~Harriet Azalea Potter~
A soft smile graced her lips as she watched her oldest friend wing off. Hedwig, now just as striking in appearance under a Colour Inversion Ward anchored to one of her claws, was carrying a letter. A much needed update for Sirius, just in case he had another grand plan like breaking into an empty Wizarding abode to fire-call the Gryffindor Common Room. She had the perfect solution already and made sure to make the suggestion.
Her mum had told her of the connected mirrors they bragged about. While she was unhappy that they regularly used them to cause mischief, communicate during detention, and ambush unsuspecting prank victims, she had to admit that they were brilliantly enchanted.
With a sigh, her mind wandered to the week she'd had. Lots of things happened after the first task and she had trouble to believe that it's only been such a short time since then. 'It's been a rollercoaster...' She thought somberly. While the positive aspects clearly outweighed the negative ones, the biggest news, at least for her, had a serious impact on her psyche.
After the task was over and done, Charlie Weasley came searching for her. She met him and he was honestly contrite and seemed to blame himself. He stated that they should have double checked the restraints and that they would take responsibility for the oversight.
She waved him off, telling him that Dumbledore and the officials were under the assumption that the chain was manipulated and that it certainly wasn't their oversight. He looked relieved and, after a short conversation, told her with a laugh that she'd please keep the fact that he sent Ron the details of the task a secret. The blow came so unexpected that she was completely nonplussed about it for a moment.
"He knew...?" She'd asked subconsciously as it sank in, and something must have clued him in that she wasn't joking. He blanched after looking at her face and she felt lost. She knew he was jealous, but... would he really have let her die just like that? This couldn't be true, could it?
Turned out, it was. The little git knew. She asked Winston to confirm it. After hearing her request he looked at her for a long moment with an inscrutable expression before leaving without a word. She was worried she went too far by asking for something like this even though Luna tried to pacify her worries, but when he searched her out some hours later, he wore a grave expression and nodded.
Any chance for the two of them to reconcile went up in a raging inferno, just like that. She hadn't yet confronted him because there was a non-zero chance that she'd permanently harm the little ginger rat and she didn't want to do that to his family. Literally all of them were nice people.
While she wasn't as close to him as she was with Hermione, it was still a devastating betrayal that started a downward spiral. She morosely spent several hours in the room, just thinking. But that was as far as the siblings allowed her to sink.
Her mounting depression was quickly dealt with by the relentless assault of Luna's brand of Lunacy and Winston's intentionally exaggerated shameless flirting. They also sat her down and had a serious talk with her about the qualities they appreciated in their friends.
That made her realise that Ron was more a crutch to keep moving forward in the start than a true friend. He did have some qualities that could have made up a decent human being, but his inferiority complex coupled with his immaturity caused him to choose risking her life.
It might not have been his thought process and he might not even have realised the amount of danger she'd be in but that wasn't an excuse. In the end, she decided to cut him out of her life as what he had done, or rather not done, was unforgivable. The fact that this decision caused way less pain than she anticipated spoke volumes. There was also a small measure of relief, which caused her some guilt.
On a positive note, she was carefully optimistic that Dumbledore meant what he told Winston. The conversation they had was much more open than anything she had expected from the notoriously secretive man. He even went as far as telling her of his suspicions that she might have a connection to Voldemort.
He knew of the Horcruxes, was what she inferred from the way he was acting, but she understood that he didn't tell her about those. It was a nasty piece of magic and the fewer knew about it, the better. In return, she told him that while binding a loyal house elf into her service at his own wish, black smoke escaped her forehead and since then, she felt better than ever.
The hope in his eyes when he asked her if he was allowed to cast a Diagnostic Charm on her was so raw and genuine that she allowed it with a wordless nod. He confirmed the results two more times with incredulous eyes and then he burst out in near-hysterical laughter as his eyes filled with tears. He was so full of relief that she couldn't help the tentative smile on her face. She once looked up at him and saw him as what she would have wanted a grandfather to be. It was nice to know that her suspicions were at least partly incorrect.
The crazy old man even went as far as sweeping Fawkes up into a hug, which caused him to let out a protesting squawk. He then went a step further and kissed him soundly on his beak, causing the indignant bird to flame away. The Headmaster didn't even care that his majestic beard was on fire as he continued to laugh until she blasted him with an overpowered Aquamenti.
