~Winston Whittaker~

Once she was asleep on the comfy bed he had the Room provide, he turned to the Fae Queens, who were still waiting. His soft, gentle eyes were replaced by chips of ice and, even though he was bloody exhausted from the surprising need to use some of his strongest soul-based Magicks, he could feel his magic bubbling with rage.

"I would really like to know..."

He addressed the Fae Queens while trying to keep his temper in check. It wasn't easy, even with his accomplishments in Occlumency, but he kept a lid on it.

"What exactly were you thinking when you intentionally woke up a dormant Soulshard that was kept this way by an extremely powerful ancient ritual based on a Mother's sacrifice?"

He waited a moment for an answer but all they did was imperiously staring him down. He nearly groaned in frustration. While he appreciated the different Magicks he learned from them and would never wish harm upon their species, they were a fucking pain to deal with. To make them aware of the risks they took, he stepped into the Fairy Ring to use it's secondary function. While inside, it was impossible to lie.

"The Soulshard of Tom Marvolo Riddle would have overtaken body and magic of Harriet Azalea Potter within three minutes, had I not intervened. He was actively dealing with your enchantments and would have broken free of the constraints only minutes later. You risked having an unhinged and fully powered Dark Lord with immeasurable potential for growth this close to your Haven of Safety. With your recklessness, I am uncertain if we can further host you since your act endangered not just the life of an innocent girl on the cusp of adulthood but the livelihood of both, ypu and your species as a whole."

The entire time, he was glaring at them. Titania looked stricken and unsure. She was the only one allowed to talk among the royal Fae. Only one for a century. Then it changed to another one. Fae rules were weird like that. He continued.

"The final judgment will be up to Lady Hogwarts as it were the students and those under her protection who inhabit her revered halls that you so shamelessly endangered. Appeal to her and make sure you actually mean it when you inevitably apologise to Harriet."

He stepped out of the ring and wandered over to Luna, who was worriedly hovering over Harriet. The girl slept the well deserved sleep of the exhausted. He ignored the clamouring behind him, knowing that they wouldn't dare attacking him over his words. He knew most of their tricks after all.

'What a mess. And it's at least partly my fault. I simply didn't have the confidence to actively go against the magical and political powerhouse Albus too-many-names Dumbledore. Well, at least with this, four Horcruxes are dealt with. The diary, the ring, the diadem and now the one I didn't have a risk-free method to deal with. Heck, I didn't even know for sure that she was one, considering that there were numerous things that were changed around in this parallel universe. I wanted to ensure that she was one first and talk with her about it. Offer alternatives and let her decide. But those damn fairies forced my hand and now there is something different about my soul since I had to set up a hasty ritual that includes principles I've only just grasped. I can't make sense of what changed but at least it does not feel detrimental.'

He was a bit frustrated. They didn't just risk her life. They risked her soul! They put in jeopardy even her ability to reunite with her family after death. They disregarded her freedom of choice. They violated any and all trust she might have had in the future for the Fae Folk. Because he would inform her of the everything, sans his origin. 'Hey, I'm from a world where your life is used to entertain the masses. Not that different from here but at least you aren't fictional. Ah, you were male, though.'

Yeah. That one wouldn't go over well. Maybe he'd tell her when everything was over and done with. He shelved his thoughts and addressed Luna.

"How is she?"

He asked her. While he had some knowledge on Medical Magic, and could properly diagnose most of the more common ailments, Luna was a genius with in that field.

"Her core is exhausted but refilling quickly. Her body is also recovering but she's underweight and has several ailments to varying degrees that can be traced back to malnutrition. There are also signs of regular physical abuse. The scar is now just a scar, but the lingering darkness will be noticeable to those of either extreme alignment, the knowledgeable with good senses, and numerous detection Magicks."

