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Harry was standing in the middle of the Slytherin common room with his invisibility cloak keeping him undiscovered. It was already after curfew, which meant that it was the perfect time for him to visit Ravenclaw Tower.

However, he had to make an unexpected stop. Malfoy seemed to be holding a gathering of some sort, and it involved older students of a particular variety. The type that represented everything fanatic purebloods were despised for.

They also represented another thing to Harry. They were why he had a sudden loss of clients and a hole in the knowledge of what was happening in Slytherin. It was ironic that students from the families that leaned toward the Dark Lord were the ones that became Harry's 'trusted' sources. It was also a massive mistake of Harry's to let that happen.

"Welcome," Draco looked over the crowd and frowned when a few he invited were missing, "We have gathered here today to celebrate a momentous occasion. The return of our cause. The preservation of our traditions."

Harry wasn't surprised to hear that not everyone here was happy about being present. It was evident by the poorly hidden curses that could be heard between excited muttering.

"We had been falling into complacency. We let muggle-borns and half-bloods contaminate a perfect society, letting their filth bleed into our world with no consequence."

If it could, Harry's eyebrows would have risen off his face. He looked around to see if there was any sort of protection to keep this gathering hidden, and as far as Harry could tell, there wasn't. Malfoy truly had become bold this year. He would even say it went past mere boldness and was crossing into sheer stupidity.

"Keep yourself silent, Malfoy," An older student growled, "There's no reason to air this out in the common room of all places."

"Why should I?" Draco was defiant, "There is no reason to hide anymore."

"Until he says so, there's even more reason to hide. Stop being a fool and tell us why you called us here."

"… Fine," Draco agreed reluctantly, "I want to talk about Potter."

Harry's ears perked up, far more interested in what would be talked about than when Malfoy was ranting like a rabid despot.

"You want to talk about Potter here?" Another older student asked with a lazy drawl, "That might be an even worse idea than the last one. I can assure you that Potter will know what happened by the time he wakes up."

"How?" Draco sneered, "Are you going to tell him?"

Harry watched with interest when the older student didn't hesitate to draw his wand and cast a sickly yellow spell at Malfoy. It was even more interesting when a shield appeared around Malfoy to absorb the spell, leaving him entirely untouched.

It looked like Malfoy got himself a hidden protector, or multiple, for all Harry knew.

"It doesn't matter," Draco pretended like nothing happened and continued to speak, "I want Potter to know just how helpless he is. He strutted around for years, acting far above his station. This year will be the start of his nightmare."

Harry thought that was a little too harsh. He didn't believe that he did anything so egregious to Malfoy to deserve this sort of attention from him.

Well, Harry supposed that he did use the disarming charm on Malfoy while he was about to duel Weasley. It had caused him to sport a rather spectacular rash that refused to heal for days due to Weasley's wild magic.

And there was the time that Harry locked Malfoy in a room with a boggart till he screamed his throat hoarse.

Plus, he did have fun occasionally tripping Malfoy when he was about to leave the common room. It brought Harry joy when he fell face-first in front of the whole House.

They were juvenile acts that Harry looked down on these days, but the past is something that couldn't be changed. It wouldn't have been so bad if Malfoy didn't know that Harry did all that. Of course, the opposite was the truth, mainly because Harry himself told Malfoy proudly just who caused his misery.

In Harry's defense, he wasn't exactly thinking too much about what would happen in the future. He was more focused on ensuring Malfoy had a taste of what he was capable of so that he would be left alone during Slytherin's internal competition. Harry supposed the thing he regretted the most was that Malfoy still went after him like a mad dog even after doing all that.

So technically, all of that had gone to waste.

"Do you all remember what happened to Viola Stone?" Draco asked with narrowed eyes as he scanned the faces in front of him, "Greengrass might not be with us today, but she had the right idea of how we should treat the people that are unworthy. I want Potter to be completely isolated. Act like he doesn't exist. I want him to feel like he is nothing."

Harry had a slow smile forming on his face. It wasn't a pretty one or the one that he had practiced in the mirror for hours. It was similar to when he learned of what Anthony Goldstein tried to do, except the rage in his eyes was an order of a magnitude greater.