Seeing him gasping with a befuddled look on his face, ill-fitting glasses on his nose, and soaked to the bones filled her with an inordinate amount of satisfaction, though she didn't let it show and only raised a sardonic eyebrow.
He took the humiliation with surprising grace, simply clearing his throat and righting everything with a single swish of his hand and continuing as if nothing happened. They had some honest words afterwards and though she knew most of what he told her already, it was still enlightening to hear his perspective.
His apology for the pain he inadvertently caused her was delivered with crushing guilt clearly weighing him down. The mournful gaze with which he regarded her made her faintly uncomfortable. Even Fawkes included a note of sympathy after returning to his perch. She stayed silent. She wasn't even near ready to forgive him for what she had to go through, so she opted to keep her mouth shut lest she said some things she'd regret later on.
He seemed to understand and simply nodded heavily, continuing with the next topic without being hung up about it. She could see the self-condemnation he felt as it was clearly visible in his usually guarded and careful eyes. All things considered, her thoughts about the old man had changed a tad. He was a misguided and somewhat manipulative fool but he meant well. Sadly, one of the proverbs that struck true more often than not was that the way to hell was paved with good intentions.
On a side-note, she had the unique chance to perceive a completely deranged version of the old man. Well, more deranged than usual at least. Nitwit, blubber, oddment, tweak indeed.
She sighed once again as she stepped away from the rail surrounding the Owlery before stretching her arms and breathing in the fresh air. 'Thankfully, the perches are charmed to vanish all droppings before they could even fall far, otherwise the smell would be far less pleasant.' Went through her mind with a small measure of amusement before she threw up a Tempus and startled slightly.
It was time to return if she wanted to catch lunch with her favourite people. To get to them, she made an effort to avoid all those hypocrites. Interacting with them left an unpleasant aftertaste so she tried to refrain from doing so as much as possible. As she started her trek down the tower, she hummed in thought as a realisation struck her. 'Am I becoming a loner? Wait, I kinda was one already. Nevermind. Quality over quantity anytime.'
She had her reasons for disliking those easily swayed people who came up to her with false smiles and dishonest kindness. Some claimed to have always known that she didn't enter herself while others were still under that illusion but congratulated her for her awesome performance.
'What awesome performance?! All I did was accidentally overpowering my Summoning Charm and ruining the plan.' She thought somewhat self-depreciatingly. Circumventing all those morons wasn't all that hard, especially with the map, the Invisibility Cloak, and her extensive knowledge of most secret corners in Hogwarts.
She took a shortcut that brought her to the fifth floor, where she knocked in a specific rhythm on the frame of a portrait that depicted a taciturn gatekeeper in full plate. He glanced at her before bowing deeply, causing his Armor to rattle slightly. He then stepped aside, which opened the secret passage leading directly to a small isle hidden just outside of the Great Hall.
'I love magic...' she thought to herself as her mood brightened from the thought that she'd soon be with the people she adored. A sunny smile adorned her face as she stepped out of the alcove hidden behind two upright suits of Armor. Winston once mentioned that they could be animated to defend Hogwarts. He also told her they had some big brothers. When she asked him what he meant, all she got in return was a mischievous smirk. 'Infuriating git.' She thought fondly.
Shaking off those idle thoughts, she searched for her boyfriend and his little sister. She shrugged to herself with a slight frown on her face as she failed to find them. They should have been here. But since they weren't, she'd just have to wait for them. She had a longer lunch break than usual anyways since someone tried to exorcise Prof. Binns. The fearful ghost called off all classes and refused to leave his quarters. Understandably so in this case, she supposed.
She went over to the further end of the Ravenclaw table where they shared their own little corner. No one infringed on those seats since they were unofficially reserved. She ate there more often than not in recent times. The only place she preferred for taking her meals was the Room of Requirement.
As soon as she sat down, she was magically repositioned and her entire field of view was filled with rose petals of different colours. She tried to make sense of the disorienting experience, suspecting that someone was playing a prank on her. Even as the petals danced around her in an intricate formation, she searched for the culprit, but soon her attention was pulled into the flowery maelstrom. In front of her astonished eyes, the flower petals soon converged into a colourful tornado.
