Tuesday, 7th November
Montague hadn't been lying - the Slytherin celebration was legendary.
Harry didn't know how, and he was smart enough not to ask, but someone had managed to smuggle in an entire crate of firewhiskey, and although the older years made sure that the younger years stuck to butterbeer, for anyone over the age of fifteen, it was fair game.
Montague had almost had a heart attack when he caught sight of the swirling amber liquid in Harry and Malfoy's glasses. "What if Snape finds out?! He'll skin me alive!"
"Oh, no, don't worry!" Draco had said, very much closer to drunk than sober, "He is far more likely to use an untraceable poison instead".
Harry had hummed thoughtfully. "But doesn't the fact that it is untraceable make him the most likely suspect?"
"Hmm. True". Malfoy squinted down at his whiskey. "Maybe a Dark curse then? Something he could claim no knowledge of?"
"But wouldn't his wand prove it?"
"Well, yeah, but only if it was the last spell he used" Draco countered, rolling his eyes, "So after he boils Montague alive from the inside out, he can just cast a Lumos or something. There. Problem solved".
It was at that point that Montague grabbed their bottle of firewhiskey, downed a truly impressive amount of it in one go, and then stormed off to yell at some daring - and potentially suicidal - third years.
Thankfully, the perpetual drunkenness of the House at large meant that Harry had no issues sneaking off to visit the basilisk later that night.
Three days later, the entire House was still on a high, and as Harry, Theo, and Tracey trekked outside together after lunch for their Magical Creatures class, not even the biting wind and freezing temperature could detract from their joy.
Hagrid was carrying what looked like half a dead cow over his shoulder.
Harry felt a little bit of his joy shrivel up.
"We're workin' in here today!" Hagrid called happily to the approaching students, jerking his head back at the dark trees behind him, "Bit more sheltered! Anyway, they prefer the dark! Ready?"
Nobody nodded in agreement.
"Right, well, I've bin savin' a trip inter the forest fer yer fifth year. Thought we'd go an' see these creatures in their natural habitat. Now, what we're studyin' today is pretty rare, I reckon I'm probably the on'y person in Britain who's managed ter train 'em. Follow me!"
He turned and strode straight into the forest. Nobody seemed much disposed to follow. Harry saw Ron and Hermione glance at Neville, who sighed but nodded, and the three of them set off after Hagrid, leading the rest of the class. Apparently, they had experience with him leading them places he shouldn't - Harry wished that he could say he was surprised.
They walked for about ten minutes until they reached a place where the trees stood so closely together that it was as dark as twilight and there was no snow on the ground at all. Hagrid deposited his half a cow with a grunt on the ground, stepped back, and turned to face the class again, most of whom were creeping toward him from tree to tree, peering around nervously as though expecting to be set upon at any moment.
"Gather roun', gather roun'" he said encouragingly, "Now, they'll be attracted by the smell o' the meat but I'm goin' ter give 'em a call anyway, 'cause they'll like ter know it's me…"
He turned, shook his shaggy head to get the hair out of his face, and gave an odd, shrieking cry that echoed through the dark trees like the call of some monstrous bird. Nobody laughed; most of them looked too scared to make a sound.
A minute passed in which the class continued to peer nervously over their shoulders and around trees for a first glimpse of whatever it was that was coming. And then, as Hagrid shook his hair back for a third time and expanded his enormous chest, Theo nudged Harry and nodded towards the black space between two gnarled yew trees.
A pair of blank, white, shining eyes were growing larger through the gloom, and a moment later, the dragonish face, neck, and then skeletal body of a great, black, winged horse emerged from the darkness. It looked around at the class for a few seconds, swishing its long black tail, then bowed its head and began to tear flesh from the dead cow with its pointed fangs.
Harry grinned. "Hello again".
The thestral turned to him, still chewing, and tossed its head as if in greeting, before nosing at the meat once more.
"Yeah, I knew you'd be able ter see 'em, Harry" Hagrid said, a sad smile on his face, "Anyone else?"
Most of the rest of the class were wearing expressions as confused and nervously expectant as Tracey was next to him, still gazing everywhere but at the horse standing six feet from them. There were only two other people who seemed to be able to see it: Theo, who was watching the thestral eating with an expression of great distaste on his face, and Neville, whose eyes were following the swishing progress of the long black tail. Both boys obediently raised their hands, and Hagrid nodded once, satisfied.
