Delay Notice: There is one more chapter. I won't get it out tomorrow. Hope springs eternal, of course, but I expect it won't be ready until the day after, and probably late at that. I thank everyone for their encouragement and declaring their willingness to wait if necessary.
There is no sequel planned – hopefully the last chapter will wrap up everything. Feel free to ask questions.
Harry's pregnancy – beekay asked about this, so I thought I'd clarify in case anyone else was slightly confused. Harry conceived all 12 babies at the mating, but the eggs go into stasis so that means a pregnancy doesn't necessarily happen right away. Only when his Veela magics are happy will a pregnancy be initiated. This means it could have been years before Harry became pregnant. That he became right away was a surprise.
Now the cookies…
For figuring out Harry's heritage - a whole batch of cookies to:
njferrell, who figured out all the way back in chapter 1 about Lily and why she kept her heritage quiet and got even closer by chapter 9.
TeRa SloAn who mostly figured it out in chapter 16.
Lady PhoenixFyre who figured it out partially in chapter 22 and completely in chapter 28.
Yanna who figured it out in 30
Maken who figured it out exactly in 31
For miscellaneous inspirations - cookies to:
Lady PhoenixFyre for asking about the Dursleys reaction
Immortal Sailor Cosmos for asking about Lily and why she mated to James.
Iredesent for asking about Lily's pregnancy
dolphins-r-fun for asking about Harry's "married" name
MoonlightPrincess for asking about Albus' reaction
To HeavenGoddess who has once again corrected my French
To Silver Lady – back in chapter 15 - when I first saw Delamater for a French surname, my first impression was "of the mother" and that, combined with its actual French meaning of master/overseer, is indeed why I picked it. Cookies to you!
(wipes sweat from forehead from slaving over the oven, again)
Chapter 32 – The Queen's Blessing
--June 10--
Snape's fury was absolutely incandescent. He'd tutored the boy when he was little. He'd encouraged him in his potions work. He'd protected the boy while at Hogwarts. And this was how he was repaid? How dare he? How dare he?
He'd kept his fury hidden, with supreme difficulty, while still at Hogwarts. But now Lucius was in his sights.
"Osseus Frango!" Severus yelled.
Lucius ducked the bone shattering curse and screamed back, "Artus Seco!"
Severus twisted away from the spell and ignored the cry of a random Death Eater behind him getting his leg severed and shouted another vicious dark curse. This one clipped Lucius and Severus cried out in triumph then immediately shielded a spell from the blond.
They continued on for nearly a quarter hour when both combatants were suddenly felled by the strongest cruciatus curse they had ever felt. Neither Severus nor Lucius felt like moving when the spell was finally lifted some indeterminate time later.
"Are you quite finished trying to kill one another?" Voldemort hissed dangerously.
Both men muttered the appropriate response although neither felt the fight was close to over.
"Now, if I understand correctly all your screeching prior to this display of dueling prowess, young Draco has gone and done something foolish once again. Am I right?" Voldemort asked sweetly.
Severus shook in fear. It was never a good thing when Voldemort sounded like that. "This imbecile has raised a fool for a son!" he said as loud as he could as he attempted to climb to his knees.
"He has been under your guidance these last years! This is your fault!" Lucius spat out as he also laboriously gained his knees.
"Silence," Voldemort said angrily. "We were to discuss our new target tonight and instead I find out that Draco is Potter's mate! Potter's mate! You both are to blame for this travesty!"
Severus and Lucius both remained silent, hoping against hope to make it out alive this night.
"Crucio," Voldemort said softly.
--June 11--
Luna watched with a smile as Ron Weasley threw yet another fit about the identity of Harry's mate. The redhead wasn't the only one furious over the revelation, but he was the most vocal. She looked around at the other students.
The Gryffindors were upset. Luna noted that most didn't understand the lesson that could be learned from this pairing. With long practice she ignored the white skulls superimposed over the faces of most of that House. They would die before the new era.
The Hufflepuffs were upset, too, but more of them were wondering about what it meant that Harry Potter had mated to Draco Malfoy. Some of the most stalwart romantics were in Hufflepuff and they were already talking about love and destiny. Many of them would die, too, though, before the new era, and sooner than the Gryffindors.
The Ravenclaws vacillated between shock, anger, and an analytical wonder. She absently noted the few among them that she would end up saving from death. The stories running through her House at the reasons behind Harry's choice were quite funny. None had yet thought to suggest a growing respect and affection between the pair. Silly Ravenclaws.
Slytherin House was the most affected. There had already been many who had started rethinking their priorities due to the fight between Draco and Millicent last year. And now to find that their leader had chosen so? Many would save themselves by leaving. Others would die in the destruction or by the King's hand. A few she would save when the time came.
Luna's attention wandered to the head table. Of all the staff, only three would live. One would leave and never return. One would fight with the Phoenix and see the new era, but be unable to bring herself to swear fealty to the King and would retreat to her home only to die in loneliness and heartbreak months later. The last one she would rescue and hide and he would become a revered teacher. It was only he that would once again teach at this school once the King came.
Her gaze moved to the Phoenix. This man was a mass of white and black. He wasn't a neutral gray, but a dichotomy of evil and good. He had done many good things in life. And he had done much evil as well. He fought hard to defeat evil, yet refused to address the root problems and knowingly sent children – many, many, more than just Harry – back to evil environments again and again. His evils committed by omission were just as black. He inspired many to moral lives, yet so many were lost to the morass of hate and anger because he refused to heed their drowning cries.
This man would live, but only because his presence would keep alive much of the population until the King was ready to claim his land. And when the King was deemed ready by the Gods, the Phoenix would die. Perhaps, over the next many years, the Phoenix would redeem himself.
Luna smiled. And waited. She knew her place. She knew her task. And, one day, she would know the King.
--June 12--
Moody thumped his way up the very long walk to the Malfoy Estates. He was quite aware of each guard station that he had passed and that he was being allowed entrance. He was under no illusions that he'd have been able to make it this far without the specific permission of the Malfoy Head.
He turned yet another sharp corner and finally saw the front of the humongous mansion. And there, by the fountain not twenty feet away, was Gaius Malfoy himself.
"Mr. Moody," Gaius said in greeting. "How are you today?"
Moody scowled. "Cut the pleasantries," he growled. "We both know why I'm here."
"Why don't you enlighten me," Gaius said pleasantly.
"I just want to know one thing," Moody said. "Is Harry Potter safe with your family?"
Gaius raised an eyebrow. "Of course," he said.
"What about Lucius?" Moody snarled.
"I see not why this is important to you," Gaius said.
