Beware My Power
Disclaimer: SEE FIRST CHAPTER
Review Answer:
WhiteElfElder: All will be revealed soon enough;
"HE'S BACK! VOLDEMORT'S BACK! AND IF YOU CAN'T BELIEVEME,THEN WHY DON'T YOU ASKHIM?"
Now, all thoughts of celebration were banished, replaced with mind-numbing fear, terror and disbelief as the crowds saw Harry Potter and Cedric Diggory rise, holding the Triwizard Cup between them, while Harry had his eyes fixed on the cowering, screaming, pleading form of Peter Pettigrew, who screamed it for everyone to hear.
"I DID IT! I REVIVED THE DARK LORD! I BETRAYED THE POTTERS! I PUT POTTER'S NAME IN THE CUP! I DID IT! AND NOW, HE HAS RETURNED! PLEASE, SAVE ME FROM HIM! SAVE ME FROM THE DARK LORD!"
Chapter 2: Of Mice, Men and Masters
"It's not true!"
"Um, yes, it is."
"He's not back!"
"I'm sorry, do you have selective deafness as well as spontaneous acts of wanton stupidity?"
"Watch your tone, boy!"
"Boy?" asked Harry curiously, a note of amazement in his voice as he looked up from where he was toying with a loose strand on his robe, before he locked eyes with a red-faced Cornelius Fudge, who paled when Harry looked into his eyes, the emerald-green eyes of the local hero shining like the Killing Curse, making him look less like a boy and more like a Lord.
Fudge, meanwhile, still looked like the idiot that Harry had just claimed he was as he saw said youth smile like a shark smelling blood in the water before he asked, "I'm sorry, Cornelius: but did you actually just call the Head of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter, aka the same powerful little guy to whom you owe your feckless existence; the reason your supporters sit pretty in their ivory towers! Did you actually just call that guy, aka the handsome and awesome little ol' me…a boy?"
"Harry, I'm sure the Minister didn't mean anything by it," argued Dumbledore, earning a scoff from Harry.
"Oh! He didn't mean anything by it? I see," drawled Harry, the air of sarcasm lacing his remark more than evident, while he nodded slowly, the air of mockery now present on his face as he explained, "Yeah, well that's Jim-cracking-dandy for you, Albus, but as for normal people like me? Where you see someone who didn't mean anything by it, I see a fool, hear a coward and smell a House's Common Room full of bullshit!"
His eyes flashed dangerously as he snapped out the last words, before he sneered at Dumbledore, who seemed more than shocked by Harry's icy, powerful voice, as well as the choice of words made by the young Champion, as he pressed, "So, as much as I love seeing you roll over and show your belly when trouble rears its head in this…what's it meant to be? Oh yes, a school!"
A collective flinch filled the office as Harry snapped out the last word, before he lifted a finger to Dumbledore, "As much as I love seeing the weaker you, Albus, old chap, right now, I think I need to be dealing with the supposedly-great, he-who-is-feared by the Dark, War Hero known to the world as Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, so, mutt, be a good doggy and scurry off back in your kennel, if you please."
Even Fudge looked shocked, while Harry looked back to the Minister, "Now, Minister, with all due respect, I've told you, Cedric's told you, Wormtail himself's told you. Plus, not that his opinion matters, but even Snivellus has told and shown you…"
He indicated Snape, who seemed to be fighting the urge to be his usual snarky self, while the man's sleeves had been rolled up, revealing the thick, black outline of the Dark Mark for all to see.
A point Harry latched onto as he lifted a finger – and not the one he wanted to lift – as he continued.
"Also, while we're on the subject of people who are real criminals and what sort of leader you are for letting them walk around flashing their pretties, can I say? If you were a true Minister of the people, for the people and by the people as you so parrot, you'd have had your Aurors take Snivellus here with them when they carted Peter Pettigrew's sorry ass out of here; I mean, he is a Death Eater."
"He was acquitted…"
"Oh yes, that's right; I remember your conveniently-left-out Pensieve memory, Albus," drawled Harry, cutting Dumbledore off, "You know? It's funny you vouch for the single worst teacher in history, and yes, I include the fake, the alcoholic, the ghost and the psycho Squib in that list when I say that. Yet, you, Mr Chief Warlock and all those other trumpets you love blowing…and that's probably not all you love blowing!"
"Silence, Potter!"
"Go fuck yourself, Snivellus; somebody has to, I suppose," said Harry, before he flashed a cold, shark-like smile in Snape's direction, "Especially since my Dad got the best of the bunch when he loved, kissed, shagged and impregnated my Mum."
