Chapter 5 – New Friends and New Teachers
Harry and the Greengrass family were currently standing on Platform 9¾ while Marie Greengrass gave each of her children Harry included tearful kisses to their cheeks, "Have a good term each of you mind your professors," Marie stated. "Please tell what house you'll be sorted into Astoria."
"Wanna be in Gryffindor with Harry I hope mom, or in Slytherin with sis, Blaise and Tracey, that way I'll know people," Astoria stated confidently.
Marie nodded, "Good those are very wise choices, though I wouldn't mind seeing you in Ravenclaw angel it was my house after all."
"Don't worry Tori, I know the Prefect in Ravenclaw through association with Hermione and Percy if you do get sorted into that house I'll ask her to keep an eye you," Harry smiled as the youngest Greengrass girl's eyes brighten.
"K, um, do you know someone in Hufflepuff, just encase," Astoria looked nervously.
"Justin Finch Fletchly, Susan Bones, and Hannah Abbot, don't worry Tori you're very well covered no matter what house you're in," Harry chuckled as the little girl hugged him. "Sometimes fame does have perks though I hate it."
"Good, now remember owl me soon as you get settled," Marie replied as the trio entered the train.
XXX
Nerves this is what Harry was feeling not only for his upcoming year, but the reaction of Ron and Hermione when they meet Daphne and Astoria. The two had been out of the country during the summer and he had been surprisingly busy the last few weeks. When he wasn't doing homework or hanging out with Daphne and Astoria, he was with Robert going over political protocol that he would need to know for when he took his place in the Wizengamot, three of the Most Noble and Ancient Houses, Black, Perevell, and Potter as such he had three votes, which he gave to his future father-in-law as his proxy until he was of age. He didn't realize it at the time but when Lord Greengrass saw fit to retire he would take Robert's place as Lord Greengrass as well which gave him four votes. He would essentially be the most power political entity in the Wizengamot after he graduated from Hogwarts; this was why Harry was given such extensive political training with Robert, and likely get more the next summer. It was in this arena that he could cripple Voldemort's financial and political power he had during the last war simply by voting against certain anti-muggle and magical creature bigotry with werewolves, veela, giants, and vampires who have been bad wraps in Magical England. Honestly those idiots have seen one too many Muggle horror films. At any rate Harry hadn't owled his friends mainly because he hadn't known when they returned because he had been busy, plus the fact that Daphne was in Slytherin made things a bit more tedious.
Harry looked for an empty compartment of reasonable size, figuring that Daphne wanted to meet and greet her friends as well, to which he prayed wouldn't lead to conflict between Ron and Daphne's friends Tracey and Blaise. So far the only big enough to hold all seven potential people had was occupied by a man who looked to be in his mid-twenties dressed in muggle clothing blue dominating the assemble. "Um, sir?"
The man's hairstyle was strange red, black, and blonde designed to look like a star, he also had a rather bulky upside down pyramid attached to a chain around his neck. "Yes?" the man asked a rich deep voice that seemed to scream confidence but not arrogance.
"May we sit here, I suspect that we'll have friends coming along soon and this is one of the bigger compartments," Daphne stated looking at Harry who smiled.
"Of course," the man stated simply as the trio entered and sat down.
"Um, excuse me are you a teacher?" Astoria asked noting that he was way too old to be a student.
"Yes, I'll be your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor," the man stated. "Yugi Moto, currently I work as the Deputy Auror directly under Madam Amelia Bones, been assigned to the school for added protection."
Daphne's eyes widen, "Whoa you're going to loads better than Lockhart and Quirrell."
Yugi smirked slightly, "I like to think so, Lockhart was a fraud that would have been under investigation for fraud if he hadn't of Obliviated himself last year."
Harry nodded, "Right menace that one, instead of healing my arm he made the bones in it vanish, spent all weekend growing them back."
"Yes, I read the reports that Dumbledore files at the end of each term," Yugi chuckles. "Seems, you have more practical ways of fighting the Dark Arts, Mr. Potter. I understand you got O's both your first years and commendations for service to the school."
