Draco Noname
Chapter 9
June 15
Harry was working in his office at the manor today and biding his time until Draco arrived. Ron had gathered sixteen assorted swords, including a claymore that would fit Hagrid perfectly. Hermione had finished the coins and they were in a box in his desk drawer. Twillfit and Tattings had completed the first Order dress uniform for him with dragon hide boots, and he had approved. They had ordered the material and were ready to fit the members of the new Order. Harry planned to have them come to Peverell castle for the formation of the Order to do the fittings. It was about noon when Welly popped into his office "Lunch is being ready Harry."
"Thanks I will be there momentarily." Harry arrived to a dining room full of elves talking merrily and waiting for him to arrive to begin eating. He sat down and filled his plate with sandwiches and grapes and began eating.
"I was being wary of caring for Hippogriffs but Buckbeak is being a nice Hippogriff. I like very much having something in the stables to care for." Baccy said.
"I'm glad to hear it. Buckbeak is a good friend of mine. Maybe I will get some horses soon. I was thinking at looking for a couple of Granian Horses as well." Baccy and Nicker became very excited.
Lunch was finished and Harry went back to his office and finished reading the Bulstrode property report Ron had written. It was not long before 2:00 arrived and Tillie was showing Draco into Harry's office. "Hello Draco. Please sit down." He gestured to a chair in front of the desk.
"Good day, Lord Black." Draco said, as he sat.
"I have heard that your father has disowned you. Is that true?"
"It is."
"So you have no last name. That is an unfortunate thing. We have always had a tension between us but I have never wished you permanent harm Draco. I also feel that there is a spark of decency in you that could fire if allowed. I am grateful to you and your mother for your help during my fight against Tom Riddle, as small as it seemed at the time. It was help all the same. I would like to help you now. If you want it. I will adopt you into the Black family."
"Very generous Lord Black. In my experience no one does something for nothing. What do you want in return?"
"I am sure you know I am not normal. I could very well offer this without expectation of anything from you. If you feel that you must make a repayment then I ask you to have a productive and happy life. Do no harm to others and protect those weaker than you. I know those are not very Slytherin or even Black family traits, but I think they are noble."
"I am in need of a name, and those seem to be very light terms. I will accept because it is important to my mother."
"Very well you are now Draco Black. I will have the proper parchment work submitted to the Ministry." There was a surge of magic from his ring. Draco shivered. "You will never inherit the Black titles, but I may name your heir if he or she is worthy."
"There is still the matter of the life debt I owe you."
"If you feel that you owe a life debt to me then you are right. Maybe you can find a way to repay it, but that is up to you not me."
"I have always wondered Potter. Why did you reject my hand the first time we met?"
"You were being a bully, and growing up being bullied by my cousin, I very much dislike bullies. Ron Weasley is not rich, or famous, or from a powerful family. He became my friend because he was willing to be a friend. You wanted me to be your friend because of what you thought you could gain from it. You had no intention to be a friend."
"You're right Potter, Crabbe and Goyle were my friends but I was never theirs. They were useful tools to me. I really have no idea how to be a friend. Crabbe is dead because he was loyal to me. Goyle has realized the true nature of our friendship and will no longer talk to me."
"Maybe you should think about what a friend is and try to be a friend to someone in the future."
"Maybe I should, and maybe someday we can be something other than enemies."
"I have just adopted you into my family Draco. I hope we are not enemies now. I would like to someday be friends. Please drop the Potter and call me Harry."
"Very well, Harry." Draco said it like it was a foreign word. "I shouldn't take any more of your time, and my mother will be anxious to hear about our meeting." Harry walked Draco to the floo and watched him leave.
June 16
Vernon had left Petunia and the country. Harry had not even bothered to find out where. He had told his solicitor to put the suit on hold for now. If Vernon returned or Petunia left to join him he would pursue it again.
"I've found them!" Hermione exclaimed as she entered Harry's Manor office.
"Brilliant! Where?" Harry asked.
"They are living at 14 Wattle Grove, and working at Waratah Dental on 27 Railway Parade in a small town called Lithgow."
"When do you leave?" Harry asked.
