March 7, 1999
The Malfoys sat waiting in their family room for Severus to arrive, and maybe Harry. They never received word if Harry would be joining, but Severus assured he would pass the invitation. However, it was becoming late and that seemed odd as Severus was always quite punctual for invites to events.
"Should I call his office?" Draco inquired. "It's not like him to be late."
"Let's give it a few more minutes. He is the headmaster, and busier." Narcissa stated, then sipped her tea slowly.
"How is Mr. Potter doing?" Lucius wondered as he looked at his son.
"As best as can be expected, I suppose." Draco shrugged. "He's in his final months, so always tired and moody. I think it's safe to say he's ready to be done being pregnant."
"I believe all those who go through pregnancy feel that way around this time," Narcissa chuckled. It was only moments later when the fireplace flashed green and Severus stepped out with Harry beside him. "There you are. We were getting worried."
"My apologies, Narcissa." Severus bowed his head. "We got a bit held up."
"You're not immensely late." Narcissa smiled. "Harry…So lovely to see you again, sweetheart." The witch stood and went over to greet him with a kiss on each cheek.
"You as well, Lady Malfoy," Harry bowed a bit. "Thank you for the invitation to come for lunch."
"Oh, there will be none of that, darling. Draco told me that you're related to the Blacks, so we're family now." Narcissa laughed lightly. "Andromeda sends her well wishes, and apologies. Teddy is feeling under the weather and she didn't want to bring him with you coming, so you wouldn't get sick. Pregnancy is hard enough on its own without throwing on some kind of illness."
"It's alright. I'll see him for Easter, I'm sure. Or we'll use the mirrors during my spare time at school." Harry replied.
"Mr. Potter," Lucius greeted.
"Lord Malfoy." The teenager replied. "Hi, Dray."
"Hey, Potter," Draco grinned. "How do you feel today?"
"Too long of a day that isn't even over yet." Harry admitted with a sigh.
"And you should be sitting down, taking it easy, Harry." Severus sighed, closing his eyes. "You heard Madam Pomfrey earlier. And I'd thank you to not scare the life out of me a second time today."
Draco frowned. "What happened?"
Severus eyed Harry, asking silently if he could tell Draco. "Why are you asking me if it's okay? Draco is my healer, and I'm certain that he'll find out from Madam Pomfrey anyway."
"We can talk over lunch," Narcissa suggested. "Unless Harry would rather keep it private?"
"I don't really care who knows as long as it doesn't get out that Severus is the baby's father." Harry stated.
"It's going to get out, Harry. Eventually." Severus reminded. "Speaking of…Lucius, we may need to ensure that defense quickly. There was an incident this morning, pertaining to Harry scaring the life out of me. It may have raised suspicion." He explained.
"Let's all sit down first, then we'll discuss things." Lucius said.
Once they were all at the table, and sitting. Narcissa called an elf to bring lunch and drinks. Harry stuck to just water while the others enjoyed a glass of wine. Once everyone had begun to eat, the chatter began. It was casual for a bit, checking in on how life was and so on.
"Now then…What's all this about rushing the defense? Have you been threatened with arrest, Severus?" Draco questioned. "And what scare with Harry?"
"It's all tied together." Severus mentioned.
"Tell us." Narcissa urged.
So Severus began to explain what went down earlier that morning with Minerva bringing Ginerva to the headmaster's office, and Harry being there. The words exchanged didn't matter, but when Harry started experiencing a lot of pain, Severus went into panic mode. Switching from using Mr. Potter or Potter to Harry, and holding him close with worry before rushing him to the infirmary.
"You're concerned the girl will draw her own conclusions of Severus's panic, causing trouble in assuming him the father?" Lucius questioned.
"The girl is obsessed with Harry." Draco sighed. "She is absolutely convinced despite everyone, including Harry, telling her that they aren't getting back together, that they will cause they're perfect for one another." He rolled his eyes.
"We believe that the whole family isn't after Harry, just Molly and Ginerva." Severus added. "As her only daughter, it would make sense Molly wants Ginny to marry well."
"She has six other kids." Narcissa mentioned.
"Charlie is married to his job in Romania. Bill is married to Fleur, both work for Gringotts. Percy is engaged, but still not on great terms with his family after he took the ministry's side when Voldemort returned. Fred is dead, George runs the joke shop and getting close to Angelina Johnson. Then Ron is with Hermione." Harry shrugged. "And none of her children's partners have the status I do as two lords and the boy who lived twice."
