Chapter Text
Everyone had a limit of what they could take, and when that limit was finally reached, explosive responses were to follow.
The same went for Harry Potter, who singlehandedly barged through Riddle Manor, not even breaking a sweat as he sent the Death Eaters to their knees with a flick of his wrist.
“Potter!” Meeting the crimson eyes of the enraged Dark Lord, the now seventeen-year-old cocked his head to the side.
“Hello, Tom. I’ll be with you in a moment.” Emerald eyes scanned the inner circle, stopping when he found a pair of wide obsidian eyes. “Professor, I need to talk to you.” It was amusing to see those obsidian eyes flash with many different emotions until they finally settled on frustration.
“Avada-“ Without taking his eyes off Snape, Harry caught Voldemort’s wand, causing an eruption of gasps throughout the room. He blinked, turning to face the speechless wizard.
“I said I would be with you in a moment.” With Voldemort’s wand in his hand, the younger Wizard finally turned back to Snape, but before he could begin, there was an outraged cry.
“Filthy half-blood! You dare address my lord that way?” Bellatrix’s eyes were wild and deranged, raising her own wand to send a spell. Harry rose an eyebrow and before anyone could blink, the insane witch was on her knees, clutching her hand in pain.
“That’s my one, and final warning to everyone.” No one moved a muscle and Harry carried on. “As I was saying,” He heaved a small sigh. “When Hogwarts starts up again, I request that you keep Dumbledore away from me at all costs.” The silence that followed after amused Harry to no end.
After all, why not make a scene for everyone to hear? It would save him all the trouble in the future.
Green eyes met crimson, and the Dark Lord hummed, evaluating the man in front of him. After a few tense moments of silence and staring each other down, he spoke up.
“I admit to being impressed, Potter.” Voldemort held out his hand expectantly. “My wand, if you will.”
“Now I’m impressed. You’re not demanding me to do something. And-” Harry held back a smirk at the glower and tossed the wand to the older wizard. “You look normal. No snake-face.” Voldemort resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
“I presume you have another reason as to why you’ve come here.” The younger wizard truly smirked this time. “Such as joining me?” Voldemort suggested, lacing his fingers together.
“Close, but not quite.” The younger admitted. “Although, it does involve me not fighting against your side anymore,” Voldemort smirked at this and Harry could tell the man was intrigued. “I wish to remain neutral, for the most part.”
“For the most part?” Voldemort pressed and Harry shrugged.
“If your side attacks me or my friends, I make no promises that I won’t retaliate. I’m tired of all this fighting and I don’t want to be part of it anymore.”
“And what of you being the supposed ‘savior’ for the light side?” The older wizard watched in surprise as Harry’s demeanor changed, his entire face darkening.
:Tell me, Tom. How would you feel if you were in my shoes and never given a choice? What would you have done?: The death eaters all shivered when they heard the hissy words, even if they hadn’t come from their dark lord.
:I suspect I would be doing the same thing I’m doing now.: He hissed slowly, watching Harry keenly. :There are many things I would try to do, but one would be to rebel.: Tom admitted, still watching the younger wizard closely.
:And that is entirely what I’m starting to do. Now that I’m seventeen, Dumbledore and his Order can no longer tell me what to do. By all of the Wizarding laws, I am considered an adult now.: Tom practically chuckled at that, smirking even more.
:How very Slytherin of you, Potter.: Tom spoke up, still thinking of where this left them now.
:I like to believe so myself.: Harry smirked back.
:I understand that you wish to remain neutral, but would you be willing to fight the Order?: There was a pause and Harry frowned to himself, thinking of the people he would have to potentially fight.
:It depends. My main priority is myself now. I’ve never been given the opportunity to be free until now, but things may change in the future. I only have issues with Dumbledore, the aurors, and the Weasley women.: Harry sighed, running a hand through his hair. :I know I am powerful; I just don’t feel like fighting anymore. I want to get my education and learn all the magic I can, without Dumbledore trying to force me to fight you.:
:I see.: Voldemort began with a small frown, taking in everything the once savior of the light was saying. :And how do I know that you aren’t planning to eventually take me down?:
:Tom, I had your wand in my hand earlier. If I were planning to defeat you, wouldn’t I have done it then?: Voldemort opens his mouth but soon closes it, hating to admit the brat was right.
:How did you master wandless magic at your age?: Tom leans closer, resting his chin on his hands as he waits for an answer. To his surprise, Harry’s eyes harden and darken, before they quickly change back into indifference.
:You do what you need to in order to survive.: The seventeen-year-old responds, making the dark lord hum, trying to hide his obvious interest. :Dumbledore has no idea about the wandless magic, anyway. Or how I mastered occlumency on my own. I let him see what he desires to see, and that’s it.:
:How long have you been scheming against Dumbledore?: The Dark Lord decided to ask instead, starting to understand a little more about the younger wizard in front of him.
:I’ve always found it hard to trust him, especially when he continuously sent me to live with my relatives that hate magic. It only became worse when I learned more about the wizarding world, and how there would have been many families that would have taken me in. His only excuse was the blood wards, but honestly? What would have stopped you from apparting out of range and killing me while I was at the nearby park? He’s kept too many things from me, and I can’t trust him.: Harry stopped, wishing he hadn’t admitted so much, but from the look on Tom’s face, it seemed that it had at least satisfied him.
:The old fool keeps too many secrets, stringing people along until their usefulness ends. You cut the strings yourself before he could strangle you with them.: Voldemort stops there, thinking over his words. :I understand that you wish to explore your newfound freedom, but if you ever change your mind about joining me, something can be arranged.: Harry quirked an eyebrow and held back a laugh.
:I didn’t think you were the type to give someone a second chance to join you.: Voldemort held back a smirk, sitting up straighter.
:I suppose I can make an exception for you, Potter. After all, I now know where your opinion lay. What do you plan on doing next? The Order has surely noticed that their supposed ‘savior’ is missing?:
:Oh, I bet they’re pissed.: Harry actually laughed, enjoying the thought of Dumbledore sending the Order members everywhere to look for him. :Not like they can do anything though. Even if they didn’t know where I was staying, they can’t force me to follow them any longer. I bet they’re going to be patrolling Diagon Alley again today. Hopefully they won’t spot me.: At Voldemort’s questioning look, Harry shrugged. :I need to go to Gringotts to get some legal matters settled before anything else.:
:I see.: Tom sighed turning back to his loyal death eaters, who were all watching intently. His gaze landed on one of his most loyal. :You could take Severus with you. It would serve as a way to placate the Order. Make them believe he has been keeping an eye on you but couldn’t say anything because of my other spies.:
Severus met the man’s crimson eyes and held back a sigh. He doubted he was going to like where this was going, especially when emerald eyes met his as well.
:I’ll let him decide. He’s also not a fan of being told what to do constantly, and he has to work with Dumbledore.: Harry nearly grimaced, shaking his head. :He also doesn’t like me very much. I think he’s already dreading the school year anyway.: He laughed softly, unaware of the potions master watching them. Tom nodded and got up, going to look at all his followers, who were still watching their conversation, despite not being able to understand what was being said.
“We are to leave Harry Potter out of this war from now on. If he wishes to join us one day, he shall do so on his own. If anyone tries to attack him, I think you’re all well aware of how powerful he is. If I discover anyone is planning to attack him, you will have to deal with me instead.” At the chorus of ‘Yes my Lord.’ The Dark Lord seemed satisfied.
“Well, I think that’s my cue to leave,” Harry spoke up, his green eyes lighting up at the prospect of no longer having the Death Eaters against him. It was one last thing he had to worry about. “Pleasure doing business with you, Tom.” The younger teased, going out the way he had come in.
Like before, he hadn’t noticed a pair of obsidian eyes watching him.
Harry had only managed to walk to the apparition point when he was joined by Severus Snape.
“Sir?” Harry asked with a raised eyebrow, a little surprised to see his potions master joining his side.
“I’ll be joining you, Potter. The headmaster has the Order on high alert around Diagon Alley today. It would be wise for me to join you.” Harry held back a snort, hands in his pockets.
“Did Tom order you to accompany me?” To the younger, it sounded like he had.
“No. He surprisingly gave me an option.” The professor had narrowed his eyes, watching as the younger Wizard smirked.
“Huh. It looks like a Dark Lord can take advice.” Harry didn’t look up as the professor hummed, still watching him.
“You don’t seem suspicious of me, Potter. For all you know, my true loyalties could lie with Dumbledore." This time, Harry did snort.
“Unlikely. With all due respect, sir, if I were to figure out how deceiving Dumbledore is, what would stop you from discovering too?” He didn’t see the way those eyebrows quirked in amusement, holding back a small smirk. “ Besides, you would have tried to subdue me by now to bring back to him and the Order.” Harry sighed, stealing a glance at the other man. “I think at one point you might have believed in Dumbledore, but I could be wrong,” Harry admitted.
“What made you lose your trust in him?”
“Whose to say I ever truly trusted him? I listened to him when I needed to in order to get by. Imagine, you’re eleven and all your life, you were taught that magic wasn’t real. Then suddenly, out of the blue, you’re told you’re a wizard. You’re flung into a universe that you know nothing about.” He sighed looking at the ground. “Sir, even the muggleborns knew more of this world than I did.” Severus stops and really looks at the wizard beside him, taking in everything he had said.
“Another one of Albus’ lies then. He had informed everyone in the Order that you were well taken care of and that you had regular visits from a tutor in the magical community.” The green-eyed wizard laughed humorlessly.
“And you all bought it.” He sighs, looking ahead. “What else did Dumbledore tell you of my relatives?” Surprised by the sudden question, Snape narrowed his eyes more.
“That they pampered you all they could, that they gave you a normal childhood.”
“Is it normal to live in a cupboard?” Harry actually sneered but frowned when Snape stopped him, his dark eyes full of an emotion the younger had never seen. “Uh-“
“Repeat that.” Snape was actually seething. Well, this was interesting. It looked like this was another thing Dumbledore had kept from everyone.
“I lived in a cupboard under the stairs most of my life. They allowed me to live in Dudley’s second bedroom on good days. On days that I had accidentally burnt breakfast, or not done the chores fast enough, they would lock me in the cupboard. It’s some of the reason I learned how to master wandless magic so easily. So,” Harry met Snape’s eyes, raising an eyebrow. “I take it Dumbledore never told you the real reason I would always ask to stay at Hogwarts during the summers. Or how I begged him to let me live in Grimmauld Place?”
Severus Snape felt like an utter idiot.
“Although, I think I did a good job at hiding the abuse. You didn’t suspect a thing during our occlumency lessons.” Harry had a pleased smirk on his face, well aware of the surprise radiating off of his professor. “Before you even ask; I had already mastered occlumency with Hermione with the help of Fred and George. I purposefully made you think I was unteachable that way Dumbledore wouldn’t expect a thing.”
“Why weren’t you sorted into Slytherin?” Even if it was rhetorical, Harry answered.
“The sorting hat wanted to put me into Slytherin, but I had a bad run-in with Malfoy. If there’s anything I hate, it’s a bully. When I met him, he was an instant reminder of my cousin, just minus the obese part.” Harry shook his head. “At some points, I do regret not being sorted into Slytherin, but then I remember I have friends like Hermione and some of the Weasleys.”
“Some?” Severus rose an eyebrow, secretly amused.
“Fred and George are my favorites. I’ve met Bill once, and Charlie isn’t too bad. Mr. Weasley is okay when he’s not following Molly’s every command.” Severus let out a dry chuckle, shocking the younger wizard.
“The Weasley matriarch is overbearing,” Snape says unkindly, the only thing giving away his discomfort with her was a twitch of his lips.
“Tell me about it. Molly and Ginny are horrible. She actually thinks I’m going to marry her daughter.” There was a snort of disdain, the green in his eyes hardening like steel. “Even Dumbledore keeps suggesting it. Trying to guilt trip me by saying that what my parents would have wanted. Like Hell it is.” Snape would have admonished him for the use of language, but not only was Potter seventeen, the mere fact that Dumbledore was trying to use Lily Evans as a manipulation tactic made him sick.
“I was best friends with your mother. She would have wanted you to be happy above all else. I have no doubt Albus would be dead by now if she were still alive.” The words make Harry give a soft chuckle, the thought of his mother hexing his headmaster would be something to see.
“That’s why I’m about to do this.” Intrigued, Snape raised his chin.
“What is going through your head, Potter?” Harry gave a cheeky smile, chuckling.
“Oh, nothing. I’m just going to make a point to Dumbledore by utterly humiliating him and the Order.” A glint formed in Snape’s eyes that didn’t go unnoticed by Harry. “Gringotts will be the first step to achieving that. After all, I need to claim my Lordships now, and,” Smile turning darker, Harry spoke in a cold tone. “Take back Grimmauld place.”
Chapter 2
Notes:
I decided to go ahead and get this uploaded since I won't be able to write much more this week. I hope you're all enjoying this story so far because I'm actually enjoying writing something again.
Chapter Text
As soon as Harry mentioned taking back Grimmauld Place, Severus couldn’t stop his lips from quirking up the slightest in an impressed smirk. If the Order were to lose their headquarters, it would be one step closer to getting rid of Dumbledore.
“Sirius had a will made not long before he died. I think he knew something was bound to happen and wanted to make sure I would have a place when I was older. Since I wasn’t seventeen, I wasn’t allowed to receive my inheritance from him yet. All I know is that he left me the house and included me as his heir.” Having not heard of this before, the potions professor seemed intrigued.
“You’ll be a Potter-Black.” Severus said and Harry hummed, nodding slightly.
“I should hope you’ll only call me ‘Potter’ I’ve gotten used to that after all,” Harry smirked at Snape’s expression. “Once I claim them, it’ll give Dumbledore even less leeway on trying to force me to do things I don’t want any part of, except when I’m at Hogwarts.” The smirk turned into a frown at the thoughts of what was to come.
“Which is why you’ll need my assistance during that time,” Snape mutters quietly, realizing how much the younger wizard had already thought of. Seeing how calculating the young man was made the professor wonder where this intelligence had been at during his classes, or if the other had purposefully fooled all of them again. Harry just nodded, but years of being a trained spy enabled Snape to see the slight apprehension. “Worried?” He inquired, looking at the emerald eyes.
“A little, I suppose. I’m not really sure what to expect mostly. I’ve gone for the usual withdrawals from my trust vault and all of that, but never for something like this.” He sighed.
“I take it you’ve never had an inheritance test before?” At the questioning look, Snape elaborated. “It’s a test taken by purebloods and halfbloods mainly. Muggleborns occasionally take it, but it’s not as common. It serves as a way for a witch or wizard to see what families they belong to. There are many ancient houses that are close to extinction and when that happens, the inheritance test allows the line to continue on.” Harry nodded in understanding, thinking about what his professor was saying.
“It makes sense. Especially when you consider Lord or Ladies fostering illegitimate children and trying to hide it. A lot of purebloods try to hide it, but it happens.” The raven-haired wizard sighed again, thinking about the inheritance test that he would probably have to take. “When did you take yours?” Harry asked, glancing to his professor.
“When I graduated Hogwarts. I never had any use for it until that point. I was too focused on my studies to worry about being a lord.”
“Lord Prince?” Harry asked, happy that he had caught his professor off guard, even if it was only for a moment.
“How did you figure that out, Potter?”
“Your book. The Half-Blood Prince.” Again, Snape’s surprise was evident. “It didn’t take too long to figure it out. You had been my teacher for six years at that point, so it wasn’t hard to see that the writing style was the same. The only thing that had stumped me for a bit at that point was the Prince part, but after going through some old books, it was easy to pinpoint that prince was the last name of your mother. I knew you weren’t egotistical enough to refer to yourself as a prince without something connecting it.” Snape was impressed as he looked at the clever wizard, looking at him in a new light.
“Why do I have a feeling you’ve also been tricking all of Hogwarts by downplaying your abilities?” Harry chuckled softly; eyes gleaming.
“Looks like you’re starting to understand the real Harry Potter. You’re not wrong though. I had to constantly be behind at certain subjects so that Dumbledore wouldn’t question my abilities. I was better off having him think of me as an average wizard instead of one that was to be used as a weapon.” They kept walking despite having passed the apparition point long ago.
“Do you plan on walking all the way to Gringotts?” Severus smirked and Harry paused, laughing a bit.
“No. I was just enjoying our conversation.” He said, missing the soft look in the professor’s gaze. “I’m ready if you are?” At Snape’s nod, they both apparated outside of Gringotts.
“You need to be quick. The Order is on high alert here.” Snape muttered quietly, ushering the younger Wizard inside the building.
Once inside, Harry gave a sigh of relief he wasn’t aware he had been holding. From the little research he had don’t about the Goblins, he knew that they were neutral in the war and that this area was confidential. Moving forward, Harry let a genuine smile etch across his lips as he noticed an old friend.
“Hello, Griphook.” The said Goblin looked up and gave a toothy smile.
“Mister Potter. It’s been a while.”
“How is your family? I heard your son was just married.” Snape watched with awe as his student conversed with the Goblin eagerly. He would have to ask him later about the closeness with the Goblins.
“Yes. He works at the branch in America now. He was promoted not too long ago.” Harry lit up at the news.
“Please send him my sincerest congratulations.” Griphook nodded, soon becoming professional in a matter of seconds.
“So, what brings you here today, Mister Potter?”
“I wish to claim my lordships, and perhaps have an inheritance test.” Nodding, the Goblin stood up, beckoning the man to follow.
“Retrieve the Potter and Black files, and lordship rings.” He ordered another Goblin, who Harry hadn’t recognized. “Do you wish for Mister Snape to accompany you?” The Goblin eyed the tall wizard, and Harry smirked.
“Yes. I trust him.” Satisfied with that answer, he continued on his way, the two wizards following him into what appeared to be a meeting room. It wasn’t long until other Goblin appeared, who Harry now knew as Ricbert, with all the needed tools at hand. One tool was a small dagger and a bowl, and Harry knew that that entailed.
“Before we let you claim your lordships, it would be in your best interest to do the inheritance test first. There is always a possibility that there is an open lordship that needs to be claimed.” Passing the bowl forward, Griphook took the knife and instructed Harry where to cut.
After the blood was in the bowl and wound healed, the contents began to glow before leaving behind a piece of paper.
Name: Harry James Potter-Black
Birth: 31st July 1980
Parents:
Father: James Fleamont Potter (Deceased)
Mother: Lily Jasmine Potter. Nee Evans (Deceased)
Godparents:
Godfather: Sirius Orion Black (Deceased)
Godmother: Alice Morgan Longbottom. Nee Greengrass (st. mungos)
Siblings:
Sister : Hermione Jean Granger (Blood Adoption)
Inheritance:
Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter (Paternal)
Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Black (Heir)
Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Malfoy (Maternal) (Taken by Lucius Abraxas Malfoy)
Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Lestrange (Maternal) (Taken by Corvus Lestrange)
Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Peverell (Paternal)
Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Gaunt (Horcrux) (Taken by Tom Marvolo Riddle Jr)
Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Gryffindor (Paternal)
Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Slytherin (Horcrux) (Taken by Tom Marvolo Riddle Jr)
Soul Magic:
Horcrux in scar (Tom Marvolo Riddle Jr. )
Contracts:
Marriage : Ginevra Molly Weasley and Harry James Potter-Black (Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore and Molly Weasley)
Harry was left gaping at all the information that lay before him, his eyes wide as he looked at the last two bits of information. So, he was a Horcrux. The thing that Dumbledore had been trying to get him to destroy last year. He wanted to be sick knowing that a part of Voldemort was in him, but what made matters worse were the things Dumbledore had told him.
“We must destroy all of his horcruxes if we are to rid of Lord Voldemort for good. You are the chosen one, Harry. The prophecy is about you, and we must all do what we can to make sure it is met.” The memory struck a core within him, his heart sinking to the pits of his stomach. He was a Horcrux too, and he knew that Dumbledore had to know that as well. He fights down the fury that is slowly rising up, concealing his magic with ease. This was the plan form the beginning, wasn’t it? For Harry to obediently charge into battle and get himself killed so the Horcrux in him would be destroyed too.
Fuck that.
He looks up, meeting the concerned obsidian eyes. He’s not sure why, but having Snape here helps him calm down even more.
“Harry?” It was the first time that Snape had ever called him by his first name, but he knows the professor must know something is up. He’s been quiet for too long.
“Dumbledore always told me that I was connected with Voldemort.” Harry begins, starting to watch as Snape narrows his eyes in even more concern. “It turns out I am the thing he wants me to destroy. A horcrux.” He sees the way Snape tenses, his normally pale face turning ashen. “It’s the reason he wants me to fight Tom so badly. He wants me to get myself killed.” He blinks away the angry tears, knowing that they needed to go back to Voldemort after all of this. It was unlikely that the man knew of this. If he had, it was unlikely that there would have been so many attempts on his life.
“Also, to add insult to injury,” Harry scowled at the section about the marriage contract. “He and Molly Weasley created a marriage contract between me and Ginny.” He glared at the offending piece of paper.
“That can easily be taken care of, Mister Potter.” Griphook informed soothingly, his small hands clasped together. “As Dumbledore was never your legal magical guardian, nor Molly Weasley, that contract will become void as soon as you accept your lordships.” The Goblin smirked at the paper, then Harry. “Which are quite a few. “
“More than I need.” Harry immediately says, glancing at the long list of family names. Even Snape seemed impressed, but he hummed.
“However, the more Lordships you have, the more protection you have against Dumbledore.” That quickly gained Harry’s attention as he turned to Snape, head tilted in confusion.
“How do you mean?”
“Lordship rings often come with their own protection. My Prince ring protects me from compulsion spells, as well as potions.” Severus explained, looking over the list of the available lordships.
“If it helps, Mister Potter, most Lordships are a private matter. You’re only expected to show them when you’re at certain events, and even then you don’t need to list all of them.” The Goblin glanced at the four available lordships to be claimed. “The only one that doesn’t have a ring is the Gryffindor one. From what the stories say, he was most adamant about wearing his lordship as a necklace.”
If doing all of this would go against Dumbledore even more, then Harry wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity.
“I’ll claim them.” Harry spoke up.
Griphook smiled sharply, eyes gleaming at the prospect of not only helping a friend but receiving an extra bonus for doing this.
After the matter was all settled, Harry stayed close to Snape’s side, dreading the thought of going back out to Diagon Alley.
“I didn’t think I would say this, but we need to get back to Tom. I doubt he knows about what really happened that night.” Severus gave a brisk nod, scanning the surroundings through the window to make sure there was no Order member.
“Side along apparition would be easiest then. Hold onto my arm when we go out. It’ll be more efficient.” Harry hated side apparition, but agreed nonetheless. “Alright. Come along, Potter.” Harry quickly followed after and made sure to grab Snape’s arm. Once they were outside, he caught a flash of red hair and his entire body froze. Lucky for him, Snape’s quick reflexed had them disapparting before the red-heads could notice them.
Harry stumbled once they landed, but strong arms and a steady chest stopped the younger from falling.
“You’ve always been more graceful in the air, Potter,” Snape mumbled, keeping the other man steady.
“Side apparition is horrible, and you know it.” Harry groaned into the available chest, soon flushing at how close they were.
“I should hope you have no intentions of getting sick on me.” Snape left a hand on his side, in case the other was to stumble again.
“Nah, I’m fine.” Harry pulled away, still flushed. “I am ready to see Tom’s reaction to this though.” He informed; hand still curled around the precious paper. Severus’ lips twitched as he nodded.
“Indeed. He’s likely to be in his study now since the meeting is over.” Snape informed, walking with Harry into Riddle Manor.
“It really wasn’t my intention to come back here. He might think that I’ve already changed my mind about not joining him.” Harry groaned again, watching as Snape waved his hand and the doors magically opened. “That was easier than what I did earlier.”
“Do I dare ask what you did to get in, Potter?” The younger smirked.
“Would you believe me if I said Parselmagic?” Snape sighed. Another thing that Harry had managed to keep hidden from his professors.
“Considering that the Dark Lord does it, yes.” He led Harry to the entryway, knowing his lord would be there soon.
He was right. His use of magic had gotten the Dark Lord’s attention and he was there within moments.
“Severus?” The other wizard glanced to Harry and quirked a brow. “I hadn’t been expecting either of you to return. Not Potter at least.” He tilted his head, observing the duo. “Has something happened?”
“You could say that, Tom.” Harry mumbled, his magic flaring up again slightly. “Doesn’t something always happen when Dumbledore is involved?”
“Hmm, yes. I thought you knew this by now. So, what happened?” Tom smirked. :Or are you here to join me again so soon?: Harry rolled his eyes, huffing fondly.
:Maybe one day, Tom.: “This is important though.” Harry spoke seriously, gaining the Dark Lord’s immediate attention. “I think this paper will give you all the answers you need.” Harry passed him the paper, ready to see his reaction.
Chapter 3
Notes:
I had fun writing this! I'm still deciding if I want to have it Snarry or Harry/Tom, but I'm leaning towards Snarry more. It was the original plan anyway.
I'm also considering doing an AU to this story which would contain Harry/Tom instead. It would similar to this story, but obviously different.
Eh. Who knows what I'll do.
Chapter Text
Tom frowned as the younger wizard handed him a piece of paper, one that he soon recognized to be an inheritance test. It was a little unnerving, seeing as both wizards had come back here to give him something so simple.
“This is the results of your inheritance test, isn’t it? Why are you showing it to me?” While he knew the importance of such a test, he had yet to see how it affected him. There was the off chance that they were somehow related- but how would that be of any real importance to them? Harry rolled his eyes, heaving a small sigh.
“You’ll find out if you read it.” Harry said, getting a little impatient. :Do I have to beg?: Tom shot him a look and the younger wizard smirked. :I’m very good at begging, I’ll have you know.: Tom unknowingly let his gaze linger, humming softly.
:Fine. I’ll read it.: Tom sighed, finally tearing his gaze away and focusing back on the paper in his grasp. “Blood adoption with the muggleborn?” He asked, not as surprised as he thought he would be. Harry did smile a bit as the Dark Lord digested that information.
“Hermione is my best friend. She’s always been there for me no matter what.” He spoke fondly of her, smiling more. Tom didn’t mention it again but did pause at the long list of lordships that soon followed.
“This is quite a list of Lordships.” Tom suddenly smirked at the Malfoy and Lestrange titles that came up. “Lucius won’t be pleased with this.” Harry laughed at the thought of the Malfoy family discovering his mother, a muggleborn, was part of their family.
“I can’t wait to inform him about it. It’s going to break his heart.” Tom allowed himself to chuckle at that as he continued reading.
“Peverell. It looks like-“ The Dark Lord was unable to finish his sentence as his gaze landed on the next title, his lips parting as he paled considerably.
“I think he finally got to the important bit.” Harry informed Snape, missing the fond quirk of his lips aimed at him. It was obvious Tom was still reading, his eyes widening when he got towards the end.
“Soul magic,” Tom breathed out, ignoring his racing heartbeat as he read the words out loud. “Horcrux in scar. Created by Tom Marvolo Riddle Jr.” He tore his gaze away from the paper and looked back to the boy who lived.
His Horcrux.
Harry Potter was his Horcrux.
“I know. It’s a lot to take in.” Harry sighed, still having trouble grasping the fact as well. Knowing that his body inhabited his own soul, and a piece of Tom’s was bizarre. The way Tom was looking at him didn’t help matters either.
“You’re my Horcrux.” Harry wanted to roll his eyes but instead gave a simple nod. He did enjoy hearing Tom curse under his breath. “I should have seen it sooner. The link we share at night, the fact that you’re a parselmouth…” The younger wizard nearly grimaced thinking about all the clues that had been there all along, only to be hidden by Dumbledore.
“I feel stupid too. When the headmaster first told me about your Horcruxes, I should have put it together. His reasoning as to why I was a parselmouth was because some of your powers transferred into me when I was a baby.” He sighed, feeling dumber by the minute.
“Why was he telling you about my Horcruxes, Potter?” Tom hissed dangerously; crimson eyes glowing bright with anger.
“He was trying to get me to destroy them. I told him to do it himself.” Harry spoke blankly, watching as Tom’s fist clenched in anger. He could feel the other wizards magic crackling.
Even at his worst, he had never seen the Dark Lord like this.
“I see. Do you know of any that he has destroyed? Besides the diary.” Tom was eerily calm now; it made Harry dread telling him about the diary.
“Uh, I might have accidentally destroyed one in my second year?” Harry confessed, watching those eyes flash again, magic flaring more. “And before you try to crucio me, just know I didn’t exactly have a choice. I had to save Ginny’s life. Your soul from the diary was trying to possess her and I had to stop it.”
“How did you even manage to destroy it in your second year, Potter?” Tom asked, eyes narrowed in on the uncomfortable seventeen-year-old, who winces.
“That depends. Do you want the long version or the short one?” Tom rose an eyebrow.
“Since I’m intrigued now, give me the long version.” Harry sighed.
“I’m sure Snape can testify for some of the things I’m about to say. Anyway, my second year was shit. Ginny Weasley, who was being possessed by the diary, opened the chamber of secrets, therefore waking up the Basilisk. The said basilisk managed to petrify some of the students, and Lockhart, who was one of the worst defense teachers I’ve ever had-“ Harry saw Snape smirk, but continued on. “followed me and Ron when we discovered the chamber. He tried to obliviate us, but it backfired because he used Ron’s broken wand. It caused a cave-in, separating me from Ron. Then I found Ginny, the memory of a sixteen-year-old Tom Riddle, and the basilisk you ordered to kill me. Long story short; I get impaled by a fang, Fawkes saves me by crying on the wound, and then I stab the diary with the fang.”
“Are you meaning to tell me that you defeated a basilisk at the age of twelve?” Tom asked, having forgotten about the destroyed diary.
“It wasn’t just me. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without Fawkes. The Phoenix blinded the basilisk.” Harry’s attention was on Severus now, and the younger wizard had to hold back a chuckle. The potions professor didn’t seem pleased about the events. After all, so much had happened (quite literally) under his nose.
“He’s telling the truth, my lord. All of those events occurred. Although, I was unaware until now on how Lockhart lost his memories.” Tom forced his magic back down, having calmed down considerably as Harry told him everything.
“Potter, do you know if Dumbledore has destroyed anymore?” Harry shook his head.
“I don’t think he has. He told me which objects he thinks to be Horcruxes, but has yet to try and search for them on his own. I think the only one that is destroyed is the diary.” Tom seemed to visibly relax.
“And what does he speculate? Besides you.” Harry rolled his eyes and thought back to a meeting Dumbledore had forced him into.
“Nagini, your locket and ring, and Ravenclaws’ diadem. He thinks there’s one more, but can’t figure it out.” Tom suddenly smirked, realizing his other Horcrux was still safe.
“It seems the other Horcrux is safe for now. Tell me, how do you think I came to look like this again, Harry?” Surprised at the question, the younger wizard shrugged.
“I just assumed you wore a glamour.” Tom huffed and shook his head. Snape muttered a soft ‘Gryffindors’ under his breath, which earned a small smirk from the boy who lived.
“Not many know it, but there is a ritual that will undo Horcruxes, and send the soul back into the original body. After long deliberation, I concluded that I went too far in my youth. My weakness was being afraid of death, and after splitting my soul too many times, it made me insane.”
“So you’re not denying that you were insane?” Harry smirked at the slight glare Tom threw at him.
“No. I suppose not. I took three of my Horcruxes and transferred my soul back into my body.” Harry tilted his head.
“Which three?”
“Slytherin’s locket, my ring, and Ravenclaws Diadem. I was going to keep two Horcruxes, but it seems I’ll have three.” The younger wizard thought what Tom was saying and frowned in thought.
“You’re not going to try and remove it from me?” Severus, who had been quiet for the most part, spoke up.
“It’s hard enough to undo soul magic, but undoing it with a living being is another thing. That’s why the Dark Lord never removed it from his snake. If he tried to remove it from you, it would not only put your life at risk, but it could kill him as well.” Severus informed, having been the one to help Voldemort gather his Horcruxes.
“The last Horcrux, besides you and Nagini, is the cup of Hufflepuff. You said that Dumbledore does not expect this, correct?”
“Yeah. He thought you only made five. It was his intention to drag me out after my seventeenth birthday and search for your Horcruxes, but I not only told him off, I ran off before he could try and force me to do it. He’s so desperate for me to defeat you that it’s pathetic.” Harry sighed.
“It’s because of the prophecy, Potter. The one where you’re supposed to defeat me.” Harry rolled his eyes and held back a sigh. Whenever he thought of the damned thing, it made a weight settle on his shoulders. It was the reason there was an inexplicable amount of pressure on him. From Dumbledore, from people like Ron, many of the Gryffindors, and even the Wizarding World.
“I think it’s stupid. I’ve heard it and yeah, it’s about me, but I don’t think people have been interpreting it correctly. “ At Voldemort’s gesture to continue, Harry decided to write it down on the back of the inheritance paper with a spell he created with Hermione.
The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies...
“I think Dumbledore interpreted this the wrong way. Everyone’s been going about it incorrectly.” Harry said as he looked at the prophecy his wand had just spelled out. “He’s so desperate to defeat you that it has him overlooking the simplest of details.” Tom looked at the younger wizard, his perfectly sculpted eyebrow raised.
“What would that be, Potter?” Tom hated to admit it, but he was curious as to what the other man had to say about the prophecy.
“I’ve always been told that even the most mundane word means something, especially given the context. The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches.” Harry spoke with a small, knowing smirk. “With is a very common word, isn’t it? For a prophecy that is supposed to be about me supposedly defeating you, it talks more about my power being equal to yours. It says that I have the power to defeat you, but it doesn’t really mention if I’ll do it.” He explained with a shrug, earning a hum from Voldemort, who seemed to agree to an extent.
“I see your point. How would you explain the other part, Potter?” Harry knew which section Voldemort was talking about and looked at it more before something hit him.
“Neither can live while the other survives! I get it.” Harry’s eyes glimmered, catching the other wizards off guard.
“Potter?” This time it was Snape who spoke up, clearly interested in what Harry had to say. “What is it?”
“It’s about me. About what I was almost forced to do.” Tom was listening intently, not wanting to admit how clever the younger wizard seemed to be. “The previous sentence makes it clear. And either must die at the hand of the other.” Harry shook his head with a soft sigh. “For one thing, that’s impossible given our wands.”
“Yes.” Tom suddenly remembered that he and Harry shared brother wands, which in battle, could not harm the other. “What does that have to do with the next part though?” The Dark Lord hadn’t caught up to Harry's train of thought quite yet, still piecing the other parts together.
“I’m the other in ‘neither can live while the other survives.’” Harry tried to explain, earning two eyebrow quirks from Snape and Voldemort.
“I’m afraid you’re not making any sense, Potter.” Tom paused and chuckled. :And I’m supposed to be the insane one.: Harry snorted softly, ignoring Snape’s curious gaze.
“Look, it might not make sense to you, but it does to me. All my life I’ve merely been surviving day after day. There’s a difference between survive and live, right professor?” Snape's lips twitched the slightest as he gave a nod. “The reason neither of us would have lived while I was surviving is because of Dumbledore. If I’m to be only surviving, it means that I would be following his entire plan. His plan of you killing me in order to destroy the Horcrux inside of my scar.”
Harry could have laughed when he saw the looks of realization on both faces. He wasn’t sure which was funnier. Snape, who rarely let himself give away what he was feeling, or Voldemort, who was a supposed genius.
“Now you’re getting it.” Harry smirked, pleased that he had managed to catch the two powerful wizards off guard. “I think that the prophecy was always meant to be a warning of sorts. It’s what would have happened if I hadn’t decided to take my life into my own hands. That’s why the word with had been so important. This was all based on my decision in the end. I could have followed Dumbledore blindly, or I could have forged my own life.” Snape couldn’t stop the barely-there smirk.
“You seem pleased about yourself, Potter.”
“Oh trust me, sir. I am. For one, it means that the damn prophecy is completed. Not that Dumbledore would ever listen to me. He’s dead set on me getting myself killed by Tom to ever see reason. The one thing that had dictated most of my life is finished.” He smiled a bit to himself, despite a hint of sadness that neither wizard could describe.
“You’re still worried about how the rest of the world will react,” Tom spoke up and Harry forced away the hint of sadness he felt, not planning on letting it get to him.
“Considering how they’ve turned on me in the past, a little bit. I can’t really bother with it anymore. If they’re going to rely on a teenager to win a war for them, then that’s on them.” He placed his hands back into his pockets, thinking about what came next. “This year is going to be harder than I thought. Dumbledore is going to find some way of making me fight you.” Harry shook his head with a scoff. “I really didn’t want to show my true powers to Dumbledore so soon…”
:Is this an indirect way of joining me?: Tom purred, causing Harry to chuckle.
:You seem desperate to have me on your side, Tom.:
:You would be useful.: He hissed back, and Harry chuckled again.
:Just useful? Nothing else?: Tom sighed, pretending to think about it.
:I suppose you’re decent company.:
:I knew you had a soft spot for me, Voldie.: Tom made a face, glaring at the younger. “Well, as much as I’m enjoying this, I should get back to where I’m staying. The twins will worry that I’ve been kidnapped by the order and search for me.” Harry glanced to his potions master. “Would you accompany me, sir? I’d feel better with an extra pair of eyes.”
“Of course, Potter,” Snape mumbled, joining the younger man’s side as they took their leave.
:See you later, Tommy.: Harry held back a laugh at the dark scowl and unpleasant hiss.
:Potter, if you ever call me that again, I will kill you.:
:Promise?: Harry teased as he walked away with Severus, leaving behind the Dark Lord who was shaking his head.
:Brat.:
Chapter 4
Notes:
I'm not too pleased with how this chapter came out, but I did enjoy writing it at least! I hope you like this story so far; so please leave a comment on your thoughts about it!
Chapter Text
As the two walked back to the apparition spot, Harry couldn’t help but sigh at his own mistake. “I really should have thought to bring my invisibility cloak. I usually do when I’m trying to avoid the Order.” Considering that, the potions professor looked at the younger wizard and hummed.
“Have you never thought of using a glamour?” Harry shook his head with a sigh.
“Doesn’t work on me like that and I think I know why now. Since there is a Horcrux in my scar, which is extremely dark magic, I can’t hide it. I mean sure, I could grow my hair and cover it, but at the same time, I hate having to do it. I want to at least have some normality.” Snape dryly snorted.
“The public will never realize that because they’re such imbeciles.” Harry’s lips twitched into a small smile as Snape insulted most of the wizarding world. Well, the wizards in the UK at least. The younger wizard often wondered what other wizard societies were like in other countries.
Maybe he would have to ask Tom one day. He was known for traveling all over the world at one point.
“I can hear you thinking, Potter. What is it?” Cut off guard, Harry sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck.
“Sorry. I was just thinking about the rest of the wizarding world and how similar their society is to ours. Hermione and I might study a lot, but there are not many books on foreign wizards.” Snape regarded him carefully.
“What made you start thinking about that subject?”
“Uh- I don’t know. I just started thinking about the wizard families in the UK I guess. Then I thought about other countries and what they’re wizarding societies are like. I suppose I was thinking about how easy it would be to walk around there without people noticing me. Then I thought of the different things I could learn in other countries…” Harry eventually stopped and shrugged, a little embarrassed. “Sorry. I’m fascinated with learning as much magic as I can.” Snape looked at him for a moment before turning away.
“You sound quite like Crouch Jr right now. Azkaban didn’t do him any favors…or his father, but before that, he was a bright young man. He graduated from Hogwarts with top marks.” Harry listened with interest, thinking of the man who had secretly been his defense teacher.
“He was a great instructor. He taught me how to break free from the imperious curse, but considering how long he was under it, I’m not surprised he was good at teaching it.” He idly stated, getting closer to the apparition point. “Lupin was another great instructor….and your uh, book was also insightful.” This caused the potions professor to fully look at him.
“Ah yes. That book. I take it you still have it?”
“Uh-yeah. I figured you would want it back. It holds a lot of helpful tips for brewing and a few useful spells.” Snape rolled his eyes.
“Some of those useful spells as you put it, are dangerous. I should hope you aren’t planning on using them.” There was a lazy smirk on the youngers face.
“Of course not. I know how to cast it obviously. It’s more for insurance than anything else. It’s always good to have a deadly spell at your disposal when your life depends on it.” Thankfully, there would be less of those days. Unless the Order tried to do something fishy. Even then, Harry didn’t want to kill them. Just incapacitate them. If it came to causing pain though, he was more than equipped to do so.
“Just how many of those do you have?” There was a teasing tone that Harry hadn’t missed, and the younger chuckled.
“Enough for now. I wouldn’t mind creating some more of my own. I hope you don’t mind that I got some inspiration from you.”
“Not at all.” He softly spoke. If anything, Severus was proud of that. It wasn’t often that someone went about creating new spells. “Have you had any luck?”
“Some. I was doing my own version of a body bind spell. One that makes it easier to disarm someone. There’s countless counters to the originals and only one to mine.” Harry seemed to be pleased with that, and Snape knew what that was like. He felt the same pride at having created his own spells. “I could teach them to you if you’d like?” The younger suggested, surprising the potions master. Before he could respond, they reached their spot to apparate.
It was darker out now, but knowing the Order, they would still be on a high alert- thinking that Harry would be wandering around at night. They weren’t entirely wrong at that assumption considering that’s what the younger wizard often did at Hogwarts.
The potions professor noticed an outstretched arm, a little surprised by the gesture.
“For this, you’re going to be the one side appariting. Fred and George have wards set up above their shop, strong ones too. There are only a few people that are allowed to apparate there, which will include you now I suppose.” The teen chuckled to himself, allowing Snape to grasp his arm.
Focusing on his magic, it wasn’t long until they were both in the living room above the joke shop, surrounded by concerned twins.
“About time you got here-“ Fred tsked, shaking his head like a worried parent.
“-we were about to barge into-“ George was also tsking, and Harry had to hide his amusement, just like the twins.
“-Grimmauld place and demand where you were!” They finished, not before erupting into laughter at the end. It was always a joke that they would barge into the order’s hideout for the sake of it. Despite having never been fond of the twins while they were his students, Severus could see why Potter liked them so much.
“Don’t worry. That’ll come soon enough.” Harry spoke with a devilish smirk, one that was met with twin smirks.
“Oh! Pray tell us, won’t you?” The twins teased, although, they did glance at Severus for a moment, before giving their full attention to Harry.
“Not only did Sirius make me his heir, but he left me everything he owned. Not only is Grimmauld place mine by being a Black now, but it’s also mine because of the will.” As he finished, the twins lit up at the news. Severus would deny it, but that glint in their eyes reminded him of his Slytherins.
“Soooo,” George was practically vibrating with glee. “When do you plan on taking your house back?” Harry smirked at the evil look on the twins’ face, giving a small shrug.
“I was planning on doing it around Yule, actually. Doing it now would give Dumbledore enough time to find a replacement by the time the holidays come around. If I wait until then, the Order won't have any place to go except the Burrow.”
Maybe these Gryffindors were Slytherins after all.
“The Order is losing more members, isn’t it?” Fred grinned and Harry snorted.
