Chaos of the Potter Family
Wanda: Thank you all for your lovely responses to this story! I've had a lot of inspiration, so we're trucking along quite nicely. Focusing on one story while spreading out the updates for the others helps my head, I think. That's why the chapters have been chugging out fast for this one. Alliances are fun to write about!
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter
Chapter 4: Black and Slytherin
Guinevere stood tall on the diving board, bending her knees before leaping down and vanishing below the surface of the cool water of an apartment pool. After a few seconds, she broke the surface, throwing her hair back and laughing. "I love pools, Harry!"
Her brother chuckled. Harry was sitting nearby, several open documents stacked in various, slightly precarious looking stacks. He was dressed in a semi formal black shirt and dark jeans, pen scratching across the table. "I'm glad you're enjoying it, Gwen."
"Can I have a pool noodle again?" Guinevere pleaded. Harry leaned over and picked up a pink flotation from the side of the table and tossed it towards her. Gleefully the redhead grabbed it and started kicking forwards, heading back towards the shallow end.
It was late in the evening, and Harry was still working. He had found himself an upscale apartment to stay in where he could work in peace and quiet, a temporary place for now, but spacious enough for his current needs. Now that the contracts with Tracey and Luna were signed, he was dealing with the paperwork regarding the Davis and Potter Ministry seats. Mostly the trouble was keeping the identity of the 'proxies' under wraps until the next important meeting; which would take place right after Sirius's Will was read.
Normally, wills were kept relatively private, with only those mentioned inside being welcome. They also usually took place in Gringotts. However, the sheer scale of the Black family's assets and political history, it was being brought into the Ministry.
Harry was tempted to put that down to Draco Malfoy, who would be there, having been brought in by his mother Narcissa. The pompous shite believed he was going to be the next Lord Black, since he was the closest pure blood in relation to the last living Black, even though Sirius hated his family history and everyone knew that.
"What did you tell your aunt and uncle about moving out of the house?" Ayla Hydra asked, placing her arms on the side of the pool; her flipper clad feet churning slightly. The low light made her silver hair sparkle slightly.
"I told them the truth," Harry said with a shrug. "That I'm emancipated, and I'll be living on my own. They didn't need to know anything else."
"You aren't worried that they'd tell on you?" Ayla asked, tilting her head slightly.
"No." Harry said, his lips twitching upwards. "Those two hate magic so much they couldn't wait to be rid of me. Dudley wouldn't give me away, and he's already spending most of his time out of the house too. Arabella Figg thinks that I'm joining up with Abigail Crest's biker group; she said it sounded like a 'nice distraction'." He chuckled darkly. "Besides, a few galleons convinced Vernon to keep up the facade."
"Mm. Muggles sure love their gold, don't they?" Guinevere remarked as she floated on her back, kicking lightly. "I didn't think they'd spend so much for just a few galleons."
"A rich wizard could mess up the world economy if they knew what they were doing," Harry commented. "Inflating the market and raking in billions."
"That's not going to be you, is it?" Guinevere asked softly.
"Hah! I wouldn't know what to do with billions." Harry responded with a chuckle. "All I ever really wanted was a family. All the money in the world can't buy that." He shook his head. "I wish Ron had understood that, back in fourth year."
Ayla rolled her eyes. "Ron's struggles have given him the idea that he's suffered more than anyone else he knows."
Guinevere sighed, turning over and wrapping herself around the pink pool noodle again. "What am I going to do about that?" She asked, half to herself. "Even weeks after discovering the truth, I can't bring myself to confront them."
Harry glanced up from his papers and looked over at her. "I'll be there to support you. No matter what happens." He promised.
"I know. Thank you, Harry." Guinevere murmured. "There's really no getting around it, is there..."
"Not really." Ayla said, her tone matter of fact but not completely devoid of sympathy. "The moment Harry shows up with his titles, everyone's gonna know. Just remember that you always had the right to the truth."