"She doesn't even know about you being lord to two houses, does she?" Draco inquired.
"She might by now if I recall correctly in the last meeting that Harry informed Dumbledore that he destroyed the contract as Lord Black. Legally, the goblins would be required to send word to the other family that a betrothal contract was broken." Lucius said.
"It may be why she's desperate to try and get you. She no longer has the security of the marriage promised by Dumbledore." Narcissa added.
"They're unaware of the broken contract.," Severus said. "The goblins haven't sent word because technically the terms state in the clause of if Harry survived the final battle, that he and the girl were to bond before Harry turns twenty, which wouldn't be until July 2000. Technically, it's not even broken…It's just a piece of a paper. It's not legal without Lord Black's approval…"
"So they'll learn of it when either Harry tells them, or asks the goblins to send word, or when the age limit is reached. If the contract isn't accepted by Harry's twentieth birthday, it just dissolves. Between nineteen and twenty will be when the Weasley females believe the magic of the contract they think is active will gradually latch to Harry's magic and compel him to obey the term, or…Consequence is usually losing their magic or sometimes, magically bound to the person with or without consent." Lucius informed.
"But that won't happen because neither Sirius as former Lord Black, nor me now as the current Lord Black, accepted the contract and by the laws and traditions of the Black family…If the lord does not accept a contract, it is void." Harry said. "So no consequence, unless magic decides to punish them for trying to force me into something I believed I had no say in or knowledge of until years after its creation."
"It's possible. The important thing is you will not be forced to marry her." Draco said.
"But Molly is obviously coaching her daughter to do anything to get you, regardless of believing the contract will force it before you turn twenty." Narcissa mentioned. "It's clear they're desperate to try and hurry things along faster than waiting on what will be a failed contract attempt."
"It doesn't matter. I made it clear that I will not be with her again. They're only pushing cause Ginerva wants to be able to graduate Hogwarts as my betrothed, then have the wedding in the fall so she can become Lady Potter, since she doesn't know yet that I'm lord Black as well, so she can ride that status change in hopes of it helping her get ahead in life." Harry stated.
"Just be careful, Harry. Obsessed, jealous, angry, and desperate are never good on their own…Nevermind together. It will be worse if she can confirm who the father of the baby is. I am certain that figuring out she essentially lost to Severus, of all people, will activate a dangerous girl willing to do anything to get what she wants." Draco warned. "Didn't you tell me once that before you two dated in sixth year, she got all jealous and worked up about your obsession with that Advanced Potions textbook you had?"
"It was not an obsession…I just wanted to know who the Half-Blood Prince was cause that book was the only one with the instructions to make the potions right. You saw that first class we had in sixth year, Slughorn said follow the directions in the book and everyone screwed up Draught of the Living Death. Except me." Harry rolled his eyes.
"But yes, she did get all pissy that I always had the book. She was overjoyed when I finally agreed to get rid of it after I used that spell that almost killed you…" The teen still felt really bad about that. "I'm still sorry about that, by the way…"
Draco waved it off with a smile. "Pfft, don't worry about it. In the past, Harry. You were defending yourself, I tried to hit you with Crucio."
"Yeah, but big difference between you trying to torture me and me almost killing you if Severus hadn't shown up." Harry reminded. "But either way…She hid the book in the Room of Requirement. Made me close my eyes, she hid it, then kissed me and left the room. I'm certain the book is now destroyed ever since Fiendfyre went through it last year." Harry shrugged.
"My point is that after you learned Severus was the Half-Blood Prince, you told your friends and assumingly, her?" Draco asked. Harry nodded. "Okay so if she got all pissy before you knew the truth because of how you were with that book and now knowing who annotated it, how do you think she's gonna get if she finds out that the Half-Blood Prince took your virginity in a muggle nightclub and knocked you up? And that you're gonna work together to co-parent the child?" The blond wondered.
"Doesn't change what I said. She can't do anything to me to get her own way. There is no outcome where she wins this and gets me as her husband or father of her children. No outcome where she becomes Lady Potter-Black. No outcome where she can use my fame or fortunes for herself. None." Harry repeated.