"YOU BASTARD!"
"Knew it," said Harry in a mocking voice, as he dodged Snape's tackle without much effort, earning an alarmed look from Dumbledore, while Fudge seemed taken aback as Harry added, "Wow, a Death Eater assaults the Boy-Who-Lived? In other news, me Harry, sky blue, fire bad, tree pretty."
Again, his sarcasm was more than evident as he clicked his tongue before he added, "My point is, we have an acquitted Death Eater…and yet, the guy who would and nearly did die for me, alias my godfather, one Lord Sirius Orion Black, was not even defended by a jury of his peers, much less the professional Chief Warlock; hell, he didn't even have a trial in the first place! Meanwhile, this psychopathically-delusional criminal is allowed to vouch for his guilt and make up a bullshit excuse to explain my argument when I tell you, Minister, about my godfather's innocence, not that you were listening to anything, but cash registers at the time. You know, it makes you wonder where some people's priorities lie, right, Albus, my boy?"
As Dumbledore stared in a mixture of alarm and disbelief at the fact that Harry had not only made Severus show his true colours, but also brushed them off easily, Harry shrugged dismissively, "I mean, not to keep circling back to the bleeding obvious here, but why else would the Chief Warlock allow another Death Eater, meaning one Igor Karkaroff, to come back to the shores of Magical Britain after being exiled as penance for his crimes when the Hitler-lookalike's son got outed…oh, by the way, you might want to go and fetch Professor Moody. After all that time locked up in his own trunk, he's probably gone more nuts than ever."
"What…what are you…what do you…why…"
"Oh, you need me to spell it out for you, do you, Fudge?" asked Harry, before he shrugged ruefully as he reached down, picking up the bag holding the one thousand Galleons prize money he'd been given by Cedric as a thanks for saving him before, opening the bag, he reached in and pulled out a couple of Galleons. "Okie-dokie, but pay attention...key word being pay, would you?"
One by one, to Dumbledore's shock and Fudge's disbelief, Harry began flicking the Galleons at the Minister, letting them land at his feet as Harry singled out each syllable of his argument as though he was talking to an exceptionally-slow child.
"Well. As. I. Have. It. On. Good. Authority. Mad. Eye. Moody. Was. Really. Barty. Crouch, Junior. Who. Isn't. Dead. After. All…there! That enough convincing for you to see sense, you corrupt little twat?"
"How…how dare you…"
"How? Well, it's like Snivellus loves crowing, Minister: I'm a Potter, which, apart from being devilishly-handsome and better than greasy Death Eaters with fetishes for the dead, damned and desperate, also means that daring's our middle name, just like Magpie might as well be your middle name, Cornelius Magpie Fudge," said Harry in a matter-of-fact voice, closing up the bag before he scoffed with annoyance, "Sadly, as richer and better than this prick as I am, I'm not all that eager to throw away money I don't need on morons, so I think 21 Galleons should be enough…right?"
"I…I should have…have you…arrested…"
"Funny, considering last year, you cared so much about my welfare," argued Harry, folding his arms smugly, the bag of coins jangling loudly as he did so, "I mean, you arranged an escort worthy of a visit from the leader of a foreign nation, escorting little ol' me and my party all the way from the Leaky Cauldron to King's Cross Station. Then, you had soul-eating creatures threaten people like Lucius Malfoy's slimy little bastard on the train and patrolling a school, while you made sure you believe the word of a Death Eater over the bleeding obvious truth and, let's not forget, you came to the Leaky Cauldron to meet with me, and all for a simple case of Accidental Magic: given I was of age and heir apparent to become my true self, I have to wonder: were you worried about me, Cornelius, or my bank balance?"
"I am not some money-grubbing fake, boy! I am the Minister for Magic!" snapped Fudge, earning a twinkle from Harry's green eyes that, for a brief moment, made him look like a better version of the other twinkly-eyed moron in the room.
"Then, just out of curiosity, Minister: where are the coins I dropped at your feet?"
Shocked by Harry's attitude, Fudge looked down, before Harry smiled, "Why Minister, is that money in your pocket or are you happy to see me?"
When Fudge revealed the Galleons that Harry had thrown at him, holding them in his hands like they were the only source of wealth he needed, the boy scoffed amusingly and shook his head, tutting disapprovingly as he drawled, "So you're not corrupt, you say? Yeah, and I'm Merlin's son! Now, how's about you take your ill-gotten blood money, run off to the Ministry of Mediocrity and Morons, and do what little you do to get my godfather out of trouble and away from the so-called crimes he never even committed and, for once in your life, do the right thing?"