Harry hadn't forgotten what Malfoy had done to his room assignment. Still, in consideration of the bigger picture, he had graciously set that matter aside for a later date. Umbridge had become the priority, but Malfoy kept proving to Harry why he deserved to be bumped back up.

"That's why you called us here?"

Harry heard a different voice this time, more feminine and vaguely familiar. If he wasn't mistaken, it was an older girl that used every moment they talked to flirt with him. It would be easy to confirm if Harry took his eyes off Malfoy, but he didn't. He was too afraid that the boy would disappear if he looked away.

Harry always tried to keep physical harm off the table, mainly to avoid the attention it would undoubtedly attract. Still, nothing would make him feel better than seeing Malfoy in a wretched state.

"Yes, that is one of the reasons," Draco smiled, unfazed at the annoyance he could see on some faces, "And another is to see who would answer."

The gathered students soon dispersed when it seemed like Malfoy was done talking.

Harry's wand was clenched in his fist as the older housemates walked past him to return to their beds. He could vent his anger right now with a quick attack while Malfoy least expected it. It was tempting. It really was.

"Draco, what about Greengrass and the others?" Pansy asked with a frown, "That bitch is practically friends with Potter these days."

"It should be fine," Draco waved off her concern, "She told me that it'll be a month before she can distance herself."

"She did, did she?" Pansy sniffed, "And you believe her?"

"I wouldn't if it was another year, but my father is negotiating a contract with them. Daphne isn't a stupid girl."

"… Daphne?" Pansy's voice became a little shrill, "When did you get close enough to call her that?"

Harry looked away from the abrupt argument that broke out while loosening the grip on his wand. When the Slytherin Prefect chose that moment to enter the common room, Harry slipped out and made his way to Ravenclaw Tower.

Harry knew he might have done something exceedingly stupid if he hadn't chosen to take that chance to exit. It would have felt amazing to blast Malfoy into a wall, but escaping afterward would be unlikely, even with him being invisible. There were simply too many wands present to dodge every spell.

Harry used most of the time it took to get to Ravenclaw Tower to calm himself. He couldn't let Malfoy affect his emotions and cause him to make a mistake while dealing with Thompson. Especially since Greengrass was apparently waiting for him to finish the contract before cutting ties.

He should be more worried about that since it would leave him completely isolated like Malfoy wished if that was true. However, Harry really doubted that Malfoy could get Greengrass to tell him much of anything. There was a high chance that it was just bluster.

And if it wasn't, Harry still had a trump card that would make Greengrass a fool if she started to shun him.

"Nargles and Rumpled-horned whatever don't seem to be helping you, Loony."

Harry was again stopped before he could reach his destination, this time right outside the Ravenclaw common room door.

"They're Crumple-horned Snorkacks," Luna corrected seriously, "And nargles don't help people, silly. They're just troublemakers."

"This is why you make me angry, Loony. You're as intelligent as a flobberworm and somehow still in Ravenclaw. You shame me just by being in the same House!"

"That's rude, Alexander," Luna blinked, "I don't think I did anything to be called a flobberworm."

Harry suddenly understood why the boy chose to be such an arse to someone who looked as helpless as Lovegood. She didn't fight back, but her responses made it even worse with how conversational it was.

Since she seemed to have it under control, Harry decided to keep himself out of it and wait for it to end. Besides, he had already created two contracts today. There was nothing he could do.

Well, that was the plan.

"Accio!"

Harry stiffened at the sudden escalation. Lovegood was thrown on the floor as her shoes were summoned off her feet.

"I think I need to borrow these again, Loony. I hope you don't mind."

Maybe it was his rage at Malfoy spilling over, or perhaps the stunned look on Lovegood's face influencing his decision. Either way, Harry's wand was pointing at the Ravenclaw boy.

"Confringo," Harry hissed with rage. A bright orange spell exploded from his wand and crashed into Ashwood, blasting him into the wall.

He walked past Lovegood and flicked his wand, raising the boy in the air before pulling him toward him.

"Oh, hello. Are you going to be visiting the common room every day?"

Harry looked away from the boy's unconscious face to see Lovegood looking right at him. He had forgotten that his cloak wasn't effective against her.

