Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
-oOo-
A/N: I will plan on posting 2 chapters a weekend but can't promise that is a hard schedule due to life.
-oOo-
Chapter 6
Edited 26 Aug 2024
-oOo-
Daily Prophet
February 13, 1999
MINISTRY DECLARES ALL BETROTHALS AND UNENDORSED WEDDING LISCENSES SUSPENDED!
By Quark Kent
Late yesterday, witches and wizards up and down Britian received letters from the Ministry of Magic that all current betrothals and unendorsed wedding licences to be suspended until further notice. The outcry of hundreds could be heard in the atrium by the time this paper went to print.
It is unknown currently why such an action has occurred, but it has affected many. Four Wizengamot members were seen arguing with the Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, 48, outside his offices.
A spokesperson for the DMLE said, "This is an unprecedented event that is being resolved as fast as it can. I know that there are forth coming weddings and betrothals that are a corner stone of our society, and I firmly believe that by tomorrow, everything will be back to normal."
As more news comes out of the ministry, the Daily Prophet will keep the nation informed.
-o-
THE MAN-WHO-WON ARRESTED! Conspiracy or was an actual crime committed?
By Katherin Daily
Yesterday morning, four Aurors attacked the Man-Who-Won, Harry Potter, 18, in the main atrium of the Ministry of Magic after a loud confrontation where the aurors informed Mister Potter he had to see the minister. When he refused, witnesses reported that he wasn't given a choice. Mister Potter was overheard claiming he was a private citizen and the aurors repeated a few times that he hadn't committed a crime but had to see the minister.
It is unknown why Mister Potter was arrested, but he was not seen leaving the ministry later in the day…
-o-
February 15, 1999
London, England
Harry had been given a copy of the Daily Prophet with his breakfast this morning. He was grinning at the headlines and chaos. On page four was the news that Gringotts had suspended several accounts because of the pending betrothal reviews.
When the bolt to his cell opened, he didn't bother to get up as he lay on the cot, still reading the paper. He cast a quick glance at a disgruntled looking minister then went back to the paper. His fingers reached for the still disillusioned wand holster on his left arm. It was one of the wonders of the elder wand to avoid detection, which he was pleased to have after the Aurors had taken his old holly wand.
"I like these headlines," Harry commented.
"Call off your attack dogs," Shacklebolt told him.
Harry grinned. "I can solemnly swear I did not do this."
"Bloody hell you didn't. I have the law offices of Tonks all over me, not to mention a dozen others. Your bloody goblin has sent the country into a right fit. How the bloody hell did he know about a law from thirteen-eighty-seven that was still on the books. Call them off!"
Harry laughed. "I warned you."
"If you don't call them off, I will drag you before the Wizengamot this afternoon," Shacklebolt warned.
Harry shrugged. "Go for it. I would love to see more headlines and you out of office."
Harry knew he was close now to having enough votes to put his own person in over Dumbledore's block.
"You are violating the law."
"Am I? This article on page six says I'm not," Harry said. "Oh, look, Lord Brown had agreed to his daughter to marry a man with another wife. Isn't he one of your supporters? He must be pleased with you, especially since it says something about a line continuance. And it even says Dumbledore sat on a case approving such marriages only eight years back…"
Shacklebolt pinched his nose. "Enough."
"I don't think so," Harry said rather angrily this time.
"You can't just call for a review of everything like this."
Harry shrugged, which didn't have the same effect as he was still laying on the narrow cot. "As I said, I'm not doing this. How could I? You haven't let me talk to anyone or send any letters."
The man sighed. "Your solicitor is here."
He folded the paper and sat up. "Great. Take me to her."
"You are still in isolation," Shacklebolt told him.
With another shrug, Harry lay back down. "Then I have no idea what my representative and solicitor will do."
The man growled at him before the cell door closed.
It would be hours later when the door opened again. A tall man in a white beard was in the doorway now. Harry was on the floor doing push ups and didn't bother to stop.
"Harry, this has gone far enough," Dumbledore told him.
"I… don't know… what… you are… talking… about," he said as he pumped up and down.
"I am talking about this childish game you are playing with all these lives," Dumbledore told him.
"Still… no clue… what you… mean."
"Will you stop and talk to me as a normal person," Dumbledore demanded.
He stopped, then sat on the floor, his legs crossed. He had been working out as heavily as he could for a bit. Sweat was on his body. His shirt had been cast onto the cot. His green eyes bored into the man's chest. The elder wand vibrated with anticipation on his forearm.