"Oh, an' here comes another one!" he said proudly, as a second black horse appeared out of the dark trees, folded its leathery wings closer to its body, and dipped its head to gorge on the meat.
"Potter!" There was a low hiss from his right. "Nott! What in Salazar's name are we supposed to be seeing?!"
Harry's grin widened, and he pointed at the cow carcass on the ground. Draco stared at it for a few seconds, as did the rest of the class, before suddenly gasping in shock. Harry understood why: bits of flesh stripping themselves away from the bones and vanishing into thin air had to look very odd indeed.
"What's doing it?" Parvati demanded in a terrified voice, retreating behind the nearest tree, "What's eating it?!"
"Thestrals" Hagrid announced, "Hogwarts has got a whole herd of 'em in here. 'Course, this lot don' get a lot o' work, it's mainly jus' pullin' the school carriages unless Dumbledore's takin' a long journey an' don' want ter Apparate - an' here's another couple, look!"
Two more horses came quietly out of the trees, one of them passing very close to Parvati, who shivered and pressed herself closer to the tree, saying, "I think I felt something, I think it's near me!"
"Don' worry, it won' hurt yeh" Hagrid patiently, "Righ', now, who can tell me why some o' you can see them an' some can't?"
Hermione raised her hand. "The only people who can see thestrals are people who have seen death".
"Tha's exactly right" he replied, solemnly, "Ten points ter Gryffindor. Now, thestrals-"
"Hem, hem".
Another piece of Harry's joy instantly evaporated.
Professor Umbridge had arrived. She was standing a few feet away from Harry, wearing her green hat and cloak again, her clipboard at the ready. Hagrid, who had apparently never heard Umbridge's fake cough before, was gazing in some concern at the closest thestral, evidently under the impression that it had made the sound.
"Hem, hem!"
"Oh, hello!" Hagrid said, smiling, having located the source of the noise.
"You received the note I sent to your cabin this morning?" Umbridge demanded, "Telling you that I would be inspecting your lesson?"
"Oh yeah" he replied brightly, "Glad yeh found the place all righ'! Well, as you can see - or, I dunno - can you? We're doin' thestrals today-"
"I'm sorry?" she said loudly, cupping her hand around her ear and frowning, "What did you say?"
That evil hag!
Poor Hagrid looked a little confused. This was probably the first of his classes that she was inspecting then - Harry wondered, briefly, if Umbridge was making it a point to inspect all of his own classes, given that she'd shown up to every subject he was taking at least once so far.
"-was gonna tell yeh how come we got a herd" Hagrid was saying, looking a bit uneasy, "Yeah, so, we started off with a male an' five females. This one's name o' Tenebrus, he's my special favorite, firs' one born here in the forest-"
"Are you aware" Umbridge said loudly, interrupting him, "that the Ministry of Magic has classified thestrals as 'dangerous'?"
Harry's heart sank like a stone, but Hagrid merely chuckled, continuing the pet the first horse-like creature that had appeared - the same one that had drawn Harry's carriage up the castle on his first day, if he wasn't mistaken.
"Thestrals aren' dangerous! Alrigh', they might take a bite outta you if yeh really annoy them-"
"'Shows… signs… of… pleasure… at… idea… of… violence…'" she muttered, scribbling on her clipboard again.
"No! Come on!" Hagrid said, looking anxious now, "I mean, a dog'll bite if yeh bait it, won' it? But thestrals have jus' got a bad reputation because o' the death thing! People used ter think they were bad omens, didn' they? Jus' didn' understand, did they?"
Umbridge did not answer; she finished writing her last note, then looked up at Hagrid. "Please continue teaching as usual. I am going to walk among the students and ask them questions".
The few parts of Hagrid's face not covered by his beard or his hair had flushed red.
"Er… Yeah… Good stuff abou' thestrals... Well, once they're tamed, like this lot, yeh'll never be lost again. 'Mazin' senses o' direction, jus' tell 'em where yeh want ter go-"
"You can see the thestrals, Longbottom, can you?" Umbridge said loudly, interrupting him.
Neville nodded.
"Whom did you see die?" she asked, her tone indifferent, and next to him, Harry felt Theo stiffen. He wholeheartedly agreed - what sort of monster would ask a child that question?!
"My- My grandad".
