CHAPTER: 12 CHOOSE YOUR OWN ROUTE
"Several months had passed since that day in January, and the month of May had already, for several days, shown the tip of its nose, bringing with it all the warmth and brightness of a summer that was already looking hot and pleasant. The domain of Lamballe had long since abandoned its winter coat, and wherever the eyes were cast, the greenery and brilliance of the first flower petals illuminated the castle and its gardens with their beauty. Harry had been able, at leisure, to discover the magnificence of the place, at the same time as the temperatures rose, and the horse rides he was fond of were now part of his daily life. Hunting parties were not yet relevant to him, although the surrounding wildlife had, for some time, resumed its rights to the forests along the castle. But sooner or later, Harry would have to follow in the footsteps of all his ancestors and indulge in this hobby, for better or for worse.
For the moment, his duties were essentially to remain assiduous in the courses given to him by his mother and aunt, and, above all, not to relax his efforts even when a task was very difficult. His progress in magic was considerable, and his range of spells developed over time, as did his knowledge of metamorphosis, botany, magic, astronomy, or potion. Although, on this last point, he had only recently begun to prepare his first potions. His mother had first taken care to protect her laboratory from potion ingredients before giving him access to them to avoid possible explosions that could damage them, a precaution for which he was grateful. His very first potion, supposed to cure boils, had almost reduced a whole shelf to ashes when inadvertently, he touched his cauldron too strongly and splashed the wall nearby. 'You would make an excellent grenadier. This wall could be the first of a long list,' ironized Marie-Louise when she noticed the damage, although Harry did not understand the meaning of her words. After some research in the library, Harry finally discovered what a grenadier was, and being compared to a Muggle soldier throwing small explosive balls was disturbing, to say the least. But the news of the world was perhaps for something, and the conversations he heard wherever he went almost necessarily turned to this not very pleasant theme.
If for the moment the news was good for the world of magic, without the slightest dark wizard to darken the climate of peace installed between the different magical communities of Europe, it was quite different for the Muggle world. Dark news accumulated over time, embellished from time to time with morbid stories about massacres and unspeakable atrocities. The Muggle world was indeed experiencing enormous upheavals, especially many conflicts between countries and sometimes even within the population of the same state, and acts of war had long become commonplace.
The war of independence of the United States, the Jacobin revolt in Scotland, the war of succession in Poland, the French Revolution, the Russo-Turkish and Swedish conflicts had now given way to an even darker period in Europe, a conflict mixing many nations coalition against one and the same state: La France. Most nations saw with a bad eye the arrival of this state governed by representatives of the people and had set out to overthrow this provisional government to put in place a monarchy and end the republican ideals of many Europeans. Tens or even hundreds of thousands of men were mobilized for this conflict, and France did not derogate from the rule: being the most populous state in Europe had its advantages, and being able to raise an army of 300,000 men to defend his homeland was not very complicated. In recent years, despite heavy losses, the French state had managed to valiantly defend its positions and stand up to the coalition armies. Better still, his victories even allowed them to defeat certain nations like Italy and compete with others supposed to be more powerful, like Austria or Russia. The Italian campaign had just ended at the end of an incredible but deserved French victory which, with only 30,000 men, had succeeded in undermining the coalition army of Sardinia and Austria, thus making the latter abandon its hold on Italy and the left bank of the Rhine. The first coalition had just been defeated brilliantly, but the future would show that new alliances were possible, even if for the moment no one thought about it.
One man in particular distinguished himself during the Italian campaign: Napoleon Bonaparte. Unknown a few years ago, this man of only 29 years had quickly made a name for himself in the French army, disciplining an army of Italy relegated before its arrival to the state of marauders and drunks and leading them in victorious battles such as the bridge of Arcole and Rivoli where his courage and charisma earned him the praise of many officers and the admiration of the men he led. The success of this campaign was largely due to his victories and his military genius, and the Muggle press was full of praise for the one who was almost considered a hero. A year of conflict against the Archduche of Austria and the Kingdom of Sardinia had made him an important figure in the political life of France, and even Marie-Louise had to admit that this Napoleon was a very interesting man. 'I have the eye for this kind of things, and believe me, Gabriel: This Bonaparte will not be at his first try. Unfortunately, I do not have the gift of clairvoyance, but I still predict a bright future if his military exploits persist.'
