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Chapter Ten—Plotting and Research

"Wh-what are you doing, Theo? Can I help?"

Theo looks up with a small smile. Neville is standing in the doorway of the library, and he's looking around with his eyes so wide that Theo feels a stab in his conscience. How many people have ever encouraged Neville to study? To feel like he could understand and grasp more knowledge than he already had?

It might make him a better companion for Harry if he were more studious. It could convince Harry to study as well.

"Maybe you can," Theo says, and reaches for one of a stack of books sitting on the table next to him. Then he hesitates.

Neville sees the hesitation. He ducks his head. "Y-you don't think that I could really help."

"It's not that. It's that I'm doing a lot of fairly Dark research. I didn't think you would want to research Dark Arts or soul magic."

Neville blinks for a second. Then he tilts his chin up. There's a determined gleam in his eyes. "I don't think that anyone's ever asked me for help like that."

"I know—"

"But that means that I might be good at it, and not even know it."

Theo studies Neville for a second. Neville just looks back. And Theo can practically feel his yearning to help, his determination to try and pay Theo and Harry back for all they've done for him, streaming out of him like a comet's tail.

"If you're sure."

"Yes. Please."

Theo nods and gestures towards a stack of books that he's been marking chapters of but hasn't actually read through yet. "All right. If you could start there? You're looking for references to soul magic and immortality."

Neville turns the color of a scared house-elf as he sits down in the chair in front of the books. "You're looking for—how You-Know-Who managed to survive the confrontations with Harry and come back."

"Yes." Theo watches closely for signs of a fear so profound that Neville will pull back and avoid the task instead of embracing t.

But even though Neville swallows hard, he gamely opens the top book. "What should I do? Just mark anything that looks interesting?"

"Yes. In particular, anything that looks as if it refers to rituals or artifacts that keep someone immortal."

It's the closest that Theo intends to come to revealing that Voldemort created Horcruxes, or that one of the Horcruxes is in Harry. He simply can't think of who else could be trusted with that knowledge.

Particularly when he doesn't know who else Dumbledore will trust with it, either.

Neville bows his head and then looks around. "Oh, quill and parchment—"

They appear beside him in seconds, along with an inkwell. Neville jumps in a way that makes Theo glad he isn't holding an ink-dipped quill at the moment, and then gives a tremulous smile to mid-air. "Thank you, Cassie."

Theo thinks he's the only one who hears a mutter that sounds like, "Not taking care of themselves," but that doesn't matter. He smiles into his own scroll and goes back to taking notes on the Darker tomes that he thinks are more likely to hold an answer.

They will find one. And if other people want to help, ones that Theo thinks they can trust, that's what they'll do.

If they have to bring some of these books to Hogwarts and sneak them in under Dumbledore's nose, that's what they'll do, too.

"You need to be careful."

Theo was about to stroll into the breakfast room, but this sounds like the kind of conversation that he might be interested in overhearing rather than shutting down. He slows and leans his head around the corner of the wall.

Lupin is standing with his hands on Harry's shoulders. Luckily, Harry is frowning up at him in a way that says he isn't afraid, or Theo would have to take steps.

"Why? What is it about this year in particular that's going to be bad?"

"You know that Dumbledore's always had a hard time finding people to take the Defense post?"

Harry makes a face. "Yeah. I wish you could come back. You were the best Defense professor we ever had."

Theo disagrees. Crouch was better, if only because he wasn't afraid to teach them Dark spells. But he's content to remain silent on most things that he and Harry don't agree on.

"Well, in this case, he couldn't find anyone. And the Ministry claimed the right to appoint a professor." Lupin shudders a little. "This woman is called Dolores Umbridge, and she's one of the people who questioned Theo, from what he's said. And she's tried to pass legislation against werewolves and many other kinds of people."

"How can she be a teacher?"

Lupin smiles a little at Harry's indignant tone. "The Ministry cares about the fact that she'll be there to spy on you, not about her teaching qualifications."

"And I should be careful because—what? She might bury me in paperwork if I don't listen to her?"

"No," Lupin says, sharply enough that Harry jumps and Theo's eyebrows creep up. "You should be careful because the Minister could have empowered her to do anything."

"Anything?"

"Remember what I said about her spying on you? She could pass information on to your enemies—in the Ministry, if not to You-Know-Who. I don't think there's any evidence for her being a Death Eater. But you have to be careful."

Harry nods slowly. He looks troubled. Just seeing that look makes Theo's insides feel as if they're being scraped by giant claws, so he saunters into the breakfast room.

"Hi, Theo."

Harry's face lights up so much when he sees Theo that Theo wonders who the person is who wouldn't murder the world to see it. He leans in and kisses Harry on the lips, aware of the sweet taste beneath his mouth and also the uncomfortable way that Lupin glances to the side.

Entertaining.