To Albus' disbelief, Fudge's voice was soft, if not compliant, his expression one of regret and calm acceptance as he responded to Harry's demand.
"Yes, you…you're right, of course, Lord Potter. I…I'll get right on that; in the meantime, Dumbledore, we'll need to discuss your Death Eater fixation at some other time. And Professor Snape: be warned, the leniency you may or may not have rightfully earned from Albus applies only as long as you act in a professional and neutral manner towards all students. If I hear you've attacked a student, least of all Lord Potter, for any reason, you'll be in Azkaban faster than you can say Quidditch."
"Cornelius…"
"Oh, don't worry, Albus," said Fudge, before he smiled softly as he handed the gold back to Harry, "Here, Harry; I have no need to take money from our nation's hero, who has done more for this school, and our nation, than anyone here."
Harry's lips twitched in amusement when Fudge glared at Dumbledore as he said the last part to Harry, before directing his next words to the old man directly as he explained, "Don't worry, Albus I will release a statement confirming the rumours of Lord…Voldemort's return; somebody has to be seen doing something…well, I mean somebody who isn't a fourteen-year-old boy who should only be concerned with girls, gold and glory."
"Thank you, Minister," said Harry, returning the gold to the bag before he nodded curtly. "And I apologise for my rude comments before; I suppose you could say, given all I've seen of how our world really works, I hoped that helping you see the truth of things was the only way anyone would listen to me, for once, and not just my scar or my fame."
"No offence meant, none taken, my young friend…excuse me, I mean Lord Potter," said Fudge, tipping his hat to Harry before he snapped his fingers as though struck by a sudden bout of inspiration, "Ah, and, on that note, I want you to know that, should you need any advice on fulfilling your duties to your Household, or any other queries or concerns, consider my office an open door to you."
"I shall, thank you, Minister."
With a curt nod from Harry, Fudge left.
Harry, meanwhile, looked back to Dumbledore, "Well…that was a nice twist; something actually goes my way, and I didn't have to bribe or threaten anybody or think the sun sets when I sit down…right, Snivellus?"
Snape scowled, before Harry rose from his chair and, turning on his heel, he drew himself to his full height, not looking at his most-hated member of the faculty, but the tone in his words made no doubt about who it was that he was speaking to.
"Try to lay your fingers on me again, you overcompensating child and I solemnly swear, in the name of the Father you love reminding me of the death of so very much; I promise…your feet won't touch the ground, but you will be made to kiss the feet of a superior wizard when I, the Lord who owns your hide by way of my Father's life-debt, make you my bitch, understand, Snivellus?"
Snape growled, earning a scoff from Harry, who lifted a hand to his left ear.
"I'm sorry? I didn't quite hear that."
"Yes…"
"Yes…what?"
Snape was visibly trembling, while his eyes were like black pinpricks as he hissed through clenched, cracking teeth. "Yes…Lord Potter!"
"Good dog," replied Harry, leaving the office.
Ironically, his robes billowed like the wings of a demon as he walked out through the door.
Barely two seconds later, even before the door closed, Harry smiled when he heard things smashing, accompanied by Snape's impotent roars badmouthing Harry and making a mess for his false master.
'You'll learn, Snivellus,' thought Harry, licking his lips slowly. 'And this time, I will be the teacher…and you will be the dunderhead I have to teach.'
BMP
"Pardonnez-moi Monsieur Potter?"
The day after the revelation, Harry looked up from his own thoughts to see the Delacour Sisters had strayed from their classmates to meet with him.
"Ah, milady Delacour…and the young Mademoiselle Delacour too," said Harry, kissing Fleur's knuckles, before he did the same with Gabrielle, who giggled as she saw him wink at the younger Delacour playfully, "What a rare, civil honour this is: pray tell, fair maidens, what favours might I grant such enchanting goddesses who come before a mere mortal such as I?"
"You may cut ze act, Monsieur Potter," replied Fleur, her grasp on English surprisingly-strong, or so Harry thought as he looked to her, "We are not 'ere to pander like leetle boys might; no, mon Champion incontesté; ma soeur et moi' ave a…'ow you say, proposition for you."