"And what do you think of them?" she said, waving her stubby hand at the horses, who by now had stripped a great deal of the carcass down to bone.
"Uh…" Neville said nervously, with a glance at Hagrid, "Well, they're… uh… okay…"
"'Students… are… too… intimidated… to… admit… they… are… frightened…'" Umbridge muttered, making another note on her clipboard.
"No!" Neville exclaimed, looking upset, "No, I'm not scared of them-"
"It's quite alright" she interrupted, patting Neville on the shoulder with what she evidently intended to be an understanding smile, though it looked more like a leer to Harry, "Well, Hagrid. I think I've got enough to be getting along with… You will receive the results of your inspection in ten days' time".
Her smile was wider and more toadlike than ever beneath her green hat, and with a click of her heels, she bustled from the clearing.
"You know what she's doing, right?" Harry murmured to Theo, who seemed paler than before but nodded all the same.
"Hagrid's a half-giant" he whispered back, "And we all know how Umbridge feels about magical creatures".
"She's trying to make him look like some sort of dangerous idiot, to reinforce her belief that all 'half-breeds' should be put down!" Harry stared thoughtfully at the copse of trees Umbridge had disappeared through. "Although I do have to wonder… Why now? She's had two months to inspect his class after all, and given her beliefs, I'd have expected her to try and get rid of Hagrid as soon as possible… So why did she choose today?"
Theo shifted from one foot to another, looking conflicted for a moment, before he took a step closer and leaned in.
"My father says there's a new bill about to be proposed in Wizengamot" he said, his voice so low that Harry strained to hear it, "Something about reclassifying which magical creatures actually are creatures, and which should be renamed as magical beings instead".
He blinked, surprised. That was one of his own ideas - something that he'd intended to include in the creature rights bill he was trying to draft with Lady Malfoy. The likes of fairies, centaurs, and merpeople were still classified as creatures even today, despite having the exact same level of consciousness and arguably the same level of intelligence as humans. Even werewolves were sometimes thrown into the beasts category rather than the beings one, which severely restricted their movement and freedom.
"Who's putting it forward?" Harry whispered.
There was another pause, a long, hard look, and then Theo's honey-brown eyes darted away again. "... Lord Slytherin".
Ah.
Harry turned his gaze back to Hagrid, who was now rambling about the diets of thestrals and how he'd trained them to stop chasing the school's owls.
It didn't surprise him that the Dark Lord had been the one to propose the bill, but he was surprised that the legislation was apparently going to go through. Of course, there was an entire process to be followed and a majority vote had to be reached to sign it into law, but Harry knew all of that was just going through the motions when it came to Lord Slytherin.
He had more than enough influence, respect, and fear to get anything that he liked passed - the only real challenge he faced was getting the bill through the second reading stage, where the members of Wizengamot would debate it and make any amendments. But if his proposal survived that, then… well. It was clear sailing from then on out.
Perhaps that was why Umbridge had set Hagrid in her sights. She had no doubt heard from the Minister what Lord Slytherin was planning these days - had likely made it a point to ask just to ensure that the Dark Lord wasn't stealing her best friend. Her only friend, more likely.
Umbridge didn't have any title herself, and nor did any of her immediate family members, so she wouldn't be able to vote or get anyone else to vote against the bill when it was proposed. Her only chance at stopping it was to convince the Minister himself that it was a bad idea - and what better way to do that than by giving him a fake report of so-called evidence that "half-breeds" at Hogwarts were rallying up the students to take Fudge down.
Harry knew that there was a pretty high chance Sirius would disown him for saying this, but… he hoped to Merlin that Lord Slytherin won.
Thursday, 9th November
The atrium was done up to the nines, its long and splendid hall glittering with opulence. Crystal chandeliers cast a dazzling glow over fine jewellery and elegant ball gowns, and the air was thick with the scent of expensive perfume, imported wines, and the faint tang of ambition.
Tom was positively sick of it.
Alas, the State Opening Ball of Wizengamot was not something that he, as the Duke of Lincoln, was allowed to miss. It was an annual ceremonial event which formally marked the beginning of a session of parliament, and every single lord of Wizengamot was expected to attend. There had been a speech from the Chief Warlock and the Minister for Magic, alliances were being formed and disbanded, and, as tradition dictated, it was not merely a social affair but a carefully choreographed dance of politics and power.
And yet, it was all mind-numbingly dull.
