out of thin air whenever we will it to happen ): Sadly, this is true. But anyway, I hope you guys like this story – and thank you to those, who have seen my other A/N's in my other stories, for worrying about my health and my injury. (It took three weeks to heal!) I am okay now! I will continue writing on! Thank you!
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter; J.K. Rowling does. I do, however, own this story's plot!
Chapter 22
~ Play By Play ~
The next day came with owls flying overhead to deliver the Daily Prophet. Harry snorted; he knew that Skeeter was probably going to say something about his sorting. Now that the entire school had found out he had gone to Slytherin, there was no way the rest of the Wizarding World wouldn't know of this news. The Gryffindor sighed. So much for keeping things secret at school.
"Harry? What's wrong?" Draco had stopped spooning a bowl of fruit for his fiancé.
The brunet shook his head. "Nothing's wrong. Thank you for getting me food."
Blaise scoffed. "It's nothing and you know it. We're taking care of you and you will get used to this." The olive-skinned Slytherin had filled his fiancé's plate with two pancakes, a waffle, four sausages and a nice sunny-side up egg. He was currently pouring syrup over his waffle and pancakes.
"I just know Skeeter wrote something horrible about me," Harry bemoaned his loss of a good morning even before he had read the Daily Prophet. Then he spotted his plate. "I can't finish this!"
"Would you like to take it up to Severus? Or perhaps the guardians?" Draco ate his own egg before drinking from his goblet. He hummed with approval when Harry reluctantly ate his food.
"Hey, look at this." Blaise said, placing the paper before them.
Headmaster Attacks Golden Boy and Friends
By Rita Skeeter
My fellow readers, Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived has been resorted from Gryffindor – the House of the daring, nerve and chivalry, to Slytherin – the House of the ambitious, cunning and shrewd. Our witnesses has told us that Headmaster Dumbledore had given the students a speech on the very first day of term – to say that Harry Potter, among other students, has expressed their wishes to become resorted into their rightful houses.
Rumors have told us that maybe it wasn't what Dumbledore has told us but is what, what was said underneath. Numerous accounts have pointed to the very same thing: the only ones, the only students that have been resorted have been those close to our dear Savior. Friends of Harry Potter have all been resorted, including Ronald Weasley and Ginevra Weasley, the two youngest Weasley children of Molly Weasley, a stay-at-home mother and Arthur Weasley, the Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office, muggleborn Hermione Granger and the Longbottom scion, Neville Longbottom.
Results are as is: Ronald Weasley and Ginevra Weasley have been resorted into Gryffindor, even though they are already Gryffindors. Hermione Granger has been resorted to Ravenclaw, the House known for their wit, learning and wisdom, from Gryffindor. The fact that Miss Granger is already known for her broad range of knowledge surely suits Ravenclaw House. Yet it has taken six years for the Headmaster to resort our young muggleborn witch? Lastly, Neville Longbottom has been resorted to Hufflepuff, the House known for valuing hard work, dedication and loyalty, from Gryffindor. So that brings to question… why did the Weasley children wish to be resorted when they only ended up back at the Gryffindor House?
Sources have also told us that Albus Dumbledore has changed in his appearance. Rather than seemingly like the charismatic and powerful leader of the Light that he had portrayed himself to be since the fall of the first Dark Lord, Gellert Grindelwald, Albus Dumbledore, is seen to be as decrepit as his age implies. Perhaps the Headmaster of our prized jeweled Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is going senile? How else would it explain why it was only the Golden Boy and his group of friends being targeted?
Is Dumbledore trying to ruin the Wizarding World's chances of having the Boy-Who-Lived save us? Is Dumbledore trying to turn the Wizarding World against Harry Potter because the Headmaster is fruitlessly and desperately clinging onto what little popularity he has accumulated from defeating Grindelwald? After all, it was only until Dumbledore had defeated Grindelwald did he receive an Order of Merlin, first class, accompanied with the titles Grand Sorcerer, Supreme Mugwump – the Head of the International Confederation of Wizards, and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. I'll leave you readers to gnaw on that little tidbit.
Harry snorted his pumpkin juice. Draco and Blaise quickly dabbed away the dripping liquid as they watched with amusement as their fiancé try, and fail miserably, to hold in his laughter.
"I'm glad this amuses you," Blaise smirked, snapping his fingers. A house elf appeared behind them, took the soggy tissues and replaced them with brand new ones.
"It does," Harry agreed, "And the best part, I didn't have to do anything." A bright smile glowed on Harry's face as he continued his breakfast.
"Well, it looks like the rest of Hogwarts agrees with you." Draco stated. His eyes had been roaming the Great Hall, taking in all the expressions on the students' faces as their eyes bulged, turned suspicious glances towards the Headmaster, and sympathetic looks towards Harry over at their Slytherin table. Murmurs broke out at all four tables, including the Head table where the professors were sitting at. Harry ignored them, like usual, and proceeded to polish off his plate.
When Harry reached for another bowl of fruit, the light coming from the Great Hall shone brightly against his engagement rings, promptly several responses from the Slytherin table.
"WHAT?! You're engaged?!"
Harry smiled and nodded his head, "Yes, I am."
"Why are there two engagement rings?"
"I'm betrothed to two wonderful men."
Draco and Blaise puffed out their chest and smiled.
Whispers started to circulate through the Great Hall as students realized that the Golden Boy was engaged to be married to Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini.
"You can't!"
Harry's head snapped to his right and he glared down the table. His hands clenched tightly into fists as he narrowed his eyes further to see that it had been a fifth year Slytherin whom had rejected the news.
"I cannot what?" He asked icily.
"You cannot be married to Draco! I am the one who he's supposed to be betrothed to!" Astoria screeched. Her fists were held tight together, white skin on white skin as her brunette hair shook at the force of her trembling anger.
Pansy shook her head; the little brunette was delusional. Sure Pansy herself had been close to Draco – clinging to the blond when they were in their early years at Hogwarts, but that was because they had been childhood friends. It wasn't her fault that people had mistaken her teasing and protective nature for a crush.
She and the other Slytherins within Harry, Draco and Blaise's circle turned to look at Harry; he did not look so good.
Harry's small frame shook. Even when he had all the encouragement and love from his friends and family, his mind couldn't stop reverting back to his childhood where the Dursleys would deny him of any warmth and love.
Draco and Blaise noticed their fiancé shaking and quickly moved into action. Draco wrapped his arms around Harry's shaking frame, hugging the raven close to his chest. His hands moved to run soothingly through the messy bird nest of a hair and run gently up and down his back. Blaise, on the other hand, took hold of Harry's hand and intertwined their fingers together. Together, the Ice Prince and the Shadow Prince glared promises of pain at the young fifth year.