"Really?" asked Harry, rising from where he'd been sitting on the wall in the Clock Tower Courtyard, watching as his peers and guests socialised before the guests gave their final farewells and returned to where they came from, now that the Tournament was over. "Well, do you have time to take this somewhere more…out of the way? Something tells me we'd be better off remaining undisturbed while a mere boy like me talks with two goddesses like you and your baby sis, am I right?"
"Oui," replied Gabrielle, earning a curt nod from Harry as he turned and led them away from the courtyard, over the bridge and out towards the path down to Hagrid's hut.
However, it was the Stone Circle that Harry stopped at, on the outer side of the ring as he turned to the Delacours before he cocked an eyebrow at them, "Now, dear ladies, whatever do you mean by cut the act?"
Leaning in close, Fleur's voice became surprisingly-cold, as well as ominous, as she whispered in Harry's ear.
"We know you 'ave become touched and consumed by ze Dark Magiques!"
"I see," said Harry.
The fact he wasn't panicking surprised Gabrielle, while Fleur found herself shivering as Harry moved his hand to her cheek, so she was looking into his eyes, "I suppose I should have expected a delicacy like you to sense my new powers, as well as my new air of malefic intent, Veela; your kind do have a strong affinity with the magic of others…in particular, those who your true nature begs to be drawn to, even if it means being slaves."
Suddenly, Fleur's eyes widened as she felt a drain on her body, while Harry's green eyes shone like the Killing Curse as he smiled wolfishly, licking his lips provocatively as he looked into the alarmed girl's eyes. "Personally, I'm going to enjoy feeding on the power contained in that treat and making it all mine; it's going to make enslaving the pathetic weaklings that much easier with a Veela's Allure at my command!"
"N-N-N-N-Non…s'il vous plait," said Fleur, her voice trembling, while her body started to feel weaker as she begged, "We…we are not 'ere to…to expose you, Monsieur…we…Gabrielle and I…we…we wish…we want…"
"We actually want to become your slaves, mon maître," replied Gabrielle, her voice stronger than before, while her choice of words surprised Harry, causing him to release Fleur, making the elder Delacour gasp and cough before she nodded when he looked back to Fleur.
"She…she speaks ze truth, sire; we…we wish to…to make ourselves…yours…is zat ze correct phrase?"
"Almost," said Harry, licking his fingers, as though savouring some leftover sauce, "Hmm…tangy, but tasty; certainly one of the better snacks I've had of late…anyway; I confess it's an interesting proposition, Mademoiselles, but…on the other hand, Fleur, your magic is delicious…and, as I said, gaining the power to make people putty in my hands, just by fluttering my eyelashes? It's a nice perk of my little snack."
"Zen…zen please feast, mon maître," said Fleur, before she indicated Gabrielle, "But…but if you must mange on moi, please…my last wish; please let my sister be yours. Not food, your servant, your pleasure, your concubine…please; you do not 'ave to love her; she understands…we both do…"
"She's a kid," said Harry, earning a faint giggle from Gabrielle.
"Revenir," whispered the younger Delacour.
As Harry watched, his eyes widened slightly when he saw Gabrielle's body glowing with a faint aura of white light; within the light, Gabrielle's body grew, until she stood at the same height as Fleur, her eyes sparkling with bluish-silvery wonder. She also filled out to the point that she became as much a horny teen's wet dream as her sister while, to Harry's amusement, Gabrielle's change was emphasised by the appearance of two large black wings, made up of many sleek, shiny-looking feathers.
"Ah…I see, so you went through your Veela transformation, which means you're...roughly fourteen or fifteen, I'd guess, and not the little six-year-old child of a girl you appeared to be, am I right?" asked Harry, earning a nod from Gabrielle. "When?"
"When you saved me, my Dark Lord," said Gabrielle, earning a raised eyebrow from Harry, though that was because of the lightly-accented brogue leaving Gabrielle's lips, "It was a weird night, but once it was over, I was my true self. Then, last night, after you helped protect my sister, we were in our room whilst the others were waiting for you and Mr Diggory and, suddenly, both of us, Fleur and I, we…we changed."
"White wings turned dark, I'm guessing?"
"Yes," replied Gabrielle, before Harry saw her wings recede into her body, "But, more than that, we both felt a new, dark lust rising inside of us. One that merged with, as you said, our Veela desire to submit to the greatest power we could find…and, when it washed over both of us, I…I knew…we both did that…that the greatest power was…you, my Lord."