But Theo does think that they have other things to do than entertain Lupin, so he draws back and lifts an eyebrow. "Do you think that we need to worry so much about one Ministry spy? We'll handle her as we've handled everything else."

Harry's eyes are bright as he smiles. "Well, Professor Lupin thinks she's formidable."

"She has caused chaos in the Ministry, and set back progress that might have been made on werewolf rights by years," Lupin says, when Theo turns to him. "I have to assume that she will bring the same hateful politics to Hogwarts."

"But there are no werewolves there." Theo enjoys Lupin's flinch far too much.

"No, but—well, she hates everyone who's not a pureblood as far as I can tell. Goblins, centaurs, Muggleborns, half-bloods. It doesn't end."

Theo nods. Then Harry will be in danger and Theo will be his shield, but that isn't different from what they were discussing the other times, either. "Very well. Thank you for warning us."

"Did you think I would not?"

"If you could get away with warning Harry and not me, then maybe you would have."

"I would not—"

"You did want to talk to me in private, Professor Lupin."

Lupin coughs and turns away from both their innocent stares. "You don't need to keep calling me that, Harry. I'm not a professor at Hogwarts, and I never will be again."

Theo opens his mouth. Harry glares at him. Theo subsides. Harry raises an eyebrow. Theo sulks.

Lupin continues in a soft, subdued voice, not paying attention to what's going on behind his back. Then again, that's a pretty good description of Lupin in general. "I always thought that you would tell your boyfriend, Harry. It's simply—I thought it might affect how you told him."

"What do you mean, sir?"

Lupin bows his head. "You can't understand why all of us have reservations about him, Harry? Truly?"

"You and Sirius have reservations. And Ron and Hermione. Luna and Blaise and Neville don't."

"No, I don't," Blaise says, wandering into the dining room. Lupin's face twists a little. Blaise winks at him and comes over to stand at Harry's side as if he's thinking aloud while he speaks. "If anything, I had reservations about Harry as a boyfriend for Theo. I didn't think he would have the stomach to do what needed to be done."

"Can you doubt that now?"

Harry's voice is soft and has a dark undertone. Theo blinks at him, but Harry doesn't appear to notice. His attention is focused on Blaise.

"I don't doubt now. But you can't blame me for doing it at the beginning of summer. Your reputation is as someone who forgives easily."

"He does do it with his friends."

"You also benefited from that easy forgiveness, Theo, or did you forget?"

"Yes, but I deserved it, and they didn't."

Theo holds Harry's eyes, smiling, and sees the telltale quiver of Harry's lips. He smiles and steps forwards to kiss him again.

Lupin clears his throat as though he believes that will stop something. Theo digs his hand into Harry's hair, and Harry makes an approving sound and throws his arms around Theo.

"If you don't get going, you'll miss the train!" Lupin gabbles in a high voice.

"Cassie can make breakfast for us," Theo mumbles, and presses Harry into the wall of the kitchen, kissing him to the point that Harry is making little breathless sounds and flailing his hands. But he doesn't really want Theo to stop, or he would pull away. Instead, Theo sinks happily into the warmth of Harry's mouth and relearns the taste of him.

When he looks up, Blaise is the only one sitting at the table, eating and nodding to them.

"I think you traumatized Lupin."

"He was trying to hurry up our kiss. That just says he's never had anyone to kiss himself."

"You know why that is, Theo," Harry says softly as he takes the chair beside Theo's. Sure enough, breakfast pops into being before them, and Theo makes sure to serve Harry from the heartiest dishes before taking anything himself. "It's not his fault that he's a werewolf and few people would want to date him…"

"I never said anything about his lycanthropy. It's his personality I think is the problem."

Harry loses the battle against his own seriousness and laughs. Theo smiles at him and eats breakfast while holding onto Harry's hand with his.

"Harry!"

Theo turns around with a sigh. Of course they aren't going to get out of the house without one more confrontation with Black.

Black is hurrying towards them, his face stretched wide with something that looks like pain. He sees Blaise and Theo waiting—Neville and Luna have already gone through the Floo—and slams to a halt. For an instant, his expression writhes, and then he seems to make the decision to ignore Theo, turning to face Harry instead.

Theo raises his eyebrows. It's the most mature decision he's seen Black make so far.

"Harry," Black whispers. "Promise me that you'll be careful."

"I'm going to be careful, Sirius."

"Remus told you about the new Defense professor?"

"Yeah." Harry grimaces. "She sounds like she'll be terrible. But most of the others we've had haven't been very good, either."

"I know Dumbledore came and talked to you the other day. What did he say?"

Harry turns his head to seek out Theo's eyes, and Black gives a huffing noise. Theo shakes his head. Black wouldn't be able to keep the secret, and honestly, Dumbledore could tell him at any time if he really wants Harry's godfather to know.