"I have nothing to say to you," Harry told the man.
"There is much I have to say to you."
Harry didn't say a word.
"First, you must stop what is going on."
"Are you going daft? I have no clue what is happening outside of this cell," Harry told him.
Dumbledore didn't look pleased. "You are ruining alliances, families and lives."
"Still have no clue," Harry irritably said.
Dumbledore indicated the paper from this morning. "Do you have any idea what it means for all betrothals, unacted upon licences and the closure of more than five-hundred accounts at Gringotts is doing?"
Harry brow rose. He had no clue it was that big. He would have to give Rotgnasher a huge raise… meaning he would finally have to pay him. The greedy goblin, he said smiling to himself.
Harry shrugged. "If that is happening, I have no control over it."
"You need to tell the goblins to stop," Dumbledore instructed him.
"I can't," Harry said.
Dumbledore took out a sheaf of parchment and a quill. "You will."
Harry laughed. "If I was ever to be incarcerated, Rotgnasher has been instructed to only follow my orders if I can directly talk to him and it can be verified I am not under the influence of any magic, drug or potion. I can also solemnly swear I have nothing to do with what is happening at the ministry or Gringotts. That is all you and your cronies."
Dumbledore looked less than pleased. "That is rather irresponsible of you."
Harry shrugged again. "I thought it rather practical. What he does otherwise, is none of my responsibility. His primary role is to represent his people and my family."
"And you insist you will marry two women against our laws?" Dumbledore questioned.
"There is no law in the magical world that prevents any witch or wizard from marrying multiple partners, and if you are talking about inheritance, I know you read the Potter and Black charters. You know I must have two wives," Harry told him evenly.
"You will lose the Potter seat if Miss Greengrass does not marry into both families," he told him. "Our laws only allow for line continuance in the situation you suggest."
Harry didn't say a word. He knew the old man knew what was going on. For Daphne, that was the essentials. It was a line continuance for the Greengrasses and the Blacks.
"You will lose your alliance with the goblins if you insist on this," Dumbledore threatened.
Harry grinned. "Are you trying to take my families seat? I know you tried that before and couldn't."
"You can't marry Miss Greengrass because there is another betrothal for the Blacks," Dumbledore told him.
Harry grinned more. "You mean that one Sirius signed?"
Dumbledore face went blank. "It was signed by your magical guardian."
"In direct contradiction of the Black Charter and his grandfather's will. It burned up the day I took my heirs ring," Harry told him, holding up the hand that held the regents ring of the Potters and the heirs ring of the Blacks.
This time Dumbledore took in a sharp breath, which Harry didn't get as he hadn't hid this from anyone since he had been able to come back out in the open after killing Voldemort. They stared at each other for a long few minutes before Dumbledore held out the parchment. "Write."
Harry sat up tall, took in a deep breath, made circles out of his thumb and pointer finger, then closed his eyes. It was time for him to find his centre. He was finding this situation rather amusing, as much as he hated the man.
"You really are a Dark Lord," Dumbledore said.
Harry's eyes shot open, a burning green fire in them. His voice was full of potent magic as he barely restrained himself. The air in the cell heated up. "I did not start this! I do not play with people's lives just for some trumped up Light Lord's ego thinking they are the god of this earth. Until I can talk directly with Solicitor Andromeda Tonks or Representative Rotgnasher, I have no bloody fuck idea what is going on. They know to not take any orders from me that don't come directly from my mouth, and if you dare try to compulse or imperious me, I swear that you will be a pile of ashes like that ruddy phoenix that abandoned you my sixth year."
This time anger did flash across Dumbledore's face.
"Enjoy your time here while we prepare your trial," Dumbledore told him.
"With pleasure."
-oOo-
February 17, 1999
London, England
The cell door opened. Harry looked up from the newest Daily Prophet. It sounded like riots were about to happen outside of Gringotts and in the atrium. He looked up when there was a clack of boots.
"Hey, Andi," he said rather casually. "I hear it's pretty wild out there."
She made a small sound of amusement. "The goblins are really riled over this. Shacklebolt and Dumbledore had no clue the ant hill they were kicking over."
"I see," he said waving the paper in the air with a big grin. "So, am I getting out of here or are they taking me to trial?"
"Good news for you, the DMLE has finished its review of the laws and finds its perfectly legal for what you are doing," she said.