"Then you probably knew there was a risk you'd offer yourselves and I'd eat you?" asked Harry, folding his arms as he looked to his apparently-new servants; at the same time, he assumed Fleur and/or Gabrielle had soundproofed their meeting, since nobody was kicking up a shit-storm about Gabrielle calling Harry her Dark Lord.
"Yes," said Fleur, before she indicated her sister, "But when we realised ze risk, we agreed, if eizer of us was going to be food, mon maître, I would beg it to be me. Gabrielle owes you her life from ze lake; all I owe you is care. So, if any of us has ze right to serve, it is ma soeur."
"And what if I'd just as soon as have both of you?" asked Harry, a note of amusement lacing his words.
"Then we are both yours, my King, as meals or to consummate your body's hunger for flesh," explained Gabrielle, earning a cold smile from Harry as he looked to Fleur, who nodded in agreement.
"I see."
"Whatever you decide, we are prepared," added Fleur, earning a slow nod from Harry.
"Good…then, for now, dear ladies, go home; once there, you will wait for me to call you, by which time, I'll have made my choice…but, be warned: I don't accept begging, so, in the end, I'll eat one or both of you. Or I'll feed on neither of you and instead, make you my playthings. Whatever my choice, I want you to understand nothing you say will make me change my mind, understand?"
"Oui, mon maître," chorused the Delacours.
Harry, meanwhile, indicated Gabrielle, "Also, since I now see you'll do what I ask, I want you to stay in your true, fully-matured and deliciously-sexy form, Gabrielle: if anyone asks about why you look different, tell them you chose to wear a glamour so you wouldn't have to suffer the prejudice of treatment that Fleur did, but now, you're willing to reveal yourself in all your glory, if only cause you're going home."
"As you wish, my Lord."
"Good," said Harry, before he indicated the area around them, "Now, lift your privacy spell and go back to the party; meanwhile, I think I'll stay here for a moment…if only so I can see what is mine from one of its better angles."
Both girls laughed before they made sure to give their master an eyeful as they left the Dark Lord alone with his dark thoughts and decisions, as well as a rise in an appetite of a different sort, which, even though he wouldn't admit it, least of all to them, would help Harry make his choice.
In all honesty, it was as easy as choosing whether or not to breathe when he made his choice about keeping two sexy, tasty goddesses to himself.
BMP
"Do you reckon we'll ever have a normal year at Hogwarts?"
"Normality's overrated, if you ask me, Ron," argued Harry, making Ron and Hermione jump as they saw their friend return from wherever he'd been hiding. As he did, Harry saw Hermione pocket a slip of parchment, while his eyes also narrowed as he saw Ron had a faint, red mark on his cheek, which looked suspiciously like lipstick.
"So…is there something you two want to tell me?" asked the emerald-eyed scion in a teasing voice.
"Ron just got what he's wanted all year," laughed Hermione, indicating the larger mass of students socialising over her right shoulder, "Gabrielle Delacour just kissed him, as a way of thanking him for helping you save her in the Second Task."
"I mean, I think it was her," admitted Ron, earning a curious look from Harry, who silently applauded his ability to feign ignorance about his servants and their changes as of late. "She…she's very different-looking now…I mean, all right, she's a good kind of different, but…bloody hell; she said it was some sort of magical change thing, but…blimey; I'll sleep well tonight."
"Don't be so crass, Ronald," argued Hermione, earning a soft laugh from Harry.
"Oh yeah? And what about you? Getting Viktor Krum's address? Are you going to write back to him?" asked Ron, earning another laugh from Harry, before Ron looked to his best friend as he added, "I guess we were wrong about him thinking of her as just a Ball fling thing."
"So…do I get to say I told you so now or later, you prat?" asked Harry amusingly, earning a faint blush from Ron, while Harry looked to Hermione with as much friendly support and encouragement as he could muster as he explained, "I don't know if you'll make good on his wish to keep in touch, Hermione, but, take it from someone who knows. Take the bull by the horns and ride that like it owes you money cause, at the end of the day, like any other teenager our age, or yours, you deserve to be happy."
"Harry! We're from different countries! He's a senior!"
"And you're the brightest witch of your age with far more brains than that Bulgarian Bonbon's band of bimbo-brained believers…"
"Try saying that five times fast," muttered Ron, earning a snort from Harry.
"Don't let Gred and Forge hear you say that," laughed the emerald-eyed scion, shaking his head amusingly as he returned his attention to his brown-haired best friend. "But, even with everything that's happened to him, he still admits, in his own way, he likes you, which is more than can be said for some teenage boys with hormones guiding everything they say and do since this madness all started."