Tom moved through the crowd with effortless grace, his smile polite yet enigmatic. Draped in deep emerald robes embroidered with black serpents, he exuded the calm authority of a man who owned the room, if not yet the Ministry itself. Beside him, Lucius Malfoy matched his elegance in silver and blue, his long blond hair gleaming under the lights - but he was smart enough to stay half a step behind.
"Minister Fudge" Tom greeted warmly, extending a hand as they approached the Minister for Magic. Cornelius, predictably, puffed up like a peacock at the attention, his bowler hat tucked under one arm. He shook Tom's hand with an eager fervor that spoke volumes about his insecurities.
"Lord Slytherin!" he exclaimed, his loud voice carrying over the polite hum of conversation, "An honor, as always. And Lord Malfoy! You both look magnificent this evening. Absolutely magnificent!"
"You flatter us, Minister" Tom replied smoothly, his lips curling into a faint smile, "And you are, as ever, the epitome of statesmanship. I trust the preparations for the upcoming Wizengamot session are progressing to your satisfaction?"
"Quite, quite" Fudge replied, his tone jovial but tinged with the nervous edge that always surfaced around Tom, "Though I expect our first meeting will be a lively debate. Your proposed reforms, of course, are at the center of it all".
"As they should be" he replied easily, a trace of steel beneath his charm, "Reform is long overdue, and I believe most reasonable minds will see the merit in modernizing our laws. Speaking of which - how is your Under-Secretary faring at Hogwarts? Dolores, isn't it?"
"Oh, splendidly!" Fudge beamed, clearly thrilled that Tom had remembered, "Madam Umbridge has sent me the most glowing reports. She's taken to her position as High Inquisitor with remarkable zeal. Already, the discipline at the school has improved tenfold, she says".
"Has it?" Tom's smile widened, though there was a flicker of something sharper in his dark eyes. "How gratifying. Ensuring the next generation is properly guided is such a vital task. One can only hope her methods will yield lasting results".
"Indeed, indeed" Fudge agreed, none the wiser to the undercurrent of irony, "She's a marvel, truly. I don't know what Hogwarts would do without her steady hand".
Lucius politely cleared his throat. "My son, Draco, has mentioned that the new policies are… divisive among the student body - but he seems to be managing well enough. Naturally, Malfoys excel under any circumstance".
"Of course they do" Tom said smoothly, "It must be fascinating to observe how the younger generation navigates these new times. Hogwarts has always been a crucible for the future of wizarding Britain".
Lucius inclined his head, his gaze flickering briefly to where Narcissa stood across the room, her pale beauty a beacon among the witches gathered around her.
"Draco has expressed a great deal of interest in the political implications of such changes. I daresay he's already taking after his parents".
"An admirable trait" Tom murmured, taking a sip of wine before returning his attention to Fudge, "Speaking of political implications, Minister, have you given any further thought to my proposal regarding the reclassification of certain magical creatures?"
Fudge's expression faltered briefly, a shadow of doubt crossing his face. "Ah, well, you see, Lord Slytherin, there's been some… resistance from certain quarters. The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures has raised concerns-"
"Concerns that are easily addressed" Tom interrupted, his tone gentle but firm, "Surely you agree that clarity in classification is essential for public safety and the efficient administration of the law".
"Of course, of course" Fudge stammered, tugging at his collar, "But you know how it is, Lord Slytherin. One must tread carefully with these things".
And one must carefully when puppeteering the Minister for Magic, as well.
"Indeed". Tom's smile was thin, his eyes flickering briefly to Lucius. "Which is why it's so fortunate you have allies to help guide the way".
Fudge nodded vigorously, his agreement as much an effort to placate as it was genuine. "Yes, yes, quite right. Your support has been invaluable, I assure you!"
He inclined his head graciously. "Think nothing of it. We're all working toward the same goal, after all - a stronger, more unified wizarding Britain".
As Fudge excused himself to mingle elsewhere, Tom turned to Lucius, his pleasant expression giving way to something colder. "He's a fool!"
"Fools are easy to manipulate, my lord" the man replied, just as quietly, "Although-"
He cut himself off. He'd been doing that a lot lately. Apparently, Tom's new and improved appearance had Lucius, along with many of his followers, forgetting just who it was they were actually speaking to. Normally, it was a source of ire for Tom - blathering idiots blathering about idiot things, not remembering to hold their tongue - but on occasion, he had to admit, it could be… useful.
