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Chapter Nine—Fireworks
"What is that, Theo?"
Theo isn't surprised that Blaise is the one who noticed the dragon-shaped piece of magic clinging to his shoulder under the collar of his robe. Annoyed, but not surprised.
"A gift from a friend," he replies, and continues adjusting the hang of his robe before critically staring into the mirror. Yes, it looks all right. Why wouldn't it, when it looked all right last week and the week before and house-elves don't make mistakes?
In truth, Theo knows perfectly well why he's concerned with the look of his robe. That's annoying, too, that he knows but can't stop himself.
Perhaps I don't want to stop myself. Perhaps I want to prove that the fuckers who gave me Amortentia have no power over me.
"A friend? Do I know them?"
"Oh, yes." Theo smiles as he meets Blaise's eyes in the mirror. "I don't see how you could have attended this school for seven years and not know them."
Theo makes a habit of never lying to Blaise, partially because he thinks Blaise has some slight skill in Legilimency and partially because Blaise can tell he's shading the truth but not exactly how. Blaise's eyes narrow, and Theo winks at him and checks the position of the little dragon on his shoulder. No one should see it now.
"I thought I was your only friend."
"I accept different kinds of friendships."
"You do?"
Theo chuckles beneath his breath as they walk out of the dormitory. Harry's magic was beside him all last night, and never alerted him to any Amortentia in the immediate area. It seems unlikely that someone is spreading it on his pillows or blankets or bedcurtains, and none of his grooming products or towels have been affected, either. "You don't know everything about me, Blaise."
"I thought I did."
"Arrogant of you."
Blaise tips his head in Theo's direction as they circle down the steps to the common room. "Well, whoever this is has given you your sarcasm back and made you think of other things than what happened to you, so I approve."
"I'm sure he'll be thrilled to know that."
"He?"
"I never pretended to accept exclusive friendships with witches, Blaise."
Blaise looks at him again, but Theo finds it harder to interpret the expression on his face this time. Well, not his problem. He flashes Blaise one more smile and goes over to sit down in his favorite chair near the hearth until a more reasonable hour arrives to walk to breakfast in the Great Hall.
He's almost sat down when the dragon on his shoulder rears high, spreads its wings, and roars.
Theo starts and spins away from the chair, his wand in his hand. He's desperate to get a look at the faces of the people in the common room, to see if any of them are upset because of the roaring dragon, or because it started to react when Theo was near his chair.
He didn't expect the chair, even though he cast detection spells the morning after he received the first dose. That must have been a different method.
Or diluted.
What if someone is feeding me drips of the potion a little bit at a time, so that I can't tell when I get some, so that it has to build up in my system before I react to it—they could be anywhere, it could be multiple people working independently of each other—
Theo's breathing speeds up, especially when he sees people gaping at the dragon on his shoulder but not at the chair. He doesn't know who's doing this. He doesn't know if they're good actors, or they just haven't been here when he casts detection spells, or someone in a different House is doing it—how are they doing it—how can he ever feel safe again—
The door to the common room abruptly shakes and collapses forwards with a roar of stone, making even more people spin around and stare and scream in shock.
Theo turns with them, shivering, and sees Harry standing in the doorway, his face dark with rage. He ignores the people who are yelling at him and simply strides across the common room to Theo's side. Then he casts a detection spell of his own, not one Theo's seen before.
It's not the chair that flares with light. It's the fire on the hearth.
Theo stands there, shivering, and Harry turns and casts a shield that springs up around them, defending Theo from the sight of his Housemates. Then Harry faces Theo again, not touching him, preserving the space between them, his eyes direct and feral.
"Tell me what you need to feel safe again," Harry says. "I'll do it, no matter what it is."
Harry didn't expect the magic that he made for Theo to summon him so suddenly or so soon, but he's not upset about it. In a way, he's relieved that the secrets and lies are done with.
Parts of the secrets and lies. Harry won't be able to hide that he's helping Theo now, but of course he'll still hide the fact that it was about Amortentia and that he's started falling for Theo.
It'll be good, though, for Theo's mysterious attackers to understand who they're fighting.
Theo's wide eyes focus on him, and for long seconds, Harry doesn't think he's going to answer at all. He looks dazed in the firelight, wide-eyed, trembling. Harry tenses. He doesn't really know how to Obliviate an entire common room full of people, but he would still try, for Theo. And fuck how much mental damage he would leave in his wake.
"The dragon roared," Theo whispers. "I don't know how they did it. It was the fire that flared just now. I don't know who it is. Why? How? I can't—I don't know how to feel safe even if you help me."
Harry nods, feeling part of himself grow cool and distant. He'll do this, then, and it probably won't result in Legilimency after all.
He turns away from Theo to raise a shield across the crumbled door of the common room. People can get in, but no one is leaving until they answer a few questions about what has been happening with Theo and the Amortentia.