"It's already been decided," Draco said. His voice was strained as if he was trying to withhold his rising temper. But the fifth year Slytherin had inaccurately thought that the strain in his voice implied that Draco was forced into the arrangement.
"Your parents already have had our marriage contract drawn up," Astoria smiled smugly, a vicious gleam in her eyes. "It's okay Draco! You don't have to go through with this farce!"
The Slytherins looked at Astoria and held their laughter in. Now was not the time to crack up. But the look on her face made it seem like Draco would worship her for saving him from an unwanted marriage!
"It may have been drawn up, but it was never mentioned again after that. The contract was never signed by either side, nor has it been signed by either of us; though, I'm sure only you would've done so considering how delusional you already are. Besides, it was never filed or anything. It might as well have been just another slip of useless paper," Draco drawled.
"Your father would never approve of this marriage!" Astoria cried. "His mother was a mudblood. His father was a blood traitor! He's dirty. Unsuitable for a pureblood like you!" By then, the entire Great Hall had drawn their eyes towards the Slytherin confrontation.
Dumbledore smiled internally, even when his outward appearance displayed a disappointed expression. Sure he had to deal with the article that the Daily Prophet had written about him, but that could be settled within the confines of his office. However, with the news of the engagement, it was better to be dealt with in public.
With the youngest Greengrass daughter voicing her disapproval, it is certain that Harry would be released from the Dark's grasp. And he himself did not have to make any movements! After all, children will always be children. They make hasty decisions and always ended up regretting them. It is only the adults who were able to teach them, anyhow. Harry would learn; when he was safely placed underneath his thumb once more.
Ron, Ginny, Hermione, Luna, Neville, and Dudley had stood from their seats at their own respective house tables. Though they knew of the engagement before the semester had started, they did not draw attention to the news, knowing that Harry hated being thrust into the spotlight. However, now that the news was out in the open, they stood at attention, ready to jump in to help Harry should Draco, Blaise and the others at the Slytherin table take the news in a not so good way.
"You think we needed our parents' approval for this?" Blaise hissed. His purple eyes changed to a darker hue before reverting back to its original color. "We don't need their permission. All we care for was and is Harry's answer."
"B-But he could've slipped you a love potion!" Astoria insisted. Now she stood up from her seat, her body trembling and her face flushed with anger.
Draco scoffed, moving his chin off of Harry's head to sneer at the youngest Greengrass daughter. "As if you think Blaise and I couldn't tell when something has been tampered with. And for your information, not that we should even be obligated to tell you this, but my father has allowed for this union."
Blaise nudged Draco's shoulder. The blond cleared his throat, correcting his statement. "A triad."
"A triad?!" Astoria squeaked. Her hands flew to her mouth in shock, staring at the three Slytherins sitting together. It seemed that in her anger, the brunette Slytherin had blocked out the news that Harry had been engaged to both Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini.
Having enough of a young and foolish girl's jealousy, Tom placed his goblet onto the table and stared straight at her. "I think that's enough information. Sit down. You are a disgrace to the Slytherin house."
But the dumbfounded girl either didn't hear him, or had heard him, but chose to ignore Tom.
"Come, Draco," she coaxed pleadingly, her hand held out before her as if it were Draco's only lifeline. "All wrongs can be righted, and yours can be too. Just take my hand and everything will be returned to normal."
Draco tensed in anger, but rather than lashing out at the mentally unhinged girl, Tom's magic flooded the area. "Sit down." It was a bit risky to do so, but the Dark Lord didn't care if Dumbledore or any of the teachers recognized his magic. That ditsy girl had irritated him to no end – not to mention, she had hurt Harry in ways unimaginable, and had angered Harry's two fiancés; not very bright was she?
The commanding tone in his voice, coupled with the heavy pressure, made Astoria drop into her seat before turning away from the elder students to cry her heart out. With a quick scan of the rest of the Great Hall, everyone returned to their meal.
Draco and Blaise nodded their thanks before they resumed soothing their beloved fiancé.
'Harry, are you okay?'
'It's not true is it?' Draco's heart broke a little when he heard how small and insecure Harry sounded.
'What is?' He knew what Harry was asking, but he didn't want his fiancé to regret his decision to be engaged to both him and Blaise.
'That I don't deserve the two of you?'
Even when Blaise could not communicate with the two of them, the look that Harry sent to both Draco and himself helped the Shadow Prince understand what Harry was trying to say.
"Oh Harry. Astoria is just a jealous and spoiled brat," He cooed.
Draco lifted Harry's chin up and stared straight at those green orbs, "You deserve this and more. You are entitled to love those you love. Let no one tell you otherwise."
With a sniffle, Harry nodded his head and settled down against Draco's chest. Their meal continued on with soft murmurs before conversation resumed its full volume. Ron, Hermione and the others sat back in their seats when they received twin nods of confirmation that everything is okay, though they would often spare the Slytherin table several glances now and then – more specifically the youngest Greengrass daughter.
"What classes do we have?" Harry asked, picking his head up off of Draco's chest. Though Draco was fairly warm and comforting, Harry knew he had to get up onto his feet and dust himself off after that little bump in the morning.
"Not sure," Theo answered. He slathered his pancakes with syrup and a heaping amount of fresh fruits before talking. "But Professor Snape is handing the schedules out now. Look."
There at the foot of the Slytherin table, their Head of House had a stack of parchment paper in his hands.
"But rather than that, let's just talk about Skeeter's article."
"She attacked Dumbledore!"
Pansy snickered at that comment before morphing back into her indifferent expression when the Potions Professor came up to their group.
"I see the media has not written more about your popularity, Mr. Potter," said Severus as he walked up and down the Slytherin table, passing out their timetables. "One can only imagine what they were thinking."
"Yes, Professor Snape," Harry nodded his head, "Thank you for the timetable. I look forward to seeing you in Potions."
"Don't get cheeky with me, Mr. Potter." Snape replied. He gave Harry's shoulder a small squeeze, his action blocked by his tall frame, before he passed out the other timetables to Harry's Slytherin friends.
"For someone who's trying not to hate but hate you in the presence of the Headmaster…"
"He's not doing so well is he?" Theo guffawed.
"If he heard you say that, he'd take away points!" Pansy whispered frantically.
"That's only if he does and we know Professor Snape wouldn't. He's too fond of his Slytherins."
Harry smiled mischievously.
"I am not above that to give you detention, Mr. Nott."
"Sorry professor."
"Now hurry along. You have double potions this morning."
Harry quickly grabbed a handful of grapes before making his way to the potions classroom. Upon arriving at the hallway there, they were greeted with the Gryffindors. There was this awkward tension because everything knew that the youngest Weasley son was very intolerable of Slytherins.
"Potter."
"Weasley."
"Malfoy."
