CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Harry yawned, stretched and swished open her curtains, rubbing the last sleep out of her eyes and retrieved a clean uniform from her trunk. Ophelia was already dressed and was grooming Sigyn, who had decided to behave herself today. Druella was trying to get up – Walburga was attempting to wake her up by yanking her duvet from her but the Rosier girl had a tight grip. Athenaïs was busy grooming herself. Ygraine had just come out of the shower, so Harry took the opportunity to shower next using the new shampoo Walburga had bought her.

"I have a bad feeling about today," Harry heard Ophelia admit as soon as she had locked the door.

"What do you mean?" Ygraine asked, sounding a little perplexed.

"I have no idea. It's just a feeling."

Harry ignored it and focused on her shower. Tried to focus on the little warmth that came into the Slytherin dungeons. When she had dressed and her hair had been dried and brushed, Harry looked at herself in the mirror and for once did not feel completely mediocre.

The girls packed their bags for the day and went to breakfast together. But even as they walked together, none of them could shake the feeling that something was badly wrong. The Slytherin common room had been way too quiet for the time of day. Plus, the Great Hall was already filling with students, some of whom were giving Harry some very odd looks.

Oh no. That was never a good sign. Harry knew those looks – she had seen them during her second and fourth years. In the eyes of the Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws and Gryffindors she found curiosity but … not in the eyes of the Slytherins. Anything but. Their eyes were cold and unbending; War and Bletchley were amongst the few who looked more shocked than anything.

Shocked about what?

As for Orion, he looked utterly petrified. The usual joyful demeanour he had was gone to the wind; he eyed Tom and his Knights like vipers that were ready to strike. Harry knew immediately what this meant: Tom and his friends had found out something. Oh no.

Harry, Druella, Walburga, Ophelia and Ygraine exchanged a startled look but silently agreed to just have breakfast and try to ignore it.

But when Harry went to take her seat, Nott stopped her by enchanting her legs. "You cannot sit there. Sit elsewhere."

Harry was shocked into silence but Druella barked with laughter. "You have finally lost your mind, Nott. That is where Harry sits."

"No," Tom contradicted icily, "that is where Harry Evans sits. Not Harry Peverell. Or is it Potter?"

A feather could have been heard dropping. Harry had no idea whether to still feel shocked or switch over to fury. She felt her magic pulse in her veins and her hair crackle with her silver lightning. "What the hell did you just call me?" she said in a dangerously quiet voice.

"You heard me."

Suddenly, the Great Hall was filled with the sound of glass jugs on the Slytherin and Hufflepuff tables bursting and spilling its contents on the tables and – in some cases – on the students. Avery, Abraxas, Druella, Ophelia, Walburga, Ygraine and Orion had to jump out of the way of glass shrapnel from one jug. Harry continued to stare daggers into Tom and his Knights, eyes bathed in a neon silver. Druella and Orion cleaned up the glass and the juice before joining Harry and guiding her away from them, followed by Walburga, Ophelia and Ygraine.

"How in Morgana's name did they find out?!" Harry exploded.

"We did not breathe a word to anyone," Ygraine reassured.

"You sure about that?" Harry growled. "You didn't happen to be overheard or anything?"

Walburga, Ophelia, Druella and Ygraine froze.

"Shit," Druella cursed, hands in her hair in realisation. "We forgot to properly close the door."

"This is not good," Orion said seriously. "Slytherins do not take well to bastards-"

"Hold on, how are you taking this so well?" Ophelia demanded.

Orion grinned. "I already knew."

"YOU WHAT?!"

Orion rolled his eyes. "Of course, I didn't know from which House but Harry told me on the Hogwarts Express after I stuck my nose too much in her business."

Druella gave him a well-aimed punch on the arm. "You should have said something!"

"And break Harry's trust? No way."

Harry smiled gratefully, which made Orion blush a little. Walburga gave him a kiss on the cheek, which only deepened the blush, making the girls giggle. That was when War joined them. "This is barbaric! Just because of who your parents are-"

"War, don't concern yourself," Harry reassured. "I have experienced this before."

This didn't calm the spitfire down at all. "What? Gross stupidity?"