Appearing out of nowhere in the midst of the floral embrace as if it was the most normal thing in the world, Winston elegantly took to a knee in front of her with a bouquet of lilies in his hands. 'Red, white, pink, and orange.' She thought absentmindedly as she took in the colours. Orange was the most common one with white and pink being a rather even second place. As for red, there was only one in the middle, binding the arrangement together.
The supporting flowers were of course azaleas. He had them in red, bright pink and purple, and she had to admit she liked seeing them with the lilies. It woke a bittersweet feeling within her. 'Why is he doing this, though?' She awaited an answer as he opened his mouth but what left those lips didn't help her confusion at all. Instead it added other things into the mix. Things like embarrassment and abject horror.
"There are no words to describe your ferocious beauty, so I shan't try, for the result would be hopelessly inferior to what mine eyes are allowed to behold."
She felt her face burn from mortification as she watched the trainwreck in front of her. 'What in Merlin's name is he doing?! And why is he so loud?!'
"Though, I simply have to mention your most striking feature. Thine emeralds have captured me for I am hopelessly enthralled by your lovesome fractal gems. Will you allow me to gaze into those captivating jewels in official fashion? Will you attend the Yule Ball with me?"
Her mind blanked. Was that the reason a formal dress was on the Supply List for this year? Her mind was making connections and she understood. They were parading the champions around in official capacity to get some publicity out of it. With slightly shaking fingers, she took the bouquet from his waiting hands, only to have hers captured and kissed before he rose to his feet.
"Shall I take this as a yes? Will you allow me to be accompanied by the undeniable belle of the ball?"
Why the heck was he making such a spectacle out of this?! She was certain that he used a mild Sonorous Charm since he was clearly audible in the entire hall! Everyone was watching! Some were snickering, others were swooning and a few were even outright laughing! She looked in his eyes and found a well of affection and mischief in there. Him asking her out for the event was obviously his serious intention, but he hopelessly exaggerated it to prank her. 'I do like the bouquet, though...' She thought even as she planned her vengeance. It would be swift. It would be dangerous. And it would be served in the very best moment.
"I'd love to go with you." She told him even as she glared at him with squinting eyes. She used his short lapse in concentration and threw the mightiest silent Stinging Hex she was capable of at him. He took it like a man, just slightly wincing out a 'Fair.' before falling into the seat next to her. Some time during his performance, Luna had sat down across of them, watching with a twinkle in her eyes. She knew not to say too much and opted for temporary silence, though. If she overdid it with the teasing, Harriet would respond viciously.
"Those are also spelled to stay fresh by the way, just not bound to you like the rose is. You'll need to keep them in a magically charged environment to keep the enchantment active."
He told her as he lightly hugged her into his side before starting to eat. She loved the casual and understated affection. Despite that, she still pouted up at him for his stunt.
"Was that really necessary? Now everyone will talk about it. As if they didn't already talk enough behind my back."
She grumbled before sighing. It wasn't just a prank but also a statement, she knew. She didn't dislike that he staked his claim since it would keep those opportunistic twats away from her. She'd just have preferred if he went about it in a different way.
"Did you notice that most of the people who you regularly interacted with seem to be hesitant to approach you?"
She changed the topic since long-winded whining wouldn't help her. She simply let go of her frustration and accepted what had happened. It was kinda sweet really, even though his try at Old English was rather horrible. Luna chimed in from the side.
"They simply failed to comprehend even part of the enigma that is Winston before the First Task. Now that he showed his prowess, they don't know how to interact with him even though he didn't change at all."
Harriet looked at her strangely. She rolled the statement over several times in her head before she answered.
"You know, ever since I met you, that was the very first time you explained something straightforwardly without any hidden messages in the form of creatures known only to us three. Are you sick? Depressed? Did someone hit you in the head? Or maybe you found someone you fancy and want to change for them?"
Luna's eyes widened and her mouth fell open just slightly, even as Winston's magic weighed on their vicinity heavily for a moment at hearing her last sentence. They ignored him since they were used to his overprotective nature by now.
"Oh no... I ruined my own streak? Now I'll have to start another one and it won't ever be the same again. Sometimes, I really need to think before speaking..."
