Harry Potter was fuming. The meeting had gone according to plan until they started acting like hypocrites. Dumbledore's name brought out blinders in everyone's minds, as if the man could do no wrong.
He decided that he would destroy the bastard. He had already made cracks in the infallible legacy of the bearded wizard, but now he realized people are idiots. They wouldn't get it through their heads until it was harshly pounded in. He would destroy Dumbledore's legacy.
It wasn't the first time something like this had happened. After a few minutes, he calmly walked back towards the corridor leading to the Headmistress' office. He was sure that Neville and Bill would follow him out. He needed to talk with Bill about Goblins. No matter what his feelings were towards others, he couldn't let them interfere with his life. He needed to understand Goblin culture and their psychology to develop countermeasures before meeting them. The days of charging blindly from one problem to the next were over.
He was leaning on the wall when he saw Neville and Bill coming. They were quietly talking with each other. Bill saw him first and nudged Neville in his direction.
"You okay there, mate? That was some anger, though I can understand your grievance," Neville asked worriedly.
"It's okay. I am used to people thinking Dumbledore even shits rainbows. He'll get what's coming to him. Seems like the revelation of his relationship with Grindelwald was not enough for people."
At Neville's questioning glance, Harry shook his head. He spoke to Bill, "I need your help, Bill. As you know about the Gringotts break-in, I need to meet up with them to stave off any signs of rebellion. The Potter and Black vaults are also under their maintenance. Any information you could give me would be welcome."
They all turned towards the Great Hall. Bill started speaking after thinking for a minute, "The most important thing you need to realize, Harry, is that Goblins have a martial culture. It doesn't matter that no wars are happening right now; they will always butt heads with you. Do not take offense to their behavior because that is normal for them. That's why they have a bad reputation in the Wizarding World. Wizards and witches have a superiority complex, so when a non-human doesn't cater to their whim, the wizard's ego gets bruised, hence the reputation."
"What do you mean by martial culture?" Neville listened intently. Even his Gran didn't like those blighters; if he could learn to navigate future conversations with the Goblins, it would be great for him.
"They have various ranks according to the importance of contributions and skill. The King is the highest leading authority. Orders are followed religiously, and betrayal is considered the worst offense. Though trickery is relished, their honor doesn't allow them to backstab. The Goblins always follow their common saying, 'Time is money,' but they don't tolerate inadequacy. Do you want to know what I recommend on how you should conduct yourself when meeting with them? Keep in mind, if you asked anyone else, they would think my advice is barmy. Think about it before coming to a decision."
Harry and his companions entered the Great Hall during the conversation. They walked in silence and sat at the Gryffindor table. Hermione also joined them when she saw Harry. She was curious about their pensive mood but didn't speak. Her inquisitive nature had been tempered with time. The numerous talks she had with Harry during the run helped develop her social mores. She realized that demanding others to act as she did would only irritate them. She was not responsible for others' well-being. In hindsight, she could see that her blunt nature always came off as brash.
Harry smiled at Hermione; he was happy for his best friend. She didn't say anything, but he could still read her easily. It looked like she had taken his words to heart and tried to implement them into her life.
"Excuse me, Heir Potter. May we join you?" he heard a voice coming from behind him.
Harry turned to see who was calling him. He saw Daphne and Tracey standing in Slytherin colors. He got up and hugged both of them tightly. He trailed his nail down Daphne's spine and bit her earlobe while they hugged.
"Minx," he breathed out in her ear. She shivered in his arms.
"Come sit, and it is Harry to both of you, as I have already told you." Daphne sat on one side while Hermione occupied the other side. Tracey sat beside Neville on the opposite side of the table with Bill.
Harry introduced Daphne and Tracey to Hermione, Neville, and Bill. He told them about how he struck up a conversation with Daphne during the 4th year fiasco, as she was one of the few people who had never taunted him. They had developed a friendship following that. In 6th year, she introduced her friends, Blaise Zabini and Tracey Davis, to him. He had taught them how to fight, and Daphne had taught him Occlumency.
"Why did you never tell me about it, Harry? I can understand not telling Ron because he is prejudiced against Slytherin, but I was not," Hermione inquired.
"I was going to tell you during summer vacation. But when you didn't write or contact me because of Dumbledore's orders, I realized that it would be better if I did not tell you about it. You might not be a bigot, but your loyalty towards the headmaster made me realize that you would tell him, and then he would try to butt in and 'advise' me to break off the friendship. His need to control every aspect of my life was unhealthy. Not that any of you thought that it was wrong."