Harry smiled. "Yes. But you need to help win Slytherin the House Cup. Whatever is going on with me, focus on the Cup. I will simply bide my time."

War scoffed and smirked. "You're one of us all right. No matter what Riddle says." War glowered at them from over her shoulder. "I will find the snitch and make them pay."

"I was about to say, finding the Snitch is my job."

War barked with laughter. "Head up, Evans. So where are you going to sit?"

"With me." Everyone whirled around to see Artemis, who looked at Harry as though she was only meeting her for the first time. Tears were welling up in her eyes. "Is it true?" she whispered. "You are a Potter?"

Harry turned around with a small, sad smile. "Yes. I am so sorry I didn't tell you but bastards-"

Harry was promptly cut off by a bone crunching hug from Artemis, who was now bawling her eyes out for all to see. Loreley, Orion and Druella eventually had to prise Artemis away from Harry but the former refused let the latter go so they all went to the Gryffindor table. Artemis yanked Harry down beside her.

"Tell me everything," she begged.

Harry sighed deeply.

"My mother Lily was a Muggleborn witch from Europe," Harry began. "She met my birth father Fleamont Potter while travelling England and they had a … fling, which resulted in me. But Fleamont was already promised to another and my mother knew that so … never told him. When she returned to Europe, she met four enigmatic young wizards. One of whom was James Peverell, my blood adopted father, and an old school chum who for around six years had a crush on my mother. They married in time for me to be born, and told me the truth when I was seven but it didn't really change anything. My father took my mother's name to throw Grindelwald off the scent. James Peverell is my father, no matter what anyone else says."

"I knew Uncle Fleamont had an affair a while back," Artemis whispered. "It is one of the reasons Charlus refuses to speak with him. But to know it was your mother …"

"I am sorry, Artemis," Harry apologised sombrely. "I understand if you don't want me to talk to you ever again-"

"Shut up, Hera Evans-Peverell-Potter," Artemis responded firmly. "I have always wanted a sister and now, I have one handed to me on a silver platter. Of course, I understand why you hid the truth. After being on the run for so long, who can blame you?" She sniffed. "I will keep your secret. None of my family will hear the truth from my lips, but I do think you should meet Charlus and his wife Dorea Black at least once. They are really fun!"

"Ah, Dorea!" Orion said and Walburga laughed. "She's a character."

"All Blacks are characters," Harry pointed out.

"Yes, from a bloody Gothic Horror novel!" Ophelia stated.

The group laughed heartily but that quickly died down when some of the Slytherins began trying to call them back to the table.

"What do we do?" Ygraine whispered.

"Do as they ask," Harry decided. "Lay low, bide your time. Keep your ears open; I want whoever betrayed me. The House will not trust me, but they may still put trust in you. Druella, you are Arcturus' twin-"

"I want nothing to do with that slimy toad," Druella growled.

"You do not have to interact with him. Stay with War or one of our dormmates," Harry suggested. "But just do what they want. For now."

All the girls looked reluctant but eventually gave curt nods, gave Harry reassuring squeezes on the shoulder – Druella hugged Harry tightly – and returned to the Slytherin table, still looking utterly apoplectic. Harry then turned to see Orion still there, smiling brightly.

"Orion? What about you?"

"No one has cared for me enough in that House," he answered. "Until you, I only had Druella. And Artemis. But then you came along and I had more friends – at least, I thought Nott was becoming a friend. Now I see I was wrong. You have always stood by me, Harry, and now I will do the same." Orion, without further ado, took his place next to Harry at the Gryffindor table, earning some disbelieving looks to be shot at him. "I am going into exile with you."

"Do not fret, Harry," Loreley sang. "They will one day need you more than anyone. But I suppose you know that already."

"Lorri, please, not right now," Artemis sighed. "Honestly, it is like you are an Oracle sometimes."

Harry scoffed. "More like Cassandra."

Loreley smirked. "That is indeed apt."

Harry tentatively ate her breakfast while Orion and Loreley did their homework and Artemis talked Quidditch with some of her Housemates. Afterwards, Harry began her quest to find her traitor.

First on her list: Ogden, the grounds keeper.