"Weasley."
"Zabini."
"Weasley."
Then the four of them broke out into a smile before Ron thumped Harry on the back. "Glad we're still friends."
The rest of the Gryffindor and Slytherin houses looked on with confusion seeing a different version what they thought of Ron acting towards Harry being resorted into Slytherin house to be.
"What?" Ron asked, eyeing Dean and Seamus.
"He's resorted into Slytherin." Dean stated.
"And you hate Slytherins." Seamus said.
"Well, if we hated ¼th of the school, we're creating twenty-five percent of the enemies we might be encountering at the war against the other side. And I, for one, don't want that to happen. Harry's my best mate. I got his back."
The Gryffindors and Slytherins had looked at Ron like he had grown an extra appendage. When had the boy's discrimination against the Slytherins disappeared? How did he even come up with such a logical and clear explanation?
With that, the tension dispersed and the door to the potions classroom opened. Hearing a sharp "In!" the students piled inside.
…..
Albus Dumbledore was furious. That damned Daily Prophet just had to be written in a way that made him look unappealing, weak, powerless. He had hoped that with how the students were more than likely to write home about Potter's resorting, the Wizarding World would bear down even more on the teenager, helping Albus to enforce his beliefs onto the boy until he cried for mercy. But it was for naught. Now the Wizarding World would see him a different light. How was he going to fix this mess?
"Fawkes!" Albus cried out for the phoenix. "Fawkes!"
The phoenix did not appear at his call. Albus grew even angrier. The floo network opened up at his fireplace and the person he didn't want to see was there before him.
"Albus, may I come through?"
"Of course Cornelius," Albus said, through gritted teeth.
The Minster's head disappeared from the green flames before he walked through, turning the emerald green into its normal red and orange embers.
"Albus, what is the meaning of this?" Cornelius was holding up this morning's Daily Prophet. On the front page was the article that Rita Skeeter had written and there was a picture on it, one that showed Albus's past appearance slowly transforming to a somewhat decaying look that the students believed Albus to look like during the start-of-term feast.
"It is nothing, Cornelius," Albus placated the wizard, "You know how Ms. Skeeter chooses to twist words. No doubt that that is how I looked during the start-of-term feast, but I was merely feeling unwell. There is nothing to it."
"What about the boy's resorting! Are you trying to usurp me from my position?!" Cornelius gasped and narrowed his eyes. "You're trying to become the Minister. Trying to turn the public against the Boy-Who-Lived! Having the Golden Boy seen as a black mark on my term as Minister would affect the elections this coming Yule."
Albus smiled his grandfatherly smile. "I have no intention of becoming the Minister of Magic, Cornelius. I believe that that position is already rightfully filled. But it is true what Ms. Skeeter has said. Mr. Potter has indeed resorted into Slytherin. It was my intentions for Mr. Potter to help the Slytherins stray from the dark and back towards the light. That was why Mr. Potter has been resorted to Slytherin. It also helped that the boy wished to be resorted."
Cornelius grew flustered as his face got red with fury. "These students are not joining the Dark side. You-Know-Who does not recruit any students! You're mad!"
"Cornelius," Albus' sharp tone cut through his babbling, "Voldemort will indeed recruit amongst the seventh years. It is within my knowledge from my reliable source that Voldemort is slowly acquiring followers at a large pace."
"Your reliable source!" The Minister narrowed his eyes even more, "There's no such thing!" He hissed. "You-Know-Who is lying low! And when he makes his move, my Aurors will detain him!"
"You think you can capture Voldemort? He is recruiting for his army! He will take over the Wizarding World! Have you forgotten what happened just a few months ago?"
Cornelius shouted, "I HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN! PERHAPS YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN YOUR POSITION HEADMASTER! I AM THE MINISTER OF MAGIC! MY AURORS WILL AND CAN DO THEIR JOBS TO DETAIN ANY AND ALL DEATH EATERS! YOU-KNOW-WHO WILL FALL DURING MY TERM! I WILL NOT HAVE YOU SPREADING LIES TO ASSIST IN LOSING MY CAMPAIGN!"
With that, Cornelius flooed away to his office, leaving a grim looking Headmaster alone in his office. When Dumbledore walked up the stairs to his private quarters, he didn't see the small ghost of a smile disappear in a swirling mist.
…..
Harry barked out a laugh, "Is that true, Dobby?"
The house elf flapped his ears exuberantly. "It's true, Harry Potter sir! Dobby be hearing every word!"
"This is great news! Thank you Dobby," Harry smiled.
The house elf shook his head rapidly, tears pooling in his eyes. "Nothing of it, Harry Potter sir! Dobby happy to be of assistance!" With that, the house elf disappeared with a soft 'pop'.
"What's up?"
"The Minister and Dumbledore had a row," Harry laughed.
"Chocolate and bees never did go together nicely," Luna said dreamily. "That's why there are Chocolate frogs." Her eyes were slightly glossed over as she hummed a song, titled her head from side to side and swung her legs back and forth.
Currently, their little group was in the Room of Requirement for lunch. As it was not mandatory to head to the Great Hall for their meals, they decided to eat together where no one would see them.
"Fudge thinks Dumbledore's trying to take his spot as Minister and Dumbledore is trying to persuade Fudge that Voldemort is planning something big."
"Well," Tom smirked, "I am doing something big."
"Yes, becoming a Hogwarts student and repeating the last two years of your school year here is 'big'," Harry laughed. "Oh! This is good! Try some." The Slytherin forked over some chicken breast into Draco's mouth. "How is it?"
"Good," Draco chewed on it before deeming it delicious. Harry smiled happily before offering Blaise some as well.
"Oh yeah. Why did you want us to head to Gringotts this Hogsmeade weekend?"
Tom frowned, "I would've thought you'd understand by how much I've told you."
"You haven't told me anything," Harry reflected his own frown.
Tom sighed, "Very well. I have an inkling that perhaps Ms. Lovegood and Mr. Longbottom are the last two heirs to the last two Founders of Hogwarts."
Harry blinked, "Is that true Luna?"
The Ravenclaw only smiled her dreamy smile, refusing to say anything else.
"Me! I can't be a Founder's heir," Neville shook his head furiously. "I'm not!"
"We'll see," Tom said, sipping from his goblet.
…..
The rest of the week passed by uneventfully. The only thing that was hilarious to the teens was the fact that Dumbledore kept sending insistent notes to have Harry visit him at his office alone. And whenever Harry did, it was always either with Severus Snape, as the potions master was the Head of his House or either Draco or Blaise, as they were his fiancés.
The Headmaster was furious at having Harry arrive with someone in his company. And when he would subtly send compulsion charms towards the other to have him alone, Harry's green eyes would light up in fury before, the next thing Dumbledore knew, he was all alone in his office.