For the moment, to see this Napoleon in power was only of the order of inventions without foundation, but who knows? No one could know the future except for the few seers. But despite these facts of arms and the peace found, the Directory did not seem to want to put an end to these exhausting and costly wars in human lives. The war between the French and the English continued to grow and to counter the commercial power of the latter in Asia and around the Mediterranean, the five directors decided to cut off the road to the East Indies from which tons of goods were moving by conquering Egypt and part of the Middle East. To do this, tens of thousands of men were mobilized, and even some inhabitants of Lamballe were preparing to leave for Toulon to the land of the pharaohs. The departure was planned for this month from the city of Toulon, France, and an imposing fleet was to transport the soldiers mobilized to fight the English troops, but also the Ottomans who were allied with the British. Even though the war was for the time being foreign to him, Harry knew full well that sooner or later, upon entering the wonderful and oh-so-pleasing world of business and politics, he would be led to closely rub shoulders with these different countries while also hoping that this will happen as late as possible."
"But for now, Harry was busier discovering his new family a little more, especially on the side of the one who would have been his adoptive father for reasons of inheritance. Thus, only a few months after his arrival in Lamballe, Harry had been able to meet the sister of the Prince of Lamballe, Marie-Adelaide of Bourbon, an absolutely charming but easily irritable woman. He had never had the opportunity to have an aunt, unless we except Petunia Dursley whose resentment towards sorcerers was no longer to be ignored, and Louise-Elisabeth who had no kinship with him. Now he had a woman in this position, although she was very surprised to discover his existence.
The story that her sister-in-law had to invent to introduce Harry to her had been prepared for long dates, and after long hours of questioning and questioning, his aunt had come to believe that Harry could well be her brother's son. Adelaide was even delighted at the idea of spending time with him and, once Marie-Louise's situation and hers were settled, to introduce him to the rest of her family, especially with the last Bourbon. Even the subject of his birthright and the possibility that he could recover the few titles she had acquired on her brother's death was not as exhausting as he would have thought, even though his aunt added that she wanted to keep part of the fortune entrusted to her.
"As for the domains that are bequeathed to you at the same time as your titles, know, Gabriel, that some of your property has been requisitioned and sold by the state as a repayment of the national debt," she announced to him nevertheless with a dark air, as if the simple idea of seeing the inheritance of her family carried away to the other winds was unbearable to her. "It would not be uncommon for one of your future castles to be completely dispossessed of its furniture, if not destroyed outright. I haven't had a chance to inquire about this issue yet."
His future properties were not at the moment his main problem, and in any case, their stewardship was still part of the tasks he had to learn, he said, not to mention the history surrounding each area and the activities attached to it. In other words, the work that awaited him again was important. He also had to make himself known to the government to be able to claim his property rights.
Harry also had the opportunity to know other people during these last months, including the latest, the Delacour family who stayed for the week at the castle. If the official explanation of their coming was simply to meet old friends and discuss the good old days, unofficially, their presence was not trivial, and even if they tried not to let anything appear, the Delacour could not help but be nervous in their presence, especially the head of the family who was not used to being around wizards. It did not take long for Marie-Louise to pull the worms from their noses, and the reality of their visit was known in less than a day: The war again."
"Mr. Delacour also participated in the Egyptian campaign, and the village of Lamballe being known to the Muggles, the recruitment campaign continued even here, especially because its inhabitants were wizards. For the moment, they were not yet allowed to return to the army corps, but the infirmary was still accessible to them, and doctors would undoubtedly be of essential use during this war. This family was at least amazing both by the image they conveyed and by the personality of each of the people composing it. Only their reaction to the discovery of his existence and the story of his arrival in the life of the Princess of Lamballe remained the same as that of all people in the world currently: amazement, amazement, then acceptance.
Madame Delacour was not a naive woman anyway, and it took her only a few minutes to realize the deception. This woman was intelligent and nothing could escape her. Remembering her last discussions with Marie-Louise, she knew how to skillfully share things and discover the rose pot. Nothing seemed to equal her sense of logic, except perhaps her beauty. Apolline Delacour was still a woman of incredible beauty, possessing golden hair as bright as wheat and a body to damn a saint. Nothing in her home made her unsightly and for good reason: She was a Veela, these incredible creatures known for their legendary charm and for captivating men approaching too close to them. The stories about the mermaids captivating sailors with their song were not meaningless, and Veela were for many. These women once loved aquatic environments and relaxed peacefully on the shores of the beaches, and it happened that sailors, subjugated by the goddesses offering themselves to their eyes, momentarily forgot the boat they were supposed to maneuver, which ended inexorably at the bottom of the reefs. Harry assumed that it must be the same for Madame Delacour, but this lady knew, unlike others, to control her gift and thus avoid having a bunch of suitors on her heels.