"Damn it, man! That boy is important in a way you don't understand," Moody said angrily. "I want your guarantee that you will protect him from your family snake."
"So you can reassure your master?" Gaius asked with slight disgust.
Moody barked a sharp laugh. "My master has not yet been born. Now, your assurances."
Gaius blinked. "Indeed?" he questioned curiously. "What an odd thing to say."
"Your assurances!" Moody insisted.
"And you would trust my word?" Gaius asked in disbelief.
Moody smiled scarily. "I know what your family does, Gaius Malfoy," he said. "I was thirty-two when I was healed by a woman my age that I'd never seen at school. I made it my business to know where she came from. It took me years of investigation, but I finally figured it out. I've kept my silence. And for my silence all these years I want your assurances."
Gaius remained impressively blank in expression. "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about."
"Sure you don't," Moody said with a snort. "I've watched dozens of your people's speeches to the children. Food, housing, a promise of education. I keep those children's names and watch for them later. The ones I've found have always done well for themselves. Good job. I want your assurances."
Gaius paused. "You have them," he said finally.
"Good," Moody said and turned to leave.
"You don't even want to question me about Harry?" Gaius asked curiously.
Moody stopped and laughed again. "Would you tell me anything?"
"No," Gaius admitted.
"Then why waste my breath?" Moody said with a shrug. "I'd tell Albus you refused to answer, except he has no reason to ask since he doesn't know I'm here."
"Why have you kept your silence?" Gaius asked softly.
"Because I'm not a bloody fool," Moody said in disgust. "That law is one of the worst examples of idiocy in our society, and we've got some pretty bad examples. Instead of concentrating on the welfare of the children, those in power were more concerned with asserting their superiority. In their rush to win their victory, they ignored the possibility of abuse. They should have created some kind of oversight committee. I've had muggle contacts watch those kids I knew about and I've taken certain steps upon occasion."
Gaius' eyes widened. "You're the reason so many of the children have lost a parent! You've taken out assassination contracts!"
"I would never hire someone to do something I could do better myself," Moody said with a shrug. "You just keep on with what you're doing and make sure Harry Potter is kept safe and I'll go back to my role."
Once again Moody turned to leave and this time Gaius did not stop him.
--June 13--
"Kingsley?" Albus asked hopefully.
"Nothing," Kingsley said as he sat back in his chair. "I filed the kidnapping charges here and in France like you asked but there have been no results as yet."
"Surely you've received warrants for questioning and such?" Elphias asked.
"We did," Kingsley said with a shrug. "But we've not gotten any leads as to Potter's whereabouts."
"Surely the Malfoys know something," Albus said, hiding his irritation. Once he'd recovered from being blasted back into the students, he and Minerva had rushed to the gates. They'd been too late and Albus had been furious over the attack, the state of the gates, and the fact that it appeared that it was Draco Malfoy who was Harry's mate. The Malfoys were a powerful family and would be able to prevent his access to Harry. It had taken him hours to calm down sufficiently to start making and modifying plans.
"They do," Tonks said. "Some of them, anyway. They know that Draco Malfoy has his own home and that's it's in France. They can tell us that it's new-ish and partially furnished. They can't tell us anything else, though, especially where it's at or how to get there. They all arrived and left by portkey."
"What about…about him having babies?" Molly asked, wringing her hands. She had seven children, but she would never have been able to deliver them without medical help. She was very worried.
"He delivered twins successfully," Kingsley said. "That's all they can tell us. Their family oaths prevent them from telling us even the gender of the babies. The Malfoy family is pretty much a dead end investigation-wise."
"What about his friends?" Marcus asked.
"Unavailable at this time," Tonks said. "Liam Cadbury doesn't know where his wife is other than somewhere in France with Harry, the Longbottoms didn't even know that much, and the Grangers haven't seen their daughter for nearly a year after some big fight about her getting a wizarding job."
"What job?" Albus asked intently.
"We've not been able to find any record of her employment anywhere," Tonks said with a huff. "We won't know if she was lying or if her job is under the table somehow until we can find her and ask."
"What about the French Ministry?" Albus asked. "Draco must have registered his property and purchased the permits to build his home. Those documents must be on file."
Moody chuckled. "They've been classified by the ICW," he said. "It was done the first week of January. I really want to know who the lad's advisor is. They've been five steps ahead this entire time."
"This is not good news, Alastor," Albus said angrily. "Nevertheless, even the ICW must bow to a kidnapping charge. They will have to release those documents and we can investigate from there."
"They won't," Moody said, restraining his grin. "They said the kidnapping charge is invalid as the lad is over seventeen."
"I have custody until Harry is twenty-one," Albus said. He knew the grandfather could void the custody papers, but he hadn't. And until the grandfather came forward, Albus' own custody of Harry was legal. And should the grandfather come forward, then Albus could talk some sense into the man.
Moody shrugged. "The ICW says the lad is an adult and refuses your claim."
"The French are following their lead, too," Kingsley reported. "They say that if the ICW says there is no crime then they don't feel like wasting their time."
Albus took a deep breath to settle his frustration. "I see. Is there a watch on the Cadbury, Granger, and Longbottom residences?"
"Yes," Tonks said. "We'll know immediately when any of those three return."
"Then we will wait until those three can be questioned," Albus said. "For now, let us talk about what Severus reported to me."
"Where is he?" Moody asked suspiciously.
"He is recovering," Albus said simply. "Now, Severus reports…"
--June 15--
Vernon was about to walk into the kitchen to join his wife for breakfast when something caught his eye. He stepped back and looked curiously at the new picture Petunia must have hung yesterday. Once he got a decent look, however, he yelled out in shock and anger. "Petunia! Petunia!"
Petunia rushed into the front room in alarm. "Vernon? What is it? What's happened?"
"This! This has happened! What is the meaning of this?" Vernon blustered angrily.
Petunia looked to where her husband was pointing and saw a new picture on the wall. Her curiosity spurred her to take a better look at the contents of the double-matted picture frame. She noted absently that the frame was quite nice. She sucked in a shocked breath when she saw that the picture on the left side was of the freak, another young man, and two babies. All of them were probably freaks, too. It was almost a compulsion that made her read the announcement that occupied the right half of the frame.
"We welcome with love," Petunia read then couldn't make out the two names that were listed. "Born June 10th , 1998 at 12:52 p.m. and 12:59 p.m., 6 pounds and 3 ounces and 5 pounds and 14 ounces, 17 inches and 16 inches. Hatched to Draco Lucius Malfoy out of Harry James…," Petunia once again trailed off as the name became blurry and unreadable.
Petunia stumbled back in horror. "Get it off! Get it off!" she shrieked.