“You could say that. Remus only stayed in the Order because of me, but now that he knows I’m not going to be part of it, he’s remaining neutral. He lost trust in Dumbledore when Sirius died.” And his lover, but the werewolf wouldn’t want that information disclosed, but based on the look Severus sent him, it was fairly obvious how close the two had been.
“That just leaves Tonks, Mad eye, Dumbledore, and some of our family.” George made a face at the last part, as did his brother.
“Yes. Your family.” Harry’s face darkened at the information he learned today. “Your mom is horrible. When we went to Gringotts to settle some legal matters, I took an inheritance test. Let’s just say that she and Dumbledore were really adamant about me marrying Ginny.”
“You don’t mean..” The twins chorused, a look of dread quickly forming. They even looked to Snape, figuring he had been the one to accompany Harry. “a marriage contract?” At Snape’s nod, there was a flash of pure fury in those brown eyes.
“Sadly. Can’t say I’m too surprised, honestly. They’ve always been dropping hints about me getting together with her, even when I said I wasn’t interested. I’m not sure about your dad though- I mean, he’s not a bad guy. He’s just controlled by your mum.” Harry sighed, already having a feeling that Arthur had no idea about the marriage contract. After all, that man was against many pureblood traditions.
“Oh trust us, Harry-“
“Our dad wouldn’t have agreed to this.” The twins seethed, already thinking of ways to disown their mother and publicly humiliate her. It was a shame they would have to wait.
They never wanted it to get to this point, but it seemed they had no other choice.
“What are they doing?” Severus asked as the twins looked at each other, almost like they were communicating. Harry smirked at the question, almost not knowing how to answer.
“Communicating. They’re psychic when it comes to each other. They share a link essentially.” That gained the full attention of the potions master, who was intrigued to say at the least. “And before you ask, I think they’ve always been like that. It’s why they’re able to talk at the same time and finish each other’s sentences.”
“That’s a rare gift, but not unheard of. It used to be more common for twins to communicate like that, but many of the purebloods ruined that for themselves” Harry knew exactly what he was implying.
“Maybe Tom will convince them to change eventually. Inbreeding results not only results in squibs, but a lower chance of mental stability.” Severus regarded him carefully, impressed at how knowledgeable the other seemed to be with the subject.
“You know a lot about this subject.”
“Kinda hard not to when your best friend is a muggleborn, and your rival is a blood supremacist, who can’t take the fact that a muggleborn is better than him.” Harry shrugged.
“Yes. Draco’s attitude is abhorrent. He’s a capable wizard but he relies on his father too much. I find it hard to care for his whiny behavior.”
“That’s something I didn’t think I would ever hear you say.”
“Contrary to what you may think, I don’t care for Draco very much. He’s arrogant and cruel-“
“Like my father?” Harry softly pointed out, earning a glare.
“Potter-“
“I’m agreeing with you, sir. There’s a difference between pranking and what my dad and Sirius did. That’s why I never got along with Malfoy in the first place.” Snape’s glare lessened, and he sighed. “At least my father grew up towards the end, Sirius on the other hand…” Harry trailed off. He did love his Godfather and miss him terribly, but he wasn’t blind to all the mistakes he had made. Yes, he knew everyone made mistakes, but it seemed as if Sirius had never felt remorse for what happened.
“I don’t need your pity.” Harry rolled his eyes.
“It’s not pity. It’s more of an understanding.” He said, looking into the Potion master’s dark eyes. There was a look that Harry couldn’t pinpoint, and he sighed. “I let you see some of it during our ‘failed’ occlumency lessons, but that wasn’t the half of what my cousin and his gang put me through.” That look in Snape’s eyes changed the slightest, a hint of something darker.
“Oi, Harry-“ George called, breaking the moment as the Weasley twin held out a small, but very protected book. Snape could feel the magic pouring off of it.
“Thanks for those spells. They were really useful!” Fred grinned at the younger’s pleased look as he took the book back.
“You should totally be a spell inventor! There’s no telling how much you would get paid for all these spells.” Fred and George shared a look.
“Especially the shielding one!” They both said, earning an eyebrow raise from Snape.
A shielding charm, Potter? What’s so special about it?” Of course the older wizard was suspicious. There were plenty of protection and shielding charms. What made this one unique? Fred and George shared a look and gasped as if they were insulted.
“It happens to be the only-“ Fred began with a wide smirk, already figuring how suspicious Snape was.
“-protection spell to block-“ George continued, wanting to drag it on.
“the killing curse!” As they finished, the older wizard was at a loss for words, turning to the inventor of said spell.
“Are they being serious? Did you really invent a shielding spell for the killing curse?” Until now, no such thing existed. Only objects could block the spell, not a charm.
“Yeah. It took me a few months to perfect it, but it works.” Harry sheepishly shrugged, clearly embarrassed at his professor staring at him in awe. “I told you earlier I was dabbling in spell inventing.”
“Yes,” Snape couldn’t fight the small smirk, clearly impressed with the younger wizard’s potential. “but you never mentioned developing a shielding charm for the killing curse.” He added, growing more amused at the younger’s embarrassment.
“I have my secrets, professor.” Harry smirked, tapping his fingers against the magically protected book. Smirking again, Snape cast tempus and hummed.
“I should be taking my leave now, Potter. I’ll see you in a few weeks at Hogwarts.” The professor gave the twins a nod before disapparting, leaving the twins to smirk at Harry.
“Soooo,” Fred went to wrap his arm around Harry’s shoulder, while George went to his other side.
“What the hell happened today?”
Harry just laughed, showing them his lordship rings and the Gryffindor necklace.
“It’s a long story, boys.”
Chapter Text
“Do you have to go back to Hogwarts?” George whined along with his brother, who had taken the liberty to lean against Harry, pouting like a child.
“Can’t you stay with us and help us invent more items for our shop?” Fred pouted, obviously teasing the younger wizard. Harry chuckled as the twins gave him their fake puppy dog eyes.
“How about me and Hermione sneak out during the weekends and come here to visit when we can?” The twins’ puppy dog eyes vanished and were soon replaced by pleasing smirks.
“We would have to say-“
“-that we’re so proud of you!”
The two gingers sighed, patting Harry’s back as they said; “What a shame you couldn’t have been in the same year as us.” Harry laughed wholeheartedly, already imagining the shenanigans they would have gotten themselves into, and all the detentions for that matter.
Hell, all the skipped detentions, too.
“I could have helped you two with pranking Umbitch!” The twins snorted at the nickname and grinned. “We would have made an amazing trio.”
“Can you imagine-“ Fred began, with his brother suppressing a laugh, barely able to get the words out.
“all the gray hairs-“ George chuckled, still trying to contain his laughter.
“-Snape would have?” They finished, ending with all three of them laughing at the idea.
“Merlin,” Harry said through his laughter, almost doubled over. “That would have been spectacular! We would have probably caused McGonagall to retire by the end of our first year.” The three all laughed harder at that, no doubt imaging the older witch’s exasperation and migraines at dealing with the trio.
“Hermione might not have taken part in the pranks-“
“-but she would have come up with clever ideas!” The twins chuckled, getting Harry to imagine what that would have been like too. It immediately made him think of the Marauder’s, who had been a quartet of pranksters, even if one of the members happened to betray them.
“That sounds like the Marauder’s if you ask me.” He laughed softly, ever grateful that the twins had given it to him in his third year. From what Sirius had told him, the creation of the map was mostly done by Remus, who had discovered the Homonculous charm.
“You know what we should do?” Fred grinned, rubbing his hands, followed by George chuckling.
“Create a map of Diagon Alley!” George grinned too, and Harry couldn’t stop from humming.
“Damn, why didn’t we think of this sooner?” The younger huffed in exasperation. He was leaving for Hogwarts tomorrow and to think that they could have saved themselves the trouble of constantly being on guard for the order. It would have allowed him to sneak around so much easier, and to stop checking his shoulder every five seconds.
“We can create one while you’re at school,” George suggested, knowing it would give them something else to invent while Harry and Hermione were gone.
“And you could add onto it when you come to visit on the weekends.” Fred grinned, ruffling the already messy hair. Harry snorted and went to swat the hand away, trying to fix his unruly hair to the best of his abilities. “I’m sure Hermione would want to add all sorts of protection charms on it.” Fred said as an afterthought, but everyone there agreed.
“I have a few charms I’d like to place on it, too.” Harry added with a thoughtful look. “The map is also protected by a phrase. We could not only come up with one that only we would know but give a bit of a…sting to those who try to tamper with it.” He smirked at the glint in the twins’ eyes. They loved how vindictive he could be at times. “Nothing too harmful, though. Just enough to give a warning.”
“That’s why you’re the best!” Fred smirks at the questioning look in those emerald eyes. “Georige, care to explain?”
“Not at all, Freddie!” George grinned as he also looked down at the younger wizard. “You’re not one to explicitly harm someone for the Hell of it. You only hurt people if they give you reason too, and when they do,” George smirked. “You’re a force to be reckoned with, but even then, you don’t like to hurt.”
As much as Harry wanted to deny it, he knew the twins were ultimately right. Even after casting crucio on Bellatrix, it hadn’t done much to her.
“In order to cause a lot of pain, you need to mean it.” Harry said with a shrug, remembering her words. “If someone messed with me or my friends, then I’ll hurt them,” He paused, shrugging. “I like getting my point across and if they don’t listen…then that’s on them.” Harry smirked; eyes dark as they promised a world of pain to anyone who hurt his friends over and over.
“Bloody Hell, Harry-“
“-Snape and Voldemort would be-“
“-shaking right now!”
Harry laughed at the imagery and shook his head.
“I don’t know if they would shake. Tommy,” Harry swore he heard an angry hiss in his mind. “would just try and convince me to join his side, as usual.”
“Tommy..” George pondered, while his brother rubbed his chin in thought.
“Perhaps Voldie..” Fred paused and looked at his brother.
“Or.” They said in unison, turning back to Harry with a gleam in their eyes. “Tom-Tom!”
Harry nearly doubled over for the second time that night, laughing loudly.
“Tom-Tom?” Harry asked, trying so hard to hold back his insistent laughter. “I’ve gotta call him that next time I see him!”
Back at Riddle Manor, the Dark Lord sneezed.
Harry glanced at the small paper in his hands, smirking at the recognizable penmanship as it gave him easy instructions. He had been able to occasionally see Hermione, but during the last few weeks of summer, she had to keep up appearances and stay with the Weasley’s. In the past, she always showed up during the last weeks of summer to hang out, but if she were to suddenly quit, it would seem suspicious and out of character for her.
Luckily, she was a bright witch and had figured out a way to get to him before the Weasley clan tried.
Meet me at the platform at 9:50 You know the Weasley’s are always running late.
They might get there an hour before the train was scheduled to leave, but Harry didn’t care. It gave him time to talk to his friend, feeling bad that she had to deal with the Weasley’s for two weeks. Not to mention, pissed off Weasley’s for that matter. He had a feeling that Ron and the two women were complaining about him the entire time.
Once he applied a shrinking charm to his belongings and placed them in his pockets, he apparated to King’s cross.
Not long after he did, arms enveloped him in a warm hug.
“Merlin, Harry. I’ve missed you.” Hermione whispered, holding him tightly, and to Harry’s observation, almost desperately. He returned the hug with a small smile, squeezing her reassuringly.
“I take it the Weasley’s drove you up the wall?” His tone was innocent, earning a gentle push from his best friend.
“You don’t know the half of it!” She sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. “Molly kept going on and on about how you abandoned Ginny, and as for Ron…” She looked even more agitated then. “He was so rude! I can’t think of one decent thing he said about you!”
“Mione, how about we talk more about this in the compartment? That way no one overhears.” He could already feel a few eyes on them, and the last thing he wanted was for the Weasley’s to decide to be on time for once. It seemed to calm the young witch down, but only barely.
“Right. I’m sorry, Harry. I’ve just had to deal with those comments for two weeks now.” She quickly apologized as they made their way to the platform and then onto the fairly vacant express. The duo sat down opposite of each other and placed a secrecy charm on the compartment, then a simple alarm spell if anyone were to try and open the doors.
“That should work for now. If Ron or Ginny happens to get here early, I could cast one of my new spells on them.” He smirked as Hermione lit up at the idea of a new spell to learn.
“You had a few when we last saw each other. How many do you have now?”
“I have twenty. I can show them to you when we get to Hogwarts. Some of them would be hard to demonstrate in the compartment.” He explained, trying to think of one that he could show off. “There is one that I can teach you now, though. How about it?”
“You already know my answer.” She was practically on the edge of her seat, eyes shining brightly. Chuckling, Harry waved his wand slowly, showing her the motions first.
“Tenebris.” The entire compartment went dark- even the sunlight didn’t penetrate through the windows. “It can be undone with a lumos, or” He waved his wand again. “Finite incantatem.” And just like that, the light returned.
“That was brilliant!” She gasped, recalling the wand movement Harry had shown her. “Can I try?” She asked timidly and Harry smiled.
“I’d be insulted if you didn’t.” He grinned at her huff and watched as she tried to get the spell right. “You’ve almost got it. You need to make the wand movements a bit smaller and use your wrist less. Also, you need to envision the darkness. You have to see it in your mind.” Hermione nodded as she took in those tips.
Not long after, the entire room was plunged into darkness again.
“There you go!” Harry said, pride evident in his voice. Not only was he proud to teach someone a spell, but he had taught his own spell. One that he had created. Hermione ended the charm the same way Harry did and smiled.
“How did you even manage to create these spells? How did you learn?” Harry paused, trying to form his thoughts into words.
“I’ve been into spell creation for a while. I remember always wanting to know how people went about creating new spells.” He smiles a bit, thinking over all the inspiration Snape had given. “I finally got the push I needed from Snape’s book.”
“You were obsessed with that book last year. You were so enamored with the Half-Blood Prince. ” Hermione giggled at the look her friend sent her, the tips of his ears turning pink. “I’m glad you were able to get inspiration from it, but I still think a lot of it came from you. You’ve always been talented.” They both smirked at each other at that, chuckling.
They stopped when the charmed alarms went off.
Hermione quickly stood up and only pulled the door open partially, shieling Harry.
“Uh-hey, Hermione. Do you mind if Luna and I join you?” Neville asked, a bit red.
“Not at all.” She happily opened the door fully, letting the two in.
“Hello, Harry.” Luna sat beside her friend, looking at him. “You seem very different this year. Are you allowing yourself to be free now?” Neville watched in shock as Harry laughed.
“You’ve no idea. I even claimed all my lordships.”
“Lordships, as in plural?” Neville asked with an eyebrow raised, sitting beside Hermione.
“Four to be exact.” Harry shrugged. “The Goblins suggested I claim the ones that were unclaimed.” He said as a means to explain, not wanting to go into detail.
“Are you trying to avoid Ron and Ginny?” He asked, receiving a fairly surprised look.
“What? I know I can be slow on the uptake, but I heard about the way Harry left the Order.” Neville snickered. “Merlin, my granny was so proud of you! She detests Dumbledore and the Order after everything that happened.” He explained.
“I didn’t know she felt that way about Dumbledore,” Harry said, growing more surprised by the moment. “You’re not wrong though. We are avoiding Ron and Ginny.”
“Ron especially.” Hermione spat, her anger resurfacing. “He had the audacity to call Harry an attention-seeking traitor! And to top things off, he started calling him a slimy Slytherin! There’s nothing wrong with being a Slytherin!”
“Mione.” Harry reached to gently grab her hand, squeezing it. “Ron’s a bloody idiot. If he wants to view me as such, let him. If he views me as a traitor for standing up for myself, let him. After all…” Hermione met his gaze and shook her head.
“Do you want them to know that part?” She asked. Neville looked at the two, eyes narrowed. Luna smiled softly, watching them.
“He was marked in a different way.” Luna breathed out, causing the compartment to go silent. Harry swallowed hard and turned to face her, lips parted.
“Marked?” Neville practically squeaked. “You-you mean…” He glanced to Harry’s left arm; eyes wide.
“What? No!” Harry pushed his sleeve up, showing the bare skin. “No dark mark, see?” He promised.
“His scar.” Luna clarifies. “It’s what combines the two. It’s one of the reasons they can’t fight anymore.”
“Just how much do you know?” Harry wondered if she was a type of seer. It would make sense, given her ability to sprout out the most random of things. He could ask either Snape or Tom about
“It’s not what I know, but when it’s time to share.” She smiled in her own, Luna way. Possibly a seer, then.
Harry just smiled back at her.
As they were nearing their destination, Hermione looked thoughtful.
“I am a little surprised that Ron and Ginny didn’t manage to even find the cart, unless…” She gave Harry an inquisitive look. “You added another charm, didn’t you?”
“Yep! I added a disillusionment charm after Luna and Neville joined us.” He said with a pleased smirk.
“Damn, mate. You thought of everything to keep them out.” Neville was impressed at all the knowledge Harry had on charms. “Flitwick might take you in as an apprentice.” Harry smiled at the praise and flushed a bit.
“I don’t know if I’m that talented. I only wanted to ensure that they couldn’t find us.” He tried to explain, still a little flushed. “I wouldn’t mind being a teacher one day.” Harry finally admitted, sighing a bit to himself. “I like teaching someone a new spell.” He gave a small smile to Hermione, who smiled back.
“You would be a great teacher. You taught all of us how to conjure a patronus.” Neville recalled, thinking back to the days of the DA. “You’ve always had the highest marks in defense.”
“I’ve been thinking about it, but something just doesn’t feel right when I think about teaching it.” He admits. “Defense is good and all, but you still don’t get a lot of experience with it. I think Hogwarts would be better off with an actual dueling class.”
“I agree,” Luna spoke up shyly, looking to the others. “I love defense and learning about all the creatures, but a dueling class would be more practical. There’s only so much you can learn in defense.”
“I think you would be a great dueling instructor.” Hermione agrees. “The way you taught the DA made it a dueling class essentially.”
“I wouldn’t mind teaching advanced magic too. NEWT level at least.” Even though he loved to teach spells, there was something rewarding about teaching difficult spells. Something that was reserved for the fifth years and up.
“Regardless of what you decide on, we got your back, mate,” Neville said, patting his friend on the back. Luna gave a hum in agreement as she pulled out one of her father’s articles.
“You’ll always have support from us, Harry.” The blond smiled, something bright in her eyes.
“Thanks. It doesn’t matter much anyway. As long as Dumbledore is still Headmaster, there’s no use in applying for a spot, or bringing up the idea of a dueling class.” He sighed, waving his hand. “Besides; I want to continue my learning after Hogwarts. There’s so much to learn in other countries…” Even though he did want to travel, there was the slight pang in his chest at the thought of leaving Hogwarts behind.
“Where do you want to travel?” Luna questioned with a tilt to her head.
“Honestly, I’ve no idea.” Harry laughed to the amusement of everyone in the compartment. “I’m not even sure if I will travel, it’s just something I’ve thought of recently. Ever since Bill told me about all the magic he learned in Egypt, I’ve wanted to go there.”
“You’re interested in all sorts of areas in magic, aren’t you?” Neville pointed out with a chuckle. “I think it’s really cool that you are. I wish I was dedicated to learning like you lot. I’m an average wizard at best.”
“Don’t say that, Nev.” Harry looked at him with a small smile. “You’re a great wizard. Remember what you did last year to Parkinson?” That smile turned into a smirk at the flush that blossomed over the other Gryffindors face.
“What did he do?” Luna was interested now, intrigued by the blush that was darkening.
“Pansy made a crude remark about me,” Hermione started to explain. “Neville overheard and cast a nasty pimple jinx, then a trip jinx as well.” She smiled. “Caused her to fall right on her boils.”
“And he did it so fast that no one caught him!” Harry added, giving his friend a thumbs up. “So, what was that about being only an ‘average’ wizard?” He pressed.
Neville chuckled and shook his head.
“Alright, alright. I concede defeat.” He feigned a sigh still flushing darkly.
The four conversed a little while longer until the train finally stopped.
“Well, we’re here.” Harry hummed, mostly addressing Hermione and Neville. “Our last year as students.”
“Don’t remind me.” Neville suddenly groaned. “All the NEWTs that are awaiting us. I’m not going to be doing anything other than studying to pass them all.”
“It’s not NEWTs I’m worried about.” Harry sighed as they all got up and left the compartment, already dreading what was to come. He saw two sets of red hair coming their way and unleashed a groan of his own. “Here we go.”
Chapter Text
“There you are, you traitor.” It was none other than Ronald Weasley who said those words when coming face to face with Harry, the angry red in his face matching his hair. “You ran away after your birthday and didn’t bother stepping up to fight you-know-who!” Harry rolled his eyes, hating the attention they were gaining. With a quick flick of his wrist, he cast a spell that had only certain people hear the conversation.
“Yeah! You abandoned us, Harry! We all trusted you.” Ginny sniffled; her brown eyes filled with huge crocodile tears. Instead of rolling his eyes, he merely sighed at the pathetic attempt to guilt-trip him and soon shook his head. As much as he wanted to lay into them viciously, it would better serve his purpose if he let them be and ended the so-called friendship.
“Until you can learn to think for yourselves, stay out of my affairs. What I do is my own business and you can shove right off, okay?” He gave them a cheerful smile, earning a chuckle from Hermione who moved to stand beside Harry.
“Come on, Harry. We’ll be late if we keep letting them distract us.” Hermione touched his arm, not sparing a glance at the two redheads until she heard a gasp.
“But…but, Mione!” Ron suddenly cried out; eyes wide in alarm. “You can’t seriously hang around that traitor! He’s just as bad as all the slimy Slytherins,” Ginny stayed quiet as she watched the exchange, surprised that her crying hadn’t done the trick. She was told that the moment Harry would see her cry, he would flock over to her and apologize for all the emotional turmoil he had caused.
“First of all, Ronald,” Hermione began in a strict tone, her eyes hard as steel. “The Slytherin’s aren’t slimy. The more you say immature things like that, the more divide there is between houses. Second, Harry is not a traitor. I’ve had to deal with you calling him such for two weeks, and I have to disagree with you.” Neville and Luna joined Hermione as she finished speaking, clearly choosing Harry over Ron and Ginny.
“It’s time you two matured and learned that just because we’re in Gryffindor doesn’t mean we have the right to say who is good or bad. It makes you sound like an ignorant child.” Neville stood up to Ron, tired of being timid. If Harry and Hermione could stand up to Ron, then so could he.
Unknown to all but two of the students, there was a dark pair of eyes observing the standoff.
“Seriously?” Ron was flushing with humiliation, shaking with rage. “How can you stand by his side when he won’t fight you-know-who? He’s supposed to win the war for our side.” That earned a look of disgust from everyone, except Harry, who was used to hearing those sorts of comments.
“It’s unfair to push an entire war on one person’s shoulders. Harry never agreed to be a weapon in this war, and to force him to fight in one he doesn’t want to be apart of is inhumane.” Luna paused, a dreamily look overcoming her pale features. “The only war here is the one who controls the pawns, his lies hidden in the shadows,” Luna said softly, as if she were in a trance. She was suddenly blinking after she stopped talking, giving the illusion she was waking up.
Harry knew who she was talking about, but he needed to find out the meaning of the last bit she had said. Ron scoffed at her, making a face.
“No wonder you decided to side with him. You’re bloody bonkers.” Before Neville knew what he was doing, he had his wand in his hand, aiming it at Ron.
“Neville, stop. He’s not worth detention.” Hermione touched his hand, helping the other Gryffindor lower his slightly shaking hand. Neville was taking in a few breaths, calming down after a few moments. “They’re just being pathetic, brainwashed bullies.” Her comment earned a small smile from Neville, who was completely calm now.
“Yeah, you’re right. He isn’t worth it.” Ron was taken aback by the coldness in Neville’s eyes, even more surprised by the sudden courage. “If you haven’t noticed, Ron. We’re Seventh years now. Start acting like one instead of a biased child.”
“Why are you standing up for her? We’re you’re housemates.” Ginny finally spoke up, her true colors coming out again. “You don’t seem to have any issues about Harry turning his back on us! She’s just a Ravenclaw.”
“Merlin, Ginny.” Harry pinched the bridge of his nose. He knew the sixth year could be dense, but this was something else. “We’re standing up for her because she’s our friend. Maybe if you two self-obsessed Gryffindors stopped fawning over our house, you could actually make some real friends.” Harry sneered at them, reminding everyone of a certain Potions professor.
Ron and Ginny were left gapping at the sudden change in Harry, refusing to believe it.
“Harry’s right.” Hermione looked even more disgusted. “If you two would stop thinking you’re the best just because you’re in Gryffindor, then at least you would be slightly bearable to talk to.” Harry shot Hermione a grin, his green eyes shining bright with pride.
Ron, however, didn’t seem to listen.
“He’s manipulating all of you. He’s forced you to side with him!” The redhead was looking desperate now, grasping at straws. At the blank stares he got, the ginger began to shake with rage, knuckles white as he gripped his wand.
From the way Ron’s eyes darkened when they landed on Harry, the other Gryffindor knew what was coming. Instead of doing anything about it, he let it happen, deciding there was one more point that needed to be made. “Flipendo!” Ron screamed, making Harry roll his eyes.
When the spell hit him, it easily ricochets off and hits Ron instead, sending him flying backward. The group, including Hermione, watched with wide eyes.
“Bloody Hell, Harry. You didn’t even have your wand raised!” Neville was in awe as he saw Ron slowly get up, his own eyes wide at what happened.
“Wha-“ Harry cut him off, sneering at him again.
“Let that be a lesson, Ron. Don’t mess with me or my friends, otherwise…” He spoke calmly, holding back a smirk as Severus finally made his appearance. It was about time too.
“Fighting on school grounds already? Pathetic.” He sneered, which had been aimed at Ron in particular. “Fifty points from Gryffindor, Mr. Weasley, for attacking members from your own house.” His hard and chilling gaze was still on Ron, who was shrinking away from the look.
“The semester hasn’t even started yet!” Ron cried out, shrinking away more when Snape rose an eyebrow.
“And a month’s detention with Filch. Care to argue even more?” At the silence, Severus turned to Harry, his eyes holding a slight twinge of amusement. “A months’ worth of detention for you as well, Mr. Potter. With me.” He added, catching onto the barely-there smirk on the younger’s lips. “Starting at Eight tonight.”
“Yes, sir.” Harry made sure to keep his voice neutral, even if he was rejoicing on the inside. Severus nodded, turning his attention back to the unruly red-heads. “Get to the feast. Now.” Both Weasley’s tensed and did as Snape said, hurrying into the castle. Severus followed behind, stopping as he passed by Neville.
“Fifty points to Gryffindor and Twenty five to Ravenclaw, for standing up for Mr. Potter.” With that said, Snape continued walking, his robes billowing behind him.
“Merlin….” Neville breathed; his eyes wide as saucers. “Did Professor Snape really just give us points? He never does that.”
“No one would ever believe us,” Hermione added, a little shocked as well. “We should get to the feast, though. The last thing we need is for Dumbledore to have a reason to single Harry out afterward.”
That thought made a chill go down his spine, despite knowing that Severus already found a way to stop that from happening.
The feast went on without much event, besides the evil looks Ron sent him from across the table. It got to the point that Dean and Seamus finally nudged him.
“Harry, what’s up with Ron? He’s been glaring at you the whole time. Is he having another jealously spout again?” Dean asked, and Harry couldn’t help but notice that the other wizard had somehow managed to grow even taller over the summer.
“He’s mad because he has detention with filch for a month. Professor Snape caught him trying to attack me.” Harry mumbled, earning a snort from Seamus. “I’ve got a month’s worth of detention as well, but with Snape.”
“Damn, mate. I’m sorry about that.” Seamus patted his shoulder. “At least it’s with Snape instead. Why was he trying to attack you anyway?” Not wanting to tell the entire thing right now, Harry sighed.
“It’s kind of a long and chaotic story, actually.” He admitted. “Do you mind if I told you in the common room after I get out of detention?” Harry asked, deciding it would be better if he waited to tell them what was going on between him and the younger Weasley’s.
“Sure thing, mate,” Dean said as he drank some of his pumpkin juice. “I’m guessing it’s pretty serious this time.” He added and Harry chuckled.
“You have no idea,” Harry smirked. “I’m no longer friends with him or Ginny.” He added, hoping that would appease the two until he could tell them the full story.
“About time.” Dean hummed. “He’s been a real prat to you since your fourth year. Neither of us knows how you handled him for so long.” Seamus nodded in agreement.
“Yeah. You and Hermione should have stuck with us.” Seamus teased. “We aren’t obsessed with your fame like he is,” Hermione smirked at that, nudging Harry.
“They’ve already got Ron beat.” She added, making the three of them laugh at her jab at Ron. Hermione could be ruthless when she needed to, and it always served to make someone laugh.
“Merlin, Mione, you’re the best.” Harry chuckled, pausing when he felt two pairs of eyes on him. He glanced to where he knew Severus would be sitting, barely suppressing a smirk as Snape rose an eyebrow.
Those weren’t the only eyes on him, though. He could feel them burning into the side of his face, his skin tingling unpleasantly. Keeping control over his magic and willing it down, Harry shifted and found himself looking at Dumbledore.
There was no annoying twinkle in those peering eyes now. They observed him, a calculating look playing across the Headmaster’s wrinkled face. He could feel a pressure against his head, trying to find a quick way in without drawing too much attention.
Holding back a scoff, Harry sent the Headmaster and unimpressed look as he easily kept his shields up. Like Snape had done to him moments ago, Harry found himself raising an eyebrow at Dumbledore, causing those eyes to widen. Pleased with himself, Harry turned back to his friends.
“I’ll see you later. I have detention with Professor Snape coming up soon and I’d like to get some work done.” He had his book of spells with him, as well as Severus’s potion book that he had promised to return to him. Stealing a glance at the table again, he found that the Severus was nowhere to be seen, the seat unoccupied. Sighing in slight relief, Harry got up and made his way out of the great hall, once more feeling Dumbledore’s eyes boring into him.
Something was telling him that the headmaster was going to follow him and try to corner him. Harry made his way to the dungeons’ only stopping when he heard the sound of someone clearing their throat.
“Shouldn’t you be heading back to the Gryffindor common room, my boy?” Albus questioned, having followed Harry after the younger left dinner. “Surely you wish to be with your friends. Ronald and Ginevra have been worried about you all summer. As have I.” Dumbledore said solemnly, trying to put on his grandfatherly façade.
“I’m doing just fine on my own. I’m capable of taking care of myself.” Harry stiffly said, tensing up as Dumbledore came closer.
“I know you can, my boy. However, with another war rising, you need to stick close to the order. Dark times are upon us and you know what must be done.” Dumbledore quietly added, causing Harry to snort. “You are the key to everything, Harry. You are the one who will defeat the dark lord.”
“I don’t think I agree with you, Headmaster,” Harry spoke up, shaking his head. “This is my life and I’m tired of people trying to control it for me.” Like you. “I’m not a pawn anymore, Professor.”
“Harry, my boy,” Dumbledore began, forcing a twinkle into his eyes. “Can’t we discuss this over tea and lemon drops? We can head there right now and fix all this miscommunication.”
Harry wanted nothing more than to bring up the fact that he was a Horcrux, but if he were to act oblivious about it, then at least Dumbledore wouldn’t be as suspicious.
It would make the reveal all the more worth it.
“Potter has detention with me, Headmaster.” Severus cut in, coming forth to stand beside Harry. “For the next month.”
“Ah, I see.” Dumbledore sighed, stroking his beard. “A month? Surely that’s a little excessive, Severus? After all, it is the beginning of the term. He deserves to enjoy his last year.”
“I don’t play favorites, Headmaster. This is a suitable punishment for unauthorized dueling on school grounds. Potter shall be with from Eight until ten every day.”
“Yes…I see…” The Headmaster faltered, eyeing the Gryffindor. “Well then, it can’t be helped.” Dumbledore looked resigned, standing straighter. “Enjoy your first week of classes, Harry. You know my office is always open if you ever need it.” Albus added as he turned around, heading out from the dungeon’s right as Severus pulled Harry into his quarters.
“Uh, thanks,” Harry mumbled once they were in the safety of Snape’s rooms. “For helping me get away from him.”
“It’s not a problem, Potter. Now sit down and do your work. I’m not about to let you slack off.” Harry chuckled, pulling out a potions book.
“Of course not, Professor.”
Notes:
Yay! I managed to get the next chapter done. I'm glad I was able to get this one finished with so I can write some more chapters in the future.
I hope everyone likes this chapter. It took a while for me to finally edit it and fix up the issues.
Chapter 7
Notes:
I'm happy I was able to get this published! Sorry it took so long, everyone.
I can't wait to write some more when I have the time. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. I think the story will start getting better from this point.
Chapter Text
Detention was nearing its end to Harry’s disappointment, enjoying the comfortable silence that stretched on. The only noise was the occasional pen marking coming from Severus. The term hadn’t even started yet, and it already sounded as if the summer assignments were a disappointment. He would have made a comment about it, but since detention was about to end and he doubted Snape wanted to be around him for longer than intended, he decided to focus on something else.
“Sir?” Harry cleared his throat politely, not wanting to disturb the other too much.
“Yes, Potter?” Severus glanced up from his papers, looking at the green-eyed wizard.
“I have your book with me. The one you wanted back.” Harry informed as he rummaged through his bag to get the old copy of Advanced Potion Making, finally getting up and handing it to him. The gleam in Snape's eyes didn’t go unnoticed by Harry, who had to hold back a smile.
“Thank you,” The man readily accepted the aged book as his fingers brushed along the spine, and along the younger wizard’s hand.
“I know it’s too late for tonight, but I have my spell-book with me. Maybe we could compare spells next time?” Harry had a slight flush on his cheeks as he suggested that, embarrassed at how excited his tone was. Severus rose an eyebrow at the flush, lips turning upward into a slight smirk.
“I see no issue with it, Potter. I admit that I am curious about the shielding spell the twins spoke of.” He was also proud, but he wasn’t about to admit that part yet, not until he got a chance to try this spell on his own at least. “It also allows me to focus on another subject of magic that I enjoy.” Knowing what he meant, Harry spoke up.
“Did you want to teach defense this year?” He was well aware that Snape had tried in the past and was finally allowed to be a professor for the subject last year, but now he was back to his potions position again.
“I wouldn’t have been opposed.” Severus went back to grading, still speaking. “There wasn’t much choice in the matter. It’s less taxing to find a new defense instructor than a potions master.” Snape informed, crossing something out in red pen.
Harry could see the reason behind that. From what he had discovered, most potion masters either focused solely on research or owned their own business, such as an apothecary. There weren’t many who were willing to teach children, and it was understandable why that was.
“Do you have much hope for the new professor?” Harry asked, only catching a glimpse of the new instructor as Dumbledore introduced her.
“From what I’ve observed for far, she has the potential to be a suitable instructor. She taught at Durmstrang for a few years before moving here. I expect she will be more…. amenable about teaching darker spells.” Harry didn’t have an issue with that. He had a strong first for knowledge after all, even if didn’t plan on going around and using those darker spells in the future. Having them at your disposal was always on the plus side. Spells were spells at the end of the day, so even a light spell could be used to inflict severe harm onto someone.
The Ministry needed to change its views on certain spells.
Well, they were full of imbeciles anyway, so that wouldn’t be in the near future anytime soon.
“That’s good. I think refusing to acknowledge the dark arts spells does more harm than good. You were a great instructor.” Harry supplied, missing the way Snape paused, secretly surprised by the compliment. “And for what it’s worth, I’d rather have you as our potions professor anyway. I learned more from your book than I ever did from Slughorn.” Not that he didn’t like the former potions professor, but he hated when the man looked at him as ‘the boy who lived’ and not Harry.
Severus would have made a comment about Harry trying to flatter him (which was working, granted) but he knew the younger wizard wasn’t one to say something unless he truly meant it.
“I mean,” Harry fumbled, feeling a little guilty at the way he spoke about Slughorn. “He’s good and all, but there was so much passion in your book. But, uh he was missing the passion you had…” He still fumbled a bit to Severus’ amusement, lips turning into a small smirk.
“Eloquent as ever, Potter.” Severus stated, smirking more at the huff. “I shall endeavor to keep you thrilled with potions.” Harry snorted at the sarcasm dripping from the professor’s tone.
“I’m sure that won’t be an issue, sir.” Harry teased back, already thinking of the upcoming class. “You have a very commanding presence.” He chuckled at the look Severus gave him, wondering if they would be able to converse like this outside of detention. There was no reason a student couldn’t be sociable with a teacher, right?
He was probably getting ahead of himself, but he couldn’t quite help it. There were very few people that he liked to be around for long, but Severus Snape happened to be one of them. Perhaps the sentiment wasn’t returned, but it was looking alright so far.
Shaking himself from his thoughts, he checked the time and sighed. It was five past ten, which meant he had to leave. He didn’t want to keep Dean and Seamus waiting much longer, even if he didn’t want to leave yet. The fact that Snape hadn’t kicked him out made him pause. Perhaps Severus wasn’t bothered with his company after all. Still, he didn’t want to risk it.
“It’s past ten. I guess I should be on my way then. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Harry held back a sigh as he waved his hand and summoned his things, placing them in his bag. If he were to look up, then he would find dark eyes watching him, something almost soft about them. “Goodnight, sir.” Harry called out, a smile on his face that would have been contagious if Snape had less control over his emotions.
“Goodnight, Potter,” Severus responded as he watched the Gryffindor leave.
“Finally! We’ve barely been able to sit still.” Dean grinned when Harry entered the common room, which was essentially empty. The younger years were already in their rooms, most likely nervous about their first day of classes tomorrow. Ginny and Ron were nowhere to be seen thankfully, but that either meant Ron was still in detention, or the pair of them had gone to talk to Dumbledore.
Thank Merlin he had the map to keep tabs on these things.
“Sorry it took so long. I lost track of time.” Harry shrugged to the surprise of Dean and Seamus.
“What did Snape have you doing tonight, mate? It must have been something if you lost track of time.” Seamus would have bolted as soon as the clock struck ten.
“Nothing important. Studying mostly.” Harry had to be careful. He didn’t want to lie to them, but the two couldn’t know the real reason he was in detention. That would be a long story that Harry didn’t want to tell at this point. “So,” Harry trailed off and smirked, knowing the other two were ready to hear what had transpired between him and the younger Weasley’s. “I suppose you’re curious as to what’s going on with Ron?”
Dean and Seamus wanted to question Harry why Snape had him study instead of doing lines in detention, but at the prospect of hearing the story about Ron, they quickly forgot about detention. They nodded eagerly, causing Harry to chuckle.
“Dumbledore was getting excessive with his demands of me, trying to control my life.” Harry started off, rubbing at his neck, not sure how in-depth he wanted to go. “He kept trying to force the notion that I needed to fight Voldemort and defeat him as soon as I could-“
“That’s bloody stupid!” Seamus couldn’t help but interrupt him, eyes ablaze with raw emotion. Harry wasn’t sure what it was, but it wasn’t good for Dumbledore. “You haven’t even graduated Hogwarts yet! How can he expect you to fight Voldemort when you haven’t even finished your education?” Snorting, he gave a small shrug.
“That was part of my issue with it too. I mean, look at me,” Harry made a gesture to himself, shaking his head. “Voldemort has years of experience compared to me. He’s traveled the world to gain more knowledge, and all I’ve had is the Hogwarts library.” Dean shuddered at all the knowledge Voldemort sought out, which could likely cause unspeakable horror.
“There’s more though, isn’t there?” Dean spoke up, curious as to how it would play out.
“Yeah…” Harry chuckled nervously, shifting awkwardly. “I may have essentially told Dumbledore to bugger off and that he couldn’t control my life anymore. I refused to go back to my loving relatives and ran off to do my own thing. Then when I turned seventeen,” He showed off the three rings and the necklace. “I claimed my Lordships.”
“Wicked!” Dean and Seamus looked at the heirlooms, surprised at the necklace. “Which one is the necklace?” Seamus questioned, rarely hearing of lordships that weren’t worn on a finger.
“Gryffindor,” Harry informed, holding back a loud laugh at the look of pure awe that overcame his two friends.
“Gryffindor?! No way!” Dean gasped, becoming more interested by the minute.
“The other three are Potter and Black, obviously. The last one is Peverell.” Harry informed, but quickly put his hand down in order to get back on track. “You probably won’t like this upcoming part,” Harry admitted, looking a bit worried.
“Why not? We’re your friends, Harry. You can tell us anything.” Harry swallowed at that, already feeling guilty that he was keeping so much from the two of them. He looked down, taking a deep breath. He could do this.
“I told Dumbledore to fight the war on his own- that I wanted no part in it. I let him know how I felt about them trying to force the world’s problems on one teenager’s shoulders.” Green eyes looked up slowly, expecting to find disappointment.
Instead, there were two grins waiting for him.
“Wish we could have been there! We would have loved to see the look on Dumbledore’s face when you told him off like that!” Dean outright laughed. “Is this why Ron is so pissed at you? Because you actually have some self-preservation instead of complete recklessness?” Harry joined in on the laughter, giving a nod.
“Bingo. He called me a traitor to ‘abandoning’ them.” Harry gave a humorless snort. “If me wanting to live my own life makes me a traitor, then so be it. I’m seventeen now. They can’t control who I am or who I want to be.” Both Dean and Seamus laid their hands on either side of his shoulders, grinning more.
"That’s it, Harry! The others can bugger off if your choice upsets them so much.” Seamus spoke up, eyes bright. “You’re your own person. You get to decide your future and no one else has the right to force you to do something you don’t want to.” Seamus proclaimed. “Ron’s a bloody idiot for thinking you’re a traitor,”
“Maybe all the bludgers to the head finally did something to him.” Dean shook his head. “He’s been a real arse to you, Harry. You don’t deserve it, mate.”
“Eh, it’s alright.” Harry chuckled. “Ron’s just an arse in general. Nothing to be done about it.”
“Not really, besides a nice hex or curse. Especially if he keeps making comments about me and Seamus.” Harry paused at that, frowning deeply.
“Comments? What comments?” Had he missed more of Ron’s abhorrent behavior?
Seamus and Dean shared a look, turning back to Harry with an awkward smile.
“Harry, we’re gay. Been dating for over a year now.” Again, Harry was lost.
“Well, yeah. But-“ It suddenly hit him, his face becoming dark. “He’s been making homophobic remarks?” Harry gathered, getting angry. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure that behavior stops.” Harry promised, a dark smile on his face.
“Merlin, that’s scary.” Dean whistled, shaking his head. “Nice of you to offer your help, but it’s just some pointless words. Seamus and I can handle it.”
“I have no doubt about that, but I’d like a go at him too. If he wants to say something about being gay, he’ll have to say it to the three of us.” Harry added, seeing their faces dawn with understanding.
“Oi, we had no idea, Harry.” Seamus patted him on the back, chuckling. “In that case, you’re more than welcome to hex the fuck out of that little shit,”
The next day was busy with the start of classes, but being a seventh year now, Harry was used to the schedule by now. The classes themselves were easy too, now that he was allowing his true knowledge to shine through. Some of the professors looked shocked by the sudden change, but it quickly morphed into pride. Valerie Militsa, the new defense professor even looked surprised at his potential, giving him a nod when he did everything with ease.