"Lovegood," Harry nodded, "Is this what you meant when you said he borrowed your shoes?"

Luna tilted her head and nodded, "Yes. Didn't you hear him say that he wanted to borrow them?"

"… I did," Harry ground out, wondering if this was a self-protective response. As if ignoring the fact that it was bullying would somehow help. Harry had seen stranger reactions when he was in muggle school.

Harry summoned the shoes dropped on the floor when he knocked the boy unconscious and tossed them at Lovegood. "I don't think he'll be needing your shoes tonight."

"Okay," Luna agreed airily as she put them back on, "Alexander is unconscious."

Harry's lips twitched as he stared at the floating boy. "Yes, I think you're correct."

"Are you going to take him to the hospital wing?"

"… That's exactly what I'm going to do."

"Okay," Luna got on her feet, "It wouldn't have happened if you hadn't used the blasting curse. Good night, Harry Potter."

Harry watched Lovegood as she answered the riddle and entered her common room. He wasn't sure if she was displeased at what he had just done, but he found that he didn't particularly care.

This might have saved Lovegood from getting bullied further tonight, but Harry wasn't ashamed to admit it was more about lessening the rage he felt at Malfoy by taking it out on the boy that volunteered himself by being an easy target.

A boy in Ravenclaw robes could be seen floating down the hall and into an empty classroom if anyone could witness it. Of course, there wasn't. Harry had made sure to avoid all the moving paintings and the known patrols of the Prefects.

"Enervate."

Harry watched him groan in pain as his eyes fluttered open. He pointed his wand at his throat and whispered, "Mutatio Vocis."

It was a rather useful spell that changed the user's voice to a different tone or pitch. And what could be more different from his usual voice than something feminine?

"Are you alright?" Harry felt it was odd to hear the soft, higher-pitched voice leave his lips/

"N-No," Alexander moaned in pain, "I was attacked."

"It does seem like you're in pain. Are you able to stand up?"

Alexander struggled to his feet and wavered, still feeling woozy after getting his head knocked against the wall. "B-Barely. Could you help me get to Madame Pomfrey?"

Harry wondered how the boy hadn't realized that nobody else was visible in the room. He started to suspect that the boy's head might have taken a harder knock than intended.

"Accio."

Harry smiled when Ashwood screamed as he was swept off his feet. The boy groaned when he landed on his tailbone roughly as his shoes were tossed to the opposite side of the classroom.

"It was you!" Alexander yelled in anger before looking around, "W-Where are you?"

"That doesn't feel good, does it? Having your shoes taken off your feet?"

"I-Is this about Loony?" Alexander asked incredulously, "Why are you defending that nutcase?"

Harry shot a stinging spell at his family jewels, wincing at the squeal the boy let out. He didn't mean to do that. It was more of a reaction to how unrepentant Ashwood seemed to be even after all the effort Harry went through.

"I'm sorry? What was that? Mind repeating it?"

Alexander shook his head with tears in his eyes. He didn't know why this was happening. Everyone in Ravenclaw knew that teasing Loony was all in good fun.

"Let's make a deal," Harry lost his interest in continuing at the pathetic look on Ashwood's face. He was clearly a boy that bullied only the weak. However, it was no fun threatening someone with snot running down their nose and a terrified look on their face.

"O-Okay."

Harry stared, wondering why his clients weren't so agreeable. The boy didn't even know what he was agreeing to and was eager to do it. Then again, Harry's contracts required both parties to be willing without coercion involved… in most cases. This definitely qualified as coercion.

"Leave Lovegood alone, and I won't knock you unconscious whenever I see your ugly mug."

Alexander nodded rapidly, afraid the girl talking to him would change her mind.

"Good," Harry opened the door to the classroom, "And Ashwood, I'll be watching."

Alexander waited for a few seconds for her to say something else. When there was only silence, he relaxed and muttered, "I'm going to find you and teach you a lesson, whore."

"I said I'll be watching."

Alexander could barely make a sound when another orange spell shot from the doorway and hit him in the chest.

Harry smiled at the unconscious body and closed the door behind him. That should do enough to keep the boy looking around in fear until he had time to deal with him.

This story is 8 chapters ahead for my patrons

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