"Go figure," he said, turning back to the paper.
She chuckled. "Get your ruddy arse up. We need to go talk with Rotgnasher and you have two overly concerned young women that want to make sure you're alright."
He sat up quickly. "Is Daphne alright? Gabrielle is here?"
"Daphne is waiting for us in Rotgnasher's office. Gabrielle is still at Beauxbatons. Her portkey doesn't take her here until tomorrow night," she told him. "You should send her a letter by house elf as soon as you can though."
His sudden panic lessened. He was snarky when he said, "Brilliant! And is the wedding still on this weekend?"
Daphne had been going slightly mental getting things ready with Dobby's help. He was sure the last five days hadn't helped.
"Fleur and my daughter have been helping her. I think she's been more worried about you over anything else," she told him.
He followed her out of the cell. He did a doffing of his hat to the two aurors that had been taking care of him. They had surreptitiously given their support to him. He gave a two-finger salute to two of the four that had arrested him. They looked at him rather sourly but didn't say a word.
When they got to the POTTER office, he knocked before entering. "I don't care! He is supposed to be out. He is supposed to be here. He is supposed to be marrying me this weekend!" Daphne raged.
"Miss Greengrass," Rotgnasher calmly said, his hand waving towards Harry.
"WHAT!" she snapped at Rotgnasher. "HARRY!" she exclaimed, rushing over to him.
Harry opened his arms. Daphne rushed into them. They had been growing close, he would even say he was falling for her, but he hadn't expected her to crash into him, hit his chest hard with her fists, then bury her head into his shoulder to cry.
He looked to Andi flummoxed. She gave him a knowing smile as she shut the door.
"It's alright, Daphne," he said, holding her tight.
"Miss Greengrass has been quite worried and vocal about your detention the last few days," Rotgnasher said. The goblin was being deferential to her, which Harry was grateful for because it meant they accepted her as his mate and she had done nothing to offend them.
"What happened?" Harry asked.
"The current ministry is near collapse," Andi said, moving over to the window. She opened it and he heard hundreds of people chanting. "Down with Dark Lord Dumbledore!"
His mouth dropped open. Daphne cried harder.
"Yes, the current catastrophe the ministry is dealing with has been mostly of her making. It will be quite profitable once everything is resolved," Rotgnasher said, sounding pleased at the chaos just a level below them. "You have chosen a worthy mate and Gringotts looks to keep our continuing business with your houses."
"I… Dark Lord Dumbledore?" he questioned.
Daphne's fists clenched his shirt. "The arse tried to declare you a dark lord when Rotgnasher brought the rules to the Wizengamot to have every other contract, betrothal, marriage licence and treaty reviewed. Three days ago, Gringotts closed its doors and the ICW suspended travel to the continent because of it."
"Bloody fuck! And you did this?" he asked her.
"Daphne gave us the idea. I had an inkling where we might find the old laws and Rotgnasher had the power to call on them," Andi told him. When he looked curiously at her, Andi just cocked her head while holding a professional face. "You pay me to make sure your actions are legal. When the Wizengamot tried to supersede family law, I just did what you pay me for."
He sounded far more pleased. "Brilliant. And Dark Lord Dumbledore?"
"Your betrothed made a rather impassioned speech yesterday morning," Rotgnasher told him. "She will be offered to be an adult among the goblins when you are married."
Harry held her tighter. To be named an adult among goblins meant you had earned their respect and had won a challenge that gained you honour. It also meant Daphne would be able to treat with the goblins on a level few witches could and they would treat her wealth as though it was their own, and defend it as such.
Harry had earned the right to be considered an adult by his defeat of Voldemort.
He kissed the side of her head. "Merlin, I love you," he said. It was the first time, but if she was willing to do that, he knew he had made the right decision. She stiffened in his arms, before clutching his shirt harder. Looking up, he had never seen her look so vulnerable. Her amber eyes were pools of emotion.
"Don't say that unless you mean it," she told him.
Harry leaned down to touch his nose to hers. "If someone is willing to do that for me, I will go to the ends of the earth for them. If that isn't love, then tell me what is?"
The emotions in her eyes turned into an intense heat. Moving her hands up to his hair, she pulled him down, hungrily attaching her mouth to his in a desperate snog. Harry returned the passion, happy to be out and that Daphne would do this for him.