…..
"Students heading to Hogsmeade will now hand in their permission slips. The carriages will be leaving shortly." Professor McGonagall announced, receiving slip after slip of paper.
It was now in the early month of October – the first weekend of Hogsmeade had started, allowing students from third year and above to leave the castle and head to the village. Other than writing home to Lucius about Dumbledore's failed attempts to talk to Harry alone, the teenagers had been planning with Sirius, Remus and even Petunia. With Lucius's agreement to their plans, the teenagers had felt that they should use this weekend to their advantage.
"Professor," Harry said, handing in his own form.
"Yes, Mr. Potter?"
"With my status as Lord Potter-Black, I have already asked for permission from my Head of House to head to Gringotts to deal with my affairs. I hope you don't mind taking a few people with me as they also have matters to attend to at Gringotts."
"Who might they be?"
"Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom and Liam Trido."
With pursed lips, Professor McGonagall frowned. "I am sorry, Mr. Potter. However, I cannot, in good consciousness, allow for three students to accompany you outside of Hogwarts grounds. Especially not when one of them is a fifth year student and especially not without Professor Dumbledore's permission."
"Professor McGonagall," Harry stated. "This is a matter of secrecy and discretion. As Professor Dumbledore is just Hogwarts' Headmaster and nothing more, he has no right to meddle in affairs that are not his own. As Head of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter and Black, it is within my right to help other potential successors of ancient families."
The Transfiguration Professor pursed her lips, but acquiesced, "Very well, but be back before five."
"Of course," Harry smiled.
The four of them left via Harry's lordship ring and they were instantly taken to Gringotts' lobby.
Harry stood before a goblin and waited until it acknowledged him.
"What can Gringotts do for you today?"
"I am Lord Potter-Black and I'd like to see Griphook, please."
The goblin spoke in Gobbledegook to another nearby and offered the group a seat to wait. Soon after, Griphook appeared and the goblin led the four into his office.
"How may I be of assistance, Lord Potter-Black?"
"It's Harry, Griphook." Harry groaned, knowing that with that smirk on the Goblin's face, Griphook was just teasing the wizard.
"Of course. How can I help you?"
"We would like to see our inheritances," Tom answered.
"And who might you be," Griphook inquired, "Ah yes. Tom Marvolo Riddle."
"Pleased to meet your acquaintance, Griphook."
"Think nothing of it," The goblin smiled, or at least that's what the teenagers thought it to be. It was hard to tell with all those sharp gleaming teeth along with the pointy fangs. "Albus believes that the Goblins will support his campaign for fighting against you, yet he does nothing to help benefit the magical creature community."
"I understand, that is why with three new additional heirs, we can change the wizarding world. But before we get off topic; can we get our inheritances?"
"Of course," Griphook handed him an athame, "Please prick your finger and place three drops of blood on the sheet of parchment paper."
Doing as they were told, Tom, Luna and Neville pricked their finger and placed three drops of blood onto the parchment paper before them. It lit up a bright white color before the parchment paper started listing all their inheritances.
Tom perused his own parchment paper…
Tom Marvolo Riddle
Parents:
Father: Tom Riddle Sr. (Deceased)
Mother: Merope Gaunt (Deceased)
Godparents:
N/A
Magical Guardian:
Albus Dumbledore (Illegally)
Titles:
Heir of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Slytherin
Heir of the House of Gaunt
Heir of Riddle Enterprises (Muggle)
Holdings:
Ancient and Most Noble House of Slytherin:
Vaults 807, 808, 809, 810, 811, 812
Properties include:
¼th Hogwarts Castle; Slytherin Castle; Slytherin Manor
House of Gaunt:
Vault 221
Riddle Enterprises:
Riddle Inc.; Riddle Manor
Abilities:
Parseltongue (Hereditary)
Eidetic Memory (Hereditary)
Mage Sight (Hereditary / 100% Blocked)
Animagus (Hereditary/ 100% Blocked)
Familiars:
(50% blocked by passive dampening potion)
Snake (Nagini)
Luna looked at her own…
Luna Lovegood
Parents:
Father: Xenophilius Lovegood
Mother: Pandora Lovegood (Deceased)
Godparents:
N/A
Titles:
Heiress of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Ravenclaw
Heiress of the House of Lovegood
Holdings:
Ancient and Most Noble House of Ravenclaw:
Vaults 813, 814, 815, 816, 817, 818
Properties include:
¼th Hogwarts Castle; Ravenclaw Castle; Ravenclaw Manor
House of Lovegood:
Vault 406
Properties include:
House in Ottery St. Catchpole
Abilities:
Seer (Hereditary / 75% Blocked)
Mage Sight (Hereditary / 75% Blocked)
Animagus (Hereditary / 100% Blocked)
Familiars:
(100% blocked by passive dampening potion)
Lastly was Neville, whose eyes went wide with surprise…
Neville Longbottom
Parents:
Father: Frank Longbottom (Incapacitated)
Mother: Alice Longbottom (Incapacitated)
Godparents:
James Charles Potter (Deceased)
Lily Evans (Deceased)
Magical Guardian:
Augusta Longbottom (Grandmother)
Titles:
Heir of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Hufflepuff
Heir of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Longbottom
Holdings:
Ancient and Most Noble House of Hufflepuff:
Vaults 819, 820, 821, 822, 823, 824
Properties include:
¼th Hogwarts Castle; Hufflepuff Castle; Hufflepuff Manor
Ancient and Most Noble House of Longbottom:
Vaults 708, 709, 710
Properties include:
Longbottom Manor & other properties around Europe
Abilities:
Animagus (Hereditary / 100% Blocked)
Affinity towards plants and animals (Hereditary / 100% Blocked)
Familiars:
(100% blocked by passive dampening potion)
"We're the last two Founders of Hogwarts," Neville breathed out, having eyed Luna's parchment paper. "Can you believe that?"
Tom raised an eyebrow, "Of course I did. That's why I asked for both your presences at Gringotts this weekend."
"Would you like to have these blocks eliminated? For a fee of 100 galleons, of course."
Harry wrote out a check for all four of them, "Have it done for me too. I just remembered that I forgot to ask you for my inheritance test. I might have some blocks done on me as well."
"Very well. Please proceed to the Ritual Halls," Griphook led them down a dark corridor, down several flights of stairs before ushering them in. "I thought you might like to have them done at the same time. To keep each other company of course."
"Thank you," Luna smiled, before skipping off behind a screen to change. The others followed suit only after Luna had reappeared with a white tunic wrapped around her body. They entered the Ritual Chamber and saw white markings littered around the floors – all written in four concentric circles. They all lied upon the circular dais in the middle of these markings and looked up at the ceiling, glistening in sparkles from the goblins' mines.