Guinevere turned over and looked at Ayla. "When did you find out? I mean, that Lucius Malfoy was your father?"
"I was twelve." Ayla recalled. "Mom hadn't really understood what had been done to her. She felt a lot of shame and confusion about it until she eventually told aunt Lenore about it. Auntie looked it up and then told me."
"That must have been kind of scary." Guinevere said.
"A little." Ayla said with a shrug. "I had always figured my dad was some sort of jackass who dumped mum the moment she got pregnant. I just didn't know how right I was. Mostly, I got mad." Her eyes narrowed slightly. "I wonder how many other muggles like mum had this happen to them."
Harry signed the last paper about the Ministry seat and sat back against the chair. "Whew. I can't help but wonder if I'm cut out for all this."
Ayla chuckled and pulled herself out of the pool. Grabbing one of the fluffy white towels off the rack and wrapping it around her shoulders, she walked over to Harry's side and sat down on the spare chair. She was tall, slender and well muscled, wearing a blue one piece swimsuit. "You'll learn." She said. "Everyone entering jobs like this has to."
Harry chuckled nervously. "Thanks. It'll take all my concentration...not sure I can commit all my brain with you sitting next to me like that."
Ayla clicked her tongue and smiled coyly at him. "I'm flattered. Did Tracey contact you about possible, trustworthy women to head your other houses?"
"She said two, but told me to discuss contract with one first." Harry said. "Apparently the other one would take some convincing." He pulled out Tracey's letter and placed it on the table.
"Daphne Greengrass?" Ayla guessed. In the background, Guinevere took another dive. She had taken a real liking to the pool. "Hm; I can see that. Daphne was fairly friendly towards me, considering I was a half blood and a Ravenclaw. Her family has been Neutral for nearly twelve generations now."
"That's a long time." Harry said. "Tell me what she's like, would you?"
"She's calculated, smart." Ayla responded, looking thoughtful. "She has a carefully maintained facade of indifference towards the world. In Slytherin, they call her the Ice Queen. I've only seen under that mask twice, and those times her little sister Astoria was with us. It's in my mind that if Daphne entered the military, she would easily hit a high rank with charisma and smarts alone."
"Her personality? How much of the 'Ice Queen' is a facade?" Guinevere asked, now floating on her back again.
"Hm. I think part of it is out of necessity, but don't misunderstand me – Daphne isn't the sort to suffer fools quietly." Ayla remarked. "Her scorn has left teachers speechless. You should have seen her after the Toad Woman used some sort of blood quill on her little sister for sticking up for you, Harry."
The Boy Who Lived put down his pen in surprise. "I didn't know about that."
"The Slytherins kept it hush hush. They didn't want to be seen associating with you at the best of times, since so many of them are tangled in that generation old alliance to Riddle. The Toad Woman's reign was almost as far from 'the best of times' we could have gotten, short of Riddle himself." Ayla explained.
"So what happened?" Guinevere asked, genuinely curious.
"Daphne took her sister straight into the teacher's lounge, just after lunch." Ayla smirked. "Then she proceeded to call the Toad Woman an incompetent hack, threatened to sue the shit out of her for hurting Astoria, and that she'd ask her father to revoke his financial support to the Ministry entirely. Daphne swore that if Toad Woman even looked at Astoria funny again, her only source of income would be collecting bottles from the street."
Guinever whistled.
"When Dumbledore tried to get her to calm down, she called him an imbecile for failing to notice this going on right under his nose. Oh yes, it was quite the scene."
Harry found himself chuckling. "I wish I could have seen that."
"I think Daphne would be a good choice for House Black." Ayla said. "Her father has some connections to the Daily Prophet, and those two families have a history of good will between them. Considering how much that rag was a throne in your side last year, taking some control over it would probably be wise."
"And we could put the truth about Riddle's family in the papers," Guinevere chimed in. "If anything would shake up his forces, it would be that."