"Well, even so…That doesn't mean there won't be attempts to try. Heed Draco's warning and be careful. Molly was good in potions, you best watch your food and drink, Harry. They could try to slip you something." Lucius added.
"I'm protected from attempts of that nature." Harry assured.
"There are ways for it to not change the taste…" Narcissa reminded.
Harry waved his left hand over the right and revealed two formal rings in place. One with a red gem and P inside, the other was a clear ring with black background and B. "Harry has the protections from his Lordship rings, Mother. If he only wore one, something might slip past…" Draco informed softly.
"But not with two. He's safe from potions and poisons that are dangerous. And the Black ring, just like the laws and traditions protecting Harry from manipulations of others, is actually charmed to ward against charms and potions regarding love or lust to prevent Line Theft." Severus added.
"Oh, yes…If she attempted that, she could get the Kiss or pushed through the Veil as punishment. I've seen them not even propose time in Azkaban over Line Theft of a Sacred Twenty-Eight family. Which the Blacks are on. Not even that, the Black is a noble and ancient house…" Narcissa shivered. "She would never escape a punishment for that and wouldn't even be a trial." she paused. "Do your rings record attempts?"
"They do. Who made the attempt, who the potion would target, and who brewed the potion originally. As well as the date." Harry nodded.
"What about Imperius or compulsions?" Lucius asked.
"I'm immune to Imperius. Not even Voldemort could hold me under that one after the first few time he used it in the Tri-Wizard Tournament." Harry said. "And compulsions don't work, not anymore. Especially after the block broke on my core."
"So the only concern is physical attacks." Severus sighed.
"And Harry always has people around, Uncle Severus. Hermione, Blaise, and Theo. Me. You. Even now Pansy, Longbottom, Lovegood, and Crabbe. I know it's not foolproof, but he is pretty well guarded." Draco offered. "The concern is ensuring you don't get taken out of the picture too early. You're needed for the development of the baby."
"We know. Madam Pomfrey already told me what needs to happen, and I've discussed it with Harry." Severus remarked.
"What did happen? Why did Harry feel pain?" Draco pushed. "You didn't explain."
"Harry got panicked and stressed with Ginerva so close that he kick-started himself into preterm labor." The potions master informed. "Poppy was able to stop it."
"What did I tell you about stress?!" Draco glared at Harry. "I warned you of the dangers."
"Well, I'm sorry if I don't like being within reaching distance of that psycho." Harry mumbled. "I know all the protections in place and that she can't really do anything to get her way…But I know she could try a physical attack, like we said…And that knowledge with her so close just set it off."
"Potter, I swear…I will put you on strict bed rest!" The younger blonde warned. "There hasn't been enough time to balance the magic output between you and Severus for the baby. It's going to take until he hits nine months if nothing else interferes."
"They could just have sex." Narcissa mentioned. Lucius choked on the drink he was taking as Draco lost the color in his face.
"Mother!" Draco said quickly.
"Don't look at me like I said the most unheard of thing in the world, Dragon." Narcissa rolled her eyes.
"Narcissa, it's hardly a topic for a meal!" Lucius coughed.
"We're just talking about sex, Lucius. Calm down. It takes sex to make the baby, obviously sex can be involved to help the child develop throughout pregnancy." Narcissa stated. "Besides, they had sex already so it's not awkward or anything. It's perfectly normal. All expecting magical couples do it. Remember when our healer suggested it for Draco's development."
Severus kept a straight face while Harry hid his silent sniggers into his cup. "I could have gone my whole life without hearing that piece of information!" Draco groaned.
"Regardless. Narcissa is correct, and you also, godson, had basically suggested the same." Severus remarked. "Alas, Poppy highly advised it to happen for the sake of getting the baby to where it needs to be right now and continuing on schedule until delivery. And she said it's the only chance the baby has for survival if Harry goes into labor early again…"
"Basically saying that the preterm labor could happen again and every time you have sex from this point forward will up the percentage of the baby surviving if born early." Narcissa understood.
"Yes. Harry and I already discussed it and agreed." Severus nodded.
"Is this why you wanted to rush the defense?" Lucius finally asked.
"It's one of the reasons. Poppy assures me that they can't lock me up over it, given it's medically necessary." Severus stated. "But it was also over the fact that Miss. Weasley may try to take it to her mother over my concern for Harry. One way or another, I believe we should be prepared that I'll be getting arrested soon."