When asked how he already knew some of the spells, Harry shrugged and mentioned something about a dark lord ‘chasing’ him.
The Slytherins snickered, especially the ones who had parents in the inner circle. Many of the Gryffindors were unaware of the joke, but that just made it better.
Then it was time for the last class of the day, which would be another easy one.
After finishing charms with Hufflepuff, Hermione and Harry were gathering their things.
“I didn’t know you were so good at charms, Harry.” Justin came up to the duo with a smile.
“Might’ve got it from my mum. This was one of her best subjects.” Harry tucked his books inside his bag.
“I’m rubbish at it,” Justin admitted with an embarrassed flush. “Do you think you and Hermione could help me later? I know the term hasn’t been going on for long, but I wouldn’t mind the help later.”
“We’d be happy to. Just let either one of us know when you need help. I won’t be available from eight until ten all month though.” At the curious look, Harry chuckled. “Detention with Professor Snape for a month.” Justin’s eyes were comically wide.
“A month? Blimey!” The Hufflepuff shook his head. “That’s nearly as bad as a month with Filch.”
“Hardly. I’d pick Professor Snape over Filch any day.” Harry immediately came to Snape’s defense. “He’s been helping me a lot with my studies.” Harry was quick to say, not wanting to linger on the suspicious looks from both Justin and Hermione.
Well, Hermione’s look was more of a pondering look than anything else.
“If you say so,” Justin shrugged, grabbing his bag. “Do you two have a class before dinner, or is this your last class of the day?”
“I’m done for the day. Hermione isn’t.” Harry smirked at the look she gave him.
“I’ve got Arithmancy until dinner.” She informed.
“I’ve got an Astronomy lecture before dinner, then the rest of the class afterward.” Justin had his bag in hand, smiling at the two again. “I should get going soon. Don’t wanna be late on the first day. I’ll see you around?” He was mostly looking at Harry as he spoke, looking rather earnest. The back of his hand was brushing across Harry’s slowly like the movements were purposeful.
“Uh-yeah! We’ll catch you around, Justin.” He smiled back as the Hufflepuff left, forcing down a blush. As soon as he was gone, Hermione was looking at Harry with a pleased grin.
“Would you look at that. You’re already becoming a magnet for boys.” Hermione teased her friend, enjoying the embarrassed flush that colored his face.
“Merlin…” Harry groaned, hiding his face in his hands.
Chapter Text
We should figure out what day and time we want to apparate to the twins. Hermione smiled as the words appeared on her paper, knowing for a fact that the privacy charms were keepings the words hidden from everyone else.
Saturday or Sunday would probably be the best for us. She wrote back, thinking of their schedules. It would be easy to apparate there from Hogsmeade. Pausing as a small smirk formed across her lips, she continued. Do you really want to go this week, though? I’m sure Justin would be more than happy to be in your company.
Bloody Hell. He’s getting touchier as the days go on! Holding back a laugh at her friends’ obvious discomfort, she shook her head. Have I been oblivious until now, or has he always been like this around me?
I would say it’s a mix of both. I remember him looking at you a lot last year, especially when we made amortentia. You were busy trying to get out of Dumbledore’s control and dealing with Sirius’ death. There’s no way you would have known with all the things you were dealing with at the time. Not to mention we were both dealing with Ron becoming a complete prick.
And he wasn’t one beforehand? Shaking her head, Hermione sighed.
Point. I just want you to understand it’s not your fault for not noticing. I didn’t put it together until recently. Justin’s had a habit of misjudging you in the past, so at the time I wasn’t sure if it had to do with that. There was a long pause from the other end and Hermione had a feeling she knew what Harry was writing.
Yeah, that’s part of the issue. Sure, we were younger when it happened, but it’s something I would worry about regardless. Knowing there was more that Harry wasn’t saying, Hermione prompted him more.
And?
I don’t know how he would even handle what I’m doing now, you know? He would call me a traitor for sure when he realizes that I truly don’t plan on fighting Voldemort or taking part in the war unless I’m personally in danger, or my friends are. There’s no way I could ever tell him my true ambitions. The bushy-haired witch felt a pang of sympathy for her friend at that. Besides, he might be a nice guy and good looking, but he’s not exactly my type. That was true enough, Hermione admitted. Justin was sweet and all, but not someone she could picture Harry with.
You need someone who can know the real you without letting your image impact the way they see you. She could swear that Harry was snorting at that.
You’re not wrong about that. The hard part is that it’s increasingly difficult to find anyone who’s willing to do that. That combined with the fact that many people wouldn’t accept me for what I refuse to do leaves me at not a lot.
I’m sorry, Harry. Hermione felt the need to comfort her friend, knowing she would never have to deal with that.
No need to apologize, Mione. You kinda get used to it after a while. Harry joked back, clearly not too upset by the conversation. I’m more concerned about being able to let Justin down. I don’t wanna hurt him, but I can’t picture us together.
Yeah, neither can I.” Hermione admitted. The good thing is that he probably won’t ask you out for a long while. He’s shy and won’t do it until he feels like it’s the right time. It could give you time to work on a way to reject him without hurting him too much.
I really hate the thought of even doing that. Harry wrote back immediately, and Hermione could already picture his slight scowl. I am afraid of him being hurt, though. I want to try and minimize it the best I can.
It’ll be okay, Harry. Justin’s of age. He can handle it. Hermione gently wrote to her friend, trying to console him the best she could. You deserve to be happy too.
I know, Mione. I just don’t like hurting people that have been nice to me…for the most part.
I’ll help you find a way to do it easily.
Thank you. Harry wrote back, the gratitude in his written words still potent, as if they had been spoken out loud.
“Merlin, I’m hungry,” Harry mumbled at dinner, his stomach growling. He was preoccupied during lunch and skipped the meal, choosing to focus on his studies instead. He was also helping some other students with their spell work, therefor limiting himself even further.
“No wonder you’re hungry.” Hermione huffed, chiding her friend lightly. “You didn’t eat much of breakfast to start with, then didn’t even eat any lunch.” She was giving him her classical mum stare and it caused Harry to sheepishly rub the back of his neck.
“I know, Mione. I’m sorry. I ended up getting too distracted by my work that I honestly forgot to eat. I also ended up helping some students with a spell after class, so I lost track of time.” Her eyes seemed to lose some of the sternness, and she sighed.
“I understand how that can be. I didn’t mean to sound so…strict, I just worry.” Harry paused at that and sent her a grateful look, smiling.
“And I thank you for that. You’re one of the few that bother.” He gently took her hand in his own and squeezed it. “I’ll make sure to eat plenty right now, I promise.” Harry let go of her hand and Hermione seemed pacified with his answer.
“See that you do,” She teased. “Otherwise I’ll have to do something more drastic.” It was a good thing Harry hadn’t started to eat yet, or else he would have choked on it due to his laughter.
“That sounds ominous. I hate to imagine what you would do,” He laughed again, softer this time. Hermione seemed pleased that she made her friend laugh like that and went back to eating as well, only pausing when Ron showed up, glowering at the two. “Can we help you?” Her tone was crisp but polite as ever.
“Are you two dating now?” The glower on Ron’s face turned darker as he uttered those words, gaining attention from a few of the seventh years. Harry and Hermione turned to face each other, trying to maintain their stoic expressions. Lips twitching in amusement, they both erupted into giggles at the same time. “What’s so funny!” Ron was seething.
Trying to calm herself, Hermione held a hand to her mouth, letting her giggles die down. Harry was faring a little better, his shoulders still slightly shaking from his own laughter. “Would you two answer me!” Ron was becoming more enraged.
“Why does it matter to you if we’re dating or not?” Harry finally asked, slightly breathless from his laughter. He caught the embarrassed flush and had to hold back another bought of laughter. Merlin, could this idiot not be more obvious? Hermione caught on as well and leveled the younger Weasley with a look.
“I agree with Harry. Why does it matter?” She was enjoying this now, enjoying tormenting him after all the vile things he had said about Harry during the summer. It was time for payback and all the Great Hall would see. Speaking of which, they were already starting to gain an audience. She knew Harry wasn’t a fan of those, but it would be worth it to embarrass Ron on such a scale.
“Uh…I..” Ron floundered, his cheeks reddening to a new level that neither had witnessed before. “It just does! Harry’s not right for you.” Hermione scoffed at that, raising an eyebrow.
“And pray tell, Ronald. Who is?” She crossed her arms and was back to staring at him, unamused as the boy (yes, boy. She would only ever see him as such) flustered more. “If you haven’t noticed, I’m more than capable of making my own decisions.”
But…but..” Hermione rolled her eyes again and nearly groaned.
“Oh, for Heaven’s sake,” Hermione shook her head, remembering a similar situation regarding herself and Krum a few years back. “Ronald, you don’t get a say in who I date, or who I chose to be my friends for that matter!” She shot him a look, but it seemed to the wizard had managed to find some of his Gryffindor courage.
“But you belong with me!” Harry bit his lips hard enough to draw blood to stop himself from laughing at the absurdity of those words, his face red with concealed laughter. It wasn’t just him, though. Many of the other seventh years were openly snickering at Ron now, including those from other houses.
“And who says that? You?” Hermione made a face at that, staring at Ron with contempt. “I don’t care what you think of that matter, Ronald. In the end, this is my decision to make, not yours. I have never, and will never, feel that way about you.” Hurt flashed through his eyes as he looked at her.
“Why not? I’m a true Gryffindor!” He puffed his chest out-causing Hermione to make a face.
“You’re a true something, alright. I won’t say what, since we’re eating dinner.” She went back to her food, ignoring the sputtering boy who had yet to leave the spot. The laughter grew louder as the Slytherin table joked about Granger standing up to the Weasel. It seemed that Ron wasn’t done.
“But it's him.” He spat out, as if Harry were worse than a disease. “He’s a traitor! He’s not fit to be in this house-Hell, he belongs in Slytherin! I bet he would fit right in with those slimy gits.” Ron sneered at Harry, who laughed.
“Oh, believe me, Ron. I’d love to be over there instead of hearing your prejudiced nonsense. At least the Slytherin’s are decent company, as opposed to you.” Harry took a sip of his pumpkin juice, humming. “You know what? I think you deserve a House all of your own. We can send all of the idiots there.” If Harry were to look over at the staff table, he would find Professor Snape’s lips turned upwards in clear amusement.
“C’mon, Ron. Stop making an idiot of yourself and sit down. Hermione clearly doesn’t want anything to do with you, so let it go.” Seamus huffed. Ron turned his anger towards the Irish wizard, glaring.
“Why should I listen to you, you ponce?” There was a gasp and Harry immediately stood up, his magic rolling off of him in waves.
“Care to repeat that, Ronald?” Harry’s voice was dangerous as his eyes flashed darkly, making Ron swallow hard, body frozen.
“It…d-doesn’t concern y-you.” Ron stuttered, not being able to look away either.
“That’s where you’re wrong.” He said calmly, smiling coldly at the nervous wizard. “I find that it does. After all, that word is applied to me too.” Ron’s eyes practically bulged out of his head, opening and closing his mouth like a dying fish. “What? Nothing to say about it now, Ronald? I wonder how Charlie or Fred and George would take to being called such a thing.” Ron was practically sweating now.
To his surprise, Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini joined him, as well as Justin and Ernest Macmillan. It wasn’t long until Terry Boot joined him, eying Ron distastefully. Seamus and Dean then stood up, all glaring at the redhead.
“I’m in agreeance with Potter.” Malfoy sneered at Ron, holding hands with Zabini. “If you have something to say of the regard, then you should say it to all of us.” Malfoy took pleasure in watching as Ron squirmed, terrified beyond words.
“You better watch yourself, Weasley.” Zabini gave a crooked grin, flashing his perfectly white teeth.
“I’ve gotten better at charms thanks to Harry. I would love to put them to good use.” Justin grinned darkly, sliding up to claim his spot beside the said man.
“And we’ve learned some new tricks.” Dean smiled with Seamus, eyes promising pain.
“Is…is this a threat?” Ron squeaked out. The group looked at each other and grinned.
“That’s for you to find out later,” Harry smirked, eyes flashing again. “Or do we need a repeat of the other night?”
Ron was out of the great hall in seconds flat, laughter chasing him from the room.
“I must say, Potter. That was quite the show this evening.” Harry outright laughed at that, giving a small shrug.
“I wasn’t expecting to have so much support from my peers, but it was nice,” Harry admitted, having finished his homework earlier than the other night. “I do regret not hexing him afterward.”
“Don’t worry, Potter. He’s serving another months’ worth of detention with Filch.” Lighting up at that, Harry grinned.
“Good. He deserves it after what he said to Seamus. Apparently, he’s said worse.” Harry wasn’t pleased with that, but he knew there wasn’t much else he could do. “Wait, you gave Ron more detention?”
“That’s what I said, Potter.” Severus rose an eyebrow at the question. Resisting the urge to rose his eyes, Harry grinned.
“Shouldn’t you give me more detention as well? After all, I was clearly out for attention today.” Snape barely had time to control his own smirk.
“Very well, Potter. An extra month of detention. Same time.” Pleased with that, Harry went back to focusing on his spell work and other spells he could make.
“Sir? When did you want me to show you my version of the protection shield?” He eventually asked after a while, earning the older wizard’s full attention.
“Whenever you’d like,” Snape spoke up, watching as the younger wizard soon smiled.
“Can we do it now? I’ve been excited to show someone who wasn’t the Twins, or Hermione for a while now.” Inclining his head, Snape nodded.
“Now would be acceptable.” Grinning at that, Harry pulled out his book of spells and laid it down on his desk. Snape eyed it, curiosity filling him. “Do you mind if I-“He gestured to the book and Harry smiled.
“I’d be insulted if you didn’t.” Harry teased. Lips twitching upwards into a smirk, Severus took the book and opened it.
Multa manus- creates up to ten hands that hold down opponents
Flagella- invisible whip yanks target back up to twenty feet, unless they hit a solid object.
Disparitas- causes the target to constantly lose balance. Best if used with Vertiginem
Vertiginem – makes your opponent dizzy and lightheaded. It can cause severe headaches if left on long enough.
Scutum a morte – protection spell against the killing curse
Toroquent corporis - more effective than a body bind curse, especially when combined with torpens.
Repulsa- counter to Toroquent corporis
Torpens – numbing hex. It lasts for approximately thirty minutes.
Tenebris – makes room dark, can only be reversed with a strong Lumos maxima, or a strong finite incantatem
Caecus- temporarily blinds the target. Lasts up to five minutes
Deceptio- will cause the target to experience hallucinations until the curse is lifted.
Excutite- target shakes uncontrollably
Auxilium- Counter for the stinging hex. It can also be used to heal burns.
Vlépeis- Can cure blindness permanently. Can be used as a counter for Caecus
Anapnéo- Cure for choking. It can be used for reviving someone. Counter for the choking curse.
Na akoúso- Will enhance hearing up to an hour.
Xýpna- Counter for bewitched sleep, and Ypnos. Can wake up anyone.
Ypnos- Causes the victim to fall asleep for approximately one day, or until the charm is lifted.
Aichmirós- Sharpens a blunt object to be as sharp as a razor.
Alítheia- Will make the target incapable of lying for roughly one hour.
“Merlin…” Snape couldn’t suppress his surprise at seeing the number of spells. These weren’t just ordinary spells either. Some of these would change the entire wizarding world. “Cures blindness permanently.” He read out, shaking his head. “Pot…Harry,” Snape said instead, shaking his head. “How did you create this?”
“That one was more so trial and error. I found an injured snake that couldn’t see at all. I know they already don’t have the best sight, but she was so young, and I had to help her out.” Harry explained, missing the way Severus looked at him. “I finally created a spell that permanently fixed her eyesight and she was so grateful.” He had a small smile on his face, thinking about the small serpent. “I was able to find a nice spot for her in the woods and let her go.”
“What about the burn healing spell? Why would you need that?” Snape questioned, and Harry rubbed the back of his neck slowly, not meeting his gaze.
“That spell is one that I would perform without my wand,” Harry mumbled, biting his lips. “I would perform it on myself during the summers at the Dursley’s.” He looked up and met dark, furious eyes. “They didn’t like it when I overcooked their food. They’d lock me up in the cupboard afterward.” Harry shrugged. The atmosphere turned thick and Severus laid the book down on the desk.
“And Dumbledore kept sending you back there.” Severus sneered at that, finding himself hating the man even more.
“Sadly. I wouldn’t come out with fewer scars, had I been allowed to stay at a building that was technically mine.” Harry sighed. “Doesn’t matter anymore. I’m free from them and I never have to see those monsters again.”
“They deserve to suffer for what they put you through.” Harry felt his face flush slightly at the dark tone, suddenly finding it hard to swallow.
“I’ve never had many people say that to me. Most of the wizarding world never bothered to check-in and find out if I were okay. They turned a blind eye to their supposed ‘savior’ and forgot that I existed. It’s part of the reason I have no desire to fight. Why should I fight for people who never bothered with me over the years? Even after the Triwizard tournament, no one bothered.” Harry sighed again, feeling a lot older than his age. He was so lost in thought that he hadn’t noticed Severus approach him, or two strong arms gently pull him into a hug.
Taken aback by the sudden affection, Harry found himself melting into the embrace and hugging back.
“Sir?” He asked quietly, afraid to ruin the moment.
“I don’t feel like you’ve had enough of these lately, Potter.” Smiling into the sturdy chest, Harry sighed.
“Can I call you Severus, sir? During our detentions, that is.”
“Of course, Harry.” For some reason, the younger wizard felt his heart flutter in his chest.
Chapter Text
“I know you don’t feel that way about Justin, but it won’t hurt to go with him to Hogsmeade next weekend.” Hermione insisted, sitting beside Harry one night as she read over her notes for arithmancy. “I’ll be there as well, so it shouldn’t be interpreted as a date.”
“I hate when you’re right,” Harry teased as he sighed softly, running a hand through his unruly hair. “I just really don’t wanna hurt his feelings.” He admits, softly trailing his fingers along the spine of his rune’s textbook, lost in thought. “I hate to sound picky-“ Hermione cut him off with a firm voice.
“You’re not being picky, Harry. It’s merely a thing called preference. You’re not into him like that, and it isn’t your fault,” She said sternly, looking at her friend with hard eyes. His lips turned upwards at the look and shook his head.
“I know, I know.” He pacified her. “It’s kinda hard to grow out of thinking that way, you know?” The wizard commented, looking out the window. “My whole life involved the Dursleys telling me I wasn’t worth anything, let alone something of this nature,” Harry explained as he finally turned back to her, meeting the sad eyes that made him squirm. “I don’t believe it obviously. It’s just…something to get used to.” He shrugged, letting Hermione take his hands.
“They’re vile people,” She spat out. “Dumbledore had no right to keep sending you back. He’s just as bad, if not worse than them,” Harry only nodded in agreement, knowing how his friend would get when they were on this subject. He rarely mentioned it though, deciding to only comment on it when necessary. “It’s horrid, considering Hogwarts is your home, yet Dumbledore messes that up for you too,” This time, the wizard does sigh.
“That’s my main issue right now,” He admits, biting his lips in thought. “I have no idea what I’m going to do after I graduate. I know I have so much to chose from, but…” Licking his lips, he shakes his head. “I don’t want to leave Hogwarts for too long. If it were up to me, I’d like to be a professor one day. Not immediately of course, but one day,” Harry sighed wistfully as Hermione lit up.
“Did you figure it out?”
“Yeah. Sev-Snape,” Harry quickly corrected, hoping Hermione didn’t catch his slip-up. “helped me realize what my passion was. I love creating spells and teaching them,” He knew all of this, but hearing it come from his professor helped him even more. “He told me that Hogwarts used to have a dueling professor long ago, and it made me think of the school having one again. I could teach the practical defense and have spell crafting as an elective for fifth years and above.”
“It sounds like you’ve discussed this quite a bit,” Hermione says, interested in reasons unknown to the wizard, who merely shrugged.
“There’s only so much you can discuss during detention.” The witch grinned and gave him a teasing look.
“What else do you do in those detentions?” Oblivious, Harry hummed.
“A lot of stuff actually. I’ve been teaching him my spells and he’s been improving my potions occasionally. He’s a little impressed I managed to fool him about being inept in the subject for six years.” She smiled a bit at that.
“I think he’s the type of person who hates not knowing something,” She added, and the wizard chuckled at her statement.
“In a way, I suppose. He was more frustrated at the fact that I was talented at potions, and he was none the wiser. It’s one of the things he’s passionate about and he was displeased that I hid my talent for so long. I help him brew his potions occasionally, so I have a feeling he thinks I’m adequate.” Harry joked.
“More than adequate,” Hermione huffed with fond eye-roll. “If Professor Snape allows you to brew with him, he must admire your skills to some degree. He wouldn’t allow just anyone to help him with something like that.” She reminded, watching as his cheeks colored.
“I don’t know about that,” He trailed off, still flushing. “I think he’s impressed with some of my spellwork, but I wouldn’t say he admires me. That would be the other way around.” Harry explained, catching Hermione’s inquiring eyes. “I mean,” He tried to quickly explain himself, flushing more. “He’s also created his own spells and he’s even made his own potions too, it’s so impressive! The fact that he’s been able to spy on Dumbledore for so long is also astounding.” He finished explaining.
Hermione knew something was going on, but she wondered if her friend had even figured it out yet. “I can tell you admire him,” She said instead, being nonchalant as she flipped a page in her book.
“He’s also one of the few people that understands me,” He sighed softly, shrugging. “Snape helped me so much by keeping Dumbledore away from me. I can be myself when I’m around him. Before you and the twins, I never had that.”
“I know,” She smiled sadly as she took his hand, giving a gentle squeeze. “I’m glad you have more people you can relax around. Besides Ron being an annoying git this year, I think it’s been a great start.” The wizard grinned and nodded enthusiastically, his eyes brighter.
“Yeah. This year hasn’t been too bad. We managed to find some great friends in Gryffindor that we overlooked at one point.” Dean and Seamus were great people and it was a shame they hadn’t interacted more. It was nice knowing that the two Gryffindors had his back and supported him in not wanting to follow Dumbledore anymore. “I should have paid more attention.”
“We both should have.” Hermione reminded, not wanting Harry to take the blame. When it came to Ron, they both had made their fair number of mistakes, so it wasn’t right for one person to take the fall. “I was disgusted at the way he kept nudging you towards Ginny. For someone that was supposedly like your brother, he was adamant that you date her,” Harry made a face at that, shaking his head.
“Even if I weren’t gay, I would never touch her for a lot of different reasons.” He didn’t say why and just shook his head. “The main one being that she looks like my mum and I don’t have an Oedipus complex,” Harry hummed, earning a snort from his friend as she playfully hit his hand.
“Merlin, Harry. That’s awful,” They both laughed amongst each other.
“Good evening, my boy. How has this school year been treating you?” Harry paused as he felt his back tense as Dumbledore cornered him in the hallway, about an hour before dinner.
“Well, sir.” Harry cordially replied, thankful that he was holding some books in one hand, which would give the impression that he was busy. “Was there something you wished to discuss, headmaster? I’m afraid that I have a lot of homework that I would like to get done in advance,” Harry informed, making sure his shields were up.
“There are a few things that need to be discussed in my office, yes.” Dumbledore had the infernal twinkle in his eyes, and it took all of Harry’s self-control to not shudder in displeasure.
“If you don’t mind me asking, sir, what needs to be discussed? I can’t think of anything important.” He enjoyed watching the twinkle start to slowly dim.
“It’s extremely important, my boy. It’s about what we talked about last year,” Harry sighed and shook his head, not wanting to get into that discussion again. The younger wizard had already voiced his opinions on finding the Horcruxes and fighting Voldemort, but Dumbledore seemed to find the need to use ‘destiny’ against him, even if it wouldn’t work. Not that the old man knew that though.
“I’ve already informed you of my decision, sir. I have no desire to get involved with the war or fight Voldemort.” Harry kept his voice low. Despite it being dead, the last thing he wanted was to gain attention right now. As much as he desired to put Dumbledore in his place, now was sadly not the time for that.
“I know it seems like a harrowing task, my dear boy, but surely you understand that you must be the one to defeat him?” Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he felt his left temple dully throb as a migraine started to form. “This is why I wanted to move this into my office, lad. We can discuss the things that you need to do.”
“What I need to do is pass my NEWTs and graduate,” Harry replied, impatiently tapping on his books quietly. “Even if I were to fight Voldemort, how could I even compare to him since I lack the skills he possesses? It would take me years to catch up to him. I might be a Gryffindor, sir, but I do value a few of the Slytherin traits. Such as preservation.” Harry said stoically, wondering what nonsense the elder would spew now.
“I wish there was another way. It has to be you,” Dumbledore looked grim. “The whole wizarding world is counting on you to defeat the Dark Lord, Harry. It said so in the prophecy,” Ah yes, the thing that took away his free will. How quaint.
“Then perhaps the wizarding world should find a new savior, Professor. If they’re all counting on a teenager, then I see an issue.” Harry stood his ground. Seeing that the younger wizarding wouldn’t budge, the headmaster tried a new tactic.
“If that’s how you feel, very well. We’ll have to talk about that more in detail later. However, I did want to talk to you about another issue. I noticed your deteriorating friendship between Ronald and Ginevra. It concerns me.” Harry easily caught the diversion. It seemed that the Headmaster was desperate to find a way to bring him into his office.
“I don’t think those are adequate reasons as to why I need to go to your office, sir. We’ve been over it once before and I don’t fancy repeating myself over and over.” Harry spoke up, getting more impatient now. “As for my relationship with Ron and Ginny, I don’t see how that should be concerning. The friends I chose to keep or make are up to me,”
“Yes, yes,” Dumbledore hastily agreed, stroking his beard. “You’ll have to excuse an old man for his needless worrying, my boy. I simply hate to see a wonderful friendship being destroyed.” Holding back a sigh, Harry nodded.
“If that’s all-“ He wanted to make his way into either the library or the great hall-anywhere to get away from the Headmaster. Maybe he could go to detention a few hours early-
“Actually,” Dumbledore’s eyes were twinkling in a way that started to make Harry uncomfortable. “I am also growing concerned about all of your detentions with Professor Snape,” He informed, making Harry nervously shift and inwardly curse. “I know you two have never seen eye to eye, but it isn’t like you to receive so many detentions in such a short span of time. I’m very worried about this behavior, Harry,”
“The detentions I administer should be none of your concern, Albus.” Severus’ tone was cool as he approached the two, his arms crossed in a displeased manner. “Are you questioning my methods of detention?” His eyebrow was raised, a blank look on his face.
“Of course not, Severus,” The Headmaster quickly appeased him. “I’m more so worried about Harry’s behavior. Along with the number of detentions, he’s no longer interacting with the Weasleys or playing quidditch. He’s not acting like himself.”
“It was my decision to stop playing quidditch, sir. It was also my decision to break my friendship with the Weasleys, as I stated earlier.” He hated repeating himself, but here he was, doing just that. “I don’t see how that should matter in this situation,” Harry spoke up. Oh, he knew Dumbeldore was grasping for straws now, but he wished the man would hurry up. He wasn't lying about having homework that he wanted to get done beforehand.
“As your Headmaster and friend, I’m merely confused by your sudden change in behavior-“
“The behavior is why he’s in my detentions, Headmaster. I’ve seen no other issues outside of my classes.” Severus informed, his lips twitching into a small sneer. “Unless you think you could discipline him better?” Again, Dumbledore was quick to draw.
“Now, now, Severus, you know I didn’t mean it like that.” The twinkle was extinguished by now, blue eyes wide. “I know you’re more than capable of taking care of things like this,” Humming, Snape leveled the man with a look that spoke no arguments.
“If that’s the case, Albus, I would appreciate it if you didn’t question my detentions.” The words were spoken slowly, each word a sweet poison that Harry found himself drawn into. “Or bother the students attending them,” Again, the words were slow and deep, promising hell if the headmaster were to intervene more.
“Right. My apologies, Severus. Harry,” Dumbledore took a step back and turned around. Harry felt a sense of Déjà vu as the event occurred, eerily reminding him of the start of term. Once the man was out of earshot, and a clever spell was cast, Harry sighed.
“He seems to like cornering me,” Harry commented as he gazed off in the direction Dumbledore had gone, completely missing the protective fire that started to ignite in Snape’s eyes.
“I’ve noticed,” Snape dryly spoke, arms still crossed. When Harry did turn to look at him, he sighed.
“I don’t suppose I could start detention early?” Harry questioned softly, catching the small smirk as Snape inclined his head for the younger wizard to follow him. It was a familiar trek to the dungeons, but Harry was a little surprised when they passed the potions classroom and office, going straight to a door on the other side of the room.
“Sir?” Harry questioned.
“Dumbledore never gives up so easily. My quarters will offer us some privacy,” Severus explained with ease, mumbling something under his breath as the door opened for them. “I had planned on taking this time to finish the amortentia for the sixth years,” He informed, leading the way into his private lab. Harry followed, a little in awe that Severus was allowing him back here. There were two fairly large tables, one with a simmering cauldron, and the other empty. He must have been frozen in place because Snape rose an eyebrow. “Well?” It seemed to snap the younger wizard out of his thoughts.
“Sorry. Kind of in shock that you would willingly take me back here,” Harry admitted as he placed his things on the empty table, being careful as he did so.
“You’re not completely inept at potions,” Severus responded, starting to get to work. “As much as it pains me to say, you have more talent at the subject than many of the Slytherins.” The only person that surpassed Harry was Draco Malfoy and Severus attributed that to the fact that Narcissa had been teaching Draco his entire life. She had excelled at the subject too after all.
“The first two years were hard. Coming from the muggle world to here was a drastic change for me. I had never even heard of many of the terms, asides from a few that I learned from cooking.” Harry shrugged. “After I learned the basics though, it came naturally.” He admitted, sitting down at the empty table as he started to focus on his work.
As they focused on their work, the only sound that could be heard was the occasional chop and stir, or the sound of Harry turning a page and writing something down on his paper. It wasn’t until later when a pleasant smell surrounded the room that Harry stopped working, placing his quill down. There were a few scents he could make out, but he was having a hard time with the others. He inhaled, trying to name the scents. Some of the smells hadn’t changed, but there seemed to be some new scents.
Treacle tart, crisp paper, ….something homely, and…the last smell was the one that was throwing him off. Potions? Potion ingredients? It didn’t make much sense, so Harry went back to work, only occasionally finding himself relaxing and inhaling the scent that was wafting through the air. Even after he finished his work and was merely reading, Harry was still distracted by the intoxicating smell.
“It seems that I’ve kept you longer than anticipated,” Snape broke the silence after a while, something…rough in his voice.
“Hmm?” Harry looked up from the Runes book Hermione was letting him borrow, blinking at the sudden interruption. Severus cleared his throat.
“It’s almost eleven,” It was easy to lose track of time when brewing and Severus was no exception to that.
“I had no idea,” Harry mumbled, suddenly finding himself tired. Thankfully he always packed his cloak, so if Dumbledore were waiting, he had the upper hand. “I was engrossed in my book,” Runes had always fascinated him and when he found something he liked, it was hard to put it down.
“I figured,” Severus smirked lightly, knowing the feeling of being engrossed.
“I suppose it is time to go, though,” Harry hummed and stretched, wandlessly summoning all his items. It was second nature to him, and he often forgot that not many could do wandless magic. “What?” He saw the look on Severus’ face.
“You merely astound me, Potter. I forgot about your wandless magic until just then,” Harry shrugged and gave a shy chuckle.
“I forget that it’s not common, honestly.” Harry was pulling his cloak from his bag. “Been doing it for so long…” He trailed off, eventually turning back to Snape. “I should go, just in case Dumbledore decides to visit Gryffindor tower. Good night, Severus.” Harry smiled at the man, putting on his cloak and vanishing.
“Good night, Harry,” Severus felt his lips curve into a small smile as the door opened and then closed, signaling that the boy had left. Once he was alone, the potion master sighed, still gripping the table tightly.
Had Harry been paying attention, he would have noticed the man gripping the table every time the cauldron blew out the pink smoke. Thank Merlin he had self-control.
It wasn’t until Harry was in bed that he realized the amortentia smelled like the potions lab, which was the smell that clung to Severus’ robes.
“Fuck.”
Notes:
College and work have been super busy tbh, but I'm glad that I finally had some free time to get another chapter done!
Btw, our boys are starting to feel something, aren't they?
Chapter 10
Notes:
Here's the next chapter! It's kinda long, but that's because a lot of things are going to be happening soon. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.
Chapter Text
When Hermione came down to the common room the following morning, Harry was seated on one of the chairs, clearly lost in thought. It was relatively quiet in the mornings, but this one stood out to her as she observed her friend. “Harry?” She asked quietly, going to take a seat near him.
“Oh! Morning, ‘Mione,” He quickly turned to her, his already unruly hair sticking up even more from the motion. She quickly caught sight of the dark bags under her friends' eyes and the slightly chapped lips, meaning he had been chewing on them. “How did you sleep?” Raising an eyebrow, she began;
“I think I’m the one who should be asking you,” The bushy-haired witch responded with a small smile, concern evident in her eyes as she spoke up again. “Is everything alright?” He hated keeping things from his friend, but he nodded regardless.
“I’m alright. Just…” He trailed off, trying to come up with a way to describe the situation he was in, without getting too into details. “trying to figure some things out,” Harry admitted, absentmindedly chewing on his bottom lip again.
“I understand,” Hermione offered him a reassuring smile, which was returned. “Just know that if you need to talk about it, I’m here for you,” She added, clasping her hands together. Her friend let out a content sigh as he ran a hand through his hair slowly.
“Thank you. It means a lot to me,” Harry mumbled, trying to find the courage in him to talk about it more. He had lost plenty of sleep last night thinking over his revelation he had before trying to go to bed. Now, he found himself wanting to talk to Hermione about it, even if it was bits and pieces. Besides, she was bright for a reason. It probably wouldn’t take her long to figure out what he was feeling.
“I realized last night that I might have feelings for someone,” Harry admitted, looking away from his friend as he confessed. “It’s so odd though. Part of me is shocked that I like him, but the other part of me isn’t though. It’s almost like I’ve known for a while and haven’t been honest with myself,” Harry shrugged as he finished saying all of that.
“Oh, I see,” Hermione hummed, nodding along. “Are you more so surprised at the part of you that doesn’t seem to be bothered by it?”
“A little,” He responds with a nod, biting his lips lightly. “Like, I want to question why I feel this way about him, yet-“ Harry licks his lips and shakes his head. “I can’t.” The wizard explains. “My mind starts to blank and I can only think of the obvious reasons as to why I like him,” He sighs, flopping his head back against the chair. “I’m doomed, Mione!” He whined, causing his friend to fondly roll her eyes and tut.
“You aren’t doomed, Harry. A little flustered, yes. Not doomed though,” She squeezed his leg, humming. “If I may ask, why is this an issue? It’s quite common to have feelings for someone. Unless…” Harry covered his face as the spark entered Hermione's eyes, groaning.
“I know that look. Go ahead, say it.” Harry mumbled into his hands, holding back another groan as his friend huffed, clicking her tongue.
“I could be wrong, but I have a hunch that this isn’t your typical crush,” Hermione spoke softly, eyebrows furrowed in thought. “You rarely get crushes to begin with, but this must be someone important to you,” She said, tapping her chin. Harry grimaced at that and nodded.
“A recent development, yeah,” Harry confessed, then paused. “Well, I mean, I’ve always admired him and been interested in him. Now that we’re closer, things are just…different,” He sighed, running a hand through his hair again and messing it up even more. Blinking as Harry said that, Hermione placed another privacy spell just to be on the safe side.
“It’s Professor Snape, isn’t it?” She asked, wishing she had Colin’s camera to capture Harry’s priceless reaction. “I’ve been picking up on it for the past month,” She admitted, enjoying the look on his face.
“Oh, Merlin!” He placed his face into his hands again, shaking his head slowly. “Have I been that obvious? I only just realized…” Harry trailed off, embarrassed that his friend had already figured out how he felt before he did.
“Just to me,” Hermione supplied. “You’re my best friend, Harry. It’s like the time you realized that I cared for Krum before I did,” Sliding his hands down his slightly pink face, he nodded. “I’m not too surprised at this, honestly. You and Professor Snape have been spending a lot of time together recently, which led to the development of feelings. I think you started to get a crush on him when we did research into the potions book and discovered he was the half-blood prince,”
“There was something so fascinating about him,” Harry breathed out, biting his lips. “Severus is so creative-his book gave me even more inspiration to create spells. If it hadn’t been for his ideas, I doubt I would have created a lot of the spells I did,” Hermione tilted her head at that.
“I don’t know about that. You’re so intelligent and powerful that it astounds me, Harry. You don’t give yourself enough credit when it’s due,” She sighed, making him blush just a tad.
“He’s told me that before as well,” He admitted quietly. “That I don’t give myself enough credit,” He quickly explained, face still a light shade of pink. “It’s so odd to hear that from him, though. I’ve admired him for so long, yet he seems to be the one admiring me lately,” Harry sighed, his heart fluttering in his chest.
“It’s no surprise,” Hermione reasoned hastily, wanting to get her point across as well. “You’re so creative and innovative. I think that’s something that Professor Snape must admire about you. That, and you excel at what you do. What’s not to admire?” Harry chuckled as she said all those things, obviously embarrassed.
“You’re too kind.” He chuckled again. “I mean, I know that I am powerful,” Harry reasoned, knowing there was no use in denying that. He had been able to do things from a young age, just as Tom Riddle had, who turned out to be one of the strongest wizards in the world. He had mastered wandless magic when he was younger, something Severus was in constant awe of. “But I don’t know if I deserve all the praise I get,” Smirking, Hermione crossed her arms.
“Professor Snape thinks you do,” She brought up, delighted to see the flush darken when she said that. “And he isn’t one to casually toss compliments about.” Hermione reminded him gently, her lips curled into a small smile. “I think he admires you as much as you admire him,” Harry swallowed at that and shook his head, almost as if he were awestruck by that sentence.
“Merlin, I would find that hard to believe. He’s so…” Harry swallowed again, flushing and licking his lips. “Amazing, Mione. His sense of humor, his snark, the way he gets passionate about certain subjects…”
Hermione was smiling as her friend said that, having rarely experienced this side of him before. She watched as he flushed, sighing for what felt like the umpteenth time.
“Merlin. I think I’ve got it bad,” He huffed, biting his bottom lip again. “Thank Merlin for occlumency,” Harry breathed in relief. “I can keep everything hidden from him. Not like he would go into my head without my consent anyway. Unlike Dumbledore,” Harry mumbled the last part to himself.
“Did something else happen?” She asked suddenly, deciding to change the subject for now. They could continue talking about his newfound feelings later-she was more curious as to what Dumbledore tried to do this time.
“Shit, I forgot you weren’t there yesterday,” He mumbled, rubbing his temple. “Honestly, I’m a little surprised that Dumbledore waited so long to do this again. Anyway, he cornered me in a similar way that he did at the start of the term. He’s getting even more desperate to talk to me alone in his office,” The way Harry spoke of it made a chill go down Hermione’s spine, something about it making her feel more unease than usual.
“That’s so creepy,” She voiced her opinion, to which Harry immediately nodded in agreement. “I wish there was a way to report that,” Harry just shrugged.
“That’s not even half of it,” He shook his head at the memory. “It was obvious that he was grasping at straws, but he did two things. First, as usual, he tried to push himself into my head. He’s not very subtle at it and I can always feel a pressure against my head when he tries to do it.” Hermione made a disgusted face, crossing her arms. “Then he settled on the fact that I had a lot of detentions with Severus, and how it concerned him,” Eyes wide, she cleared her throat.
“You don’t think he’ll try to intervene with those detentions, do you?”
“I don’t know. The entire reason as to why I’m in them in the first place is so that I’m finally away from him,” Hermione caught the anxious look in Harry’s green eyes, frowning. “It means that I’ll have to soon think of another plan…and Snape for that matter. These are some of the reasons that I admire him so much, Mione. He not only deals with Dumbledore, but he spies on him too. He’s doing so much, but it goes unnoticed.”
“I know,” Hermione smiled sadly, having been clued in on all that Snape did for Voldemort. “He’s not only a powerful wizard for keeping Dumbledore out of his mind, but he’s clever enough to trick Dumbledore into believing he’s on his side. “ Harry nodded, biting his lips.
“I just wonder how often Severus can keep me away from Dumbledore without the Headmaster growing suspicious,” He finally spoke up, chewing on the edge of his thumb. “The last thing I want is for his life to become even more miserable because of the old coot,” Harry admitted. “Hogwarts is his home as much as it is mine,”
The rest of the day was an uneventful affair. Classes, studying, a bit of socializing here and there. Ron and Ginny were even keeping to themselves and the new posse they had acquired, convincing them that Harry wasn’t the same person he used to be. It was Ron, Ginny, Lavender, Parvati, and Colin and Dennis Creevey. They had taken upon themselves to try (and fail) to convince other years that Harry was a traitor and had gone dark.
But surprisingly, they were keeping to themselves today, besides the same longing look Ginny always shot him.
Then it was time for potions.
Going into the classroom made Harry flush, the smell hitting him as soon as he opened the door with Hermione.
“Must be amortentia,” Hermione commented as she sat with Harry, smiling a bit. “Smells like the cologne Viktor wears…” She sighed dreamily, earning a grin from her friend. They were a little early, but Harry could hardly complain when the classroom smelt so damn good…
“Yeah. It does smell nice,” Harry agreed, biting his lips at the fact that he now knew why he liked the smell so much. Hermione snapped out of it and turned to Harry. He chuckled, knowing what was going through her head. “It smells like his potions lab. It’s what his robes smell like,” Harry explained, breathing in the scent again. “And homely, I suppose. I still can’t quite describe that one as much,” He shrugged, knowing it somehow connected to Severus. “Maybe it’s his private rooms? I’ve only been in there once, but it was a pleasant smell.” He added quietly.
“That’s so sweet,” She grinned at him, earning a half-hearted glare. “It is! It’s romantic saying his smell reminds you of home,” Hermione grinned as her friend flushed darkly, finally realizing what that meant.
“Fuck.” He cursed into his hand, face still red. He was going to make another comment, but soon the two of them became quiet as the other students began to pour in, including Severus.
Everyone was dead silent as Snape made his way to the front of the classroom, robes billowing behind him. He stopped in front of his desk, face blank as he spoke slowly.
“Today you will be brewing Draught of Living Death from memory. I expect you will either excel,” He caught Harry’s gaze as he said that, causing the Gryffindor to flush at the gaze. “-or fail.” This time he was looking at Justin, who flinched. “Do not delay.” As he finished, the students were quick to grab the needed ingredients and head back to their desks.
“Grab thirteen sopophorous beans instead of twelve,” Harry whispered to his friend, who gave him a look. “It was in his book,” He explained, seeing the recognition flash in her eyes as she went to do just that.