The chanting began in Gobbledegook, candles subsequently lighting up with fires of all different colors of the spectrum. After the last candle was lit up, the markings lit up as well; starting from the middle where they lay, it was first white, yellow, orange, red, blue, green, purple, brown and finally black. They felt a stinging sensation as it crawled through their skin and finally a burning feeling that scorched their bodies. A bright white light crawled up the markings that had become visible for all to see during the ritual before it erupted from their eyes and mouth in a silent scream.
Five minutes passed before the light dissipated. And then slowly, the lights from their markings and from the ritual inscriptions slowly crawled away, heading towards the outer black concentric circle. Four simultaneous sighs were heard before the goblins saw that the teenagers had gone unconscious. With another order, Griphook had gotten the goblin healers to take them to their healing room to allow them rest. Griphook had also helped several unoccupied goblin healers to accompany the tired goblins whom performed the rituals to the healing room as well.
Within the healing room, the healers softly wiped away all excess sweat from their bodies before dabbing at their skin with purified water to symbolize the end of the rituals.
…..
"Ugh…" groaned Neville, slowly sitting up. "What happened?"
"I feel like several bludgers hit me right on the head," Harry agreed, his eyes blinking dazedly at the three other occupants of the room.
Luna and Tom had woken up at the same time and were waiting on Neville and Harry to return to consciousness. They had been given the order of alerting the goblins of their awakening and had done so after the last two members of their party woke up.
Currently, they were returning to Griphook's office. After filling out and signing several documentations to legally pronounce Luna, Neville and Tom as the remaining three heirs of Hogwarts Castle, they thanked the goblin before rewarding him twenty galleons each, per month, for the rest of his life.
"What shall we do now?" Neville asked.
"We need to get new robes for you guys," Harry stated. "As new heirs to Hogwarts, it will be expected of you to join in the Wizengamot meetings. As such, we have to look our best."
Harry led their group to Twilfitt and Tattings. Quickly throwing out choices, Harry helped them buy several formal robes and dress robes and everyday robes. In an hour, they left the store with pockets slightly heavier than before. They took the time to have a late lunch meal before perusing the alley for things they might need. Afterwards, they returned to Hogsmeade through the floo and walked back up to Hogwarts Castle.
Draco and Blaise awaited their presence, lighting a smile on Harry's face as he ran up to them.
"How long have you been standing there?" He asked brightly.
"Twenty minutes, give or take," Draco answered, wrapping his arms around Harry's waist.
"We figured you'd take the entire time McGonagall allowed for you to use," Blaise replied, giving Harry a kiss on the cheek.
"So, what happened in Gringotts?"
…..
"Oh boy!" Ron choked out. Then he snorted and fell into boisterous laughter, "We've got everything in the bag!"
"Ron's quite right," Hermione nodded. "With these two new additional seats, we've practically dominated the Wizengamot and have control over Hogwarts. Dumbledore is going down."
"Father will hear about this," Draco spoke up. Then he scowled when he realized that his old habits had been drawn to the surface.
Ron snorted once more and smiled, "So what should we do about this?"
"We plan carefully around this advantage," Tom replied. He hummed with delight when he received his favorite dessert, a hot chocolate soufflé, from Dobby. The house elf had been popping in and out, ears flopping happily, as he served his "Master Harry Potter and friends!"
"So…" Ginny looked around the room. "We scare him?" the redhead asked.
"We scare him," Harry grinned.
…..
"Wake up!"
Harry shot up off the bed and tumbled over a body and onto the cold stone floor of the Slytherin boys' dormitory. Shooting up off the cold surface, he scrambled back into the empty space in the bed and threw the blankets over himself, curling up into a ball – huddling to keep warm in the piercing cold air.
Even underneath his thick comforter, the raven could hear Macaire's tinkling laughter.
"Wake up!" The guardian repeated, and Harry could feel him tugging on his blankets.
"No!" Harry protested. His grip tightened, refusing to let go.
"Wake up!" Macaire repeated in a singsong voice. Harry refused even more, digging his hands to grasp the cloth surrounding him.
"We got him," came a grumbling voice to his left.
"Harry, we've got to go," came a yawn from his right.
With twin tugs, Harry looked up and saw both Blaise and Draco staring down at him.
Since the night Harry had gotten resorted into Slytherin, the trio had gotten Egidio to push their three single beds together before asking Lady Hogwarts herself to form the beds into a king-sized one. When it was done, the trio thanked her and set off to bed. And since then, Harry, Draco and Blaise had been sleeping together – Harry in the middle, Blaise to his right and Draco to his left.
"I don't want to wake up," Harry whined. His eyes grew big and his lips jutted out into a pout. "It's too cold."
Hearing a snap of fingers, the room instantly warmed up. "Cheat!" Harry hissed, glaring at Macaire.
"Get up. Last warning," Macaire replied. "Or do you wish to have my dearly beloved come and drag your unwilling body out of bed?"
"I'm up!" Harry jumped out of bed and ran to his dresser, pulling out an outfit before hitting the showers – moaning when the feeling of spraying hot water fell onto his skin.
Half an hour later, Harry, Blaise and Draco had arrived at the edge of the Black Lake. Already by the lakeside with the rest of the guardians were Tom, Theo, Pansy, Crystal, Crabbe, Goyle, Ron, Ginny, Luna, Neville, Hermione and Dudley.
"What are we doing up so early?"
"What time is it anyway?" Harry complained. He shivered when a large gust of wind blew past him. With a firm grip on his arm, Harry was pulled into Blaise's embrace; the taller Slytherin's body blocking out the cold wind.
"Only about five thirty," Macaire chirped.
"It's no wonder it's cold out," Pansy sniffed. "Look at what we're wearing."
Everyone had just thrown on the oldest outfit they had since the guardians had warned them of wearing anything too fancy. They also said they would be training, so everyone just had on a thin t-shirt and shorts.
"Can't you work some of that…" Pansy waved her hands in a circular gesture.
Tesia laughed, "Sure, we'll work some of 'that'."
With a snap of her fingers, a rippling effect covered all of the teenagers starting from their heads to their toes. It seemed as if their current outfits had been peeled away to make way for the outfits they were now currently wearing. The teenagers were now wearing trainers over compression shirts with form fitting training pants and a pair of running shoes; their colors reflective of the houses they had been sorted or resorted in.
"Mmm, much warmer," Harry purred. He snuggled into Blaise's hug even further, satisfied with the heat now radiating throughout his body. Blaise laughed at his fiancé's cute gesture, kissing the crown of his head before he gave his attention to the guardians.
"Before we train, we're going to stretch." Alandair instructed. The teenagers stared up at him with blank expressions.
"Before we stretch, hand over your wands."