"Although… ?" he prompted, taking another sip of wine. According to Randolph, showing others that he, too, needed to eat and drink, made him appear far more human and consequently, more approachable.
"Well… Please forgive me for saying this, my lord, but…" Lucius's picture-perfect mask was starting to show cracks around the edges. "Given who Cornelius Fudge is, and what he believes in… do you think that starting your political career by advocating for Dark creatures was… entirely… wise?"
Tom sighed, just to see the man flinch.
"Ah, but you seem to forget, my friend, that it's not just Dark creatures we are advocating for" he replied, "And, according to the Minister, this new reclassification system will maintain the status quo, rather than dismantling it completely. He's just too stupid to read between the lines".
"Yes, my lord, of course". Lucius nodded and lowered his gaze; a sign of respect - but also, a sign of submission. A sign of weakness.
Tom wondered if he could get away with tracking down Theodore and Randolph and then just… stay by their side the rest of the night. At least they weren't too afraid to speak their minds around him, and they had a sense of humour too!
His gaze drifted through the glittering crowd, his sharp mind momentarily unengaged as Lucius murmured something deferential about the ball's ostentatious decor. Tom's attention snagged when he caught sight of Sirius Black across the room, laughing with Arthur Weasley. The sound of Black's laugh - boisterous and unguarded - was perhaps the only genuine thing in the entire room.
His thoughts shifted, inexorably, to Harry Potter.
Tom had found his mind drifting often to the boy ever since Severus had provided his memories of him - and not just his most recent memories either. Tom had seen how Snape had reacted in Dumbledore's office all those years ago, and had seen the Headmaster's own memories of Potter's childhood in the Pensieve. That horrible, awful childhood… A magical child, tormented and neglected and abused, left to fend for himself in a world that neither understood nor valued him...
It was unsettling, the similarity to Tom's own upbringing.
What had Dumbledore been thinking? The old man, always so righteous, had placed Potter in that environment, knowing full well the consequences. Was it cruelty? Naiveté? Or had the old man calculated that suffering would forge the boy into something useful, something pliable? Someone who would do his bidding for him without question?
Tom took a sip of wine, masking his unease with a facade of detached composure.
The prophecy.
He hadn't thought of it in years - not since his return. For five long years, he had assumed Potter was dead. He'd felt certain, once the boy hadn't shown up at Hogwarts for his first year, that fate had spared him further complications and that the prophecy was null and void. Yet now, here Potter was, alive and meddling with his plans unknowingly once more.
Could the prophecy still hold true?
The idea unsettled him more than he cared to admit.
Based on Severus's reports, and what Theodore and Randolph had told him, Potter wasn't anything like Dumbledore's ideal hero. The boy was cunning, resourceful, and driven by a stubborn sense of independence and justice. He had Slytherin traits, no question about it, but he so far appeared to lack the discipline and focus to truly master them - there was a trace of his Gryffindor parents in him still. And because of that… there was an unpredictability about him that Tom found disconcerting.
He had underestimated Potter once before.
And that mistake had cost him everything.
His mind raced with plans and contingencies and schemes. The Department of Mysteries no doubt held the answers he needed, but the prophecy was sitting tantalizingly out of reach. According to Severus, Dumbledore's precious Order members were guarding it, which only confirmed its significance. Yet sending his Death Eaters to storm the Ministry would be too overt. Subtlety was required.
A house-elf could potentially bypass the Ministry's wards, though there were likely protections even against their unique magic. Tom took another sip of wine. There was always Nagini, he supposed. She could slip through spaces no human could manage and likely wouldn't be detected by the charms around the Hall of Prophecies…
He couldn't afford to rush this. A single misstep would alert Dumbledore, and then the game would change entirely. He had to be… careful.
Malfoy cleared his throat, drawing Tom back to the present. "My lord, you seem… preoccupied. Shall I fetch you another drink?"
Tom waved him off with a languid flick of his wrist. "That won't be necessary, Lucius. Just reflecting on the… challenges ahead".
He inclined his head, ever-obedient. "Of course, my lord. If there's any way I can assist-"
"You'll know when the time comes".
