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Sirius may not have been the best guardian, and it would be hard to call him a parental figure for Harry himself. However, when he took over the responsibility from the Dursleys, his approach to the role of a guardian was drastically different. Instead of strict supervision and rules, Sirius introduced elements into Harry's life that the boy had never experienced before. He became more of an older brother, a friend who ensured Harry had fun during the holidays. Moreover, Sirius believed that the years of neglect at Hogwarts and with the Dursleys had caused Harry to close himself off. Not only did he allow and cover up minor transgressions, but he actively encouraged them, wanting to pull Harry out of his rigid shell.
This time, Sirius and his future wife, Apolline Delacour, had been planning a trip to the magical place of Bali for months. It was Apolline's daughters, Fleur and Gabrielle, who insisted on this trip, and the woman defended their case. They constantly sent Sirius and Apolline pictures of Bali's beaches and books on magical sailing. Fleur and Gabrielle never missed an opportunity to tease Sirius, each sending him pictures of handsome wizards in swimwear on Bali's beaches with some joke about how he could only dream.
When the time came for the trip, they packed for the excursion and loaded their luggage into the rented magical van. At that moment, Sirius received a message from Remus Lupin about an "urgent emergency" related to the activities of the Order of the Phoenix. Sirius and Apolline got into a discussion in the driveway, another in a long series of loud conversations that Harry and the girls endured in silence. Apolline shouted that she was done with Sirius and his duties with the Order, but there was no way she would miss this trip. She got into the car, telling them that if they didn't board within the next minute, she would leave them behind.
Sirius had the unpleasant look of someone caught in a lie, insisting that the emergency was real and that he would join them in Bali after the weekend before they even noticed.
"Don't worry!" Apolline called out. "And I expect you to be back at Grimmauld Place before we return! Harry, get into the van; there's no way we're leaving without you." She smiled sweetly as she looked at him, then grimaced when she glanced at Sirius. "You can go back to your home at Grimmauld Place. Harry will stay with us until he finishes Hogwarts." As Harry climbed into the back of the van with an almost apologetic look at Sirius, he noticed that Sirius wasn't even paying attention to him. The same as always, Harry thought.
"I mean," said Sirius, not quite masking the surprised pleasure in his voice, "if that's really what you want..."
"Yes, sure," Apolline said, a tear rolling down her cheek. Then, with a muttered curse, she turned away. Harry and the girls looked at each other, awkward but not in the least bit surprised that Apolline and Sirius had broken up. It had been evident for a long time.
"Thanks," Harry finally said, feeling exceptionally awkward, "for still letting me come with you."
"Shut up, Harry," Fleur said. "Of course, you're coming with us. You saved my sister; you're like family."
"He's not real family!" Gabrielle said with a mocking smile.
"Gabrielle," Apolline said, and her tone was enough to silence the lively blonde.
"As for you, Harry, I wouldn't want to attract unnecessary attention. During the trip, please call me Mom, and call Fleur and Gabrielle your sisters. After all, you never know what will happen when we return to England."
She drove to the airport, her face again calm and focused, and Harry couldn't help but admire her composure. Even in the face of her relationship's breakdown, she was the calmest and most relaxed person in the room. Apolline was a powerful witch working at the Ministry of Magic, the first woman to hold such a high position in her department, and she had more clients than anyone else combined. That's why she could tell Sirius to leave her house because, truth be told, it belonged to her. Sirius was also an influential wizard, but in recent years, his involvement with the Order of the Phoenix had been the main source of conflicts between them.
"Let's have fun," Apolline said as she drove onto the highway. "We can worry about the rest when we get back. I know I'll try to put it out of my mind."
"Who knows, Apolline," Gabrielle said with her usual good humor. "Maybe you'll meet someone!"
"That's the last thing I'll be thinking about," Apolline said firmly.
"Take exit 121, Apolline," Fleur said, looking at her phone and pointing to the approaching exit. "There's an accident ahead that we can avoid." Always practical, Fleur was twenty-five and had already started a career at the Ministry, following in her mother's footsteps.
They reached the airport with time to spare, thanks to Fleur's flawless directions, and soon passed through security and waited in the lounge. The whole quartet attracted attention as they walked through the terminal, or rather Apolline and her daughters did. They attracted glances wherever they went, and Harry had learned to deal with it since he entered the magical world.
Sirius had proposed again just a year ago, though he had spent a lot of time previously in the company of Apolline and her daughters. To be honest, Sirius was never the same after the war ended. He drank a lot and spent more time in Order of the Phoenix meetings or at the Three Broomsticks pub than at work, and over the years, he lost many friends and his status in the wizarding world. In the meantime, he met Apolline, who was dealing with the death of her husband and problems with admirers. Despite this, she took over her husband's political position, developed her skills, gained fame at the Ministry of Magic, and moved them to a beautiful new home in the heart of magical London. This further worsened the relationship between her and Sirius. He could never cope with her being more successful than he was. Apolline and Harry had grown closer over the past few years, and she often came to Harry when she argued with Sirius. She talked to him, sipping a glass or two of wine, allowing him an occasional sip.
