Hi everyone. So, here's an extra chapter this month. I've had a bit of extra time to relax so I decided to work on a bonus update. Hope y'all like it.

I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE ORIGINAL HARRY POTTER characters, however some OCs are my own.

I hope everyone enjoys this new update. I love getting to read everyone's reviews and getting to hear y'alls thoughts and suggestions for the story going forward.

I am also open to story requests. Please send me a message with the story idea and any pairings you'd like to see.

Remind: You can find me on facebook under the name Snowbeam

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(Side Note: Please do not send me messages or review my story about me commissioning for art. With ideas for any art pertaining to my stories, I prefer to draw them myself)

"When the world shoves you around, you just gotta stand up and shove back." Roronoa Zoro – One Piece

Chapter 33

Hogsmeade Date

Harry leaned against the wall, simply watching them walk down the hall towards them. He knew that he was going to have to listen to their complaints sooner or later and he'd honestly rather deal with it just between the three of them instead of in front of the whole school. Ron wore a furious expression on his face while Hermione was looking at him with a mix of annoyance and disappointment.

"Why didn't you pick me to be on your team?! I'm just as good as the purebloods you picked!" Ron demanded, glaring at him. Harry only rolled his eyes, already having guessed what the red head was so worked up about.

"Because I didn't want you on my team. I picked who I thought I worked best with. Besides this is just for fun. It's not some big competition." Harry explained.

"Harry are you sure it's really a good idea to play with a bunch of Slytherins? They've always cheated during matches before." Hermione interjected. She clearly hoped to convince him that he was making a mistake, though if it was only about the quidditch he wasn't sure. It wouldn't surprise him if Dumbledore was whispering in their eyes again, trying to figure out a way to get him back under the headmaster's control.

"It's not fair! I'm your best friend! I should get to play on your team!" Ron snapped; his face nearly as red as his hair.

"News flash Weasley. Neither of you have been my friends for quite some time. I honestly wonder if either of you ever really were." Harry responded, not bothering to hide the hate and distrust from his voice. He still felt hurt from finding out that Dumbledore had been using money from his vaults to pay them to be his friends. That they hadn't spent time with him or stood at his side because they actually wanted to. They used him to for money and the fame that came with their names being associated with his.

"Of course we're your friends Harry. We just worry about you. You're…not listening to Dumbledore and he just wants to protect you. You've been spending more time with the children of death eaters lately and we're worried about you making some dangerous decisions." Hermione objected, stepping between the two of them. She was attempting to prevent them from breaking out into a fight, muggle or magical. Harry simply glared between them before turning away, continuing down the hallway. He needed to meet his friends and team for practice, and he was just tired of constantly fighting with the two of them. Hermione pulled her wand, tightening the grip she had on the smooth wood. She faltered for a moment before raising it, pointing at his retreating form.

"Imperio." She whispered, waiting for the forbidden spell to take effect. Harry's steps faltered for a moment at the freezing feeling suddenly coarse through his body for a brief moment. He closed his eyes, feeling his lord ring heat up on his finger as it canceled whatever spell was cast.

"I don't understand. Why didn't it work? Dumbledore said that he wouldn't be powerful enough to throw it off." Hermione whispered, quickly sharing a shocked expression with Ron.

"Took you long enough. We were starting to worry that something had happened." Draco commented as Harry stepped into the empty clearing that was near the lake. Daphne looked up from the book she'd been reading, easily noticing the expression on his face. He released a shaken breath before forcing a smile. He didn't want to worry his brother or any of their friends since he just knew they would overreact. Adrian and Terence shared a look before mounting their brooms.

Draco hovered near Harry as they watched the Weasley twins make jokes with Blaise and Theo during a break. He could tell that something was bothering his twin but didn't want to ask, hoping Harry trusted him enough to just talk to him.

"Granger and Weasley basically ambushed me when I was coming outside. Ron isn't happy I didn't pick him for the team and…I worry Dumbledore is going to try and force me to let him." Harry finally muttered after several moments of silence. Draco frowned as he thought over his brother's words. As much as he wanted to assure Harry that that wouldn't happen, it was something he could see the headmaster doing. He'd listen to their godfather complain plenty about Dumbledore forcing him to change Granger's grades when she didn't score high on an assignment or force him to let her redo a potion because she failed at making it. It wasn't fair that she was the top of their class because of basically cheating.

"If it does happen, you won't be alone. You've got all of us on your side and we won't let him do anything stupid." Draco replied, hoping to reassure him. He leaned over enough to give his twin a sideways hug before righting himself on his broom.

"You guys ready to get back to practice? I want to make sure we beat all three of the other champions." Adrian questioned, flying closer to the Malfoy twins.

Remus stood in one of the stone entryways that lead out towards the lake. He was glad that Harry was finally starting to get comfortable again outside of their guest rooms. The young boy had thought of the castle as his first real home and after everything that had happened, the werewolf knew it had been difficult for him to come back.

"Are you spying on him?" Tonks questioned, walking up towards the wizard. She was dressed in her aurors' uniform since she had to go into the ministry to meet with the head auror after lunch. He glanced down at her for a moment before turning his attention back to the teens flying around in a practice match.