He nodded and took in her determined eyes. He didn't mind since he was as his resolution hardened as well after reading through the diagnostics. He didn't know how bad it was. Otherwise he would have intervened far earlier, prepared or not. As far as he knew, canon Harry 'only' suffered through social isolation and mild starvation. This was far worse. She would not return to those animals in somewhat human skin and he heavily regretted not pressing more. If those diagnostics wouldn't convince Dumbledore to act, he'd have to seriously consider the options.

He was still hoping that the old codger simply didn't know how bad it was for her. He'd give him one more chance to get his shit together before he'd go on the offensive. He wasn't confident to deal with him head-on. But there were other avenues he could use. He just needed to engage in a bit of subterfuge, even though he didn't like to do it.

"She won't be going back there, Winston."

He nodded in agreement and felt pride grow within for the unbending strength of will he could perceive in her words. She had really grown from that intimidated little girl with too many coping mechanisms. Her core stayed the same: Compassionate, warm, exceedingly loyal, and open-minded to the point of oddness. She grew from an endearing and cute little girl who suffered way too much for the few years she lived on this forsaken planet into a headstrong and powerful young witch who knew how to assert her views but rarely did so.

He was pulled from his musings and the observation of a blushing and fidgeting Luna by the stirrings of a certain someone.

He was surprised when he saw Harriet already moving as if she was about to wake up. She just had a battle within her soul not even an hour ago. She should have slept for a day or more. He was alarmed when she started crying even before her eyes opened. Without thinking, he hurried to her side and gently took her hand into his just as she opened her eyes. They were tender and full of boundless affection.

His breath was stolen away by those shining emeralds. He was used to the fact that they were expressive even when she kept herself under control. But this went beyond mere expressiveness. They were positively glowing with emotion and he felt stirrings within his heart that he didn't want to suppress.

"... I saw my mom."

We're the first words she breathed out. His own eyes softened and a gentle smile spread across his lips. He understood just how much this meant for her. He didn't know that the marvelous redhead had hidden something like this within the sacrificial ritual he was almost certain she performed, but he wasn't surprised at all. She might have even done the same in canon but because of Dumbledore's machinations, it never came to pass. Or Voldemort's resurrection subsumed it or any other number of things.

"I'm happy for you. She told you she loves you unconditionally, didn't she?"

Mutely, Harriet nodded. She seemed a bit overwhelmed at the moment, so he simply pulled her into his soft embrace. She accepted the gesture immediately and shed tears on him for the second time. This time however, they were tears of joy. The simple knowledge that her parents loved her beyond even death, that her mother found a way to reach beyond the grave to tell her those precious words, was beyond simple joy for her.

So many things happened recently and that simple knowledge would do much to bolster her confidence. She was loved. After crying for a while, she relaxed into his hold and whispered.

"Can we stay like this for a while longer? It's easier to pretend this way..."

She delivered a straight punch to his heart with those words filled with longing and a hint of bitterness. 'She sure knows how to hit where it hurts...' He mused disbelievingly even as he tightened his hold on her. They knew each other for a while and even though he tried to keep his distance, he had to admit he admired her strength of character. He found her to be a dazzling figure not because of her title, but because of who she was as a person. She would shine so much brighter yet with a bit of knowledge and guidance.

He just didn't know if he was the right person for that job. But... There was no one else. She was left alone to fight for herself, even now. And he wouldn't stand for it. He did decide if something developed, he wouldn't fight it. It was time he told her.

"I won't promise you love. It is a profound feeling and I don't think either of us is truly ready for the romantic kind. But... I won't reject you. If something develops between us, I will not fight it based on flimsy social constructs that wouldn't fit you on the best of days. You are a fascinating woman and I appreciate your interest in me. I too could imagine us working out well. Easily at that. But before we truly commit, we need to have a long conversation and we'll need to take the first step in freeing you from the shackles that bind you so thoroughly."

When he started talking, she stiffened and now she'd pulled back and revealed astonishment and joy radiating from her still glistening eyes. It was entrancing and he had to pull on his occlumency to not fall into them.