"We'll find out what's been happening," he tells Theo gently. "We'll find out before we leave the common room. Or before any of them do."
"How can you be sure that someone here knows something?"
"If I have to hunt down the people who know it and drag them here, I will. But I'm pretty sure that someone here will know something."
Theo looks marginally less frightened. Harry moves the shield with a wave of his wand so that it's skin-tight for Theo, and will block some common hexes or curses before snapping. He turns to face the Slytherins gaping at him.
Zabini is there, and Parkinson, and Bulstrode. There are also a few people Harry thinks are sixth-year Slytherins—or, well, people who would have been in the year below them, so the "real" seventh-year Slytherins now. A pity that Malfoy isn't here, but Harry will get the truth out of him one way or another.
"I want to know what you know," Harry says softly, and casts a detection spell again. The fire flares with light. "What spells or potions or curses did you use to make the fire affect Theo? What do you know about someone else who did, if you didn't do it yourself? Don't think that I'll just allow you to walk away, because I won't."
"Why should we answer any of your questions?" Parkinson demands, sounding confident. Her hands are trembling, though. "When Professor Slughorn hears about this—"
"I'll question him, too, if I have to. Are you going to answer me or not?"
"I'll answer." Zabini shoves to the front of the crowd. "I have nothing to hide from you, Potter, and I've always been Theo's friend."
"Have you?"
Zabini makes a little grimace, but he nods. "Yes. I promise. I'll swear whatever oath you want me to." He hesitates. "Are you a Legilimens? Can you read the truth out of my mind if I call it up and show it to you?"
"I don't think I could do it without severe damage to your mind, and there are other ways that we can try before that." Harry snaps his wand around in his hand. "Accio Veritaserum."
There's a clatter and fuss from up one set of stairs that must lead to the boys' dormitories, and the vial that Harry gave Theo soars down towards him. Harry catches it and looks at Zabini. "Three drops on the tongue?"
"You can't force us to do this!" Parkinson again. "How do we know that you'll only ask us relevant questions?"
"You can do this, or I can try my hand at Legilimency, and Memory Charming you so you won't remember I did it." Harry smiles at her, and knows his smile is far brighter and harder than her confidence. "Do you prefer that?"
Zabini holds out his hand. "Give me the Veritaserum, Potter."
Theo has been huddling in a tight grey shell, one of Harry's arms around his waist, but he wakes up when he hears Blaise's monotone voice speaking answers to Harry's tight, angry questions.
"I didn't know that Theo had been dosed with Amortentia until he told me."
Theo breathes through the panic that wants to overtake him. It is necessary to tell the other Slytherins that he was under Amortentia, or they might be able to slip and wriggle around the questions, even without trying. Veritaserum prompts extremely literal answers. If they just got asked whether they used a potion on Theo, they might reply that they didn't use a potion, any general potion. It would still be the truth.
"I see," Harry says, and turns towards Pansy as Blaise falls into silence. "Your turn, Parkinson."
From the way that Pansy's face tightens and her eyes dart around like a frightened rat's, Theo is suddenly and bitterly certain that she played some part in his potioning. He doesn't know how much, but he does know that he wants to be the one who questions her. He holds out his hand.
Harry promptly halts in holding out the vial and turns towards Theo. There's such tenderness in his face that Theo has to swallow and look at the floor for a moment. He knows that Harry will let Theo do whatever he wants, even if that means walking away and abandoning the questioning.
"Yes?" Harry asks softly.
"I want to be the one who gives the potion to her."
Harry nods and hands over the vial without a pause. Theo takes a step away from him to focus on Pansy. Leaving the warmth of Harry's embrace and shield is hard, but he can feel the little dragon-shaped patch of magic on his shoulder, clinging close.
"Theo," Pansy whispers.
"I don't know if you played a part in this," Theo tells her, relieved his voice is flat and even. "I hope you didn't, but I'll never trust that you didn't until I hear you say it under Veritaserum. Take it and prove you're innocent."
Pansy gives a little sob and turns as if she's going to run up to her dormitory. Harry doesn't draw his wand, but his magic surges up in front of Pansy and shows her a shimmering, translucent illusion. Theo isn't sure what it is.
Whatever it is, it makes Pansy halt with a loud scream and turn back to Theo, shaking as though someone has tried to drown her.
"I'll take it," she says. "I'll take it."
Theo nods and holds out the vial, placing the three drops on Pansy's tongue. It's a relief to watch the panic in her eyes become a dull gloss, not that he's going to reveal that to anyone. "What is your name?"
"Pansy Peony Parkinson."
That, at least, is the truth, but Theo asks her the date to prove the potion's effectiveness, and then asks, "What do you know about the Amortentia given to me?"
"I was the one who suggested diluting it and delivering it by different routes so that you wouldn't immediately guess which one was doing it."
Theo's stomach rebels, but he has nothing in it, and there are still people watching with wide, still eyes who might be left their memories afterwards. He snaps, "Why did you suggest giving me the potion?"