Vernon, gratified by his wife's response, immediately attempted to do her bidding. But the picture wouldn't budge. He pulled and pounded, but the thing refused to move. He went to the closet for the cricket bat then came back and tried to break the offending item. But the glass didn't break.
Petunia continued to shriek and Vernon finally decided to break out the wall around the horrid thing and remove it that way. He made a nice hole in the sheetrock all around the picture frame, only to discover that the thing still wouldn't budge. He'd have to saw through the stud to get the thing off and out of his house.
Vernon yelled in frustration, Petunia continued to shriek in horror, and somewhere in France Harry was grinning vindictively as Hermione related what she'd done with her birth announcement and asked for another for her own keepsakes.
--June 17--
Alastor watched as Albus paced agitatedly back and forth across his office. He finally grew tired of it. "What have you done, Albus?" he asked.
Albus stopped and looked at his friend. "Pardon?"
"What have you done?" Alastor asked again. "I recognize this pacing. It's what you do when you planned something you thought was clever and your plans fell through. So, what have you done?"
Albus looked away and out the window and over the grounds of Hogwarts. "I bound Neville Longbottom and Hermione Granger to Hogwarts," he admitted eventually. "They should have been forced to return by now."
Alastor was quiet for several minutes. "That was wrong of you, Albus," he said softly.
"Perhaps," Albus said just as softly. "But I am desperate, Alastor. If his friends must stay, then Harry will stay. He must return, Alastor. We are lost without him."
"Well, while your actions aren't a moot point, it seems that your plans didn't work out," Alastor said. "You used a light bond instead of a dark one, didn't you? They must have cleansed it."
"I would never use dark magic, Alastor, you know that," Albus said indignantly. "And I wish I knew how they discovered it. They would have had to start the cleansing immediately for it to not be in effect right now. Those two should have been back by now."
Alastor sighed. "Albus…"
"We need him," Albus said, his desperation leaking into his tone. "We need him and if I must use his friends to ensure he helps us then that is what I shall do."
Alastor rather thought that Albus was too enamored with the theory that the end justifies the means. "Perhaps you ought to look to revising your strategy, Albus," he said gently. "I am certain that you will never again see Harry Potter. You need to focus on what you can do to help in the coming war."
"We need him, Alastor!" Albus cried desperately.
"You're not going to get him," Alastor said harshly. "Now sit down and let's talk about what you can do."
Albus sat behind his desk and put his head in his hands.
"The first thing I think you ought to do is have The Prophet publish how to cast the fidelius…"
--June 20--
"You were wrong!" Ron screamed at his older brother. "You convinced me to apologize and he'd already turned dark and betrayed us!"
"You have no evidence of that," Charlie said wearily. He wasn't best pleased, either, but they'd been listening to Ron's ranting for the last ten minutes since he and Ginny had arrived home from the Express and he was getting tired of it.
"He chose Malfoy! What more evidence do I need that that?" Ron questioned loudly.
"And what's wrong with Draco Malfoy?" Ginny asked quietly. The entire family gaped at her. She squared her shoulders and raised her chin. "What exactly is wrong with Draco Malfoy? He's been polite ever since he turned seventeen. He said he was finally away from his father's whims. Doesn't that imply that he doesn't share his father's beliefs? Didn't you listen to that argument he had with Millicent? Do you think Harry would really choose someone that was evil? Don't any of you trust Harry's judgment?"
"He could have been tricked," Arthur said eventually.
"And that right there is why Harry kept the identity of his mate a secret," George said softly. "Nobody would believe him if he claimed he chose of his own free will. Nobody's ever believed Harry about important things, have they?"
"Of course we have!" Molly said indignantly.
"No, George is right," Fred denied. "Nobody believed him about somebody being after the philosopher's stone. Nobody believed him about not knowing anything about the Heir of Slytherin. Nobody believed him about Sirius. Nobody believed him about the Goblet of Fire. Nobody believed him about Umbridge. I bet nobody would have believed him about being half-Veela if he hadn't shifted form at the welcoming feast."
"Nobody in a position of authority has ever been there for him," Ginny said, shaking her head at her parents. "And now all of you are surprised that he's been keeping secrets and has left? It's no wonder he didn't tell you the identity of his mate or that he was pregnant. He was probably afraid you wouldn't believe him that Draco Malfoy was a good choice. He was probably afraid for his babies."
"We would never harm the babies!" Molly said, aghast at the implication.
"You would have done everything you could to keep Harry away from Draco," Ginny said sadly. "And then the babies wouldn't have a father. How can you say that wouldn't be harming them?"
Molly opened her mouth but closed it again in defeat. Ginny was right. She closed her eyes and held back a sob. She'd lost one of her babies and it was partly her fault.
Arthur put his arms around his wife. "Everyone go to your rooms until dinner."
"But, Dad…," Ron started.
"Now, Ronald," Arthur said firmly and watched as his children filed out of the room.
Fred and George shared a glance as they left. Tonight they would cast the spell that had been taught to them by their bosses in the Unspeakables. Tonight they would protect their childhood home as Harry had asked of them.
--June 24--
The new moon finally came and Harry, Draco, and Neville dressed in the traditional sleeveless green robes of those seeking a Blessing. The babies were bathed and wrapped, naked, in the traditional soft white blankets. Everyone else dressed fancily for a day in the Queen's Court, Hermione patiently allowing Lavender to fuss over her and make her beautiful while Chloe saw to Pansy. Robert smirked at the thought of the coming revelation. Gaius fidgeted – this would mark the end of the Malfoy's low profile and he was nervous, though he'd never admit it. Only Vincent and Gregory seemed completely calm and unfazed.
The time for departure came and Harry passed a baby each to Pansy and Neville to hold while the portkey was taken to the Veela Palace. Harry sighed in resignation when he arrived sprawling. At least his babies had arrived safely. The party shared hugs and best wishes and split. Harry, Draco, and Neville with the babies, left for the special antechamber used by those seeking a Blessing. The rest of the party left to join the other family members in the gallery that were coming that day to see the Blessing.
Harry and the others followed a page to the antechamber and began visiting with the other people already there. Eventually the antechamber off the throne room held forty or fifty other couples and midwives with new babies. Harry mingled freely with the others – delighting, as were the others, in showing off his chicks. Everyone was quite impressed with Harry's twins, but nobody felt inadequate as Harry was more than gracious in his praise of everyone else's children.
Less than an hour after they had arrived a chime was heard and the first couple, with their midwife and baby, left the antechamber to be presented to the Queen to ask her Blessing. Harry continued to mingle and preen, knowing it would be some time before it was their turn. It was traditional for twins to go last so as not to steal the limelight from everybody else. Eventually, only Harry, Draco, Neville and the babies were left. Soon, another chime sounded. The babies were handed to Neville and they left the antechamber.