Her husband, Philippe Delacour, was quite the opposite of his wife: small, slightly coated, clumsy, and exuberant. He was even the exact opposite of Apolline. One could easily question how these two could have met and ended up getting married, but in love, many things were inexplicable, and it was better not to dwell on it to avoid a carbine headache. Perhaps it was the power of Countess Delacour that had brought these two together, but that did not explain the reciprocity of feelings. Her husband was also a military man who had been working in the army for many years now. His views on the government of his country and his support for the establishment of a republic in France allowed him to escape the scaffold unlike many royalists, even if the bloodbath that resulted from the French Revolution was not what he would have liked. His bias also earned him a certain popularity among the French, and Philippe could boast of having many relations in the government. Marie-Louise suspected that he was the instigator of this impromptu visit, and the days that followed confirmed this when she realized that he spent more time in the village asking for help from its inhabitants than drinking tea or walking around in his company and that of his son. Lying was not something she appreciated even if she used it for her son's sake, but she did it for a specific purpose: Harry's protection. Philip did not show himself frank with her and hid his true intentions from her, but she pretended not to notice anything during her stay so as not to put herself behind the whole Delacour family that she appreciated anyway.
Speaking of her, two little girls of eleven and two years old respectively completed her and Fleur and Gabrielle Delacour were undoubtedly the miniature portrait of their mother, and many similarities brought them closer together like blond hair and absolutely perfect porcelain skin. There was no doubt that they were both half-Veela, and already Fleur, the eldest of the two girls, knew how to use her power of seduction to extract everything she wanted from the boy she was trying to bewitch. Harry had had the opportunity to be in the grip of her charm when they met for the first time. The prospect of being married to a man as powerful for Fleur had apparently given her the idea of trying to seduce him, but her mother, upon seeing her little merry-go-round, cut short her attempt, and not without reprimanding her in passing for her behavior as a 'courtesan'. Little Gabrielle, on the other hand, was not yet old enough to be able to do the same thing as her sister, and anyway, it was unlikely to ever see a baby acting the same way. But even without using her power of seduction, Gabrielle was so cute and candid that Harry had quickly become hooked on this little girl. If Fleur was slightly haughty and narcissistic, her little sister was a smiling child and never missed an opportunity to hug someone, especially Harry with whom she seemed to have created a very deep bond, and without the concerned one complaining.
'It is unfortunate that polygamy is not allowed in our religion,' Marie-Louise launched with amusement by realizing the interest of Gabrielle in her son. Too bad, yes, but anyway, Harry considered Gabrielle to be way too young for him. Engagement between young people who had several years apart was not that rare; the most beautiful example is probably that of Louis XV engaged at 11 to Marie Anne Victoire of Spain who had only three, but for him, age was important, he said, and getting engaged to a girl who was still old enough to wear diapers was more than strange. Harry preferred to see in her a little sister, a blonde and younger image of Rosie, his beloved sister who missed him so much. Gabrielle had in a week allowed him to forget her absence, but soon, the little lady would leave the field, and Lily's son would end up again with memories of his other family all over his head. Fortunately, others with his other mother began to see the light of day and to occupy his mind long enough not to relapse in the midst of depression from the absence of his family."
"I'm gonna beat Gabriel again," Harry thought.
Harry didn't really have to worry about the problems and misfortunes happening all over Europe—the impression he conveyed to every new person he met. He spoke of his feelings towards the little Delacour and the distance separating him from Lily and Rosie. No, his main concern for now was to manage to beat Fleur in a pool clash. Both had chosen to play billiards with holes, unlike French billiards, which did not have any and proved to be much more complicated to understand than the others. Although Harry was not yet a follower of this hobby, playing often with Pauline had allowed him to grasp the basics of what some considered a sport.
Throwing a challenge at Fleur had initially seemed like a good idea, especially since he assumed that she was not an expert in this game. However, his impression changed completely when he lost the first part after total domination by the elder Delacour. Being beaten so easily made him completely change his view of Fleur. The image of the superficial little girl he had until then changed, to say the least.
The second part seemed to follow the same path as the first, and Harry found nothing better than to distract her by bombarding her with questions to destabilize her.
"Say, Fleur, why do they not accept boys in Beauxbatons?"
His question had at least the advantage of making her miss her shot. The ball, which was only a few centimeters from the hole, missed her target, to her great annoyance.
"What do you not understand in the phrase 'school for girls'?" she asked in a threatening voice. "Are you a Gabriel girl?"