Harry nodded slightly, his expression creased with thought. "Right. I'll ask Tracey to speak with her, and then arrange a three way meeting for us. Maybe four way, if your aunt isn't too busy handling our other paperwork."
Lenore had been investigating the Potter business for the last three days. She had indeed found some discrepancies, and was filing the resulting paperwork over to the Goblins. Considering that goblins considered thievery a capital crime, comparable to murder, that probably wasn't going to end well for anyone who had stolen from him and his sister.
"I'll ask her about it. If she can't, I'll go instead." Ayla said.
Harry tilted his head and looked seriously at her. "If I can ask, what's prompting you to choose my side? We haven't known each other before this."
"I like what your future may have to offer me." Ayla responded. "I think you're the kind of person who would get my mother justice. And you're the only one who's ever brought about Riddle's defeat. I like my chances here. And let's be honest – your stubborn, bullheaded goodness is sort of endearing in its absurdity."
"Hah! I'll take that as a compliment."
**~Two Days Later~**
"What are you telling Molly to get out of the house this often?" Harry asked his sister curiously as they walked down the street toward the entrance to Diagon Alley. Molly was the overprotective sort and it surprised him that she was managing to sneak away.
"I told her I've been spending time with Luna. We've spent days, even weeks together ever since we were little, so Mum-Molly-doesn't think anything of it yet." Guinevere responded with a slight shrug. "It's not entirely untrue."
Harry nodded in agreement. Luna had come to visit the apartment just yesterday, to spend some time with her fiance. Harry had introduced her to Dudley and taken her for a tour around the neighbourhood to show her muggle sights. While her response had been more low key than Gwen's, Luna had been pretty impressed by what she had seen.
"So muggles really can build buildings of glass that reach the sky," She remarked. "I thought only wizards had ever done that; back in the days of Mu and Atlantis."
Harry had meant to ask her more about that, but Luna had quickly gotten distracted by an Ice Cream Parlour. That in turn had reminded him about something Ayla had said – books in the Black library that would tell him more about Lordship. I should probably get around to reading those, he thought ruefully. If I manage to secure a future with Daphne and her family, that will be the next item on my list of things to do...
Spending this time with them helped him ignore the communication blackout he was experiencing from Ron and Hermione. Internally, he knew he should have expected it, but it still kind of hurt to think about.
"Have you ever talked to Daphne, Gwen?" Harry asked her curiously.
"No. But I have talked to her little sister Astoria before. She was in the DA last year, remember? Blonde haired girl, bubbly and excited, a year younger than me?"
Harry thought for a minute before the image jumped into his head. "Yeah. She always wore star shaped ruby earrings, right?"
"Yeah. Well, Astoria's kind of a treasure. She's super sweet and innocent. It's no wonder Daphne dotes on her, and threatens murder on anyone who crosses her." Guinevere chuckled. "It was my first big indication that, Ice Queen persona aside, Daphne could be a good person. You can see that Astoria means the world to her."
"I understand that." Harry remarked, squeezing her wrist a bit. Guinevere smiled and him and rested her head on his shoulder for a second before straightening up.
"Initially Daphne hadn't been too happy about Astoria joining the DA," Guinevere recalled. "But after a few lessons, she actually joined in. I think we must have gotten some pretty good PR from the sounds of that! They were the only Slytherins in that group."
"That much I remember," Harry agreed, before sighing. "I wonder if there were more Slytherins who would have liked to join, but were too intimidated, or didn't think they'd be allowed to thanks to my rivalry with Malfoy."
Guinevere elbowed him lightly. "Ow," He said in jest, glancing towards her.
"Don't go sinking into depressing 'what could I have done differently' again, Potter," Guinevere said with equal parts mirth and seriousness. "You did everything in your power under the information that you had, you did an amazing job, and you still have time to turn things around."
Harry threw up his hands defensively, though he laughed along the way. "As you command, milady!"