"I have to say I agree." Lucius agreed. "It might have been plausible before that you and Harry slept together before term even began, but if it's going to become an active occurrence; it'll come out. Draco and Poppy would get called as healers." He mentioned.
"Can they arrest me for it?" Severus questioned.
"Yes."
"Can they convict me for it?" The man pushed.
"They shouldn't be able to. It'll be a battle, but I'm confident we'll win." Lucius nodded.
"Harry believes that even if I'm arrested, he'll have me out within two hours." Severus chuckled.
"That solely depends on Harry's political power." Draco grinned. "He is famous for living through the killing curse twice, and vanquishing Voldemort. There's a bunch more stuff too, but the bottom line is that Harry has about as much political status as the Minister of Magic, and since he does actually have Shacklebolt in his corner…I mean…There's actually nothing Harry can't do. In politics, or power…Come on, he's magically powerful as hell."
"It's more like breaking you out of holding and escaping away to another country." Harry stated. "Then letting them all rot with the knowledge that if another prophecy comes up about me defeating a Dark Lord, I refuse to fight. Or maybe to remember that all the shit they let Dumbledore get away with pushed me into a dark place that I may or may not have recovered from yet…"
The other four people in the room blinked several times. "What? It would be a real damn shame if they decided to take away my child's father on bullshit and I just went off the deep end and became the new Dark Lord that they don't stand a chance in any realm or reality of beating because they sure as hell couldn't handle Voldemort, and I was marked as his equal."
"The only difference between Voldemort as a Dark Lord and me is that he did everything because he had no love for anything. He just wanted power…Me, on the other hand, I'm someone who cares and loves deeply for a very small circle of people. You fuck with my family and I have no reservations about killing someone to protect them." The teen shrugged.
"I've already lost multiple people who were family…I'll burn this world to the ground before I let it happen again, even if that means becoming the villain. The power wouldn't corrupt me. Voldemort didn't understand love or what it felt like, he had nothing to lose, nothing to fight for. I have everything to lose…So I have everything to fight for." Harry admitted. "I fought in that war because I believed it would bring peace, and everyone would get to pick up the pieces, rebuild and start over…"
"If people are gonna be petty over the past, I don't mind ensuring that they die with it to protect the peace I actually died for." Harry informed. "If you're not gonna be part of the solution, then you're part of the problem. And if you're gonna cause me problems, I'll get rid of you like I did Voldemort. I fought in that war so I could enjoy the benefits of a happy life too. So I could finally live my life my way. And I'm not letting anyone believe that they get a say in my life."
He paused. "Cause if anyone thinks they have that kind of power over me…They're gonna find out real fast that pushing your 'hero' past their limits will kill them. And you know the saying…You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain. Unfortunately…Villains aren't born, they're made. So they can test me if they want…But I really don't advise it and I really don't want to believe they're that stupid."
"So don't worry, Sev. You're safe." The teen smiled. "I refuse to allow anyone to take my family again. And we might not be blood-related, betrothed, or married…But we share this child, and that will always connect us. So you're family to me. And I protect my family. No one can stop me when I get into my family protection mode, not even the ministry."
A pause, "Besides...How do you think you weren't convicted during the Death Eater trials?" Harry asked as Severus blinked a few times, recalling what Poppy told him earlier. "Yes, it was my influence that made sure you were pardoned for anything you did and also rewarded an Order of Merlin for what you did to secure our win of the war."
"That was you? Harry, what did you say?" Severus asked.
"What they needed to hear with an underlying threat if they did not listen." Harry replied.
"Didn't you literally tell Ginerva earlier in my office you won't use your name to help people who deserve what they're gonna get?" Severus remarked calmly.
"And I won't. But you didn't deserve what you were gonna get, Severus. I'm all for using my name to help the innocent. I did what I could for Draco and Lucius too. I couldn't keep them out of prison, but I was able to get their time served lowered considerably." Harry shrugged. "The only thing you were guilty of was joining when you were younger, Severus and telling Tom the prophecy..."
"Everything else beyond that was Tom and Pettigrew." Harry continued. "And after Tom chose me, you switched sides. All you did after that decision was made was try to protect me the best you could on a vow to my mother. Everything you did was for me and to see the war won by the Light. I wasn't letting you go to prison for making a teenage mistake, which we've all done, I'm sure. You had been bullied as a kid, abusive and neglectful home life. Anyone would have made the choices you did..."