Once they had all their needed ingredients, Harry also whispered, “When it gets to the point where we have to add the juice, we need to crush them instead of chop.” Nodding again, they both got to work.
With Snape’s personal notes at his disposal, he knew the potion would be easy for them to accomplish. Sure, it might have been considering cheating, but he was still part Slytherin after all. Best to use his resources to be at the top. That, and it was him and Hermione working together. The only other person who also had a lot of value when it came to potions was Draco.
It was relatively silent in the classroom as everyone crushed, cut, and stirred. The only chatter came from pairs, who were working together to achieve the best outcome. Eventually, their liquid became pink in color. A little while after that, Draco and Blaise also had a pink potion. Everyone else struggled-some having dark red instead of pink. Then, there were the ones that were so thick that the students had trouble stirring it.
“I see that only four of you possess any brain cells to correctly brew this potion,” Severus was walking around, stopping in front of one of his Slytherins. “The NEWTs won’t give you a recipe to follow, Miss Parkinson. You will be expected to brew a potion on the spot.” He continued walking, stopping at Justin and Ernie’s table. “Carefully pour the juice in, Mister Macmillan. This isn’t your first year,” His arms were crossed, an unimpressed look on his face.
“Poor Justin,” Hermione whispered, seeing the boy pale as Snape continued to watch the duo.
“Yeah. I’m surprised he managed to get into the class,” He replied, looking at their pale pink potion and waiting on Snape’s official judgment.
It didn’t take long for the man to make his way to them, raising an eyebrow as Harry lit up. Severus placed a leaf into the pink liquid, watching as it immediately disintegrated. Nodding in approval, he continued his rounds, catching Justin from making a huge mistake. He banished the potion away with his wand before more damage could be done.
Again, Harry was surprised that the Hufflepuff had managed to get into the class.
“Ten points to Slytherin and Gryffindor for brewing passable potions,” Severus looked at the Hufflepuff pair, sneering. “And ten from Hufflepuff, for not knowing to stir before adding an ingredient.” Justin and Ernie grimaced at the look. “For those who failed to brew the potion, I will be expecting a two-foot essay on the importance of correct techniques in the brewing process,” Those who hadn’t brewed the potion correctly groaned, earning a cold look. “You may go,”
Most of the class was rushing out, but Justin sighed as he came over to Harry and Hermione, a solemn look on his face. “Merlin, I suck at potions. How did you two manage to get done so quickly?” He asked the two as they started to pack up.
“I just used the same instructions that I used last year. I found that they were extremely helpful,” He smirked as he met Severus’ gaze from across the room, amusement obvious in those dark eyes. “It’s important to remember how to brew the potion. He was right about the NEWTs not providing a recipe for us to follow.” Justin nodded at that, taking that information in.
“I need to revisit a lot of the potions we did last year in that case.” He sighed, breathing in the scent. “Oh! I forgot to ask about your shampoo, Harry!” Harry paused at that, eyebrows knitting in confusion.
“My shampoo?” He asked, having forgotten about the other potion in the room.
“I was gonna ask what it was. I keep smelling it for some reason,” Harry blushed darkly as Justin admitted that, some of the students who were still packing stopped and gaped at him, some snickering as they left. Snape had even paused at that, an unreadable expression crossing over his face. The expression spurred the rest of the class to quickly leave, not enjoying the dark look.
“Uh, Justin-“ Hermione tried, wanting to explain the situation as gently as she could.
“I also keep smelling your body wash too. It’s so strange that I keep smelling it…” Justin carried on, causing Harry to flush more. “Did you put on more than usual?” The poor Gryffindor couldn’t even respond if he wanted to, his face burning as Justin continued talking. He missed the way Severus gripped his desk, a darker look in those already dark eyes. Hermione, on the other hand, caught the dark expression.
“Detention, Mister Fletchley, with Filch.” Justin snapped out of it; eyes wide as he turned to look at his professor. “Maybe an hour or two will give you ample time to revisit sixth-year potions.” He spoke darkly, making something in Harry shiver.
“Sir-what-what did I do?” Justin’s eyes were comically wide. Harry would have felt more sympathy for him if it weren’t so hilarious. “I don’t-“
“It’s a wonder you managed to get into my class, Mister Fletchley,” Severus drawled out, his voice still dark. “If you had paid any attention last year, you would be able to identify the potion.” He sneered. Justin opened his mouth but quickly closed it.
“A potion?” He frowned, clearly confused. “But all I smell is Harry’s shampoo!” The other wizard continued to flush, wanting to sink into the floor and vanish. Severus nearly rolled his eyes as he grabbed a recipe that the sixth years had used, thrusting it into Justin’s hands.
Brewing instructions for Amortentia
The Hufflepuff gave an undignified squeak, his face dark red as he quickly rushed out.
Feeling awkward all day, Harry and Hermione finally made it to dinner in the Great Hall. She thankfully hadn’t commented on the events that transpired during the end of potions, which he was extremely grateful for. He had a feeling she knew that it was one of the last things he wanted to discuss at the moment, or for a while at least. It would have to be taken care of eventually, but not now. It looked like he would be rejecting the Hufflepuff sooner than planned.
Sighing, Harry started to eat his food and drink his pumpkin juice, only stopping when he noticed his Black ring stared to dimly glow. He slowly placed the food and drink down, swallowing hard as he paled.
“Harry? Are you alright?” Hermione whispered cautiously, worried when her friend stopped eating or drinking the food. He nodded slowly, not wanting to alarm her. He got out his notebook and she took the hint and soon fetched hers.
Don’t freak out, but I think there’s something in my food or drink. My Black ring is glowing, which means there was a potion added to my food. Thankfully, my Gryffindor necklace also acts as a counter to unintended potions, like Severus’ ring. As soon as Hermione read those words, she nearly gasped.
Harry, this is serious! Your food and drink have been tampered with. There’s no telling what would have happened if you didn’t have your lordships. You should take some samples to Professor Snape. He would find a way to tell you what potion it was.
I was planning on it. I can already feel his gaze on us. He must have noticed something was wrong. Harry put the notebook away as he looked to the head table. His green eyes met concerned onyx, and he gave a tight smile.
It seemed to do the trick because Severus was soon leaving dinner early, Harry following him a couple of minutes later. As he left, Ginny Weasley let out a displeased huff, crossing her arms and stomping her foot.
“I take it something happened?” Severus asked as he led Harry to his private rooms, raising an eyebrow at the bitter chuckle.
“Oh, I assume so. Thankfully these lordships saved my arse,” Harry snorted, showing him the Black lordship ring, which was still glowing. Severus narrowed his eyes, recognition filtering through as he nearly growled.
“Indeed. Do you have the food?” Harry nodded and passed him the shrunken food and drink.
“I think I’ve already got an idea about what it is, but we’ll see.” Harry was leaning against the wall. “My bet is Amortentia. Ginny is in the sixth year, so there’s no doubt she would have gotten ahold of some. Either that or compulsion potions, curtesy of the Headmaster,” Snape frowned more, tapping his wand against the food and drink, mumbling in Latin. The drink gave off a pink tent to it and Severus sneered.
“It seems like your original assessment was correct,” Severus was thankful he had control over his magic because the anger in him was building even more.
“Bloody Hell,” Harry groaned, part of him wishing that he had been wrong, and Ginny wouldn’t stoop to such a despicable level.
“She will be dealt with soon.” Severus banished the food away with a flick of his wand. “That behavior is enough to warrant another month of detention,”
“Speaking of detentions, I was thinking that I needed to find another way to escape Dumbledore without causing suspicion.” He saw the purely Slytherin smirk on Snape’s face and met it with his own. “You’ve already thought of something,”
“Obviously,” Severus smirked more. “I could train you for mastery in defense.” Harry had wondered about doing that in the past, but he was never sure how to go about it.
“You could even convince Dumbledore you’re training me to defeat Voldemort. That way it tricks him into a false sense of security. He’ll think I’ve changed my mind,”
“That was my plan. I know it won’t take you long to earn a mastery considering your talent, but it will keep Dumbledore at bay for now,” Harry nodded at that, running a hand through his hair.
“How long will a mastery take? What do I even have to do?”
“Unlike the course at Hogwarts, you’ll be expected to know darker spells. It’s a more inclusive exam than your NEWTs.” He explained, to which Harry shrugged.
“That won’t be too hard. I’ve already mastered a lot of darker spells.” He loved to learn after all. “You’ll likely train me on the weekends too, correct?”
“Saturdays. I might be known for making first years cry, but I’m not cold enough to overwork you. You deserve a day to relax,” Harry was oddly touched by the sentiment, smiling at the words.
“You need a break too. I’m sure dealing with me all week and now on Saturdays will be enough to drive you insane,” Harry teased, earning a soft hum from the potions master.
“Hardly. You’re one of the few individuals I can stomach to be around for prolonged periods.” Harry flushed as Severus said that, getting his homework out to distract him.
“The sentiment is returned, Severus,” Harry responded later, scooting just a tad closer as he worked on his charms assignment.
Chapter 11
Notes:
Another chapter, yay! I hope you enjoy it! It's a little longer than usual.
Chapter Text
“I’m not familiar with all the wizarding laws,” Harry began about a week later, chewing on his bottom lip in thought. “But I assume there is some sort of punishment for drugging someone with a love potion?” He asked, his mind racing with all sorts of ideas.
“That depends on the person charging them. Most cases involve suing or dishonoring the person convicted. There have been instances where they were sent to Azkaban for the crime.” Severus watched as Harry chewed on his bottom lip, letting his gaze linger. “Family names can also play a factor,”
“I figured. It’s an easy way to get into their vaults,” Harry admitted, humming. “Or even their seats, for that matter. Politics would also play an important role.” He was still lost in thought, unsure of what to do.
“Do you have something in mind so far?” Severus asked, knowing that the younger was struggling.
“I know that Azkaban is out of the question. As much as I hate her, I wouldn’t wish that place on anyone.” Harry informed, taking a breath. “It’s a hard situation, honestly. My best bet would be to disgrace her. They don’t have enough money for me to sue them, or even fine them. Even then, I don’t want to completely shame their family. Fred and George are still Weasleys and I don’t want to risk them being affected by this,”
“That’s not the only thing bothering you,” Severus pointed out, knowing the younger wizard well enough to sense there was something else going on.
“If I do end up filing something, I want Arthur to know in advance. I feel bad for him.” Harry admitted, sighing. “He’s a great wizard in a horrible situation. It’s not his fault that his wife is an overbearing winch. His name already has a bad reputation and I don’t want to make it worse,”
“You must have something else in mind, then,” Severus stated. If anything, Harry always had ideas and plans running through his head-even if they could become complicated. As expected, the Gryffindor nodded.
“I suppose I do, but it’s gonna require a visit to the ministry,” At Severus’ expression, Harry continued. “If I try to send a letter, Molly will open it. Sure, I can place all the privacy charms I know on it, but I still don’t want to risk it. Besides, I don’t think Arthur would believe it without further evidence. Something of this caliber requires a face-to-face meeting,”
“What are you hoping to gain from the meeting? There must be something else,” He saw the spark in Harry’s eyes, which meant he was up to something. Harry hummed, licking his lips.
“Do you remember what I was planning on doing with Grimmauld place?” Taken aback by the question, the potions’ master nodded.
“As I recall, you mentioned taking it back around Yule?” Harry nodded, smirking.
“As I said, Arthur is a great man. He’s not going to like what I’m about to tell him soon, which leads to disowning,” Severus felt his lips turn upwards as the younger kept speaking. “Which also leads to Molly being kicked out the Burrow-and since Arthur isn’t too keen on the Order these days, it means that Dumbledore will have nowhere to go, besides his brother's inn,”
“Thus, limiting his options further,” Severus surmises, a proud smirk quickly forming. Harry nods at that, thinking.
“That’ll depend if Arthur decides to disown Ginny and divorce Molly-he might allow her to stay in the house since she doesn’t have much else to go. It’s not like she works or has a stable source of income that isn’t from him,”
“A fair point,” Severus agreed, thinking back to Arthur’s character. He was a Gryffindor with many Hufflepuff characteristics, which would either help their cause or put a small obstacle in their way. “When do you plan on telling him?”
“I don’t know,” Harry sheepishly mumbled, chuckling. “I’m worried that if I tell him to soon, it’ll give her time to easily re-locate somewhere, but I don’t want to leave Arthur to deal with her for too long. There’s no telling what she’s also been doing to him.” He needed to make a decision, and quick. This was about more than simply bringing Dumbledore down now. “I’ll probably do early Sunday morning. I don’t want him to be around Molly any longer than he has to.”
Thankfully, Severus had taught him a useful stasis spell that would enable him to use his food as evidence against Ginny. The last thing he had was the inheritance test-which showed the despicable marriage contract that Molly and Dumbledore had created.
“Do you think Gringotts would still have the original copy of the marriage contract? I know that it’s null and void now, but I’m not sure how they file or store their documents.”
“They should still have it,” Severus informed, crossing out something in red pen. “Goblins are clever creatures and often keep hold of incriminating evidence unless told to destroy it.” Harry considered the new information and nodded.
“Make sense to me,” He agreed. Despite being close to some of the Goblins, he didn’t know everything about their practices. “If I can get a hold of the original contract and look for myself what it would have entailed, I can also show Arthur.” He paused for a moment, biting his lips. Hearing the pause, Snape looked up and rose an eyebrow.
“Yes?” It seemed to snap him out of his thoughts and Harry shook his head.
“Sorry. I was just hit with the thought of Arthur under the influence of a long-term love potion. I don’t know if he is, but I wouldn’t put it past her to dose him with it. I can try to convince him to get a scan done, just in case,” Harry added but paused again. “It gives me a new idea for a spell, actually,” He muttered mostly to himself, quickly jolting something down on a piece of paper in his journal.
“What do you have in mind?” Severus was intrigued as he watched the younger wizard start jotting down more things.
“A spell that can indicate if someone is under the influence of Amortentia specifically,” Harry replied softly, tapping his pencil against his paper. “Not everyone is lucky enough to have protective lordship rings.” He mumbled with a frown. “This way it gives everyone a fighting chance,” Truthfully, he was disgusted at love potions. He was able to convince the twins to stop selling them at their stores, which he was thankful for. “Or maybe a spell to protect people from most potions-the ones that limit your free will at least,” Again, Harry started jotting more things down, some of which started to take an interesting form.
“Are you writing in parselscript?” Severus inquired as strange letters soon appeared on the paper. He had seen it a few times around the Dark Lord, but there was something in the way Harry wrote it that immediately caught his attention.
“I find that it helps me when I’m creating a new spell. I start the spell off with Parselmagic first sometimes, then translate it into either Latin or Greek,” Severus wasn’t too surprised at that, seeing as how most of the Gryffindors spell were either Latin or Ancient Greek.
“When did you discover your Parselmagic?” Harry smiled at the question and hummed.
“Honestly, it’s hard to say. I had no idea I was a Parselmouth until my second year. Before I came to Hogwarts, I would occasionally talk to the snakes in Petunia’s garden when I was doing chores. I had no idea that I was slipping from English to Parseltongue.” He shrugged. “It happens with magic sometimes,” He tried to explain. “Sometimes I would slip into the language without even realizing it. Hermione and the twins were the ones who brought it to my attention in my fourth year during the Tri-Wizard tournament.”
“I see,” Severus hummed, filing that information away. “It took the Dark Lord years to perfect his Paselmagic. He would be impressed that you’ve managed to do it so quickly,” Harry flushed at the covert praise, biting his lips.
“It’s not much. I like to think I got practice thanks to my relatives. I might’ve been called a freak for talking to snakes when I was a kid, but it was someone to talk to at least,” He missed the twitch of Snape’s features at the mention of the word freak but carried on. “I just had a lot of experience from a young age, which I didn’t realize until later.”
“It’s still quite impressive.” Severus complimented, going back to crossing the parchment in red ink. “You’re a talented wizard, already years beyond your peers,” Harry felt his heart flutter at the words, face burning at the compliment.
“When it comes to spell-creation, I learned from the best,” Harry mumbled. Since Snape was looking down at the parchment, it hid the slight flush that had formed. “Most of my confidence is thanks to you, Severus. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have had the courage to show my abilities.” It was true that he had learned all sorts of things and had a lot of power, but Severus was the one to break him from that shell. It might not have been him directly, but the book had still given him a boost in confidence.
“I’m glad my book helped you.” Severus’ voice was soft as he spoke, a hint of a prideful smirk on his face. “If only Mister Fletchley could use that book to improve his potion marks,” Severus said sardonically, earning a laugh from Harry.
“I think he needs more help than that, Severus. Merlin, that was so embarrassing last week,” Harry shook his head, feeling slightly bad for Justin, who was avoiding him and Hermione like the plague. That was not the way the Hufflepuff wanted to confess to him, but that was how it happened. Painfully awkward. “He’s still embarrassed by the whole thing. Won’t even come up to me or Hermione.”
“Perhaps he’s waiting on you,” Severus suggested, earning a confused look from the Gryffindor.
“Waiting for me? Why would he be waiting on-“ Realization hit him, and Harry groaned, nearly hiding his face into his notebook. “He’s waiting on me to either return his feelings or reject him,” Harry breathed out, causing Severus to snort.
“I’m surprised it took you so long to realize,” Harry shrugged.
“I hate saying it like this, but Justin doesn’t fall into the group of important people in my life. I care about him of course, but he’s not as important to me like you or Hermione and the twins,” Harry rambled on, focusing back on his journal full of spell creation notes and not realizing his confession.
Severus had sucked in a silent breath at the admission, his dark gaze lingering on the younger wizard for a moment.
“There are very few people who fall into that category, but you’ve also managed to land into that group,” Severus mumbled, his voice deep and rich, sending shivers down Harry’s spine. The Gryffindor flushed darkly as he realized what Severus had said, his heart skipping a beat.
That night, Harry couldn’t stop smiling.
When Sunday finally rolled around, Harry woke up around five and immediately made his way outside with his broom. It always helped him clear his head, and now was no different as he began to soar through the air, doing an occasional loop that would have made Hermione scold him for if she had been watching. The air was becoming crisper as each day passed, the cold wind biting his nose as he flew around.
He eventually stopped after about an hour and a half, hovering in the air as he watched the sunrise over Hogwarts, the light chasing away the darkness. Sighing, he got off his broom and made his way to the common room, knowing it was about time to do what needed to be done.
By the time he returned, Hermione was already awake and perched on a chair with her nose in a new book. Harry smiled at the sight as he cleared his throat.
“Harry! Good morning,” Hermione tore her attention away from the book, placing it on the desk beside her. “I knew you were going to be getting up early, but I had no idea you meant that early,” She teased her friend, earning a small chuckle from him.
“I figured I should get some flying in before I go to Gringotts. You know how it helps me,” Hermione nodded in agreement, knowing what he was referring to.
“You’ll inform me of any issues, right?” She questioned, worry evident in her eyes. Harry smiled more at that and nodded.
“Of course I will,” He promised, not telling her that Severus had requested the same from him the previous night. “I doubt I’ll experience too many problems, but it’s something I can’t put off any longer.” He spoke earnestly, resolute as he spoke. Gathering his cloak and placing the evidence he needed into a bag, he gave her hand a gentle squeeze before he left.
As soon as he walked off the grounds of Hogwarts, he apparated outside of Gringotts and sighed, walking in quickly.
Griphook had been waiting on Harry to arrive and soon flashed him a toothy smile, his hands clasped together.
“Good morning, Mister Potter. I already have the file you requested. Would you like to read it here, or would you prefer to take it with you?” Harry paused and thought about it.
“I’ll take it with me if it’s not too much trouble.”
“As you wish,” The Goblin snapped his fingers and a folder soon levitated over to Harry, who graciously accepted it. “Will there be anything else you require?”
“No, not today,” Harry smiled kindly at him, eyes lighting up. “Oh! Before I forget,” He reached into his bag and handed over two golden pins. “A wedding present for your son and his partner. It keeps slipping my mind,” Griphook shakily took the offering and swallowed hard. Humans rarely bothered to thank them for their work, let alone give them any sort of gift.
“Thank you, Mister Potter. My family will forever know your kindness,” Griphook bowed as Harry walked away.
“I see why the elves care for Harry Potter now,” Rekin spoke up, having watched the entire scene. “He is truly a kind human,”
“Yes. One of the few.” Griphook nodded in agreement as the Goblins watched in awe as Harry left.
“Mr. Weasley? You have a visitor.” Looking up from his stack of paperwork, Arthur flashed her a bright smile.
“Thank you, Mrs. Nikols. Please, send them in.” Expecting to see someone from a lower level or even his wife, he was in for a shock when Harry came forth.
“Harry!” Arthur exclaimed, immediately getting up and pulling the younger wizard into a crushing hug. “I’ve been worried sick about you, son. Where on Earth have you been?” Feeling guilty about keeping Arthur in the dark, he pulled away to take a seat.
“Is it okay if we talk, sir? I have a lot I need to discuss with you, and it’s not going to be pleasant.” Becoming alarmed, the elder Weasley nodded and took a seat at his desk.
“Harry? What’s happened?” Grimacing, Harry ran a hand through his hair and sighed deeply as he tried to think of a way to start.
“Too much,” He joked bitterly. “The main reason why I’m here is to warn you.”
“Warn me? Is this something to do with Voldemort?” Harry nearly laughed and shook his head.
“If only. That would be easier to deal with,” Paling at that, the redhead leveled Harry with a look. “How do you feel about marriage contracts, sir?” Confused, Arthur made a face.
“Those things are disgusting. I’ve no idea why some of these purebloods still insist on using them to ensure blood purity. It completely takes away the free will of a witch and wizard.”
“Then we’re on the same page. Imagine my surprise when I found out your wife and the headmaster created one between me and Ginny,” The silence was deafening as Arthur’s jaw went slack, a disbelieving expression on his face.
“I beg your pardon?”
“That was my reaction, too. I was at Gringotts claiming my lordships when I was convinced to do an inheritance test. Then low and behold, it mentioned that I was in a contract that I had no idea about.” He gets out the paper, which was carefully spelled to make sure Arthur only read the parts he wanted him too, not the bit about being a Horcrux. The man slowly took the paper, his hands shaking as he read it over.
“This…this has to be a joke,” He breathed out, looking like he was going to be sick.
“I just went to Gringotts today to get the official copy of the contract, if you’d like to read that. I haven’t even read it myself, but I figured it was something we could both do.” Arthur watched in dismay as Harry pulled out a folder from his bag, which had the words Potter Marriage Contract written on the top.
“Oh, Merlin!” He covered his mouth as Harry opened the folder and began to read from a passage.
“On the day of November fifteenth, 1981, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore and Molly Weasley agree to forge a marriage contract between Harry James Potter and Ginevra Molly Weasley. Albus Dumbledore steps in as “acting” magical guardian for Harry Potter since none of his other guardians are able to at this time.
The two are to be wed when Ginevra Weasley turns seventeen, and with that will get a share in Harry Potter’s vaults. She will also be able to claim half of his seats in Wizengamot;” Harry stopped there, thinking Arthur got the picture. “Should I continue?”
“No! No, that’s…that’s enough,” He choked out, one hand gripping his desk so hard that his hand was shaking. “I can’t believe my wife would do such a thing! This is disgusting,” Arthur looked to be in pain as he said those words, his eyes bright with anguished tears.
Harry gently touched the shaking hand. “I’m sorry, Mr. Weasley-“
“Oh, Harry,” Arthur gave him a sad look. “You have nothing to apologize for, son. I’m the one who needs to apologize to you, for what my wife has done. You were always like a son to me, my boy. I’m so….so disgusted at what she was trying to do.” Harry looked down and shook his head.
“There’s more, Mr. Weasley,” Harry said softly, hating the way Arthur looked down.
“Go on. I need to know now,” He forced out, covering his eyes.
“I hate telling you this, but I think your daughters in on it.” Arthur froze, face paling even more. “She’s been dosing my food with love potions, but thankfully my lordships ring and necklace protect me against potions.”
“Oh, Gaia!” Arthur stood up and started to pace, the pent-up emotions coming to surface. “This is…this is downright disgusting! It isn’t like you’re already dealing with freedom issues from the Order,” Arthur snapped. “But now you have to deal with these two trying to strip away the rest of your control,” He sat back down, at a loss. “By Merlin, I’m so sorry, Harry.”
“It’s alright, sir. I’ve been through much worse, but it did hurt when I found out. I always saw her as a mother growing up, but then she did this. Part of the reason I’m here is to make sure you’re also free.”
“Free? Why wouldn’t I be free, lad?” Harry gave him a sympathetic look.
“Arthur, she tried to force me into a marriage contract with her child she had just given birth to at the time. What’s stopping her from dosing you with love potions too?” Choking, the elder Weasley stared at him with wide eyes.
“You surely don’t think-“
“Arthur,” Harry used the man's first name again, his voice holding no arguments. “You’ve now seen what she’s capable of. Do you want to risk it?”
“No…I don’t suppose I do,” He whispered, his voice breaking slightly. “I’ve no money for a healer to scan me, though.”
“It’s okay. I can do it. I’ve developed a spell to show when someone is under the influence of a love potion. Is it alright if I use it on you?” Nodding shakily, Arthur slowly got up.
“Explain how the spell works before you do it,” He instructed.
“A light will appear from my wand and enter your chest. If it returns the same color, you’re fine. If it returns darker than before, you’ve been administered a love potion. The darker the color, the more often you’ve been dosed.” Making a face, Arthur took a steadying breath.
“I’m ready,” He whispered. Harry tapped Arthur’s chest with his wand.
“Fictis,” Harry breathed, watching as a bright light disappeared into Arthur’s chest. A few moments later, it came out, pitch black and cold. “Oh, Arthur…”Harry whispered, eyes full of sympathy. “I’m so sorry,”
Arthur Weasley felt numb as he gazed upon the dark ball, watching as it slowly faded away. Along with it went his love for Molly Weasley.
Later that day as Molly Weasley was baking in the kitchen, she felt a strange magic swarm around her as she suddenly found herself being teleported away from her home. Not long after, an owl delivered two letters. She opened the plain-looking one first.
Dear Molly, I am ashamed to have ever called you my wife. I had thought better of you than you ever deserved. It pains me to do this, but as things were recently brought into the light, I find that I must do so.
First off, why did you never tell me that you force our daughter into a marriage contract with Harry Potter? We agreed when we unitized that we would never force our children into those disgusting things.
Second, did you know that the Ministry provided a full scan today, to those who can’t afford to get a yearly checkup? Do you know what they found?
Over two decades worth of love potions.
As you are the mother of my children, I will not be pressing charges on you. However, our marriage is over. I will also be disowning Ginny, seeing as she is trying to follow in your footsteps regarding forced love potions.
However, as you are now aware, you will not be able to get back to the burrow anytime soon. Your belongings will soon apparate to you, but you are no longer welcome into my home.
As if on cue, two expandable suitcases appeared to her, both full of her belongings, and Ginny’s.
You will be able to use your family vault if you struggle with income, but I have placed a few Galleons to help you get started.
Goodbye,
Arthur Weasley.
Molly was seeing red as he tore open the next one.
Dear Molly Prewett, you are hereby removed from all Weasley family vaults. Your marriage with Arthur Weasley is hereby terminated.
Have a good day.
-Grufgon, Head Goblin of Gringotts.
Molly Weasley screamed before promptly fainting.
If fate could laugh, she wouldn’t be able to stop.
Severus was surprised when there was knocking on his door. He opened it, surprised to see Harry standing there, looking a little lost.
“Potter? What is it?” He moved away from the door, allowing the younger to come in. The distant look in his eyes made his stomach churn in worry. Harry smiled sadly, sitting down in his usual spot as he looked at his hands.
“I wish there was more I could do for Arthur. His whole life is turned upside down now…” Harry whispered, chewing on his bottom lip. “I can’t explain the pain I saw on his face,” He mumbled mostly to himself, unaware that Severus had sat beside him. “The spell worked perfectly, but…fuck..” He screwed his eyes tightly, shaking his head. “It was so black, Severus. There wasn’t an ounce of color left,”
Unsure on how to comfort the younger, Severus let his instincts take over as he let his hand fall into the mop of dark hair, carding through it soothingly. Harry hummed softly and leaned into the touch, relaxing.
“It hurt seeing him in so much pain. This was someone who he’s been with for over twenty years and to find out it was all a lie..” He bit his lips hard, leaning against Snape’s shoulder. “I don’t understand how she was able to live with herself,” Snape froze at the movement, pausing as he began to stroke his hair more.
“Nor do I. I knew she was a horrible woman, but I was unaware of how low she stooped.” Harry sighed and nodded in agreement, Severus’ presence relaxing him more.
“Uh, thank you, by the way,” Harry whispered. “For this, I mean. I really needed it.” He admitted.
“Of course,” Severus whispered, voice soft and tinted with strong emotion.
Chapter 12
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
At breakfast the following morning, Harry was enjoying his small meal with Hermione when the owls swooped in, one of which dropped a letter in Ginny's food. She went to pick it up only to stop when she saw the family owl make an appearance, also dropping an envelope in her food. Her father had received an owl from a family friend last year, but when she tried to stroke his head, it pecked her fingers and flew off.
“Jasper? What’s the matter with you?” Ginny huffed at the creature, going to open the envelope with interest. If it was from Jasper, it meant that the letter had to come from her father. With a shrug, she tore open the envelope and began to read.
Dear Ginevra, it pains me to do this, but I see no alternative. I am so disappointed in you that I cannot begin to express the depths of it. I thought I had raised you better than this, but I was sadly mistaken. It seems that you do take after your mother, and for that, I cannot blame you completely.
However, as you are going to be graduating from Hogwarts next year, I will not turn a blind eye to your actions. For someone that is about to reach magical maturity, one would think you would have grown up yourself, Ginevra.
Actions come with consequences and you have deliberately been dosing a Lord with Amortentia. For that, it can be an immediate spot in Azkaban alone, yet, he has chosen not to do so. He has even declined to press any sort of charges against you for such a transgression.
We were his family, Ginevra. We were there for him when he had no place to go, and yet, you and Molly have betrayed him. Did you ever stop and think about how any of this would make him feel? I find myself impressed by his kindness and patience with our family, which you will no longer be a part of for those reasons.
Again, this pains me, but it is the most reasonable option. I have to think of your brothers and myself, and I cannot allow you or your mother to bring more shame upon this family. I still love you, for you will always be my daughter and perhaps, if you can learn to become a better person, then I will undo this.
Until then; Ginevra Molly Weasley, you are hereby disowned. You will no longer be welcome at the Burrow and all of your things have been removed. Your mother has been divorced and has all of your belongings. You are no longer a Weasley.
I’m sorry.
Arthur Weasley
Her small hands were shaking as she read the letter, her eyes filling with tears as the weight of the situation hit her like a ton of bludgers. Ron seemed to notice as he stopped eating and went to take the letter, only to have Ginny drop it back into her food.
“Prank! This…this has to be a prank,” She frantically mumbled, unaware that she was quickly gaining attention from the rest of the table. “He…he wouldn’t do this to me!” She hissed and went to quickly open the next letter, thinking it was going to be from her father, explaining that everything was a joke. There was no way he could know that she had attempted to dose Harry with Amortentia, right? She quickly opened the next letter, reading it with wider eyes.
Dear Ginevra Molly Prewett, you are hereby removed from all Weasley family vaults. You have been disowned by Arthur Weasley and will be living in the Prewett household with your mother and other relatives.
Have a good day.
-Grufgon, Head Goblin of Gringotts.
Unaware that Ron was reading the other letter, Ginny sat numbly at the table, eyes wide as he tried to come to terms with everything.
“…What the Bloody Hell is wrong with you, Ginny!?” Ron growled at the redhead who flinched at the accusatory tone, her eyes widening further. “I can’t believe you would have stooped so low. This is disgusting!” With food lying forgotten on his plate; Ron was glaring daggers at his now disowned sister.
“You can’t be serious, Ron. C’mon, you know this sort of thing happens all the time-“
“And that doesn’t make it any better, or legal for that matter!” Now all eyes were on the two as Ginny tore apart the letters in her fury, ranting about how life was unfair. Ron made a face and shook his head. “You brought that on yourself, Gin. You deserved it.” His face was slightly warm from all the stares the two had on them. Looking to his right, his eyes found Harry and Hermione’s. A dull sense of longing washed over him as he looked at the two, remembering when they were inseparable. He felt another emotion hit him when he narrowed in on Harry, recalling what now destroyed letter contained.
We were his family, Ginevra. We were there for him when he had no place to go, and yet, you and Molly have betrayed him. Did you ever stop and think about how any of this would make him feel?
“Oh, Merlin…” He mumbled to Harry’s confusion. The realization struck him hard as his blood went cold, a new perspective coming as he stared at Harry in a new light. Memories flashed before him, some good and some not, but they all had an important meaning.
“Go on, have a pasty,”
“I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks.”
“Weasley is our king,”
“You want to go to bed, Harry? I expect you’ll need to be up early tomorrow for a photo-call or something,”
“Something for you to wear on Tuesday. You might even have a scar now, if you’re lucky…. That’s what you want, isn’t it?”
After the huge fight they had in their fourth year, which was thanks to his own jealously, Harry had only four words for him.
“It’s okay. Forget it,”
But Ron couldn’t. Not now at least. He swallowed hard when his stomach lurched and churned painfully, his face paling as he rushed out the great hall. Behind him, he left Harry and Hermione, both confused by the strange behavior.
“What was that about?” Hermione whispered, looking at her friend who was staring off in the direction Ron had just run off too.
“I’ve no idea,” He responded truthfully, a look of contemplation on his face.
The rest of the day went on uneventfully until Harry decided to finally talk to Justin. Taking Hermione’s advice about inviting him to Hogsmeade, he waited until after charms, gently taking a hold of the other wizard’s arm once class was over.
“Hey, Justin. Do you have a moment?” Harry asked slowly letting his hand drop when the Hufflepuff flushed and nodded.
“Uh, yeah! What’s up?” He asked nervously, not quite looking Harry in the eyes. The Gryffindor ran a hand through his hair, suddenly becoming nervous as well.
“I think we both have a lot that needs to be discussed. I’d rather do it in a more private setting than Hogwarts though. Would you care to join me at Hogsmeade this Sunday?” He nearly cursed when he saw Justin’s eyes light up at that.
“Yeah! That’s uh, that’s fine with me!” Justin smiled brightly and Harry found himself returning it slowly, gathering the rest of his things.
“Okay. I’ll meet you at the three Broomsticks around noon.” Justin was lighting up again, but Harry ignored it, focusing on getting his things and getting out of there.
“How did it go?” Hermione asked once Harry came up to her, brow raised at the face he sent.
“I asked him to Hogsmeade, but I think he assumes it’s meant to be a date. My exact wording was I think we both have a lot that needs to be discussed. I’d rather do it in a more private setting than Hogwarts though. Would you care to join me at Hogsmeade this Sunday? Does that sound like a date to you?”
“Not really,” Hermione answered honestly, holding back a smirk. “Because for one, you would stutter more if you were asking someone out. You’re a disaster for a reason,” She teased as Harry flushed and couldn’t stop from laughing at his own expense.
“Who have I asked out, though? Not anyone recently.”
“No, but you did have a thing for Cedric,” Hermione smirked as Harry flushed more at that. “And if you weren’t falling hard for a certain someone, I could see you and the twins together.” She smirked as his face heated up even more, if that were even possible.
“Merlin, I regret telling you the crush I had on them in my fourth and fifth year,” Harry groaned as Hermione giggled.
“It’s okay, Harry. Lots of people think about being sandwiched between them,” Nearly choking on his spit at that, he covered his face.
“Unless you have the strong arms of Viktor Krum to call your own,” He teased back, turning the tables and making her flush this time. “Am I wrong?” He smirked.
“Not at all. Viktor does have amazing arms,” Hermione sighed softly, thinking about her boyfriend with a slightly dreamy look on her face. “Well, I’ll see you later. I’ve got Arithmancy to get to,” She gave her friend a gentle squeeze as she veered off into the opposite direction. Sighing, Harry was about to turn down the hallway that would lead him to the great hall, but he was pulled into an abandoned classroom before he could get the chance.
Expecting to be hit with a spell, he was surprised when none came. He blinked in confusion upon realizing who his captor was.
“Ron?” Harry looked around discretely, checking to see if they were alone. “What’s going-“
“I’m sorry,” Mouth shutting audibly, Harry looked at him in awe. “For a lot of things. Especially what Ginny tried to do to you. I had no idea she was doing that, Harry!”
“Uh…it’s fine. It didn’t work in her favor in the end anyway,” Harry shrugged it off, already feeling like she had received her just deserts. She was disowned now and had been kicked from the Burrow. It did feel odd conversing this cordially with Ron, though. Usually, the redhead was glaring at him and shooting him dirty looks. Why had this suddenly changed his behavior? Something wasn’t quite adding up.
“I’ve been a real prat,” Ron mumbled suddenly, once again causing Harry to be startled into silence. “I can’t believe I ignored what you were saying this entire time. You do deserve to be yourself and just because someone thinks you should do something doesn’t mean you have to,”
“Uh,” Harry was unsure of how to begin, wondering if this was a trick of some sort. “I’m sorry, but what brought this on?” He anxiously scratched the back of his neck, watching as Ron frowned.
“When your name was pulled from the goblet.” The redhead began to explain. “You didn’t put your name in there, just like you didn’t as to fight Voldemort.” Harry was impressed that Ron had made the connection, but he didn’t dare interrupt him. “And just because people expect you to do something doesn’t mean you have to. Who in their right mind would want to fight a Dark Lord anyway? One that hasn’t even graduated yet.” Holding back a chuckle, Harry shrugged, amusement obvious on his face.
“Kinda took you a long time to realize that,” He informed, a hardness to his voice that made Ron sheepishly rub his arm.
“I know. I’m not asking to be completely forgiven. I don’t expect things to ever go back to how they once were, but I want to try to regain as much as I can,” Ron paused and looked away for a moment, exhaling shakily. “I miss my friend,” There was such a sincerity in the words that Harry found himself swallowing hard and fighting off a foreign sensation in his eyes.
“You were my first real friend, Ron. Nothing will ever change that,” Harry promised, feeling like a weight was lifted from his shoulders. “It’ll take time before anything can improve though. I’m still not happy with your comments about Dean and Seamus, or the way you think Hermione should be with you, even when she has a loving boyfriend who is right for her.” Ron flinched at that, running a hand down his face as his own words were thrown back at him.
“I have no idea what’s gotten into me lately. I’m not even homophobic, I swear! Fred and George and Charlie are all gay, and I’ve got no problems with it. It’s like something is telling me to say shit like that even when I don’t mean it or want to say anything. Just like when I see you with Hermione. It’s like something is forcing me to do it. I don’t even care if you’re dating-“
Harry was no longer listening, soon growing alarmed at what Ron was suggesting.
Compulsion spells? It would make sense. Dumbledore was around the Weasley’s a lot.
“Ron,” Harry gently cut the other off, eyebrows knitted as if he were deep in thought. “What do you mean that you don’t want to say it?” He needed to get answers about it. There was still the probability that this was all a ruse, so it was all more reason to gather as much information.
“I know you don’t care for fame, Harry, but there are moments when it feels like something is telling me to get angry at you for it.”
Why had he never considered this a possibility in the past? Sure, Ron was known for his jealousy, but he never turned on him this much until now. Ron’s attitude had been getting worse over the years, namely their fourth year, but he had at least attempted to apologize back then. Of course, Ron always had a bias towards the Slytherins, but it was mainly Malfoy. Thinking about it now, it looked as if things had been amplified.
“There’s a way we can see if there’s something wrong with you,” Harry suggested. “Like compulsion spells,” He informed, watching the way Ron paled at that.
“Compulsion spells? Merlin, please tell me you’re joking?” Harry shook his head, crossing his arms. “What makes you think it could be a compulsion spell?”
“It might not be one,” Harry quickly pacified his once close friend, taking a deep breath as he continued. “However, the symptoms you’re describing are associated with people that are under the influence of some sort of compulsion spell. If it is one, we need to remove it so you can regain your freedom,” Harry suggested.
“How would we go about it? Madame Pomfrey?” Harry made a face, rubbing his neck again.
“No…we need to go to Se-Snape,” He quickly corrected himself before Ron could notice. “I know you don’t like him, but he would know what to do, and he probably has an antidote or something,” Harry knew the spell that would show if Ron were under some sort of spell, but he would rather deal with this in Severus’ company. “Besides, Madame Pomfrey would probably inform Dumbledore if there were a compulsion on you, and I think it’s something we need to figure out on our own.”
“…Fine.” Ron mumbled, not looking pleased about the entire situation and Harry couldn’t blame him.
“I’ve got detention with him in about thirty minutes. We can head there early,” Harry suggested as he slowly walked towards the dungeons with Ron. A few students stopped and openly gawked at them, surprised that they were being civil towards one and other. Most were surprised that Ron wasn’t openly glaring at Harry like he usually was.
“How many detentions have you had with him?” Ron asked as they neared the dungeons. The green-eyed wizard smirked and gave an indifferent shrug.
“About two months’ worth,” Harry admitted, holding back a snicker as Ron gave an indigent squawk.
“Two months?! Merlin, that’s bloody awful,” Shrugging again, he glanced at Ron with a raised eyebrow.
“It’s not as bad as it sounds,” He said nonchalantly. “I get a chance to study, which I’m thankful for,” Harry didn’t mind admitting that, knowing it didn’t give anything away. Besides, Severus would be there soon to see if his hunch was correct.
To his surprise, he noticed the dark-haired wizard waiting on him in front of his office, eyebrow raised when he looked over the pair. Onyx eyes met emerald and Severus sighed at the look he was given.
“I see. Follow me,” He didn’t go into his private rooms this time, instead of leading them into his office. He gave Harry a small nod towards the door that went unnoticed by Ron. As soon as the door was shut, Harry had placed several warding and privacy spell, smirking at the approving gaze of the potions master. “Care to explain what’s going on?” He was looking at Ron, but his attention was on the raven-haired wizard.
“Potential compulsion spells,” Harry explained, tilting his head to Ron as if it that answered enough. Something flickered in Severus’ expression, his eyes gleaming in interest. “The symptoms he mentioned reminded me of them,” Severus could hear the unspoken if this isn’t a ruse.
“Is that true, Mr. Weasley?” At the nod, Severus crossed his arms. “Can you describe them for me?” Harry could see the darkening of his eyes that promised pain to the redhead if this were all a ploy. It made his heart warm all of a sudden, a feeling he was getting used to around Severus.
“It’s hard to-to explain,” Ron stuttered and flushed, looking embarrassed. “It feels like something’s telling me to speak up and make a full of myself, like when I made those comments to Dean and Seamus. I’m not a homophobe, but I’ll suddenly have these thoughts out of nowhere that I should say something against it.” He looked down. “Or when I’m rude to Harry because of his status as a famed wizard. I know he doesn’t care for it, but….something just makes me go against it,”
“Interesting,” Severus frowned as he pulled out his wand. He wouldn’t put it past the headmaster to do this, but he had to be sure. “I’m going to run a diagnostic spell on you, Mr. Weasley.”