Artemis, Orion and Loreley followed Harry down towards the ragged, rickety hut besides the Forbidden Forest. The one Harry hadn't been able to take yet because of her head being so full and busy. None of them said anything on the journey down; nothing they could have said would get through to Harry. Harry knocked on the door quite hard.

The door opened and Ogden greeted them with a beaming smile.

"Harry! What a pleasant surprise. You did something to your hair? It looks fetching. And you came with your friends? Shouldn't you be going to class?"

"I need to ask you something. In private," Harry answered shakily.

Ogden frowned seeing the state of shock the children were in. "Of course. Come in."

Harry rushed in, followed by Artemis, Orion and Loreley. Harry began pacing, Artemis gingerly took a seat on one of the wooden chairs. Orion looked like he may die from the surroundings and Loreley looked as serene as ever.

"What is the matter?" the groundskeeper asked.

"Someone betrayed Harry," Artemis answered, getting straight to the point. "They know she is a Potter bastard, a member of my family, as well as a Peverell."

Ogden's expression softened considerably. "Oh my."

"You were the only one to figure out I am a Potter," Harry said to Ogden. "The only one who knew for certain-"

"I swear to you, Harry, I said nothing," Ogden reassured. "I have no one to tell it to, even if I wished to!"

"He is telling the truth," Loreley agreed with a smile. "We are looking for someone smaller and younger. A girl with a poison tongue. Mr. Ogden did not betray you."

"How do you know that?" Ogden paled a little.

"Loreley is no ordinary Malfoy," Harry answered. "She is a Seer, I am guessing. I knew another once; she was a good friend of mine and no one believed her either."

Ogden nodded carefully. "Harry, if you need anything, just come and ask. Offer of tea still stands, and now extends to your friends. Dinner too if you wish it."

"Thank you, sir," Orion replied politely. "I'd love to."

"Me too," Artemis agreed.

"Certainly," Loreley spoke whimsically. "We should hurry. We have Transfigurations and Arithmancy to get to."

"Of course. Good luck!"

It did not surprise Harry to know Loreley took Arithmancy. Malfoy or not, Loreley was a Ravenclaw and that stood for something. Orion, Artemis and Harry had to run but they managed to get to the class just after some of the reluctant Gryffindors. Druella, Ophelia, Walburga and Ygraine gave them small and reassuring smiles, but neither Harry nor Orion had the strength or energy to return one, especially with the told tension emanating from … the rest of the Slytherins. Before either of them could do or say anything, Artemis dragged both Orion and Harry to the Gryffindor side, dumping Harry next to a dark haired, silver eyed girl who looked eerily familiar. Artemis and Orion sat nearby; the Gryffindors and Dumbledore were gobsmacked by this and began eyeing the Slytherins suspiciously but said nothing as he started his lesson.

"For what it is worth," the Scottish girl told her in a low voice, "what your House is doing to you is disgraceful."

"Thanks," Harry muttered with a deep sigh. "All because I wanted to make sure I wouldn't be found-"

"You don't need to explain yourself to me, Evans," the girl interrupted soothingly with a small smile. "I understand. A father is someone who cares for you – not necessarily the man who helped create you." The girl extended a hand. "Minerva McGonagall. Pleased to finally meet you."

Harry's heart practically soared and took the hand of her future teacher. "Pleasure is all mine."

Minerva and Harry turned out to be quite well suited as partners. Both sat bored and irritated at Dumbledore and Riddle's latest debate but kept their cool by taking notes and making reminders as footnotes to verify everything in the library later. Practically, Minerva was a prodigy, and was clearly the second best after Riddle. Some things apparently were innate, as Harry found out, because Minerva was as militant and precise as she had been as professor. With Harry, she was firm but gentle and if Minerva spotted something that wasn't quite right, she would quickly straighten it out and let Harry continue. Harry was glad to be working with Minerva; Artemis and Orion were as erratic as each other. Their fairy cakes were turned into fairy dragons, which instinctively began playing pranks on the majority of Slytherin House. The fairy dragons began singing opera – very loudly – in front of Tom Riddle, whose eyebrows quivered to strike. Harry had to hide her amusement behind her hand.

To see Riddle agonise about whether or not to strike the fairy dragons in front of Dumbledore was hilarious.

"Black, Potter!" Dolohov seethed. "Call these insolent buggers away this instant!"