"You truly mean it?... Even though you could have anyone? Hell, even Delacour seemed interested!"

There was a hint of jealousy in her voice when she mentioned Fleur Delacour and he smiled wrily.

"She is a Veela. And you do not fall short, which is impressive in it's own right."

His smile transformed into a teasing smirk as she blushed. Her glare wasn't entirely unexpected.

"You don't have to lie to me to make me feel better."

She huffed out as she crossed her arms and turned her head away. 'Oh, that won't do.' He decided as he shifted his position from the side of the bed onto it. She gasped when he gently took hold of her chin. But she didn't fight the motion. 'Good, because I want her to see the sincerity in my eyes.'

"I told you once and I will tell you again. You are objectively gorgeous. And since you want me to see you in this light, let me elaborate."

His index finger started wandering and she took a shuddering breath beneath it.

"You have some of the most kissable lips I've ever seen and the way you pout with them is an art form."

Higher did his finger wander and she softly leaned into his hand when he cupped her cheek.

"Your cheekbones are delicate yet sharp, gifting you both, softness and severity. A truly tantalising combination."

His hand gently trailed upwards and into her hair. She had closed her eyes and her breath hitched when he took a fist full of her wild, untamed mane. He didn't pull or anything, but she must have liked the sensation based on her reaction.

"Your wild and untamable tresses stand in stark contrast to your aristocratic features, creating a duality that is downright spellbinding. And though it looks spiky and stiff, your hair is actually as soft as silk to touch. This might be my new favourite sensation."

Being complimented for something that she was self-conscious of clearly caught her off guard. Her eyes opened widely and her mouth formed a small 'o' shape as her pupils dilated. He caught her gaze and bound those eyes to his attention. His voice dropped an octave or two, sounding a bit more rough than it did just moments ago.

"And there is your most striking feature. Did you know that I have never needed to actively use the mind arts as much as I have to when I look into your eyes? I can not seem to be able to withstand their pull without their support. A Veela's alure can not even begin to compare to the effect your expressive emerald orbs have on me."

Her breathing rhythm sped up and her mouth was slightly open. Her tongue flicked out, wetting her lips as her eyes fell onto his. In that moment, he wasn't against the idea. His own heart had sped up with what could be seen as a confession. He was still a bit reluctant however, though not for the same reasons.

He feared that she was confusing dependence and thankfulness for romantic feelings. She was emotionally compromised and he didn't want to take advantage of her weakness. Nevertheless, should she choose to initiate a kiss here, he didn't think he would be strong enough to refuse her.

"Oh come on! Just kiss her already!"

His eyes snapped over to Luna. The annoyance, who had a bowl of sour cream crisps in her hand, was smiling innocently when he glared at her. Though, the way Harriet squeaked and dove into his chest to hide her blush was absolutely adorable and he would treasure that memory forever. Luna shrugged and continued to feed on her crisps.

"You were ignoring me as if I didn't exist and I dislike being treated like a forgotten snorkack, so I treated this like one of those romance movies I've watched since you introduced me to the telly. Still need to make that runic version..."

He sighed and looked down only to see Harriet glance at him over her glasses. He expected her to avoid his gaze but she stubbornly stared back. She looked a bit like a cat who was undecided if she hated him or loved him but let him feed her anyways. The thought made him chuckle and he gave her a squeeze before releasing her from his embrace. Her suppressed yet easily audible disappointed whine made him smile softly before he waved Luna over.

"Do we have potions against nutritional deficiencies in reserve?"

Harriet stiffened in the corner of his eye but she needed this. He wouldn't let her jeopardize her health for shame that wasn't even justified. If anything, she should be proud of herself. She survived some of the worst excuses for human beings and kept herself together. That was admirable. He told her as much and while she blushed a bit from the praise, she still looked a bit ashamed. With a hint of resentment in her eyes, she asked sullenly.