Someone cleared their throat. When they separated, Daphne was now pressing herself firmly against him, crushing her breasts against his chest. Her body had been rubbing against him while they kissed and his body had responded. He had never lost himself like that before in such a public setting.
"I'm sure that you would like to mate at the moment, but I am not particularly fond of finding out how wizards mate," Rotgnasher dryly commented. Harry saw the gleam of mirth in his black eyes.
Daphne's face was almost as red as the first time Tracey had caught them. She tried to pull back with whatever dignity she had left. Andi was just smirking at them. Harry pulled her back in, defiantly staring her down. "We are not going to show how it is done, either," Harry flatly said to the goblin, who just gave him a shite-eating grin.
"If you two are ready, we should probably make an appearance to keep the people from rioting," Andi said.
"I will send a missive to Gringotts that I will withdraw the review as soon as you are cleared by the minister," Rotgnasher told him.
He held her close for a moment. "Are you ready, luv?"
She gently pushed off him, wiping the tears that were still on her cheeks and around her eyes. "I need to adjust my makeup."
"Come here. I will make you presentable," Andi told her. "And Harry, you need a freshening charm or two."
Daphne scrunched her nose. "I thought that was just Rotgnasher."
Rotgnasher growled at her as Harry grin. Sniffing his arm pit, he did smell ripe for being in the cell for the last six days.
-oOo-
February 18, 1999
London, England
Gabrielle still had her legs wrapped around him, her tongue in his mouth and hands in his hair when someone cleared their throat. "We really shouldn't wait around," Remus told him.
Harry pulled back. A little breathlessly he said, "We should go."
"I am not letting you go," she fiercely told him. He could swear her body was hotter than normal, and he didn't mean her looks.
"Gabrielle, we can talk about it later. Daphne and everyone are waiting for us," Harry said. She reluctantly climbed down, not having listened to everyone else. Harry gave her a cheeky grin. "You keep greeting me like that and people might get the wrong idea."
She giggled. "Or the right one."
"As disgusting human mating rituals are, I would not suggest you stay around," Rotgnasher said. With Harry coming to the ministry to pick up the Delacours, everyone was still on guard. The crowds had left after he showed them he was alright and assured them that everything would work, but everything wasn't totally settled yet.
"Jean-Paul, Appoline, please excuse my rudeness for not greeting you properly, but Rotgnasher is right," Harry said, taking Gabrielle's hand.
"Has it been as bad as the papers say?" Jean-Paul asked.
They were just walking out of the international portkey room when Harry stepped before Gabrielle. Standing at the guard station were two people he never wanted to see again.
"Harry, may we have a word?" Dumbledore requested. Remus moved in closer to Harry's side.
"I'm afraid we are just passing through," Harry told the man.
"Please, Mister Potter. There was an egregious misunderstanding that we think can be resolved quietly," Minister Shacklebolt said.
The tip of the elder wand fell to the tips of his fingers. At least the morons didn't bring Aurors this time. "You can take it up with my solicitor and representative. Now, if you excuse me, the Delacours would like to go through security and then we must be off," Harry told them.
Gabrielle was pressing into his back.
"You would not want to upset the French ministry by harassing its residents? Would you?" Jean-Paul enquired. He had move to shield his wife and daughter as much as possible.
"Nothing like that," Dumbledore said. "Is this the other young lady that will become your wife?"
His wand fell into his hand as his eyes narrowed. "That is not your business."
"Maybe not, but we still need to talk."
"Are you going to arrest me again if I don't?"
Dumbledore frowned. "You may have quelled the crowds yesterday, but there are still questions of your intention in all this."
Harry snorted. "My intentions, you olde arse, is to just live my life and give everyone else that opportunity."
"And what about the vote of no-confidence? A creature like a goblin can't start those proceedings, even if he is your representative," Shacklebolt said.
"Creature?" Gabrielle said in a hushed tone. He could hear the anger in that.
Harry rose a brow. "I thought goblins were recognized as fully sentient last summer?"
"That still does not mean the goblin meets the criteria. Family law cannot supersede the rules of the Wizengamot on this matter," Dumbledore told him.
"One way or another, you are going down and I'm going to enjoy seeing you walked out of here in manacles," Harry told the man.
Dumbledore rose his wand. "Minister, I do believe that you and a member of the Wizengamot has been threatened." Several Aurors came from around a corner.
Gabrielle pushed past him. "Gabrielle!"