"Padfoot was just worried about him. We saw Dumbledore hanging around the library earlier, which is normally where Harry is at this time of day. And since we hadn't seen the two Gryffindors that like to cause problems we were worried they would try to interrupt the practice." Remus explained.

"Miss Tonks, Mr. Lupin. I'm surprised to see both of you. You don't seem to venture out into the castle when you're not working with Mr. Potter." McGonagall stated, walking up to her two previous students.

"Well, we're watching Harry right now so does that count?" Tonks laughing, gesturing towards the teens. McGonagall smiled as she watched the group, hearing Harry's laugh as he caught the practice snitch. It was good to hear the sound again. It was always something that reminded her of Lily and James both. Though she now knew the truth of his heritage, Harry still reminded her so much of the Potters, whether they were his parents by birth or blood adoption.

"He seems to have gained James' knack for daring tricks." She commented, a soft tone in her voice. During the last three years she'd enjoyed watching Harry play, always content to see the joy on his face whether they won or lost. Tonks couldn't help sucking in a deep breath as she watched Harry suddenly drop into a dive, hand outstretched in an attempt to grab the snitch. McGonagall glanced at the graduated Hufflepuff, a smirk on her face, knowing Harry would be perfectly fine. It was a steep dive she'd seen him pull off many times, fully confident in his broom control.

"I spoke with the minister about the quidditch tournament since Dumbledore wouldn't approve it. Apparently, he thought it was a great idea for the schools to have some competitive competitions that the rest of the students could participate." McGonagall stated after several moments of silence. She hated having to go over the headmaster, but lately that felt like the only way to get anything done while the tournament was going on. Though, after learning the truth about Harry and Malfoys, it did make a bit more sense why he'd been so adamant about regaining control over the teen.

Harry shifted slightly as he stood outside the great hall waiting to meet Daphne and Draco before heading to Hogsmeade. The young lord absently twisted the lordship ring on his finger as he looked around, hoping to avoid Granger, Weasley or the headmaster, however, the sinking feeling in his stomach made him think that wouldn't be completely possible.

"I hope you weren't waiting too long Harry." Daphne's voice called, pulling him out of his thoughts. Astoria walked beside her, an excited smile on her face. She wore a dress that was similar to Daphne's, just a light blue instead of her sister's dark green. Daphne offered him a smile, gently pressing a kiss to his cheek in greeting. Astoria offered him a greeting before walking into the great hall to sit with her friends for breakfast.

"I think we're still waiting on Draco. Though I thought he would have been here before you." Harry commented. He couldn't help frowning as he worried, thinking about the Hogwarts Yule Ball when Professor Moody had transfigured his twin into a ferret and thrown him around like he was nothing more than a ball. He knew that Draco was perfectly capable of taking care of himself, easily proven from their many confrontations during their first three years, but he still worried. Daphne looked at him with an expression of concern, watching him release a deep breath when Draco stepped around the corner further down the hall. Harry could see the frustrated expression on his face which just caused him further concern.

"I swear Potter, I will never understand how you managed to put up with those two idiots." Draco muttered; annoyance clear in his tone.

"Well, you know I'm sure that had something to do with all the obedience potions in my system Draco." Harry responded, rolling his eyes with a playing smirk on his face. He walked between the two Slytherins towards the gates of Hogwarts that were open to allow students to take the paths to Hogsmeade. Blaise and Theo stood a short distance away, waiting for the trio. Theo was leaning against one of the stone walls reading a book, clearly disinterested in whatever Blaise was attempting to rant about. His hair was still wet, evident from the shower he'd taken after their practice.

"The Weasley girl seriously would not stop following me after quidditch practice. What is her problem? She's never showed any type of interest in me before and frankly it's creepy." Blaise complained, crossing his arms. Harry couldn't help frowning at the comment, concerned that not only had Draco been stalled by his previous friends but also Blaise. It didn't do anything to ease the pit in his stomach and it just made him even more curious just what it was the three of them were planning.

"I think it might be time you and father sat down to figure out an actual plan for dealing with the trio. You are a lord, and they shouldn't be following you around, attempting to control you like they're higher ranking than you." Draco complained as they walked through the gates.

"It isn't that easy Draco. I've been talking with…our father about all of it and I just think anything we do right now Dumbledore is just going to get them out of. He's still got too much control. Hopefully after the tournament we can manage to do some damage. Lord Slytherin said he has a plan and someone in place for the last task that is going to do some damage as well as help us." Harry explained, walking next to Daphne.

"The last task is still several months away though. Are you going to be able to handle their meddling for that much longer?" she questioned, sharing a look of concern with her housemates. They knew Harry was planning something along with Lord Malfoy and Lord Slytherin, but he hadn't given them many details, constantly using the excuse of wanting to protect them. She'd repeatedly attempted to convince him that they knew how to shield their minds, that Dumbledore nor the Gryffindors would be able to get anything out of them. He wasn't used to fully having anyone in his corner that didn't have ulterior motives, and she hoped to convince him he did now.