"The difference is you realized that you made a mistake and did everything to fix it. Be redeemed. And you did. You were redeemed the second you chose to go to Albus and beg him to protect not just my family, but the Longbottoms too. Because Neville was also a possibility as who the prophecy spoke of. I know Tom sent people after both families, just in case he was wrong." Harry informed.
"So trust me when I say...You will not get convicted because I won't allow it. They won't even get you out of Hogwarts. You might end up in cuffs, but you won't be dragged away. I promise you that." The teenager stated. "I'll just casually remind them all the same I did during your trial not to piss me off or I'll ruin them. Figuratively, of course."
Severus blinked again. So Harry was the reason he never got sent to prison. All on his own too. "Well, I have to say…Even for how dark that sounded…It was awesome." Draco chuckled. "I've seen how you protect your family and friends. I still wish I hadn't been such a cocky git to you when we were kids…"
"Eh, live and learn. We're friends now. And you're family too. You've been under my protection since I became Lord Black, Draco. So has your mother and by association, your father because he's married to her. Narcissa was born a Black, which means that runs in you as well. But protection falls on the husband once the marriage is completed. The only way I could have stepped in was if she came to ask for my help." Harry revealed. "But she handled it in the end, by taking you and your father away from the final battle."
"Moving on…" The potions master began. "Harry, I appreciate your drive to protect me…But I do have doubts that you could take on the entire Ministry of Magic. They'd know you were coming for me, and be prepared. You'd never break into the ministry to pull that off." Severus remarked.
"Severus…Ron, Hermione, and I broke into Gringotts a year ago, and stole Helga Hufflepuff's cup out of Bellatrix Lestrange's vault because it was a horcrux. Then escaped on a dragon." Harry smiled as Severus blinked a couple times. "And there was the actual ministry break-in to get to the hall of prophecy. I was fifteen when that happened. With not just me, but multiple other teenagers."
He chuckled a bit. "Trust me, Sev…One of two things would happen. I will either show up and raze the building to the ground or I have my Cloak of Invisibility. Believe me…I could get you out violently or silently."
"Harry is Master of the Impossible, Uncle Severus." Draco snickered. Severus sighed, knowing he was fighting a losing battle. Harry did always find a way, and if someone pushed him too far, Severus actually did not doubt that Harry would snap. He'd become a Dark Lord to protect the people he cared for and loved. And Severus wouldn't blame or stop him.
"I am still shocked by the reveals last time we tried to have this meeting. Dumbledore truly all that? Blocking your core, the compulsions?" Lucius stated.
Harry nodded. "I showed you the scan sheets, Mr. Malfoy. It was a full scan from the bank."
"Are you still going to go after him?" Draco inquired.
"I was, but Severus made me realize that all it will do is ruin the man's image to the people. It won't bring him back to extract revenge, serve any justice, or change what happened. He was old anyway and would have died from that curse he got by touching one of Voldemort's horcruxes. Severus killing him was a mercy kill because Dumbledore would have died within a year." Harry stated.
"Mercy? But it was the killing curse. You have to want that, and in mercy, it wouldn't work." Draco remarked.
"It worked because Dumbledore asked Severus to kill him. Severus did want to kill him, but not out of cruel intention. Spells are all intention, what you want to do. The killing curse can be used to murder mercilessly, or with mercy. That's why Sev's spell wasn't green. It was blue. Pure intention." Harry shrugged.
"There is something I've always wondered, Harry…If you don't mind answering something regarding the second war?" Narcissa hoped. Harry motioned for her to go ahead. "How did you survive? The killing curse, there was no one to protect you the second time."
"Ah. It's the same thing everyone wonders." Harry smiled.
"But you've never divulged how. Not even to the papers." Narcissa stated.
"I never divulge much to the papers. They've spun too many lies even when I gave them the truth and a statement." Harry replied.
"So, how did you survive? I swear it will never leave this room." Narcissa stated. "How did your mother's protection last past you turning seventeen?"
"It wasn't my mother's protection, that was gone when I turned seventeen." Harry confirmed. "I actually have my suspicions that it was gone earlier, but I can't prove it. Either way…"
"So how did you survive the killing curse head on without your mother's protection," Lucius inquired, sipping his wine.