As the Gryffindors split their sides with laughter, Orion and Artemis simply shrugged. Dumbledore, with that damn twinkle in his eye, undid Orion and Artemis' magic and caught the cupcakes. "Mr. Dolohov, it is just some harmless fun. You could do the same but yours decided to turn into a sleeping pixie, and that is also very good."

Harry, biting into her lip has hard as she could to keep her laughter back, turned her attention back onto her own fairy cake. Minerva gave her a reassuring smile. "Focus and enunciate, Harry," she reminded.

Harry nodded, took a deep breath and recited the spell as clearly and carefully as she could. There was a sharp CRACK and in the place of the fairy cake, sat a very confused and startled canine creature with pure white fur, red ears and red eyes. It turned to Harry and it barked in greeting. Harry in turn gave it some scratches behind its ears.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Well done, Miss Evans! A Ci Annwn. Impressive! He is beautiful."

The fairy dog preened at the attention and promptly jumped off Harry's desk and curled onto the floor next to her, to snooze.

"Not bad," Minerva admitted with a ghost of a smile. "I have definitely seen worse."

Harry laughed shortly. "Thanks … I think."

Potions was next. Artemis made sure Harry and Orion walked with her and the rest of the Gryffindors, with as many people between the two exiles and the rest of Slytherin as much as possible. Minerva distracted Harry by asking about her favourite branches of Transfiguration (Conjuration) while Artemis and Orion joked with Septimus and Octavius Weasley. All the while, Harry was attempting to bury the boiling fury she felt towards the people she was beginning to care about. The utter disappointment and hurt she felt was enough to make her want to cry. Minerva must have sensed the change in Harry's mood because she gave Harry a reassuring squeeze on her arm.

Harry decided to partner up with Artemis during class while Minerva took custody of Orion. Transfigurations was all well and good but Potions could not be left to chance. Orion and Artemis were both likely to blow something up at some point – Bletchley did not need any competition. As for Professor Slughorn, his countenance physically drooped when he saw Harry and Orion sit with the Gryffindors and turned a steely gaze on the rest of his students in silent accusation.

Very aptly, the class was making the Essence of Insanity. Artemis volunteered to get the ingredients while Harry set up the cauldron. When Artemis returned, she scoffed. "Avery has overreached himself."

Harry frowned. "What do you mean?"

Artemis sat down. Harry began preparing the first ingredient, which thanks to her revision sessions with Nott was putting in powdered lovage, while Artemis began stirring slowly clock wise ten times and then five times clock wise. "I wasn't sure of anything so I didn't tell you before," Artemis answered in a low voice, "but Avery isn't always the cordial guy you get to see."

"Clearly," Harry said bitterly. "But how exactly has he overreached himself?"

"I have only heard rumours," Artemis replied in a whisper, "but now I am pretty much certain of it. Malum Avery has a small spy ring. Friends in other Houses who keep their ears open and when they hear something or see something of note, they tell Avery who tells-"

"Riddle," Harry finished.

"Yeah," Artemis agreed. "I personally think he has a new spy in Slytherin but I have no idea who it could be."

"Has to be a girl," Harry told her firmly. "Apparently the girls didn't close the dormitory door properly when they discussed the letter they found and only Slytherin girls are allowed down there."

Harry dropped in the scurvygrass and Artemis stirred another five times clock wise.

"Why were they going through your things?" Artemis scoffed. "Do Slytherins have no privacy or something?"

"Ophelia's demon cat misbehaved again and messed up my stuff trying to escape," Harry told with a small scoff as they left the cauldron to boil for five minutes. "I knew I should have burned those letters sooner."

Artemis folded her arms. "What letters were they?"

"Gringotts letters."

"Ah. Yes, goblins never use aliases. That is a problem." Artemis sighed, momentarily putting her face into her hands in frustration. "You know what? If Slytherin House wants to throw you to the curb just because you refused to put your life in danger, that is their problem. You and Orion are honorary Gryffindors for as long as you need."

"You're the best, Artemis," Harry said sincerely.