"Well I have to get a Portkey made, and make arrangements for a place to stay. It will take me a couple of days to reverse the memory modifications. Ron wants to go with me in case there is any trouble. I was thinking at least a week from now."
"Can muggles travel by Portkey?"
"I had to ask too. Yes they can."
"I hope that everything goes well. I have something for you." Harry handed her an envelope. She looked at the envelope addressed to Hermione Granger and broke the wax seal impressed with the Monarch's sigil.
(H.M.) Harry Pendragon
Sovereign King of the Magical United Kingdom
Hereby commands the presence of
The Hero of the Kingdom
Hermione Jean Granger
10:00 A.M
On the twenty-third day of July nineteen hundred and ninety eight
At Peverell Castle
Plan to spend a week at the castle, room and meals will be provided.
After she had read it Harry said. "Forty four of those will go out today from the Ministry. I know that you think this is an overreaction but the Wizard community of the United Kingdoms will not be caught unprepared to fight a dark lord again. It will not be a standing Army but more like a National Guard like the U.S. muggles. We already have a good base in the D.A. with the Order to mentor and train them. I hope we can find a use for all of them, but I know that some of the Knights may be honorary like Mrs. Figg, but Kingsley, Minerva and many of the others will be invaluable." Ron had walked in quietly and was listening. "I intend to Knight the most worthy in Britain and it will mean something other than extra arse kissing. Morning, Ron it looks like you are about to do some international travel. Have you found enough swords for me?"
"Yes I have mate other than the one for Hagrid and a short one for Professor Flitwick, I found a cash of sixty identical nineteenth century dress sabers in the Slytherin vault. You should have searched those vaults yourself Harry. I have no bloody business knowing about the mountains of gold you have. It is one thing to see it on paper, a completely different thing actually seeing it. After talking to Bloodfin fifty four including Hagrid and Professor Flitwick's are in the care of the Goblin smiths. They will engrave them and cast similar enchantments as your goblin made sword, for a price of course. They will be delivered to Peverell Castle by July 9th."
"Perfect Ron, thanks. That should take care of your summer employment with me, other than your activity in the Order." Harry then handed him an envelope with a wax seal on it.
Ron opened the envelope and read. "King for a month and already ordering around your best mate."
"You should have known. I am the chosen one after all. Both of you have a lot of your own business to attend to so I should let you get to it."
June 22
Hermione and Ron left for Sydney on Saturday. Harry was at Grimmauld Place. He was going to the Ministry about every day to either testify or sit on the Wizengamot. He was reading a book on the Animagus transfiguration in the sitting room. He was surprised at the amount of work his father and friends had done when they were in their second year. Kreacher entered the sitting room. "There is being mail for you Harry." He said as he handed Harry two letters. One had the Ministry seal on it, the other had the Hogwarts seal on it. Harry opened the Ministry letter first. It was notification for the Wizengamot session on July sixth. Percy had accepted his request to proxy for the Nott vote but George had turned him down for the Bulstrode vote. George said he had no business getting into serious business. Harry still did not know who he would ask. Harry assumed the Hogwarts letter was his book list for the coming term and should not have been surprised to find he was on the Hogwarts board of Governors as Lord Slytherin. The letter was his notification of the meeting on August fourteenth.
"Kreacher I'm curious. Is Headmaster Black still hiding out in the painting in your room?"
"Yes he is still being in my room. Mistress Warbulla and Master Phineas is getting along very well. They is talking all the time about how abused they is being, and what they has come to, to be hidden in my room. They is saying the words Harry hates all the time."
"If you should decide you no longer want them in your room. You have my permission to box them up and pack them in the attic."
"Mistress is not being very nice to Kreacher anymore and Master Phineas is always trying to order me to do bad things to Harry. I will tell them if they is not being nice to me I will burn them in the fireplace on a cold night to keep warm."
Ginny had arrived and was listening to the conversation and started laughing. "You definitely have my approval to do exactly that Kreacher." She said.
"Kreacher does not do as Mistress Ginny says until Harry acknowledges his bond."
"What do you mean by acknowledges his bond?" she asked
"Master Harry and Mistress Ginny are soul bonded. Until Harry and Ginny say that there is a bond between them the magic is still incomplete."