She crossed her arms and pouted outrageously while controlling her eating utensils with the softest flicks of her wand. 'Those are some really delicate wrist movements.' She thought as she admired the diminutive Blonde's dedication to her drama. She didn't even lose the pout while eating. Harriet smiled with soft eyes while eatin as she took in their antics. The rest of lunchtime was spent with Winston interrogating Luna about her love-life and her answering with more and more outlandish tales much to his frustration.
'They are so precious.' Harriet thought to herself as they left, but not before Luna engulfed her in a short but tight hug. Winston went for a gentler version but combined it with a kiss to her forehead that sent warmth radiating through her. It soothed her heart to receive this unconditional fondness. She couldn't really explain why, but their brand of physical affection felt calming where Hermione's hugs always felt somewhat stifling.
She still learned to enjoy them to a certain degree, but a small uncomfortable sensation stayed with her. 'It's a matter of boundaries.' She belatedly realised. Luna overstepped from time to time too, but she usually noticed quickly and dialed it back. And Winston? He never once overstepped. He always acted within her unspoken boundaries and never went too far, respecting her wordless cues as if she'd screamed them into his ears.
He knew how far to push her without being overbearing. He understood that she despised feeling caged and adjusted all of his affections in a way that made her feel reassured without giving the impression of confining her. He always allowed her to pull back on her own terms and she appreciated that more than words could describe.
She didn't have that with Hermione, who often failed to understand or even notice those silent cues. 'It isn't her fault. She didn't have any friends before Hogwarts. She simply didn't really develop her social skills. And I wasn't the most forthcoming with my issues, to say the least.'
Having had that revelation, she felt a bit of regret. She trusted her implicitly back then, but she never really talked about her 'home' life before. It hurt too much and simply remembering her incarceration with the Dursleys brought her mood down for days.
Not wanting the few people she cared about to have to deal with her at her worst, she simply avoided the topic. 'Maybe it's for the best.' She mused before a sudden noise stopped her simultaneous reading, eating, and thinking. Throwing a side-eye, she saw a book. Looking upwards, she found the person who had placed it there.
"Hey Hermione. Here to eat and read?"
She asked the young woman who was trying to earn back her friendship. Truthfully, it wouldn't be too hard. She had missed her fiercely. It just wouldn't be that special kind of sororal relationship anymore. That sisterly trust. She didn't dare to let her this close to her unguarded heart again.
She noticed that in recent days, the bushy-haired one seemed to avoid Winston. If she didn't manage to, she always froze for a moment with wide eyes when he greeted her. 'Is she scared of him?' She asked herself, but shook her head. She couldn't fathom why anyone would fear him. 'Well, he did put two Dragons in their place and neither managed to land as much as a scratch on him.' Her inner voice whispered proudly. With a groan, Hermione dropped into the seat besides her and sighed.
"Yeah... And, well, I wanted to talk to you."
She looked uncomfortable but she gathered her determination before she began a topic that had the potential to send her temper flying. Preventively, she threw up several privacy wards and an Auditory Illusion that let others hear what they thought they should hear.
"There are some rumours going around about Winston... They say he is grooming you to...-"
'Yeah, fuck that shit. I don't even wanna know what poison those jealous bitches are spewing.' She thought to herself before interrupting her. She kept her voice level and made sure to not come off too antagonistic. The girl was worried about her and she found that sweet, but the topic was just too volatile.
"Be very very careful what you say next, Hermione. It might severely influence our relationship. Winston has done more for me than anyone ever before. He has also been the perfect gentleman."
She sighed and looked at her sternly. She knew some people were talking but she didn't really care. They didn't experience him at his most relaxed. They didn't know him like she did. And they didn't understand who he really was. At Hermione's wide-eyed surprise, she decided to elaborate.
"He hasn't touched me in an inappropriate way and even our first kiss was initiated by me. No tongue and entirely chaste. He insists on taking it slow and thinking things through before even contemplating to take the next steps. He told me he didn't want me to confuse thankfulness or dependence with affection and love. I am certain of my feelings. But I really like the care he is showing and I don't dislike the slow progression since it's a nice change of pace compared to the rest of my life."