The guardians watched with amused expressions as the teenagers drew back as if they had just touched fire. "Give you our wands? Whatever for?"
"You won't be needing them," Egidio held out a hand. "Now."
"I refuse," Tom hissed.
Luna was actually the first to hand hers over and soon Harry did too. After Harry came a domino effect and soon it was only Tom left who had not handed his wand over yet.
"Wand now."
Tom cursed and his eyes darted to Egidio's hand full of wands to his own hand clutching his wand. It seemed as if Tom was actually contemplating on making a break for it – but then again, it would probably ruin his perfect "Dark Lord" image. Gritting his teeth, Tom clenched his eyes shut and thrust his hand out, palm splayed up towards the dawning sky.
Feeling his wand plucked from his grasp nearly sent Tom into an instinctual defensive mode to fight whomever had taken his wand, but he held it in and took a deep breath.
It is okay. He had done it before many times. But why was it not getting easier the more times it occurred?!
"Stretch."
Making three rows of five with a two feet radius of space between each person, the teenagers began to stretch out their limbs as the guardians walked up and down the line, forcing their body to the limits.
Alandair actually pushed Harry's back further down when Harry just hung by his waist while attempting to touch the ground. It wasn't until Draco and Blaise's growl accompanied by Macaire scolding him that Alandair removed his weight, allowing Harry to stand in an upright position with a red and flushed face.
Harry's green glare, coupled by his hand holding an aching waist, almost made Alandair apologize… Almost.
After about fifteen minutes, Egidio deemed their limbs relaxed and loose. "Okay, we'll go jogging around the perimeter of the Black Lake."
The teens balked, "The entire lake?!"
"Yes," Egidio nodded. "You keep going onto we tell you to stop. If you slow down, we have a way to speed you up. Once you reach the end, return back here."
Macaire spun from his spot, clapping his hands as he drew a faint starting line that hovered in the air before the guardians. "On your mark!" He chirped.
When they had lined up, Macaire shouted, "Go!" And they all took off.
…..
"H-how long h-has it been?"
"Twenty minutes."
"No talking!" Macaire spoke up. They didn't understand how they could hear the guardian when they were about half a mile away from them – half way to their second lap.
"I didn't sign up for this," Tom hissed. "How dare they make us exercise!"
"It's for your own good!"
Tom growled, focusing his attention on the sight before him. Luna's tinkling laugh echoed by them as the blond ran as fast as her legs could carry her. Even though the guardians had trained them way before the school year had started, it seemed that running around the perimeter of Malfoy Manor was quite different than running the perimeter of the Black Lake.
Crabbe yelped and rushed forward, clutching his bruising buttocks. Apparently, Alandair had sent in a little punishment for the Slytherin slowing down. That punishment came in the form of a tiny spark that sent tendrils of pain racing through their nerves; though it was nothing like the Cruciatus Curse, it felt as if someone had placed their finger in a socket and had been electrocuted. Or at least, that's what Harry thought it felt like when he had been the third person to get shocked for losing speed.
By the time they were on their fifth lap, the teenagers were running with jelly legs and noodle arms. Not one of the teenagers had escaped getting shocked in the arse. Even Luna, though the four guardians knew she was The Mother, had earned herself a slight shock to the rump. However, all the blond Ravenclaw did was giggle at the tingling sensation before rushing ahead of everyone else.
Watching the teenagers finish their lap before pivoting on the spot, Egidio halted their movements and allowed them a break as he and the rest of the guardians stood by to observe the Hogwarts castle's surroundings.
Even when they were by the Black Lake, they were somewhat near the border of the Forbidden Forest. With their sharp senses, the four guardians could hear the bushes and tree branches rustle; not just by the wind and the cool breeze, but also by the creatures that lingered there in the dark shadows.
It was then that Harry heard it; a soft chime that sounded like a bell, followed by the sound of the rippling of water by the Black Lake.
"Hey… did you hear that?"
Draco raised his head and peered at his fiancé. "Hear what?"
"That bell," Harry panted. "Didn't you hear it? It was ringing."
"Where?" Blaise asked. His eyes were still closed as he sat on the ground besides Harry, panting for breath.
Harry got up, stumbled and righted himself before he pointed off into the distance, "There, where the Black Lake is."
They stayed silent but heard nothing. "I swear!" Harry protested. His head shot up again, "There it goes!"
"Harry… Are you okay? Maybe we should take a longer rest."
"No, but…" Harry trailed off and started to hum a light tune. His eyes drooped into half-lids as his head swayed from side to side.
"Harry?" Draco sat up slowly, his attention drawn towards the raven haired Slytherin.
Harry continued to hum the tone – though it sounded a bit haunting, it held some sort of melancholic and nostalgic tune. He started to walk towards the body of water in slow halted steps. When his friends called out to him to stop, his body continued on even when his mind knew that he should be stopping.
Even when they tried to get near his body to physically pull him away and to stop him, a body of water surrounded Harry, blocking their efforts.
Thinking that their ward was under attack, the guardians had drawn their weapons and quickly surveyed the area. When the result came back as nothing other than their large group being in the surrounding area, the guardians were confused. However, Luna ordered them to lower their weapons and they only hesitated for two seconds before their weapons were withdrawn.
Luna followed after Harry, her light steps transitioning into none as her body floated a few inches above the ground. Her blond hair had started twirling and weaving slowly in the air as if she were in water and her eyes turned a hazy white. A bright white aura surrounded her thin floating frame as she followed alongside Harry to the Black Lake.
Harry, in his semi-conscious state, was now by the edge of the Black Lake and he dipped a foot. Somewhere at the back of his mind, he was questioning as to why the water was now warmer to him compared to when he had first entered its depths during fourth year in the Triwizard Tournament. Then he realized that it was the blue aura glowing around him that prevented his skin from freezing.
As the water swallowed him up, the rest of the teenagers could only stand on shore to watch on in anxiousness and horror, leaving Luna to follow after their somewhat hypnotized friend. While Harry seemed to slip into the water's embrace, the water actually paved a way for Luna to float onward, giving the glowing witch a wide breadth before closing in around her.
When they could no longer see the two individuals that was the moment when they started to panic.
"What are you four still doing here?!" Draco shouted, "Go get Harry! Return him to us!"
"I thought you said you were supposed to protect us! To protect him!" Blaise spoke. Though he did not raise his voice like Draco did, his tone was low and dangerous.
"He is safe with our Mother," Egidio explained. "If she had wanted us to come along with, she would have ordered for one of us to go with them."
"But she didn't do either!"
Macaire shook his head, "She ordered us to lower our weapons. It was enough to tell us to stand down and wait for further orders."
