The Bonds That Tie
Harry knew he could get through to the six friends he'd chosen to tell the truth to, though technically, five because Neville already knew. Of course, Harry had only told them about being allied with Voldemort. Harry still needed to tell them that he and Severus were bonded and set to become mates in two months, as well as Severus being turned into a vampire by him. Right now, it was enough that they'd seen Dumbledore was the problem.
"So what's the plan, Harry?" Ron asked. "How are we taking down Dumbledore? Wow, I can't believe I just said that."
"I know, it's hard to wrap your head around after all these years." Harry informed. "But it was easier to do it for me as the person he's been manipulating the longest. You all just get it by association."
"Well, what's the plan?" George inquired.
"Right now, Tom and his death eaters are laying low so I can get more on Albus. Though, after earlier…I'd say there's enough to get him removed as headmaster and arrested." Harry remarked.
"How so? We know you started that investigation before school began this term." Hermione mentioned.
"It had mainly been to prove Dumbledore purposely left me in an abusive home, and then after the trip to the bank with Lucius when I came here, learned about him never having been assigned my magical guardian. That he lied about the fact Remus could have actually taken me in." Harry told them.
"We could attest to second year's living conditions, Harry," Fred said.
"We came to rescue you," George nodded.
"Yeah, bars on the window and barely anything in the room." Ron stated.
"It's all been taken into account already. I submitted memories to the years of abuse I underwent before going to Hogwarts, then the summers too. Even when I'd beg Albus to let me stay elsewhere. He insisted they were allowed to punish me if I was misbehaving and they could be strict." Harry rolled his eyes. "I have it on good faith he's already been found guilty on charges of child endangerment, neglect, and abandonment." He added calmly. "But there's more to the investigation such as before Christmas holiday started, he attacked me."
"He what?!" Hermione screeched.
Harry winced. "Bloody hell, Hermione…Don't do that." Harry growled.
"Sorry…I forgot you have sensitive hearing." Hermione frowned.
"Sensitive everything." Harry reminded.
"In the halls," Draco interjected. "Dumbledore wanted Harry to go to his office for a chat and Harry refused because there'd been no reason. Harry's grades are highest ever and he'd stayed out of trouble. Albus sent some white arrow at Harry, which burned him." He explained. "Dumbledore tried to say Harry walked into the barrier he'd been putting up to keep Harry from leaving. It's a load of crap because barriers aren't formed with blinding blasts of light in the shape of an arrow." The young Malfoy retorted. "I walked up and port-keyed myself and Harry to Uncle Severus's office and then Harry apparated us here to the manor."
"Uncle Severus?" Luna tilted her head.
"Severus is Draco's godfather." Blaise informed.
"Apparated? You apparated within Hogwarts?" Neville asked. "I thought that wasn't allowed."
"It's not to anyone normal, but I'm not." Harry shrugged. "The old fool's next move was revealed after we arrived at the manor after the attack. He'd been poisoning Draco's food with something that didn't do any damage to him, but extended out to anyone in his bloodline. It was supposed to hurt or potentially kill me because he knew I was feeding from Draco."
"He was trying to keep you from feeding?" Ron stared.
"We believe it was an attempt to make Harry desperate to feed, or purposely send him into a blood rage so he'd go an attack someone. Or Albus would show up when Harry was out of the protection here to offer blood that was probably tainted with some kind of liquid imperious. It was to get Harry under his control." Severus revealed.
"I still can't believe everything I'm hearing…" Remus just sat there.
"Believe it, Moony." Sirius told his friend.
"I know, Padfoot. I know Harry wouldn't lie and I felt like something wasn't right after that Order meeting when Harry was yelling at Albus and Severus sent me to get the Malfoy's. It's just surreal and unbelievable for all the years we worked for Albus in the Order." Remus stated.
"That's because Harry needed to feed or he'd likely have been a lot calmer." Lucius informed.
"Did he need to feed on his birthday too?" Ron wondered.
"Probably." Draco nodded.
"We're here for you, Harry…You can come to us if you need to feed." Hermione offered.
"I appreciate that, but not necessary." Harry replied. "I keep to one person."
"Was I really supposed to have Harry after you were put in Azkaban?" Remus asked.
"Yes. And after I was killed too." Sirius responded.
"After you were imprisoned, I have no idea how I'd have taken care of him. I couldn't find work as a werewolf." Remus reminded. "I'd have been seen as unfit."
"No, you wouldn't have," Sirius promised. "I had money put aside for you to take care of Harry. You would have gotten a notice from the bank when Harry entered your care if anything happened to me. However, Albus interfered with me taking Harry…And that was my fault. I never should have gone after Pettigrew that night. I'm sorry, pup."