The herald – a different one than to whom they'd given their names when they'd arrived – announced them to the Queen, Court, and guests. Harry took a quick glance around as they walked towards the Queen and was able to easily spot the throng of Malfoy hair in the gallery on the Queen's left. And, yes, there was Lucius and Narcissa. Oh, how he couldn't wait to see their faces…
They stopped at the first step of the Queen's dais and Harry and Draco bowed deeply then kneeled with their heads down. Neville, by virtue of having his arms full of infants, was only required to bow his head.
"Welcome to Our Court. What do you seek of Us?" came the Queen's voice.
"We seek Your Majesty's Blessing upon a new generation," Draco said strongly.
"Rise, then, and approach," the Queen said.
Harry and Draco rose and stepped up onto the lower dais and took the dozen steps forward until they reached the second step, Neville trailing close behind them. Once again they bowed to the Queen.
As Harry rose from his bow he looked straight at the Queen. She was looking at Draco but soon enough shifted her gaze to him. He stared proudly into her bright green eyes – eyes the same color as his grandfather's, the same color as his mother's, the same color as his own. He smiled and the Queen smiled back.
"Looking at you, We believe We know how you are half-veela," the Queen said, breaking the standard ceremony. "The question is, do you know?"
"Yes, great-grandmother, I know," Harry said and gave a wide grin when he heard Draco squeak in astonishment. The astonished hubbub of the crowd was also intensely satisfying. He hoped Hermione had caught Lucius' and Narcissa's expressions as he'd asked. He so wanted to see them in a pensieve memory.
"What a naughty great-grandson you are," the Queen said in amusement after the clamor had died down. "Not telling your mate."
Harry grinned unrepentantly.
"M-my Queen," Draco started in dismay, then stilled when the Queen waved him to silence.
"It is not your fault that you did not know. It is quite clear that Our great-grandson wanted to surprise you. We are certain you would have sought Our permission to court him had you known, as you should have." The Queen turned her attention back to her descendant. "Tell me why it is you kept this secret?"
As Harry went to answer the question the Queen abruptly held up her hand with a calculating look on her face. "On second thought," she turned to Draco, "you tell Us why Our great-grandson kept this secret."
Draco blinked then drew in a breath to answer. "He already had many suitors courting him because of being the Boy-Who-Lived. How many more suitors would he have had for being a Veela prince? Also, he would have been in even greater danger had his full heritage been known." Draco paused. "Not to mention, it was a great opportunity to see me flustered," he said ruefully.
Harry snickered quietly, unable to counter Draco's accusation.
"Very good, Draco," the Queen said with a smirk.
Draco looked at her and flushed in a combination of pride and embarrassment. He just now realized the question had been a test of whether he was worthy of a Prince of her line and he had passed. He hoped he passed her other tests; she had the ability to break his bond to Harry if she felt he would not be a good enough mate.
"Present to Us your child," the Queen commanded, bringing the ceremony back on track.
Draco regained his confidence and smiled just slightly. He saw Harry's expression return to its smug countenance out of the corner of his eye. Perhaps the fact that there were two babies would help convince the Queen?
Neville stepped forward nervously but with his head held high, proudly presenting himself as the midwife. It was an honor to be the midwife, especially as a male. It was unusual to have a male midwife; even the x-males usually preferred to be attended by a female. The Veela would recognize his worthiness, even if the position meant nothing special to wizards.
Harry turned and took several moments to touch and coo at his children. Harry then looked over to Draco and nodded, confirming that the children were his.
Draco stepped over to Neville and carefully took his eldest son. He unwrapped the baby, handed the blanket to Harry, and turned to the Queen. He approached the throne and knelt at the Queen's feet. He held up his naked son with both hands and looked into the Queen's eyes as he said, "Great Queen of Our People, I present to You a child of my loins and ask of You to grant him Your blessing and allow him the touch of Your wisdom."
The Queen took the baby and looked at him with a smile. The large grayish-blue eyes looked at the Queen with a baby's fascination. Perhaps the eyes would turn green as the baby grew. Setting him in her lap, she looked up and asked, "And what is the name of this child?"
"This child, my son, I have named Amandus Robert. He has a twin brother," Draco said looking at his son with a gentle smile.
"Bring Us his twin," the Queen commanded.
Draco bowed his head then stood and backed away. He turned and took his second son and unwrapped him, again handing the blanket to Harry. He once again approached the Queen and knelt before her. Holding up his second son and looking at the Queen he repeated his request for blessing, "Great Queen of Our People, I present to You a child of my loins and ask of You to grant him Your blessing and allow him the touch of Your wisdom."
The Queen took the second baby and settled him on her lap next to his brother. A second set of grayish-blue eyes stared at her and a hand flailed out. She let the child hold her finger. Looking at the young father in front of her, she asked, "And what is the name of this child?"
"This child, my son, I have named Vitus Neville." Looking at his children, Draco missed the calculating look of the Queen as she evaluated him.
"You claim these infants as your children?" she demanded.
"Yes, My Queen," Draco said softly.
"Then let Us see if the spirits accept your claim," the Queen said and closed her eyes. Soon a small ball of light coalesced above Amandus, then a second above Vitus. The balls of magic pulsed lightly and began spinning slowly. They drew together then floated to Draco's left arm, melting into and circling his bicep in a simple tattoo: two wavy red lines that crossed each other, forming what appeared as a band of pointed ovals, topped by a straight band of green.
Whispering filled the court at the significance of the tattoo, although it really should have been expected. The two red lines represented twins. Unlike in humans where it was common enough and not indicative of anything, twins were born only to the most powerful Veela, those able to sustain two magical children until birth. Twin lines reflected well on Harry, of course, as the one with the power to perform such a feat, but also reflected well on Draco as the one chosen by such a powerful mate.
Red lines, instead of black, indicated children conceived during wartime. Veela were violent by nature but it was mostly in a protective capacity and they tended to not conceive the Veela way during wartime due to fear for their families. Red lines reflected well on Draco as it showed that his mate trusted his ability to protect him and his children during times of upheaval. War-time conception was more common than twins, but not by much.
The green line indicated a conception pregnancy. This showed that Harry, subconsciously, had felt protected enough immediately upon their bonding that his Veela magics had allowed him to become pregnant. Only ten percent of Veela couples had a conception pregnancy.
The tattoo, in all its simplistic glory, showed everyone just how completely he had earned Harry's trust and confidence. It would grant him a great deal of status among the Veela nation. He didn't even look at it.