Harry blushed slightly, "I had help."
"Mr. Weasely and Ms. Granger should be proud of their accomplishments as well, hopefully you'll not have life or death struggles this year," Yugi stated. A second later a bushy haired girl and a red haired boy appeared smiles on their faces.
"Harry, lord mate where you been this summer," Ron stated opening the compartment, he stopped short looking a bit confused. He vaguely recalled seeing the blonde haired girl that was sitting next to Harry, rather closely.
Harry shrugged, "Same could be said for you and Hermione, oh congratulations Ron heard your dad won the office sweepstakes."
Ron's ears turned red, "Yeah helped immensely, even got a new wand," he smiled holding the new wand up.
"How was France Hermione?" Harry asked noting that the bushy haired girl was currently sitting across from Daphne looking at her very intently. He was trying to hold off the confrontation as long as possible.
"It was nice, loads to look at," Hermione stated her gaze never wavering noted that Daphne was looking just as intently. "Harry, I didn't know you knew Daphne Greengrass."
"Daphne 'Ice Queen of Slytherin' Greengrass," Ron stated almost mechanically eyes narrowing.
"Easy there Ron, I'm only like that to keep gits like Malfoy and his lot away from me," Daphne stated holding her hands up in a warding gesture. Ron's eyes widen naturally in surprise at this her persona feeling and looking so different. Plus the fact that she called him by his first name caught him off guard. Which left him extremely confused and searching through his memories of the last two years for anything he could use to deny what she said, he came up with nothing.
"Alright say I believe you, did you start talking to Harry because he famous?" Ron asked.
Daphne shook her head smiling slightly, Harry sighed, "No Ron, and please don't go mental on me when I tell you this, you too Hermione, she's my betrothed."
"B-B-Betrothed?!" Ron shouted looking out right shocked. "How did that happen?" he asked looking even more confused.
"Wouldn't such a thing be outdated?" Hermione asked.
Daphne nods, "Yes, at least in the Muggle world, however that's not the case among most families in the Magical world. I'm surprised you don't have one Ron."
Ron shook his head slowly getting back his senses, after the initial shock; after all it isn't every day you hear your best mate get betrothed and to a Slytherin no less. "No last arranged marriage was between mum and dad; they both agreed their kids would marry for love afterward, that's why we got labeled as blood traitor, going against traditions and all that. So are ya going to answer how you two got betrothed?"
"Daphne's mom turns out is my godmother," Harry replied rubbing the back of his head nervously. "Her mom and my mom made up the marriage contract," Harry stated then went on to explain everything that happen to him over the summer, the death of his godfather, revelation that he was innocent of his crime, the reading of the wills and Harry's emancipation. Then explained his family's vault and what he found inside.
Hermione actually had drool coming out the corner of her mouth, "Harry please tell me you'll take me to see that library you have."
Harry looked at Ron who laughed, "I knew she do that, I got one better for you Hermione, Aunt Marie is making up a building to store all those books, by next summer all those books will be moved into that building, I'll gladly let you at them."
"Oh Harry really," Hermione leapt from her seat and hugged the messy haired boy affectionately. "Thank you, thank you."
"Oi, Granger hands off my fiancée," Daphne shouted her face alight with mirth. "If you need to snog someone take Weasely."
Hermione blushed walking back to her seat, "Sorry," both Harry and Ron noted she didn't retract Daphne's statement, after a few moments Ron's face turned a bit red.
XXX
After the initial shock and explanations wound down, Daphne introduced her sister to Ron and Hermione who met them both cheerfully stating she hoped that she would get sorted into Gryffindor even more so now. After Astoria's introduction, Blaise and Tracey made their appearance, with this Ron's preconceptions that all Slytherin were Death Eater trainees was blown out the window, leaving him to reevaluate his theories on Slytherin House. "The only bad bunch are Malfoy and his lot, Flint and his lot right the rest of Slytherin is cool?"