"But Harry, Dumbledore only had your best interest at heart. It was for your safety."
"How can you not think that it was wrong for the headmaster of a school to control everything about my life? Who was he to dictate everything in my life? He had my vault key; he monitored my mail; and he also kept a Potter family heirloom with him until Christmas of my 1st year. Was he such a good friend of my parents that they considered him a Potter? If any old family knew how much he controlled me, there would have been riots in my name."
By the end of his tirade, the whole Gryffindor table heard what he was saying. He had deliberately spoken a little louder so that the people sitting near Hermione could hear his voice. This was just one of many shots that he would take against Dumbledore. The bastard's reputation would be in tatters by the time he was done with him.
"Do you know he sealed my parents' will in the Wizengamot? He knew that my parents would never want me to live with the Dursleys, so he sealed the will. He placed a mail redirect ward on me, so only select people could contact me through letters. Then he never told me about my heritage. If he was my magical guardian, then why didn't he tell me about heir rings and the Potter Lordship? I didn't even know there was such a thing until I went to Gringotts in my 3rd year to replenish my gold."
People were shocked into silence; Harry was sure that nearby tables also heard what he said. Hermione was devastated by the revelations. Her parents made an offhand remark about the headmaster when she told them that he had forbidden her from writing to Harry that summer. But she had not paid any attention to it; in her mind, Dumbledore was always correct. The amount of manipulation the headmaster had done in Harry's life did not show care but obsession
"I don't blame you for it, Hermione. Students are supposed to follow what the adults tell them. Especially someone like Dumbledore, who was considered 'The Leader of Light.' But the problem is that not even a single adult questioned him. The Ministry was corrupt, purebloods became slaves to the Dark Lord, and the rest followed Dumbledore like sycophants. We didn't know any better; their whole generation failed us. We are not the ones at fault here."
The whole hall was silent as they processed his words. Especially Hogwarts students, his words resonated with them the most. Everything happened without their input, but somehow, they were the ones who suffered the most.
Daphne was the first to start clapping before everyone in the Great Hall followed her. The applause was deafening. Harry didn't speak a single word; his eyes were fixed on Daphne. She looked so beautiful right now; this was the type of woman he wanted in his life. She didn't know about his plan to destroy Dumbledore's reputation, but somehow, she had figured out that Harry was performing a spectacle for the audience and had followed his lead without any cues.
Harry's plan for the future of Wizarding Britain was still in a nascent state. Hermione might have better ideas about what needed to be done for that because she was smart that way. But Daphne was the one who could make it a reality; she was the consummate Slytherin. Politics may require subtlety and cunning, but a keen mind to grasp even the smallest of opportunities was priceless.
He wanted nothing more than to snog her senseless. His length had stood up by the mental stimulation, and he was pretty sure her knickers were damp hearing his speech. He didn't need to say anything, but his hand dropped to her thigh. He slid it under her skirt and gripped her tightly. His fingers trailed the inside of her thighs but he didn't continue upward. It was not about sexual satisfaction; the physical intimacy was just a signal for mutual understanding regarding their body's reactions.
Slowly, people returned to whatever they were doing. Harry and his group talked about other things. Harry hugged Hermione close to his chest, just like he used to do in the tent. He kissed her forehead and murmured assurances that he wasn't angry with her. He then returned to sitting normally, but his hand dropped down to her waist and stayed there.
He started telling Hermione and Daphne about his meeting with the others but didn't mention Ginny's sexual preference. He shared about his and Ginny's mutual decision to not get back together and explained the whole conversation that had happened in the Headmistress' office. He told them everything in detail, knowing they would appreciate it. He also went into his reasons for why he had said certain things. They were a captive audience, giving their input and suggestions. In the end, he decided to take up Bill's offer. Both Hermione and Daphne pointed out that Bill was the best person for the job and not someone who would try to harm Harry.
The trio didn't notice their closeness during the conversation. Hermione had snuggled into his chest, with his left arm holding her waist. Daphne had shifted closer to Harry and slipped her arm inside his, with his fingers still trailing her thighs under her skirt. Ron was fuming with jealousy when he saw Hermione's position. He tried to get her attention, but she wouldn't even look at him. He had no idea why she was being chummy with a slimy snake.
Ron was not the only one wondering about the trio's relationship. They looked so cozy, as if others were intruding on their private moment. It was a bizarre scene to watch because if it were only Harry and Hermione, it would have been normal. But here was the Ice Queen of Slytherin, resting her head on Harry's shoulder and conversing merrily with a Muggle-born.