"You are my family, Hera," Artemis smiled. "I suspected when we met – I mean, come on! Our faces should have been the clue. But to actually have my suspicions confirmed …" Artemis took Harry's hand for a moment in hers. "We Potter girls have to stick together. I mean, we are doubly related because my family is descended from the Peverells – wait, is the potion grey yet?"

Harry rolled her eyes and checked. Yep, pearly grey. "Time for the dreaded sneezewarts."

Artemis began stirring clockwise again as Harry added the noxious plant, both bracing themselves for the putrid smell of poop that was inevitably going to come from their cauldron, if everything went according to plan.

Well, their potion was going according to plan. Others … not so much. The Weasleys' potion turned bright pink – what in Merlin's name they had done to achieve that result, Harry had no idea – and Bletchley, being the usual suspect, had the dreadful luck of exploding her cauldron when her mixture began stinking worse than warm cabbage and hippogriff droppings. Harry and Minerva had the good sense to erect a shield to mitigate the worst of it, but others were not so lucky. The majority of baby You-Know-Poo's forces now literally stank of poo!

But shrapnel was still flying – and one jagged piece was heading straight for Avery. A quick vision dashed before Harry's eyes; this piece of shrapnel was going to dig itself straight through Avery's eye and dig deeply through his brain, killing him. As for the boy in question, he saw the shrapnel piece too late. Quick as lightning, Harry conjured silver lightning and turned the shrapnel to dust.

Avery blinked in shock first at the dust pile, and then at Harry, who glowered back, not bothering to disguise her vehement rage. Avery gave her a quick smile and looked away.

"You just saved his life," Artemis stated in awe. "That could have been nasty."

Harry laughed darkly. "You have no idea."

Wait … Avery took Divination. Did he not once get a 'prophecy' that someone who he wronged would … save his life? Oh bugger. Harry hung her head in resignation.

Slughorn was close to a heart attack with the amount of shouting he was doing; Bletchley really was setting a record. Sheepishly, Bletchley apologised and took the ones who did get hit by shrapnel to the hospital wing. Artemis laughed nervously. "I am not going to miss this."

"You and me both," Harry agreed. "Bletchley reminds me of Seamus sometimes."

"Seamus?" Artemis repeated, cocking her head to one side in curiosity.

"Our Irish friend," Harry clarified with a grin, "who had a habit of every spell and potion blowing up in his face. His unique talent did help us in our battles though! He helped to destroy some very strategic bridges for the Dark Lord's forces."

You're really letting us do, this, Professor? Neville's awe still sounded in her head. Boom?

Boom!

McGonagall had affirmed to everyone's shock and delight. Seamus most of all; Harry smiled at the memory.

Artemis barked out a laugh. "Next time, use Bletchley too!"

"Trust me, I think Seamus would! Though on the other hand it would not be a good idea; we don't need a crater in the middle of Europe!"

Artemis and Harry finished their potion just in time. Loreley was waiting for Harry outside the Potions classroom so that they could walk to Herbology together. Harry knew she would have to have a word with Artemis and Loreley about being too protective but right now, she had no energy for a fight. Herbology was more awkward than Potions, by far.

Professor Griffith noticed the new coldness between Harry, Nott and Lestrange – he genuinely froze when Harry removed to sit with Loreley in the back – and did not like it one bit. He kept his thoughts to himself and focused on the class. Cobra Lilies.

Cobra … Lilies.

Harry began internally cursing. Did the Moirai want all of her secrets spilled in one day?!

"Cobra Lilies are very special," Professor Griffith babbled happily. "They are both flora and fauna combined. As you can see, they take the form of a striking cobra and do not like being picked. Mainly because their stalks and their sap-venom is used for some of our more potent antidotes, and they will not yield easily. So how do we harvest what we need but not hurt the Cobra Lily while not getting bitten?"

"Music, sir," Harry responded clearly.

"Very good, Miss Evans. The Cobra Lily has a penchant for music as much as a normal king cobra does. Now, other than antidotes, what do we use Cobra Lily sap-venom for?"

Nott momentarily raised his head from looking at the table. "Sedation potions."

"Correct, Mr. Nott. Now, much like a fully fauna cobra, we harvest the sap-venom using a glass beaker…"

Harry?

Harry stiffened. Thanatos?

What is going on? You feel abnormally tense. Like you are about to attack, or be attacked.