Hermione had fallen silent and seemed to be in a contemplative mood while still looking at her. She seemed to be searching for something and after some moments, she seemed to have found it. She gave Harriet a tentative smile and answered with clear relief in her voice.
"I'm glad that he is doing his duty as a boyfriend then. I was hoping that he isn't a creep as I truly have no hope of beating him even with a surprise attack and weeks of planning."
Harriet was a bit surprised. 'Why the heck would she need to beat him? Is she trying to protect me? That's kinda cute really, but completely unnecessary.' She tilted her head and told her with a teasing lilt.
"While I appreciate the protective intent, there is absolutely no reason to worry. Winston has been helping me and tried to get me out of this blood sport but because of the peculiarity that is the goblet, it's pretty much impossible. Instead he is training and advising me. I fucked up the plan we came up with, actually."
She ignored the instinctive 'Language, Harriet.' From Hermione as she pondered how to explain.
"I was supposed to try and summon the Egg and throw the task after failing. That would have satisfied the goblet. Instead I accidentally overpowered the spell and broke through the Anti-Summoning Ward."
She shrugged and grinned sheepishly at Hermione's incredulous look. Then the bright witch groaned and facepalmed with the words.
"Only you, Harriet. Only you can make a mess out of a completely foolproof plan. Though, I guess it was better this way. Just imagine what would have happened if the Dragon-handlers had tried to stun the Horntail into submission and the chain would have ripped then. Casualties would have been almost certain at that point."
She wanted to be indignant but blanched at the scenario she thought of. 'I hadn't thought about it from that angle. I'm glad he was there to deal with this. I still get a bit tingly whenever I think about his display of power. Dumbledore's and his overwhelming performance definitely stole the show.' Focussing on Hermione again, she nodded gravely.
"Let's just be glad that there were some really powerful magicals close by to deal with it. Dumbledore's shield was really impressive."
And that got Hermione gushing. She enthusiastically told her that it wasn't just a Shield-Charm but a temporary ward interwoven with an enchantment directed by an intent-based charm. All of that was kept in form by a variable spell matrix, which served as the skeleton for the entire thing. It wasn't a piece of magic that could be attributed to a single category but a near-perfect hybrid of several disciplines.
'She really is brilliant. She researched the spell, only to find out that it wasn't really documented anywhere. It's creation was attributed to Dumbledore and she managed to trace his research and recreated a far weaker version of it. Once she is forced to actually use her brain for anything else but regurgitating facts, her mind truly shines.'
Hermione, who had stopped her passionate rant when she noticed the soft smile on her face, asked somewhat self-consciously.
"Why are you looking at me like that?..."
Harriet shook her head and proceeded to rest her cheek on her palm as she answered with gentle eyes and an easy smile.
"Oh, nothing much. It's just, I'd forgotten just how utterly brilliant you are when you fall into an obsession. It's always interesting hearing your thought processes and seeing the passion you have for knowledge."
She blushed a bright red but there was a pleased little smile on her lips. She clearly enjoyed the praise, especially for something that usually only earned her scorn from her peers. From there, their conversation flowed harmoniously and Harriet felt that even if their rift wouldn't ever heal completely, they'd still be great friends.
~Winston Whittaker~
He looked at the strange pink sphere that was expanding and contracting in regular intervals with an unidentifiable sound accompanying the motion. It was oddly hypnotic. He side-eyed Luna, who tried for her most innocent smile before he sighed.
"I guess it's my own fault. I told you to unravel it's secrets. Just... what have you done to that poor egg? It was innocent, laying there in it's golden glory, until you got your hands on it."
He was glad that he had the forethought to take a bath with it before handing it over to Luna. It was the same little rhyme from the original and he was already planning an array of different precautions to make sure Luna wouldn't be in any danger. Waterproof clothes with permanent heating enchantments. Protections against blunt force, minor Hexes, Curses, and Charms as well as stab- and slashwounds. Intent-based wards, anchored to singular threads of her entire wardrobe. And much more. He wouldn't spare anything to make sure she got through this safe and sound.
'That reminds me, I'll have to ask Harriet for some basilisk skin. Maybe talk her into selling the cadaver after putting aside some materials for experimenting. It should be worth quite the sum.'