Harry didn't think he could feel any more peaceful than at this moment. This was a Patronus-worthy memory. Hermione was talking animatedly about some anecdotes she had read, her hands gesturing wildly and her hair in disarray. She had never looked more beautiful to him than at that moment, with a faint blush on her face as she felt his eyes on her.
Hermione's heart fluttered and she felt shy when she felt Harry's gaze on her face. He had a loving look that reminded her so much of her parents' expression when they looked at each other. The problem was that Harry would gaze with the same look towards Daphne. She had conflicting feelings about it. On one hand, she felt elation when he looked at her so adoringly, and she should feel jealousy when he looked similarly at Daphne. But she felt no such feelings. She knew that Harry deserved as much love as possible. He had so much love to give, and it didn't matter if he loved both of them.
Daphne's stomach did a flip-flop. Even her legendary composure was shattered by the adoring look Harry was giving her. She had a small smile on her lips, and her cheeks reddened each time he looked at her. She could easily see that Harry was giving similar looks to Hermione, but polyamory was a common enough concept in the Wizarding World. Powerful wizards or witches always attracted multiple partners of the opposite sex. Additionally, Harry deserved as much love as he wanted. He was a truly kind person with a heart filled with love.
Daphne was brought back to the conversation when she heard Harry telling Hermione about the differences between Wizarding and Muggle marriage. Daphne's expression mirrored Hermione's when she heard about the Muggle world. When she asked them about divorce and courting, Hermione went into great detail about the difference between dating and courting, and prenuptial agreements, which she pointed out were like marriage contracts in the Wizarding World. Hearing about divorce fascinated and horrified Daphne in equal measure. The possibility of legally separating from spouses seemed a smart workaround in the absence of magic. She had seen so many failed marriages where the wife couldn't leave because they had only been taught how to be a dutiful wife and not an independent witch.
Hermione was similarly curious about the differences. From a non-magical point of view, marriage contracts, courting, and no divorce option had always seemed like a barbaric practice. Harry went on to explain bonding, bloodlines, and how the rhetoric changed from keeping bloodlines secure to keeping the blood pure. Everything started to make so much sense now. Magic made all the difference. Even the concept of same-sex marriage was still in a nascent stage in the more liberal countries. Hermione had known she was bisexual, so it felt liberating to see that her affection towards the same sex would not result in ostracization. The concept of polyamory was mind-blowing to her. It made sense to her now why Harry was giving both of them looks. Daphne could continue her Greengrass family line through a line continuation contract. That was why he wanted both of them. Her train of thought was derailed by an epiphany.
"Harry! You would also need to marry at least two witches. One for your Potter family and the other for the Black family, so you could keep the family lines separate," Hermione exclaimed.
"Yeah, I know, Hermione. Ginny mentioned that to me when she told me about all this stuff," Harry replied.
Daphne interjected, "Wait, what is this about you being the Black heir? As far as I know, Draco Malfoy is the Black heir. The ponce has been bragging about the seat because his mother was a Black."
"No, the ferret can keep imagining getting the Black seat. But I am the actual heir." Harry flashed his heir rings to both of them. "I had taken both of them in the 3rd year to restrict access to other people in my vaults." He continued, "Sirius made me the Black heir because he became the Black family head after his grandfather's death. His grandfather didn't give the Black headship to Sirius' father, Orion Black, when he realized how henpecked he was towards his wife. Regulus was his mother's son, Andromeda had birthed a daughter so it couldn't be passed through her, Bellatrix was in Voldemort's camp, and Narcissa was married off to a Malfoy."
"Sirius may have been blasted off the family tapestry, but the power to remove someone from the family resided solely in the Family Head's decision. So, Arcturus Black enacted his cunning plan by making Sirius Black the next family head and made me the next in line through his sister's line. My grandmother was a Black, so the plan went off without a hitch."
Hermione and Daphne were blown away in surprise. The amount of planning and subterfuge that must have gone into successfully executing the plan was mind-boggling. Harry was especially proud when he told them the details. This was the kind of person he wished to emulate in politics. His grandfather was a deadly fighter, and the destruction that had played havoc on Grindelwald's troops was legendary. The Potters were always destruction personified. But he loved his other side of the family too. The Blacks were Slytherin through and through. The cunning and guile they employed in the Wizengamot had created a deadly reputation.