"How did you guys even find out..."

...She was cute when she was all pouty. Still, now wasn't the time to admire her different moods. He answered straightforwardly with a slightly apologetic smile.

"Luna ran a full diagnostic on you to make sure the Faerie idiots didn't fuck up too badly. We'll have to talk about that by the way. There are some things you'll need to know and I don't think keeping them from you will do you any good. I'll have to ask of you that you'll wear an accessory that I will craft for you while we get your Occlumency up to par, though. Some of those things are far too important to fall into the false hands."

For some reason she looked surprised first and joyful the next moment. He could understand it. Someone knew something and was actually planning to tell her. That was a rarity if you were Harry Potter or any iteration of him. Luna had dug out several potions by now and was arranging them in the order to be taken.

"Those yellow ones? You'll take one of those before any meal you'll have. It will allow your body to absorb nutrients with a higher efficiency as well as encourage you to eat a bit more. Tell me when you are about to run out, I'll brew some in the next few days so you'll have them available to you."

She pointed at a set of around 50 small vials filled with a slightly glowing yellow liquid. She then pointed at the marine blue ones.

"The blue one you'll need once a day in the evening. It'll work it's magic in the night and will encourage your body to produce a specific set of proteins with a bit of magical help. They are capable of repairing long-term damage in muscle tissue and you'll need them for quite a while."

While she usually was a bit flighty and had strange views that were able to turn brains around in one's skull, she took healing very seriously. She also uniquely combined the different takes on the discipline from various cultures, going as far as including even Aztec Rituals into her version of healing. She was extremely talented and dedicated to the art.

This included brewing her own Potions. Over the years, she tweaked and even invented or reinvented several potions with varying effects. The pink ones she was pointing at now looked more like smoke in a bottle than potions and they were among the more esoteric brews she had readily available.

"Those little beauties will need to be taken in the morning. They are one of my own creations and they will use what your bones should have been if they were completely healthy as a template to remodel and strengthen your bone structure gently over time. This will help with badly healed breaks and brittle bones from malnourishment. They'll work over a time frame of two weeks so you'll be fully healed and ready for the task if we can't get you out of the tournament."

He observed Harriet's facial expressions and she honestly looked a bit overwhelmed but Luna's surprising professional behaviour was helping her deal with her volatile emotions. Luckily, he stopped her from closing off by taking her hand in support. She gifted him with a brittle smile before turning to Luna again. She was calming down quickly and he approved of her self-control.

It was a really hard and confusing day for her. It was only natural to be agitated but she managed to keep it to a minimum, which was also a sad testament for her life since it meant that she was used to it by now.

The whole time he was holding her hand in support and by the way she clutched his, she was thankful for it. Luna went through several other potions until she mentioned her scars and that they would only be able to lighten them since most were rather old. She stiffened and threw a panicked glance in his direction. He nearly sighed. Honestly, she was worrying over utterly unimportant things. As if a few scars would be enough to dissuade him once he professed his interest. Still, if she was insecure about it, then he had to soothe her. It came with being a decent human being.

"Are you worried about your scars and what I think about them? Because let me tell you, they are beautiful. Each and every one of them shows your fierce struggle. It shows that you fought tooth and nail to reach where you are in life. Unblemished skin may be nice to look at but that's all. It more often than not is the sign of a flower grown in a glass house."

He raised her hand to his eyes and traced the faint scars, well developed callouses, and light, nearly imperceptible freckles from manual labour in the sun with his fingers before kissing each one of them softly.

"In my eyes, what others call imperfections makes you only more attractive. Every so called blemish shows that you know what it is like to lead a hard life. And you didn't let it darken your spirit. That's true strength."

She had relaxed during his little speech and was now smiling shyly.

"Do you really think so? My back makes some body horror artists jealous."