She shook his hand off her. She was angrily jabbering something in French. He only understood 'cushon'. There were flames on her hands as she clenched them. Two Aurors stepped out from behind a wall. Harry's wand came up as Dumbledore rose a wand, then Harry's eyes went as wide as saucers. Gabrielle brought her foot up. Dumbledore had his wand in midmotion before her foot connected with his family bits.
Dumbledore's eyes widened before he leaned forward, a pained squeak coming from him before her fist came up to hit him squarely in the nose. His head whiplashed back. Harry watched in shock as the man's eyes rolled back into his head. Her fire exploded, setting his beard on fire in purple flames.
He was so stunned to see the cute Gabrielle doing that, he only reacted when Jean-Paul called out. "Stop her or she will kill him!"
This seemed to get everyone else's attention. Gabrielle had shaken her hand, then moved to attack the crumpled form of Dumbledore. Harry's wand made a small circle. A solid shield popped up just behind Dumbledore.
The stunners from the Aurors bounced off it. Remus and Jean-Paul were moving to protect them as Harry charged after his fiery blonde. She is literally on fire! part of him screamed. It was as disturbing as it was hot.
She was still screaming French invectives and had started to punch the unconscious figure when he wrapped his arms around her. She fought him like a banshee, screaming, kicking and still trying to reach the man. He had to bodily carry her back.
When he got her back to the others, she was still trying to break out of his arms. "Harry, you must stop her. It is you she is protecting," Appoline told him.
"Gabrielle! Gabrielle! OW! Dammit! Gabrielle!" he yelled as she scratched at his arms and got his wrist and hands with her sharp nails. For some reason her fire didn't even singe him. He managed to get her before him. Her blue eyes had turned to giant orbs of blue. There wasn't any iris. He brought his green eyes to hers. "Gabrielle! I'm here. I'm fine," he told her.
She looked ready to kill someone. When she jabbered in French, he cursed himself. "God dammit! I need to learn French!"
The only way he knew she stopped when excited was to kiss her. He let go of her arms, managed to cup her face and planted his lips on hers. It was a long few beats of his heart before she finally calmed and melted into this kiss.
The jangling of armour announced the arrival of ten goblin guards in full armour.
Harry pulled back to watch her eyes turn back into the deep blue he loved. He was breathing hard, like she had just sprinted beyond her endurance. "Are you alright?"
"He was… going to curse… you," she told him through gasps.
Remus came over and touched his arm. "We should go," Remus told him.
Harry suddenly became aware of what was going on. The goblins were standing between him and the ministry. The Aurors had stopped casting and two were now looking over the crumpled form of Dumbledore. Much of his beard was gone, there were burn marks on his robes and he might have a few burns on his face. Shacklebolt was at the back of the ministry crowd.
Harry felt a surge of hatred go through him. He was about to bring his wand up when Jean-Paul put a strong hand on his, keeping it down. "Minister Shacklebolt, I will be lodging an official complaint about this."
"As will I," Rotgnasher said.
Gabrielle was holding his arm tightly.
Appoline came up next to him, whispering to him. "Harry, Gabrielle will need to be carried."
He looked to the woman, not understanding.
"She will be near magical exhaustion after that," Appoline still whispered.
He turned to see the woman was right. Gabrielle's focus was a thousand miles away and she hadn't stopped panting. Not hesitating, he scooped her up into his arms.
"Mister Potter, you can't leave! You are under arrest," one of the Aurors angrily stated.
"Watch me!" he yelled over his shoulder to Shacklebolt and the Aurors. He was escorted to the lifts, then the atrium by Remus, Jean-Paul, Appoline and eight goblin warriors.
-oOo-
That night…
Nottingham, England
Harry sat on the edge of the bed. Gabrielle was sleeping. Her breathing was more even and deeper than it had been earlier. As he pushed her hair out of her face, Harry found he enjoyed watching her sleep. This was going to be so hard when he wouldn't be able to have both the girls he wanted next to him every night.
A figure cast a shadow into the room. He knew it could only be one of a few people he had allowed into his flat.
Until the wedding, Gabrielle, Jean-Paul, Appoline, Andi and Ted were staying at his house. They were helping with the final preparations. All the remodelling that Andi had pressed him to do was going to pay off when Daphne and him were married in the courtyard on Saturday, and then they came up here for the reception with those that were closest to them.
"Why did she exhaust herself? I thought veela could control the fire?" Harry asked.
"We can. It is harder until we can stabilize our core. As you know, she has been saving herself for you," Appoline told him.