Both siblings chuckled before turning down the alleyway that lead to the wizard world. Even all these years later, Harry was still impressed that the wall could slide away while normal humans went on their way, oblivious to it.
"I'm surprised that the Knight Bus has a station." Harry commented. "I figured it was privately owned, since the driver didn't change until Stunspike got arrested."
"No, it's public. They're just kind of cheap; that's why there were so few drivers." Guinevere said. "It's not like the wizard world as a licence system like the mundanes."
"That doesn't bode well...the mundanes have a licence system for a reason."
The letter from both Tracey and Daphne had given them the address to the Greengrass estate, so it was just a matter of getting there. They were both wearing semi formal outfits, though it had taken a bit of convincing to get Guinevere to wear a wizard style one for the meeting – she had grown quite attached to the variety offered by muggle clothing stores.
I better not take her to Victoria's Secret, Harry thought balefully. That might just be the end of my sanity. Or maybe she, Luna and Tracey could go together with Ayla acting as a guide. There might be something to that.
One rickety bus ride later, they arrived at another stately mansion. It looked more lively than the Davis household, though perhaps that was merely because there were more people inhabiting it. Harry walked up to the door and knocked three times before waiting.
It was opened by Astoria Greengrass, who's eyes lit up the moment she saw the twosome. Though she had tried to hide it under her father's instructions, Astoria had always had a bit of hero worship towards Harry Potter, having seen his bravery, tenacity and quick thinking during the Tri Wizard Tournament. "Hello!" She said brightly, before turning around and yelling, "MUM! DAD! DAPH! TRACEY! THEY'RE HERE!"
"Astoria Lynn Greengrass! What have I told you about shrieking like that in doors?" A slightly short but well dressed gentleman appeared from around the corner, looking stern but rather affectionate. "Don't mind her, please – she has always been a wild one."
"No offence taken, sir. You must be Daniel Greengrass?" Harry asked, offering his hand.
"Yes. I know who you are, Harry Potter." Daniel shook before his eyes flicked over to Guinevere. "And this young lady must be your sister. Allow me to state how pleased I am that the two of you were able to reuinte."
"Thank you. No one was more happy than myself." Harry said lightly.
"Come on in. We have much to discuss."
~Line Break~
Tracey shyly waved her ring hand at Harry when he sat down across from her. She was sitting with her somewhat secret best friend, Daphne Greengrass. Harry noted that Ayla's description was spot on. Daphne had a very serious and measured expression; her honey blonde hair was tied back in a single braid that reached down to the small of her back. Her stark, ice blue eyes seemed to gaze straight through him. She was wearing a green dress with blue trim and a sapphire necklace.
Alys had gone ahead and explained to Daniel and Angela Greengrass what the siblings had told her when they approached about the contract the previous week. Daniel's eyebrows kept migrating northward the whole explanation until they vanished beneath his bangs, while Angela teetered closer and closer to erupting out of outrage.
The Greengrass policy about family was that there was nothing more important than it, except God. Not money, not politics, not power. For Dumbledore to meddle in Harry's family, and secretly set him up to marry his sister, was an unacceptable travesty in Angela's eyes.
"That is...quite the story." Daniel remarked.
"Sums up my life in a nutshell, sir." Harry remarked with a nervous smile. Astoria burst into a fit of giggles. Daphne raised an eyebrow at her sister before turning back to him.
"Potter...no, Harry. Listen. I've been raised in pure blood society, so I know all the implications of a contract. You don't have to haggle with me on the department. There are other things that I want to ask you about, that I am more interested in."
"Oh?" Harry asked, surprised. He hadn't expected this, though he hoped that it wasn't showing too much. Ayla had coached him on maintaining a relatively stoic demeanour when doing business with Lords with status like the Greengrasses.