"Umm maybe we should look for a book to read about soul bonds Ginny."
"Harry this could be serious. I don't think mum will be happy if she finds out. What little I know is that it is stronger than a marriage and once completed unbreakable."
"Well let's search the library here and then go to the Manor and Peverell castle and search the libraries there if we need to."
Twenty minutes later harry pulled a black leather bound book with gold edged pages named Marriages, Adoptions and Bonds by Nuptia Chaplet from the top shelf of one of the bookcases. The two went back to the sitting room and sat down together. Inside the cover was written in neat small handwriting it said Property of Phineas Black. They were going through the bonds section when they found the house elf bond with lines through parts and notes in the margins. "Before Kreacher burns that painting I will be confronting that man about his deplorable acts against the elves. I am going to have a plaque fixed to his painting in the headmaster's office that renames him the Elvaphobe." They continued going through the book until they found soul bonds.
SOUL BONDS
A Soul Bond is the only bond that is not initiated by an individual wizard or witch. The bond is started when two aligned souls come in close proximity. Hardships, trauma and intimacy will strengthen the bond. The bond may be broken before it is completed by creating physical distance between the souls and use of a love potion directed to another soul. The distance required is at least fifteen hundred leagues, and potion use must be daily for a period of no less than a year. The breaking is extremely painful for both parties. Completion of the bond requires acknowledgement of the bond and consummation. The order of the last two requirements is inconsequential. A completed soul bond must be registered with the Ministry of Magic within a month of completion but is not available to the public. A bond can be detected by the use of a sphaera revelare charm. An incomplete bond is indicated by a pink hued band in the Aura, a complete one is indicated with a bright white band. House elves and Goblins can sense the bond.
The effects of a soul bond include a heightened empathy, a general feel for the others emotions, greater intercoordination, and an unbreakable love. Contrary to popular belief the soul bond does not enable the couple to hear each others thoughts, or see through each others eyes.
"Wangle have you or any of the other elves told mum about our bond?" Ginny said.
"No Miss Ginny she is being knowing before we is coming to serve the Weasley family. She is being doing the sphaera revelare charm when you is not looking miss."
"I think I am going to be having a talk with my mother this evening. Do you think that knowing about the bond is the same as acknowledging it?" She asked Harry.
"If it doesn't, I acknowledge it now. I can't imagine my life without you and will willingly do anything to strengthen my relationship with you. I love you Ginny and I promise you that I always will. I hope that you feel the same way I do."
"I do feel the same and I acknowledge and accept the bond as well. I love you Harry. Wangle I will talk to my mum about what happened here today. Please do not tell her before I do."
"If you is promising to tell her I will let you, but if you is not telling her before dinner time I must."
"Oh I intend to begin as soon as I leave here. Harry I better leave before I decide to complete the bond."
Harry got up to say goodbye and give her a kiss.
XXXXXXXX
Ginny stepped out of the floo at the burrow and Molly could tell her temper was burning brightly. "Ginny dear is everything OK? Harry has not done something has he?" She asked.
"Harry has not done anything I do not want him to." She said with the anger clear in her voice. "Go ahead and cast your charm then." Ginny said.
"Whatever do you mean, dear?" Molly was now very worried. With her sons around she was rarely the focus of her youngest child's temper.
"You know bloody well what I mean. Just cast it already."
"The two of you have discovered the bond. Have you completed it then?"
"Just cast your bloody charm!"
"Yes, yes ok dear. You know I was just worried about the both of you." She pulled out her wand and held her breath hoping that her daughter had not done anything rash in her anger with her mother. She cast the charm and was relieved that the pink band had not turned white but it was much brighter.
"Nosy is more like it. Harry may still be willing to tolerate your chaperones, but I will not. I care for them all very much but if I find any of them watching us outside the burrow I will come straight here and hex you. I am seventeen and it is time for you to respect my legal independence even if you cannot trust me. You will not cast that charm at me even one more time. When we decide to complete the bond it is no concern of yours, whether it is today or ten years from now. Mum Harry and I have a bond that only happens to two people in a hundred years. The last known one was Nicolas and Penelope Flamel. If anything you should be less worried about us."