Luna shrugged and kept up her smile while tapping the former egg with her wand. It started blinking in numerous colours, spelling out it's message with psychedelic morse code. 'Well... She did it, I suppose?' Without a deep analysis, he wouldn't know just how she achieved that result.
"Why morse code?"
He asked her curiously and she looked at him as if he was a moron.
"Because I haven't taught you Chtonic yet."
She answered as if that was the only possible answer. In her mind that was probably the case.
"Fair enough."
He nodded. What else could he do? Luna's 'logic' worked within it's own set of rules and it took him several years to get a basic understanding of those. He was a mere mortal after all. Understanding the vast profound mystery that was Luna Lovegood was clearly outside of his limited comprehension. 'Okay, that's enough of that. Digging out those few cultivation novels I've read in my former life in the depths of my memories didn't to me any good.'
He watched the self-satisfied blonde skip away towards a wall before slipping through it as if it wasn't there. Hogwarts doted on her way too much, creating single-use passages whenever she did something like this, just to enable her dramatic and mysterious entrance or exit. 'I mean, I don't have a leg to stand on in that regard, I dote on her just as much.'
He shook his head with a slight smile at the thought before growing a bit more serious. He had to brainstorm a bit. New avenues and ideas opened up and he had to think things through to integrate them into his plans. Having contingencies in place never harmed anyone. Calling for some hot chocolate after his own recipe and a small sweet snack of their choice, he wandered over to his favourite armchair. Receiving his beverage and the snack, which was a peppermint-chocolate cookie, he expressed his thankfulness, and sank into his thoughts while sipping and nibbling.
First things first: The Dragon he managed to safe. It wasn't easy to convince the Dragon handlers to refrain from putting the Chinese Fireball down, even though Charlie Weasley heavily lobbied for his cause. That was probably the only reason why it went through in the end. His performance convinced them that he'd be able to do what he promised. And he did. The problem was that every time they tried to pack the Fireball into the Transportation Cage, she went berserk like never before.
They didn't have the confidence that she would stop that behaviour once they reached the Dragon Sanctuary since she only seemed to calm down once he was in the vicinity. 'Dragons are more in tune with magic than most other species. She probably sensed my signature on her eggs and interpreted the protective intent. It's most likely the reason why she let me work on her eyes without a fuss.'
Upon seeing that he had absolutely no negative intent towards either her or her children, she deemed him a safe protector and entered a rage once they tried to take her or hers away from him. 'It's cute, but it does spell additional problems.' He sighed before resigning himself.
'I guess I can just open another preservatory. I do have the funds thanks to the initial 'financial aid' harvested from the room and proper investments over the years.' On some, he even worked with the goblins. They weren't this honourable and benevolent race they were often portrayed as in fanfiction, but they did have their own code. And above all else, they were greedy. So once he proved to be financially savvy and logical without prejudices, they jumped on the opportunity to work with and learn from him.
'I've probably done something terrible by introducing them to the stock market.' He thought to himself with no small measure of amusement before returning his thoughts back to his plans of building a preservatory for dangerous magical species. 'I'll ask Neville if he could borrow me his name to work under for a small cut of the profits. His family deals with potion ingredients and through grooming and cleaning those creatures, a lot of usable materials will be collected. It should actually be rather profitable.'
He was certain that after an initial investment, the preservatory could stand on it's own feet self-sufficiently. Another thought came to him. 'Several of the Potter-owned potion labs are still actively producing. If we could get her legally emancipated, she could take control over her assets and we could start up a collaborative work.'
A plan was beginning to form in his mind, but he had to think this through carefully. Moving too aggressively could be detrimental. His family was quite well off and he built on that in mundane as well as magical ways. More money couldn't ever hurt, however. Additionally, it would send a political message if two powerhouses such as the Potters and the Longbottoms suddenly collaborated after such a long time. Which was also the reason for the need to tread a bit more carefully than he usually would. 'As much as I despise politics, to truly change the landscape of Magical Britain, we'll need to put some effort into that arena too.'
He sighed, already feeling the weariness. He wouldn't even personally partake, but he knew it was only a matter of time until his indirect involvement would come to light. Should they agree and go through with his plans, they'd most likely face heavy resistance. 'Enough of that. I have other problems to deal with.' He sternly told himself off. He knew that if he wanted to stop the bloodshed before it really started, he'd need to contain that creature that was once human.