"The wand he wielded against me refused to work for him because he wasn't its master." Harry informed.
"Because I survived, right?" Severus mentioned. "He told me that's why it wouldn't work for him, because I was the one who killed Dumbledore and the wand only served its master, which was the person who defeated its old master."
"Except for the fact that you were not the wand's master, Severus." Harry smiled softly. "I was."
The other four in the room stared. "H-How? I killed Dumbledore."
"But you were not the one to defeat him…Draco was. On the tower that night, Draco disarmed the wand from Dumbledore's hand, which counts as defeat." Harry explained. "So Draco actually defeated him, and became the master of the Elder Wand. Voldemort didn't know disarming counts, so he knew you killed Albus, and assumed you were the wand's new master.
"But you said you were the wand's master?" Draco reminded.
"I was after you." Harry chuckled. "Remember when I escaped Malfoy Manor with the others, I wrestled that group of wands from you?" Draco nodded. "I took your Hawthorn in the struggle. Which counted as me disarming you, and I already informed you that disarming counts as defeat. So when I defeated you, so to speak…I became the master of the Elder Wand." Harry informed.
"And when Voldemort wielded the Elder Wand against you in the forest, it refused to harm its master!" Narcissa beamed. "That's why you survived. It wouldn't kill you."
"It killed the piece of Voldemort living inside me, the piece of his soul that didn't belong in me. Technically, he killed himself. Or…A part of himself." Harry nodded. "I still had to die. You can't get hit with that spell and not die. But when I died, I didn't move on I guess? Or my soul didn't? I was stuck at an in-between after the curse hit. Dumbledore was there…We were in, what I considered, a white King's Cross station."
"I was told I could board a train to go home or move on…I chose home. I knew Voldemort wasn't gone, I knew I had to go back to fight him so the others had a chance to destroy Nagini. They wouldn't have been able to if someone didn't keep Voldemort busy. Plus, Voldy didn't go back to the school until he knew I was dead. To boast about his victory," Harry rolled his eyes. "So I played dead until we got there. I knew seeing me still alive would piss him off and he'd come after me and eventually abandon his snake, which left her to the others."
"I knew you weren't dead…" Narcissa smiled.
"I know, and it was thanks to your lie and fantastic acting and solid Occlumency that Voldemort believed you." Harry nodded. "You knew if Voldemort knew I was alive, there would have been no going back to the school. And you wanted to go there to get Draco and leave the fight."
"Well, yes…I did want that. But I also lied because everyone knew the prophecy, you were foretold to have the power to vanquish the Dark Lord. We knew there was something special about Nagini, he became too protective over her towards the end. And I knew of the diary Lucius gave away being destroyed. And Bella's vault being broken into."
"We knew he was getting weaker." Lucius summarized. "Narcissa knew if she lied to protect you, it would get us back to the school to get Draco and leave in the madness of you surviving and not get killed for betraying the Dark Lord. And as you just revealed, it allowed you to distract him so your friends could kill the snake, which then left you delivering the final blow."
"I've been wondering…How come you were able to wield my Hawthorn?" Draco asked.
"Because it sensed what you really wanted and allowed me to use it to ensure that what we wanted was carried out." The blonde blinked a few times. "The wands are some-what sentient. They can change allegiance, and some stay loyal to one person no matter what. Like Neville's wand. For years at school, he failed. He wasn't using a wand that chose him. His grandmother made him use Frank's wand. But that wand was one that stayed loyal to one master." A pause. "Your wand, Draco, changed allegiance when I disarmed you."
"But you gave it back to me," Draco pulled it out. "It still works for me all the same…"
"I should have been clearer. Temporarily changed allegiance. Your wand was always your wand, Draco. It never left you, it just allowed me to wield it in your true feelings about the war. You may have believed in the Dark Lord's vision in the start…But it swayed when you saw the truth. You wanted out, and you knew there was no way out unless he was gone…" Harry explained.
"And you know that you couldn't oppose him openly without risk to yours or your family's lives. However, when I was brought to the manor…You protected my identity. You knew it was me, you told Bellatrix you weren't sure. And she wanted you to confirm it because as she said…If you called him and you were wrong, the Dark Lord would kill everyone…" He paused.