Tom's gaze flicked back to Sirius Black, still talking animatedly to Weasley. A quiet thought crossed his mind. The man was undoubtedly close to the boy. According to Severus, he was Potter's godfather and had housed him during the summer, and according to the Daily Prophet, Black was in the process of adopting him too. There had to be some degree of familial affection there…
Perhaps Black could be more useful than he realized. His connection to Potter, his inevitable tendency to act impulsively - it could all be exploited, if everything else failed.
Tom's smile returned, cold and sharp. The pieces were beginning to align, and soon, once his plan was made infallible, he would move them into their most opportune place.
Saturday, 11th November
It had almost been an entire month since Hermione, Ron, and Neville had first joined the Slytherins in the library, and Harry was pleased at their continuing harmony.
Occasionally, other students joined them. Ginny, Luna, and Theo came and went as they pleased, and, on one very memorable occasion, Romilda Vane even tried joining them, sliding into the empty seat next to Harry and fluttering her eyelashes in a truly troubling manner given that she was only thirteen. Ginny had quickly sent her on her way with a well-timed Bat-Bogey hex, and Harry had expressed his gratitude by not vomiting all over the table at the look of utter adoration Blaise had given her in response.
The seven of them studied together at the same table every Saturday, and every Saturday, some of that five-year-old House animosity faded away.
Today was no exception - until suddenly, it was.
The door to the library creaked open, admitting a gust of cool, damp air and a shock of platinum blonde hair that immediately drew all eyes at the table. Malfoy stood in the entryway, his expression carefully neutral but his gaze sharp as he scanned the room. It landed on Harry, and after a brief hesitation, he sauntered over.
"Potter" he said quietly, nodding in greeting before his eyes flicked to the other Gryffindors at the table. His lip curled slightly, but to his credit, he didn't comment. "Mind if I join?"
Harry glanced around the table. Blaise was already smirking as though anticipating a show, Tracey and Millicent exchanged curious looks, and Hermione raised her eyebrows but said nothing. Neville was avoiding looking in the blond's direction at all. Ron, predictably, scowled.
"Sure" Harry said evenly, gesturing to an empty chair, "Pull up a seat".
Draco slid into the chair as gracefully as a cat, setting his books down with a calculated thud.
"How quaint. Gryffindors and Slytherins playing nice. Who'd have thought?"
Ron muttered something under his breath, and sharp grey eyes darted to him.
"I'm sorry, weasel, did you say something? Or were you simply grumbling incoherently as usual?"
"I said" Ron spat, glaring daggers at him, "some of us don't have to put on a show to feel useful".
"Useful?" Draco repeated, his tone dripping with mockery, "Is that what you call yourself? A useful Weasley? I wasn't aware such a thing existed".
"Alright, enough!" Harry interjected, his voice firm. "We're here to study, not to fight. I've already made myself perfectly clear about how bloody childish your arguments over friendship are!"
Ron's ears were red, but he grudgingly dropped his gaze back to his parchment. Draco, however, leaned back in his chair with a smug smile. For a moment, there was an uneasy silence as everyone pretended to focus on their work. Then, rather predictably, Malfoy broke it, his voice casual but pointed.
"Tell me, weasel, how's your father these days? He's certainly not useful. Still tinkering away with muggle junk, I suppose? I'm surprised he was even invited to the State Opening Ball last Thursday, but my father assured me that he had, unfortunately, shown up".
Ron's quill snapped in his hand. "Don't you dare talk about my dad!"
"Oh, I mean no offense" Draco said, his expression a perfect mask of innocence, "I simply find it fascinating that anyone would go out of their way to play with things they don't understand. Muggle artifacts are unpredictable, dangerous even. Surely someone in your family must see the sense in caution? There's certainly enough of you there".
Ron shot to his feet, and Harry groaned, knowing exactly where this was headed.
"Caution?" Ron snarled, "Caution like hiding away in your pure-blood bubbles while the rest of the world moves on? You lot act like you're protecting wizardkind, but all you're doing is making yourselves irrelevant!"
Malfoy's eyes narrowed, the legs of his chair hitting the ground with a thud. "Irrelevant? Is that what you tell yourself to justify dragging our world into chaos? Let me remind you, weasel, that it's the so-called 'irrelevant' pure-blood families who've safeguarded our traditions, our magic, for centuries! Your father's little experiments? They risk exposing us all!"
"Oh, please!" Ron snapped, even as Hermione yanked at his sleeve, "The Statute of Secrecy doesn't hinge on a few enchanted toasters! You just can't stand that we see value in muggles and their world!"