"So we're just going to sit here twiddling our thumbs while our friend is in the water with Merlin knows what creatures lie in the darkest depths there?!" Hermione shrieked. Already her mind was whirling through the list of creatures known to be living in the Black Lake. And without their wands on them, they couldn't defend themselves – especially not Harry.
…..
Once Harry's entire body was enveloped with water, it felt like the creatures of the Black Lake had welcomed him. Though he couldn't immediately see the creatures, he could sense them; it was like he was his own personal sonar, yet he didn't understand how he was able to know where the creatures' locations were.
"I think it'll be easier for you to move when you change," Luna's overlaid voice spoke up beside him. Her body floated slowly in circles around his own body and his head swiveled to keep her in his sights.
The blue glow around him grew brighter and soon Harry's eyes had adjusted to the darkness surrounding him. His chest was no longer covered by cloth, but bare to his waist and his legs were no longer legs, but a full tail – a merman's tail.
Dark green scales decorated with golden specks, appeared to be onyx black. Around his waist was a semblance of a six foot long forest green raiment, adorned with beaded jewels of all kinds, and embellished with stones of all color. Bracelets with shimmering blue crystals graced his thin wrists. Around his neck was a black choker made of the same material as the raiment around his waist, yet a gold charm of a triton hung from it. Sitting upon his head was a narrow band, emerald inlaid silver circlet flanked by two half crescents, with drapes embedded with small sapphires and a small pearl drop center dangle. There was also a long veil intricately woven into the circlet that hung behind Harry's head and reached to his waist. Even Harry's eyes seemed to shine brighter than his Avada green.
"Oh, don't you look gorgeous," Luna cooed. Her giggles echoing throughout the body of water.
It was then that the spell seemed to break from Harry's mind and he was now free from any constraints. His tail began to swish back and forth, preventing Harry from sinking any deeper.
"L-Luna?" Her pale eyebrow rose in a dainty arch, "Ah… Mother, what am I doing here?"
"You've heard the songs of the lost ones, my dear." Luna whispered. "Follow it."
"Songs… of the lost ones?" Harry repeated and then he heard it again. The same haunting, yet melancholic and nostalgic tune that he had heard above water. Slowly and cautiously, Harry swam towards the sound, following his gut instinct.
Something was wrong. Very wrong.
…..
"Something is wrong! Very wrong!" Draco spoke. Even when the party couldn't see Harry, they could all feel the release of his God-given powers. It practically vibrated during that short amount of time, but it was short enough to have the block covering Draco's own power to dissipate.
"I'm going after him!" Draco declared, but he was held back. "Remove your hand if you wish to keep it, Macaire."
"Our Mother will protect him, or do you not believe in or trust her?"
"We can protect Harry ourselves. If you will just show us the way," Blaise protested.
Egidio frowned, "And what will you do then if you found Harry? What if he is in the middle of a task or some sort and you all appeared and distracted him? What makes you think that you can locate Harry amongst this vast body of water?"
When the two wizards did not answer, Egidio raised his hand and the guardians stood up properly, "For now, while we will wait for their return, we will continue our training regime. You will have your answer then."
"How long will this take?" Hermione asked, after a brief pause in their conversation. The teenagers had their eyes trained on Egidio.
"As long as it will take Harry."
With that vague answer, everyone was ordered to get into their defensive stance before they started their hand-to-hand combat training.
…..
"Mother, where are we?"
Luna hummed and looked around. The two were currently swimming through the dark waters, yet their aura was shining brightly around them – lighting the way. They had passed by several large reefs and had been swimming for a long time, yet there were no creatures that had come upon them.
"We're getting close, child."
Harry nodded his head and swam quicker. The quicker he found out what was going on, the quicker he would get to return to both his fiancés. He was sure that Draco and Blaise were going crazy, worried about what had happened with him. And Harry did not even want to get started on how the rest of his friends were reacting; they were probably reacting on par with both Slytherins.
"We're here," Luna chimed.
Harry stopped and looked around. There was a silhouette of what had been a magnificent temple, yet it had been decimated and reduced to crumbling towers, lingering rubble with a hovering dark atmosphere. The territory around it was silent, but Harry could feel the presence of many, many creatures there.
"Hello? Is there anyone?"
Slowly shadows appeared from behind several columns and Harry saw who they were. They were the mermaids that he had encountered during the second task of the Triwizard Tournament.
'What are you doing here?'
'Ah… it's the guppy from many moons ago…'
'You… remember me?' Harry's eyes widened when he realized he had slipped into the mermaid's native tongue: Mermish.
'Of course… we should have realized… I apologize, Your Majesty.'
'Not at all. You don't have to bow,' Harry insisted, watching as the merpeople bowed at the waist. 'I followed a song here… Do you know what it means?'
The merpeople swished their tails as they looked at one another, 'It is the song of what we have lost. What we are now cursed with,' The mermaid with the long fiery red tail answered.
'What you are cursed with?'
'Medusa's curse…'
Harry turned a questioning glance at Luna and The Mother answered, "The Myth of Medusa, Poseidon and Athena." [1] She said. "Medusa wasn't always a monster. She was my daughter, born to Phorcys and Ceto. As a priestess of Athena, she was sworn to a life of celibacy. Yet, her beautiful appearance caught much attention from many men. Poseidon, in awe of her beauty, had raped her within Athena's temple and Athena cursed her beautiful looks. Her golden locks turned into snakes and her skin turned tinted green and green snake scales. She became a hideous monster and swore revenge on both Poseidon and Athena."
'Is this true?'
'Yes… we followed after her and eventually she was beheaded by Perseus. Punished by the Gods, we have turned into what Medusa had looked like… We were fools; we should not have strayed from our paths.' A merman with a dark blue tail answered. Even through their armor, Harry could tell the color of their tails.
'I see… How long …'
'A few millennia…'
'I think that the punishment has gone on long enough, don't you think so Mother?' Harry turned pleading eyes at The Mother. Even when it is not her responsibility, nor was it supposed to fall to her attention, of what her children do, The Mother couldn't help but fall to Harry's big green eyes.
'Athena would not be happy with your decision,' The Mother spoke up.
'I shall speak with her then,' Harry stated confidently, even when nerves fluttered at the pit of his stomach. He turned to face the merpeople before him. 'I do not have the power to revert you all to your original forms… but perhaps I can do one person?'
The Mother's head nodded minutely, approving Harry's suggestion. Admitting to his people that he had the power, yet was humble enough to state that he was not able to do something made Harry the respectful and self-effacing person people knew him to be.
The two individuals watched as the merpeople spoke it over before a mermaid swam over with a bundle in her arms. The bundle was a small babe, only a few moons old, yet Harry and The Mother could see the curse inflicted upon it.