Then Harry continued, "And when we battled for the wands, you didn't fight me. You struggled, but our eyes met and I saw your fear. I saw you wanted out. And you knew if you stopped fighting me, I'd escape. I could finish the mission to destroy the Dark Lord. You saw me as your only chance, because if I died or Voldemort realized what we were hunting down, it was over. At that time, we didn't have the diadem or the snake yet, and the cup wasn't destroyed either."
"We would have lost, cause he would have killed me and located the rest to protect the hell out of them like he did with the ring that cursed Dumbledore to die slowly. It could be slowed down, but not stopped. And everything would have been over. He would have won…And while you didn't know all those details, you knew enough that you had one chance to do the right thing and help get rid of him." Harry informed.
"So you gave up fighting me and you let go of the wands willingly. And your wand sensed your desire but knew you couldn't oppose Voldemort…But it knew you trusted that I could defeat him. So it allowed me to wield it to help you. Your wand trusted me." Harry revealed.
"It didn't so much change allegiance as it accepted me as an ally to you. Even more so after the situation in the Room of Requirement." Harry chuckled. "Your wand knew I didn't have one to use. Mine had been broken at the time. When the war was over…Your wand was content to return to you, its job done in helping me carry out what you wanted...Which was Voldemort gone, and your family safe."
"What happened to the Elder Wand?" Lucius asked.
"I used it to repair my broken wand, shatter the Resurrection Stone, and then I snapped the Elder wand in half so it could never be used again." Harry replied.
"You destroyed the Deathly Hallows?" Narcissa blinked. "You were the Master of Death."
"Just the wand and the stone. If they remained, people would only abuse their power, or start another fucking war over them…And it would start with people coming after me because you have to defeat the previous master in order to become the Elder Wand's new master." Harry sighed. "No, it was foolish to keep the Hallows together and their existence of being real at all and known to others."
"You four and two others are the only ones who know the whole story. That I assembled all three and was the master of the Elder Wand and that for a short period, I was the Master of Death. And those two people are Ron and Hermione, they're sworn to secrecy." Harry informed. "I still possess the cloak. I'll keep to tradition and pass it onto my child…But not a lot of people know I have an invisibility cloak, much less know that it's one of the Hallows."
"Invisibility cloaks are rare on their own, and rumor has it that they lose their ability over time. And those who knew that my cloak was passed down in the Potter family from the youngest Peverell brother to his son, and then granddaughter who married my ancestor are dead. Which means anyone who could have claimed it's been around since the twelfth century are gone…Except those I've told the story to." Harry stated.
"And like I said…The only two before you were Ron and Hermione…So me telling you means I trust you with my secrets and life." Harry informed. "If anyone finds out the truth that the Hallows were real, and assembled…People will try to find them, and they'll come after me. Even if I told them all three were destroyed. Crazy people would think killing me makes them the new Master of Death even without the objects."
"People will still believe what they want with the stories and legends of the Hallows. But obviously those who go looking won't find anything because two are destroyed and the reasoning I gave with my cloak." Harry shrugged. "And that's fine. There's nothing to worry about cause after failed searches and dead ends on any clues, people would just eventually accept it's a myth."
"We get it. As long as no one finds out that you did have all three…Then there's no proof they were ever real." Severus nodded. "And everyone else besides who you've told personally is dead."
"Well, Ollivander isn't…But he told me he only conveyed rumors that Voldemort tortured him to give up. He also didn't believe in their actual existence. Grindelwald knew, so did Dumbledore, and that wand-maker…Gregorovich, I think…But they're all gone now. So is Voldemort and I don't think any of his Death Eaters knew the significance of the wand he had." Harry mentioned.
"You've nothing to worry from us, Harry," Lucius assured.
"We won't tell anyone, Harry. I swore that to you before you started." Narcissa promised. Draco and Severus nodded as well. No one wanted or needed another war starting.
"Just to ask…How exactly did you defeat the Dark Lord? We all know he shot the killing curse at you, but what was that red spell you fired at him?" Draco wondered.
"Expelliarmus, of course." Harry smiled.
"Y-You defeated the greatest Dark Wizard ever known, even above Grindelwald, with a freaking disarming charm?" Draco blinked.
"I actually didn't defeat him." Harry informed, leaving the other four people in the room very confused.