"Does he control you or something?" Black bursts out. "That you're always looking to him for approval, instead of me or Remus or someone else?"

"No," Harry says, very gently. "He's just the one who was there for me when other people couldn't be."

Black recoils, looking unhappy, and Harry steps forwards and hugs him. Black calms down and practically sags into Harry in response.

"I want you to be careful."

"I know, but I will be. And I think you should talk to Dumbledore yourself about why he visited us, Sirius. I think what he has to tell you will be enlightening."

Black pulls away with questions in his eyes, but Lupin, proving useful for once, calls, "Sirius, we have to let them go or they really will miss the train!"

Black gives Theo a flatly suspicious look, then sniffles, pats Harry on the back, and whispers, "Bye, kiddo."

"Bye, Sirius."

Finally, they're whirling through the green flames, and landing on the platform at King's Cross as the train whistles shrilly. Both Theo and Harry run after Blaise and manage to leap onto the train just as it starts to move. Harry leans out and stares at the fireplace they came through as if he thinks Black and Lupin are waving to him in it.

Who knows? Theo can't see that well from the angle he's standing at. Maybe they are.

"Do you think that I should have been more sympathetic to him? It's not his fault that he couldn't be there to take care of me."

"I think you were exactly as sympathetic as you should have been. And he is better than he was at the beginning of summer."

"Yeah…"

"Hey, Potty."

Theo glances over his shoulder, his eyebrows rising. He would have expected Draco, but Draco isn't standing there. Instead, it's Tracey Davis, who's always been more of a nonentity than a player in the games around Slytherin. She's smiling nastily at Harry, but honestly, if that's her best one, she needs some practice.

"Heard that you were lying about the Dark Lord coming back. I just wondered if you would really try to get away with your lies at school. I know I don't believe them."

Theo begins to slink forwards, but Harry kicks him lightly in the shin. Theo stops. If Harry wants to handle Davis by himself, that's his right. Theo will only interfere if she tries to attack physically.

"You sound like you're perfectly convinced that he's back, Davis." Harry sounds a little weary. "Not my fault if you're not brave enough to speak up."

Davis opens her mouth again, but this time, Theo does lean forwards and look at her intently. Davis falters.

In the end, though, something spurs her on. Maybe she's been told her by her father, who was a low-ranking Death Eater towards the end of the last war, that she has to do this.

"The Defense professor is going to make sure that you can't say nonsense like that! And the Ministry will never believe you."

"Are you a Seer?"

"Huh?"

"Just wondering how you can know the Ministry will never believe me, if you're not a Seer."

Davis splutters for a second. Then she points a finger at Harry and snaps, "You'll see! You'll just see what I'm talking about!" before spinning away and stalking down the train corridor.

Harry sighs as if exhausted and turns to face Theo. "Do you want to find a compartment by ourselves?"

Theo does, but he also thinks that Harry deserves the chance to see Weasley and Granger, whom he hasn't met up with since their shopping in Diagon Alley. So he says, "Let's find your friends," and begins herding Harry in search of them.

"My friends."

"I don't have to pretend they're mine. They would probably be offended if they did."

"But you'll put up with them because they matter to me."

Theo just gives Harry a patient look. If he hasn't worked this out, then he's a lot more stupid than Theo ever thought of him as.

Harry turns around and pins Theo to the wall behind him with his hands on Theo's shoulders, his eyes wide and serious and so bright that Theo feels as though ocean waves are closing over his head. "I love you," Harry breathes. "You have no idea how much I love you."

"I might," Theo says, his voice thick, and leans closer to Harry. "Since I love you just as much."

"Oi! No snogging in the corridors!"

Theo turns around with an eyeroll. Weasley is standing behind them, a scowl on his face even though he also has red ears and isn't looking directly at them. Theo stares.

"What? Don't believe that anyone wouldn't want to watch you snogging?"

"No. I just wonder who made you a prefect, of all people."

Weasley's ears turn so red that he looks like a house-elf attempting to boil something over a fire. "It's our Head of House's and Dumbledore's decision," he snaps. "Not like you're one either, are you?"

"No, but I wouldn't want to be one." Theo eyes Weasley. "Do you? Or do you just like the—"

Harry yanks on his arm, and Theo sighs and shuts up. He supposes that he can't claim to want peace with Harry's friends and then go around antagonizing them. He follows Harry and Weasley to a compartment where Luna and Neville are already sitting talking quietly, along with a red-haired girl Theo recognizes after a blank moment as Weasley's younger sister.

The girl glances at Harry and then away, blushing. Theo doesn't bristle, but he does make sure to sling his arm around Harry's shoulders as he sits down.

The girl turns pale instead of red. Theo keeps part of his attention on her even as he starts talking with Neville and Luna.

It already seems as if this will be a year of enemies—some of them more dangerous than others.