“Uh,” Ron swallowed nervously, but nodded anyway. “Al-alright,” Resisting the urge to roll his eyes at the stuttering, he aimed his wand and let magic do its thing.
It didn’t take long for a paper to appear, which Severus looked over as it landed in his palm.
“Once more, your assessment is correct, Mr. Potter.” Harry didn’t know if he wanted to be happy at that, or angry at the Headmaster. He settled on anger upon the way Snape winced at whatever was on the paper, something he didn’t often do.
“What? How…how do I get rid of them?” Ron’s pale face made his freckles stand out even more. “And who placed them on me in the first place? How long have they been on me?” Severus handed Harry the paper as he went to grab a vial from his personal rooms. He looked over it and felt his jaw drop in shock, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Which question do you wanna know first?” At the look he received, Harry sheepishly grinned. “Alright. Uh…it says the first compulsion was placed in our fourth year,”
“The Triwizard tournament,” Ron breathed, looking down. That was the first time he had betrayed Harry.
“Yeah. It seems they get stronger as the years go on,” Harry explained, nervously chewing on his lips. He wanted to wait on Severus before revealing to Ron who had placed them. It would make things easier.
Severus came back with a vial of blue liquid, handing it to Ron and ordering him to drink it immediately. Grimacing as soon as the potion hit his tongue, Ron drowned the contents and held back a gag.
“What’s this supposed to-“ He found himself in a seat, everything feeling numb as a tingle started forming in the back of his head. It lasted for about two minutes before disappearing and leaving him feeling clearer than ever. “Oh,” Ron mumbled, blinking rapidly. “Woah,” Harry snorted at that and waited until the redhead regained his bearings. “Right, uh. Who placed them on me?”
“How about you read for yourself,” Harry handed Ron the paper, which was eagerly taken. Brown eyes read over the words, widening in pure hurt and betrayal.
“My own mum,” He whispered, the forgotten paper falling from his hands. Dumbledore too, but Ron could hardly care about that at the moment, too hurt at the moment. “I want to be angry, but after learning what she did with my dad, I can’t say I’m surprised at this,” Ron whispered, feeling sick all of the sudden.
“Ron?” The said wizard was jolted from his thoughts when he felt Harry’s hand on his shoulder, rubbing it soothingly.
“I’ll be alright. I just…need to think about what I’m going to do. I don’t feel safe here anymore,” He confided, picking up the paper and swallowing his dry throat. Harry was grateful that Severus had left the room to give them privacy, allowing him to be there for his once more friend.
“You don’t have to stay here,” Harry suggested. “I know you want to become an Auror,”
“No. I…I don’t want that either.” Harry hated that the wizard beside him had been used in such a way, and all to get him to follow their plans.
“Then you could do what the twins did. They left during their seventh year and didn’t complete their NEWTs either,” The Weasley seemed to consider that as he nodded.
“I think I want to go home. Maybe help the twins with the shop, or even get a job at a quidditch store in Diagon Alley. Something to do,” Ron mumbled, looking lost.
“I know things have been strained recently, but I’m still here if you need me.” His eyes widened when he found his arms full of a crying redhead. “Oh, Ron,” He exhaled, allowing his friend to cry. “I’m so sorry this happened to you.”
“After all of this is over,” Ron took a breath, his eyes lighting up like pure fire. “let’s make them pay,”
Harry had no problems with that.
Once Ron had grabbed all of his things and left through the floo network, curtesy of Severus, Harry found himself sitting in the same spot he was in last time, running a hand through his unruly hair.
“I almost wish it had been a ploy,” Harry mumbled weakly, his green eyes distant as he looked at his hands. “That way he wouldn’t have to be going through this,” Severus moved closer, allowing his hand to once again card through the messy hair, heart-pounding when Harry leaned into the touch, closing his eyes. “I honestly hadn’t been expecting Molly to put a compulsion spell on her son,”
“Neither was I.” Severus hated to admit it, but it did astound him. It shouldn’t have, considering she had been giving Arthur a love potion for over twenty years. Sadly, the woman didn’t possess any sort of morals. Neither did Albus Dumbledore for that matter.
“He was my first friend you know?” Harry spoke after a few moments of silence, his tone making Severus’ heart ache. “I never had any friends growing up. Dudley made sure people knew I was a freak and didn’t deserve to be them. Then when I got here, everyone wanted to be my friend because of my fame and not for me,” Harry paused and blinked away the wetness in his eyes. “Everyone but Ron. He was the first one who looked past the ‘boy who lived’ nonsense. Then our fourth year happened…” He leaned into Severus more, sighing. “To know that he never turned on me willingly…”
“Another pawn in Dumbledore’s game,” Severus surmised, making the emerald-eyed Wizard nod.
“I’m thankful that my magic is strong. If it hadn’t been,” Harry trailed off, knowing Severus understood what he was implying. “I wish he would just leave me alone,” The desperation in the younger wizard’s voice made the older wizard twitch, a protective fire blazing in his eyes.
“He will,” Severus promised darkly, causing the other to bite his lips and smile a bit. “I’m sure if you were to treat him the same way you did with the Dark Lord…” Harry laughed softly at the suggestion, unaware that was the goal.
“I was being nice to Tom. I’m not sure I would be as kind to Albus,” Severus hummed at that. “I know a way to hurt him more though,” Harry smirked as Severus raised an eyebrow. “Why not just blow up his Sherbet lemons? Or do something horrible to them,” He suggested with an evil gleam in his eyes that made the potion’s master chuckle.
“Dare I ask what you would do to make them horrible? They’re already disgusting as is,” Harry snorted in agreement, his mind already scheming away.
“Well, the twins and I were working on a sticking charm meant for food only. Particularly, hard candies,” He explained with a Slytherin smirk that turned into a curious frown when food appeared on the table.
"You weren't at dinner tonight," Severus stated, causing Harry to flush at the fact Severus had not only noticed that, but was now providing food for him.
"Thank you," He flushed more, eating as Severus graded papers beside him. Once the plate vanished, Harry gave a contented sigh when those hands absentmindedly returned to his hair, stroking on their own accord. The younger hid a smile as he leaned closer, getting some reading done.
Later that night as Albus Dumbledore went to eat a Sherbet lemon before bed, he was unsuspecting of the sticking charm until it hit his tongue, making it boil and fester up immediately.
Notes:
Woah, another long chapter! I really had fun writing this one and I hope everyone enjoyed it.
As for the new Ron aspect to it, I hope everyone likes it! I found myself tiring of the entire "Ron bashing" and wanted to make his character new. Lord knows I've bashed him enough in my other stories.
Chapter 13
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"Mr. Potter, a word if you will,” McGonagall stopped him before breakfast on Friday, something quite severe in her expression that made Harry falter. He made the familiar trek to her office, waiting until she took a seat behind her desk. “Please sit down. You’re surprisingly not in trouble for once,” Harry took a breath and sat down, nervously playing with the sleeves of his jumper.
“What did you want to discuss, Professor?” Harry asked, more than a little worried that Dumbledore had put her up to this. She was his right-hand woman, wasn’t she?
“Two things. The first being about Ronald Weasley.” Harry swallowed hard and looked into her eyes, wondering what she was going to bring up. “Now, I don’t make it a habit to get involved with the drama that students find themselves into, I do when students of my house leave Hogwarts with no intention of returning.” The young wizard sighed, shaking his head.
“Nothing like that happened, Professor. If you’re worried that we got into a fight, then I can assure you nothing like that happened.” Harry promised her, knowing he couldn’t give away the complete truth.
“Then what did happen, Mr. Potter?” She asked softly, making Harry almost wince. He wanted to desperately trust her, but there was no way of knowing if she was on Dumbledore’s side.
“I’m afraid I can’t tell you.” He admitted, almost shyly. “It’s not my place.” He added, observing the way McGonagall considered that, nodding. “The only thing I’m at liberty to say is that he’s dealing with a lot of family issues right now, and school was only making things worse.” The transfigurations professor sighed.
“Yes, I know quite a bit about what the Weasley family is sadly going through.” She sighed and Harry felt a twinge of pity go through his chest. His professor looked years older, dark bags under her eyes and wrinkles that looked to be from stress alone. “In that case, I shall talk to the Weasley family about this. You’ll have to forgive my bluntness, Mr. Potter. You and Ronald have been at odds all term and I was worried something drastic happened.” Harry offered her a small smile.
“It’s alright, Professor. You had reason to be concerned, after all. My relationship with Ron was at an all-time low this year.” He hated that now, but there was nothing that could change it now. “What was the other thing you wished to discuss?”
“Your career path,” She was pulling a sheet from her desk, laying it on the table. “I know we’ve already had this discussion before, but I wish to know what it is that you truly want. The Headmaster is insistent that you wish to be an Auror, but,” She looked at him from the top of her glasses, a knowing smirk. “I believe that is him trying to control your life again,” Harry practically snorted, a little surprised.
“Well, you’re not wrong. I have no desire to be an Auror.” Harry admitted with an embarrassed grin, looking away. “And I suppose this is where you want to know what it is that I truly want to do?” His professor gave him a look.
“This is the point of this meeting, Mr. Potter,” She responded, growing confused when her student started to fidget again. Why in Merlin’s name was this causing such an unease for him? Unless the younger had no idea. She sighed. “Harry, it’s quite understandable to be unsure. It’s rare to find the job for you right after Hogwarts,”
“It’s not that.” He sighed, worrying his bottom lip. “I do know what I want to do, but it’s something I’m not going to be able to for a while.” That caught his professor’s attention as he clasped her hands together, inclining her head for him to continue. “Hogwarts would need to go through some changes before it could happen,” He clarified, watching as a spark ignited in her eyes.
“This school has required changes for a very long time. What would you want to do?” Surprised that she wasn’t arguing yet, he started to build a little more courage, the unease of Dumbledore finding out slowly ebbing away.
“I think it could benefit from a permanent dueling class. Dueling club isn’t enough to sustain everyone, and I think some life lessons could be learned. Defense is a great class and all, but there’s a difference between being able to cast a spell and being able to hold your own in a battle,” He looked to see her reaction, surprised when he found the approving look. “There are people everywhere that can cause someone harm. A dueling class would at least provide more than simply knowing how to cast a spell,”
“Very good, Mr. Potter. Ten points to Gryffindor for knowing defense isn’t enough.” She smirked at the look of awe. “I can only do so much. Between my headmistress duties, being head of Gryffindor, and being a transfigurations professor, there isn’t much time for me to do these things on my own. If it were up to me, I would have brought back dueling class years ago.”
“My only issue is Dumbledore. I don’t see him allowing that class to return.” It wasn’t directly stated, but it was clear to McGonagall that with Dumbledore as Headmaster, Harry wouldn’t be willing to teach at the school.
“Don’t worry, Mr. Potter. Things change, and with how things are going,” She paused, giving the younger another knowing look. “Some people won’t be around to stop it,” The seventeen-year-old nearly choked at what she was implying. Instead of mentioning it, he spoke back up.
“There was one more class that I wouldn’t mind teaching one day. It’s a little more…dangerous though,” Harry admitted with a grin that made McGonagall raise an eyebrow. “I’m interested in spell crafting. It could be an elective class for only sixth and seventh years,” His professor was looking at him as if she had never met him before.
“Spell crafting? Have you created spells before, Mr. Potter?” She asked, eyes wide but fascinated.
“It’s a hobby, but I have a few spells that I’ve created,” He smiled a bit at her, watching as she looked deep into his eyes. “It comes naturally to me. I also wouldn’t mind doing more research on it in the future. Maybe even create my own book and sell it, that way I can at least earn some money for all the spells I’ve created.” He explained.
“As surprised as I am, you have always been an invested student. Your parents were very much the same way, full of bright ideas and potential. Although, your father and Sirius Black often used their gifts to prank people.” Harry snorted at that, nodding along. He knew the Marauders were pranksters, but he also knew the darker parts of their story. Severus had lived through it in his time as a student, and while they were brilliant, they had all bullied many people. At least they had grown up towards the end.
Now, when he thought of pranksters, he thought of a pair of red-haired devils that owned a profitable joke shop. Those two weren’t just brilliant, but they were true pranksters too.
“Are you sure you’re not talking about Fred and George?” He asked the witch innocently. A small, but genuine smile formed on his professor’s face.
“You have no idea how often I thank Merlin himself that I didn’t have to teach those boys at the same time,”
With his last class of the day coming up, Harry smiled to himself as he walked with Hermione. Potions had become one of his favorite subjects and thanks to all the time he spent in Severus’ company, he had picked up many of the man's tricks.
“What did Professor McGonagall want to talk to you about?” Hermione asked as they walked through the dungeons, both at least thirty minutes early for class. With how busy the pair had been, neither had been able to sit down and talk to each other like they wanted.=
“The main thing she wanted to talk about was Ron. I know her heart was in the right place, but I couldn’t tell her everything. She assumed something happened between us that made him leave,” Hermione frowned at that, nodding sadly. “I told her the reason he left was because of family issues,”
“I still can barely wrap my head around it,” Hermione sighed softly, disappointment radiating off of her. “It’s such a shame that a mother would do that to their child,”
“I know. I didn’t want to be surprised, but I still was in the end. I hate that it went on for so long unnoticed,” Harry felt horrible about what Ron was going through, but when he thought of the promise he made, it did give him some sort of vindictive energy. “I can’t remember, but did I tell you the promise I made to Ron?”
“No, I don’t think you did,” Curious eyes met emerald as Harry smirked.
“We plan on getting revenge somehow. Ron was the one who suggested we make them pay for all of this,” Hermione grinned at that, nodding in approval.
“I don’t see why not. It’s something that’s been a long time coming,” The witch responded as they entered the vacant potions classroom, claiming their designated table. “The only obstacle is deciding when to attack,”
“Originally I had planned it around Yule. I don’t think Dumbledore or anyone else in the Order has attempted to enter Grimmauld place. I’ve claimed it and there are only a few people that the warding will allow inside the house,”
“When did you do that?” Hermione asked as she gave him a stern look. Harry grinned innocently and shrugged.
“A few days ago, actually. I snuck out early in the morning to make a few changes to the wards,” He admitted. “The only people allowed in are you, Luna, Neville, the Weasley’s, Severus, Remus and me, of course.” Hermione giggled as Harry listed off the people allowed in. “I can always change that to let Viktor in,” He gave the flushing witch a wink, earning a gentle slap to the arm.
“How long did that take? With all the people you added, it must have taken more than an hour to create, and you were on time for breakfast.”
“It didn’t take too long. What took the longest was finding the best spot to adjust the wards. They were strong, but I could tell they needed a lot of work. Because I’m officially a Lord of the Black family, the wards were quite easy to manipulate. It’s why I can apparate on Hogwarts grounds.
“What?! You didn’t tell me that!” Hermione was gaping at him, excitement in her eyes. “I thought the Headmaster was the only one with the ability to do that?” Harry smirked a bit, knowing he hadn’t told anyone else about this.
“While you’re partially right about that, you need to remember that I’m related to one of the founders. I have Gryffindor blood in me, so maybe the castle considers that? Not to mention the Slytherin in here,” He pointed to his scar. “I assumed the wards might bend a little for me in that case,”
“Of course,” Hermione practically face palmed herself in frustration. “I can’t believe that I forgot about that fact. I remember reading about the founder's descendants being able to enter and leave the castle as they pleased. It all adds up,”
“I haven’t even told Severus about it. I wouldn’t mind surprising him with it one day. Maybe if I apparate to detention,” Harry snickered as his friend huffed fondly.
“Or maybe you could apparate to his bed?” She spoke innocently, ignoring her sputtering friend who was doing a great imitation of a tomato. “That would certainly surprise him,” He hid his face into his hands, groaning.
“Merlin. When did you become so…crude?” He chuckled despite himself, face still on fire.
“I’ve no idea what you mean,” Hermione said while flipping through her potions book, stopping at the dreamless sleep page.
“Sure you don’t,” He teased her, doing as she had done. “I have a feeling we’ll be brewing this today. Snape assigned us quite a few essays about it earlier this week.” He had studied the potion and the brewing process the other night with Hermione, both making sure they had it memorized.
“I figured we would be,” She admitted, glancing to where Justin usually sat. “I hope Justin paid attention. His last potion was bad enough, but this one can be more…volatile if prepared incorrectly.” Harry grimaced at the reminder, also looking to where Justin usually sat.
“Something tells me him and a few other’s won’t be here for much longer,” At the questioning look, the young wizard nodded towards the board. “He only accepts O’s. With Yule break coming up next month, we’ll have our first midterms. He might make an exception if he believes the student has potential, but I doubt he’ll continue to teach people who earn anything bellow and Exceeds Expectations.”
“I hadn’t thought of that,” Looking ahead, she sighed. “You’re probably right though. He has been drilling the fact that this exam will be based around the NEWT one. If people can’t pass it, then they’ll be kicked out. Do you think he’s going to tell them in advance, or right before the test?”
“I honestly don’t know,” There was a thoughtful look on his face as he pondered, tapping his book in thought. “As easy as it would be for him to tell them before the test, he does want us to succeed. I think he’ll tell us soon,” After getting to know Severus well, there were certain things Harry understood more now.
“As much as I hate to admit it, I want Justin out of this class,” She halfheartedly glared as Harry laughed outright at the words. “What? I have reason to want him out. He’s a danger-“
“I’m not laughing at you, Mione. I share that sentiment, as does Severus,” Harry slipped again, flushing a little. "Justin is a nice guy, but with all his mistakes, he could send us all to the infirmary. It’s a surprise that Se-Snape hasn’t kicked him out yet,” This time, Harry made sure to not slip up his name.
They continued to talk back and forth, quieting down when Severus came in, followed by a few others. There were still another ten minutes before class began, so they talked quietly amongst themselves.
“Oh, Merlin…” Hermione mumbled quietly, spotting Justin coming in with a rose. “Looks like Justin’s going to give you a rose after class,” She whispered, causing Harry to nervously glance in Justin’s direction.
“Fuck,” He cursed quietly as he flushed darkly, shielding his eyes as he sighed. Unknown to him, onyx eyes were watching him closely, eyeing the flush that stained his cheeks. “I pray to Merlin he does that once everyone else is gone,” Harry huffed, not looking pleased.
“It’ll be okay. Just today and tomorrow. You can tell him Sunday,” Hermione made sure no one could hear what they were saying. “Besides, this might end up being useful.” Harry nearly pouted at that, looking at her in mock betrayal.
“I’m glad my suffering is entertaining for you,” He teased, earning an eye-roll.
“Honestly, Harry. I’m surprised you haven’t noticed.” Lost at what his friend was trying to comment on, he furrowed his brows in clear confusion.
“Noticed what?” He asked, chewing on his bottom lip.
“Nothing,” Hermione shook her head, turning her attention to the front of the class. Sighing, Harry dropped it and followed her example.
Not long after that, Severus was at the front of the class with a blank look on his face.
“Today you will be brewing the dreamless sleep potion, which I will be expecting to be brewed exceptionally.” Staring the students down, he spoke in a stern tone. “You have been given multiple assignments and essays on this particular potion in the last week. Failure to brew it will result in a two-hour detention, which you will be grounded to your common rooms and required to study.” Harry could sense Justin’s unease from where he was. “Begin,”
“For those of you that are done, bottle your potions and start cleaning your workstations,” Severus met Harry’s eye, giving a small nod in approval as he went around to those who were still struggling. Unlike last time, most students had completed the potion. There were only two groups that struggled to complete the potion and Harry was thankful for that. Hermione was correct when she mentioned how volatile the potion was. Knowing only two groups were having a hard time had him less apprehensive overall.
Harry was placing their bottled potion at Snape’s desk when Malfoy came up beside him, turning in his potion as well.
“How long until Severus kicks him out of the class?” Malfoy started up a conversation quietly, surprising Harry for a moment.
“Honestly, I’m not sure. My guess is Yule,” Harry responded, watching Justin’s potion as well. “Kinda surprised that Pansy isn’t doing so well,” He commented quietly, making the blonde snort.
“She’s shite at potions. I have no idea how she managed to get into the class.” His arms were crossed, clearly displeased. “It makes me feel bad for Daphne. She’s quite brilliant at potions.” Harry hummed, turning to where Ernie and Justin were, trying to complete their potion.
“Same with Ernie. He’s stuck with Justin,” Harry commented, keeping an eye on the Hufflepuff pair. “I’ve been keeping an eye on his potion so far. Their timer is almost up, so he should be adding the standard ingredient soon,” Draco nodded at the assessment, who had also been keeping an eye on the Hufflepuffs.
“Snape’s busy making sure Pansy doesn’t blow us all up. The least we could do is make sure Finch-Fletchley doesn’t.” The blonde stated, making Harry’s lips turn up in slight amusement. After their timer was up, Justin immediately went to grab the Valerian sprigs, making Harry and Draco share a look as they rushed to stop him.
“If you add that right now, your cauldron will explode,” Harry spoke in a calm voice, pointing to the standard ingredient. Severus quickly turned away from Pansy, looking to where Draco and Harry were stopping an accident. “You need to add the standard ingredient first, then let it sit for a minute before adding the sprigs,”
“Oh, uh,” Justin fumbled, hurriedly doing as Harry said. “Thanks,” He flushed in slight embarrassment setting another timer. Draco rolled his eyes from where he was, keeping an eye on Justin and groaning when the other began to stir.
“Clockwise. Otherwise, you risk the potion turning into poison,” Draco snapped, making Justin tense and correct his mistake. “Seven times,” Draco added, pinching the bridge of his nose when Justin stopped at five. Once that was done, Ernie waved his wand to complete the potion. He glared at Justin as he bottled the potion, standing up.
“I’m sorry about that. We agreed to share the workload, and if I had known he was that inept, I would have done the whole thing myself,” Ernie, who was generally patient as could be, had given up on his potion’s partner.
“Ten points to Slytherin and Gryffindor for stopping an accident before it could occur,” Severus drawled out, watching as the rest of the students finished cleaning their areas. “Dismissed. Mr. Potter stay after class,” Surprised, Harry did as he was told. Hermione hugged him and said she would see him later.
Most of the students were now gone, all but a Ravenclaw and Justin, who was frowning as he started to pack up his bag. Harry went up to him, growing concerned as he gently touched his friend's arm. The Hufflepuff tensed for a moment, making Harry frown.
“Justin?” He asked quietly, relaxing a little when the Hufflepuff sighed and looked up at him, a smile quickly replacing the frown.
“Hey, Harry. Thank you so much for helping me with my potion. It would have been a disaster if you and Draco hadn’t shown up to stop me from making that mistake,” He smiled more, moving closer to his friend. “It seems like you always have a way of saving me,” Harry flushed at what his friend was implying, swallowing when he felt eyes burning into his head.
“It’s no problem. I just did what I needed to,” He flushed more when Justin gave him a soft smile, handing him the rose he saw from earlier. “This is for you, by the way. I’m looking forward to Sunday,”
“Uh, tha-thank you,” The Gryffindor stuttered as he took the flower, face matching the rose.
“I’ll see you later, Harry,” Justin mumbled softly, letting his hand linger as he walked off, leaving a flushed Gryffindor and an irate Slytherin.
“At least it wasn’t in front of the entire class this time,” Harry mumbled, still flushing darkly as he placed the flower in his bag. “What was it you wanted to talk about, Severus?” Said man was reigning his control in, trying to calm the fire burning in his chest.
“Your potions,” The man responded, watching as Harry frowned, looking nervous.
“Is there something wrong with them? Am I-“ Raising a hand for him to stop, Severus shook his head.
“Your potions are fine. In fact, I have to admit that I’m impressed with your abilities,” Harry found himself flushing at that, running a hand through his hair.
“What do you mean by that? My abilities are no different than Hermione’s,”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Harry. While Ms. Granger is exceptionally bright, her knowledge is simply recited from textbooks that she relies too heavily on,” Severus was looking at the other wizard, obviously in thought. “Because of your ability to be creative, I think you could also earn a mastery in potions, if you wish to,” Neatly gapping at him, the green-eyed wizard cleared his throat.
“Are you being serious? Do you think I could actually do that?” Severus nodded, standing up.
“You and Draco are both highly skilled in potions, as you both demonstrated effortlessly today,” Severus watched Harry, smirking slightly. “And I would be failing in my duties if I were to ignore your potential,” Harry snorted at that. “While I wouldn’t recommend earning the potions mastery until you’re finished with your defense one, I wanted to inform you of your potential option.” Harry nodded at that, smiling more.
“Thank you for informing me,” Harry felt a small amount of pride in his chest that warmed him up. “It means a lot to me that you consider my potions to be adequate enough for a mastery,”
“They’re more than adequate, Harry,” There was amusement in those dark eyes as the man gathered his papers. “I’ll meet you outside my quarters after dinner,” Harry nodded at the dismissal, turning around and heading out the classroom. His bag was partly open, causing the red rose to partially peek out.
The Gryffindor was oblivious to the dark eyes glaring at the flower, the onyx eyes burning with an emotion so strong that it caused Harry to shiver on his way to dinner.
Smirking from where he was, Harry decided to go ahead and make good on his comment from earlier. He closed his eyes and apparated outside of the potion master’s rooms, reopening them to find an elegant eyebrow raised in amusement.
“Another one of your…unique abilities,” Severus commented, opening the door and leading Harry into the potions lab. “How long have you been able to do that?”
“Not sure. I hadn’t tried until this year.” Harry admitted as he went to his usual spot, placing his books on the table. While he and Hermione had finished their assignments and were a week ahead, Harry was focusing on Ancient runes and arithmancy.
“I don’t believe you’re in either of those classes,” Severus commented, noticing the books Harry was reading.
“Nope, but I am taking the NEWTs. I’ve been self-studying these two subjects since my fifth year.” Harry informed.
“How many NEWTs are you taking?” Harry paused at the question, clearly running the numbers in his head.
“Nine, I think. Defense, Potions, transfigurations, charms, herbology, care, runes, arithmancy, and history of magic,” Harry listed off. “I’m also self-studying the history of magic. Merlin knows Binns is a horrible teacher. I have no idea why they haven’t replaced him yet.” Snorting, Severus could only nod in agreement.
“I remember feeling that way when I was in his class as well,” Severus agreed. “Most students elect to self-study. I wasn’t aware you were one of them,” He looked to be mildly impressed by it as Harry grinned at him.
“I found the class to be helpful. It goes into detail about the Goblins, and since not enough people pay them respect, I learned to use the material as a way to understand their culture more. I dropped divination to focus more on the class,”
“A smart choice, in my opinion,” Harry chuckled softly.
“Yeah. I got tired of her predicting my death every class. Some of them were ridiculous,” Harry chuckled as he found the page he needed. “Hermione was the first one to call her bluff and leave the class. I followed her example not long after,” Severus was about to say something else when he noticed the flower again from the corner of his eye. It was still peeking out of the bag. Harry reached inside his bag for a quill, sighing when his hand hit the flower.
“Not a fan of roses?” Severus smirked as the younger huffed, pulling the flower out of the bag and laying it on the table.
“Not when I did not indicate wanting to date,” Fetching his quill and ink, Harry let his gaze linger on the rose, sighing. “He is a good person. Just not someone I can picture myself with,” He found himself admitting to Severus, not meeting his gaze. “And not my type,”
“What is your type, then?” Severus smirked as Harry paused, chuckling to himself.
“Honestly, I have no idea. I never really gave it much thought growing up,” He chewed on his bottom lip as he thought. “I at least need someone to match my sarcasm, and that’s one thing Justin definitely can’t do. He’s also not Slytherin enough,”
“Slytherin enough?” Severus asked with a raised eyebrow, lips turned upwards in amusement.
“Yeah. Cunning, ambitious. Not afraid to break the rules and get away with it,” Harry added with a small smirk. “And, as much as I hate saying this, I like someone who uses their mind and is creative. He doesn’t fall into that category either,”
“An understatement,” Harry snorted as Severus said that.
“He’s not an idiot, but I would prefer an intellectual equal for the most part. Also, someone who wouldn’t judge me for my abilities,” At the silence, Harry sighed. “I know it was a long time ago, but he thought I was evil just because I could speak to snakes. If he knew half of what I could do or had done, he wouldn’t want anything to do with me. It’s part of the reason I never gave him a chance,”
“Was there another reason you didn’t give him a chance?” Harry flushed at that and shrugged.
“I also had the feeling he only ever saw me as the boy who lived, and not as myself. Until this year, I only let certain people see the real Harry Potter, not the image I conjured for Dumbledore. From what Hermione told me, he’s been watching me since my fifth or sixth year, so I have reason to believe he ended up falling for that Harry.”
“I see,” Severus allowed himself to watch the younger for a moment. “I am thankful that you don’t have to hide as much now. I’ve enjoyed getting to know the real you, as you put it.” Harry smiled at the kind words, his smile and bright green eyes taking Severus’ breath away.
“Thank you. I always look forward to our time together,” Harry responded in kind as Severus tore his gaze away, focusing back on grading papers before he lost himself in those emerald eyes.
Notes:
Another chapter is complete! This one was going to be longer, but I decided to cut some of it and put it into the next chapter. I didn't want to have too much in one chapter. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy it! Please let me know if you did!
Chapter 14
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
“I don’t think this is going to be a good day,” Harry mumbled to Hermione in the common room, running a hand through his hair. Thanks to the harsh morning rain, he hadn’t been able to fly like he wanted to. Thankfully, the rain had let up not long ago, but it was too late to go for a fly.
“I think you’re mostly saying that because you weren’t able to go flying,” Hermione smirked at the small pout that formed on her friend's lips. “Don’t worry, Harry. There’s always another day.” She knew the real reason her friend liked to fly in the mornings, well, reasons. He did like to clear his head, but her friend also loved to watch the sunrise over Hogwarts.
“I know. I mostly wanted to do it today because I dread hurting Justin,” Laying a sympathetic hand on his shoulder, Hermione gave him a small smile.
“It’s okay, but it needs to be done. Otherwise, you’ll hurt Justin more by leading him on,” Harry flinched at that as he nodded in agreement. “Besides, you’re convinced that he likes the boy-who-lived,”
“Aren’t you?” Harry inquired, earning a sad nod.
“Sadly. He’s always admired you and I’m certain this attraction began one or two years ago when you were still pretending to follow Dumbledore.”
“I’m surprised he still likes me. I mean, it’s not much of a secret that I don’t care for Dumbledore as much as I led on,” Harry added, running a hand through his hair again as he thought of Justin’s attraction to him. “I will give him some benefit of liking me for me, but not a lot. I think the foundation of his attraction lies with the boy-who-lived aspect,” He looked out the window for a moment, emerald eyes distant.
“I don’t know where his loyalties are, but I do fear that he hasn’t noticed your dislike of Dumbledore. He might have, but to be honest, he’s never been the most observant person.” She was right, of course.
“I’d like to believe that I’ve been somewhat subtle in my dislike for Dumbledore. Besides my talks with you, Severus and a few others, I haven’t outright spoken ill of him inside the castle. The headmaster is the one who seeks me out and causes issues for himself.” Harry could recall all the times' Dumbledore had tried to stop him in the middle of an empty hallway or cornered him before he got to the dungeons. Harry had never given the elder man reason to do such things, but the Headmaster was constantly coming up with excuse after excuse.
“How many times has he tried to get you to come to his office for no reason?” Hermione asked, a thoughtful expression replacing her frown. Sighing, Harry shook his head with a bitter laugh.
“There have been instances that I haven’t told anyone about,” Harry admitted, almost shyly. “Because they were so absurd that I thought it would be a waste of time to tell anyone,” Hermione crossed her arms at that, looking a bit put off.
“It wouldn’t be a waste of my time or Professor Snape’s for that matter. What the Headmaster is doing is harassment, plain and simple. You shouldn’t have to deal with it alone,” Hermione spoke with such a conviction that Harry couldn’t stop himself from giving in a little.
“Look, I’ll try my best to tell you when he corners me, but I have told you all the important times,” Harry promised her, taking her hand. “The only reason I didn’t tell you or Severus about the other times is the fact that I didn’t even find them important. They were nothing more than a hindrance that I quickly got out of.”
Hermione sighed at that and eventually gave a small nod, some of the fire leaving her eyes. “I understand, Harry. I worry about you is all, especially with how adamant and tedious the Headmaster has been all term. As I said, this is harassment. You have a right to report him, or at least file some sort of complaint,”
“I know,” Harry responded softly, trying to pacify her. “I’ve thought of it a few times, but I’m worried it might make matters worse. Severus has witnessed two occasions of Dumbledore cornering me, but I don’t think it’s enough. If I honestly want to make a decent report, there needs to be more. The last thing I want is Dumbledore to have an excuse to seek me out even more than he already does. If he knew that I had reported him…” Harry trails off and shakes his head. “Severus already deals with the Headmaster enough. I don’t want to make his life even more of a living hell.” Hermione snorted.
“You seem to forget that Professor Snape has willingly been doing this. I understand why you feel guilty, but I think it’s unwarranted in this case.” Harry paused, giving a small shrug in response.
“Maybe,” He agreed after a few moments, offering her a small smile. “You’re right, though. I just hate making people deal with Dumbledore more than they need to. It’s not fun.” The wizard jokes a bit, making Hermione fondly roll her eyes. “However, what is fun, is pranking Dumbledore and leaving no evidence behind,” Harry smirked, recalling the swollen tongue of the headmaster.
“That was you?” Hermione asked with a gasp, covering her mouth as she laughed. “Merlin, that’s brilliant!”
“I like to think so. Anything thought of with the twins is bound to end up interesting.” Harry chuckled as he stole another glance out the window, looking at the bright sky. It would be noon within the next hour and Harry found himself once more dreading the outcome. “I’m debating on visiting Tom after Hogsmeade.” Hermione made a face at that.
“Why? I can’t exactly picture you two hanging out.” Harry smirked at that, shrugging.
“It’s fun messing with him. He can’t hurt me because I’m his Horcrux and I think he secretly likes me, even if he constantly threatens to hex me.” Again, Hermione made a face.
“Merlin, it sounds like you visit him all the time.”
“Well, Sunday is my day off.” Was all Harry said, not explaining further.
Taking in a breath of chilly air to help soothe his thoughts, Harry apparated to Hogsmeade at five minutes before noon. He made his way to the three broomsticks, seeing Justin’s figure as he approached the pub.
“Hey.” He offered a forced smile, trying not to fidget or mess with his hair. “I hope you haven’t been waiting long. It’s cold out here.” Harry commented, thankful for the chill in the air to mask his awkward flush.
“Nope. I got here only a few minutes ago.” Justin informed; his smile more genuine as he went to open the door for Harry. With a quick thanks, the Gryffindor headed in and sighed at the warmth and pleasant aroma that swept through the air.
“Why don’t we grab a private table? I don’t fancy the crowds.” As usual, the room and the bar especially were packed with students and other adults.
“I don’t either,” Justin admitted, spotting a fairly isolated table towards the back of the building. They hadn’t been seated for long when a wizard came by to get their orders of Butterbeer. It wasn’t long until the drinks appeared and after checking his rings first, Harry took a sip of the sweet concoction, applying some wandless privacy spells. “Thanks for inviting me.” Justin began, looking a little nervous as he took another sip of his drink.
“It’s no problem…I know it was something that needed to be…addressed.” Harry responded, ignoring his drink in favor of talking to Justin. He observed the way the Hufflepuff swallowed, shifting in the wooden seat. “Justin-“
“Harry-“ They both began at the same time, stopping to look at each other and chuckle softly. “Sorry. Merlin, what a cliché thing to happen,” Justin chuckled again, blushing despite himself. Whether it was from embarrassment or the situation in general, Harry had no idea. “This is awkward.” He admits, making Harry laugh softly.
“Understatement.” He jokes, starting to relax a bit. “Look, I think being blunt here will be the best thing for us. I wanted to address your…attraction to me?” Harry finally admitted, causing himself and Justin to flush darkly. “Not in a bad way of course! I just…” He trailed off, starting to lose his momentum. “After what happened in potions class that day, I wanted to talk to you about it.”
“You mean the day where I made a fool of myself and admitted to having a crush on you in front of the entire class and Professor Snape?” Wincing at the wording, Harry gave a sheepish smile.
“Uh, yeah?” Harry mumbled, deciding to take another sip of his butterbeer. “I figured pretending it didn’t happen would be kinda disrespectful towards you? Hermione seemed to think so too, at least.”
“I take it she convinced you to do this?” Justin asked to the surprise of Harry, which made the Hufflepuff chuckle. “Don’t get me wrong, you’re very courageous. It’s just…Hermione seems likely to give you a push to do something.”
“You’re not wrong. She often brings up points that I hadn’t thought about. From the outside, it probably looks pushy, but it’s just what I need sometimes. She knows my boundaries when it comes to pushing a subject.” Harry smiled as he thought of his close friend. “I was initially hesitant to do this…I’m not good with this sort of thing..” Harry admitted, taking another sip of his drink, along with Justin.
“I’m not either,” Justin mumbled as he shifted again, looking away as he went to gently touch Harry’s hand. “Harry…I’m not going to pretend that I don’t like you, but…” He trailed off with a solemn sigh and sad, bittersweet smile. “At first I wanted to be in denial and ignore what was clearly in front of me, but even I’m not that much on an idiot.”
“Justin?” Harry asked, looking at the somber Hufflepuff with a frown. Shaking his head, the other wizard finally looked up to meet emerald eyes.
“You don’t feel the same way.” Justin pointed out, stating the fact like it was clear as day. “When you asked me here the other day, I wanted to believe it would be for a date, but I couldn’t shake off the feeling that it wasn’t the case. That’s why I gave you the flower after potions. Even though deep down I knew it wouldn’t be a date, that small part of me was hoping.”
“I’m sorry,” Harry mumbled awkwardly, rubbing his neck as he looked away for a moment.
“Don’t apologize!” Justin was quick to squeeze Harry’s hand, looking a little nervous. “I’m not upset or anything like that. I mean, I’m a little disappointed of course, but that’s to be expected. It’s not your fault that you don’t feel the same way about me.” Relaxing more, Harry gave a squeeze in return.
“I know. I wish I could.” He said truthfully, offering him a kind smile. “You’re one of the sweetest guys I’ve ever met.” Justin flushed at the compliment, smiling a bit.
“Uh, if you don’t mind me asking, is there a particular reason you don’t feel the same? Not that there has to be! I’m just curious!” Deciding to stretch the truth a bit, Harry sighed.
“As I said, you’re a sweet guy, but I just couldn’t see us together. I don’t think it would have worked out in the long run.” Harry admits, rubbing his arm awkwardly. “Not just because of our different personalities, but because of the things I have to deal with.” Justin swallowed hard, looking around slowly.
“Is it about you-know-who?” He asked, clearly afraid of saying his name. Holding back a grimace, Harry could only shrug.
“Yes and no. While he is part of it,” Which wasn’t exactly a lie in this case. There was no way Justin would want to date him if he knew about his truce with Voldemort. “A lot of the reason is I’m figuring out what I want to do after Hogwarts. I’m not going back to the muggle world. Even if I wanted to, I can’t.”
“Why’s that?” Justin asked, a look of concern crossing his face. “I assume it has to do with your relatives. I heard rumors over the summer, but I didn’t know if they were true.”
“It depends on what you heard. But yeah. It has to do with my relatives.” Harry admitted. “As soon as I turned seventeen, I left that hellhole. They were the worst sort of people. Hated magic and everything that wasn’t considered normal for them. I had enough of Dumbledore forcing me to stay there when all they did was starve me and call me a freak.” Justin paled, quickly grasping Harry’s hand and holding it tightly.
“That’s awful! I hope they get their karma for all the pain they inflicted on you.” Justin mumbled. “Did the Headmaster know they were abusing you?” Harry hesitated but nodded, which only seemed to irate Justin more.
“Yeah. I told him what they did but he kept brushing me off. He told me I had to stay there because the magic would protect me from Voldemort.” Justin held back a shudder at the name. “But if I’m being honest, I never felt safe there. It’s by sheer dumb luck that I didn’t die of starvation or the occasional beatings.” Harry shrugged. “All that matters now is that I’m free from them. It’s kind of the reason I’m so invested in my life after Hogwarts. I know it looks like Hermione and I do nothing but study, but it’s because we want to earn good jobs after we graduate. I don’t have a family to fall back on.” Which wasn’t completely true. He had enough money to live a few lifetimes without having to work, but he wanted to make a name for himself. One that wasn’t just associated with being the Boy-Who-Lived.
“That’s a lot on your shoulders,” Justin mumbled, looking a little thoughtful himself now. “And you raise a good point, I suppose. I have no idea what I want to do after Hogwarts. I’ve been debating between staying or returning to the muggle world. I..I don’t know what I want to do.” He admitted, looking disappointed with himself.
“That’s okay. Someone rarely knows what they want to do after they graduate. Some are lucky to find a subject they excel in. Like Neville and herbology. He’s planning on doing an apprenticeship with Madame Sprout after he graduates.” Harry gave a reassuring squeeze to Justin’s hand, small but genuine smile on his lips. “And a little-known fact, the ministry isn’t the only job option.” He teased, making the Hufflepuff chuckle.
“Most of the important jobs are there.”
“Some, yes. However, curse-breaking, wand making, spell crafting, and magizoologist aren’t connected. Just to name a few.” Harry smiled more. “Diagon Alley is full of shops that are constantly seeking help. Trust me on this. Fred and George are always looking for people to promote their products.” The last thing he wanted to see was the magical world lose a great wizard because of the lacking subjects and lessons in Hogwarts.
“I suppose. Another thing that’s been stopping me is the possibility of a war. My kind isn’t exactly welcomed by the opposing side.” Harry did wince at that, biting his lips at the painful reminder that there was indeed a war going on, but one that was built on lies. Knowing he had to clear some things up, Harry sighed.
“Don’t believe everything you hear.” He mumbled, earning a surprised look from the wizard across from him. “I’ve been told that the Dark Lord tried to recruit my mother to join his death eaters. He had to know she was a muggleborn.” Harry explained.
“Really? How do you know that?” Justin asked.
“I saw some memories provided by a pensive.” The emerald-eyed wizard mumbled. “He wanted my mom and dad on his side, even though she was a muggleborn. I think the war is about more than blood status. In all the raids I’ve read about, I’ve never once heard him attacking a muggle town or targeting muggleborns.” Justin looked thoughtful, albeit a little skeptical.
“Sure, but that doesn’t erase the fact about the first war. All the things I’ve read talk about all the Wizarding families he killed and all people they tortured.” Harry hummed, nodding along. He didn’t want to give away his true thoughts, not when he was trying to remain neutral. There was one key thing he wanted to point out first.
“There are a lot of books about the first war, but I think it’s fair to point out that it’s written from our perspective,” Harry commented, taking another sip of his drink when Justin shot him a confused look. “The light side won the war. The side who wins will always paint the opposing side in a different light.” He reminded, watching the realization dawn across the Hufflepuffs face.
“I never really thought of it like that…” Justin trailed off. “It’s hard to imagine what our books would be like if the other side had won.” Harry simply shrugged.