Taking the babe into his arms, Harry instinctually grabbed at the triton charm hanging from his black choker. Feeling The Mother place her hand onto his shoulder, Harry chanted, 'Αντιστραφεί αυτή η κατάρα για πάντα. Απελευθερώστε το δέσιμο που διαπλέκονται. Εγώ, ο Ποσειδώνας, θεός της θάλασσας. Παραδοθείτε αυτή συμφορά; Είναι δωρεάν.' [2]
In a mixture of blue and white tendrils, the babe in his arms was enveloped by a golden warmth belying the cold temperature of the waters around them. Harry, The Mother, and the merpeople watched as the infant's scaly skin was stripped away, replaced by smooth pale skin. Rather than scales on top of the infant's head, there was a tuft of blue hair, waving soothingly alongside the gentle waves of the water. Harry could make out the human-like ears, though slightly arched and narrowed at the tip, the big blue-green eyes that seemed to take over the baby's face. He saw the thin nose and the red rosy lips; ten fingers instead of ten webbed claws and the black tinted blue tail from the waist down.
Slowly, the mermaid that had handed Harry her babe relieved him of the child. Harry saw the warmth in the mermaid's eyes, oblivious to the awe in the rest of the merpeople population.
'Thank you. Thank you so much,' She murmured. The mermaid gently ran her scaly finger across her child's cheek and petted the soft flowing hair on his head.
'I apologize I can't do more right now,' Harry murmured.
'It is enough. You have saved one of our young ones from this damned curse. We have no doubt that you can save the rest of us,' It seemed that the Head of their pod had swam up to finally greet Harry. Though Harry disapproved of his actions, Harry knew that the Head had trust issues. Sending out the warriors to scout our the individuals whom had wandered into their territory spoke of his wariness.
'I promise, I shall save the rest of you,'
Bowing at the waist, Harry's actions were replicated by the merpeople population. Waving his hand, Harry swam away from them before placing protective wards around their territory.
"They're a part of my people now," Harry answered, even though The Mother did not say anything.
They slowly swam to the surface and eventually broke through, slowly swimming up to shore with their eyes trained on the rest of the friends.
…..
"Harry!" Draco breathed out before sucking in a deep breath. He had heard the tale-tell splash of water and instantly turned around. Instead of finding his fiancé clothed, his fiancé was half-naked (if he could put it that way), and rather than a pair of legs, there was a gorgeous tail.
"Oh… my… Merlin," Hermione breathed out. She was the first to react as she ran all the way up to Harry whom had perched himself on top of a smooth flat rock.
A chorus of "Harry!" broke the silence as everyone tumbled to the Black Lake's shore to ask him what had happened.
Harry looked to and fro between faces before focusing on both his fiancés. He knew they had been worried sick about him; he could tell by their training forms, and so they were the first two people he would go to first.
"I'm fine, really. I'm okay," He repeated. Harry shrieked when he was moved from the rock and placed sideways across Draco's lap. His lap ended over Blaise's, yet there was still a good extra space – fit for two to three more people – as that was how long his tail was.
He eased their worries and told them all about what had happened.
"So your people –"
"- The merpeople in the Black Lake –"
"- Was cursed for following and aiding in Medusa's revenge against Poseidon and Athena?"
Harry nodded his head, "Even if merpeople are immortal, they still give birth and die off from many causes; so their ancestors' curse kept running through them."
"It's so sad how innocents are affected even by their predecessors' actions," Crystal murmured. "Is there anything you can do for them?"
"I promised them I would remove the curse. I just need my Triton."
"Your Triton?"
Harry pointed at the little charm hanging from his black choker, "When I was breaking the curse from the infant, I automatically gripped this charm. It seems that it is significant in my powers as Poseidon, but it was only powerful enough to remove the curse from just that baby. So if I can get my hands on the actual Triton, I'm sure I can remove the curse from everyone."
"Harry…" Hermione started, "How do you even know it's just this particular pod of merpeople that are cursed? Maybe there were others and considering how large the world is, it's impossible to swim from sea to sea in order to track them all down."
"I'm not going to give up," Harry was sure on that, "Even if it takes me years, I'll find each and every one of them."
"What if some of them followed after Medusa for their own agenda?"
"Playing Devil's advocate is getting a little disheartening," Harry frowned. "And if they do deserve it, I'll leave the curse to take its toll. After all, it's Athena's curse on the merpeople. I'm going to eventually have to talk to her about it."
Clutching at his triton charm, Harry's tail peeled off to show his bare legs, which was quickly dressed in jogging pants.
The teenagers missed the looks thrown between the Guardians. And with half an hour before breakfast starts, the four guardians relieved them of their training and walked the students back to their houses to freshen up for the day.
…..
"Whoa pup. You look like a mess," Sirius had come walking down the Slytherin table to talk to him.
"I woke up really early and we had guardian training."
"You had no training, you just used your powers," Draco frowned. He had finished filling up Harry's fruit bowl while Blaise had piled up Harry's plate before the two fiancés began their own meal.
"Is that what that was," Sirius questioned. "I thought I felt a slight vibration this morning."
"Damn, if Sirius felt that then the old coot would've too," Harry clicked his tongue. He shoveled food into his mouth as if it would disappear if he didn't eat fast enough.
His godfather looked at the rest of the Slytherins – taking note of similar eating habits before he turned to the other tables. Ron was eating like he usually did, but he did seem to inhale his scones a lot faster than usual. Even the most polite and well-mannered Hermione Granger, whom usually scolded Ron for his eating habits, was scarfing down food in a similar manner – though she was slightly slower in speed and was a lot cleaner.
"You seem like you can eat enough for five people," Sirius barked out in laughter before walking down to the professors' table.
Huffing, Harry ignored his godfather's comment before he continued to eat to his stomach's content.
…..
[1] The Myth of Medusa, Poseidon and Athena: Please correct me if I'm wrong. I've cross-referenced several websites for this, and they seem to be giving the same general idea as to the relationship between Medusa and Poseidon. However, there were several implications of Medusa having been born to different gods and goddesses… so yeah… sorry about that!
[2] Αντιστραφεί αυτή η κατάρα για πάντα. Απελευθερώστε το δέσιμο που διαπλέκονται. Εγώ, ο Ποσειδώνας, θεός της θάλασσας. Παραδοθείτε αυτή συμφορά; Είναι δωρεάν– roughly translates to: Reverse this curse forever more. Release the bind that intertwined. I, Poseidon, God of the Sea. Surrender this calamity; be free. (I apologize if the translation is incorrect. Google translate can only do so much!)
A/N: Okay, the chapter did not end in a way that I was happy with. Might have to change that –shrugs– But, I am done with Chapter 22 and am currently working on Chapter 23! I hope you guys enjoyed it; keep on reading folks! (: Thank you so much for being with me for this long!