"Doesn't Pettigrew work for Voldemort? Where is he? We can finally turn him in." Ron remarked.
"Pettigrew is dead." Harry folded his arms. "I dealt with him."
"D-Did you kill him?" Hermione wondered softly.
"I never touched him." Harry remarked. "He chose to be in his rat form at the wrong time and Nagini ate him." He added casually.
"Best play on words I've ever seen," Draco chuckled.
"What play on words?" Ron pushed. "Harry, what did you do?"
"I only stopped Remus and Sirius from killing him so we could turn him in and set Sirius free. As Sirius was killed, there was no longer a reason to leave him alive. Tom allowed me to deal with Pettigrew how I wanted, so I said he'd die by being in the wrong form at the wrong time." Harry said.
"Then you totally forced him to go into his rat form and let Nagini eat him." Draco stated.
"Never touched him though," Harry added. "Didn't force him to do nothing. I simply put the idea in his head to go rat form and escape me if he could."
"In Harry's position, I might have done the same." Neville mentioned.
"Me too," Luna nodded.
"Wait just a tick…" Fred paused.
"Moony? Padfoot?" George asked.
"Ah, you've finally connected those names to a certain map you gave me in third year." Harry chuckled.
"Remus and Sirius created it?" The twins asked.
"Prongs and Wormtail too. The Marauders. Remus, Peter, Sirius, and my father." Harry nodded.
"Hats off to your work, good sirs." Fred and George bowed to Remus and Sirius.
"Indeed. Our best piece." Sirius smiled.
"Took forever," Remus recalled. "I take it two are the ones who gave it to Harry? I thought Filch had it?"
"We nicked it from his office in our first year and passed it to Harry in his third to get into Hogsmead." George said.
"Explains how Harry got it." Remus sighed.
"And you gave it back to me at the end of that year." Harry informed.
"I figured you might want a piece of something your father worked on with his friends." Remus enlightened. "You didn't know who created it for a while."
"I had a feeling last year when Moody called Sirius padfoot at the train station." Harry shrugged.
"We've gotten off topic. Harry, what's the plan?" Neville looked at the teenaged vampire. "You know that even with Dumbledore revealed as a manipulator. Majority will rule that Voldemort is no saint and if he forces them; he'd just be seen as an overlord."
"That's why it has to be revealed that Dumbledore molded Tom as a young, orphaned boy. We can get him sympathy and I know already before you say it that even if it's revealed he was manipulated by Albus, and has most of his soul back out of remorse; it doesn't bring back the people he killed. So I do have a secondary plan." Harry enlightened.
"Oh, really?" Voldemort paid attention now. "Care to share?"
"It's not important yet. Call it a backup, but first thing is first…We're building allies. Tom is gaining followers, and I need you guys to reach out to the army we had in fifth year. Find those willing to join the cause. But…Mind who knows. Ron, sorry, Ginny can't know what's going on. I don't trust her and I feel that even though she hasn't harassed me in two months; she's plotting something with Dumbledore. Severus did scan her, she's not under any compulsion or imperious charms or potions. She's doing this of her own free will and working with Albus." Harry stated firmly.
"We won't tell her anything." Ron promised.
"We need people who will fight for this cause. The more people who agree and see the truth is more people we can to swing the vote that Tom isn't a bad person, just made some bad choices under the belief he was shown by Dumbledore." Harry told them. "So reach out to those who were in the army and already graduated. Tell them what's going on. Anyone who is against it firmly…Sad to say, obliviate them. And take their coin. I'm going to be using it again for those who join."
"We can handle that." Hermione assured. "Most of Gryffindor will probably be on your side, Harry."
"Slytherin is already on his side." Pansy informed. "Except those who stay neutral and don't care as long as their lives aren't at risk."
"Good portion of Ravenclaw will rejoin." Luna said. "Probably Hufflepuff too."
"Start with who used to be part of the defense association first. Hermione, you're in charge of connecting the coins." Harry told her.
"Done." Hermione nodded. "Are we using a signup sheet? I'll curse it again?" She offered.
"No, we need to be deeper than that. Like Fidelius Charm level of secret." Harry stated. "The students in this room right now will be the ones who can hold the secret. You lot are in charge of recruitment. When people accept, they're already going to be bound by the secret and can't ever tell others because they won't be keepers of the secret."
"Harry, that's bloody brilliant." Ron exclaimed.
"Fred, George, Remus…Anyone in the current Order who might switch?" Harry wondered.