He ran the back of his finger over her cheek. Gabrielle gently leaned into them. "I was going to try to wait until we are married. Should I not?"
"That is for you and her to decide. I know what my husband desires. I know what a veela desires. Do not worry. You still mean to marry after she graduates, non?"
"Yeah. I didn't want her to feel like I was lessening anything between us by rushing the engagement and the marriage while I was rushing to marry Daphne. I don't think it fair to her until then. I can't pull her out of school, and I know it will hurt her if we were to marry and then I had to send her away," Harry told her.
"Oui. It would hurt you both. Gabrielle will be fine until you decide. She has been very worried about you," Appoline told him.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause so much trouble, but it was necessary," Harry told her.
Appoline moved into the room. She was staring at him. "Are you saying that you purposefully got arrested?"
"No," Harry told her, shaking his head. "But I could have escaped." He pulled up the sleeve on his left arm. Touching his forearm, the holster and the elder wand came into view. Appoline looked surprised. "You will be my family in a few months. I have told Daphne about this last night. I am going to tell Gabrielle when I propose, but I think you and Jean-Paul should know if you don't want Gabrielle to marry me."
Appoline gave him a curious look. "You are not trying to find a way to break Gabrielle's heart, are you?"
Harry shook his head again. "I know the history of the veela. I would never have led Gabrielle on. Since the tournament, we have shared letters, and I have enjoyed every time I have seen her. It would be beyond cruel of me to leave her now. I know she wants her first mating with me. I know how important that is for your people," he said, looking the older woman in her eyes.
"It is especially important. It is what stabilizes our core. The more powerful the wizard, the more powerful we will be. If that coupling is for life, they will grow to be comparable to their mate. Very few veela ever reach that potential," she told him. "I do not know why you would think I would tell her to reject you? I can tell how powerful you are."
Harry slightly twisted his hand. The elder wand shot out and he caught it. "My family has a long history. I am still learning about the Potter family. Much of it has been documented over the last few centuries, but if you go further back, it falls into legend."
"We all have tales like that in our lineages," Appoline told him.
Harry held up his right hand. A black gold ring with a black stone that had a golden light from inside of it was on his ring finger. The soft glow illuminated a triangle with a circle and line in the centre of it.
With a slight swish of his wand, a cloak flew into the room. "I mean that my family is a legend. More specifically, the legend of three brothers that were once rumoured to meet Death." Her eyes widened. "They were gifted three artefacts of immense power. Supposedly, if they were ever united, the person would be considered the Master of Death."
His eyes were starting to glow.
"That is the legend."
She was looking at him. The creature in her that yearned to attach itself to power felt an unbridled attraction to him. "Then what is the truth?" she questioned in a hushed tone.
"They were not crafted by Death or any other god. They were made by my ancestors. I have found how they crafted them in my vaults. My family thought all but the Cloak of Invisibility lost to time, though they never stopped searching for them. The items are blood bound to my line, so they would never work to their true potential if not held by a Peverell," he told her.
"To the best of my knowledge, I am now the last of the Peverells. Iolanthe Peverell married Hardwin Potter in thirteen-sixty-two. The only other line of the Peverells that I know of the Gaunts. They came from the elder brother, so should have had the claim over the family legacy."
"Do you know who the last of the Gaunts were?"
She shook her head, feeling the magic coming off him. Harry was feeling the knowledge of his ancestors channelling through the ring to gain the knowledge he needed. He knew some of this already, but not everything he was telling Appoline.
"Tom Marvolo Riddle. The son of Thomas Edward Riddle and Merope Carmine Gaunt." He wrote out Tom's name. "If you rearrange the letters, you get this."
She gasped as the letters rearranged themselves. "Non!"
"I defeated Voldemort three times by the time I was twelve. At thirteen I was able to claim the heirship. I didn't know, but Voldemort had lost his claim by then. Through conquest, I was able to take the birthright of my family. The elder wand was Voldemort's birthright as his forefather was Antioch. It is the most powerful wand that I know of. It amplifies my power beyond anything I have known."
He rubbed the cloak longingly. "My birthright is the cloak. It has remained in my family since it was made nearly eight hundred years ago. The only one in existence to ever do so."
The ring caught her eye as he moved his hand. "The ring would have been the birthright of anyone born of Cadmus. As he never had any children, it went to Voldemort as well, but he never understood what he really had."