He knew that. He read the diagnostics and was still contemplating if he should end their existence or not. He was leaning more towards 'yes' if he was honest but that was a topic for another day.

"I know. And I made my statement with all of that in my mind. You are still the most gorgeous girl I've ever met. This will not change that fact for me."

Finally, she relaxed entirely, only to have a laugh startled out of her by Luna jump-hugging her from the side.

"You are so silly sometimes. As if anyone with such a gentle soul could ever be anything but beautiful in our eyes. If you keep this up, I'll have to punish you. No pudding for two weeks!"

Harriet hugged her back and smiled into her neck while whispering.

"Thank you..."

Luna was surprised by her reciprocating the hug but her features softened into a genuine smile. One of those expressions that weren't instinctively hidden away by overplaying her natural oddness or by showing exuberance over some aspect of the situation that usually didn't get any attention.

"Fine..."

She whispered back as she tightened the embrace.

"I'll cut the two weeks down to one, but no further!"

He smiled at their cute interaction but it was time for some seriousness.

"Now that this is off the table, let's put something to eat on there. Dobby? You were quiet the entire time out of respect for us. You don't have to do that, you know? You are as much part of this as we are. We will use your unique set of skills soon enough. For now, would you please get us something to eat? I'm sure you are familiar with Harriet's palate. Please bring her favourites and what you think she'd like."

Dobby, who stood in the corner of the room turned attentive the moment he heard his name. Vibrating from excitement, he instantly nodded with enthusiasm.

"Dobby will do so, sir. He will bring delicacies that Mistress will savour."

And with a rather silent crack, he was gone. He turned to Harriet and handed her one of the yellow vials under her pitiful gaze. He used Occlumency to keep his expression stern as to not ruin the surprise.

"You need to take them, Harriet. You know they'll be needed to help you grow into yourself. If you want to reach your full potential, we'll need to start soon."

She steeled her expression and nodded before putting on a brave expression and drinking the potion in one go. From expected disgust to astonishment.

"That's vanilla pudding!"

She exclaimed and she seemed to come to the wrong conclusions so he quickly stopped her.

"Make no mistake. Those potions are at least as good as a master's work. But Luna wouldn't ever give them to her patients if they tasted horrid so she tirelessly researched until she found a way to alter the taste to different kinds of pudding. Took her quite a while, but once she's determined..."

He shrugged helplessly and Harriet looked over to Luna, who had wandered off and was humming an odd tone while looking around. She was wearing a strange contraption that might have been a fashionable hat once. Then she got it into her hands and the rest was history. He didn't ask where she had hidden it before and what it's purpose was. Luna was Luna and she did things only Luna did.

"Once we have eaten, we'll have a serious talk. We'll also take the first step to get you out of the tournament. To be honest, there is one condition that has to be fulfilled to get you out of it. Your name can not have been written by your own hand. If it is, we won't be able to get you out. The goblet is an ancient artifact and it's contract was once used to bind entire races into service. It doesn't care about consent. It has several preset templates for contracts and it will bind people to it's rules according to the details it was provided with."

He rubbed his brow to fend off the headache he got from the incompetence of those in power.

"Honestly, that artifact is insanely powerful and it shouldn't have been used for this simply because it's contracts are nearly impossible to get out of."

She looked a bit pale but she held up better than he thought she would. At his curious gaze, she sent him an uneasy smile.

"Well, even if I can't get out, you'll still help me so I think I'll be fine?"

He blinked, a bit surprised at her confidence in him. It did fill his heart with warmth and determination, though. He'd definitely get her through this. And by this he didn't just mean the tournament. No, he'd make sure she survived the homicidal madman and the man who seemed more and more like a machiavellian villain.

While they enjoyed each others eyes in silence, Luna came over and sat down by the table he had asked the room to be placed in front of the bed in exact the same moment the food arrived. Dobby certainly didn't cut corners. The spread looked positively delicious and he loved how Harriet's eyes lit up when she spied her favourites on the table. The potion increased her appetite so she dived in nearly instantly, not caring about trivial things like manners or propriety.

