AN: Now that my other fic, "Caterpillar", is close to completion, I'm thinking about writing a new story. There is a poll on my profile, you can vote if you're interested.

Enjoy!

Chapter 24 - Politics

It was midnight, Wednesday, in the first week of the new term and second year Ravenclaws and Slytherins had Astronomy together. Now, the two classes were on the top of the Astronomy Tower, everyone holding a brass telescope in their hands. Most of the children did not appear to be too happy to be there: it was midnight, in January. They were freezing.

"Tonight, we will study the moons of Saturn. Can someone tell me how many moons does Saturn have?" Professor Sinistra said.

A dark-skinned Ravenclaw girl raised her hand instantly.

"Yes, Ms Patil?"

"Saturn has 62 moons. Should I name them all?" Padma Patil said, rather enthusiastically.

Professor Sinistra smiled at her excited demeanour.

"Second-year students only need to know by name five of Saturn's moons. So just five will do."

"Alright. Titan, Rhea, Tethys, Dione, Enceladus. Titan is Saturn's biggest moon while Enceladus is completely covered in ice."

"Excellent answer, 10 points to Ravenclaw!" the professor said and Padma sat down, beaming. Astronomy was one of her favourite classes.

While Ms Patil and Professor Sinistra were talking, other people took the chance to have hushed conversations of their own.

"Potter, have you thought it over? What do you think about my proposal?" a boy suddenly whispered from behind Harry while pretending to fix the position of his telescope's lens.

Annoyance flashed on Harry's face. "You make it sound like you asked me for my hand in marriage..."

"Don't play the fool now, you know what I'm talking about!" the boy hissed at him under his breath.

"Ah, you meant that!" Harry said as if he was genuinely only now getting what that boy was talking about. "I told you I'm not interested."

The boy looked like wanted to say something in return but, at that moment, Professor Sinistra shouted at Crabbe who had fallen asleep:

"Mr Crabbe!"

The second-year Slytherin woke up startled and panicked for being shouted at, eliciting a chorus of snickers from the rest of the class.

"What did I say my number one rule was?" Professor Sinistra asked sharply.

Crabbe scratched the back of his neck, seemingly not know what to say.

"No sleeping during class!" she yelled. "That's 5 points from Slytherin!"

Aurora Sinistra looked like an amiable middle-aged dark-skinned lady at the first glance but she was a strict professor and falling asleep during her class was the worst offence one could do to her.

Under the Astronomy Professor's guidance, the students directed their telescopes towards the sky to watch Saturn and its moons, giving them details and pieces of information that needed to be memorized for the end of the year exam.

"This isn't over, Potter," the boy from before whispered to Harry again. "Let's have a proper chat after class."

When the class ended and Harry was about to head back to the Ravenclaw Tower together with Terry, Michael, and the rest of his housemates, someone called him out from behind again:

"Potter, wait!"

It was not only Harry that got annoyed this time around, even his friends were starting to get irritated.

"Merlin, Nott, get a hint already! You don't recognize a no unless it's being spelt out loud for you?"

"Mind your damn business, Boot. This is between us and Potter so bugger off!" the boy in question, Theodore Nott, shot back.

"Yeah, back off!" Pansy Parkinson also shouted.

The groups of Slytherins and Ravenclaws faced each other tensely for a few moments. Harry was surprised that his housemates would stick up for him like that. Unknowingly, the fact that he had always been kind to them and helped them out with their homework or studies when they called for him had made them consider him their friend. And it was not just Terry and Michael but even the girls with whom he rarely interacted.

However, as touching as their camaraderie was, he did not need their help, nor did he want them to get in trouble for staying on the corridors after the curfew instead of heading straight back to their dorms so he said:

"You can go ahead, guys."

"What if they're planning on doing something nasty? I don't trust them," Su Li, an Asian girl in his year said quietly, not willing to leave him behind.

"Do you think any of them can take me on?" Harry deadpanned. Going by his tone, he wasn't even bragging. The rest of the Ravenclaws remembered then that it was only three weeks before that Harry had survived the combined attack of 10 grown-up wizards. Their worry for him did look rather amusing.

Once the rest of the second year Ravenclaws left, Nott, Crabbe, Goyle, Parkinson, Bulstrode, and Greengrass - almost all the second year Slytherins - came closer to him.

"It's late for all of us so let's not waste time. I'll give you an answer to your 'proposal' once again: no. I'm not interested."