"No, but..."
"There is no 'but!'" she cut him off by raising her tone. "You keep asking me this question all the time since we've been here, thinking that by doing so, I would plead your case with the headmistress of Beauxbatons, and that she would change her rules just for you! This school has always been a school for girls and will remain so, no matter what."
"At least in Hogwarts, girls and boys can take classes together," he replied, frowning. "Your school seems to be much stricter and more selective!"
"Ah, yes? You think Hogwarts is better than my school? Why? Because girls and boys take the same classes? Because there are no differences between the courses taught for boys and for girls? Because girls have the same freedoms? By all the saints, you are misinformed, Gabriel!"
"What do you mean?"
Fleur stared at him haughtily, delighted at the same time to see that she had just touched a sensitive point in the ignorance and preconceived ideas of the boy in front of her. The cards were redistributed, and she knew full well that in this duel, she was by far the one with the best hand. Comparing this discussion to the period may have been exaggerated, but Harry obviously knew nothing about Hogwarts, and seeing him become entangled in his ignorance gave her a strange sense of superiority. This situation largely turned to her advantage in any case.
"Hogwarts is as strict as Beauxbatons in terms of rules, especially regarding the regulation for boys and girls. First of all, they do not share the same classes, and even if this is the case for botany and astronomy, they are never put in pairs. Meals are held in the same way, boys on one side, girls on the other. Teaching itself differs completely from group to group, and according to Dumbledore, girls do not have the abilities to learn the same things as their male counterparts. The courses are, therefore, terribly easy for them, and this during all their schooling. To make it simple, the director of Hogwarts believes that none will be able to fill a position in the English ministry later and will instead confine herself to her role as a stay-at-home mother caring for the children while the husband works and brings back the money to feed himself and his family. They don't even have the possibility of being able to go out alone outside this castle because Dumbledore thinks they would be too weak and unable to defend themselves in case of danger. They, therefore, need an exceptional derogation from the director to be able to leave Hogwarts even for a few hours."
Harry looked at her in a bewildered air, unable to utter a word. Was what she had just told him true? Did she invent everything to dissuade him from going to this school one day? The boys did not give the impression, in any case, of having to endure heavy regulations against them. But the idea that some form of discrimination could exist in Hogwarts repelled him. Harry wasn't really a feminist or even an advocate for women's rights, but intolerance wasn't part of his way of thinking about life either. So, imagining for a single moment taking classes at one school where part of the student population was being put down relative to the other was above its strength. Going to Hogwarts suddenly seemed much less pleasing than before.
"Harry also wondered why his mother had never told him about this, she who had certainly suffered this discrimination and whose daughter would soon have to make the bitter experience. Maybe it was just to protect him and prepare him little by little for that. In any case, Harry did not want to be part of this masquerade, and if the facts were proven, his decision would be quickly made: He would never set foot in a school where his fiancée and sister would be treated unfairly in relation to him."
"What do French wizards do in this case to learn magic?" he inquired in a curious voice.
"Hm... There are several possibilities, to tell the truth. Some, when their parents are noble ancestry wizards, can take classes directly at home through preceptors, much like you currently. Others integrate rather special schools mixing magic courses and military training because they are military schools of which it is a question. French kings have long enjoyed sorcerers, and many regiments of infantry and cavalry were created for them. Many French battles were won thanks to us, like the battles of Salzbach, Mulhouse, the Peene, Hastenbeck. I don't know how it's going now, but Father thinks the board should soon be reintegrating wizards into his army. Then there is the opportunity to go to a foreign school, but this solution is used very little because of the tensions between countries that persist through the centuries. The French, in particular, openly reject placing their children in an English school, and vice versa."
"You mean my mom might refuse to send me to Hogwarts?" he suddenly asked, anxious about this idea.
"I don't think so, but do we ever know? Your mother is a much more open-minded and conciliatory woman than most other families. I don't think she has an ounce of hostility toward the English. But the principal of this school is not particularly open to this possibility. Some people even suspect him of having in the past handed over to the authorities of his country children of foreign families to cause them harm," he said, and although no evidence can prove the claims of this story, no one has since dared to place their children in Hogwarts.
"The more time passes, the less this man inspires trust in me," added Pauline while continuing to play the piano for little Gabrielle. "I cannot say whether all these horrors concerning him are true or not, but the wrongs he caused against Gabriel tend to prove the veracity of these words."