"It's not about value!" Draco shot back, his voice a mere hiss, "It's about survival! Do you have any idea how many pure-blood families were hunted down during the witch trials? Or how much magical blood was spilled because someone got careless with their 'experiments'? We remember it because we lived it, weasel. Your precious muggle-loving ideology risks repeating history!"
"Better than cowering in fear!" He growled. "At least my family isn't so blinded by arrogance that we can't see the potential for progress!"
"You call it progress, I call it reckless stupidity. How very Gryffindor of you".
"Boys!" Hermione finally snapped, her voice cutting through the tension like a whip, "We are in a library, and some of us are trying to work. Either take this somewhere else, or sit down and shut up!"
Harry was impressed - he didn't think Hermione had it in her to raise her voice in a library. Both Draco and Ron looked thoroughly chastened, however, though neither seemed ready to back down entirely. With a huff, Ron dropped back into his chair, grumbling under his breath as he retrieved another quill. Malfoy folded his arms and leaned back, his expression icy but composed.
"Well" Blaise said cheerfully, breaking the awkward silence, "That was entertaining. Shall we take bets on who wins next week's round?"
Millicent rolled her eyes, and Tracey sighed, muttering something about boys being hopeless. Harry exchanged a look with Hermione, whose exasperated expression mirrored his own. Poor Neville just looked relieved that the arguing had stopped.
He was loath to break the sudden peace and quiet, and yet…
"You both raised some good points there".
Hermione shot him a wide-eyed look, Ron started turning red again, and Blaise flashed him a wide grin, leaning back in his seat to enjoy the show.
"What?" Draco bit out, evidently appalled at being included in the same sentence as a Weasley.
"You both raised some very good points" Harry repeated calmly, "About muggles and the wizarding world and how best to combine the two".
"There is no combining the two, Potter!" he snapped, "Wizards and muggles can't exist together, it's as simple as! They should be eradicated before they kill us all!"
Harry leaned back in his chair, his green eyes scanning the tense faces around him. He tapped his quill thoughtfully against the edge of his parchment before speaking again, his tone quiet but firm.
"Look" he began, "I think both sides of this argument have a lot more common ground than you realise. Ron's right in that there's value in learning from muggles. They've accomplished things we can't ignore - medicine, technology, even simple things like communication. Ignoring all of that is… shortsighted".
Draco opened his mouth, but Harry raised a hand to stop him.
"And" he continued, "Malfoy's also right in that there's a lot at stake. The Statute of Secrecy exists for a reason. It's protected us for centuries, but… that doesn't mean we have to reject every muggle innovation just because it comes from their world. There's a middle ground here".
"Exactly!" Ron said, "We should- should embrace muggles! Learn from them! They've got some pretty cool things, you know, and if we told them about magic, they'd probably be able to make even more-"
"I don't think telling the muggles about magic would ever end well" Harry interrupted, "I think muggles are far more of a threat than either of you realise. They fear what they don't understand, and history shows they're not exactly great at accepting change or differences. I don't want coexistence and- no, Malfoy, that does not mean I want total eradication of them either! Personally, I think the only solution is complete separation".
Ron looked appalled. "What? You mean keeping the Statute of Secrecy forever? How is that fair to muggle-borns? Or their families? What do you expect them to do?!"
"I don't know yet" Harry admitted, his voice quieter but resolute, "I'm still trying to figure that part out. But pretending that muggles and wizards can live together peacefully isn't realistic. It's not about fairness - it's about survival. Malfoy wasn't wrong when he said that muggles are dangerous".
Hermione looked stricken. "Harry, how can you say that? You grew up in the muggle world. You have to know that they're not all bad!"
Next to him, Blaise snorted and did absolutely nothing to hide his disdain at the remark. Harry shot him a look, warning him to keep his mouth shut about the suspicions he knew the boy had about the type of muggles he'd grown up with.
"Of course, they're not all bad" he replied, "But it only takes a few bad ones to ruin everything. Wizards can't protect themselves from nuclear weapons or surveillance systems, Hermione! It's not a fair fight".
"Nuclear what?" Draco was frowning now, and Ron and Blaise looked confused as well, but Tracey was nodding in agreement.