Various expressions appeared on the group's faces. Nott and Parkinson looked angry, Greengrass looked resigned as if she had expected his answer, Bulstrode was frowning, while Crabbe and Goyle were rubbing at their eyes tiredly and yawning; it was as if they were not paying attention to what was happening at all.

"We promised you an alliance between our houses and yours! You'd kick away the opportunity to get the house of Nott and the house of Parkinson at your side, just like that?!" Nott said in anger.

Harry snorted.

"You're like, what, twelve? On what grounds do you get to decide the future of your house?"

He wanted to facepalm himself. 'Dudley was still wetting the bed at the age of 12 yet these brats are trying to play politics with me... Merlin, I'm so tired of this shit.'

From the first day he came back to Hogwarts for the second term, dozens of students had tried to suck up to him or even straight out ask for him to become their public friend. With him recognized as a descendant of Salazar Slytherin and with Bellatrix Black as his caretaker, he had become a very popular person in the British Wizarding Society, especially after surviving the assassination attempt on their lives. Many students - not limited just to the Slytherin house - had approached him until now, even from older years.

"I'm the heir of the House of Nott-"

"Which means absolutely nothing. You're decades away from getting any sort of real power in your family."

"My father-" Nott began again only for Harry to cut him off:

"Your father is not you. You can't give me anything. Next time, before offering people such 'proposals' and trying to play politics, think about what a deal is: it's a transaction. Give and take. What do I get in exchange for improving your reputation by allying myself with you? If anything, my own reputation would be sullied for becoming friends with your sort."

"Our sort? You dare insult us with your filthy half-blood mouth?" Pansy Parkinson yelled incensed and drew out her wand at him.

Harry lazily flicked his wand (nobody had seen when he had taken it out) and the girl found herself falling to the floor as stiff as a rock, her entire body paralyzed. It was a simple Full-Body Binding Curse. When Theodore Nott and Millicent Bulstrode also drew out their wands, he said in annoyance:

"Yes, your sort. Those who think that muggleborns are 'mudbloods'. You don't understand a thing, do you? Ten Death Eaters could do nothing to me, what do you think you will achieve?"

Then, he purposely cast out loud:

"Serpensortia: Asmodeus."

Over thirty feet long, several hundred pounds heavy, and shining, cold-looking scales. It was a huge green Anaconda.

"You finally said my name, master!" Asmodeus said. He was close to tears (despite that snakes cannot cry).

Harry did not antagonise him at that moment. He wanted to make a statement so he could not fool around with the big personality of his summoned snake.

"I want you to scare them. Scare them shitless, but don't harm them."

Just the sight of the enormous serpent left the group of Slytherin children paralyzed with fear. Hearing him talk in Parseltongue with the snake only made the terror in their hearts grow further.

When Big Head raised a fifth of his body up, opened his mouth wide to show several rows of sharp fangs, and let out a loud hiss, Nott stepped back terrified and fell on his butt. A puddle of yellow formed underneath him on the floor as he pissed himself. As for Bulstrode, the plump girl fainted directly from fear. Greengrass, Crabbe, and Goyle were standing still, like statues, afraid to move even a muscle.

Harry came in front of Nott and crouched to be on the same eye level.

"Another tip to improve your negotiating skills: if you want to become friends with someone maybe try to not attack them next time. Most people don't react well when you point a wand at them."

Standing up, he said to Crabbe, Goyle, and Greengrass, who had not drawn their wands like their other three friends: "We can be friends if you want. But leave politics aside when I'm around. I don't care about your families and how noble and old they are. I don't care that you're some heir or whatever. I don't care about your blood status either... Merlin, you're just a bunch of children, why you gotta make your own life so complicated for no reason? Just enjoy your childhood, like normal children your age should..."

In his annoyance, he even forgot to keep up with his 12-year-old persona and spoke as if he was an old man scolding the younger generation for not behaving. He blew out a long sigh. "Alright, we'll talk again tomorrow. Good night." He waved his hand at them and left.

"Come, Big Head, let's go."

The sharp hiss of anger that came from the Anaconda made the group of children jump but, to their relief, the huge snake slithered after Harry instead of attacking them as they had feared. Nevertheless, their hearts were still filled with trepidation as they watched the boy and his Anaconda familiar conversing with each other in the serpents' tongue as they left.