Gabrielle, meanwhile, was content to clap happily in her hands to the rhythm of the music played by Pauline, without worrying in the least about the conversation her older sister and Harry were having.
"And what do we learn in these military schools?" he asked while Fleur was again busy digging the gap at the billiards by pocketing new balls.
"I don't know, to be a soldier maybe?" she said, rolling her eyes. "Classes must mix lessons of magic and training to the weapon, handling the musket, developing his body… Father never explained to me what these schools consist of since he is not a wizard anyway. He already finds it stupid enough to join an army corps at only ten or eleven years old. I dare not imagine what he thinks of the training that these young boys undergo."
Harry himself wondered what kind of teaching could be given in such an institution, and inwardly, the prospect of having to get up at dawn, continuously training and hardening while performing difficult tasks was not very pleasing. Although Hogwarts was an openly macho school, conditioning its students into perfect little soldiers was also not included in the school rules.
"At least we do not have to worry about these ridiculous courses," added Fleur, looking up at him. "Beauxbatons teaches us to be perfect ladies of high society for those from families like mine, and good wives. Even if there is little chance that I work in the kitchen later, knowing how to cook is still interesting to learn, not to mention sewing classes, maintenance, etc., maintenance of a home and oneself. We have magic classes, of course, but most girls entering this school will, in any case, abandon the gift given to them at birth to avoid being persecuted by the population. Some never pass the gate of the castle anyway, in particular the witches born-mold from a poor or peasant family since their parents are generally responsible for bringing out from them the malignant spirit bewitching them. Suffice to say that the mortality in them is high."
Harry swallowed hard when he thought of all the possible horrors these girls suffered because of the fabulous gift they possessed. Although the witch hunt was long over, seeing someone doing magic was still considered unnatural, and people being deeply religious, most could go so far as to eliminate their own child on the pretext that he was possessed by some demon in order to protect the rest of the family or even their own lives.
"'Encore!' Gabrielle suddenly cried out as Pauline finished her piano tune. Can you play a Gabriel instrument?" Fleur asked him as he was preparing to shoot into one of the billiard balls.
"No, why?"
"There is nothing better than music to soften morals," she said, looking from the corner of her eye at Louise-Elisabeth's daughter starting a new music score. "Mother makes me play the violin from a young age to channel my energy and make me forget even for a moment my problems. You should think about learning how to play; your mother has no shortage of instruments, as little as I've seen since we've been here, and this is a great way to clear our minds of all our negative thoughts."
"Why are you telling me that?" he asked just before he fired.
Lacking luck, his billiard cue completely missed his target and even damaged the green carpet on which the balls were arranged. This tore out a giggle from Fleur, who lost even his haughty air towards him.
"This is where I want to get to! Your concentration is not yet at the point, and you are easily distracted by what surrounds you and the thoughts swarming in your head. Learning to read a score and play an instrument would allow you to focus more on what you do by forgetting the rest, and believe me: it can be very useful in your lessons. However, I also do not advise you to ignore the environment around you continuously, especially in a duel: We have dueling classes in Beauxbatons, and the first thing we learn is to analyze the place in which you are to help you. Even the noises you hear could be useful."
"If you say so," Harry said in a tense voice, not at what she had just said but more for missing his shot because of her.
Fleur took out her wand and repaired the damage caused by the awkward gesture of her opponent. A Reparo later, and the carpet looked like new, but Harry didn't really pay attention, too busy looking at the piece of wood that Fleur held in his hand.
"You don't have 'trace' in this country?"
"The trace?" he repeated without understanding. "What are you talking about?"
"The trace is Hm… An expression for the spell placed on each wand in the UK that warns authorities when a non-major wizard uses his wand outside his school. It is forbidden to practice magic except in exceptional cases, as an authorization of the ministry."
"We do not have this restriction here," Fleur calmly informed him by starting to play again. "What a funny idea! How do they hope to make you learn spells if you do not have the opportunity to test them at home? It's insane! You can't even get ahead of your school work!"
"We can always learn the movements, and..."
"Yes, but in this case, you take the risk of launching an informal spell, believing that your government is precisely seeking that you achieve this result. Our ministry authorizes us to do so even before we enter a school. Practice predominates over everything else, and nothing beats continuous training rather than having to wait two months between each school year. Anyway, I think this castle is protected by spells of a very high level so that people do not know that you practice magic between these walls. It's the same everywhere; all the big houses are protected in this way."