Luna and he ate slower but they enjoyed the meal too. Soon, most of what had arrived had wandered into one gullet or another, though most was consumed by a blushing Harriet.

"I'm sorry guys! I don't know what overcame me! I just saw the food and I had to eat!"

He shook his head with fond amusement.

"It's the potion in tandem with your body. It knows what it needs. Your metabolism will be accelerated as long as you take the potions and you'll start feeling the difference in some days. More energy, better mood, less aches all around. I'm sure you'll like it so don't fight the treatment of our resident healer."

Luna winked at her with a proud smirk.

"The potions don't count to your pudding ban by the way, so you can still get your daily fix from them, at least for the taste. I did my everything to make the experience as authentic as possible but most potions need a specific viscosity and texture, so I couldn't adjust that."

As always, she had her priorities straight. She added that latter part mournfully and he could almost believe that she was genuinely upset even though he knew her better than even her own father. His head pats and the fake-patronising gaze he graced her with caused a very real pout on her lips, which set off Harriet. Luna soon joined the laughter. With the mood bolstered by positivity, he decided to start the serious talks.

"Honestly, there is so much to discuss. Let's get the tournament out of the way first."

At her nod, he called over Dobby and sent the little guy to try and acquire the piece of parchment that had Harriet's name written on it without risking himself. It took him only half a minute to return with it.

"Dumsydore hid it under his bowl full of lemon drops. Dobby will be able to easily return it later."

Was he senile or just careless? That was a piece of evidence. He really shouldn't leave it lying around half in the open like that. He concentrated on weaving the diagnostic charm that would find the magical signature entrenched in the piece of parchment if the person was close by. He sighed when the connection was made near-instantly.

"It should be the signature on one of your essays."

He told her and she looked as if she'd expected this outcome. He had too, to be honest but that didn't mean he had to like it.

"Well, let's discuss our options, then. The first task is Dragons."

Like a bandaid, he ripped it off. She went white and gulped. She then released a slightly hysterical giggle.

"Guess I'm dead then. It wasn't a good life but it was a life."

He looked at her sternly.

"Don't joke about something like that. It's distasteful. I said I'll help you through this and I meant it. The fourth Dragon they flew in is a Hungarian Horntail. One way or another, that will most likely be yours. They are vicious and irritable on the best of days and that day won't be a good one for her. They brought nesting mothers, so my guess is that they'll hide something in their nests and we'll have to retrieve it."

She took a deep breath and calmed herself before seriously listening and pondering. She was shaken but tried to keep a calm mind.

"Since you don't actually want to participate, we actually have a relatively easy way for you to get through this. Just try to summon the egg from the wardline and if it doesn't work, surrender. You made your try and it didn't work, that should satisfy the goblet."

Her eyes brightened and she smiled. Relief made her relax her posture, causing her to sink a bit deeper into the bed. He continued, telling her of the possible social repercussions.

"They'll definitely paint you a coward if you do this. The public consists of idiots and sheep. Those are oftentimes overlapping. The intelligent ones mostly stay silent as arguing with a mob is futility in and of itself."

She furrowed her brows and spat out her answer in a bitter tone of voice.

"If I compete seriously, I'm a usurper who is only trying to steal the limelight. If I surrender and refuse to do the tasks I'm a coward. I don't care anymore. They'll paint me in a horrible light anyways. Why should I try to cater to them?"

He wasn't surprised. Everyone had a point where they stopped caring for the fickle nature of the sheep surrounding them. Her threshold was higher than most, but this was the second time those idiots abandoned her without a second thought.

He smiled and nodded. It was a mature outlook. He could tell that she didn't entirely believe in her words but with some time, she'd see that not caring about them and their everchanging opinions would make her happier than she ever was.