"The Ministry likes to paint muggles as harmless idiots" Harry explained, "And during the last war, a lot of Progressive Party members spread lies and propaganda that Lord Voldemort wanted to kill them all. It created this- this division between the Progressives, who want to embrace muggles with open arms, and the Conservatives, who want to… well… remove them".
"And you're all for killing them, is that is?" Ron snapped, glaring at him.
"No!" he said sharply, "No one is killing anyone! We just need to stop interacting altogether. No crossovers, no loopholes. Wizards live in one world, muggles in another. Period".
"You're delusional" Draco said, though his voice lacked its usual venom, "You think isolation will protect us? That's a fantasy, Potter! They'll find us eventually, and when they do, it won't end well!"
"Not if we stop giving them reasons to look" he countered.
The blond shifted in his seat, his arms still crossed, though his expression had turned thoughtful. "And how exactly do you propose we do that, Potter? By firing Weasley's dad from the Ministry?"
Harry held up a hand to forestall Ron's inevitable outburst. "No, Malfoy, I don't think firing the Earl of Hampshire is the solution. What I'm saying is, the Ministry needs stricter oversight on how we interact with muggles. We can't keep ignoring the risks of exposure, but that doesn't mean punishing people like Mr Weasley for trying to understand their world. We can still learn from muggles, we just have to start… learning from a distance".
Ron looked slightly mollified by Harry's defense of his father but still muttered, "Doesn't sound like you're offering much of a solution, though".
"I don't have all the answers, Ron! None of us do! But sitting here and yelling at each other isn't going to help anyone!" he snapped, "Working together, on the other hand, just might. For starters, I think we should focus on education - real education. Teach witches and wizards about muggles, not as harmless bunny rabbits but as a reality! If people understand the risks, they'll be less likely to make reckless decisions… Which, of course, would mean firing Professor Burbage".
Both Tracey and Milli snorted. Hermione nodded vigorously, her quill already flying across her parchment as she scribbled down notes.
"And" Harry added, glancing at Draco, "families like yours - families with power and influence - could use that influence to shape these changes. Instead of resisting every step forward, you could guide it. Make sure that progress doesn't come at the expense of our safety".
Draco raised an eyebrow. "You think my family should advocate for muggle integration? My family?"
"Not integration. Coexistence" he corrected, "Imagine if your father's political power was put toward ensuring magical artifacts didn't end up in the wrong hands, or put towards creating laws that protected wizards without stifling us completely!"
Ron snorted. "Yeah, because the Malfoys are all about helping people".
Draco glowered at him. "And the Weasleys, I suppose, are leading this charge with their own brand of noble poverty?"
Blaise reached around Harry to whack him with his Transfiguration textbook. "Payback, bitch! Talking like that isn't going to help anyone".
Draco scowled and rubbed the back of his head. "Fine! Hypothetically, say we do this. Say we miraculously find a way to coexist without the muggles gaining a single clue that we're there. Then what?"
"We live". Harry shrugged. "We have to do this the right way. Slowly. Carefully. And with safeguards in place. You've said it yourself - pure-blood families remember history because they've lived it. So use that memory to avoid repeating the same mistakes. There are safe ways to explore muggle technology - having regulated buildings to do it in, for example. That way, people like Ron's dad can tinker with muggle inventions all they like, without the risk of them returning to the muggle world a little too enhanced".
Draco didn't reply immediately, his grey eyes locked on the table in front of him as he thought. Across the table, Ron shifted uncomfortably, his brow furrowed as he also considered Harry's words.
"Bloody hell" Ron muttered finally, scratching the back of his neck, "When you put it like that, it almost makes sense. I know it's not a full solution, but… well, it's a bloody good compromise, isn't it?"
Malfoy's lips twitched, though whether it was amusement or irritation was hard to tell. "Careful, Weasley. You're starting to sound reasonable".
The boy shot him a glare but didn't respond, and for a moment, the tension between them seemed to ease. Harry looked around the table, relieved to see thoughtful expressions on almost every face. Even Blaise, who rarely took anything seriously, seemed contemplative.
"Well" Tracey eventually said, "This is all very inspiring. I didn't know you had it in you, Harry. Should we start drafting the official treaty now, or do we wait until the Ministry comes begging for your wisdom?"
He rolled his eyes and tossed a spare quill at her, but his smile lingered. He glanced at Ron and Draco, who were exchanging a look that was more considering than combative.
This truce, fragile as it was, wasn't going to last. But for now, at least, it was a start.