This finally explained why he had not received a letter from the English ministry of magic. Even though he was still partly a citizen of this country, he now had French blood which allowed him to use magic without constraint, especially when he was in this country. Information he was not ready to forget. Matthew needed a waiver from Dumbledore and a plea from him to the Wizengamot to give him the privilege, but he had nothing to do. Life can sometimes be amazing with him.
"You should still think about this possibility; the military school could be an excellent orientation for you. Many great sorcerers have become eminent men in their society. The most famous was to be without any measure Colbert, financial controller, and secretary of state of the king's house, to name but a few. You could very well follow the same path one day or the other."
Putting this subject back on the table had the gift of quickly removing the euphoria he had when thinking about his situation and that of his now half-brother. The thought of entering this type of school did not leave him the rest of the day, and the absent air he had been continually displaying since then did not escape the piercing gaze of his mother who was astonished at his behavior every time she saw him. The supper was also an opportunity to question him about what troubled him, but Harry preferred for a reason of his own not to polemicize on this subject during a meal and especially in front of guests. The thoughts of an eight-year-old boy about the school he was going to integrate later were of no concern to them, and expressing his doubts when a possible entry into a military academy was perhaps not well seen in their eyes, especially in front of Mr. Delacour, who was after all himself a military. His mother did not insist, though she could not deny that seeing him act in this way was definitely not normal. However, she didn't have to wait long to get an answer to her questions when Harry decided in the middle of the night to visit her to clarify some points that concerned him.
Finding Marie-Louise was not very difficult because his mother had the strange tendency to change living rooms according to the seasons. So it was not uncommon to see her for a few weeks sipping tea and meditating in the same room, a superb room decorated in the antique style with high carved columns in the Doric style. Harry's intuition was right from the start, and he had no trouble finding Marie-Louise in this room busy reading the latest edition of the Muggle press in order to have the latest news of his country. A cup of tea sitting on a small table next to his chair and a cozy fireplace snoring peacefully in the fireplace hearth, all the conditions were required for her to spend a pleasant evening, and Harry felt the space of a second to disturb his moment of tranquility. Tapping timidly on the door to inform her of his presence, he did not wait until she asks him to enter the room even if he prefers to stay near the entrance.
"Mother, I don't bother you?"
"Gabriel?" she said in an astonished voice. "But what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in your bed, young man?"
"Yes, finally, no... I cannot stop thinking about something that has been bothering me for a few hours, and I would like to have your opinion on it. You are such good advice…"
"Take a seat, in this case," Marie-Louise joined her by tapping the free place next to her. "This must certainly be a major problem to disturb your sleep."
"Very important," he said as he sat down. His mother popped a steaming cup of chocolate and a small blanket, which she used to cover him. May had brought with it the warmth of August; however, the evenings were still very cool in this season.
"There," he began, looking at the hearth of the fireplace, "today I had a conversation with Fleur about her school and why Beauxbatons was not taking boys into her institute. I couldn't understand why one school would refuse one class of people for another, while Hogwarts accepts anyone as long as they have magical abilities. But Fleur told me things that I never thought I would hear from Professor Dumbledore's school, especially about the differences between girls and boys in terms of the rules."
"Did your parents not tell you anything?" she asked him in amazement. "I thought you'd have known. Dumbledore's school is indeed rather strict about the difference between boys and girls, but these unfair rules are indeed recent. The headmaster, under his air of a friendly and tolerant grandfather, has cleverly played this facet to establish discriminatory and unfair rules most of the time. For you to get an even more accurate idea of this character, the rule of points awarded to houses for correct answers, satisfactory duties, or exemplary behavior was also introduced when he was inducted into the position of headmaster."
His mother suddenly interrupted as she heard the door to the living room squeak. They both turned their heads in that direction; Harry was surprised to see in the doorway the little Gabrielle in her pajamas and dragging behind her what seemed to be a thin blanket of silk. Although she continually rubbed her eyes as if she had just woken up, her face lit up as soon as she saw Harry, and any trace of fatigue instantly disappeared.
"Gab'iel!" she exclaimed as she ran towards him.
"Gabrielle? But what are you doing here?"
The little girl, however, did not answer him but threw herself at him in a gesture that almost resembled a pounce. Despite her small size and light weight, Harry received the shock and even lost his breath for a moment.
"It seems that it is the evening of insomniacs," Marie-Louise remarked, making a new cup appear that she handed to Gabrielle. "Do not repeat this feat, however, miss. I doubt that your mother would approve of seeing you standing at such a late hour. Besides, why did you come here?"