"I'm just going to keep doing what I've been doing. Just try to ignore them and continue with my studies with Remus and Tonks. I'm not a Hogwarts student anymore so there isn't much Dumbledore or the teachers in his pockets can actually do if I do something they don't agree with." Harry offered with a shrug, attempting to put an end to the topic.

Theo and Blaise shared a look before trying to change topics, starting to ask Draco about the potions' assignment Snape had assigned them.

"Is there anywhere you want to visit in the village? I figured we could have lunch at The Three Broomsticks?" Harry questioned. Daphne hummed softly as she thought about the different shops in the wizarding village. She had promised her sister sweets from Honeydukes, and she personally needed to visit Tomes and Scrolls to pick up an owl order she'd placed. Harry smiled focused expression on her face, momentarily biting the inside of his lip before he reached out to take her hand. Daphne faltered for a moment before smiling, accepting the gesture.

Draco stretched, yawning as he sat in the chair next to his twin. He knew he'd volunteered to walk around Hogsmeade with them so they would have a chaperon, but he was starting to regret it slightly. Harry and Daphne had been doing their best to go inside shops that he wanted to even when they weren't ones either of them had an interest in. Harry glanced at Draco for a moment, raising an eyebrow at the bored expression on his face.

"We can go back to Hogwarts early if you want, Draco? I don't want you to have to keep wandering around with us." Harry offered.

"It's fine. You're enjoying yourselves and I'll just cash in the favor next year when I need a chaperon to take Astoria on dates." Draco responded with a shrug, a smirk on his face. He grunted when he was suddenly shoved, whipping around to glare at the culprit. Ron returned the glare before walking over to the table Hermione had claimed.

"Just ignore him. They're just being petty at this point." Daphne sighed, rolling her eyes. Draco sneered at the blood traitor again before turning away, choosing to take his housemate's advice. It was honestly ridiculous how convince Weasley had himself that the Slytherins were brain washing Harry, that they had to come to his rescue like he was some weak damsel in destress.

"Have you thought about attend the Wizengamot meeting in a couple weeks? I know you skipped the last one, but I know father had been going over important things with you." He questioned. Harry couldn't help frowning as he thought about the question. Lucius had asked him to attend, however, he was still nervous about taking on more than he could handle faster than he was ready for.

"It's ok to be nervous. My older brother has said before that he gets nervous when he attends with father. You don't have to speak. You're mostly just there to listen to the laws and other things being presented than vote yay or nah when asked." Daphne advised softly, attempting to reassure him. She placed her hand over his on the table, offering him a reassuring smile. Harry took a deep breath and released it slowly, using the trick Remus had taught him to calm his nerves.

Across the room Hermione wore a sour expression, watching the trio talk, annoyed that she wasn't able to get close enough to hear. Dumbledore had asked them to keep an eye on Harry, stating that he was worried about the Slytherins brainwashing him, convincing him that they were using him. Which wasn't true, she just knew more about the wizarding world than Harry did. She'd been reading books about wizarding Britian since she was 6 years old, and Dumbledore showed up after she'd done her first bout of accidental magic. He made sure he learned just enough magic to be able to keep up with the horrible purebloods when she started at Hogwarts. To be able to teach Harry everything he needed to know, to be that first connection in a world they were both stepping into. She frowned at the smile Harry gave Theo and Blaise when they joined the trio at the table.

"He just thinks he's so much better than us doesn't he. Bloody hell it's ridiculous." Ron grumbled, glaring at the group as they laughed at something Blaise had said. She spared her housemate a glance before returning to watching Harry. She'd never seen him smile so much before. He always seemed so guarded, even when he'd played quidditch or spent time with Hagrid.

"Have you noticed his robes? They're not the same ones he wore last year. They're clearly expensive. Just has to flaunt that he has money huh?" Ron continued, working himself back up. Hermione couldn't help rolling her eyes at his obvious jealousy. It didn't take much for her to guess that Ron's temper had something to do with Harry breaking ties with them. The only reason she hadn't was because Dumbledore needed her to make sure he actually passed his classes, even if she was basically having to do most of his schoolwork for him.

"Do you think I should go to Dumbledore? See if he can force Harry to let me on his team?" Ron questioned, dramatically throwing himself back against the booth with his arms crossed.

Harry found amusement in Blaise's jest, smiling as he regarded the individuals he had come to genuinely consider his close friends. Daphne leaned against his side for a moment, a soft smile on her own face. He glanced down at her for a moment before stretching his arm out, wrapping it around her shoulder as he turned his attention to his twin. Draco had started to talk about an advanced potion's journal Snape had recommended, showing just how passionate he was about the subject.

Remind: You can find me on Facebook under the name Snowbeam

You can also join a discord server that is easier to reach me that both readers and writers alike are welcome to join. C8zrjDCtRa or click the link on my linktree / StarStruckPanda

I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter and please remember that reviews are always appreciated. I always read through all of them and try my hardest to respond to all thoughts, opinions, suggestions, questions, and any comments about mistakes I might have made. However, please remember that flames are not needed. I know this type of story is not for everyone and I would be happy to give possible suggestions to other fics I've read that might be a little more up someone's alley.

I truly appreciate all my readers for sticking with me as I continue this story.

Until Next Chapter,

Snowbeam12