"Pretty much sums it up, Ron. While most of our house are children of known Death Eaters the other half are simply neutralists like Blaise, Tracey, and I. Our families never really sided during the war," Daphne stated then sighed.
"Yeah but being betrothed to Harry your family is basically screaming I will not support You Know Who next time around," Ron stated.
"Which means Tracey and I will support Daphne in this, since neither of us are going to abandon our friend," Blaise replied confidently. "I despise that arse Malfoy, he makes us all look like stuck up snobs."
Harry chuckled noting during the trip Daphne had slid closer to him, he looked at her a moment before sliding an arm around her hearing a sigh of contentment. "Well can't really complain about that, and I can't wait to see Malfoy's face," Ron stated.
"Oh there's more Ron," Blaise leaned in conspiratorially. "Did you hear, Narcissa Malfoy's family the Black's new Head of Family had her marriage annulled and demand Lucius Malfoy pay back the dowry given to him for the marriage by today or face Goblin punishment."
Ron blinked before shifting his eyes to Harry, "Did you really do that Harry?" this caused Blaise's eyes to widen.
"It was stated in Sirius's will that it was her greatest wish, guess she hated her husband more everyone else does," Harry stated.
"Is that possible?" Ron blinked.
Hermione rolled her eyes, "Think about it Ron, Narcissa had to spread her legs to Lucius Malfoy and wait around nine months to give birth to that loathsome cockroach if anything she has more rights to hate him than we do."
Ron chuckled and shuddered at the same time, "Right remind me to send her sympathy card poor woman needs it." Blaise, Tracey, and Daphne laughed at that soon conversations drifted to what everyone did that summer, Ron found himself enjoying the three Slytherin more than he thought he would. They also talked more to Yugi asking him about the lessons they would get hopefully to plan ahead, but the professor while gracious to answer general questions was stubbornly tight lipped about anything spell specific. Having a teacher that was presently an active member of the Auror's did give them piece of mind though, one they knew they would have a competent teacher this year and two Harry was waiting for Draco Malfoy to make an appearance.
XXX
Harry's intuition turned out to be justified as Draco and his two ever present dumb stooges opened the compartment to make his yearly greeting. What shocked the blonde haired boy however was who else was in the compartment. "Greengrass, Davis, Zabini, you would willingly associate yourself with blood-traitors, half-bloods, and mudbloods," Draco snarled eyes flaring.
"Have you forgotten Malfoy, I'm half-blood as well," Tracey stated looking at Draco as though she found something particularly fowl in the air.
"I was generalizing Davis, so I retract my words in your case that still begs to question why Greengrass and Zabini are here," Malfoy stated haughtily.
"I go where I wanna go Malfoy, you are not my keeper or parent thank god for that otherwise I might kill myself," Blaise stated coolly hearing Ron and Hermione snicker he turned his eyes toward them wiggling his brows making them snicker harder.
"You'll regret that Zabini," Malfoy narrowed his eyes before turning to Daphne, he noted Harry had his arm around her while she was looking up at him with a glare that could freeze fire. "You would sully yourself with Potter?"
"Harry is my betrothed Malfoy has been since before I was born, and he has shown his mettle as brave, selfless, noble, and humble," she sneered up at him coldly. "You have as well, cowardly, pompous, arrogant, and selfish. My godmother and godfather died to protect their son, while your father licked the toe jam from their murderer's boots."
Now many would claim Malfoy was stupid and most times they would be correct, but he wasn't blind and stupid he had spotted the adult in the compartment, so he swallowed his seething rage at Daphne's words more so since it implied that a Muggleborn had been slated to care for a pureblood in the event of their death. "To think your father would allow such a thing as let a mudblood raise a pureblood."
Harry jumped to his feet glaring at Draco, "That's enough, you say one more word about my mother and I don't care if there is a teacher present I'll hex your bits," he took a few deep breaths before narrowing his eyes. "Then I'll inform Gringotts to close your trust vault, your father can pay for your schooling."