I have been betrayed. The Slytherins know I am a Potter and a Peverell and I am basically now a social pariah.

That's not good, sympathy dripped from the god's voice. That is not good at all. It puts you in a vulnerable position.

I know,

Harry grumbled.

I will converse with Hypnos, Melinoë and your ancestors to see what we can do to help. For now, try to not let it get to you. I am starting to get a headache.

Poor you. You haven't gone out yet have you?

Watch it, cheeky bugger.

That's a no.

"Miss Evans." Professor Griffith's voice knocked Harry back to planet Earth. Harry pinched the bridge of her nose. "Are you all right? You spaced out."

"Sorry, sir."

Professor Griffith frowned. "Is your condition returning? Do you need to go-"

Harry stopped him right in his tracks. "No, sir. I was away with the fairies. It happens a lot."

Professor Griffith smiled reassuringly and placed a Cobra Lily in front of her. The snake plant looked up at Harry accusingly and with a stubbornness that Harry recognised in herself and Ron. He gave her a glass vial for the sap-venom. "Happy harvesting!"

"Will your friend help?" Loreley asked quietly.

"Yes," Harry replied crisply. She turned her attention to her obstinate Cobra Lily.

The snake plant hybrid spread its hood. *You will not find me such easy prey, two-legs! I hate all instruments because they are all annoying, much like you humans. What makes you think I will yield my sap-venom just so you can knock out your fellow man? And to add insult to injury we're being kept in a dark, damp room that smells of cabbage and compost-*

*That's because you are being kept in a greenhouse,*

Harry answered, hissing lowly.

The Cobra Lily stopped ranting and complaining and seemed to blanch. *You are a Speaker! Praise be to Python, how is this possible?*

*I inherited the ability,*

Harry replied with a sigh. *Look, if I do not get some sap-venom I will probably get a T for this lesson since I am already on thin ice with the professor-*

*The strange man? He is nice,*

the Cobra Lily stated. *He will be fair, Speaker. But you're pulling an expression that looks worse than some of my compatriots so I suppose I will let you try.*Harry smiled. *I won't play an instrument. I will sing to you.*

*Sing? No one sings to us. I will let you sing for me and decide if it is good enough.*

Harry, trying not to laugh at how bossy her Cobra Lily was, cleared her throat. She had the perfect song.

*My grandfather's clock was too large for the shelf, so it stood ninety years on the floor,
It was taller by half than the old man himself, though it weighed not a pennyweight more,
It was bought on the morn,
On the day he was born,
And was always his treasure and pride,
But it stopped short, never to go again,
When the old man died,

Ninety years without slumbering,
Tick-tock, tick-tock
His life seconds numbering,
Tick-tock, tick-tock
It stopped short, never to go again,
When the old man died,

In watching the pendulum swing to and fro,
Many hours had he spent while a boy,
And in childhood and in manhood,
The clock seemed to know,
And shared both his grief and his joy,
For it struck twenty-four,
When he entered at the door,
With a blooming and beautiful bride,
But it stopped short, never to go again,
When the old man died,

Ninety years without slumbering,
Tick-tock, tick-tock
His life seconds numbering,
Tick-tock, tick-tock
It stopped short, never to go again,
When the old man died*

Harry was about to go on when she realised that her Cobra Lily was letting out some strange wheezing noises, as did Loreley's Cobra Lily and any other Cobra Lily who could have heard Harry's singing from the nearby tables. Harry was about to apologise if she sounded too tone deaf when Loreley began laughing musically.

"Harry, they are weeping! What did you do?"

"I sang to my Cobra Lily," Harry confessed weakly. She knew it had nothing to do with a spell because she hadn't enchanted the song. This was because of something else.

*That was … hicc … beautiful, Speaker!* Harry's Cobra Lily wailed, crying some very ugly tears. Harry began trying to catch them in one of the glass vials – who knows if they could come in useful? *So beautiful … I do not even know what a clock is!*

Professor Griffith looked like he could take to flight as he went around the room, examining the flower snakes. "They are crying! Magnificent! Why are they crying? This has never happened before. Who got them to cry?"