His best chance to do that was the third task. He'd need to reach the portkey first, and he needed to be prepared for what would follow. He also had to catch Voldemort 'alive' since they needed to destroy the remaining Horcruxes before they ended the main-soul.
'Dumbledore promised to arrange for a trial for Sirius, this would mean he'd be Head of House Black. That in turn would allow him to annul the marriage between Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange. Which would mean that the contents of the Lestrange vault would be confiscated to pay back the dowry.'
That took care of the cup. 'Convincing Kreacher to relinquish the Locket shouldn't be that hard either. Sirius is the key to the remaining Horcruxes, it seems. Luckily, we got to Nagini before Voldemort could corrupt her. She was already close to losing herself to the bestial nature of her Curse, but we managed to stabilise her. Right now, she's under a long-term ritual that will hopefully restore her mind and make her curse more akin to an Animagus Transformation instead of the Maledictus one.'
His mind whirled through several threads of thought simultaneously. While he wasn't entirely confident in his foreknowledge, not just because he didn't remember every single detail but also because quite a few things had changed due to the alternative timeline, what he could confirm, he made use of. After all, even if he had wanted to leave the isles to settle elsewhere for his family's protection, he didn't really want to see Britain under the rule of a madman. Refusing to be pulled into a war not of his own making and being responsible with what he knew were different things.
'Now that I selfishly fell for the main-heroine, I can't let her fend for herself, though. There goes my plan to get my NEWTs a year early and relocate. Oh, well. If we manage to free Sirius before the third task, I could end this fairly quickly. While I am not a match for that abomination at his strongest, I am confident to handle him as a homunculus.'
There was just one big worry he had. Thanks to Harriet's trust in him, he had access to the map. With it, he confirmed that Moody was in fact Moody. 'Did he impersonate someone else? Did he go about it in a different way in this timeline? Is it even Crouch Jr. who entered her name?' This could throw a major wrench in his plans and he wasn't quite sure how to handle it.
There were some Divination Magicks he could probably use but nothing that would keep hidden his intent to search him out. 'This guy managed to hide himself as one of Dumbledore's best friends. He managed to earn himself the trust of Voldemort just after leaving school. He is a prodigy. Unstable, but highly intelligent and with a unique grasp on magic. Knowledgeable too. He would certainly feel it if Divination Magic latched onto him. That would warn him that someone is onto him.'
In the end, he couldn't really do much yet. He sighed in resignation at the fact and decided to send some of the stealthier creatures out to keep an eye on things. Concluding that thought-process, he sent his mind to more light-hearted topics. 'Teasing her is more fun than I'd ever imagined. I shouldn't overdo it but she enjoyed my invitation. It was visible in her eyes. Though, she'd have preferred it to be a bit more private.'
He smiled, though it wasn't necessarily a friendly one. Now that he was committed to her, everyone should know that she was his. He'd make certain they understood that point. She felt similarly if what he'd heard was correct. Rumours had it that she warned off several amorous witches. It would certainly explain the sudden drop of professions of 'love', or lust and practicality as he knew. He welcomed the change since he never had a thing for those vapid girls who only had romance or raunchier things in their heads.
'I mean, I know I am somewhat desirable but sending nudes via flying notes that could have been intercepted easily is a bit on the... risque side of things to say the least.' He shook his head. Bad decisions were a cornerstone of youth. Everyone had some memories of doing things that made them cringe, and most needed to be burnt a bit by their own dumbassery before stopping to think about their lives. He was just lucky he had his fill in his previous life. While he died at age 16, it was one of those bad decisions that enabled his passing, so he endeavoured to do better this time around.
'Though, to be fair, it wasn't solely my fault. I didn't ride my bike home, opting to go by foot since I was drunk and didn't want to hurt anybody. I was planning to get it the next day after sobering up. My only fault was having less pronounced reactions in my inebriated state. The driver who splattered me against the house wall probably wasn't entirely clean either.'
Drinking heavily at that age, and for the first time too, wasn't his brightest idea. But that was the consequence of falling to a social construct such as peer pressure. He actively steered his thoughts away from that topic as he took the last mouthful of his hot chocolate. It was a bit depressing but in the end, it led him to lead another, more fruitful life. It allowed him to meet delightful people and explore secrets he never even dreamt of discovering.