"Master, you're a sly dog, that's what you are! Only calling me by my name when you need me to do something for you! When you don't need me anymore, I'm just 'Big Head' for you! Shameless arsehole!"

Harry bent down and patted Big Head on his...admittedly rather big head. "There, there, don't cry~"

"You're mocking me, aren't you? You're most certainly mocking me!" Asmodeus yelled at him and tried to bite his hand, only for Harry to dodge and then slap him on the snout. The Anaconda recoiled from being slapped. It was not the pain from the physical hit but the meaning of it. If snakes could cry he would have probably started shedding tears.

Strangely enough, Harry understood the snake's facial expression. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to slap you," he said and he whole-heartedly caressed Asmodeus' head this time.

Getting the feeling that the snake was still pouting, he told him: "To make up for it, I'll let you sleep in my bed tonight, how about that?"

Big Head's cloud of depression vanished instantly. "Thank you, master! You're the best!" he said excitedly and his body miraculously began to shrink until he was no thicker than a finger.

At first, Harry wanted to shout at the Anaconda and give him another smack for pretending to be upset just so he could get to sleep in his bed but when he saw Asmodeus changing his size without him casting a spell he became dumbstruck.

"What the hell?! How did you do that?"

Taking advantage of his momentary shock, Asmodeus quickly climbed up on him and coiled around his arm and neck like on the branches of a tree.

"Do what?" Big Head said innocently.

Harry grabbed Big Head's now small head between his thumb and index finger and pinched him.

"Ow, ow, stop, I'll tell!" Asmodeus cried out. "I thought you knew already - when you cast the Snake Summoning Spell and called me by my name, I became your familiar. Being able to change my size is the special skill that I got from it."

"But I already have a familiar, Hedwig, an owl. And she doesn't have any special skills."

"Who says you can't have more than one? And maybe it's because you never cast a spell on her?" Big Head reasoned. "I became able to change my size after you made me small the first time."

"And you never thought I ought to know something as important as that?!"

"Well, you see-" the snake began to say evasively but Harry abruptly turned his head towards a suit of armour on his left.

"I've had the feeling that someone has been watching me everywhere since I returned for the second semester. To think that it was you..."

At his words, a female ghost with long hair and a grey dress came out from the armour suit.

"How did you find me?" she asked.

Instead of answering her question, he asked one of his own:

"Who put you to it? Dumbledore? McGonagall? No, it has to be Dumbledore. Are you also the one who snitched on me for having a broomstick last year?"

The Grey Lady did not appear to be remorseful in the least.

"It's the professors' job to watch the students. And it's my duty as well, as a resident of the castle, to help them watch over you too."

"Riiight, because every single one of the 5-600 students in this school has a ghost stalking him even in the toilet."

The Grey Lady frowned at his words. "I shall let you know that I've never followed you or anyone else for that matter in the men's toilet."

In the end, Harry was simply too fed up to care anymore. Having just dealt with the Slytherin children that tried to rope him into their politics and social circles, he had no patience to waste his time with a ghost too. Not at that late hour. Therefore, he was rather blunt when he spoke next:

"I know who you are. I know your story. I know about you and the Bloody Baron."

If possible, the Grey Lady became even paler in the face.

"What do you know? Who told you?!" she asked quickly. Though she was speaking quietly, there was a sharp edge in her voice.

"I know that your name is Helena and that you're the dau-"

"Enough!" she shrieked. "How could you possibly know about that? I've never told that to anyone, nor living, nor dead! Did the Bloody Baron tell you?"

Harry was surprised to hear that. 'Doesn't that mean that she didn't tell the story of her life to Tom Riddle either?'

"Calm down. I have no intention of letting other people know about your past... ...as long as you give me an honest answer to this question: have you ever told anyone about the location of your mother's diadem?"

That question cleared up any doubts that the Grey Lady might have had regarding whether Harry was speaking the truth about knowing her identity or not. It looked like he knew everything.

"H-How do you know about that?" the Grey Lady asked again, her voice trembling.

"Answer my question. Please. Have you ever told anyone about the diadem?" Harry insisted.

"No, I haven't."

He let out a sigh, not knowing whether to feel relieved or even more worried than before.

"Thank you," he said. "You can keep spying on me as before and rat out everything to Dumbledore. I don't have anything to hide," Harry lied; he had a great many things too hide. "As for your secret, I will keep my word, I won't tell anyone that does not already know it."