The students almost immediately offered Harry up as the sacrificial lamb to Griffith's delight. Griffith giddily pressed Harry for information on how she got the Cobra Lilies to cry, but Harry side stepped every question. Griffith only dropped the subject when he could see Harry would not offer the information easily; he gave her a new vial for the sap-venom, which Harry's Cobra Lily offered up quite quickly because it had liked the song so much.

All the while, Nott and Lestrange watched Harry being interrogated with unreadable expressions, and would only turn around when they met the angry orbs of Loreley Malfoy. Loreley scoffed at their audacity.

Unfortunately Harry's troubles were far from over. After class, Griffith ordered Harry and Nott to stay behind. Harry was less than happy about this – Nott's betrayal stung the most out of them all. He had not even come to her for an explanation; he had simply accepted the word of Rosier or Riddle or Avery or whoever it was who told him.

"Now, you two. Do you know what this is about?" Griffith asked kindly.

"Yes, sir," the two students chorused, which was true.

"You were both not in my lesson yesterday. Why was that?"

"Evans' condition has been rearing its head again lately," Nott answered readily. "I found her near the library and from what she told us, it isn't something the matron could help easily so I took her to the Slytherin common room to lie down. I stayed to look after her."

Griffith nodded slightly. "Is this true, Miss Evans?"

"It is, sir," Harry confirmed.

"You need to take better care of yourself, Miss Evans," Griffith told her seriously. "I am very glad you are all right and that Nott was conscientious enough to stay with you, but you two will serve detention with me same day next week after dinner. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir," the two Slytherins stated in unison.

Griffith beamed and scribbled something on two pieces of parchment. "Good. Here is a late pass each. Now, off with you."

Harry and Nott both obediently left. But as Harry spent more and more time in Nott's presence, she felt her anger boil over. She needed to clear the air – now!

"Nott-"

"Don't," Nott warned in a snarl. "I don't want to hear it, Ev – I don't even know what call you!"

Hurt flashed onto Harry's face. "My name is Harry. Always has been."

Nott glared at her. "It makes no sense that you are a Potter, or a Peverell!"

"Oh really?" Harry bit back. "Did you take a good look at Artemis and me? We look like mirror images of each other, except our eyes and slightly different hair colour. It should have rung alarm bells!"

Nott scoffed icily. "Bloody right it should have. It is a mistake I will not make again."

"Oh so you're going to leave it at this, are you?" Harry sneered. "You kick me out without so much as a reason why I didn't tell you. Not even allowing me to explain myself! So much for Slytherin being my new family!"

Nott looked extremely conflicted at that. "You have no right-"

"I have more right than any of you!" Harry cut across, her hands balling. "I have lost everything – I only have a damn inheritance I did not know I had, or even wanted. I wanted a damn job!"

"You're lying, Peverell," Nott scoffed. "No one in their right mind would not want what you have? To be Fleamont's daughter – you would be above Artemis in hierarchy and she is legitimate-"

The use of her title name made Harry flinch a little. The tears of pain pricked in her eyes, but Harry had too much anger bottled. "I never wanted that! I wanted my family. What do I have now? Nothing! Fleamont may have helped in my creation but he is not my father and he never will be." That much was very true! "Did it ever occur to you that I still go by Evans because that is the name my real father and I took? Evans was my mother's name, but it is who I am. Now, both my parents are gone. All the family I have left ARE BLOODY PORTRAITS! I do not know if my friends are alive or dead, and the ones I have made here … decide that who my parents are or are not, is more important than who I am."

That made Nott flinch a little. Harry felt a tug of satisfaction. By now they were almost at McCullagh's classroom. "You could have told me," Nott argued quietly.

"You think I didn't want to?" Harry really did not plan on ever telling him, but she had come to regret not thinking about telling him. "I did, but every single betrayal my family and I suffered came from our most trusted. I couldn't risk it. Orion only found out by accident-"

"Black knew?!" Nott whirled around. His face was scarlet with fury, and something else. Hurt.

"He knew that I am illegitimate, but not the families to which I belong to," Harry answered.

Nott's own hands curled. "And you still said nothing? You trust that bungling idiot, but not me?"

"Frankly, I did trust you. But I did not, and still don't, trust some of your friends," Harry admitted.

"I would not have told them!"