"What are you talking about Potter you don't control my school vault," Malfoy replied looking a bit confused.
Harry raised his right hand to show Draco the ring he wore bears the family crest of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Black. "My godfather named me heir of House Black and upon the reading of his will this last summer I became head, because your mother is a family member of house black so are you through blood," he paused letting the implications slide in when it did Draco's face paled. "Your trust vault is under House Black, one more slip of the tongue regarding muggleborns and your father will paying for your schooling. With what happen today I doubt he'll have much left."
"What you mean?" Draco looking even more white.
"Your mother has been asking for her marriage to be annulled since your grandmother died far as I know, the only thing keeping her there was the fact her cousin was locked up in Azkaban for a crime he never committed, she was stuck until the will reading," Harry explained while backing up and sitting down again his anger slowly subsiding, and all but vanished when he felt Daphne wrap her arms around his left one it was gone. "Your mother is no longer a Malfoy and the dowry that was given to your father which was large was ordered to be paid back in full, if not then Gringotts will level penalties."
"Wow Harry that was a mouth full, who taught you that?" Blaise asked looking impressed.
"Daphne's father," Harry smiled briefly glancing at the pretty blonde girl on his arm before looking up at Draco who's face was showing both fear and confusion. "Listen Malfoy I'm not about to leave you hanging dry regardless of the fact that you're an arse. Consider yourself on probation, you tow the line and mine your own business the next four years, you keep your trust. You start spouting off on Muggleborns, half-bloods, and pureblood purity nonsense, I'll cut you off. This is the only warning your getting, if it had been you in my position I doubt I get even that. Pray Pansy's family will still acknowledge your marriage contract, be the only way you won't get dragged down like your father. Oh and before you send an Owl to your father to try and move your trust don't bother, I asked Ragnok to put a watch on it, no personal withdrawals, all your books in the future will be sent to you before September 1st."
Draco stood looking very contemplative, not saying a word he and his two goons left shoulders looking slumped and defeated. Harry looked to his gathered friends, Ron's face looked like Christmas had come early, Blaise was surprisingly smug, Tracey was trying her hardest not to burst out laughing clutching her side, Hermione was just sitting there looking at him in awe, Astoria had none of Tracey's restraint but at least was using her robes to muffle her giggles, while Daphne face was a glow with pride. "Harry that was bloody brilliant," Ron stated, "Daphne is there any chance to meet your father next summer I'd like to have what he gave Harry."
Daphne giggled, "I think I can arrange it Ron, be good for you your dad I suspect would even encourage it."
"Ron one thing, Daphne's father is right intimidating. Reminds me of this American pro wrestler I love watching," Harry stated.
"Harry you actually watch that tripe?" Hermione asked giggling.
The raven haired boy looked a bit sheepish, "When you don't many good role models growing up you tend to make you own."
"But Harry you know that stuff is rubbish, granted the injuries are real but the outcomes are all staged to follow a story," Hermione pointed out then noted Harry give her a wry grin. "What?"
"Right so, who's your favorite?" he asked this causing the bushy haired girl to blush.
"Shawn Michaels," Hermione stated looking sheepish. The whole exchange confused everyone else, while Harry sat back chuckling shaking his head which only caused his bushy haired friend to pull out one of her books and bury her nose in it.
Harry was about to say more when the train came to an abrupt stop and the lighting began to flicker, "What happened?"
Author's Note: Another chapter is done, as we begin to go into the POA storyline, a few changes have naturally occurred and more still will occur. The voting booth on my profile will be open until the middle of next month. The WWE references are hilarious to me, plus at time the first four novels were made was during the height of popularity of wrestling with the Monday Night wars '98 thru '01 was the best time to be a wrestling fan and the best time to be on the west coast as we could watch both Raw and Nitro without having to flip channels, as Nitro would show at six and Raw came on at nine. At any rate the latest Harry/Daphne story I fell in love with is 'Myrddin Emrys Returns' by General Kenobi SIYE he gave this pairing the best treatment to date so far, wish I was half as good. SEE YA!