Here, Harry looked to Ron, who shrugged before Harry reached up and brushed a hand over Ron's lipstick mark, accidentally smearing it into the boy's skin, as he went on, "Personally, after all the crap we've had to deal with this year, I think I speak for our little Golden Trio in particular when I say that we're all due some happiness. And if Ron finds his being a typical teenage boy, who is happiest when he's polishing his wand thinking of Gabrielle's kiss or where it might have gone, and you, Hermione, start dreaming of Krum naked in the shower, making you…"
"O-Kay, I think we get it, Harry!" laughed Ron, while Hermione also blushed at the insinuation as Harry pulled away from his redheaded best friend and honorary brother-figure. "But what about you, mate? How are you getting the happiness you're owed? Or is there something you're not telling us? What? Did Fleur kiss and make up for her leetle boy comment from before?"
"Well, while my answer to that last question is a regrettable not yet, in the meantime, let's do a headcount regarding my happiness, shall we Ronald Weasley?" asked Harry amusingly, holding up one hand as he did indeed count off his points. "Finally leaving this place with the hope of soon being able to live a life free of the Dursleys? Check; confident I never have to go back to being a skivvy to ungrateful Muggles once I take care of some unfinished business back in Durzkaban? Check; getting the family I lost all thanks to cowards and hypocritical psychopaths? Check; knowing Sirius is getting his chance to give me a home and honour his promise to watch out for me and my wellbeing? Check; and, last, but by no means least, me actually able to have a good summer? Check."
"Even with him back and out there, you mean?" asked Ron.
"Yeah: check, all that's missing is a chess set," drawled Harry, earning a confused look from Ron, while Hermione scoffed, shaking her head.
"Checkmate…that's got to be the worst joke ever, Harry."
"I'm disappointed in myself," argued Harry, feigning disappointment before he laughed weakly as he added, "Quick; someone change the topic."
As the others laughed in agreement, Hermione lowered her eyes, blushing before she looked to her two friends.
"Everything's going to change now, isn't it?"
Smiling at her soft question, Harry walked over to Hermione, giving the impression that he was probably going to launch into some big speech.
And yet, all he did was lay his hand on her shoulder, causing Hermione to look up into his eyes as he smiled back at her and nodded softly.
"Yes."
'In ways that neither of you will see coming,' thought Harry, smiling more to himself than his friends as he joined them in a conversation about writing over the summer.
BMP
Had anyone looked in on the Golden Trio on the journey back to Hogwarts, they might have been surprised, if not curious, by the fact that the trio's compartment looked a lot less active or clustered as it normally would have done.
Instead of a parent's nightmare of discarded food wrappers, one problem or another or mysterious add-ons, all three were sitting comfortably, with Harry resting his hand under his chin as he watched the world pass him by.
Ron, meanwhile, finally seemed to have earned Crookshanks' trust, judging by how the small tiger was curled up in his lap, purring contentedly as Ron stroked his baggy fur gently and with no small amount of loving, friendly respect.
The only one who seemed normal was Hermione, who had her head in a book, not bothering to acknowledge the passage of time, much less the oddly-silent, but content airs provided by her boys as they enjoyed the ride, and each other's company, in mutually-respectable silence.
Even more unusual was how, for the entire journey, none of the trio were bothered by intruders, be it Malfoy making his usual scathing visit, or by anyone who might be out for answers.
In fact, curiously, whenever someone walked past the trio's compartment, they seemed to act as though they couldn't see the trio sitting there.
Leaving them content with each other's presence, and the silence that came with it.
BMP
Of course, had anyone bothered to look closely enough, they would have seen a flicker of a smile flash across Harry's face as he looked to Ron and Hermione, the lesser of whom was now feeding Crookshanks a few cat's treats from his coat pocket.
'I have to say; you two came over pretty fast; I guess your betrayal of friendship was just a piss-poor excuse for a fluke this year, after all, my poor, misguided brother-in-all-but-blood. But as for you, Hermione, you almost seemed to let me in. I can feel you succumbing to my new powers even now, as we ride this rust-bucket back to London, which means, before I turn fifteen, you, and our dear Ronald, will both be mine!'
His smile flashed across his face once more as he looked back to his window.
'And you won't be the first…nor the last…not that you were the first, mind…Cedric's been good so far, but, unlike my brother and sister, he is a tool: a sheep to fatten up for when I choose to kill him. In the meantime, he's proving himself useful to me. Ron and Hermione, however, are so much more than mere familiars to the Master Vampire I might as well have become…much, much more indeed.'