"You defeated You-Know-Who, so you are the heir of the Deathly Hallows?" Appoline said in awe.
"I am. They don't make you Master of Death though. The wand amplifies the user's natural gifts. I am naturally gifted with a great power.
The cloak is a perfect invisibility cloak. It will hide the user from everything, unless a certain old man manages to put some threads into it that don't belong. He nearly broke it," Harry said in anger, then took a calming breath. The magic in the room became oppressive. Appoline took a step back. Gabrielle muttered and shifted but moved closer to him.
"It was made to protect that which is most precious. Ignotius wasn't trying to hide from death but hide his wife and daughter because of a blood feud. He used it to keep them safe and only died when the last of the family that was hunting his finally died. It also helps to shield the user of the wand and resurrection stone from the power they can wield to keep you from burning out your core.
When united, the cloak also makes a link to the afterlife, like the veil in the Department of Mysteries. Matched with the stone, it allows me to pull on the knowledge of my family. It doesn't really call back the dead, but somehow it has recorded the knowledge of every person to share Peverell blood since it was created in twelve-eighty-seven. It is only because I have the wand to boost my power, the knowledge of my ancestors on how it was made and the material the veil was made from, does the legend of the Master of Death come about."
Her eyes were huge.
"I was only able to defeat Voldemort after we destroyed the abominations he used to keep himself alive by being able to use my family's legacy. There was no way I was going to be able to gain nearly seventy years of knowledge when I was fifteen, or even seventeen. It is too much power for only one person to have. I find myself fighting to keep my humanity at times when they call out to destroy my enemies. But Gabrielle," he said, the ring's glow fading and his eyes going back to normal. "Gabrielle, and now Daphne, Bill, Fleur, Tonks, Remus, Teddy and Victoire… they keep me grounded. As much as I hate Dumbledore, he wasn't wrong. Love is a great magic. It is the only thing that helps to reign in the power that wants to consume me."
She was looking at Harry open mouthed.
"If you don't want me near Gabrielle, I will break this off. I haven't officially proposed to her yet, so I can just walk away," he said, looking back up to Appoline. Pain and loss were all over his face. "I don't want to see her hurt."
Appoline didn't doubt that Harry had just told her the truth. Blood started to seep out of his nose. "Harry, your nose."
He reached up and touched his upper lip. "That is one of the prices I pay when I use the ring. I'll have a killer headache tomorrow too."
"Are you alright?" she asked, stepping closer.
"Yeah. I just need to know if you want me around Gabrielle?" he put to her.
She moved to be next to him. Taking a handkerchief out of a pocket, she bent down to clean up the nosebleed. "Gabrielle loves you. I would never deny my daughters the love they so desire. It is so rare for veela to find true love. Your power, and your capacity to control it, give me heart that you will love and protect Gabrielle and any little ones she gives you. I look forward to many grandchildren, and the good man that will be their father."
Harry gave her a thankful look. "Will Jean-Paul feel the same?"
"He will want Gabrielle to be happy. You have nothing to fear about him rejecting you."
He swayed a little as the headache was starting to hit him.
She pushed back his hair and kissed his forehead. "You look tired. You should get some sleep."
"I still have stuff to do tonight," he told her.
"You look exhausted now. Lay down."
He looked to her, then Gabrielle. "Appoline…"
"My daughter will sleep the night. Are you trying to tell me you are a man that would take advantage of that?"
"I would never!" Harry indignantly stated.
She smiled at him. "I know. That is why I trust you. Besides, if I know my daughter, she will not be waiting, and if I try to fight it, she will only find ways to be bolder with you. Lay down. Sleep."
Harry shook his head. "Women," he muttered. She kissed his forehead again.
"We have to be so hard because the men we often love are hardheaded," she told him.
Harry chuckled. "I've been told that a few times. Appoline?"
"Oui?"
"Can you and Fleur teach me French?"
She gave him a soft smile. "Oui. Tomorrow though."
Harry nodded before laying down to be next to Gabrielle. "I'll move to my bed in a little bit."
Appoline knew that Harry would soon be cuddled with her daughter, and she would keep her husband occupied to let them have this quiet night. Tomorrow she would officially start the wedding planning that she had already been preparing for months. It would not be this small affair this weekend would be.
-oOo-
Next time on the Angels of the Black Knight: A wedding, a ministry trying to salvage the mess they made and Harry and Daphne get a look at what it's like to have a child.