The Queen watched as the young Malfoy only had eyes for his sons. She looked up to her newly found great-grandson who met her gaze with an expression of smugness. Draco looked up as the Queen laughed lightly.
"We would have thought, young Malfoy, that it would be you who would be the picture of smugness and your mate besotted and yet We find it is reversed," the Queen said in amusement.
Draco blushed lightly but said with a small smile, "He has been quite insufferable."
Harry didn't even bother to look embarrassed as he continued to stand there smugly.
The Queen laughed again. "May the Blessings of the Spirits by upon your children as they enter this life," she said, finishing the ceremony then carefully transferring the babies to Draco's hold. Indicating a waiting page, she commanded, "Take Our great-grandson and his mate and children and midwife to a guest suite."
Draco, recognizing that the Queen had just accepted him as the mate of a Prince of her line, bowed as much as he could while kneeling and holding two babies, then rose to return to Harry and Neville, rewrap the babies and give them to Neville, then follow the page out of the throne room.
It wasn't until five minutes later that Draco was able to express his opinion on his mate's little joke. "You could have warned me, you know," he said dryly.
"Where's the fun in that?" Harry said with a grin as he took Vitus from Neville.
"My great-grandfather knew, didn't he?" Draco asked. "I thought he'd been a bit twitchy ever since the dinner. Now I know why. The Malfoy family has always kept a low profile and now we'll be right in the spotlight for this."
"Yes," Harry acknowledged. "Grandfather revealed himself when they talked that night."
"Grandfather," Draco said with wide eyes, only just now putting together "grandfather" with "great-grandmother." The shock was obviously still running through his system if he was being this slow. "Merlin. Grandfather. The Queen's youngest child. Her only son."
Harry smirked. "Exactly."
"And you're his only descendent," Draco said, still stunned.
"Well, there was my mother, and now the babies," Harry said as he made himself comfortable in one of the chairs and cradled his baby. He absently noted that Neville followed suit with Amandus.
"Your mother. A bastard child," Draco murmured. "He didn't know, did he? That he had a daughter?"
Harry caressed his baby's face sadly. "No, he didn't know," Harry said softly. "Mum never told him. She was going to wait until after the war to explore that side of her family. I wish she hadn't."
"So do I," Draco said as he gazed at his sad mate. He stepped over to Harry and ran a finger across Vitus' forehead. "But then I might never have met you."
Harry smiled up at his mate. "I am happy with what I have now," he said. "But do not ever expect me to return to Britain, not even once the war is truly over. There are simply too many bad memories there."
"I won't," Draco agreed then smiled wryly. "At least now I know why you're so much more stubborn than a normal submissive. The blood of the Matriarchs runs through your veins."
Harry grinned. "I get it from both sides, I think. I've been told that my father was quite stubborn as well."
Draco snorted his amusement. "Figures," he said. "Are you going to keep the Potter name? I just presumed you were going to start using Potter-Malfoy, but if I'm remembering correctly you should never have been a Potter at all."
"True," Harry said with a shrug. "Both my mother and I should have had the Queen's name. If I'd been raised here as I should have I would have been known as Harry Delamater. At least, until I mated. Now I'll be Delamater-Malfoy. The babies are just Malfoy, though, because they're too far out to claim the Queen's name."
"That's fine," Draco said, still processing that he was mated to a Delamater in the first place. He shook his head and determined to change the subject. "I wonder how the rest of my family is handling this shocking revelation."
"I asked Hermione to watch your parents' expressions so we could see them later in a pensieve," Harry said slyly.
"Wonderful!" Draco said with a grin.
"Oh, I want to see that," Neville said eagerly.
Harry laughed and the three of them settled into comfortable conversation. Nothing was said, but all three knew they were waiting on the pleasure of the Queen. They would undoubtedly be summoned for a more thorough round of introductions and explanations.
--HPDM--
Robert followed his mother into her personal chambers, his father and four older sisters following him. When they had all entered the outer chambers and the door was closed, the Queen turned to her only son and said sternly, "You had best have some excellent reasons for your actions, Robert."
Robert took a seat in one of the chairs near the fireplace and watched as his immediate family spread out onto the remaining available seats. His eldest sister, the heiress to the Veela throne, was watching him with eyes narrowed in irritation. She was easily angered but slow to speak – she would wait a couple of days before giving him a piece of her mind for keeping secrets. His next two sisters were similar in temperament to each other and both obviously found the situation amusing – they would be the ones who would be most understanding. His last sister studied him intently as she tried to discern the reasons behind what he'd done – she would see the logic in his choices and support him. His father was curious and eager – a true family man, all he likely wanted was to go meet his new descendents and get explanations later. But his mother would have none of that…
"You know I do, Mother," Robert said calmly. "I would never keep such a thing secret without good reason. You know me."
Queen Émilie frowned at her offspring. "Yes, I do know you," she said. "I know that you will have your reasons and I may very well not agree with them."
Robert smiled slightly. "That's true. And, I'll admit, I kept silent in part so that we would not argue over what was best."
"The beginning, if you please, Robert," Émilie said firmly. "The very beginning."
"When I was twenty-two I went to Britain for six months to study painting with Master Samuel," Robert said. "While I was there I took up a casual liaison with a local café waitress named Rebecca. I was unaware that she was an untrained witch. And when I left Britain I was unaware that she was pregnant. It's quite likely that Rebecca was unaware at that time as well, given the timing of my daughter's birth."
"And you left her no way to contact you," Émilie said disapprovingly.
"Why should I have?" Robert said reasonably. "It was a casual affair with no demands on either side. Our parting was amicable with no regrets and no expectations to ever see each other again. And, as I believed her to be a muggle, I had no reason to expect a child of our various unions."
"True enough," the Queen sighed. "And you never knew of your daughter?"
"No," Robert answered. "Never."
"Then how did you discover your grandson?" Émilie asked.
"I didn't," Robert said. "My grandson discovered me."
Émilie sighed again. "Robert, this is no time for brief answers."
"My apologies," Robert said with another slight smile. "Harry was given his parents' journals just before he left his third year of school. His godfather, Sirius Black, had received them, and many other things, in trust mere days before the murder of Lily and James Potter. Mr. Black gave them to Harry so Harry could get to know his parents. Harry chose to read his mother's journals first. Lily's journals are quite extensive and describe her life in depth from her tenth birthday, when she received her first journal, to just days before her death. One of the primary topics of her sixteenth year was her coming into her sexual maturity, though she didn't realize at first what had happened."
Robert paused as two servants delivered and served tea. When they had left, he continued his story. "Through the assistance of James Potter, Lily discovered what had happened to her and found that it was impossible that she was truly a muggle-born witch. At Christmas she confronted her mother with her knowledge and Rebecca told her daughter about being an untrained witch and also the affair she had had. Rebecca still remembered my name and Lily, who had read several books about Veela by that time, immediately recognized it."