"Bill and Fleur. Probably Mundungus, he'll go wherever there's power." The twins said together.
"I can probably recruit Tonks." Remus said. "We're in a relationship."
"What about Hagrid?" Neville suggested.
"He won't come until after the trial when it's revealed just everything Albus has done." Harry said.
"Minerva would be the same way," Severus added. "You might be able to get Dumbledore's brother, Harry."
"I won't take that risk just yet." Harry revealed. "The same goes for Kingsley and Alastor, unfortunately. None of them will be willing to listen until Albus is outed for the things he's done over the years."
"Same for our parents," Ron added.
"They won't join, even after Albus is revealed. Voldemort killed our uncles, Mum won't forgive that and I think she's trying to help Ginny win you, Harry." Fred stated. "Dad might later on, but not right now."
"Harry, might want to tell them also, the training they have to undergo?" Voldemort reminded.
"Ah, yes." Harry remembered now. "I mentioned before that Albus is a skilled Legilimens, meaning he can look in your minds if he suspects there's something amiss. For now…We will need to keep up the image that we're not friends. Severus is willing to teach you all Occlumency when school resumes and possibly over the summer. We're hoping to deal with Albus in the next two months, but he's crafty and seems to have beaten the system before, so we need to be careful." He began. "Just like the old army meetups, I will be transfiguring the coins into portkeys that take you down to the chamber of secrets and it has to be after hours when everyone believes you're in bed. Those who haven't joined need to believe you're in your beds, so it is imperative that you ensure your curtains are closed before using the portkey."
"It will also have to work on a group system schedule because large groups are harder to teach. Some students will learn on some nights, and others on other nights. You can practice the exercises on your own time, just don't give it away." Severus added.
"And we'll be helping as we already know." Draco remarked.
"We don't have to take the dark mark, do we?" Ron wondered.
"No." Harry shook his head. "Those are only for Tom's followers. We will be using the coin, which works on the same idea."
"I can get the packs," Fenrir spoke up.
"That's already been handled. As well as vampires." Harry said.
"You've been recruiting on your own?" Severus blinked.
"What do you think I spend my nights doing? I don't sleep, Sev." Harry reminded. "I came across werewolves and vampires in my search for the house. I'm rather well known, it's easy to recruit. They're just on standby until it's time to move. Believe me…They're on our side." That's all he could reveal, for now. "Everyone understand what needs to happen?"
"Those of us who aren't students, are we learning too?" George questioned.
"If you'd like," Harry replied. "Severus, how large do you want your groups?"
"I think standard size of a class will do." Severus responded. "I'd say twenty-four to twenty-six students is enough, that's not including Draco and his friends who are there to help. Assumingly, you as well, Harry." Who nodded to him.
"Excellent, then all is going according to plan? Right, Harry?" Voldemort asked.
"For the moment." Harry answered. "I could get a lot more done if you'd stop summoning me to every meeting. Seriously, we have a mind link…Use it. I can watch things through your eyes and we can communicate that way too. Or get me up to speed when summer hits."
"But I often need Severus and the children and you removed Severus's mark, so I can't summon him…" Voldemort said.
"Mind link. Use it." Harry hissed in parseltongue. "I can tell them anything you need to, but it's risky to keep getting them out of the castle. Albus is already going to be suspicious that Remus is alive and I didn't kill his two bait traps. He's going to be watching closely and he knows I have the cloak. If we want this to work, we need to watch ourselves too."
"But I need Severus to help him maintain his spy status." Voldemort informed.
"Then let me know and I'll pass the message when you want him so he can fake responding to the mark and show up. But try not to need him, part of this plan is also not letting Albus believe you're planning anything. If you're not summoning Severus then he'll wonder why you're being so quiet." Harry told him.
"Very true." Voldemort agreed.
"Um?" Ron pointed between the two.
"Don't worry about it." Harry assured.
"Right, I was more wondering why you called Professor Snape as Sev, when you were calling him Severus before…" Ron mentioned.
"Ah, that would be the other part of things I've yet to tell you," Harry paused.
"You still haven't told us who your soulmate is." Hermione reminded gently. "You said you would…"
"It's Severus." Harry stated calmly. Silence. "We're already bonded, have been since Christmas holiday when Albus poisoned Draco's bloodline to hurt me. I needed to feed and they know I detest feeding off muggles…" He explained.
"Harry, you're too young to bond!" Hermione said quickly.
"First of all, I'm perpetually going to be fifteen the rest of my life, Hermione. I was turned into a vampire…I've stopped aging. My birthday does still pass every year, but…My life, technically, ended at fifteen." Harry remarked. "Secondly…The bond formed on its own. It's how Severus and I knew we were soulmates. No other both forms by itself than soulmate ones."