"I was bored. I thought it would be funny."
The knowledge that it was a joke, that Pansy and perhaps someone else did it because they were bored—
Theo clenches his teeth shut so that he won't scream. "Who else was involved in this?"
"Draco brewed it. Daphne cast the spells so that the potion could be delivered by alternate routes."
Theo closes his eyes for long moments. Harry is there, leaning against his back, a well of warmth and strength, and Theo sort of wants to turn back to face him and hand over the questioning to Harry.
But Harry might not ask all the questions that Theo could think of, which would mean he still has enemies out there. Or, worse, he might ask them and then slaughter the lot of the Slytherins here.
Theo still doesn't want his Housemates dead for what they did. For one thing, there would be no way to disguise their deaths, and Harry would get in trouble.
For another, death is too easy a punishment.
"Why was Malfoy involved?"
"He resents you for having less stigma attached to your name than he does his."
"And Daphne?"
"She's upset that you wouldn't relax last year and either play pranks with her or have sex with her. She thought that it would have helped her survive the Carrows better. So she thinks you're too uptight."
Theo's hatred burns brighter and hotter with each new reveal, but he can understand them. They're the reasons of stupid, bored teenagers whose grudges matter more to them than the war they went through, but at least it's not some mysterious outsider pursuing some kind of justified vengeance.
And in the meantime, Theo is going to destroy them.
"Who else was involved in the plot?"
"No one."
"And what spell did Daphne cast to make the potion spread to me through the fire?"
"Incendio propagatio."
Theo grimaces. It's a spell that's sometimes cast on fires at parties to spread around either some perfume or a prank potion. It's not something he would have anticipated, which just makes him disgusted with himself instead of Daphne.
Harry touches his back. Theo leans back so that Harry's touch is stronger and then asks, "What about the first time? The second time? How did you get the potion to me?"
The Veritaserum Harry gave Blaise seems to have worn off, and his expression is furious. He catches Theo's eye, but he doesn't say anything, and Theo thinks he can safely ignore him for the moment. He needs to know about this. He needs to.
"The first time in your drink in the Great Hall," Pansy says, staring past Theo at the wall. "You left your cup uncovered, and it was easy to put in. The second time, a fire burning in a brazier on the other side of Draco's bed that slowly diffused the Amortentia throughout the room."
"How did you know that I would be the only one receiving the Amortentia dose?"
"Draco took some of your hair for the potion, to target it to you."
Theo breathes slowly through his anger. Then he turns back and looks at Harry. Harry's eyes are fixed on him, and he's waiting, far more patiently than Theo has ever waited for anything.
"I'm done," Theo whispers. "I don't want to ask her any more questions. You can ask her some if you like."
Harry takes over, and asks some questions about dates and times and what they intended to make Theo do. Theo doesn't listen to that part of it. He doesn't think they intended to rape him, just humiliate him.
On the other hand, they gave him the most powerful love potion in existence out of spite and boredom. Who knows what they would have made him do if he'd collapsed at the feet of the person in question, gagging for it?
"What else do you know about the Amortentia?"
"Nothing."
Harry glances at Theo. Theo nods, and they turn away from Pansy and retreat to a corner far away from the fire to discuss what to do. The dragon-shaped piece of Harry's magic is clinging to the collar of Theo's robes, glaring around the common room.
"What should we do?" Theo whispers.
"It's up to you."
That, of course, is what Theo wanted. He didn't want Harry to take his vengeance away. He didn't want Harry to say that he was going too far, either, and impose the scruples of his conscience on Theo's actions.
From the way Harry's eyes are locked on him, the way Harry stands with his hands clenched beside him and his magic radiating from his skin like heat, Theo doesn't have to worry about that anymore.
"I want them to suffer," Theo says.
"I agree."
"I want them to know what it's like to never feel safe, as if a threat is going to come from any corner."
"Yes."
"I want to do it in—a way that has meaning." Theo finds himself floundering, seeking for the words and not finding them. It occurs to him, absurdly, that his father would know what he meant, and have the right words.
Harry's head tilts like a hawk's. "You want something poetic?"
"Yes," Theo says, and that's when the idea comes to him, and he smiles. They still have to question Malfoy to see if his story matches Pansy's in every detail, and do the same with Daphne. But that only means that they have more time to prepare the solution.
"I want a potion," he murmurs. "I want to prepare it so that it's focused on them, so that the effect stops and starts, and so that they never know where it's coming from or when it's going to take effect."
Harry smiles and bows his head, kissing the air above Theo's hand. "Yes."
"You'll help me do it?"
"I would help you do anything."
Theo swallows and nods. He's blinded, caught, star-struck. He thinks this might be what love feels like.
This image of Harry Potter staring at him with brilliant dark eyes, his whole being focused on Theo.
I can't thank them for anything else, but I can thank them for making Harry mine.