"Why didn't she contact you?" Adrien asked his son.
It was Robert's turn to sigh. "Several reasons. She wrote often of her uncertainty of being of royal blood and what that might require of her. She thought it might require her to leave Hogwarts and she loved the school and wanted to finish her education there. So she decided to wait until after she graduated. Then she mated to James. Due to James' immense and sincere help, Lily had found herself more and more attracted to him. She was a strong woman in her own right, but she didn't have the experience or type of willpower necessary to survive long in Désespoir and mated with James a mere six weeks after entering it. James had responsibilities in Britain and didn't want to leave and Lily was afraid her responsibilities as a princess would take her away from James. And then there was the war."
"She could have been protected from the war here," Émilie said. "Did she think we would turn her away? Or her mate and son?"
Robert shook his head. "Both Lily and James were part of a group that was fighting against Voldemort at that time. They both felt it was wrong to abandon their home country."
"While I understand the sentiment, these reasons all seem rather spurious," Émilie said with a frown.
"I agree," Robert said. "I think it comes down to that, while it was a nice fairytale, being a royal, with all that entailed, was not something Lily wanted. Not for herself, and not for her son. Nevertheless, she did plan to contact me once the war was over. Both her mother and adopted father, as well as James' parents, were dead from the war and she wanted Harry to have at least one grandparent."
Émilie closed her eyes in annoyance and sorrow. She'd lost a grandchild she'd never even known about and her great-grandchild… Well, she knew a great deal about current affairs and knew that the young man's life had been far from decent, much less ideal. "Was James Potter a good mate?" Émilie asked.
"He seemed to be," Robert said. "Lily seemed happy with him."
"And was Harry a human pregnancy? Is that why he was never brought for Blessing?" Émilie asked.
"Yes," Robert confirmed. "He was born at St. Mungo's, attended by the Potter family healer, who had been sworn to secrecy about Lily's heritage. Also, they knew Harry was a half-Veela but made sure that information didn't make it onto his birth certificate."
"And Harry? What does he think of his position in our society?" Émilie asked intently.
"He is pleased to embrace his responsibilities, whatever they may be for an x-male prince so far down the line of succession he might as well not carry the title," Robert said with a smile.
"Does he realize that his children will not carry the title of prince, being four generations out from the throne as they are?" Émilie asked curiously.
"Yes," Robert said. "During the time he's spent with me I've been teaching him the things he needs to know as a prince: etiquette, styles, our language, everything I could. With instruction tailored to his needs and sufficient and appropriate praise, Harry is a quick and avid learner. His Hogwarts years have truly done him a disservice as far as his education is concerned. There is still much he needs to learn, however, as the time we've had for his lessons has been woefully insufficient."
Émilie waved that comment aside. "We can address that later. He contacted you that summer?"
"He did," Robert said then chuckled. "Imagine my surprise when I received his letter explaining everything he'd learned and asking if I might be interested in initiating correspondence. Of course I said yes."
"And why did you not bring him here at that time?" Émilie asked with a stern look.
"I should have," Robert said sadly. "I should have. I think I could have convinced him if I'd tried. If I had claimed him right away then the last four years would have been much different. As it was, we were unsure of each other for several months and then his name came out of the Goblet of Fire the Halloween of his fourth year and he was required to participate in that tournament."
"And after the tournament was over?" Émilie asked sharply. "Why not then?"
"I did bring him to my estate," Robert defended himself. "He spent the summer with me, only occasionally returning to his relatives for a few minutes to reposition the construct one of my guards made for him."
"That is not the answer I'm looking for, Robert," Émilie said harshly.
Robert grimaced slightly. This was the part he knew his mother wouldn't like. "Harry did not wish it. He was frightened that Voldemort would cause problems for the Veela nation if he found out that his nemesis was a Veela prince. I tried to convince Harry that the Veela nation was perfectly capable of defending itself, but he was adamant. He'd had little enough choice allowed in his life and I did not wish to force him."
Émilie was quiet several moments. "I see," she said. "I do not agree."
"I knew you wouldn't," Robert admitted. "It's why I didn't tell you."
"Why now?" Clara, the youngest daughter, asked softly. "If you've kept the secret all this time, why reveal it now?"
"I eventually convinced Harry to promise to reveal himself when his first children were born," Robert answered proudly, thinking of the little babies. "Of course, we didn't expect that to happen for some years yet. His plans were to mate, leave Hogwarts, travel, then have children."
"You would have kept this secret for years to come?" Émilie asked disapprovingly.
"Yes," Robert said.
"I do not agree," Émilie said again.
"I know," Robert said.
"Well, there is nothing for it but to go forward," Émilie said briskly. "I wish for him to stay here at the palace for a time while we determine what he is best suited for in regards to service to the Crown…"
--HPDM--
A knock sounded on the door and the still-attending servant looked to Harry for approval before answering it. Harry nodded and the servant opened the door, allowing entry to a man that Draco finally recognized.
"Hello, Grandfather," Harry said with a grin but didn't rise.
"Hello, Harry," Robert said with a smile while waving at Neville to stay seated.
"Your Highness," Draco said wryly and bowed respectfully. To think he had argued architecture with this man just yesterday, completely unknowing his full identity.
Robert laughed. "Draco. Have you recovered from your shock?"
"Not quite yet, I don't think," Draco said with a short laugh. "It took me over five minutes to figure out who you are."
"Well, you'll have until tonight to pull yourself together," Robert said in amusement. "My mother the Queen wishes to visit with you."
"At Her convenience," Draco said with a nod.
"Are you in trouble with great-grandmother?" Harry asked worriedly.
"She is somewhat upset with me," Robert admitted with a reassuring smile. "However, she has quite the soft spot for new babies. I expect to be forgiven by morning."
Harry smiled in relief while Neville and Draco both chuckled. "What about the others?" he asked.
"Hermione returned to her people. Gregory and Vincent returned to the Malfoy Estates for now along with Draco's family. Pansy is currently with Giselle, waiting for your summons." Robert reported.
"How did they react?" Harry asked with a sidelong glance at Draco and Neville. "Did you see?"
Robert laughed in bright amusement. "Oh, yes. I saw," he said. Robert turned to Draco with a smirk and said, "You will be pleased to know that your mother fainted dead away."
"She did?" Draco asked eagerly. "Your Highness."
Robert waved off the honorific and took a seat next to Neville and peered at little Amandus. "She did. And your father looked decidedly…pale."
Draco grinned vindictively. "Good," he purred. "I'm so glad they could make it."