When he started to walk away, the Grey Lady called out after him:

"Wait! What are you planning on doing with my mother's diadem?"

"Nothing," Harry said over his shoulder. "I have no interest in it. I'm content as long as it stays where you hid it."

⁂

What Harry did not know was that making use of the Grey Lady was not the only thing that Dumbledore had done to dig out more information about him. A few hours earlier that evening, after the dinner, the former headmaster went to the office of the DADA Professor - Bellatrix Black's office.

Knocking politely on the door, he waited patiently for an answer from within.

"Yes, come in," Bellatrix's voice rang from behind the door.

"Good evening," Dumbledore greeted.

"Good evening, Professor. Take a seat, make yourself comfortable," she said.

After the old wizard sat on the wooden chair in front of the desk, Bellatrix was the first to speak, straight to the point:

"What brings you to my office this evening?"

"I wanted to talk to you about what happened during the winter holidays, specifically, the assassination attempt you had gone through. I must confess, I am both impressed and...curious on how you have managed to survive against 10 Death Eaters at once."

"Are you doubting my skills?" she said with a raised eyebrow.

Dumbledore chuckled good-naturedly.

"Forgive me for saying this but while I think that you are a brilliant witch, I don't like your odds against 10 of Voldemort's followers at once. Merlin knows, even I'd feel the pressure to be surrounded like that, out of nowhere."

Bellatrix scoffed, not believing him for a second.

"A good thing that you didn't have to bet because, look, here I am, very much alive and kicking, in spite of all odds," she said.

"And that's exactly what makes me wonder how did you manage to do it. Between the two of us, my guesses are rarely wrong," he said.

"What is it that you really want? We've known each other for decades, Dumbledore. Let's cut the chase," she said eventually, not liking how they were both playing with their words and going nowhere.

Dumbledore interlocked his fingers and put his hands on the desk while leaning forward a little.

"I would appreciate it if you could give me your memory of the incident."

As soon as he finished saying that, Bellatrix's violet eyes flashed with an unknown emotion. But outside of that, she kept a poker face.

"I refuse," she said categorically, her tone not leaving any room for negotiations.

Silence was instilled in the office as the witch and the old wizard looked each other in the eyes.

"Don't even try it. If you cross that step, our amicable relationship will end," Bellatrix warned him preemptively to not try to probe her mind.

Dumbledore let out a sigh and closed his eyes for a moment, seemingly deep in thought.

"Whatever we did there was legitimate. I know you've never been a fan of killing but I did what I had to. Minister Bones cleared me out of any charges."

"But young Harry-" Dumbledore began.

"He is fine. I took great care of him. We even went to a Mind Healer. There is no trauma left from the incident." After making a small pause, Bellatrix added: "You're the one who thrust Harry into my life, and that is something that I'm deeply grateful for. He is the best thing that happened to me in- in forever. I care for him as if he were my own... I know you're obsessed with him-"

"-I'm not," Dumbledore denied.

"-but he is mine. You gave him to me and I'm not letting him go. Ever. Harry is my boy."

In the end, the old wizard could do nothing but leave without getting what he had come for. However, despite the disappointment that he felt at not knowing what had truly happened that fateful day on Diagon Alley (especially with the rumours that were circulating about Harry Potter taking on half of the Death Eaters by himself), Dumbledore was for some reason not worried.

'She loves him.' he thought. He had seen it in her eyes. 'Love. What a wonderful thing!' He also knew from the ghosts of the castle that Harry spent time with Bellatrix on a daily basis either in her office or in the Music Classroom.

He may have not accomplished his goal of finding everything that there was to know about Harry Potter, but despite that that was a 'battle' that he had lost, it looked like he had won the figurative war: he had made young Harry find a family, he had made him feel what love was.

'I should tell the Grey Lady to stop watching him. There is no need for that anymore,' Dumbledore mused as he walked back to his quarters in the Transfiguration Office. He was convinced that now that Harry Potter had experienced the feeling of being loved and the feeling of having a caring family, he would not follow into Tom Riddle's steps, that he would not become a second Voldemort.

AN: I tried to keep Dumbledore in character with his overarching need to know everything while also not falling into the other extreme. That being said, I did not want to drag his unhealthy interest in Harry for too long either. He will still keep tabs on him but not like before. In his eyes, Harry Potter is in the clear, he is not a potential hazard anymore.