“Who knows. I’m not saying that the Death Eaters didn’t do some horrible things during the war, but from some of the stories I’ve been told, the light side has just as much blood on their hands.” Justin frowned at that, looking at the drink in his hand.
“And where do you fall?” Justin asked, surprising Harry as the raven-haired wizard went to take another sip. Deciding to stay close to the truth, Harry snorted.
“I don’t.” He admitted. “I know I’m expected to make the light win, but I can’t bring myself to get involved with a war that I once knew nothing about. Truthfully, I just want to live my life. I don’t want to fight Voldemort and die. The prophecy says that I’ll defeat Voldemort by getting myself killed as well.” It was a bit of a lie, but it wouldn’t hurt to stretch the truth. Justin looked pale at that; his eyes wide as he tightened his hold on Harry’s hand.
“That’s stupid! I don’t care about this war if it means you have to die. Vo-Voldemort can win for all I care. Your life is mort important.” Justin flushed, making himself let go of Harry’s hand. “Uh-Sorry.”
“It’s okay.” Harry smiled at him in understanding. “It’s not something I usually talk about over Butterbeer.” He joked, earning a weak laugh. “C’mon. Let’s talk about something less depressing. Maybe the odds of the upcoming Slytherin and Gryffindor match?” This time, he earned a true laugh.
“And just when I thought I was going to enjoy the rest of my day,” The Dark Lord commented, his crimson eyes narrowing in on the newly apparated wizard.
“Awww, Tommy. I missed you too!” Harry grinned at the glare, pulling something from his pocket. “I did bring you a gift, though. I know how much Butterbeer. Unless you don’t want it-“
“Kindly stop talking and give that to me.” Tom huffed, any annoyance fading at the offered gift.
“I knew that would work. By the way, I might have fixed some of the muggleborn’s ideas of your side the past two weeks.” Cocking an eyebrow, the Dark Lord gave him a look.
“Are you sure you don’t want to join my side? You’re doing a better job than Draco.” Harry outright laughed.
“That’s because Draco only now stopped using slurs against the muggleborns.” While he got along with Draco now, they would likely never become any closer. “He’s changed, but his reputation among the muggleborn population at Hogwarts is tarnished.”
“Perhaps. He was still my best option at the time. Between him and Crabbe and Goyle, I think the answer was clear.” Harry made a face at that.
“Merlin, you had a shit hand.” He snorted. “But, if you ask me, I think you’re desperate to get me on your side.” Harry teased.
“As I said before, you are an exception.” Voldemort hummed, lacing his fingers together as he peered at Harry. “You certainly visit me enough to be one of my death eaters.” Again, Harry laughed.
“Sorry, Tom. I’m not a fan of authority. If anything, I’d be a freelance spy or something,” The teen said with a smirk. “Or an insider. I can give you all sorts of advice.” He shrugged.
“You just want special treatment.” Tom teased.
“Nah. Special treatment would be sitting on your lap during a meeting or something,” Harry commented absentmindedly, unaware of the way Tom froze mid drink, trying to compose himself. : I suppose I’ll give joining you some thought for your sake. The twins want to join you anyway.: Harry slipped into parseltongue, leaning back against the wall.
: Do they now? From what you and Severus have told me, they are geniuses in their own right. Having them on our side would be beneficial.:
: Well, you’ll gain a lot of their support now that Molly Prewett isn’t controlling the Weasley family anymore.: Harry hissed. : And if the twins join you, that means you’ll get to deal with two more people messing with you. I’ll also visit more.:
: Merlin: Tom groaned at that, but the twitch of his lips gave away his amusement.
:C’mon, Tommie.: Grinning at the glare, Harry gave him an innocent look. : You love having me around. Admit it.:
: I refuse to admit anything.: Harry gave a mock huff.
: Not even if I promise to bring you another thing of butterbeer next time?: When Tom didn’t say anything further, Harry smirked. : And a Cauldron Cake?: He added, knowing of Tom’s secret sweet tooth.
:…fine. I can admit to your companionship not being unwanted: Tom gave in, secretly enjoying the grin that broke out on the younger's face.
: Love you too, Tommy: Harry teased, giving a wave of his wand. : I better get back, though. It’s been fun as always. I’ll make sure to bring the butterbeer and cauldron cake next time. Who knows? Maybe I’ll just show up during a meeting and make myself comfortable on your lap.: He teased, having no intention of doing so. Once he was gone, Tom leaned against his chair, eyeing the space Harry had once occupied.
: Maybe in another time.: He mused quietly.
Notes:
Finally done with another chapter. I'm sorry it took so long to get out. I did have a lot of fun writing this one though.
As for the ending, it's kind of a reference to the AU idea I planed on doing with Tom and Harry. Hope you enjoyed the playful flirting/teasing
Chapter 15
Notes:
I bet you weren't expecting another chapter so soon, huh? Well, I hope you like it! It's a little shorter than usual.
Chapter Text
“Harry!” Hermione rushed into the Gryffindor common room, holding a newspaper in her hand as her friend quickly came to her side. It was already early and after the day he had, all he wanted to do was sleep in for a bit.
“Mione? What’s wrong?” Harry asked, stifling a yawn as he watched his best friend frantically wave a paper.
“This! They keep interfering with your private life!” She handed him the new paper from the Daily Prophet, which had him and Justin on the cover.
“Oh, Merlin….” Harry quickly woke up as he saw the picture of Justin holding his hand at Hogsmeade, his face turning a deep shade of red. “This was NOT how I wanted to come out to the wizarding world,” He groaned, plopping on the sofa as he looked over the imposing paper.
Boyfriend for the Boy Who Lived?
Lord Harry Potter-Black was seen on a date with a fellow Hufflepuff classmate this Sunday at the Three Broomsticks. Love was in the air as these two young men talked and held hands throughout their entire date, a smile on both of their faces.
And true enough, they had used a photo of when they had smiled at each other. Of course, they had to use the one of Justin blushing at him too, didn’t they? Harry sighed as he continued to read the small passage, his head already hurting.
It turns out after years of speculation, Lord Harry Potter-Black is gay. We can practically hear the hearts of all the witches breaking at this news. What will this mean for the future? Will the boy who lived settle down, or decide to become an Auror like his parents before him?
Rita Skeeter.
Huffing, Harry threw the paper to the side with a scowl. “I hate that bloody woman.” He mumbled darkly, resisting the urge to cross his arms at the blatant lack of privacy. “Once I graduate Hogwarts, I plan to sue her for everything she’s got. I still have the evidence of her spying on me in my fourth year, when I was fourteen. I was a bloody minor back then and without my consent on someone writing down what I say, she could have gotten into serious trouble.” Hermione grimaced at the mood that Harry was in now, slowly touching his shoulder to offer her support.
“I’m sorry she’s done this, Harry. I don’t understand the gall of that woman to do something so…heinous.” She mumbled, watching as Harry let another sigh lose, the tension in his posture starting to lessen.
“I know, Mione. It’s okay. Honestly, it’s something I should be used to by now. Being the Boy Who Lived meant that I would never have a quiet, paparazzi-free life. “ The bitterness was there, but it was lined with something she didn’t quite know or understand. “I feel worse for Justin. I let him down yesterday and now everyone is going to hound him about dating me. It’s going to make it harder to let go of his feelings for me.” Harry rubbed at the dark circles under his eyes, having been unable to sleep well last night. “Thank you for telling me about the paper. I would have had a worse reaction in the great hall.” Hermione gently squeezed his shoulder again, rubbing slowly.
“I can think of one decent thing that will likely come from this,” Hermione said with an evil smirk.
“Oh?” Harry questioned, raising an eyebrow at his friend's reaction.
“Well, Ginny wasn’t there the day you came out to most of the school. Now that she’ll be reading the paper…” She trailed off, making Harry unleash a brilliant laugh. “Ready for some tears?”
“Tears from Ginevra Prewitt? The girl who tried to dose me with amortentia? Count me the fuck in.” Hermione fondly rolled her eyes as they made their way to breakfast, taking their seats as they waited for the rest of the students and staff to file in.
At some point during breakfast, Ginny came running up to him, fat tears pooling in her brown eyes. “Harry!” She sniffed comically, rubbing at her eyes aggressively as more tears pooled. “The papers were lying right?! You’re not gay!” As usual, the Prewitt was in obvious denial as she gripped the paper tightly, her knuckles white.
“Are you asking me or telling me I’m not gay?” Harry responded dryly, causing Hermione to cough into her napkin to stifle her laughter. Others weren’t as successful, especially those from the Slytherin house. The sixth-year floundered for a moment, opening and closing her mouth to try and defend herself. As Harry was tormenting Ginny, Hermione allowed her gaze to sweep across the great hall and staff table.
There she saw Severus Snape glaring at the daily prophet, a deeper frown than usual on his face as he read the insulting cover. After he was done, he observed Harry with a deep frown that made Hermione hum as she averted her gaze, smirking more to herself at obvious indicators. Instead of pointing them out, she went back to focusing on Harry.
“Why do you care, Ginny?” Harry asked calmly, taking a sip from his fresh cup of coffee.
“Beca-because-“ She stuttered, her face turning a deep shade of red that matched her robes.
“The papers weren’t lying about me being gay, Ginny.” He finally took pity on her, trying to hold back a smirk as her eyes filled to the brim with more tears. “I’m surprised you haven’t noticed. I mean, Merlin, I’m pretty sure I came out to your brother and the whole school last month.” He added nonchalantly, taking yet another sip from his coffee as Ginny started crying.
“But you…you’re supposed to love me!” She sniffed, causing Harry to make a face.
“Even if I weren’t gay, I wouldn’t want to be with someone who tried to dose me with amortentia.” The number of gasps that went around made Harry smirk as he took yet another sip of his drink, looking up to meet the fear in Dumbledore’s eyes from across the hall. “Not to mention I don’t even love you as a friend, let alone a lover.” He stated bluntly, no emotion on his face as he went back to eating his small breakfast.
“But..but..” Ginny was scrambling now, her face burning brighter with each passing second. “We would make such a good couple-“
“For the love of Merlin, would you stop? I’m gay. End of the bloody discussion.” He snapped at her, his eyes flashing with power that made her freeze and pale at the sight. “Now would you please leave us alone? I’d like to eat the rest of my breakfast unperturbed.” His words held faux politeness, but his eyes held pure unbridled hatred. She swallowed hard and nodded, running away to her friends as she trembled, earning laughs from all across the hall. None of that was any concern to her. Instead, she was stuck on the power behind Harry’s eyes and how they promised her suffering if she didn’t listen.
“That was fucking great, Harry,” Dean mumbled next to him, patting his shoulder with Seamus. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen her so scared before.”
“Yeah! I doubt she’ll ever mess with you again.” Seamus agreed, still in awe at the power behind Harry’s words. The raven-haired wizard chuckled and took a bite from his scrambled eggs, shrugging.
“That was the point.” He confessed, looking up at the staff table again and meeting Dumbledore’s eyes for the second time that day. The fear was still there, and Harry took immense joy in knowing he was the one who put it there. Slowly he let his eyes find Severus’ and when onyx met emerald, Harry had to suck in a breath at the intense look, a fire burning low in his gut as he turned away.
“Harry? Are you alright?” Hermione asked at the deep flush that was spreading down her friend's cheek and neck.
“Yep! I’m fine!” He quickly said, taking a few gulps of water to cool himself off as he allowed himself to shiver, feeling those intense eyes on his back. Taking a few more bites of his eggs, he pushed his plate away. “I think I’ll head to the library for a bit. Just to get some extra studying done. You’re welcome to come with if you want?” Harry asked as he stood up, gathering his books as he started to place them in his bag.
“I’ll join you in a bit. I did want to go over next week's charms assignment with you. You’re better at that subject than I am.” Harry shook his head at that, offering a small smile.
“You know that’s not true, Mione. I’ll see you in a few.” He waved, heading out the doors and making the trek to the library, slowing down when he felt a presence following him. Closing his eyes in resignation, Harry sighed deeply.
“What do you want, Headmaster?” Harry questioned as he turned to face the old man, clutching one of his books. “I’m trying to find the time to study, but you manage to always interrupt me.”
“Now, my boy, you know that’s not my intention. I came here to speak with you about what just happened. Surely you were too tough on young Weasley?” He asked, making Harry roll his eyes.
“Prewitt, sir. Ginny is no longer a Weasley.” Dumbledore ignored the comment and merely hummed in response.
“It’s quite normal to have a crush, my boy. To be so rude about it-“
“Pardon me for interrupting, sir, but I’ve had similar conversations with Ginny in the past. A crush is one thing, but it is another to try and dose me with a love potion. That is not love, that is an obsession. I’m surprised you aren’t as upset with that behavior as you should be,” Harry watched at the twinkle left his eyes.
“She is still young, Harry. She cares about you very deeply and is willing to be by your side as you face Voldemort. You can’t find anyone more loyal than that.”
: Besides Voldemort himself.: Harry hissed darkly, causing Dumbledore to falter and clear his throat, uncomfortable with the sudden shift in language.
“Now, Harry. You know I can’t understand you. Please, we need to go to my office to talk about your lack of concern for other people. I cannot allow you to push your friends away.” The twinkle was back, but Harry merely sighed and shook his head.
“I’ve got things to do, sir. I don’t have time to go into your office and talk about a war that I will not be a part of,”
“Harry,” Dumbledore said firmly, an edge to his voice now. “I must insist,” There was a dark undertone that made hairs on the back of his neck stand up, heart thudding in his chest.
: And I must insist that you leave me alone.: Harry hissed just as darkly, turning away and hurrying into the library as his heartbeat out of his chest.
“Are you sure you’re alright?” Hermione asked for what felt like the hundredth time, her eyes full of concern as they walked back from their last class together. For the most part, the day had flown by, but Harry was still thinking of his confrontation with Dumbledore. The entire thing was making him feel sick to his stomach, but he nodded anyway.
“I’m fine, Mione. Just didn’t sleep all that well last night is all.” Harry confessed, knowing it was partially the truth. “It didn’t help that I had to wake up to my private life on full display either.” He admitted, running a hand through his hair again, messing it up more.
“I’m going to hex the hell out of skeeter when I see that fucking bitch again,” Hermione mumbled, making Harry laugh for what felt like the first time all day. “What?” She asked with a small smile, glad to hear her friend laugh.
“I just don’t think I’ve ever heard you curse that much in the same sentence.” Harry laughed again, shaking his head. “Merlin, I don’t know what I would do without you.”
“Be bored, I suppose.” She teased, making him chuckle as they came to the section where they parted ways. “I’ll see you when you get back from detention, Harry. Be careful.” She mumbled, making the wizard nod.
“You know me, Mione. I always try to stay out of trouble for the most part,” He winked at her, giving a small wave as he headed towards the great hall for dinner, despite not feeling all too hungry. His eyes closed in dismay when he felt a presence behind him for the second time that day.
“Headmaster, if you don’t mind-“
“I take offense to that, Potter.” Snape sneered, making Harry immediately sag in relief as he turned to face Severus, his tired eyes meeting the intense gaze of onyx. They had lessened since breakfast, but there was still a fire inside of them that made Harry shiver.
“Sorry, sir.” Harry smiled weakly, his hand running through his hair again, a slight tremor in it.
Alarm bells went off in Severus' mind immediately and he moved closer, the lines on his face etched with worry. “Harry?” He asked, his words soft as the younger wizard offered another weak smile. “What happened?” Snape asked, frowning more when Harry exhaled shakily.
“Nothing too different than usual, besides Dumbledore being…” Harry trailed off with a frown, unsure of how to word it. “Creepier than normal?” He managed to get out, frowning himself. “It just…rubbed me the wrong way today. Something about his tone and how dark he was,” Harry tried to shrug nonchalantly, but it came off as forced.
“I see,” Severus mumbled in worry, something about Harry’s demeanor adding fuel to his protective fire.
“He’s planning on doing something soon. I can feel it,” Harry mumbled, rubbing his arm up and down to calm himself. “I just don’t know when he’ll do something and that’s what terrifies me,” Harry admitted with a sigh, letting his arm drop to his side.
“I’ll be there,” Severus promised softly, relieved when Harry offered a true smile his way, not the many broken one's today.
“I know you will, Severus. Thank you. I’ll see you after dinner,” Harry smiled again.
“Sir, please leave me alone.” Harry sighed as he was cornered for the second time that day, his magic ready to flare up and attack the moment Dumbledore did anything.
“Harry, this is for your own good. I just want to talk to you, my boy. We’ve grown so distant this past year. Why not go back to how things used to be?” Dumbledore suggested kindly, clasping his hands together as he gazed at Harry over his spectacles.
“I appreciate the offer, headmaster, but I have plans that can’t be disturbed. There is no reason I’m needed in your office. My schoolwork has been impeccable this year and so has my attitude-“
“I daresay your attitude has not been impeccable, Harry. It’s something I wish to address in my office.”
“Seeing as no one else has an issue with my attitude, I think it’s a poor excuse, sir. Now please, pardon-“
“Harry,” Dumbledore’s voice was grave as he spoke, the same dark tone that made Harry feel sick to his very core. “I’m getting tired of your disrespect.” The words sent a chill down his spine as he felt power come from the old man.
“Sir, I’m giving you full respect. I have a meeting to get to with Professor Snape. Good night.” He nodded, walking away, and soon apparting the moment he was out of sight.
“Harry?” Severus stood up as he looked at the sight of Harry leaning against the wall, breathing fast. “Merin-“
“I’m fine…Dumbledore…he...” Harry shook his head, trying to calm down. Severus appeared with a bottle of calming draught, pushing it into the teens trembling hands.
“Shh. It’s a calming draught. Drink it and sit down,” His voice was softer than usual, leading the younger into the sitting room and helping him to the sofa. After a few minutes, Harry sat the vial down and looked at his hands.
“I’m sorry about that.” He closed his eyes when a hand landed on his hair, slowly stroking. “He got fed up with me saying no to him and allowed his power to seep through his words,” Severus paused at that as the fire roared back into life.
“If something of this caliber happens again, I want you to report it to the board of governors,” Severus mumbled darkly, but this dark tone only served to make Harry melt. The younger nodded in agreement, too tired to argue (not like he would).
“I will. I’m getting tired of him cornering me. It doesn’t help that he had to do it today of all days. Rita Skeeter had to invade my privacy and make it seem like I’m dating Justin.” He missed the way Severus scowled at the memory, his hand still stroking the soft hair. “The poor guy was just rejected too. Luckily people haven’t been bothering him too much today,” Harry sighed, leaning into Severus with a tired huff.
“I did visit Tom yesterday,” Harry admitted with a small smile, making Severus pause for a moment.
“Oh? What business did you have there?” He asked, resuming the petting that was making every bone in his body relax.
“I gave him some butterbeer. Did you know he loves that stuff?” Harry chuckled. “I teased him as usual and might have offered to join him in the future.” Snape rose an eyebrow at that, looking at him in amusement.
“I thought you were planning on remaining neutral?” He questioned, observing the younger man who offered a cheeky grin.
“I was going to, but Fred and George confessed an interest in joining, so I thought I would have to give it a thought for them.” He shrugged, closing his eyes as Severus continued to play with his hair.
At some point, Severus turned to him, only to find the younger wizard completely asleep, leaning against his side, face burrowed into his shoulder.
Chapter 16
Notes:
Another chapter complete! I hope you all enjoyed this one, it's a little more of a filler than most, but I didn't want to add too much to one chapter.
(Also, I hope you have a laugh at the ending. I just had to put it in there lol)
On a side note, this story is officially over one year old now! So, happy late birthday to a story I had originally envisioned as much less than it is now.
Chapter Text
Harry woke up with a slight pain in his head, his fingers absently rubbing his scar to soothe the sudden dull pain. “Well someone isn’t happy,” The seventeen-year-old wizard mumbled softly to himself as he sat up, wondering what had made the Dark Lord so enraged this morning. He barely caught sight of Severus moving around in the kitchen before the events of the other night came crashing down around him, his ears starting to burn at the reminder of falling asleep on the sofa.
“If you’re referring to the Dark Lord, then you are correct.” Severus calmly stated as he placed two cups of tea on the table. “He knows about what Dumbledore did last night.” He explained, adding a single cube of sugar into his cup.
“Huh?” Harry rubbed the sleep from his eyes, fully becoming aware of the blanket that had been tossed across his shoulders at some point. “How did he find out?”
“I believe the stress from yesterday caused you to lower your mental shields regarding the link you share with the Dark Lord.” Long, elegant fingers passed a cup to Harry, who quietly thanked him.
“Wait.” Harry paused mid-sip, suddenly understand more of the situation. “Tom felt my…panic when Dumbledore cornered me yesterday?” He asked, to which Severus gave a nod. “How do you know this?” The Gryffindor asked, a little perplexed.
“The Dark Lord was worried enough to summon me,” Severus stated, eyes subtlety sweeping over Harry’s appearance for a moment as the younger wizard flushed. “After all, he explained about quickly losing the connection once you fell asleep.”
“Oh, Merlin…” Harry grimaced at the implications in the words. “He thought I was in danger.” He summarized, understanding why Tom had been worried.
“Indeed,” Severus replied, finishing his tea after a few moments, and standing up in a way that managed to look majestic. “He also instructed me to ensure you go to Gringotts to fill out a restraining order this morning,” The Slytherin commented, raising an eyebrow at the soft huff that immediately escaped.
“I had no idea he would be this protective.” Harry chuckled, running a hand through his already messy hair. “It’s not a bad idea, though. It was one I planned on doing before I got the Board of Governors involved anyway.” Severus hummed at the confession, relieved to know Harry had planned on doing something similar. “What time does Gringotts open?” Harry asked.
“At five. It’s currently four-thirty.” He informed, waving his wand to levitate the empty cups to the sink.
“Four-thirty?” Harry rubbed at his head again, which still had a dull pain. “I don’t think he’s even bothered to sleep at all.” He knew his headaches well enough from the past to know that Tom hadn’t slept any. Slowly, he stood up to fix his appearance and sigh. “I might visit him before we head to Gringotts. Just to prove that I’m not in any imminent danger.” He explained.
“I think it would certainly…help him,” Severus agreed, watching as the Gryffindor waved his hand, his cloak appearing seemingly out of nowhere.
“I think so too, and it’ll help me as well. It’ll get rid of my headache.” Harry smirked, putting his cloak around his shoulders. “I shouldn’t be too long…thirty minutes at most.” He stated quietly, waving his hand in a small gesture as he vanished, leaving Severus to feel a slight ache of jealousy that was quickly pushed aside.
Harry apparated straight to Riddle Manor and into the study, meeting the gaze of surprised crimson eyes. : I guess you didn’t suspect to see me so soon?: Harry tried to joke, but the intense emotion behind the crimson eyes nearly took his breath away. “Merlin, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this pissed before.” He mumbled, swallowing at the dark look. “Not even when I told you about what happened with your diary.”
“That’s because Dumbledore has once again crossed the line,” Tom’s voice was darker than ever, a dangerous note to his voice that made Harry swallow. “You hadn’t told me that it was getting this bad.” He said with a frown, the worry back at full force which had surprised Harry at first.
“That’s because it didn’t get that bad until yesterday,” Harry stated, leaning against the Dark Lord’s desk, practically sitting on the corner. “He’s merely been a nuisance for the past two and a half months. Annoying, but easily dealt with.” He informed, crossing his arms. “That’s changed now, though. He’s more…aggressive and demanding.” Harry felt a chill roll down his spine at the reminder of Dumbledore’s odd behavior last night, the darkness in the Headmaster’s words was like a knife cutting into his flesh. The Dark Lord narrowed his eyes slowly, shaking his head.
“No matter what it was, it is still harassment.” Tom reminded with a scowl, looking over Harry’s appearance for a moment. “If I had my way, that senile old man would be suffering at my hands this very minute for causing you so much trouble.” The Dark Lord spoke, still looking at the younger wizard, who flushed at the words.
“If it makes you feel better, there is someone else you can do that to,” Harry suggested with a small, innocent grin as Tom rose an eyebrow. “This person has been harassing me since my…” Harry paused for a moment. “Fourth year? She’s always been invasive with my private life.”
“I assume you are talking about Rita Skeeter?” Tom had his hands folded, watching as Harry paused again, but gave him a nod in approval. “I’m currently making plans on dealing with her as well.”
“Wait, what?” Harry asked in surprise, narrowing in on the way Tom smirked.
“I’ve never been partial to journalists who create false stories, or ones that blatantly invade someone’s privacy.” The Slytherin explained. “And especially when those infringements are against people I care about.” Harry smiled a bit, unable to help himself as warmth spread through his chest at the kind words.
“I never thought I’d hear you admit to caring about me,” He teased, earning a fond eye roll. “Thank you for caring, though.” Tom waved him off.
“You can thank me when I kill that nosy journalist. She has no right to...” Tom stopped himself, inhaling softly as he forced himself to calm down and not say anything too damaging. Harry’s smile widened at the sight, unable to stop from being amused that Voldemort was this furious on his behalf. “The last thing you need to deal with is her when you’re already having the misfortune of being around Dumbledore.” Tom supplied with a grimace, having taken a moment to form his words. “While I do miss Hogwarts, I certainly don’t miss dealing with the Headmaster.”
“That’s one of the only things I look forward to after graduation,” Harry admitted, leaning against the desk more, a little surprised that Tom hadn’t glared at him for it, or even pushed him off. “I have to abide by certain rules for now, but I am going to enjoy making his life harder when Yule comes around.” Tom was relieved to see a mischievous glint return to those emerald eyes, the cleverness starting to shine through again.
“I can’t wait to hear about it. And please,” Tom’s tone had changed into something that almost resembled desperation. “Tell me if he does this again,” The Dark Lord pleaded with such conviction that Harry found himself giving in and agreeing. “I will not sit back and allow him to harass you anymore.” His voice resembled a growl and Harry cleared his throat, giving a small nod.
“I’ve already agreed to report him formally to the Board of Governors if he does this again. He’ll also be violating a restraining order if he does, so it’ll make things even worse for him.” Tom tilted his head in assent, allowing himself to smile at not only how Harry handled the events, but how it was meticulously planned. “Which I have a gut feeling that he will.” Tom snorted.
“Brilliantly planned, in that case. Still, I will be expecting you to tell me once he does anything.” Harry offered him a small smile, resisting the urge to fondly roll his eyes.
“I promise,” Harry agreed, starting to push himself off the desk, flushing when he was pulled into an embrace that felt like something from a dream.
“Please be careful,” Tom mumbled, arms tightening around the smaller wizard who melted into the touch, returning the embrace.
“I always try,” Harry responded, chuckling at the playful flick to his side. “I am capable of protecting myself. Need I remind you of the day I barged into the death eater meeting?” The Gryffindor outright laughed at the amused huff he received.
“Merlin, no,” Tom said with a soft chuckle, allowing Harry to pull away.
“Well, I better get back to Severus. I told him I wouldn’t be gone too long.” Harry looked over Tom’s appearance and smirked. “And since I’m going to Gringotts to fill out a restraining order, you need to get some sleep.” Tom looked at him, affronted.
: I got plenty of-:
: Tom, I know you didn’t sleep at all. Don’t make me beg you to get your ass in bed.: Harry gave him a look. : It’s too early for me to get on my knees.: Tom was never more thankful to not be drinking anything, otherwise, he would have choked and sputtered. His face was blazing with heat as the younger wizard continued to stare at him. : Well?:
:Fine: Tom hissed in defeat, trying to fight off his blush as he stood from his chair. : Now get back to Severus before he comes marching in here looking for you.:
: Yes, my lord: Harry mock bowed, apparting out.
Tom sighed in amusement, walking into his chambers as he tried to push away the suggestive images his mind supplied. :Brat: He hissed with a fond shake of his head.
“See, I wasn’t gone too long.” Harry grinned, relieved that his headache was fading away quickly. “And I think my visit might have cheered him up. Merlin knows he needed to see me,” Severus paused at the words, the tightness in his chest returning.
“You and the Dark Lord are rather close,” Severus commented offhandedly, making Harry give a small shrug, thinking nothing of the statement.
“I suppose? I mean, I am his Horcrux after all. I think that’s a huge reason as to why he worries so much. That and he enjoys talking to someone in Parseltongue who isn’t a snake.” He said, laughing softly. “I don’t think he’s ever had anyone openly sass him or talk to him as a normal person in years. Tom’s gotten so used to everyone’s obedience that it’s a nice change of pace to have me around.” Harry surmised, fixing his cloak so it covered his shoulders more. “I can’t wait to see his reaction to Fred and George.” Severus snorted softly.
“I dare not imagine what chaos those two will create.” Harry grinned a bit.
“Then it’s a good thing I never became a dark lord. It would have been the three of us and Hermione.” The look on Severus’ face was priceless as he spoke up again. “I briefly considered it, truthfully. You’d be surprised at all the hours the three of us put into it. It would have involved the prank shop as our base of operations.”
“You’re serious.” Severus realized, which only made Harry laugh again.
“As ever. We were all getting tired of Dumbledore and no one would have suspected the twins, let alone Molly. As much as she nagged them, she wouldn’t have ever suspected them.” Harry explained with a shrug. “And we always kept our close friendship hidden for the most part. None of the Weasleys knew how close we were besides Bill and Charlie, and they don’t exactly live here.”
“I would have assumed Percival Weasley would have noticed. He was a rather observant student.” Harry simply shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.
“That whole situation is complicated.” He admitted. “He hasn’t spoken to the family in about two years I believe. Instead of following Dumbledore like a mindless follower, he follows Fudge. I’m not sure if that’s any better.” Snape felt his lips twitch at that, giving a hum. He let Harry move closer to him, his arm instinctively wrapping around the younger wizards waist as they apparated to Diagon Alley.
“I can’t say if that’s any better myself,” Severus spoke, smirking when he heard Harry snort, watching as he cast a wandless privacy spell around them.
“He’s too invested in the Ministry to see their flaws. At least he realized Umbridge was a horrible person, but he has yet to see that about the Minister.” Harry shrugged again, unaware that he was still holding onto Severus’ arm as they walked to Gringotts. “I don’t think he’s bothered to come around for Yule in two years. From what I know, he keeps sending his gifts back, unopened.” Harry couldn’t imagine doing a thing, personally.
It was a comfortable silence as they made their trek to the building, eventually coming across it after a few minutes.
“How long will this take?” Harry asked, feeling a small bubble of apprehension for in the pit of his stomach.
“Not too long,” Severus mumbles, glancing at him for a brief second. “Given that your account manager already knows of the illegal actions Dumbledore committed, they won’t question you too much. They may require a few memories.” He stated, opening the door for the younger and walking to the Goblin Harry immediately recognized.
“I didn’t think you enjoyed working the early shifts, Jagrofth,” Harry smirked when the Goblin looked down at him with a sigh, although there was amusement in those dark eyes.
“You’d be correct, Lord Potter-Black. One of our Goblins is currently expecting a child, so it was left to me to cover them.” Harry felt his eyes light up at the knowledge of a new Goblin child coming to the world. He gave a small bow.
“Please give them my sincerest congratulations, in that case. I hope their child’s life is filled with gold and prosperity.” Jagrofth offered a true smile and bowed in return.
“I will ensure that I do so. Now, what can we help you with today?” Harry sighed and shook his head.
“I’m here to request a restraining order.” Interest peaked, Jagrofth got off the seat and ushered the two wizards to follow him. They were led to a simple white room with a table and a few runes engraved into the wood, as well as the wall.
“And who are you filling it against, Lord Potter-Black?” The Goblin asked, a golden piece of paper appearing from the table. The quill was also of gold, but it had a few symbols that seemed almost translucent.
“Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.” Harry supplied the full name, watching in awe as the words appeared immediately on the paper. Jagrofth looked astounded for a moment, before giving a toothy grin.
“It seems magic is on your side,” The Goblin mused, looking back up to Harry. “It’s not unheard of, but this is rare. Usually, there is more to this process, such as a summons and hearing, but…” The Goblin looked to the paper that already had the names. “Sometimes magic steps in and ensures it is done right away.” He cleared his throat. “As I must ask all those who file a restraining order, can you provide memories as to why you need one?” Harry nodded and waved his hand, a blue light appearing from his temple and landing on the table, to which it blazed with light as it was sucked into the runes, more words appearing on the paper.
Another paper appeared at that moment, in which the specific memories were played. The one from the previous night stood out and the Goblin glowered at the scene, his anger obvious.
Severus watched the memories as well, his pale hand gripping the chair tightly, eyes filled with venom as he watched Harry back away from the Headmaster, who had used his power in the form of words. His knuckles were white, watching as Harry pulled away in panic as he rushed off.
After watching the memories, Jagrofth shook his head with a dark scowl. “I can assure you, Lord Potter-Black, Dumbledore will be notified of the restraining order immediately. Magic has already ensured that it goes into effect.” Jagrofth looked disgusted at the blank paper where the memories had been. “You are lucky your magic is so strong. The Headmaster had been attempting to use his words as a compulsion spell.” The Goblin informed to the surprise of the two wizards. “It is no wonder as to why the restraining order went into immediate effect.”
And just like that, the golden paper and quill disappeared into the table in a flash of golden light, one that left a sensation of warmth through Harry’s chest. Severus couldn’t help but gaze at the younger wizard, the golden flash around him making the Gryffindor look ethereal, those bright green eyes taking his breath away.
Harry turned to him, a smile on his face that put even the sun to shame.
As Albus was eating his breakfast, he was more than surprised to see a golden light flash before him, leaving an envelope to the side of his drink. Growing anxious as he felt the magic around it, the older man opened the letter.
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, you are hereby prohibited from coming into contact with Harry James Potter-Black-Gryffindor-Peverell. (Dumbledore did a double-take at the name and lordships) Being that you are the headmaster of Hogwarts, you are only allowed to be in the same room during meals or whereupon walking into the same direction unknowingly.
You are prohibited from seeking out the other wizard at any point or engaging in conversation with him. In failure to do so, Gringotts AND the Board of Governors will be notified and come at once to ensure your removal.
On this date of November 10th, Gringotts and the Board of Governors hereby put this restraining order into effect.
As he finished reading, Albus swallowed hard as magic wrapped around him before vanishing into his body. His eyes were absent of a twinkle as they looked at the Gryffindor table, meeting the blank gaze of emerald eyes.
It was at this point that Albus Dumbledore, First Class Order of Merlin, former Chief Wizengamot, and former supreme mugwump realized that he had done fucked up.
Chapter 17
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Lucius Malfoy had been in for a surprise when he was called into a meeting for the board of governors, who were only supposed to have weekly meetings. This time was different, however, given how Amelia Bones looked downright furious. She was usually poised and blank, but now, there was a dangerous fury behind her eyes.
Being that he was the co-chairman, he had come early with Amelia, but the witch seemed to get here before he did.
“Lucius,” Amelia turned to him, her lips thinned into a line that signaled her anger. “We appear to have a serious situation at Hogwarts regarding the Headmaster.” She informed, stepping closer to hand him a letter than he immediately recognized as being from Gringotts. Grimacing, Lucius took the letter and gave a resigned sigh.
“Dare I imagine what Dumbledore has done this time?” The wizard inquired, watching as Amelia gave another twitch of displeasure as she shook her head in disgust. Lucius rose an eyebrow at the reaction and hummed, starting to understand the severity of the situation. “Worse than usual, I’d gather.” He stated calmly, finally taking the plunge and looking at the letter himself.
As all events of this caliber must be reported, the Goblin Nation hereby informs The Hogwarts Board Of Governors of the transgression committed by Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, specifically of abusing his position and harassing a student for the past several months.
At approximately five in the morning, Harry James Potter-Black arrived at Gringotts and filed a restraining order against the Headmaster, which went into immediate effect thanks to Magic.
Lucius did a double take at that, knowing the implications of magic overriding any sort of court hearing. It was an extremely rare event, often happening only once every fifty or so years. To know that Magic willed the restraining order into effect meant Dumbledore had likely crossed his last line.
Because this went into immediate effect, there was no need for any paperwork to be filled by the Board, as Magic had also done that itself.
Lord Potter-Black has declined to comment on the incident and wishes the events not be disclosed as of yet. If further action is required, Lord Potter-Black has agreed to directly go to you.
He has granted me the liberty to inform the Board that Headmaster Dumbledore has been trying to force him to fight in the war, even going as far as to try and suggest leaving Hogwarts in the past. Lord Potter-Black has expressed his disapproval at these methods, becoming concerned with how the Headmaster is letting politics influence their education.
If anything else is to occur, you will immediately be notified;
-Grufgon, Head Goblin of Gringotts,
-Jagrofth, overseer of the Restraining order.
If it weren’t for the fact that Lucius knew of Potter’s true allegiance (or lack thereof), he would have been more shocked at the information in his hands. He frowned though, wondering what Dumbledore had done to finally press the young wizard into filing a magical restraining order.
“This is alarming, Amelia.” Lucius admitted, re-reading over specific parts in the letter, humming in thought. “The fact that the Headmaster is inherently trying to enforce his views on the impressionable students is…” Lucius carried off with a disappointed shake of his head. “It is dangerous and manipulative of him to do such a thing.” He stated, looking at the letter with a disapproving glare.
“I can assume that because Harry Potter is a Lord, he had intended to settle this issue himself.” He had to applaud the younger wizard for his feat of independence and maturity.
“I can commend him for that,” Amelia responded, but there was something akin to frustration in her eyes. “but we seem to be at a predicament now.” She admitted with another frown, looking away from the wizard. “While he has set forth to solve this issue on his own, is it not our job to protect the individuals that attend this school?” She asked, making Lucius falter and watch her start another mini rant.
“Yes, he legally an adult now, but he is still a student.” Amelia stated, running her fingers over one of her rings, clearly in thought. “And it is our sworn duty to protect all students in Hogwarts, which includes the ones who are of age. You and I both have children of age in attendance at this very moment. Do they not fall under the same protection?”
It was times like these that Lucius was thankful that Madam Bones wasn’t on Dumbledore’s side, like many assumed. She was as neutral as they came, caring more for justice and law of every magical creature.
“I am in agreeance, Amelia. There simply isn’t much we can do with this,” Lucius points out, wanting to make sure they get everything out before the others arrive, some with a more…affiliation towards Dumbledore. “We can’t interfere with a Lord’s business.”
“Maybe not,” She agrees, a sudden calculating look in her eyes that make Malfoy barely able to withhold a grin. “But I think it’s due time for the Board to check in on Hogwarts, just to…get a look at how things are being run.” Lucius hummed, allowing himself to smirk.
“How long has it been since Hogwarts has been inspected?” He asked innocently, to which Amelia smirked in return.
“Too long, I’d say. I think it’s time we got rid of the divide between the Board members.” She confessed with a small sigh. “I know we’ve both been doing all we can to unify the other members, but nothing has ever seemed to work.” She glanced at the paper Lucius was still holding, thoughts forming in her head. “Hopefully, this will be an eye-opener for them.”
“One can only hope,” Lucius mumbles in agreement, a thoughtful look on his aristocratic features. “I think this will help us achieve that.” Malfoy admits. “Not only has a student filed a restraining order, but it was also a Lord who happens to be Harry Potter.” Lucius stated, already imaging the gasps of horror that were going to occur in an hour. “While there are many who are loyal to Dumbledore, I believe that a great deal of them only align themselves with him because up until this moment, Harry Potter seemed to follow him.” Bones merely nods at the theory.
“I think you have a point, Lucius.” Amelia mumbles softly, thinking of some of the events she had witnessed over the years. Dumbledore supposedly had Harry Potter on his side, which was sure to grab the attraction of numerous wizarding families. “My niece keeps me informed of her year at Hogwarts, and she has written about Lord Potter-Black several times, mentioning how he seems to have changed this year.” Madam Bones stops and shakes her head. “Given the restraining order, I believe it is safe to assume that Lord Potter-Black no longer associates with Dumbledore, or his Order.” Knowing he had to play it safe, Malfoy nodded.
“If that is the case, perhaps this is a blessing in disguise. With his distancing from the Headmaster, we can likely change the Board into a fully neutral faction, like it should have been in the first place.” He suggested, to which she smiled a bit.
“Well, they’ll be here soon. I suppose it’s time we both decided what to do from here.”
“Did you make another two-way journal?” Hermione asked as she sat beside Harry on the sofa, happy that no one else was here. Harry smirked and nodded at her, placing his quill down.
“Two, actually. Ever since the events of the other night, I decided to have a separate journal for Severus, and for Tom.” He explained, holding back a grin at the way his friend practically gasped.
“Tom?” Her eyes were wide as she quickly looked to the very protected journal in her friends hand. “You’re talking to Tom?” Snorting at her reaction, Harry nodded again.
“Yep. Ever since Dumbledore got all creepy the other day, he’s been worried about me.” Harry explained, glancing at the journal too. “He’s also keeping me updated about Skeeter.” Harry spat, making Hermione grimace.
“Dreadful woman.” She mumbled with another grimace, crossing her arms at the gall of that reporter, shaking her head in distaste.
“Apparently, Tom has the same opinion.” Harry admitted, glancing to the journal that was in his hand. “He said suing her wouldn’t do any good. She’s been known to weasel her way out of a lot of things.” There was a small frown on his face, sighing at the thought of others going through the same problems he did.
“That’s horrible.” The witch commented, looking furious. “It’s invasion of privacy! She shouldn’t be able get away with that!”
“Hermione, you know I hate keeping secrets from you…” Harry trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “But you won’t have to worry about her getting away with anything else.” At the look she gives him, her eyes wide, Harry smiles slightly.
“Harry?” Hermione prodded, giving him her full attention. Grimacing, he looks away for a moment, before turning back to her.
“Tom is…uh…very protective of me, I’ve found out.” Harry admits, flushing at the look she gives him. “And he didn’t take kindly to what she or Dumbledore had done to me.” He explains, biting his lips. Hermione regards him at that, observing him.
“Do you approve of these…methods he’s using?” She questions. When Harry looks at her, he can’t see any judgement there, just curiosity.
“Honestly, not really.” He admits. “I’ve never approved of killing and you know that. It hasn’t changed, but…” The green-eyed wizard falters, frowning a bit. “The thought of her snooping around and uncovering something about me…” He trails off, causing Hermione to part her lips in understanding.
“I see,” She nods slowly, having not thought of that until now. In the past, Harry didn’t have as much to hide as he did now, and if Skeeter were to uncover it. “It’s for your protection.” She states, making Harry nod.
“Including yours and the twins,” He states immediately after. “While you’re not part of the other side directly, you are against Dumbledore as much as I am. Everyone knows how close we are, and while not everyone would question you, there would be plenty of people who would.” Harry explains sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “I don’t want to see you suffer for being connected to me.”
Hermione was looking at her friend with wide eyes, her expression full of tenderness as she quickly wrapped her arms around him, holding on tightly.
“Harry,” She mumbled, almost moved to tears by the other wizard. “You’re always looking out for your friends,” Pausing, she let out a soft breath while keeping her eyes tightly shut. “Thank you.”