"Bets on how fast this gets back to Dumbledore?" Harry asked with a chuckle.
Neville snorted his own amusement. "It's been over an hour," he said with a smirk. "One hundred galleons says he knows already."
This time it was Harry's turn to grin vindictively. "Now he will know that he cannot touch me ever again. Between the Queen and the Malfoy family, I am safe from him forever."
"He will not be happy," Robert said warningly. "He will try to get you to return. You know what is at stake."
"Let him try," Harry said darkly.
All four men smiled grimly at the thought of the fight to come.
--HPDM--
Pansy had been summoned for lunch and with her came Giselle, his second cousin, and her baby. And so started the family introductions.
Draco and Neville had both become somewhat overwhelmed at the steady procession of Harry's relatives. First cousins, second cousins, once, twice, and three times removed. Elders, contemporaries, children, and babies. Great-great aunts and uncles. Then Harry's great-aunts, Robert's sisters, had dropped by followed closely by their father. Of them all, Harry let only his great-grandfather actually hold the babies. No one took offense; it would be a year before Harry wasn't quite so possessive of his babies.
Adrien was still in their suite feeding Vitus when the Queen arrived slightly before dinner. Draco, Neville, and Pansy, currently baby-less, immediately dropped to one knee. Harry, also baby-less, rose and bowed deeply. Adrien and Robert rose and nodded, being sure to keep the babies' bottles properly positioned.
"Rise," the Queen said. She glanced around at the occupants, her gaze resting on Pansy for several moments then on Neville before finally settling on Harry.
Harry smiled happily and said, "Great-grandmother, may I introduce my daughter, Pansy Parkinson?"
"Daughter?" the Queen said in surprise.
"We did the ceremony in December after Draco and I mated," Harry said, knowing that the full story would be told later. "And this is Neville Longbottom, Head of Longbottom House. He and Pansy will wed in August and together they are the godparents of Amandus and Vitus."
The Queen acknowledged the introductions and dinner was spent in casual – such as it could be with a Queen at your table – conversation and passing around the now sleeping babies.
Queen Émilie spent a good amount of time asking Neville about how he had come into his role as midwife. Neville stuttered a bit at first but eventually calmed and answered the Queen's questions. The Queen seemed pleased with Neville's responses and turned her attention to Pansy and the story there. Pansy had haltingly told of her early life, information which she still hadn't yet shared with her fiancé or newly adopted father. Everyone was appropriately appalled and infuriated then pleased and grateful at Draco's subsequent actions. Then the talk had turned to Harry.
"What do you plan to do about Voldemort?" Émilie asked curiously. She knew how Britain viewed her great-grandson and was certain they would look to him to once again save them from their Dark Lord.
"Absolutely nothing," Harry said firmly.
"The British will look to you as their savior from that mad wizard," Émilie said just to be a devil's advocate. She was quite pleased that her great-grandson planned to leave the fighting to those who didn't have little babies to care for.
"I know," Harry said then shrugged. "I don't care."
"It is your homeland," Émilie said.
"Is it?" Harry asked with a bitter laugh. "I lived so close to London and yet I have never seen Big Ben or Buckingham Palace. I've never walked along The Strand or seen the Thames. I've never been to Westminster or Stonehenge. Until I was eleven I'd never been farther away from the Dursleys' house than the four blocks to the local school. Well, except for one trip to the zoo, which I wouldn't have gone on if Mrs. Figg hadn't broken her leg that morning. The Dursleys certainly didn't want me there."
"And where have I been in magical Britain? Diagon Alley, Hogwarts, the Burrow, the World Cup once, the Ministry. Big deal. I've never seen any of their big landmarks, either. The house of Wendelin the Weird? No. Chadwick Zoo? Not until Draco took me for our date. Harpy Stadium? No. I've seen more of France, muggle and wizard, in the time I've spent here with Grandfather than I have of Britain the entire rest of my life."
"No, Britain is not my homeland," Harry said sadly. "If I can claim any country, it would be France. Here is where most of my family lives. Here is where my new home is located. Here is where I will be staying. Not Britain."
Everyone was quiet after Harry's impassioned speech.
"I am very sorry to hear that," Émilie said softly. "Still, I would have thought that Dumbledore would have trained you to believe that it was your responsibility to save everybody." Had Robert convinced his grandson that the responsibility of the world didn't actually rest upon him?
"Oh, he did," Harry said with a grim smile. "He was successful, too; not even Grandfather could convince me that I should leave Britain to its own devices. But then he made a big mistake."
Émilie's eyebrows rose at that. "And what was that?"
"He told me the prophecy involving me and Voldemort," Harry said with eyes narrowed in anger. "The very prophecy upon which he'd been basing all of his actions regarding the coming war."
"That's a dangerous thing to do," Émilie said slowly. "Prophecy can be easily misinterpreted."
Harry laughed mirthlessly. "So it can. And so he did. Although, I think his misinterpretation is more from a desperate desire to not see it fulfilled than any true lack of understanding."
"Will you tell us the words of this prophecy?" Émilie asked. She noted, however, that only she and her mate seemed unaware of the prophecy.
So Harry relayed the first stanza of the prophecy to all those in attendance. "Dumbledore believes that I am the only one who can defeat Voldemort for good."
"It does seem a likely interpretation," Émilie said reluctantly. "You don't agree, obviously, if the prophecy was what turned your from Dumbledore's guidance?"
Harry nodded. "I do…did…believe that it was talking about me. However, it only took me a couple of hours before I also believed that I had already fulfilled it and therefore any continuing involvement on my part was unnecessary. I'd done my vanquishing and if Dumbledore wanted somebody to fight against Voldemort then he'd have to look elsewhere. The man had just cost me my godfather because of his secrets, in addition to everything else he had already cost me, and I wanted nothing to do with him."
"And now?" Adrien asked softly.
Harry looked to his grandfather for reassurance and returned the smile he was given. "It is the same now. I want nothing to do with him. I want nothing to do with their war, at least directly. I never again want to so much as set foot in Britain." Harry paused then added hesitantly, "There's more, though. There's more to the prophecy than he originally told me. I learned it from one of the Unspeakable that had a date with me."
"Tell them," Draco said softly and took Harry's hand. He flared his magic across their bond and was rewarded with a thankful smile and a hand-squeeze.
Harry spoke the rest of the prophecy he'd memorized over a year ago and continued on to tell all that he knew about its interpretation. Discussion was held long into the night about the prophecy and its repercussions and what could be done to help without risking the lives of Veela citizens.