"I saw Gab'iel walk past my door and wanted to follow him to see what he was doing," she said shyly, hiding her face behind Harry. "I thought he wouldn't come here…"
The explanation seemed to satisfy Marie-Louise, who, with a wave of her wand, made the little girl levitate to put her between her and Harry, to the great amusement of Gabrielle. Another wand stroke later, the cup containing the same nectar that Harry found himself in her little hands.
"Drink, Gabrielle, slowly," she said, wrapping her with the blanket she had brought. "You should not get sick... Where were we?"
"You were talking about the points given to each house for the good behavior of the students."
"Yes, it is true... Well, the explanation of Dumbledore was, at the very least, amazing and was summarized in one point: the competition between houses. He hoped to create a climate of competition between the four houses, but he simply managed to create an even more tense climate within his school. Each house wishes to take advantage over the other, even if it means using radical methods to do so. Acts of violence have increased sharply since he became a headmaster, and it is for this reason that some families do not enroll their children in his school."
"Are you one of those people?" he questioned her, not without a slight hint of fear at this thought. "Would you stop me from going to Hogwarts if I asked you to let me register there?"
His mother remained silent on this question, her eyes on the wave. As she kept repeating, the choice was up to her son, but deep down inside herself, she knew for a fact that she didn't really like her choice to go to that school. The teaching itself was not the same as in Beauxbatons, far from the norms that were generally imposed on young wizards. Lessons that a first-year child could learn were only addressed in the Year of the Buses, and some courses taught them only futile and unnecessary things. His son would learn absolutely nothing there, maybe even regress; the teaching which she gave him was quite advanced and dealt only with very specific subjects that could only serve him. Moreover, to see him study in a school under the yoke of a man she absolutely did not like did not seem to him possible, for the safety of Gabriel in particular. The shenanigans of this old man could cause him harm, and especially, if he ever learned the true identity of his son, it was not impossible that he attacked him. The fact that he is also the boy of the woman who humiliated him in a duel could also play in his schooling. Finally, the distance separating them was certainly a rather silly argument, but now that she had a son, she had no intention of letting him go several hundred miles away without being able to see him as often as she wanted.
"The choice is yours, Gabriel," she said once again to avoid giving her personal impression. "I don't have to interfere in your business, but if I were to be honest with you, I don't like the prospect of you going to that school."
"But... Where would you like me to go in this case?"
To her astonishment, Marie-Louise rose from her place and reduced the distance separating her from the chimney. His mother was now turning her back on him, and Harry was unable to see her face and determine the emotions running through her. His Legilimency skills were not developed enough to hope to get anything. Gabrielle did not even pay attention to their conversation, too busy enjoying her chocolate by occasionally sighing with satisfaction.
"The men in our family have always served the best interests of the country in which they lived. Some even became war advisers to the kings of their time, while others excelled in diplomatic relations between nations. Common sense would like you to follow the same path since from now on, you are part of both the Bourbons through your adoptive father and the Savoy through myself, to continue this tradition. But I have only just gained you, Gabriel, and the thought of seeing you die in the middle of fighting would almost make me faint."
A very slight silence settled, giving Harry's mother time to take a sip of her herbal tea and for her son to digest this information. Then, once her cup had rested, Marie-Louise turned to him, a strange glow animating her eyes as if she were about to announce something very important to him.
"However, not sending you to a school of this type would risk nullifying your chances of one day making a name for yourself in Muggle society. I know for a fact that you are also a wizard, but as you will soon realize, these two worlds are closely linked, and to become an important person in one is to do the same for the other community. The only difference between them is the ignorance of the Muggles concerning the existence of wizards among them. Many wizards are at the head of high administrations, just as some Muggles who know of our existence influence our way of life and some of our freedoms. Father often told me that a man only forges his legend by illustrating himself on a battlefield, and history gives him some reason."
"I do not know if I want to become a military man," he whispered thoughtfully. "I'm only eight years old right now, almost nine, and I didn't imagine risking my life that way until now. On the other hand, I can't hide that fighting in a battle is very exciting, but I don't feel able at the moment to do such a thing. Could I think about it and give you an answer before you decide for yourself where I will study?"
"Of course, and if my choice does not suit you, we can always continue our lessons here with some preceptors. For now, as I have already told you, I have to solve some difficulties before thinking about your schooling, so do not worry about this problem for now. I think it would even be better to discuss this with your mother when she knows you're here. I hardly want to make this decision without her consent; her opinion is worth as much, if not more than mine, regarding your life."
"I understand," he said thoughtfully.