“You don’t need to thank me for that.” He soothed, rubbing her back slowly as he retuned the embrace. “I want all of us to be protected and if that means getting rid of Skeeter, then I don’t have much of a choice.” Harry tried to joke, earning a playful punch to his shoulder from Hermione, who was beginning to pull away.
“I know I don’t, but it means a lot to me that you’re always so thoughtful of your friends.” She gives him a watery smile, reaching down to squeeze his hands gently. “Besides that, what do you usually talk with him about?” Hermione asked, letting the hand go after a few moments.
“He’s been venting about how stupid some of his followers are and calls me a brat when I say something funny.” Harry grins, glancing towards the notebook. “Honestly though, we don’t talk that much. I never thought about it until now, but being a Dark Lord requires a lot of paperwork.” Hermione snorted.
“Okay then….what about Professor Snape?” She innocently questioned, earning a light flush from her friend, who glanced to the other notebook.
“It’s not like that!” Harry stammered a bit, rubbing the back of his neck again. “I mean…” He falters, clearing his throat. “After what Dumbledore did the other night, Severus has been on edge.”
“How so?” Hermione asked, eyes lighting up at the new information. Flushing more, Harry ran a hand though his unruly hair, disheveling it even further.
“Uh, it’s kind of hard to explain.” The emerald-eyed wizard admitted, face still tinted a light shade of pink. “The only word I can think of is…protective…” Harry finally supplied, flushing more when Hermione smirked at him.
“Protective, huh?” She tapped her chin slowly, as if in thought. “That’s a rather interesting word.” Again, Harry flushed more and merely shrugged.
“I think he feels obligated to, to an extent at least.” Harry sighed, shaking his head. Hermione rolled her eyes, sighing softly.
“Merlin, Harry.” The bushy-haired witch chuckled, looking into her friend’s eye with a small smile. “You’re oblivious, aren’t you?” The confusion on his face made her nearly laugh again.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” He inquired, frowning when no answer was given. “Mione-“ Harry tried again.
“I think Professor Snape cares for you more than you realize.” She admitted with a soft smile, patting his shoulder slowly. “Honestly, it sounds like you try to downplay how much he cares about you sometimes.” She gave him a look at that, hoping he would confess why. Harry grimaced at that and looked away, biting his lips.
“I don’t inherently mean to do that.” The wizard admitted, a frown on his lips. “It’s easier for me to do that, that way I don’t allow myself to develop hope that Severus could ever reciprocate my feelings.”
“And is there a reason that you feel that Severus could never feel that way about you?” There was genuine interest and confusion on her face and Harry felt himself give into it.
“I don’t know, I just think he’d prefer someone older than me. Someone who actually has their life together and a stable career. What can I offer him? I’m still a student, one that he’s still teaching at that.”
“Only for a few more months.” Hermione reminded, making her friend give a dry snort. “Besides, you two do have a lot in common. Especially when it comes to your brains.” She smiled when Harry finally let out a true laugh.
“And our hatred of Dumbledore.” Harry replied with a smirk, his somber disposition starting to vanish. Catching the shift in emotions. Hermione was quick to latch onto it, needing to get it off her chest.
“Seriously though, Harry.” Hermione spoke up, looking into the emerald eyes. “Don’t assume the worst. It’s obvious that he cares a lot about you, and I haven’t even been able to see a lot of it. From what I have seen, you appear to be at the center of his attention.” She withheld a smirk at the newfound flush. “I think it’s more than safe to hope.”
“Merlin, Mione.” Harry shook his head, trying to dispel the flush that stained his cheeks. “You make it sound as if Severus feels the same about me, and I find that notion too hard to believe.” Hermione sighed softly, feeling resigned at the persistence of the other Gryffindor.
“He looks at you like you’re the only person in the room.” Hermione admitted to one of her findings, watching as the already flushed cheeks exploded with color. “Whether you believe if he returns your feelings or not, it’s clear to anyone who pays attention that you mean a lot to him.”
“Hermione- “
“He’s a private man, Harry. The fact that he’s let you get so close to him is remarkable.” The wizard wanted to comment on that, but found no words came forth.
Hermione was right about something.
Severus was a private individual and wasn’t one who enjoyed company for prolonged periods of time, yet that was all cast aside when he was around. His potions professor had admitted to enjoying his company on numerous occasions, often letting him stay in his presence even after “detention” was done.
And there was the fact that a few nights ago, he had fallen asleep against Severus’ shoulder and hadn’t as so much been pushed off. He could recall the gentle feeling of long fingers threading through his hair and stroking it slowly, offering a sense of comfort that warmed his entire being.
For someone who wasn’t an outwardly affectionate person in public, the gentle hands in his hair now felt far more intimate than they had previously been. Was it instinctual for Severus to stroke his hair? Had they become that close in the span of three months?
It was feasible. They did spend well over two-hours a day in each other’s company, both of them free to be who they truly were. In those “detentions” he wasn’t Harry Potter, the boy-who-lived, destined to be the savior for the light. Just as Severus was Severus Snape, the double spy whose true alliance was with Dumbledore.
In those detentions, he was Harry Potter, a wizard who was about to carve his own place in the world, and not some golden boy who was going to save everyone. He was free to be himself, just as Severus was.
Perhaps it was that freedom between the two of them that has created the balance of friendship they had now.
In those detentions, he was free to create and practice his own spells, free to read ancient runes and practice the construction of wards. He was free to better his skills in potions, free to let his true knowledge roam.
There were a handful of people who had ever seen the real Harry Potter, and Severus was one of them. His potions professor was becoming one of the most important individuals in his life, a sentiment that he was too afraid to share.
“rry…arry…harry…Harry!” The wizard was jolted from his thoughts as Hermione called out his name.
“Uh, sorry about that. Must have been deep in thought.” His friend looked concerned for a moment before pointing towards the journal.
“I can see a faint glow. I assume you have a message.” Perking up at that, he reach for the journal he shared with Tom and opened it, grinning at the familiar parselscript.
:I have gotten word from Lucius that the Board of Governors will be doing a random inspection of Hogwarts tomorrow. They aren’t pleased with the headmaster and the fact a student felt the need to get a magical restraining order. There are talks of potential expulsion and removal of the headmaster if they find enough damaging information about him.:
While Harry couldn’t help but grin at the idea, he felt a twinge of unease at the thought of answering invading questions.
:Do you have an idea about how many questions they will ask me? I wanted to remain out of this for the most part, until Dumbledore did something again:
:They shouldn’t ask you too many questions. If they do, it will likely be based around what you have already provided. I doubt they will ask you anything. Just be careful.:
Smiling a bit, Harry started a small reply.
:Oh, I always am. Didn’t know you cared so much, Tommy:
:Remind me to hex you for calling me that next time you visit, Potter.: Snickering, Harry scribbled a quick reply.
:I think you secretly love the nickname.:
:Then you and I have vastly different definitions of the word love, brat.:
Closing the journal with another snicker, he reached for the one he shared with Severus.
Tom just informed me that the Board of Governors will be performing an inspection tomorrow. They aren’t pleased with Dumbledore. Who would have thought?
Harry smirked at his sarcasm, eyes lighting up when he noticed the page glow a few minutes later.
It’s about time they did something. Thankfully, they have Lucius and Amelia Bones as the co-chairmen of the group. Amelia is neutral and won’t fawn over Albus.
I had a feeling. She was one of the few who actually listened to me during my trial in my fifth year. I have a lot of respect for her and what she does. I have a feeling that Lucius and Amelia won’t go easy on Dumbledore. Harry could practically see the small smirk on Severus face as he read the next line.
Indeed. They will destroy Albus.
Notes:
Woo-who, finally got this chapter done! I'm sorry it took so long! I've been really busy lately with school, work, social life, and an amazing roleplay that we are turning into a story.
Anyway, that all aside, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
Chapter 18
Notes:
Gosh, this chapter took me longer than I thought it would. It ended up being roughly 7000 words. Definitely, a little more than I wanted, lol.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“The Board is coming today?” Hermione asked with wide eyes, her voice quiet as Harry spread the information to her. “What does that mean for you? Will they single you out?” Having felt apprehension at that same thought, Harry shook his head.
“I was worried about that too, but Severus told me that if they do have any questions for me, they’ll pull me aside for a private conversation.” The green-eyed wizard explained, feeling relieved as well. “Even then, they shouldn’t ask me too many questions. I was told if they do ask me anything, it should be about the information I already provided when I filled the restraining order.”
That’s a relief at least.” Hermione mumbled; her eyebrows furrowed in thought. “I wonder what they’ll do after they gather all of their evidence?” She questioned softly, biting her lips. “There’s no way the Board will let Dumbledore get away with this incident completely unscathed. They’ll find some way to punish him.” Her friend nodded in agreement, thinking the same thoughts.
“I was thinking the same thing,” Harry admitted, casting another wandless privacy spell for an extra layer of protection. “If something happened that was less serious, he might have received a slap on the wrist at most…” Harry trailed off. “But having a magical restraining order go into immediate effect? The Board isn’t taking kindly to that.”
“No School Board would.” Hermione pointed out. “Receiving a restraining order is bad enough, but the fact that a student filed it against an authority figure here is bad enough.” The bushy-haired witch frowned deeply, clearly thinking hard. “The reason I bring this up is that the Board of Governors holds a lot of power and influence. They take their jobs seriously.”
“You think they would force him out immediately?” Harry asked, earning a nod from his friend. “I didn’t think about that,” He admitted, realizing his mistake. “If they force him out now, Dumbledore will head to Grimmauld, only to realize he can’t access it.”
“Exactly. It would give him enough time to relocate somewhere else. But,” Hermione snapped her fingers, shaking her head. “From what I know about the Board as well, Lucius Malfoy and Amelia Bones are the leaders. You and I both know that Malfoy is a death eater and wants to bring Dumbledore down as well. Perhaps if you explain your plan, he could persuade the Board to keep Dumbledore until the end of the term?”
Harry chuckled, pulling his friend in for a hug.
“Thank Merlin I have you on my side, Mione. I’d be lost without you,” That earned a playful swat to his arm, but Hermione still hugged her friend back.
“You and I both know you could have come up with that plan yourself, Harry.” She teased, pulling away after a moment. “Is there any way you could talk to Malfoy privately before the Board arrives? From what I read about their inspections, they typically split up with one other member accompanying them. Since Malfoy holds a position as chairman, I wager that Amelia Bones would also be there.” Harry considered that as he gave a nod.
“I don’t know much about Amelia Bones either, but Severus informed me that she is neutral. If they plan on talking to me personally, I think I can also persuade her to not remove Dumbledore yet. Not until…” Harry paused, an even more devious thought coming into his mind. Hermione rose an eyebrow, unable to hold her question at bay.
“What are you planning, Harry? I know that look all too well.” There was an intelligent glint in those emerald eyes.
“I just had a thought. If Lucius Malfoy and Amelia Bones are adamant about forcing Dumbledore out, what if I can convince them to do it during the Winter holidays?” Harry questioned out loud, causing Hermione to pause in thought as well.
“Honestly, that would have a lot of merit to it.” She admitted. “He lost his seat as Chief Wizengamot in our fifth year, and they never reinstated him.”
“He also lost his title of supreme mugwump.” Harry reminded with a smirk. “Now that I think about it, he lost it around the same time. That all aside, now he’s potentially losing his position as the headmaster. He won’t hold any amount of power after this.”
“It would also mean he has to move out,” Hermione reminded. “During the Summer Holiday, the Headmaster is obligated to stay at Hogwarts, unlike the other professors. He lives here, so he would be losing that as well.” Harry grinned as he withheld a chuckle, nodding at the information.
“Exactly,” He emphasized, eyes lighting up again. “Dumbledore is going to play it safe for a while. If they decide to force him out, I bet he’ll seek me out right before it’s time for him to leave. He’s obsessed with defeating Tom and finding the rest of his Horcruxes. He won’t leave without trying to convince me to ‘fulfill my destiny and be the chosen one.’”
“He has been desperate to get that idea into your head,” Hermione frowned at how desperate the once highly esteemed wizard was becoming. “I thought last year, and this summer was bad enough, but he keeps proving how far he’s willing to go.” The memory of the other night made a chill go down Harry’s spine, an uneasy feeling settling in his stomach.
And it wasn’t because he feared Dumbledore’s power or doubted his own abilities, but for the simple fact that the man was willing to do whatever it took.
There was no denying that Albus Dumbledore was dangerous, not just because of his power, but his intelligence and perseverance. While they were great qualities to have, Dumbledore’s use of them was threatening.
“Harry? Are you okay?” There was a concerned look in the brown eyes, and Harry took a deep breath, wanting to admit to his trepidation. Hesitantly, he nodded.
“Yeah, sorry. It’s really hard to explain it, I guess. I’m not afraid of Dumbledore but seeing how far he’s willing to go terrifies me. There’s a certain level of unpredictability in the way he seeks me out that is hard to account for. There’s no pattern to it-he just does it randomly.” It was a smart tactic to use, but with what happened the other day, he felt more on guard than ever.
“I know what you mean. You can’t plan for whenever he decides to strike, and that’s what makes you the most apprehensive.” Hermione inferred, a cautiousness to her demeanor. “…I can’t imagine what that must feel like,” She confessed, frowning more. “He’s made your last year here horrible.” Harry took her hand and gave a gentle squeeze.
“It’s true that I’ve been on guard more than ever, but this year hasn’t been horrible. I’ve had a lot of help from you and all of my other friends. ‘Detention’ with Severus every night has also made this year bearable.” Severus in general had made the year bearable. Slowly, her frown lifted and transformed into a small smile, giving a small squeeze in return.
When Harry pulled away and checked the time, it was still early in the morning. Breakfast would start to be served in the next hour, and it gave him time to plan a meeting with Lucius before the other members would arrive.
Severus, I have a plan. It took only moments for the other wizard to respond.
Should I be concerned about this plan?
I need to meet with Lucius before the other Board members arrive. Do you think I could use your quarters as a meeting place?
Of course. What do you hope to gain with this plan?
I can’t be certain what the Board will find and how they’ll react to everything today. I know that Dumbledore won’t be getting out of this without something more serious than a warning. They might decide to place him on probation or give him a term limit. Depending on how much they uncover, they might even want his immediate expulsion. If that’s the case, I want to try and talk with Lucius beforehand and recommend his expulsion during Yule.
There’s more to your plan. Harry couldn’t help but smirk, a warm feeling rushing through his chest at how well Severus knew him and how deep his plans could be.
Dumbledore is hard to predict because there is no pattern to the way he seeks me out. However, I can tell he’s becoming more desperate. He’ll be playing it safe for the next few weeks, but once Yule comes closer, he’ll be more desperate than ever to get to me. This means before his expulsion, he will seek me out and therefore break the restraining order in doing so. If this happens, he’ll not only be dealing with the Board but he’ll be called into Wizengamot for breaking the restraining order.
Harry, how long have you been planning this? Even though he couldn’t hear Severus, his face warmed up, already imagining the barely concealed awe and praise.
Would you believe me if I said I just came up with the idea a few moments ago?
Knowing how your brain works, yes. Harry couldn’t help but smile, green eyes soft as he looked at the complement.
As soon as I get into contact with Tom, I’ll head over. Thank you for letting me use your quarters, Severus.
“Severus is open to letting me use his quarters to meet with Lucius. Now I just need to message Tom again.” Harry opened the other two-way journal and grinned as he started his message.
:Hey, Tom. Do you want to do me a favor?: A few moments later, Harry received a message that made him chuckle.
:Not particularly, but what do you need?:
:Lucius.:
:Lucius? Why do you need him? As far as I know, he will be there with the other members around eight or nine.:
:Exactly. I need to talk to Lucius beforehand. I was telling Severus, but I have a plan that might ensure Dumbledore falls so hard that he won’t be able to get back up. But in order for it to work, I need to speak with Lucius privately.:
:Usually, I would be hesitant to follow a plan that is last minute, but you have proven to be unconventional.: Harry smirked at the offhanded compliment, humming.
:I guess that’s the closest thing to a compliment that I’ll get from you.: Harry wrote, a teasing undertone to the written words.
:Nonsense. I am thankful to have your wonderful mind working against Dumbledore. It makes my goals all the easier to implement. I can send Lucius right away. I assume you will be meeting in Severus quarters?:
:Yep! Severus has already agreed to this. He actually really likes my plan. I’ll tell you what it is after I meet with Lucius. There’s no guarantee this will work, but it will make taking Dumbledore down a lot easier.:
“Tom’s also agreed to it,” Harry spoke, the excitement obvious in his voice as he tried to control his magic, which almost crackled with enthusiasm. With a wave of his hand, his cloak and other belongings came to him, settling against the side.
“This is great!” Hermione beamed, her own excitement starting to shine through. “I don’t think it will take much to convince Malfoy, after all. The hard part will be making the other agree.” Harry sighed and nodded.
“I agree. That’s why when Lucius and Amelia both pull me aside for questions, I will have to tell them the complete truth about what’s been going on. I’ll have to explain how often this has happened, and I’ll also have to tell them why the restraining order went into immediate effect.” Hermione paused and nodded slowly.
“What Dumbledore did the other night was enough for an immediate expulsion. If you tell them what he did, they won’t have an option to let him remain as Headmaster…I’m sorry, Harry. I know you didn’t want to tell them that just yet.”
“It’s okay. If it means getting rid of Dumbledore sooner and helping ensure this plan goes through, I’m more than willing to set aside my own discomfort. This plan was better than the one I had originally thought of. My last plan would have involved Dumbledore seeking me out at an undisclosed time. This one helps limit that gap.” As Harry gathered the rest of his things, he gave Hermione a small smile. “I’ll see you later, Mione.” With that, he apparated to Severus’ quarters.
“Thank you again for letting me do this, Severus,” Harry spoke once he had safely apparated into the Wizard’s quarters, additional safety charms placed. “Lucius should be here soon. Tom said he would send him immediately. I don’t think it will take much to convince him.”
“No, it won’t,” Severus smirked lightly, taking note of the excited gleam in Harry’s emerald eyes. “Amelia Bones will be quick to request Dumbledore’s expulsion as well. Their obstacles will be the other board members.” Harry nodded at that, having already given that thought.
“Which is why I’m going to share the full story.” He admitted. “Originally, I was going to omit the part about Dumbledore using his words as compulsion magic. However, if I tell them the truth, it will likely lead to everyone turning against him.”
Before Severus had a chance to respond, the floo network came to life and Lucius emerged from the flames, not a single hair out of place. He met Severus' gaze and gave a cordial nod.
“Severus. Our Lord instructed me to come here as soon as I could regarding the issue with-“ His eyes met Harry’s, who was smirking. “Lord Potter.” Turning to give his full attention to the younger wizard, Lucius moved closer. “Apparently this will be a crucial meeting.”
“Lord Malfoy,” Harry began, “Feel free to call me Harry. I don’t use the title of Lord when I’m attending Hogwarts. I know the Board is doing their inspection today, and honestly, there’s no way Dumbledore will get out of this without being removed from his position. Not if I tell the Board the entirely of what happened.” Lucius quirked an eyebrow at that, interested in the information as he sat down.
“Is that so? The Dark Lord said you had a plan about handling this.”
“Kind of. It’s more so an idea. The real power of the plan will rest in your hands, as well as Amelia Bones.”
“I see. What makes you certain that the investigation will go so well?”
“Not only has Dumbledore been harassing me for the past two years, but he cornered me the other night and tried to use a compulsion spell on me. It was why the restraining order went into immediate effect.” His words had done the job because Lucius’s eyes widened at the tidbit that would certainly tip the scales. “Now I could be wrong, but something tells me that’s a serious offense against a student from the headmaster,” Harry spoke with a devious grin, making Severus smirk at the sight.
“That is more than enough for an immediate expulsion.” Lucius breathed out, starting to understand why the younger wizard was so confident.
“As much as I want Dumbledore gone now, I think it would be wiser if he isn’t removed until Yule.” Lucius's confusion was evident, so Harry continued. “He’s getting desperate. I’ve lost count of the number of times he’s sought me out and tried to convince me to fight Voldemort.” If Lucius was unreeved about the name being used, he hid it well. “That attack he tried the other night was from frustration. I keep rejecting his offer and it’s starting to get to him. That attack was reckless and clearly not thought through completely.”
“I see your point, but why continue to subjugate yourself to the harassment and potential assault? If he is truly getting this desperate, what if his next attack is a more serious one?” Harry sighed.
“I was worried about that, but that is something I am counting on, to be honest.” He confessed, knowing there was no use in denying it. “I know it sounds risky, but it is a risk that I’m willing to take. If the Board sets the expulsion date the day when Winter Break starts, Dumbledore will become even more desperate to seek me out. If he was willing to take such measures last time, he will try even harder to get to me before he’s forced to leave.” Lucius looked unsure; his eyebrows furrowed in concern.
“Dumbledore will play it safe for a few weeks because he’ll be afraid of the Board finding out, but the closer he gets to his expulsion date, the closer he will be to snapping. He’s obsessed with making sure I join his side in the war. And when he snaps and tries to get me to join a final time, he’ll be breaking the restraining order, which is another serious crime.”
“You expect that he’ll use a similar means to attack you, if not something worse.” As dangerous as the plan was, Lucius couldn’t deny the ingenuity of it. If there was ever a time to ensure Dumbledore fell, it would be now. While there was no guarantee it would work, it was better than missing a chance to let Dumbledore walk into his own trap.
“I do. Again, I’m kind of counting on that. The more desperate he is, the further he is willing to go. Besides, I already figured a reason you could keep Dumbledore until Yule.”
“And what reason would that be?” Lucius inquired.
“Well, if Dumbledore is gone, that leaves McGonagall to fill the spot. But that would also mean you would need to find a new transfiguration professor, appoint a new head of Gryffindor, as well as appoint a new Deputy Headmaster or Headmistress. Do you really want to worry about all of that at once? If you wait until Yule, you can already have people in mind for the position. And it would let Dumbledore finish the last term without too much of an uproar from him, or the rest of his supporters.” There was an incredulous look on Lucius’s face, and Severus couldn’t stop smirking again.
“That is a great plan, Harry,” Lucius mumbled, not bothering to deny it.
“It was a last-minute plan I came up with this morning.” Harry waved it off. “Besides, I also didn’t want the minister getting involved. If Dumbledore were forced to leave immediately, Fudge would no doubt make his appearance known, and I really don’t want to deal with that.” Lucius’s lips twitched into what appeared to be an amused smirk.
“I can’t say I want to deal with that either.” The blonde admitted. He dealt with Minister Fudge enough when he was at the Ministry. He hated it but being in the Ministers' good books had its privileges. “Lucky for us, he is easy to manipulate. That is the only reason he remains in office. Once one of our own, or the Dark Lord runs for Minister, Fudge will be removed.”
It was strange hearing the phrase one of our own used because he felt as if that phrase was also directed at him. It raised the question about the other Death Eaters seeing him as being on their side.
Merlin, he was on their side, wasn’t he? While he had joked with Tom about giving some thought to officially joining, it seemed that along the way, he had crossed over to the dark side.
“And if Dumbledore does attack me again near the Winter Holiday, it’s possible that he’ll be sentenced to Azkaban for a while.” Lucius merely smirked.
“No, it is certain that he will be sentenced if he attacks you again. Breaking a restraining order, attacking a student, attempting to place a compulsion on the student, and attacking a Lord of-“ Lucius raised an eyebrow when he saw more than one Lordship ring. “-multiple houses. By themselves, those are serious actions. Together, it will ensure his indictment.”
“Do you think Amelia Bones will agree to wait until Yule? I’ve heard that she takes her job seriously and doesn’t hold back.” Lucius let out a soft chuckle at the way the other leader of the Board was described.
“She is tenacious and unrelenting, but she is also one to see reason. Like you, Amelia wishes to keep the Ministry out of Hogwarts. She will do anything to ensure that this matter is taken care of with care and haste, even if it means we need to wait until a better time to act.” Harry nodded, a wave of relief flowing through him. He let out a breath, not realizing how apprehensive he had been.
“I’ll take my leave now. Amelia and I will meet with you at some point later in the day.” Lucius headed towards the floo, giving a nod to Severus. “Thank you for allowing the use of your quarters, Severus.” The blonde said. “And Harry,” Lucius smirked at the younger wizard. “I can see why The Dark Lord speaks highly of you.” With that said, the blonde wizard stepped into the floo and vanished.
Harry blinked in surprise at the last comment, chuckling.
“Tom really is desperate to get me to join his side, isn’t he?” Harry chuckled. “Even after I agreed to give it some consideration.” He wasn’t annoyed, though, Unlike Dumbledore, Tom had never tried to force him or manipulate him into joining.
“Unlike Dumbledore, The Dark Lord values people for their insight above all else. He admires your resourcefulness, as well as your cunning nature. He rarely creates a plan alone, instead, his most trusted help advise him and give their own input.”
“I noticed that.” Harry chuckled, thinking back to all the paperwork he had seen on Tom’s desk. “I can’t say that Dumbledore follows the same leadership style.” Severus barely withheld a sneer at the mention of Dumbledore’s leading abilities. “When I used to be a part of those meetings, he was the one planning everything and telling everyone what they needed to be doing. There was no debate or options to discuss it. It was either you followed his plan, or you weren’t part of it.” Thinking of those days nearly made his blood boil.
“I’m sorry that you’ve been forced to deal with it for longer than I have. I don’t see how you haven’t murdered him yet.” Hearing the chuckle from Severus helped diminish any of the lingering anger. “I would have snapped at this point.”
“I’ve debated on lacing his tea on numerous occasions.” The potions professor confessed, a barely-there smirk on his lips.
“You know, if this plan doesn’t work, we can poison him before he leaves.” Harry joked, although he did give the idea some thought. “Is there a spell that can check if someone has been poisoned?” Harry asked, thinking more of the idea.
“Only for specific poisons. Numerous potions attempt to test if the person has been poisoned, but the process takes too long and is rarely used. In order for someone to see if the poison has been administered, they need to test for specific poisons one at a time.” Harry suddenly understood why the process likely took so long.
“There are hundreds of poisons.” He said, making a face. “With that sort of test, it could take months to figure it out.” Harry snorted suddenly. “The region would also play an important key. There are specific plants that wouldn’t be thought of automatically. A healer here likely wouldn’t check, or even have on hand something from another country.”
Severus enjoyed these moments more than he would ever admit.
Watching as Harry worked around an interesting problem, thinking to himself, and coming up with unique solutions was something that he would never tire of.
The sound of a bell broke Harry from his concentration, and he sighed softly. That was the first bell to signal the start of breakfast, but the Seventeen-year-old wasn’t hungry.
However, it would be suspicious if he didn’t show up, and he didn’t want to leave Hermione to eat alone.
“I better go. If I don’t show up, Dumbledore might get suspicious.” The last thing he wanted to do was leave Hermione to deal with the senile man, should he choose to single her out instead. That thought alone made him pale for a moment until he remembered she was safe under his Lordships.
“Harry?” Severus called out to him, breaking the younger wizard from his thoughts.
“Sorry. I was thinking about Hermione. I was worried that Dumbledore might try and bother her now, but she’s also protected under my Lordships.” Harry admitted, relaxing at the reminder. Severus hummed, recalling the information he had learned a few months prior.
“Yes. You performed a blood adoption on her, to claim her as a sister, correct?” Severus asked, clearing his table with a wave of his wand.
“I did,” Harry confirmed. “She’s under my protection. For Yule, I’m giving her a necklace with protection charms from all four lordships. The House of Black and Gryffindor had something similar to an heirship ring, but it wasn’t quite it.”
“They wouldn’t. The House of Black and Gryffindor only allows the Male to run the estate and claim the Lordship. Ms. Granger is still protected but will be unable to ever claim the status of Lady.” Harry nodded at that, having researched as much as he could after claiming his lordships. He wanted to talk with the man more, but he had to get to breakfast soon, otherwise, Dumbledore would become suspicious about his absence when the Board of Governors made their appearance.
“I’ll see you later, Severus. Don’t harass the first years too much,” He teased, appariting out of the room. Severus fondly rolled his eyes, a small smile on the man's face.
“I have to admit, I am worried for these students.” Amelia confided in Lucius as they made their way to Gryffindor tower, where they were set to meet Lord Potter in McGonagall’s office. There was a privacy charm around them, making their conversation safe from prying ears. “There are valued courses that they are not being taught.”
Lucius had known about the lacking courses from Draco, but seeing it firsthand was truly worrisome.
“I agree. The only time there was a dueling class was in my son's second year. That’s five years ago now.” Lucius commented with a frown. “When we attended, the dueling class was taught yearly.”
“It makes me wonder about this generation. Will they know how to fend for themselves if they are attacked? If Dumbledore,” She spat the name like it was a disgrace. “-is truly worried about Voldemort, why does he keep his students from learning valuable materials?” She shook her head. “And what of the Wizarding etiquette class? Why is there a muggle studies class, but no etiquette class for the muggleborns?” It made no sense to have a class about muggles for the half-bloods and purebloods, yet no class to help the muggleborns adapt to the new world they were in.
“That alarms me as well.” Lucius truthfully had no idea there was no Wizarding etiquette class being taught. Draco and most other pureblood children had been taught about their customs before entering Hogwarts. The Muggleborns weren’t offered that same luxury, which was why the class was offered in the first place.
“How does he expect the muggleborns to integrate with the rest of the wizarding world if the class is not taught? Once they graduate Hogwarts, they are going to realize that the real world is nothing like it is here. This is setting them up for failure.”
Lucius dealt with years of bias from his upbringing, but even he saw the issue in secluding the muggleborns. They would likely return to the muggle world once they left Hogwarts, and it was possible that it would create a population surge of witches and wizards populating the muggle world if they continued to return.
“This could cause a lot of issues in the long run. If muggleborn witches and wizards find themselves unable to integrate within our world, they will return to theirs.” It wasn’t uncommon for muggleborns to chose to go back to the muggle world, but it was alarming that a huge number would potentially do so. “If most of this generation’s muggleborn population returns to their world, what will happen when they have children, and when their children also return there? How many muggles will we have to obliviate to keep the wizarding world a secret?” The thought made both of them wince.
The ministry already suffered enough with Fudge running it. What would happen if they were to be discovered?
“I know it is impossible to stop some from leaving. They still have their families in the muggle world.” Amelia understood their desire to visit and stay with them, especially when they had no family in the wizarding world. “But the fact that there is no measure to help integrate them is alarming. If they wanted to stay in the first place, they are at a further disadvantage.”
“That’s not the only issue.” Lucius sighed. “I fear there are a few professors here that are…unqualified to teach.” He admitted to which Amelia was quick to nod.
“Something I noticed as well,” Amelia responded with a sigh of her own. “Watching Professor Trelawney teach was,” She paused, trying to gather her words. “Interesting.” Amelia settled, causing Lucius to smirk.
“It would seem we have more issues than we originally thought.”
As they finally reached Gryffindor tower, McGonagall was waiting for them, giving a court nod when they arrived.
“Lucius, Amelia.” The elderly woman offered a small smile to them, leading them to her office.
“Minerva.” Amelia felt her lips curl into a small smile as well. “It is wonderful to see you again, but the circumstances are unfavorable.”
“An understatement, my dear.” The Head of Gryffindor sighed. “Mister Potter will be getting out of class shortly. Would you like some tea while you wait?”
“Tea would be nice, thank you.” Lucius nodded.
As the tea was served, Amelia was the first to speak up.
“Minerva, can you be unbiased with us? Can you tell us how you believe the school is running?” Amelia questioned after taking a sip, raising an eyebrow as the older woman let out a humorless chuckle.
“I’m afraid we would be here all day if that were the case,” Lucius smirked a bit, nodding.
“How about something more specific? Do you believe that there are certain professors here who are unqualified to instruct?” Minerva nearly winced as she took her own sip of tea, giving a forlorn nod.
“I’m afraid so. While I am the deputy Headmistress, there is only so much I can do to ensure everything is running smoothly. Most of the hiring is done by Albus, which I am sure you are aware of.” She sat her cup on the saucer, frowning. “I assume your own investigation has led you to make this discovery.”
“Yes. We were quite surprised at the teaching style of Professor Trelawney.” It was slightly amusing to see the way Minerva roll her eyes at the name.
“I have no idea what possessed Albus to hire her. I’ve had multiple students drop her classes and elect to self-study. The same goes for Cuthbert Binns.” Lucius broke character and grimaced.
“With all due respect,” He began, crossing his arms. “Cuthbert Binns should have been fired years ago. I remember his teaching being subpar when I was in his class. I can’t imagine it’s gotten any better.”
“If it were up to me, I would have found replacements for them years ago,” Hearing the admission made Amelia hum. “Truthfully, there are two other professors that are worrisome as well. Rubeus Hagrid means well, but he lacks the proper education to teach the students here. As an assistant professor, I think he would do well, but not as the main instructor for Care of magical creatures.”
“Wasn’t his wand snapped?” Amelia looked aghast. “Why is he the main instructor if he can’t perform magic to protect the students if something were to go wrong?” Lucius felt a twitch in his jaw at the reminder of what happened to Draco.
“I tried to convince Albus to hire someone else for the position, but he was unrelenting. I’m not fond of having someone without an education teach the students, even if this is his passion.”
“Are there other professors or staff members you would change?” Amelia asked, observing the way Minerva reacted to the questions.
“The Librarian. Her name is Irma Pince, but I find that she is too possessive of the books. I’ve had many upper years complain to me about her. She is often unwilling to let them leave the library with the book they need.”
“A librarian who is unwilling to let the students check out books.” Amelia covered her face, feeling a migraine forming at the back of her head. “Dear Merlin, this place is in more trouble than I thought.”
“I won’t keep my voice silent any longer. Albus has caused severe problems for this school, and for the students. The brunt of these issues has been shoved upon Mister Potter.” Amelia perked up at that, nodding at Lucius who proceeded to conjure a clipboard and write down what Minerva had to say.
“Can you give us an example of what the headmaster has done to Harry Potter? We hope your words will not only give us more insight on the matter but convince the other members about Albus' flaws.”
“Of course,” Minerva nodded. She would have smirked, but the words she was about to say left a bitter taste in her mouth. “I will admit that I failed Harry in numerous ways because I was blind to the manipulations until last year. Harry would return late from the Headmaster’s office, looking more and more stressed as the year went on. It was around the end of May when I overheard an exchange between them that disturbed me greatly.”
“What happened?” Lucius asked, narrowing his eyes.
“Mister Potter was yelling at the Headmaster, telling him he didn’t want to fight in the war. He was distressed when Dumbledore kept pressing the matter, telling Harry that he was the only one that could defeat Voldemort.” Amelia was listening with wide eyes. “Mister Potter refused to go back into the Headmaster’s office and told him to find someone else to fight his battles.”
“He was trying to get an underage student to fight the Dark Lord?” Amelia looked ill.
“And he was trying to dictate his life. After that encounter I witnessed, I started to wonder how well I truly knew my student. This year, I questioned him again about his career path. As I suspected, he only said he wanted to be an Auror in his fifth year because that was the path Dumbledore tried to make him follow.”
“Yeah, I wasn’t a fan of that either.” The three adults turned to look at the younger Wizard who had managed to enter the office undetected. “I never wanted to be an Auror, but Dumbledore had it in his head that I wanted to be.” Harry shrugged.
“Mister Potter,” Minerva made to stand, but Harry stopped her.
“Professor, if it’s alright with you, I would like you to stay for this. You have a right to know what happened.” Harry had a suspicion that once Dumbledore was gone, it was going to be McGonagall to take his place. He didn’t have a problem with that, but he wanted her to be aware of what was going on.
As Harry moved to take the unoccupied seat, he held back a sigh. Despite being ready for the plans to be set into motion, he dreaded reliving the events.
“As you’re aware, I filled a restraining order against Headmaster Dumbledore.” Now that information was something Minerva was unaware of, and she had to withhold her gasp. “And it went into immediate effect.” Amelia Bones peered up at him, nodding.
“Yes. Those are rare,” She reminded, having only seen it a handful of times herself.
“The reason the restraining order went into immediate effect was because of what the Headmaster did. He cornered me twice that day and,” Harry paused, taking a breath. “The first time made me uneasy. There was something about him that made me uncomfortable. Then that night…” Harry swallowed thickly. “I could feel his magic coming from his voice, and there was something dark about it. I managed to excuse myself from him as I fled to the Dungeons to meet Professor Snape for one of my detentions.”
Even though Lucius already knew about the events, hearing Harry speak about it made a chill go down his spine.
“I didn’t want to tell Professor Snape, so I waited until early the next morning to sneak out and go to Gringotts myself.” He gave a sheepish smile to his head of House. “Sorry about that, Professor. I just didn’t see another alternative at the time.”
“Harry,” She gave him a sad smile. “I just wish you had told me from the beginning. I had no idea he was overstepping his bounds at this level.” Harry winced, biting his lips.
“That wasn’t the only reason the restraining order went into immediate effect.” The green-eyed wizard breathed out, turning away for a moment. “At Gringotts, the Goblin watched my memory and came to the realization that Dumbledore’s magic had been a compulsion. He was using his words to try and form a magical compulsion around me, so I would listen to him.”
It was at that moment, that Amelia Bones knew there was no going back after this.
“Excuse me? He what?!” Amelia actually gasped, along with Minerva. “Lord Potter, you are telling me that the Headmaster attempted to attack you that night, with his words acting as a compulsion spell?”
“I can show you the memories if you don’t believe me. I can also retrieve Jagrofth if you need him. He was the overseer of the restraining order.” Amelia Bones quickly composed herself, shaking her head.
“There’s no need, Lord Potter. The evidence of the Goblins sending us the letter is all we need. The fact that your restraining order was answered by magic itself is more than telling,” She explained, setting her paper down. “All formalities aside, this is a grave issue. That information you just disclosed is enough to remove Dumbledore immediately. Even if the other members are uncertain, they will quickly agree once they know the truth.”
“I know,” Harry nodded. “I figured the Headmaster would be removed once I told the truth about what happened the other night.” He hesitated for a moment. “This might be an odd proposal, but would you consider waiting until Yule break?” Amelia blinked in surprise at the request.
“You want us to remove Dumbledore during Yule break?” Amelia asked, entirely confused and cautious of the request.
“If possible, yes. Speaking as myself, I would prefer this matter be handled discretely. If you remove him today, I worry that the ministry would step in.” Amelia paused at the words, leaning back in her chair. “It’s no secret that Minister Fudge isn’t fond of Dumbledore, and while I’m obviously not a fan of the headmaster, I’d rather not deal with the minister on top of everything else.”
“I have to agree with Lord Potter, Amelia.” Lucius cut in. “If we act now, Minerva will take the place of the headmaster. However, that also leaves us with the responsibility of finding a new transfigurations professor and appointing a new deputy.” Closing her eyes, Amelia nodded.
“As much as it pains me to do this, I have to agree. If we remove Dumbledore now, I can already imagine the chaos our inept Minister would cause. Like Lord Potter, I would also like to avoid that at all costs.” She said with a sigh, suddenly feeling more tired than ever before. Her eyes landed on Harry’s again, feeling a wave of sadness wash over her.
Had this poor wizard not been through enough?
“We will search for a suitable transfiguration professor in the meantime,” Amelia promised the two. “And we will be further investigating other professors as well. Rest be assured, Hogwarts will be going through numerous changes in the following months.”
That following night at dinner, Albus was wary when he and a few other professors received a glowing letter. The owls usually didn’t run this late unless it was an emergency or official business.
With a deep sigh, he opened the letter and unfolded the parchment carefully.
Dear Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, after our initial investigation this morning, the Board of Governors has come to a decision. As of right now, your tenure as Headmaster at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry will be nullified starting the 22nd of December.
On the 22nd of December, please have all of your belongings packed and arrangements made to leave no later than eleven pm.
A member of the Board of Governors will be placed to ensure your removal by the given time. Failure to comply with these orders or attempting to avoid the chosen member will result in your immediate arrest and confinement.
Again, be ready to leave no later than eleven pm on December 22nd
An Official Statement from The Board of Governors, Chairman Lucius Malfoy, and Chairwoman Amelia Bones.
The number of gasps that went around the table was enough indication that he wasn’t the only one to receive such a letter. His pale face and cold eyes swept across the table, noting all the professors who had a letter in their hands.
Irma Pince, Sybill Trelawney, and Rubeus Hagrid.
Everything was crashing down around him. All of his carefully thought-out plans were crumbling to dust, the wind carrying them away.
Cold and calculating blue eyes scan the students next, nearly widening when he finds a pair of emerald eyes boring into his own. They stare deep into him, causing the unfamiliar sensation of dread to build in the pit of his stomach.
Slowly, the seventh year Gryffindor smiles at him, and Albus has the sudden feeling that he needs to run for his life.
Notes:
Anyway, this story is getting closer and closer to its finishing mark! As much as I've loved writing this story, I really want to finish it soon so I can focus more on other wips I have in mind.
Hidden in plain sight is still my baby at this point in time. I want to give that story more love and attention. (I feel like I'm a parent with their 'favorite' kid, lol)
Chapter 19
Notes:
Another chapter this week? I'm just as surprised as you are, lol.
Anyway, please enjoy the fluff and Harry's realizations
Things might change soon ;)Gosh. Just like last time, this chapter ended up being a lot longer than I originally intended. It ended up being over 7000 words again.
Here's to hoping the next few chapters won't be like that XD
Chapter Text
For the first time in a long time, Harry felt like he could breathe easier. Even if he was still on guard when walking down the halls, there was a feeling of freedom that lingered in his very bones. If Dumbledore decided not to risk another attack, it wouldn't matter regardless. In less than a month, Dumbledore would be gone permanently. He would lose his title and power as Headmaster no matter what.
And that knowledge was exhilarating! When he told Hermione, she had jumped for glee and brought him in for a warm hug. She and a few other students were the only ones that knew as of right now, but he knew eventually that would change. Minerva wasn't one to keep secrets from her students, and she would likely tell the rest of the Gryffindors when Yule came closer.
Things were rapidly changing, and Harry was welcoming it with open arms.
"You look chipper this morning," Hermione chuckled as she came into the common room, still in her pajamas. "What are you doing up this early?" It was almost five in the morning, but Harry had woken up nearly thirty minutes ago.
"I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep. Too excited lately." He gave her a contagious smile, which she returned with ease. "And I wanted to go flying in the snow. It started up again, and I was thinking about burning off some of my energy." Harry chuckled. "But why are you awake at this time?"
"Viktor usually wakes up early this time of the year, so I woke up early to talk with him before going back to bed. He's about to start another round of training for Quidditch, and I wanted to talk with him before he became too busy." Harry nodded, a small smirk on his face.
"Are you planning on visiting him during Yule?" He asked, having completely forgotten to ask the question previously.
"I am. I'll be spending the first week with him, then we're going to my parents." Harry rose an eyebrow as surprise washed over him. "He's never experienced the muggle version of a new year celebration, and he expressed interest in wanting to do so. My parents are excited to see him again." She admitted, flushing a bit.