"Definitely didn't have anything to do with the fact Sev's blood was calling you." Draco snickered.
"Zip it, brother…" Harry rolled his eyes.
"I no longer have to ask why you two are so close, though it makes sense how only Severus got through to you earlier." Remus remarked.
"What?" Ron blinked. "How does that work? His blood calling to you, Harry?"
"My sense of smell tells me what kind of blood you have without you having to be cut and actually bleeding. Blood is my food, so…Bellatrix over there has garlic-smelling blood and vampires don't like garlic, so I wouldn't ever drink from her unless I was aiming to actually kill her in revenge for killing Sirius last year." Harry explained. "Virgin blood is the vampire delicacy, and an aphrodisiac. No matter what your blood smells like, if it's virgin, a vampire would enjoy it." He added. "But…Severus's blood was different, not only was it virgin, but it drew me to him. Made him stand out and I'd wondered why because it drove me crazy. It didn't make sense until after the night these guys sent him up to me when I hadn't fed in months and was bordering a blood rage, which is where I just lose it and go after first person I can and end up killing them because I can't stop."
"Professor Snape's blood called to you because he's your soulmate. It was trying to bring you together," Luna said softly.
"That's right." Harry nodded to her. "However, Severus's blood didn't settle blood rage, it activated blood lust. So among feeding from him, we had sex and that cemented the bond."
"I'm the only one Harry feeds from now, other blood doesn't satiate him." Severus remarked. "At least until he turns me into a vampire this summer."
"Y-You're going to turn him?" Neville inquired.
"It's the only way to finish the mating bond." Draco spoke up calmly. "Vampires mate for life, as do wolves and other animals. However…Severus and Harry aren't just bonded like in marriage. They are soulmates…Fated to be together for life. But at current, Severus is only human; he'll die and leave Harry alone the rest of his immortal life. Harry would continue on forever feeling only half, not complete." He informed. "They're bonded as soulmates, but not mated. It can't be finished until their lives are truly linked for life, which means Severus has to have the same lifespan as Harry, and the only way to do that is to turn Severus into a vampire. And it had to be a willing choice. Once Severus is turned, Harry will mark him as his mate. Which is sex with a permanent bite mark at the end."
"Won't people ask questions? Aren't new vampires insatiable?" Ron questioned.
"That's why I'm turning him over the summer, so we can get his appetite under control." Harry remarked. "He'll be under a glamour next year, as I was through fifth year. He won't appear any differently than he does now."
"And then after Harry graduates, I'll resign from teaching at Hogwarts." Severus added. "I've only stayed there as Voldemort's spy all these years. I still enjoy potions, but I can put those skills to better use with a potion and ingredients shop. Harry and I have already discussed it."
"Well…We're happy for you." Luna smiled. "Everyone deserves love."
"You two gonna get married at some point?" Fred wondered.
"We're already bonded, and mating before the summer is out. A wedding would really just be for looks," Harry shrugged. "Who knows. It's not on the top of the priority list. Maybe when it calms down." Severus flushed a little at the idea of himself and Harry going through an actual wedding. "Moving on…" Harry summoned a piece of parchment to him, then a quill. Harry wrote something at the top before setting it down and holding his hand over the two objects as they glowed white and then lowered his hand. "Just like the paper you cursed, Hermione, this one binds people to the secret that when they sign up, they're allied with the death eaters and Voldemort himself. You six can tell others, but tell them the truth, in private, that I'm allied with the dark lord to rise against the corruption. You can reveal the manipulations I've told you. Leave out Severus and I bonded, it's nothing to do with the alliance. Those who agree will sign, those who don't, obliviate them to just before you approached. Work in pairs, one recruits, the other is hiding on standby to obliviate. Those who sign can never reveal the truth. Just like the Fidelius charm. Only secret keepers can."
The paper copied itself into four as Hermione kept one, the other went to Neville and Luna, then the next to Draco. Harry kept one for himself. "These papers are linked up. When someone new signs, it appears on all of them. Those who sign get sent to Hermione who will give them a linked coin. The secret keepers do not have to sign." Harry continued.
"We've got your back, Harry," Neville said as the other five nodded.
"We'll handle the adults," Fred and George remarked.
"Wonderful…Now, Sev? Would you like to give them the basics of Occlumency to practice for when we finally have the first meeting?" Harry asked.
"I will." Severus folded his arms over one another and stood next to Harry facing the six people before him. "Pay attention."