A sudden shock on his shoulder made him instinctively turn his head, and what he had before him surprised him as much as it softened him. Leaning against him, Gabrielle had finally been won over by sleep and slept peacefully, smiling blissfully. It didn't matter if it was him or the hot chocolate that made her smile that way. Acting as a brother would, Harry moved her slightly to better lengthen her while passing an arm around her in a protective attitude that he had not only had with Rosie.
"It seems that a certain person did not last very long," his mother remarked, also smiling at this sight.
"It would seem so," approved Harry by tightening his grip on Gabrielle.
"How is your fiancée doing?" asked Marie-Louise to address a much more joyful subject. "You will notice that I did not talk about this subject in front of the Delacour; I know that it bothers you enormously to talk about it in front of strangers."
"A little commendable attention on your part," thanked Harry by nodding his head. "To answer your question, she's fine, well, that's what she writes in her letters. She's trying to write to me in French, but right now it's very bad, and she's aware of it herself. Elle…"
"She?"
"She says that she misses me and that she is sad not to have seen me on her birthday," he confessed in a tense voice. "She does not say it openly, but I still feel that this situation is beginning to displease her and that writing letters to her is no longer enough for her. She has asked me several times for details about where I am and why I am so discreet about what has happened to me in recent months, but I always answer her the same thing: You will know sooner or later. I doubt that this answer will continue to satisfy her in the future, and I must admit that I am afraid that she will decide not to write to me if I continue on this path."
"Maybe... Maybe we should think of an encounter," thought Marie-Louise while pretending to think.
Even though she pretended to have this idea at that precise moment, this proposal had been inscribed in her mind for some time. Although she had decreed that Harry could see Daphne again only by having satisfactory results in everything she taught him, the desire to meet the one who was going to be her daughter-in-law had been dragging her for several months already. Her deal with Harry was just a pretext to resist the temptation to meet this young lady and her family, but the idea of the carrot and the stick was not so bad and allowed the deadline that was inexorably approaching to last: Harry certainly wouldn't have improved his magical abilities so quickly if he had been allowed to see Daphne again just a month after he arrived in Lamballe, and even though many subjects still eluded him, his ability to assimilate everything she taught him astonished her to the utmost. Finding his fiancée would be a gift of choice for his excellent work.
"A... A meeting?" Harry repeated as he opened his eyes. "But didn't you say that I had to go to great lengths to be entitled to this privilege?"
"Do you not think that what you have done so far deserves a reward? Very well, if you still prefer to wait…"
"No! I mean, I'd love to, of course, but it's just that I didn't expect to see her again so soon."
"Rest assured, I understood it perfectly. Even if your basics in Occlumency begin to be good, your emotions still betray you," she informed him with an amused air. "In truth, if I wish to meet this young lady, it is to exploit the bond that unites you. Anyone could do it, but the power within you would be ample enough to allow you to provide her with more magic without you suffering from it. Not to mention that it would also allow her to increase the power of her spells. Sharing half of your magic would still be like creating two people with abilities greater than the average wizard; I have no doubt about that."
"When will we be able to go see her?" he asked impatiently. "I'm dying to talk to her again!"
"Hm... Maybe for your birthday, but do not relax your efforts, however: I could delay this deadline if I see a drop in your work, I could, only on a magical level or in good manners."
"Promised!" he nodded joyfully.
"Well, now go to bed; you have to be presentable to say goodbye to the Delacour, then we will resume where we were the last time. It is imperative that you know how to alternate magic without a wand and magic with a wand. You can't imagine how much it baffles an opponent. As for me, I'm going to go to border this lady before I go to rest too."
"Oh no, don't bother about it," he said, already taking Gabrielle in his arms. "Her room is right next to mine; I wouldn't need to make a detour like you."
His mother simply nodded her head, casting a spell to lighten Gabrielle in spite of everything. About ten kilos, the little girl became as light as a feather, and Harry had no trouble wearing her until the exit. He consented to let his mother kiss his forehead to wish him a good night before leaving the living room to finally rest. His apprehensions about his future school were still there, but to a lesser extent. His choice could still wait, and above all: His choice could not be made without the approval of his two mothers. There was more to tell Lily…
step into the world of PEVERELL_MAGIC on P.a.t.r.e.o.n! Experience where tales unfold, magic ignites, and the future takes shape.
For exclusive support and early access to upcoming chapters, join us at PEVERELL_MAGIC on P.a.t.r.e.o.n.
Note: Get the scoop a day before anyone else! Updates release on P.a.t.r.e.o.n before they hit FanFiction. Join us for free to read ahead!