"We'll still train you up. It's never wrong to further one's abilities and you will need it. We just won't exclusively focus on magic to handle a Dragon."

She nodded, seemingly happy with this arrangement. 'Well, that took less time than I thought it would. Not that that's a bad thing. We do have other topics to discuss too.'

"Next, let's talk about what happened in your soul. This knowledge will be the reason that we'll need to protect your mind from outside influences."

There was an unidentifiable gleam in her eyes and she turned her entire attention on him. It was honestly startling that her presence could have that much gravity to it but it didn't really surprise him. 'The Dark Lord's equal indeed...' he thought and before he continued explaining, she interrupted him.

"Will Luna be ok? I don't want to exclude her or anything, but without Occlumency, it's dangerous knowledge, right?"

He snorted at that, for which she poked him into the side multiple times with furrowed brows and a pout on her lips until he raised his hands in surrender, laughing all the while.

"Sorry, I didn't laugh at you, though. It's just... I truly want to see a Dark Lord try and look into her head. It would be hilarious. Her version of Occlumency is a unique one. Her family practices an alternative and she took the discipline and transformed it into something else. She once invited me onto her mindscape and even with her as a guide, I couldn't think straight after leaving. I had a severe headache, vertigo, and I spoke ancient Fae for a week straight. I didn't even know that language before entering her mind by the way. She doesn't even try to be, but she is scary."

His memory of that week was still spotty at best. He was rarely as proud of anyone as after that, though. Harriet looked at Luna admiringly and the remarkable girl smiled back bashfully. She still had problems with being complimented, even if they were entirely deserved. With that out of the way, he finally turned to explain what happened.

"What we saw in there is one of the most foul Magicks out there. It needs unrepentant murder of an innocent soul to complete and it's a method to keep one's soul tethered to the realm of the living even after one's body died. The objects, or in your case person, that are inhabited by a Soulshard of the ritual's caster are called Horcruxes and Voldemort made several of them to make sure his death would be delayed as much as possible. He styled himself to be immortal."

She took those news better than he thought she would. Her posture indicated that she was deep in thought and he didn't interrupt her. When she looked at him again, her eyes were clear. She took the news with the necessary seriousness but she wasn't weighed down by it.

"How many did he make?"

She asked, with light curiosity in her tone. He couldn't read much from her. As far as he could tell, she wasn't overly bothered by the news. A suspicion started to form in his mind.

"From what we could determine, he made more than three but less than thirteen. Since seven is a number of supreme magical importance, that's the most likely amount of Horcruxes made. I already knew of them before our encounter today."

He admitted and she nodded. It was logical. He wouldn't know that much about them if he hadn't already researched them.

"Now, from what the rumours say, there was a diary involved in your adventure in second year. Something about it possessing someone to do it's bidding."

She nodded with a slightly annoyed expression on her face that clearly wasn't directed at him. He could guess who was the target. It was one of three, Ron, Ginny or Hermione. Since they were the only ones in the know except for Dumbledore, one of them had to have leaked the truth into the rumour mill. Ron was his guess.

"That diary most likely was one of the Horcruxes, which would mean that you already took care of one. Once we ascertained their existence, we hunted down two more. Ravenclaw's Diadem and Gaunt's Ring. Those two are destroyed too. Today, you obliterated the one latched onto your soul which raises the number of destroyed Soulshards to four."

She looked at them in surprise.

"I thought you didn't want to involve yourself? Isn't this as deep as one can involve themselves into the war against that wannabe immortal idiot?"

She wondered and he had to admit that she had a point. But...

"While that's true to a certain extent, it's unlikely that it would be traced back to us. We were careful to not leave any traces. You would have gotten a lengthy letter at a point that would have detailed what I just informed you of and which measures were already taken in addition to likely hiding places for the other Horcruxes. That way, we wouldn't have been implicated."