"Yes, you would have."

"Tom was right-" Nott cut himself off quickly.

An ugly knot began forming in Harry's stomach. "What about Riddle?"

Harry's voice cracked with emotion, and she knew her countenance was betraying her hurt. Nott's own expression softened when he saw but the hostility remained. "He was right about you."

Harry forcefully blinked away her tears. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Nott refused to answer. Harry saw the tears form in his own eyes and he began hurrying towards the classroom in a manner as though he had been told someone close to him had died. Harry waited a moment before following, letting her tears flow for a moment but her mind quickly focused on what Nott betrayed.

Tom Riddle had done this. Avery had helped him. That much was certain.

All Harry needed was the spy.

##############

Grindelwald was humming a happy jingle to himself as he poured himself a glass of Firewhiskey, the evening sun setting rather ominous lighting to the room. Queenie Goldstein, a natural born Legilimens and one of his advisors, and Credence Barebone, a solemn but powerful Obscurus who could control himself to a large extent, were in the room with him. There were two other alliance members with them, Vida Rosier and another man whose name Gellert couldn't remember. Sprawled on the floor were two of the trophies Vida and her companion had recently captured. They had been responsible for the kidnap of one of Grindelwald's generals from their home and caught only just after they had accomplished their mission.

Both men were dressed in trench coats, military boots and a dark shirt and trousers. One was dark haired with some startling green-blue eyes and some funny large ears. His friend had a boyish charm to him, blue eyes and blonde hair; Aryan, the stupid Nazi Muggles would call him. These young men had been a thorn in Grindelwald's side for a while, as known friends and associates of Theseus Scamander.

"Ambrose and Bradley," Grindelwald acknowledged them with a jovial smile. "It has been a while. How have the two of you been?"

"Been better, prick," Bradley, the blonde one, sneered back.

Grindelwald tutted. "Manners. Never were your strong suit."

"Well, get on with it," Ambrose growled, glaring up at him. "Kill us and be done with it. We will never tell you anything."

Grindelwald resisted the urge to roll his eyes like a petulant child. "Oh dear, are all of you really this boring? Simply torturing someone for information and then killing them? That is so unrefined! So … Muggle."

Grindelwald's face contorted in disgust has he remembered some of the scenes he had witnessed with the damn Germans. No finesse, no elegance – just pure brutality.

"So what are you going to do to us?" Bradley asked as though they were discussing what meal to cook for dinner. "Because I highly doubt you were going to offer us a glass of Firewhiskey."

"Well, I would have done had you not shown such poor manners," Grindelwald informed with a smirk. "No, I have something else in mind for the two of you. A special mission, if you want to call it that."

Ambrose and Bradley snorted. "We would never work for you!"

Queenie tutted. "Aww, darlings. You don't even let the man finish," she purred, grinning. That grin widened when she read the apprehension and slight fear in the emotions and thoughts of the two resistance fighters. "You aren't going to work for him."

"Then … what are we going to do?" Ambrose dared to ask.

The Alliance members all shared a collective grin as Vida went out of the room for some odd reason. Grindelwald kept his gaze on the two men. "Gringotts has a promising new Cursebreaker," he told them nonchalantly. "One who could be an ally … or a threat. But first, I need to access just how good this girl actually is."

Ambrose and Bradley both didn't like where this was going.

Grindelwald continued, eyes dancing with mirth and mischief. "That is where the two of you come in," he stated as Vida came back with something that looked like a portrait frame. An empty portrait frame. Ambrose and Bradley gave each other a quick look in fear. "So, who is ready to create some art?"

#############

This was a rollercoaster chapter to write and frankly I feel like punching some of my own characters in the face. I hope all of you still enjoyed reading this nonetheless! Stay tuned to find out how Harry deals with her exile and what Grindelwald is up to! By the way I haven't seen the new Fantastic Beasts movie yet so if someone is already dead in the 40s please don't spoil it for me because I really want to keep these characters.

As for the song, that is an English lullaby that has been sung to children for a good century or two now.

For those who are curious I imagine Thanatos looking like Tom Burke the actor, Hypnos looking like Henry Cavil, and Melinoë looking like Natalie Dormer.

Kingmaker'sUmbreon