"The first thing I want to know is, what kind of power would you allow me to have? Politically." Daphne elaborated. Daniel gave his daughter a worried look, but she plowed on regardless. "Women of my standing generally aren't expected to have jobs; and even those who do allow it would never accept what I have in mind."
"What do you want that wouldn't be allowed, Daphne?" Harry asked.
Daphne's eyes flashed. "I want to be a Lady Knight." She stated.
Daniel sucked in a breath. "Daphne..."
"We talked about this, father." Daphne said without blinking. "If we've guessed right about him, it bears asking."
"I'm not sure I understand," Harry admitted.
"You have access to the Black library, correct?"
"Yes. I haven't had a chance to get in there unaccompanied yet, since my lawyer is still in the process of kicking out those who have been occupying it without my permission." Harry didn't mention that it was the Order of the Phoenix yet.
"There are several old books in there, one of which is titled Atlantis Queen. If you read it, you will have more context for what I am asking of you, but to summerize it, a Lady Knight is a political and military figure, usually only held by the martiarch of daughter of a Great House." Daphne said.
"Military?" Harry asked.
Daphne nodded. "My other prospects would never allow it. It isn't womanly, Malfoy told me once." She bared her teeth in an unfriendly smile. "As if I had asked for his opinion on the matter."
"Malfoy tends to give his opinion whether or not it is wanted." Guinevere said dryly. "It's been my experience that he especially delights in giving it when it isn't wanted."
"That has been mine too," Daphne responded. She and Guinevere shared a cold smirk. "I imagine he'll be in for quite the rude shock when the Will is read at the end of August."
"Indeed he is," Guinevere responded.
"Plenty of time for you to read up on what history has been deliberately kept from you," Daphne added, her attention swinging back to Harry. "I'll ask you about this again when you have better context, Harry Black, but that is what this marriage would offer me. I find that prospect charming enough that I do not mind that, obviously, you will have other wives."
"I...can't pretend I'm not surprised, though perhaps I shouldn't be." Harry admitted. "Well, as Tracey could tell you, there's something I want to ask you before we sign anything – what do you want, that I might give you with this arrangement?"
Daphne smiled at him. It was a true smile, not her cold Ice Queen smirks, and seeing it Harry had a feeling they would, if not fall in love, at least get along quite well. "What I want may be rather daunting for a lesser man, Black." Her smile widened. "I want to change the world."
Tracey grinned in agreement; Guinevere had a sense the two had discussed this before their arrival. Daniel looked slightly worried, but both Alys and Angela were both smiling as well. Clearly, they approved of Daphne's desire.
Harry smiled back at Daphne, getting up himself. He offered her his hand. "I respect, and admire, this obvious passion in you, Daphne." He said. "I would like to change this world we live in now. But there's no way I could do it alone, and I'm worried that I might falter. I would be glad to have you there to assist me."
Opening his right hand, Harry revealed the Black family ring. Daphne smiled, and with a glance at her parents, who nodded (Daniel slightly reluctantly), she took the ring and slipped it onto her finger. "When will the ceremony be held?"
"I'll place that decision in the hands of your parents," Harry said, bowing his head at Daniel, who looked pleased to discover this. Angela looked like she was planning the ceremony in her head, while Astoria bounced her knees with glee at the idea of being family with her hero.
Guinevere smiled grimly. Now we have two left that we need to solidify before Dumbledore realizes what we're doing, she thought. Tracey mentioned that she'd need to tell us a bit about the third person, and then we'll need to find the last one on our own.
Who can we trust for that, though?
End Chapter
The opening scene was slightly inspired by a scene from Code Geass, where Lelouch is talking to C.C. about the Black Knights and his plans for the next attack. That, and I wanted some fluff between Harry and Guinevere. Those have been some of my favourite scenes to write in this story, to be honest - just those two enjoying each other's company and sharing happiness. There was very little happiness in sixth and seventh year, after all. The Atlantis history that Daphne is referring to will be brought into the fore in the next chapter.
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