--Order--
Ginny, Fred, and George shared a look before they entered the floo to go to Grimmauld Place. They were all glad for Harry – they found the situation funny, in fact, given the teasing they'd engaged in at Christmas – but that didn't mean they were looking forward to being questioned about what they had just witnessed. They all took fortifying breaths and went to meet their fate.
George was the last through the floo and was immediately engulfed in a hug when he arrived at headquarters. "Mum!" he tried to protest, knowing it was futile.
Molly finished her fussing and ushered her children down to the kitchen. "Everybody's here. We all want to know what happened! How is Harry? How are the babies? Are they boys or girls? What are their names? Did you get a chance to talk to Harry?"
"Mum!" Ginny cried in exasperation. "At least let us sit down before starting the interrogation!"
It was less than five minutes later when the three were ensconced in chairs with cups of tea steaming in front of them and more than a dozen people staring at them in varying degrees of eagerness and impatience.
Ginny rolled her eyes and started the report. "Harry had two baby boys. The oldest one is named Amandus Robert and the younger one is Vitus Neville. They looked healthy to me."
"Not James or Sirius?" Arthur asked in surprise.
Ginny shared a glance with her twin brothers. "No. Robert is, uh, the name of Harry's grandfather and Neville is…was…the, uh, midwife."
The exclamations of the Order were split between surprise over "midwife" and shock over "grandfather."
"What else were you able to discover?" Albus asked, jubilant to finally know at least part of the name of Harry's grandfather.
Ginny bit her lip and gazed at Fred and George. She'd started out the report, one of them needed to take over.
Fred shifted slightly and said, "We found out that Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy didn't know anything about their son courting or winning Harry but that the rest of the Malfoys did. And we know that Harry's Veela genes ultimately came from his grandfather."
"Did you discover his last name?" Albus asked eagerly. He'd address the Malfoy comment later.
Ginny and Fred looked at George. George scowled at his siblings for leaving him the hard part. "Harry…that is Robert…I mean…" George stopped and took a deep breath. "Harry's Veela genes come from his grandfather, Prince Robert Delamater, son of Queen Émilie Delamater. Harry is now Prince Harry Delamater-Malfoy."
There was silence at the pronouncement until Moody gave a loud laugh. The harsh sound galvanized the rest of the Order into more noisy comments and exclamations. Molly shrieked her surprise and looked on the verge of fainting from hyperventilation and Arthur was too stunned to attend her. It was this clamor that Albus used to hide his distress.
He'd hoped that Alastor was wrong. He'd hoped that there was still some way to convince Harry to help in the war. He'd hoped to break the second stanza of the prophecy and prevent the destruction of Britain. He'd hoped so badly. And now there was no hope. The Veela Queen never let her titled descendents participate in foreign wars. Never.
Albus closed his eyes and fought off the overwhelming sense of despair that threatened to engulf him. He must remain strong. Perhaps there were yet things he could do to save his homeland.
--Voldemort--
Lucius and Severus were still furious with each other over what they believed to be the other's failings in regards to Draco. They were, however, quite united on the opinion that Harry Potter must die a horrible and awful death, preferably after weeks of humiliating torture administered by none other than themselves. Their reasons for such daydreams were different, though.
Severus saw Potter's new station as a personal affront. The brat didn't deserve to be of such high station! Once again Potter was being given something without having to put forth any effort whatsoever. Severus conveniently dismissed the fact that the title of Prince wasn't given to Harry Potter but simply described what he was by birth. Severus also conveniently forgot that all titled Veela worked, in one fashion or another, for their privileges; the Matriarchs had never condoned laziness.
Lucius was incensed about the public humiliation of a Malfoy. How dare Potter embarrass Draco like that! How dare he shame the Malfoy family! Lucius ignored the reality that nobody he'd seen at the Blessing had thought any less of Draco and, in fact, had been impressed that Draco had managed to keep his calm as well as he had. Lucius also ignored the fact that, far from being shamed, the Malfoy family, with the mating of one their members into the Delamater line, had now garnered the interest of quite a number of well-placed and very important personages.
It was these thoughts that swirled in their minds as they knelt before Voldemort and gave their report. They both expected Voldemort to be furious and also that they wouldn't be leaving without a few curses being cast their way. They were wrong, though.
Voldemort listened to his servants' descriptions of the morning's events. Then he laughed. And laughed. And laughed some more when he saw the terror on the faces of those in attendance.
"So, Potter is a Veela Prince, is he? How fortunate," Voldemort hissed.
"My Lord?" Lucius questioned hesitantly.
"Don't you see, Lucius? This is great news!" Voldemort crowed. "You are to cease your hunt of your son immediately. Let Draco keep Potter occupied."
"I…don't understand, My Lord," Lucius said, disappointed at the command.
"Really, Lucius, how can you not see the benefit of this?" Voldemort asked condescendingly. "Harry Potter is part of the Veela Royal Family. The Royal Family always stays out of wizarding wars. Therefore, Harry Potter will stay out of the war. We have won and we didn't need to do anything! You will leave him and your son alone."
"Yes, My Lord," Lucius said reluctantly.
"You as well, Severus," Voldemort ordered.
"Yes, My Lord," Severus acknowledged just as reluctantly as Lucius.
"Spread the word," Voldemort said to everyone in the room. "Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy are to be left alone. Our goals will be better served if Potter is kept running after babies instead of sticking his nose into our business. Anyone who disobeys me will become test subjects for the General. Is this clear?"
There was general murmuring of assent throughout the room and Voldemort went back to silently smirking his pleasure over the situation. Events couldn't have turned out better if he'd planned them himself.
--end chapter--
Because I've been asked a few times…
My imagination of what a Veela looks like is mostly human with some changes. Such changes include:
Head – turns into what you think of on birds, with feathers and beak and eyes shifted more outwards to either side, the feathers stop around the neck area. The bits that linger in human form are not visible but still allow for things like the increased scenting ability or the ability to screech.
Wings – they look impressive, maybe five feet across each, but could not bear the weight of the Veela because 1) the bones remain human; birds have hollow bones for a reason and 2) they'd be huge! If you need an 8 feet wingspan to lift a 20 pound bird, what would you need for a 140 pound person?
Cloaca – an extra bit/slit between the genitals and anus for both the females and x-males that, unlike the above two, is ever-present; this is to accommodate Veela pregnancies – you can't have your reproductive bits disappear and reappear like your wings if you've got babies to carry and deliver. Upon consideration, perhaps this disappears when the organs are in stasis between mating and first conception and between birth and new conception…
Claws – think…talons, but only on the hands, not the feet. If you've ever held even a parakeet on your bare wrist, you know that those little claws are sharp buggers
Babies Names:
Amandus – lovable, Roman
Vitus – life, Roman