He really couldn't regret his untimely passing, especially now that he tasted the fruit of love for the first time in both lives. Oh, he had crushes before. He certainly was infatuated a couple of times in his previous life. But never did those feelings go further than skin deep. With Harriet, it was different. He certainly appreciated her beauty, but what bound him to her was her personality. Her upbringing suppressed parts of it, but there was a core of quenched steel within her. She had unbending morals and would stand against what she perceived as unjust in a heartbeat.
He had seen it several times. She took a stance even against professors, and her sometimes quite volatile temper fell upon those fools who thought they could get away with bullying in her vicinity. She was also exceedingly loyal. If someone showed her goodwill, she'd definitely pay them back. Additionally, she wasn't as narrow-minded as some with a similar disposition, being too jaded to not understand how the world worked. It certainly made for a unique combination.
And ever since the Horcrux was dealt with, she smiled more. She slowly came out of her shell and became the fun loving person she was meant to be. It only added to her charm. He sighed, lost in thought before he blinked and smiled wrily.
'I've got it bad, eh? Didn't expect it to be honest. It's strange to fall for someone just like this. I guess she is just that charismatic, but it's more than that. We just fit together.' He wouldn't put too much thought into it. They were developing a healthy foundation for their relationship. Slow and steady, there was no reason to rush and he liked to shower her in the gentle affection she missed out on in her childhood. Well, there was that pesky Dark Lord, but he wouldn't let that leech ruin what they had and potentially could have.
His introspective mood was handily interrupted by the Moogle that had taken a shine to Harriet. 'Kupo, she calls him, I think.' He sent a telepathic prompt that transmitted 'missing' and 'longing' as well as the mental equivalent of a question mark.
"Well, aren't you a talented fellow. Harriet still has classes to attend, so she won't be here for a while yet. Was there something you wanted? Maybe I can help?"
He seemed to consider the offer for a moment before floating over to a bookshelf. There, he used their version of the Levitation Charm to pull out a book with which he returned. Curiously, he read it's title before turning to the Moogle with a raised eyebrow.
"You want me to read this to you."
He asked the young Fae. 'Fighting Fiendfyre with Fienfyre. How to use the Dark Arts to defend against the Dark Arts, by Alastor Moody.' He had already read that one and it was a good primer. The philosophy behind Moody's book might have seemed a bit counterintuitive, but what he basically advocated was using everything at one's disposal to deal with a threat to one's life or family.
He was of the firm opinion that most 'Dark Magics' were wrongfully labelled as such. He got heavy flack for his opinions but the man didn't care. His book wasn't on the banned list of the ministry only because he kept the actual spell selection he went through relatively clean. He might have looked like a crazy old man but he was shrewd enough to understand how to skirt the line.
There were spells that threatened to consume your sanity as a cost for casting them. There were those that were volatile and dangerous without supreme control. And there were mysterious Magicks that were hard to understand for most. All of them were collectively labelled as the Dark Arts by the ministry and most of them were outlawed, but the only category that truly deserved that treatment was the first among those. And even then, as long as you had a firm grip on your mental state and practiced Occlumency to an acceptable level, the influence would be negligible for most spells.
That was what Moody expressed in this book and his own opinion firmly aligned with this view. While he didn't use much of what was usually seen as dark, the disciplines that made up his main-repertoire would be called by the same epithet, were they more commonly known, since Fae Magicks were by default some of the most volatile and mysterious ones. As he finished that mental tangent, he looked at the little fellow curiously.
"Why are you so interested in Battle Magic? Your heritage leans heavily into Support and Mind Magicks, you know?"
The Fae collected his thoughts for a moment before sending him the sensations he got when he watched Harriet learn and master the Exploding Charm. Ever since, the young Moogle was fascinated with Battle Magic and wanted to learn all there was to learn about it. 'Well, far be it from me to keep him from learning more about magic.'
He thought to himself before starting to read him the book with a smile. Harriet would certainly visit later and she'd most like try to goad him into a sparring session to try and get some revenge for his stunt. He was looking forward to schooling her once again.