Unseen by the other two, Harry lowered his free hand to his stomach, before he rubbed it gingerly, 'I don't know what you are, or why I have control of whatever it was Tom wanted you to do to me, Creature, but I don't care. If I had to guess what you've done, I'd say: as far as you're concerned, I'm your new home. A hive you can nourish your appetite for magic and the essence of others; in return, your rent for living inside of me is I control your power. All you've done is flipped my switch, so I welcome the darkness, instead of fighting it like some kind of cheesy comic book hero turned bad who goes good because of love, friendship or some claptrap.'
Smiling again, Harry turned to the other two, masking his attitude behind a yawn, "You know, I've always wondered why this journey can't go faster. I mean, it's not like there aren't stops along the route, so, by rights, we should be going Bullet Train fast."
"It doesn't help this is a steam train," drawled Hermione, earning a scoff from Harry.
"Steam? Godric's Heart; some magical train this is if it runs on something that's been outdated since World War One."
"But, on the plus side, we get to nap, talk and enjoy the view when we can," argued Ron, earning a shrug from Harry, before Ron looked up at Harry as he added, "Also, thanks for not mocking me about Delacour's kiss back at school, mate."
"You're welcome."
"You know, personally, I don't know why, but I bet she probably prefers someone like you, Harry," added Ron, earning a shrug from Harry.
"Look at the evidence, mate; Malfoy senior and junior, Fleur and the Second Task, Lockhart…what can I say? I guess I've just got a thing for the blond kind, though, unlike Ferret Features and the Fraud, I happily admit that, when it comes to such tastes, I definitely prefer girls…huh! Maybe you should think of going blonde, Hermione; maybe you'll be in with a chance of making them all jealous that you're the Boy-Who-Lived's best girl."
"Fat chance, Potter," laughed Hermione, closing her book as she scoffed at her raven-haired friend's teasing remark, taking it for exactly what it was meant to be, namely the teasing remarks of an honorary brother-figure. "Don't I get enough flack for being a bookworm as a brunette, Harry? If I went blonde, they'd expect me to go around in a skimpy cheerleader's outfit, putting on alike, totally, fake American Daddy's girl accent!"
She actually put on an accent as she said the last part, earning flinches from the other two.
"Ouch, do us a favour, Mione; please don't do that voice again."
"I'm disappointed in myself, Harry," laughed Hermione, running a hand through her hair, "But jokes aside, I hate the blonde look, because you can always tell if they're really genuine blondes or nothing more than a bunch of hair-dyed phonies. I'm perfectly happy being brunette."
"You certainly look better than a blonde, Hermione," argued Ron, earning a soft laugh from Harry as he shook his head.
"You two…seriously; you need to deal with this, Ron, if you like Hermione, just say it. Why else would you be so green about her back at the Ball? You finally got a chance to see the real Hermione and you saw the real woman she was…and then your man-brain took over…"
"And we took that out on you, Harry…have we apologised for that?" asked Hermione, earning a shrug from Harry.
"No, but don't worry: something tells me it won't be happening again…in the meantime, I hope none of us allows Tom's return to put a dampener on our summer, especially since I don't have to worry about a twenty-mile-covering phone-call scream coming home again."
Ron's ears turned red, though, at the same time, Harry saw Hermione's hand slide into his, where Ron gripped her hand tightly, if not comfortingly, as the trio shared a moment of reminiscing amusement regarding the point Harry had made.
At the same time, however, Harry smiled to himself as he noticed the gesture between his honorary siblings;
'Okay, I know I technically told them to get it over with, but, even so…it's about damn time!'
BMP
"So…see you soon?"
"If I know some peoples' trains of thought, sooner than you might think," argued Harry, watching as Ron and Hermione left, both of them growing more-comfortable in the presence of the other.
As he watched them leave, Harry allowed himself a thin smile as he saw his two newest acolytes continued to grow more-used to the influences of his dark power. Moving off in the other direction, Harry passed through the barrier, a small part of him suspecting Sirius was going to be waiting on the Muggle side of the barrier, if only to avoid a scene with all the freaks, naysayers and insects.
'Or to put it another way, dinner ingredients,' thought Harry amusingly before he smiled a genuine smile when he heard the voice he wanted to hear.
"Harry!"