Her daughters were a few years older, and this difference had been significant when they were younger. They treated Harry like a child, despite Gabrielle's youthful appearance caused by her Veela heritage, and still saw him that way, even though he was now over six feet tall and could carry each of them effortlessly. None of them noticed that he had grown up, and he couldn't do anything about it. Having two such magnificent beings in the house as he grew into a teenager—no, scratch that—three beautiful witches, was a trial for a horny eighteen-year-old.
Gabrielle was a blonde with wide hips that tapered into a narrow waist, thick thighs, and large, heavy breasts. She was the center of every party, voted best smile, best hair, biggest flirt, and half a dozen other similar awards when she graduated from Beauxbatons. Fleur was almost her opposite, the epitome of poise and class. She was tall and elegant, with long, blonde hair that always shimmered and glowed as if filled with some inner light. Fleur had the face of a goddess, with high cheekbones and smooth, perfect skin. Harry had never seen a woman who could wear robes better than she could, or with legs more suited for high heels and a graceful stride.
Harry Potter watched Apolline with a mixture of admiration and lingering fascination. She was like a blend of the two girls he knew—tall and elegant, with massive breasts, slender hips, and slim, shapely legs. Her hair was long and luscious, dark brown with blonde streaks. She always dressed in expensive and elegant wizarding robes, unless she was lounging at home, where she often wore loose robes or comfortable loungewear. Saying that Harry was captivated by her beauty would be an understatement. But since his first year at Hogwarts, old desires had passed him by. Over the years, he had had a few girlfriends; being a hero in the wizarding world definitely had its perks.
Finally, they could board the plane, his girls sitting together in the seat behind him, and Harry and Apolline in the emergency exit row. As soon as they boarded, he put on noise-canceling headphones, and once they were airborne, he pulled out his laptop and started a few downloaded movies. Apolline took out a book, closed the window shade, and began reading some cheesy romance.
The meal service had just been served when the first wave of turbulence hit. Minor shakes that Harry didn't even notice, but they came back a few minutes later, a bit stronger, and then again. The light came on, and he looked up to see a flight attendant hurrying to the front of the plane. She knocked and opened the cockpit door. Inside the cabin, there was chaos, two men moving around, and red lights flashing everywhere.
"Apolline," Harry said, turning to look at her, the anxiety just beginning to rise in him. "Make sure your seatbelt is fastened." Turning to look behind the seats, he saw Gabrielle and Fleur watching him with curiosity. "Fasten your seatbelts."
At that moment, there was a loud WHOMP, and the plane dropped hundreds of feet. Harry felt his stomach leap into his throat, and fear started to creep into his mind. The plane stopped its descent, shaking and rattling in feverish turbulence. Chaos reigned in the cabin, people screaming and crying. Many were thrown around due to unfastened seatbelts, and one poor elderly woman tumbled out of the lavatory, the door breaking under her massive weight.
"Harry…" The panic in Apolline's voice made him turn, and when he did, he felt his life flash before his eyes. Outside the window was a broken stump of the wing with a burning ball of the engine, black smoke billowing out. Panic threatened to take over, but he felt his preparation and training kick in. Odd as it might sound, he had practiced a situation very similar to this with Dumbledore's Army, albeit involving a thestral-drawn carriage. Along with three other students, he simulated various types of crashed vehicles and how to survive those critical initial moments.
His hands flew as he unbuckled his seat and stood, the plane swaying beneath him, but he managed to keep his balance easily with a low, wide stance. Unfortunately, their wands had to be left in their luggage due to customs checks at the border. He turned and yanked the cushion from under the seat, shoving it into Apolline's hands, who stared at him bewildered.
"Harry, buckle up…" she began sternly, while others screamed and struggled in their seats.
"Wrap your arms around this!" Harry shouted at her, knowing it would offend her, but also knowing that only shouting would cut through the rush of adrenaline and shock affecting her and his sisters. Both of them alternated between being terrified and shocked by his actions as he jumped into their row and ripped the cushions from each of their seats, shoving them into the girls' hands.
Just then, the cabin lights went out, and the plane dropped again. Harry slammed into the ceiling and fell heavily onto the seat back. Ignoring the pain in his hip, he ripped the masks that had just dropped from the ceiling from the hands of Apolline and his sisters, yanking his own as well. "Hey!" Gabrielle shouted.
"Harry! What's gotten into you?" Apolline yelled, her face a mixture of confusion and fear.
Only Fleur was watching him, her eyes sharp and more interested than afraid. The image of her face, so composed and calmly analyzing everything happening while chaos raged around her, was captivating, and Harry felt a new respect for her. His observations didn't stop the movements of his hands, quickly braiding the durable plastic straps into a long chain. Fast as a whip, he looped the braided plastic rope first around Gabrielle's arm, then Fleur's.
Harry threw himself back into his seat and managed to fasten his buckle just as the plane shifted sideways, a tearing sound from outside, and the captain's voice screaming through the speaker. "Brace! Oh my God, brace for impact! Brace!"
He had the third loop on Apolline's wrist and was just about to slip it onto her hand when everything seemed to happen at once. The screech of metal tearing like paper dominated all other sounds for a brief moment, then his head slammed into the seat back, his neck twisted, and then he was flung sideways as the world spun.
Chapters 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 are already on Pa tr eon
If you would like to read the next chapters faster, see exclusive content, or support my work, please visit
Pat re on. c om(slash)belleveela(delete spaces)