"I know, but you know me too. I would be worried about you if you were all wrapped in protective cocoons and surrounded with impenetrable shields. I do feel better knowing that the two of you are unlikely to hurt each other, I was mainly worried that one of you would feel trapped by the bond. I know, I know the bond would not have even happened if either of you could have felt that way, but you two have been bonded so long that I wasn't sure how you would react when you finally discovered it."
"What! How long have you known? How... I mean how long have we been bonded?"
"Dear I check you and your brothers' auras at least twice a year. When you return from school at Christmas and summer break. I think you and Harry bonded when we met him on the platform his first year. I noticed your Aura had changed when I checked it before we left for Romania to visit Charlie. I did not figure out what your pink band meant until we returned then I didn't know for sure your bond was with Harry until he came to visit that summer. When you came home from your first year after what happened in the Chamber of Secrets the bond was quite a bit stronger. It has only gotten stronger every year until last Christmas when it dimmed just a bit. I am happy for both you and Harry but you are my only daughter and with the bond I won't get to plan your wedding."
"Wow we have been bonded since the first time we met, and you have known the whole time. What makes you think there won't be a wedding? I know if Harry was sure you wouldn't kill him he would have asked me to marry him already."
XXXXXXXX
Narcissa had been waiting anxiously in the flat on Nockturn alley since Draco had left. There had been so much anger between her son and the Potter kid, she was suspicious that Draco may be walking into a trap. If it was not a trap, she was sure the terms would Potter extract from Draco would be harsh. Her hope was that Draco could stomach them. Her son was not suited for a life as a commoner, she would have to find some way for him to regain his status. Green flames erupted from the fireplace and Draco emerged. "Draco, darling, how did it go? Do you have a name?"
"I am Draco Black, Mother."
"At what cost?"
"Apparently it is very small. I think though, for me, the terms may prove impossibly difficult."
Narcissa was very surprised and unsure about what Draco said. "Well.. what were the terms?"
"I am to live a happy and productive life, do no harm to others and protect those weaker than myself."
"Those are very strange terms indeed. Our new head of house granted an annulment to my marriage without even one demand and has adopted my son with terms so light they might be considered nonexistent. What do you think his plan for revenge may be?" She asked Draco.
"Harry is not like us mother. I don't think he has any revenge in mind. If I hadn't asked for terms, I am sure, he wouldn't have given any. I think having Harry as our Lord will be much easier than serving the half-blood Tom Riddle." He said Riddle's name with disgust. "There will not be opportunity for large gains, but we will not face death as a punishment for displeasing him. He informed me that I would never be named the Black Heir, but said that it was a possibility for my heir. That is conditional on his upbringing, whatever that means."
"No one does something for nothing, Draco dear, even that do-gooder Dumbledore. There must be something he wants from us."
"I really don't think so, but if he does I don't think I will mind at all. He could have left us completely destitute, nor are we headed to Azkaban prison, and we both have an honorable pure-blood name. Even Lucius has gotten better than he deserved. Harry Potter is the most powerful Lord the wizarding world has seen since Merlin. I have been shown mercy and I do not intend to give him any reason to regret it."
"You have been raised to take a place of leadership and influence. Whatever will you do for a living? You have not been trained to do anything else."
"I will return to Hogwarts this year and take the NEWTS. Then if I can find a way into the good graces of our Lord, perhaps he will write a letter of recommendation so that I may apprentice to one of the solicitors in Diagon Alley."
"It sounds as though you have thought out an acceptable plan. I hope you are right about our Lord. He does seem a very strange wizard. Is it true his elves wear clothing?"
"It is. Very smart servant uniforms, in house colors with the family crest."
An old house elf entered the room with a tea service. "Scully, set the service on the table over there. Tell me have you heard anything about the clothed house elves of Lord Potter?"
The old elf looked surprised to be asked such a question. "It is not just being Lord Potter's elves, the Weasley elves too have been given the original bond. The Hogwarts elves is saying that the bond may be done at the school too. The Family livery is being a sign of the original bond, Mistress."
"Perhaps I will write our Lord and ask him about this bond. It may please him if I bond my elf in the same manner. I would also be the talk of my friends if I am the first to have a clothed elf."