"Hi Sirius," said Harry, moving towards his godfather, who looked much better than the last time Harry had seen him; he'd even had a shave and a haircut and invested in some new robes.
As the Black Lord hugged his godson, however, Harry gulped hard before, in a voice so low that he doubted even Moony's werewolf hearing could have picked it up, he whispered one word.
"Sorry…"
His hand moved towards a piece of Sirius' exposed skin…
"You don't have to do that…my Master…"
Harry's hand froze, before he pulled away from Sirius as he looked up, seeing Sirius smiling with a mixture of acceptance and sincerity before he winked slyly, "Yes, I said that, pup, but, let's get one thing straight here: you are, and will always ever be the only one I say it to."
"S…S…Sirius…" whispered Harry, again feeling a familiar warmth surge through him, "You…you know about my power? About what I've become?"
"I should," said Sirius, before he surprised Harry when he patted the boy's stomach before he winked slyly again.
"Especially since I might have been the one to give the thing in your tummy to old Snake Face in the first place…"
In any other time or place, had Harry learned what he'd just learned, he'd have screamed down half of London in disbelief.
On this occasion, however, having been told such a life-changing revelation by the man he trusted like a surrogate Father figure, Harry licked his lips before, folding his arms, he smiled slyly as he looked Sirius in the eyes, while the grey-eyed Lord Black looked back at him with a mixture of what looked like expectant curiosity and bewilderment, both of which turned into surprise when Harry spoke.
"Thank you."
"Huh?" asked Sirius, a note of shock in his voice, "Hang on, are…aren't you even going to question me? Don't you want to know why I did it?"
"I'm going to go out on a limb and guess…for me?"
"Obviously!" insisted Sirius.
"Then, for now, that's all I need to know," said Harry, licking his lips again, his green eyes shining with mirth and genuine gratitude as he told his dumbstruck dog-father. "And you called me what you did when you saw what I was thinking of doing to you, so I know you're not going to choose my enemies over me, so that's two points in your favour, Padfoot."
Sirius smiled warmly as Harry cleared his throat, "I also know, thanks to your confession, you're not afraid of whatever I might decide to do if I were angry with you, so, again, loyalty and, finally, you're here, when a real light-side-worshipping, oath-breaking two-faced coward would have run to Albus Dumb-as-a-Dead-Duck's-Dung-Heap once he realised I'd become the very thing he intended to pass to my enemy-now-slave. I don't need to know any more than that…not yet, anyway."
As Sirius stared in wonder at how casually Harry laid out the facts, the emerald-eyed scion winked at his godfather, "No, for now, the only thing that matters is you continue to play your role, as I do. Manage that and we're good, Sirius. More importantly, as long as you stay loyal, I don't have to threaten to kill or eat you, so…let's be moving on."
"Oh…right…I…I see, well then," laughed Sirius, rubbing the back of his neck, "I guess it's time we were going home, eh, pup?"
"You're going home," said Harry, jerking his head towards the nearest exit, "I, however, have my ride already booked."
"What do you…" Sirius began, but as he followed Harry's movement, his eyes narrowed, before a cold, sinister-looking smile crossed his face as he nodded, "I see…well then; see you soon, kiddo…and don't worry. If somebody makes a fuss, I'll make up some cockamamie piece of bull-crap that should appease them."
"Appreciate it, Padfoot," said Harry, leaving Sirius alone as he walked off in the direction he'd nodded towards.
BMP
Sirius, meanwhile, chuckled darkly as he shook his head before he made his way over to an abandoned waystation, from where, he could Apparate home and deal with the lowly insects as they came a-swarming.
Though not before his eyes sparkled with a dark light that he knew his bitch of a Mother would have loved to see in her children as he looked again to where Harry had gone.
"One, two, Harry's coming for you…" sang the Black Lord, vanishing seconds later.
Though his cold, cruel laughter seemed to haunt the waiting area for a long time after, leading to Muggles raising tales of the Ghost of King's Cross.
Oh, if only they knew…
An intense, emotional rollercoaster of a second chapter and it looks like Harry might have left a little gift for his two closest friends, but what sort of people might Ronald and Hermione become as darkness infects them and draws their loyalties to their honorary brother?
Also, what did Sirius mean when he said he gave Voldemort the creature inside Harry?
What does he know?
Keep Reading to Find Out
Next Chapter: It's time to say goodbye to Durzkaban, though not before Harry has a little fun with his toys;
Please Read and Review
PORTRAYAL:
Gabrielle Delacour-mature – Natalie Dormer