Destroying those things was pretty easy with a short burst of Fiendfyre. That spell wasn't hard to perform, just somewhat challenging to control. And if he could make her life a tad easier at no cost of his own, why not? She nodded in agreement, conceding the point. He leaned in her direction and smiled as he purred into her ear.

"Now, what I'd like to know is, how much of that did you know already? I have two theories at the moment. The first one is your mother informing you of some things and the second one is you harvesting some memories from the Soulshard."

She didn't even look surprised, though she did blush a bit at the sudden closeness. Smiling ruefully, she looked as if she was about to apologize. He stopped her with a slight smile and a headshake.

"No need to apologise. I understand that trusting me out of the blue is hard. I appreciate you testing me a bit since it shows that you aren't a naive little girl. You can think for yourself and it shows in your actions."

She blew out a mighty sigh but the wry smile and apologetic mien didn't leave her face.

"Seriously, you are too much. I know I'm not a good actress at all, but guessing almost everything with those few clues... Ah, whatever. I do trust you but my mum said I shouldn't let my feelings blind me, so we came up with this. She wanted to know just how honest you'll be with me. As for which one it was, a bit from both, actually. Mum knew some stuff and informed me of everything she thought necessary and she helped me clean off the taint of darkness from the memories. I didn't get everything but once we integrated what was left behind, we learned some new information, the Horcruxes were among that."

'That makes sense, I guess.' He mused. That particular Soulshard was made last. That meant it knew nearly everything Voldemort knew. 'What a tremendous opportunity for her, and to a lesser degree, me.' Even if he dived into the dark arts far deeper than he should have, to reach as far as he did, Tom Marvolo Riddle had to have a solid grounding in all common disciplines of magic and several esoteric ones. As a side-note, she likely knew about the prophecy now.

Knowing every detail about those truly Dark Magicks would help too, since you needed to know what you were up against to effectively defend against it. An excited smile broke out on his face.

"Oh, this will make you a formidable force to be reckoned with. Even if you only got fragments of his knowledge it will help you in learning how to handle him more effectively."

She beamed at him and excitedly took his hand into hers.

"That's exactly what I told mum and she relented and helped me! She wanted to dissuade me from assimilating those memories entirely because she feared I'd be influenced by them."

He nodded seriously.

"That's a valid concern. We'll have to start your Occlumency lessons even earlier than planned. It should be easier now without the Soulshard blocking your efforts passively. Occluding your mind will help you separate the memories from the emotional baggage, making it more as if you are viewing it as an objective observer instead of living through them. Can you promise me to not touch what you haven't assimilated yet until we start your lessons? Don't worry, it shouldn't be long."

She nodded and tentatively leaned into his side, making him smile as he lifted his arm and pulled her a bit closer. They actively ignored Luna's giddy smile and the way she kicked her legs on the other side of the table, where she had asked the room to replace her chair with a shaggy couch that looked suspiciously like the dragon from 'The Neverending Story'. Falkor was his name if he remembered correctly. She continued observing them while Harriet, oblivious to her surroundings, sank deeper and deeper into the comfort he was providing her with.

"This is nice..."

Harriet whispered as she snuggled deeper into his embrace in the search of warmth. He waved his hand and conjured a plushy blanket over them that caused her to sign in contentment.

"Comfy..."

Was her last word before soft snores reached his ears. The teasing look he got from Luna was a bit irritating so he did what any good brother would do. Je animated the couch-dragon hybrid to eat her. She squealed in laughter as the soft teeth chewed her until she managed to undo the transfiguration. She pouted for a bit before she sighed.

"Fair, I guess..."

She conceded the point and he allowed a self-satisfied little smirk appear on his lips. It disappeared quickly when she asked him.

"So, since you two seem to have decided to go for a relationship, can I start dating too?"

How hard could it be to make the entirety of the male Hogwarts-population impotent? Or was changing their sexuality easier? He'd have to plan this properly. No one was allowed to court his sister until she was at least 35.