"Hey, I'm happy for you." Harry grinned. "And I'm glad that your parents are accepting of the relationship. They're one of the most understanding muggles I've ever met." Granted, he hadn't met a lot of muggles that understood magic, but the Dursleys had left a bad taste in his mouth.
"I know. I'm so thankful for them," She admitted, smiling a bit. "And they love Viktor. It makes me happy knowing that they get along so well. His parents also accept me for being a muggleborn. For the longest time, I was worried they wouldn't accept me. His school was known to reject muggleborns after all." Harry nodded, frowning at the reminder.
"I think it's a stupid rule, but I don't know how to change it. If I could, I would. For right now, I'm just happy that Hogwarts is going through the much-needed changes." Hermione nodded in agreement, running a hand through her hair as a solemn look formed on her face.
"I do feel bad for Hagrid, though. I understand and agree that he needed to be demoted, but it doesn't make it any easier." Sighing softly, the green-eyed wizard could only nod. Hagrid was the first person to show him kindness and support. The half-giant had been a great friend over the years, going far to keep them out of trouble when they were younger.
"It's not something I like seeing either," Harry admitted softly, but like Hermione, he understood why. Hagrid had a knack for taking care of magical creatures, but he was still unqualified to teach. "At least he'll still be around though?" He reminded. "He will be an assistant to the CARE professor, whenever they bring the new one in. I'm sure that if he continues to prove himself and pass any examinations they might give, he can reclaim the position one day."
"I think assistant professor is good for role him. He can see how other people teach the class because.." Hermione sighed softly. "His teaching methods were a little…unorthodox." Harry snorted at her understatement.
"What makes me happy is seeing Trelawney and Binns finally be replaced. Merlin knows that Binns needed to be replaced decades ago." With the number of people that elected to self-study, it should have been an indicator that something was amiss.
"And Irma Pince." Hermione nearly spat out the name, a dark look in her eyes. "She would never let me leave the library with the damn book, even if I needed it! Starting from our sixth year, it would have been useful if they let us check out the books like we should have been able to do." Harry withheld a smirk, opting to nod in agreement instead.
"Yeah, I agree. There are days where we can't spend our entire time in the library, and even if we wanted to, there is a curfew. I get away with it thanks to my invisibility cloak, but we shouldn't have to worry about not having the book we need. Although, you put up a good fight with Pince. I think she learned to not bother arguing with you after our first year," Hermione outright laughed.
"I thought she was horrid when I was a first-year. It only got worse the more I needed to use the books." Hermione huffed, shaking her head. "I'm thankful no one else will have to deal with her after this semester." Most of the student body despised the unpleasant woman, and Harry believed most of the staff members shared those opinions. As Hermione held back a yawn, she turned to face her best friend.
"I forgot to ask, but what are your plans for Yule?" She inquired, tilting her head. "You usually visit the Weasley's but…this year will be different." A wave of sadness ran through Harry as he nodded, chewing on his bottom lip.
"I plan on visiting them the morning after to exchange gifts. I think this year, they really need to be with each other. I know they always say I'm part of their family, but this year, they need each other more than ever. Besides," Harry started to flush lightly. "I don't know what Severus' plans are, but he never leaves during Yule. I wanted to offer him my company if he wants it." Hermione resisted fondly rolling her eyes.
"I'm sure he would enjoy your company, Harry. He hasn't commented on it yet." Harry flushed more, knowing his friend was right.
"I know. I figured he would get annoyed with me eventually. He sees me basically every day, so I figured he might enjoy some time without me, you know? Take the time for himself or something." Hermione hummed, slowly nodding. She could understand the worry.
"I get that," She confessed. "But until he comments on it, I don't think you have much to worry about. Snape is blunt, snarky, and sarcastic. If he had a problem with you being around him, I think he would have said something by now." Lips twitched as Harry found himself laughing.
"Good point," He teased, grinning when Hermione was unable to hold back a yawn. "You should get back to bed, Mione. You've still got another two hours before breakfast, and I plan on heading out to fly soon. You know how much I love flying in the snow."
"Yes, I know. You better be careful this time, Harry. Please remember to put on a drying charm this time." When her friend merely smirked, Hermione huffed.
"Harry," She began, in a tone Harry had grown accustomed to.
"I'll try to remember this time, Mione. Promise." He said, getting up and stretching. "I'll see you at breakfast…" He then paused, recalling their previous plans. "Oh, we'll be meeting Luna and Neville after breakfast, won't we?" Hermione blinked, only to quickly nod.
"That's right!" She nearly exclaimed. "Merlin, it nearly slipped my mind with everything going on right now. I'm sure Nev will have a lot of questions." Harry nearly grimaced, thinking of all the information he was about to disclose again. Even if he was close to Neville and Luna, their schedules were vastly different. And now that the Gryffindor and the Ravenclaw were an item, they spent a lot of their free time together.
"I nearly forgot about it too." Harry chuckled, shaking his head. "Nev gave me a look the other day when Hagrid announced he would be demoted to an assistant professor. He's more observant than ever this year, and he's figured that I know what's going on." He would have been concerned by the observation had it been someone else, but his friends had gained his trust countless times.
"Anyway, I better head out now before it stops snowing. I'll see you at breakfast," He waved, heading out of Gryffindor Tower and to the quidditch training field. It was second nature to head to the game field, but it would have been a long trek. And unlike the game field, the training field was close to the castle.
He could get to the game field within seconds if he were to apparate there, but it would take the fun out of the walk. There was fresh snow on the ground, with fresh snow steadily covering his newly made footprints. The air was crisp, the scent of snow wafting through the air.
Fresh snow at Hogwarts was still one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen. There was magic in the way the ancient castle looked with snow covering the ground and the cobblestone edifices. The snow that collected at the top of the roofs and towers always managed to take his breath away.
It didn't take long to reach the training field, a small smile forming when arriving at the destination. As he looked around the familiar field, a soft sigh escaped, his breath barely noticeable as the snow fell. Memories of playing and training on the fields rushed through his mind, leaving a bittersweet feeling in its wake.
There were times where he missed playing Quidditch. The familiarity among his teammates being some of the most nostalgic moments. They worked hard and gave it their all, their dynamics working well together to form an almost perfect team.
But his sixth year had changed that when he became the captain, which brought more stress on him that he never admitted to.
With Dumbledore harassing him, the ministry on his ass, and other issues, being the captain had taken a toll on him. It felt like everyone was looking up to him for answers, needing him to lead them. It was a direct parallel to Dumbledore calling him the bloody savior of the wizarding war, and how everyone was counting on him to defeat Voldemort.
Being a quidditch captain with expectations to bring the team to victory was more than he could handle. At the end of the year, he had announced his retirement and congratulated everyone on a year well won. The team had been upset, but they all respected his decision, even Ginny, who made it known she wanted the title of captain.
Even if she had been a thorn in his side this year, Harry felt obligated to give her respect where it was due. She was an amazing quidditch player and if she wanted to, she could very well enter a pro team after Hogwarts. Their differences aside, she was amazing on the team.
While looking at the empty field, the snow covering the ground completely, Harry smiled at the sight of the untouched land. As much as he had grown to enjoy the crowding of a team, he had grown to enjoy the serene silence just as much. Taking a breath, Harry hopped onto his broom and flew up, a grin on his face the further he ascended, the flurry of snow rushing past him. He took a breath and gripped his broom tighter before starting his flight that would make Hermione scold him for days.
It was nearing seven when Harry had finally landed on the ground, a familiar figure in a black cloak making its way onto the field, arms crossed.
"Merlin, Potter. Are you trying to catch a cold?" Severus questioned, causing Harry to look down at his appearance.
"What-" Looking at his attire, Harry noted that he had forgotten to grab his winter cloak from the castle. "In all honestly, I didn't even notice until now." And now that he did notice, a sudden chill settled over his frame.
"I fail to see how you were unaware of not wearing a cloak." There was the barest hint of amusement in the tone. "I assume you applied a warming charm, in that case." When the younger wizard made no comment and gave him a sheepish grin instead, Severus withheld a groan. "Bloody Gryffindors." He muttered under his breath, moving closer as he shrugged off his own scarf and winter cloak.
Harry's face burned darkly as he felt the unfamiliar weight of Severus' cloak drape across his shoulders.
"Not even a warning charm, Harry?" Severus asked with a raised eyebrow as Harry slid his arms through the warm sleeves, trying to resist from snuggling into the intoxicating scent. The dark green scarf around his neck didn't help matters either, his heart fluttering wildly in his chest.
"I love the snow, to be honest," Harry admitted with a carefree chuckle. "The cold usually doesn't bother me, so I didn't realize how chilly it was until now," Snow was falling around them, catching in their hair. "At least I remembered to place a drying charm this time."
"This time?" Severus asked, a hand on the small of Harry's back as they headed towards the castle, the sun finally beginning to peek through the clouds.
"Hermione will vouch for me, but I have a tendency to do reckless things like this often," Harry grinned. "Then again, I think you're all too aware of how reckless I used to be," He grinned, causing Severus to smirk slightly, the onyx eyes tinted with amusement,
"Watching you run after a werewolf certainly comes to mind." Harry snorted at the memory, knowing that particular event had been one of his most reckless moments. A sudden gust of bitter wind blew, making Harry curl into the robes tighter, becoming all too aware of the warm hand that was pressed into the small of his back.
"Thank you for letting me borrow your cloak," Harry mumbled quietly, unable to resist from snuggling into the warmth, subtlety inhaling the scent that was currently invading his senses. As he pressed into the cloak, Harry missed the flush that dusted Severus' cheeks, the older wizard swallowing thickly before attempting to speak.
"I would be failing in my duties if I allowed a student to freeze to death," Severus sniffed, his tone making Harry chuckle softly, a different sort of warmth rolling through him. "I still find it hard to believe you were unaware of how frigid it was outside," Harry merely shrugged, unintentionally moving closer to Severus as their trek continued,
"When I'm flying I tend to forget everything else going on around me. It's similar to when I'm engrossed in a book, or creating a new spell. Everything else just fades away for the moment." Harry admitted, a soft smile on his face. "I've always felt at ease when I'm in the sky," He chuckled, realizing they were heading in the direction of the dungeons instead of Gryffindor tower.
The familiar sensation of Severus' magic enveloped him, growing cautious as they walked into the dungeons.
"Severus?" He questioned quietly, starting to understand that something was wrong.
"Dumbledore was watching you earlier," Severus explained, his dark tone making Harry bite his lips. "I was doing my rounds when I noticed him observing you." The thought made an uneasy feeling stick in his throat. "He left once my presence became known."
"Merlin, that's bloody creepy." Harry nearly cursed at his own blindness, having been too caught up in his own thoughts to notice a pair of eyes on him. He usually felt it when Dumbledore's eyes were on him, but because of his freedom in the sky, it left him with a major blind spot. "In that case, I owe you another thank you," Harry added.
The rest of the walk was silent as Severus lead Harry into his private quarters, making sure to place another set of wards around his rooms and fireplace. On instinct, Harry sat down in his usual spot, unaware of the protective fire that was blazing in the older wizard's eyes.
As the fire came to life and warmed the room, Severus spoke up, his words deep and soft like rich velvet.
"You don't owe me anything, Harry," The words and tone took his breath away, but before he could respond, Severus was moving into the kitchens, leaving him seated in his usual spot.
I really do owe you so much, Severus. Without you, I would have struggled this year more than ever. Without you, none of this would be possible. Dumbledore's downfall is just as much thanks to you as it is to me.
He was jolted from his thoughts when the older wizard returned, a mug of steaming tea in his hand. Harry accepted the warm mug, smiling slightly as it chased away the chill in his fingers.
"Thanks," Harry whispered, bringing the warm mug closer to his chest and letting the steam rise, warming his cheeks. "And about what you said earlier, I do owe you. I appreciate all you've done for me this year, Severus. I hate to imagine what this year would have been like, had I not sought you out before the term started." There was so much more he wanted to say and confess, but he dared not utter a single confession.
In what capacity could he tell Severus how important their nights in detention were to him? How they were the highlight of his day, how he felt at peace in the man's company.
How Severus felt like home.
Instead, he takes a sip of the perfectly steeped tea, focusing on the taste instead of the feelings that want to burst forth.
"Your appreciation is noted," Severus spoke, glancing at Harry from the corner of his eyes. "However, protecting you from Dumbledore is my duty as a professor. It comes with the merits that I find your company to be enjoyable," Harry felt his lips twitch into a smirk at that, but when Severus started to stare directly at him, he had to fight off a flush. "I am also a man of my word, Harry. I told you I would be there the moment Dumbledore attacked. I will not let you fight him alone."
As those words were uttered, his chest exploded with comforting warmth, one that wasn't due to the fire blazing in the fireplace. As expected, the fluttering in his chest left another flush to stain his cheeks pink. Instead of shoving it all aside and trying to combat his instincts, he settles for something in the middle.
Unable to help himself, Harry finds himself embracing the older wizard, his arms wrapped around the sturdy frame. He can feel the way Severus tenses in surprise at the initial contact, but those long arms eventually return the embrace.
It might have been his imagination, but he swears that it feels like Severus is almost tugging him closer and keeping him secure against the sturdy, warm chest. His eyes fall shut for a moment, never wanting the moment to end.
It takes all of his power to stop from burrowing his face into the man's chest and staying like that, unwilling to move away.
However, the longer the embrace continues, Harry's throat constricts with emotion when Severus keeps him like that, not bothering to push him away.
What would happen if he were to follow his heart and press impossibly closer? What would happen if he were to clutch Severus' clothes tightly and never let go? What would happen if he let his forehead rest on Severus' chest, breathing out his name quietly, his voice filled with hope?
When Severus shifts, Harry braces himself for the moment he knew would come, dreading the separation. Instead, long and elegant fingers find their way into his unruly hair and start to slowly stroke through it, making Harry melt further into the embrace. He can't withhold the pleased sigh that slips past, holding tighter before he realizes what he's doing. Harry could stay like this for the rest of his life if Severus were willing to keep him in his arms for that long. For a few blissful moments, Harry allows himself to give in to temptation and melt further into the embrace.
It isn't until the bell for breakfast chimes through the comfortable silence that the moment is broken.
As if waking from a dream, Harry hesitantly detaches from Severus and blinks, letting the chiming of the bell ground him.
And to stop him from imagining things that aren't there, and to stop fantasizing about things that will never happen.
Another chime completely brings him back to reality, and Harry flushes darkly.
"Shite, your robes.." Harry flushed at the realization that he was still wearing the black winter robes, the scent still invading his senses. "Sorry about that," He was carefully shrugging them off, his cheeks burning darkly as Severus took them back, a hint of amusement in those dark eyes. There was also a gleam of something in the depths that made Harry swallow hard, his skin burning more than before.
"You should go before Dumbledore figures where you have been hiding." Harry nearly flinched at that, understanding the issues that could arise because of it. The last thing he wanted was for Dumbledore to suspect Severus further. There was no denying that the Headmaster likely already suspected Severus to some degree, but Dumbledore had likely seen him head to the field.
The longer he delayed in getting to breakfast, the more he would suspect Severus of keeping the chosen one out of his grips.
"Right. I'll see you in class," Not wanting to delay, Harry apparated out of the rooms, leaving Severus with a small smirk on his lips.
It might have slipped his mind to remind Harry that he was still wearing his dark green scarf.
"Did you enjoy flying today?" Hermione asked during breakfast, sharp eyes quickly spotting the new addition to Harry's attire. She wanted to linger on the scarf and ask him about it, but for some reason, there was a voice telling her to not mention it outright. As always, there was a private spell around them to stop unwanted people from overhearing their conversation.
"I loved it. Flying in the snow is one of the most liberating experiences I've ever felt." He answered truthfully, a bright smile forming when he thought of the cold wind rushing through his hair. "Although, you would want to throttle me for what I did earlier." Hermione furrowed her brows in concern.
"Harry, what did you do?" She questioned with slight worry, giving him a look as he chuckled.
"I might have forgotten to wear any winter cloak or robes while I was flying." Hermione made another face, sighing.
"I really shouldn't be surprised at that, but honestly Harry! You could have gotten sick."
"That's what Severus said," Harry snorted, eating some of his scrambled eggs. "He called me an idiot, then he took off his cloak and scarf before putting them on me." Hermione eyed the flush that quickly formed on her friend's face as he relayed the events to her. Just then, it all snapped together as she stole another glance at the dark green scarf that was still snuggly wrapped around Harry's neck.
Either Harry had forgotten that he was still wearing the scarf, or he was deliberately wearing it. Deciding not to bring it up, she can't help but tease her friend.
"Did he?" Hermione asked, intrigued by the information. "How romantic." She smirked as her friend flushed, sputtering out.
"Uh, I mean, uh.." Harry stuttered, flushing even more. The bushy-haired wizard merely grinned at him, laying her chin on her palms as she observed Harry's reaction. "Why are you staring at me like that?" He asked, trying to avoid the amused gaze.
"I was being serious, Harry. That is a romantic gesture." Hermione added, resisting the urge to giggle. "Before Viktor and I got together, he would always take off his cloak and wrap it around my shoulders if I so much as shivered."
Harry had no idea how to respond to the claim, biting his lips in thought as the memory of their lingering embrace entered his mind.
"And not only that, but he let you wear his scarf too. He could have just used a warming charm on you to do the trick, but he took the more complicated route of giving you his cloak." Harry forced a shrug.
"It could also be a platonic gesture. I've done the same thing for you," He reminded, for which Hermione had no immediate rebuttal for. Humming, she thought for a moment, then came to a conclusion.
"True, but this is Snape," Hermione said, which was enough of a reason in itself. "He isn't exactly the type of person to take off their cloak and let someone else wear it unless he cares deeply for that person. He seems more like the type to cast a charm and be done with it. Or call them an idiot and usher them inside."
This time, it was Harry who had no rebuttal.
"Did you like being in his robes?" Hermione asked eventually, smiling when Harry seemed to soften.
"I did. Do you know when I mentioned how I smell something homely whenever I'm around Amortentia? Wearing them and being around Severus made me understand how true that smell is. I feel at home when I'm with him." Harry fought the urge to look at the high table after he said those words, choosing to focus on his conversation with Hermione instead. His friend smiled at him after he said the words.
"Like I said last time, it's really sweet." Hermione sighed softly, her soft eyes meeting his. They've had this conversation before, but she was hoping that Harry was beginning to see things more clearly. Whether he was in denial or not, she wasn't completely sure. It could have been obliviousness, but Harry was rather observant, and it miffed her that he was missing the clear signs.
She remembered a similar conversation they had not that long ago, where Harry was quick to try and downplay how Snape felt about him.
" Honestly, it sounds like you try to downplay how much he cares about you sometimes."
" I don't inherently mean to do that." The wizard admitted, a frown on his lips. "It's easier for me to do that, that way I don't allow myself to develop hope that Severus could ever reciprocate my feelings."
" I just think he'd prefer someone older than me. Someone who actually has their life together and a stable career. What can I offer him? I'm still a student."
But the more she thought about it, the more intrigued and curious she became. There had to be more to his reason, more to his reason of being insecure. Harry was truly one of the most intelligent individuals she knew, so for him to miss the signs didn't add up.
Or maybe he had seen the signs, but he was quick to brush them off and deny that they had happened? That was the only reasonable explanation she could come up with. Harry was oblivious, but that oblivious nature only went so far. As she looked at him, she saw the green-eyed wizard deflate a bit, almost as if he knew she was going to ask him something important. He sighed, tilting his head as he begrudgingly spoke up.
"You have that curious look in your eyes, Mione." Harry huffed. "It usually means you're about to ask me a serious question." He huffed again, but it was a fond huff. Smiling a bit, she shrugged.
"I really don't know how to ask this, because we've talked about it before." At the admission, Harry's brows furrowed as a look of contemplation passed across his features. "You've been downplaying how much Snape cares about you again. I can't help but wonder why that is…you know how he's like more than I do, but you still seem dead set that he could never feel that way about you. I don't understand it." At the wince, Hermione felt guilty at bringing up the sore topic again. She felt a wave of regret hit when Harry seemed to deflate once more.
"I…brush it off because I am terrified of allowing even an ounce of hope to blossom." When a noticeable wetness forms in his eyes, Hermione has to bite her lips to stop from reaching over and consoling him. "There are times where it's all too easy to let myself believe he feels the same about me. Like today when we hugged. Merlin, Mione.." Harry trailed off, biting his own lips hard. "When he didn't try to push me away or pull back, it was too easy to let myself stay in his arms and imagine he wanted me there just as much."
"Harry…" Hermione whispered, her heart sinking at the desperate sound in the wizard's voice.
"I…I've already fallen in love with him," Hermione felt her eyes widen at the broken confession, her lips parting in shock. "It's why I'm so adamant about him not feeling the same. If I don't deny it and allow myself to hope, what happens when that hope becomes too much? I'm afraid of hoping because I don't want to allow myself to be hurt." He took a shaky breath.
Hermione felt her heart ache for him, a deep frown on her face.
Harry wasn't oblivious. He was doing what he had always done.
He was trying to protect himself, trying to let self-preservation keep his heart safe from attack. It made Hermione want to reach over and hug him, as well as talk some sense into him. She dared to sneak a look at the high table, catching the concerned gaze of the potions professor, just as she had expected.
Snape's gaze was solely on Harry, lips thinned into a concerned frown as the dark eyes narrowed on the dark-haired wizard.
"I think I raise my point with the way Snape is looking at you. He's clearly concerned." Hermione mumbled, taking a sip of her drink as Harry froze, a slight flush on his cheeks. "I'm not kidding either, Harry. He's been watching you and he looks worried."
On instinct, Harry turned to look for himself, throat tightening when concerned eyes bore into his own, which were filled with unshed tears. His heart skipped a beat when Severus frowned more in alarm, the concern in those onyx eyes increasing tenfold. Harry gave what he hoped was a reassuring smile, even if it was more forced than usual.
Severus merely narrowed his eyes, eventually turning away when Minerva asked him a question. Harry let out a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding, his chest fluttering at how concerned Severus had looked. Not only that, but it was clear that the man hadn't been pacified either, his worry still noticeable to Harry.
"I know you're worried about letting yourself hope too much," Hermione began. "But sometimes we all need to take a risk." The words had done the trick because Harry was looking at her with a new emotion behind his eyes, a thoughtful expression dawning on his face.
"Maybe you're right." He whispered mostly to himself. Hermione felt a smile form at her friend's change in demeanor, starting to stand up after a moment.
"We should start heading to the library if we wanna meet Nev and Luna." She spoke, breaking Harry from any thought he might have had. Blinking, he nodded and quickly gathered his things and stood up as well.
As the two of them left, Harry felt more than one pair of eyes watching him and it caused a shiver to go down his back.
One pair of dark eyes was looking at the forgotten scarf, a barely-there smile on his face. Harry missed it as he turned, seeing cold blue eyes watch his every move, even going as far as to watch Hermione's. The look behind the calculating blue eyes struck a nerve within Harry, cold dread spreading through his veins. He sucked in a breath and quickly left with his friend, magic wrapping around Hermione in a protective manner.
"Harry?" Hermione's voice was quiet once they were out of the great hall and away from cold blue eyes. "I feel your magic around me. What's going on?" She cautiously questioned, trepidation in her voice.
"I don't know. Dumbledore was watching me with a strange look in his eyes, but then he started looking at you with that same look." He recounted, chewing on his lips nervously. "I've already been worrying that he might start to single you out instead. The way he looked at you today really made me uneasy." Harry confessed; magic still wrapped around her as they made it to the library. "I have something to give you once we find Nev and Luna."
It hadn't taken them long to find their friends, and when they did, Luna had frowned with her head titled.
"The cheating Grandmaster has lost sight of the board," Luna spoke, causing both Harry and Hermione to nearly gasp. "His pawns and knights are gone, leaving a corrupted Queen with no noble King to fall for her."
"And what of the other side of the board?" Hermione couldn't help but ask, to which Luna had an immediate answer to.
"Empty. There is no other Grandmaster." While Hermione and Neville frowned in confusion, Harry felt his breath come to a stop.
"Unlike Dumbledore, The Dark Lord values people for their insight above all else. He rarely creates a plan alone, instead, his most trusted help advise him and give their own input." Severus said those words a week ago. With context, Luna's words made more sense than ever.
"The Grandmaster is growing more frustrated…his pieces keep slipping from his fingers and leaving the battlefield. He is cornered like a wild animal, ready to strike and cheat in order to advance into the next round." She blinked suddenly. "But there is still no other contestant. The board is empty, save for his own broken pieces." As Luna came back to it, Hermione had her hand covering her mouth.
"Harry…you know what she's talking about don't you?" Neville asked, looking pale at the description his girlfriend had given.
"It's related to what I told you at the start of term." Harry confessed, watching as Neville paled more. "and it's related to the change Hogwarts is going through." Neville swallowed hard, nervously shifting.
"You've been working with the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters?" He conferred. As much as he wanted to deny the words, they were true. When he didn't answer, Neville sighed. "I've had a suspicion for a while now, Harry." Harry was a little surprised by the honesty. "When you told us the truth about what Dumbledore was doing, it helped me open my eyes. I mean, my nan already despises him, but I was seeing his flaws from a new perspective with you. I saw his true nature for the first time. So if you are working with the Death Eaters, I'll st-still support you." Harry almost felt choked up at the admission, knowing what a huge step this was for Neville, who had lost just as much as he had because of them.
"Thank you, Nev…but, I don't know where I really stand in the grand scheme of things. While I am on the side of the dark now, I…I'm not a Death Eater. Because of my…situation with Voldemort, I'm a special case. I only know how a select few of Death Eaters feel about me, honestly. I've never been to one of their meetings, nor do I particularly want to. The only Death Eater who has suggested that they see me as one of them is Lucius Malfoy. I have no idea what anyone else feels about me."
"I see. So you're on the side of the dark, but you don't really consider yourself one of them?" Neville asked for clarification, making Harry hum.
"Kinda, yeah. I see myself as Voldemort's equal because technically I am, but I don't see myself as a Death Eater." Harry shrugged. "We do all have a mutual goal though, and that's to ensure Dumbledore is removed from Hogwarts."
"Harry, what happened?" Neville asked, worried. "I saw the board do an investigation and now a lot of professors are being forced to resign. I had a feeling you were the catalyst that started it," Neville grinned, making Harry chuckle.
"In my defense, I had no idea that the Board would be removing a lot of the professors when they made their initial investigation." Harry chuckled sheepishly.
"Their answers revealed the crack in their system. The light which was once blinding the dark has retracted. Now a peaceful twilight shrouds their group." Harry felt his eyes widen as he chuckled again, nodding. Poor Neville was once more looking lost.
"To make a long story as short as I can; you know how Dumbledore has been harassing me all last year and this year?" When Neville nodded, Harry sighed. "Well, he got really desperate one day. He cornered me twice. The last time he cornered me, he tried to use his magic on me by turning his words into a compulsion spell." Harry had never seen Neville this pale, not even in their first year when Hermione had petrified him.
"He attacked you?" He squawked, eyes wide and full of surprise.
"Sadly. The next morning, I went to Gringotts in order to file a restraining order. It went into immediate effect thanks to magic. The Board was notified of the restraining order I had to file and promptly did an investigation. Lucius Malfoy and Amelia Bones interviewed me, and I told them everything from this year, and last year. They came to the consensus that Dumbledore would be removed from his position as Headmaster as soon as winter holidays began." As Harry took a breath after finishing the story, Neville leaned back against his seat with his eyes almost bulging out of his head.
"Dear Merlin, you've been through a lot this year. I knew Dumbledore was giving you a hard time, but I never thought he would attack you." Neville breathed out, running a hand down his face. Harry sighed, glancing at Hermione with a frown.
"When we left the Great Hall today, I caught the Headmaster watching us as we left. He started watching Hermione with a strange look in his eyes, and it's making me worried." Harry confessed. He had assumed that Dumbledore would continue to go after him, but with how desperate he was, what would stop him from going after Hermione next?
"Harry, I'll be fine." She promised, but Harry shook his head.
"I wanted to wait until Yule to give you this, but.." Harry waved his hand, a box appearing in it moments later. "I would feel safer if you wore this now." Curious, Hermione opened the box and gasped at what lay inside.
"Harry…" She breathed, pulling out the beautiful silver chain necklace. The main gemstone of the necklace was a smoothed purple spinel with the crest of her blood adopted houses. Beside the main gemstone were two spessartite garnets on either side, the same crest embedded into them.
"They're embedded with the same protection as my lordship rings. I wanted to ensure that you would be protected. I even added more protection charms into the necklace because I was worried about what might happen. If anyone meaning you ill intent tries to come up to you, they'll become more dazed the longer they bother you."
Hermione had tears in her eyes as Harry spoke and she couldn't contain a small sob as her arms wrapped around the wizard. "Harry, I can't thank you enough." She sniffed, emotions running rampant. "Do you think Dumbledore would go after me as well?" Harry shrugged.
"Dumbledore is unpredictable at best. There's no doubt he's seen how close we are. He likely thinks he can use you to convince me to fight, like what he was trying to do with Ron." Harry supplied, making Neville sigh deeply as he thought of Ron. Slowly, Neville let his left arm wrap around Luna as he carefully tugged his girlfriend closer to him.
"I'll do what I can to help keep Dumbledore away from her," Neville promised. "I know our class schedule varies, but I can walk you back to our common room Monday through Wednesday. I'm done with my class about thirty minutes before yours, but I can wait out there for you." Hermione was touched by the gesture.
"And I can walk with you on Thursdays and Fridays," Luna said. "I meet Neville after my last class, so we can walk to your common room together." More tears filled her eyes at the generous offer by her friends.
"Are you sure? I-"
"Hermione. We're sure." Neville promised, looking as serious as ever. "Besides, if we catch the Headmaster harassing you, you can either file a restraining order as well, or you can go straight to the Board of Governors." Luna hummed, nodding.
"They're already upset with the Headmaster. If you have another complaint against him, he will get another mark against him." Hermione hesitated for a moment, but eventually nodded in ascent and gave in. "Another mark will mean his chessboard diminishes in size again." Harry grinned at Luna's words, a spark entering his eyes.
"And we can even testify on your behalf. Tell them what we've seen as well if we catch him trying to bother you." Neville smirked at that. "He wouldn't expect anything of myself of Luna, so it will be a huge blindside if he tries anything."
After a while, their conversation drifted to their studies and other things going on. Luna was looking at Harry with a dreamy smile.
"I like your change in attire, Harry. Green suits you very well. It shows off your Slytherin side." Harry blinked in confusion at the comment, knowing for a fact he wasn't wearing anything green.
"Huh?" He asked, growing more confused when Neville nodded.
"She's right, Harry. Green does suit you." Hermione agreed, making Harry squint.
"What are you talking about? I'm not wearing any green." Neville blinked and slowly nodded.
"Yes, you are," Neville spoke, pointing to the scarf that was on Harry's neck. "You've got a dark green scarf wrapped around your neck." Hermione wished she had Collin Creevey's camera on hand to save the priceless image on Harry's face.
Wide green eyes were looking at the forgotten scarf around his neck, touching it in awe.
"Oh Merlin," Harry cursed under his breath, absentmindedly stroking the soft fabric as the realization hit him.
He was still wearing Severus' scarf.
"Looks good on you, mate." Neville shrugged, flipping a page in the book he had been reading. "Green is one of your colors. I mean, you were almost sorted into Slytherin." The Gryffindor teased, while Luna merely smiled and tilted her head as she observed Harry.
"He has a Slytherin's heart indeed."
Harry felt his breath catch at the words, unsure if Luna was referring to his Slytherin nature or the way his heart yearned for a particular Slytherin. But this time, another idea popped up.
And for some reason, it was too hard to push away this time. But…
It almost sounded as if he held the heart of a Slytherin and their affection. The words could be interpreted as him holding a heart of a Slytherin in his hands.
Suddenly remembering Hermione's words from earlier in the morning, he felt his eyes widen a fraction as he looked at her, meeting her knowing gaze.
"True, but this is Snape. He isn't exactly the type of person to take off their cloak and let someone else wear it unless he cares deeply for that person."
Self-consciously, Harry touched the scarf again, his heart and thoughts racing a mile a minute.
Maybe it was time to stop denying everything and take a risk.
He was still a Gryffindor after all.
Chapter 20
Notes:
Once again, this chapter took a hold of me and made a huge left. Like really guys. I had no plans for this, but my brain said "well, what if-" and here we are.
This chapter was almost 9k words, lol. It's a lot this time and I'm sorry if y'all don't like it, because there's gonna be a huge change.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The last few months had been grueling for Ginevra Molly Prewett. Two simple letters had turned her life upside down. One moment, she’s the little sister of six older brothers, the next, she’s disowned and has a new last name. She can no longer enter the house she grew up in and see the brothers who have been there for her since the beginning of time.
Aside from her father, Fred and George had been the first to denounce her as their sister, telling her she needed to grow up. The rest followed shortly after, besides Percy, who had denounced himself as a Weasley.
The only person she had left from her immediate family was her mother, who had also lost everything. She lost her husband, her home, and all of her sons. Similar to her, the Weasley children had denounced Moly as their mother and claimed no relation to her. The two of them were Prewetts now and living with Tessie Prewett, who wasn’t pleased to have them live with her.
The five stages of grief had kicked in, with delusional denial setting in first, then overwhelming anger.
At first, that anger had been directed at Harry Potter. Why couldn’t he have been affected by the love potion? Her mum told her it would work, and that Harry would be eating out of the palms of her hand, and giving her all the attention she craved. He would love her and give her a nice family, with kids and a wonderful house. But it was all dashed when the amortentia did not affect him.
It didn’t make sense! It was the strongest love potion in the world! It should have made him instantly realize how much he loved her, and how right they were for each other! Instead, he hadn’t even spared her a second glance that night and merely left the table after a while. She was left at the table, crushed beyond all measure. She had felt betrayed and inconsolable for days, confused on why the damn potion hadn’t worked.
“It’s impossible for Amortentia to fail, darling! Remember, Amortentia simply increases feelings of attraction, sweetheart. Perhaps Harry has been in love with you this entire time, but he is unsure how to approach you. He might feel guilty for vanishing this summer and afraid to ask for forgiveness. Amortentia is a strong potion, Ginny. It’s powerful and impossible to fail.”
She had clung to her mother's words for days, heart leaping at the thought that Harry cared for her just as much. He would swoop her off her feet and defeat the dark lord so they could raise a happy family together. They would be the picture of a happy, noble family in the wizarding world. Everyone would look at their relationship and gawk, wishing they had something like that for themselves.
But when she received the letters days later, all of the hope she let herself cling to crumbled to dust.
Somehow, Harry had known that amortentia was in his food and drink. How else would her father have known that she had tried to dose someone with the potion? There was no possible way that her father would have known without being told.
And that was the start of her life-changing irrefutably. Her father had been disgusted with her actions and disowned her, telling her that he might one day reverse the disowning, but not anytime soon. Not until she learned to grow up.
As the weeks passed, she grew more desperate to learn why the potion hadn’t worked. She had managed to sneak a small amount of her completed work in a separate vial, which had received an EE from Professor Snape. Instead of letting it go, she grabbed any book about amortentia and stayed in the library to research all she could.
What she found made her stop in her tracks, her mother's lies becoming known.
Contrary to popular belief, Amortentia fails to create the emotions of real love. Similar to any ‘love’ potion, Amortentia creates feelings of obsession and infatuation which are often confused for love. What causes Amortentia to stand out from the rest of the love potions is the strength behind it. It is the strongest love potion because the emotions it evokes are more powerful than other types.
Another misconception about the potion is the fact that it has been deemed impossible to fight against. This is not true. Powerful witches or wizards with strong magic or strong mental magic can easily fight off this potion. Occlumens have been known to resist the effects of this potion by controlling their emotions and shieling their minds.
Most importantly, there are people who believe that Amortentia merely heightens the emotions that are already there. This can’t be further from the truth. Like any love potion, it is used to make the recipient desire the person who dosed them. Genuine emotions become forfeit with this attempt. In an experiment tested in Nineteen Thirteen, people who disliked each other were brought in and given amortentia to test the strength of the potion. Those who hated each other became obsessed with each other, despite their lack of feelings beforehand.
Amortentia is a dangerous potion if used chaotically and for the gain of someone else. It traps the recipient into believing they are in love with the person who dosed them. For those with weaker levels of magic, or no prior training in the mental magics, this potion thoroughly strips them away of their free will.
Witches and Wizards have been brought to Azkaban for attempted doses against Lords and Ladies of the Ancient and Noble Houses. There have been those who desired to claim the political seats, the vaults filled with gold, or, simply have the family title for themselves. The selling of this potion has been banned in every shop and simply distributing it is a punishable offense.
There is no denying that Amortentia is a dangerous potion for those who are unable to defend themselves from it. With strong magic, proper training, and protective enchantments, such as some Lordship and Ladyship rings, some of the population is protected.
-Rodrick Huddlesmith, 1985
Ginny wasn’t aware she wasn’t breathing as her wide eyes read over the passage, betrayal cutting into her very soul. She covered her mouth with her hands, starting to understand why her brothers and father kept telling her to grow up. Angry tears prickled her eyes as she thought of her mother and all the lies which were put into her head from a young age. It caused her to clench her eyes tightly in order to fight off the tears that wanted to spill out. She had been lied to about the intentions behind Amortentia, and it was her own fault. She was the one who hadn’t read up on the potion in class, not bothering to read the truth for herself. She had always ignored those who condemned the potion in the classes.
Her entire life, she had been told that love potions only worked because it meant that the recipient felt the same feelings deep down, but they had trouble voicing them. Her mother had told her that love potions were safe and legal and that they ensured true love would be brought forth. What a fool she had been for believing the nonsense and not bothering to research on her own.
Before her first year at Hogwarts, her mother had told her stories about a brave young boy, who was a year older than her. She told her how the young boy defeated the Dark Lord when he was a baby and brought peace to their world. She told him of his courage and tenacity, his kindness and self-sacrificing nature. At her age, she had been obsessed with princes and princesses from her stories. To know that there was a literal Prince Charming, her nine-year-old self had been smitten.
Then, it only became worse. When her brother arrived home for summer break with stories of the boy she was obsessed with, her feelings grew. Ron told her how Harry fought the Dark Lord again and saved everyone once more. He told her about his courage in the face of danger, never backing down from the fight. She learned of his noble nature, and how when he fought against the Dark Lord, he had been alone in the fight, but so brave for not backing down.
The event that had cemented her feelings for the boy was in her first year. Harry had literally transformed into her Prince Charming when he rescued her from the Chamber of Secrets. He had nearly died himself, but at the end of the day, he had saved her life and everyone at the school. Her crush on him strengthened and she watched him from afar, daydreaming of a life they could make together.
Her mother was over the moon when she admitted to having a crush on Harry. She was quick to fill her head with more stories, about how Harry would be happy with her, how he would want to create a family that was ripped away from him when he was a baby. And Ginny, being the impressionable girl she was, took all of it in. She let her head be filled more with fantasies, never noticing what was going on around her. She was too busy fantasizing over the boy who lived that she didn’t notice when Harry began to slip away and distance himself from certain people.
Ginny never noticed when Harry stopped hanging around Ron as much after his fourth year. During his fifth year, Harry had started spending more of his time with Hermione, Fred and George, and Neville. It wasn’t until his sixth year that Ginny had started to notice the change in Harry.
“The poor boy just lost his Godfather a few months ago, Ginny. He’s likely still grieving. You should go to him and console him. Let him know that you’re there for him.” But it was more than that. Harry wasn’t just grieving. He was avoiding the Gryffindor common room more and more. And towards the middle of the term, he was outright avoiding Dumbledore and even arguing with him on more than one occasion. For some reason, it felt as if she was staring at Harry Potter for the first time back then.
“Oh, Ginny. It’s just a rebellious streak. Don’t you remember Fred and George’s rebellious phase? Harry’s a teenager like everyone else. He’s got a lot on his shoulders, dear. He just needs his friends to stick by him and remind him who he is.”
As hard as she tried to be there, it felt like Harry was unapproachable, more so than ever before. The way he carried himself was different. The way he smiled was different. It felt as if the Harry she had known had simply vanished into the wind, leaving behind an imposter in his place.
She had to watch from the side as he outright abandoned the Order, turning his back on everything he had once fought for. He refused to join the war and defeat Voldemort, no matter how much Dumbledore urged him to stay with the Order. The day before Harry officially left the Order and avoided all of them, she had witnessed a horrible argument between the two.
Harry outright told Dumbledore off and demanded him to leave him alone. He was done taking orders and refused to be a symbol for the light side, for a war he had never asked to be part of. She had seen the absolute look of disgust and fury on Harry’s face, the loathing clear as day on his stormy face.
After Harry vanished during the summer, the Order was split. Remus Lupin withdrew from the meetings, as did Hermione, and some of her own family. Her mother and Ron had stayed and shown their immense support, as did a few others, like Alastor Moody.
During the summer, her mother filled more ideas into her head. How she needed to ensure Harry saw reason and rejoined the Order. She said he was lost and needed her guidance. She said that Harry was unhappy and needed to find happiness again.
However, within the first few weeks after returning to Hogwarts, she had yet to see unhappiness. If anything, Harry looked far happier than he had been in previous years. He was social, excelling in all of his classes, tutoring those who needed help, and there was an air of confidence around him that was very attractive.
Harry smiled and laughed more than he used to, his green eyes shining far brighter than she had seen before.
For the first month, it bothered her to no end. She had to watch as the boy she had come to admire vanished from existence. It was like he hadn’t existed in the first place. The Harry she had known was nowhere to be seen and this version was in his place, acting as if nothing had changed.
It was as if it had been a ploy, in the end, all a façade that had been perfectly in place until it was deemed unimportant.
And the sad thing?
As more time passed, Ginny was starting to understand that the boy she fell for was merely a fabricated image. In the present time, she was starting to realize that the Harry Potter presented to them now was the realist version to date.
The notions of a knight in shining armor were devised by the one she had trusted the most in the world, the one who held her hand and comforted her when she had a nightmare as a child.
Angry tears filled her eyes as she slumped against the table in the library, her heart screaming in agony as betrayal cut deep.
In the solitude of her own mind and memories, Ginny wondered why her mother had told her about Harry from a young age, trying to cement the idea that he was a hero. Why had she tried to convince her that Harry felt the same about her? Why had she lied about love potions, but namely Amortentia? Why had she put the ideas in her head for years? What was her endgame?
Anger formed again, but it was all directed at her mother.
She needed to fix things as best as she could.
“Hermione?” Ginny hesitantly went to the other witch who was seated alone in the common room, going over her notes. The bushy-haired witch froze and slowly turned to look at her, a look of apprehension on her face.
They were never extremely close, but they had been close enough in the past. Seeing how strained things were really added perspective.
“Ginny,” Hermione answered in a clipped-off tone, the indifference hitting her in the chest. “Is there something you need?” The dismissal stung, but after everything, Ginny knew it was warranted. She deserved their ire and dismissal, but it didn’t mean it hurt any less.
“I need to speak to Harry,” Ginny responded, biting her lips nervously. “I need to apologize to him.” Hermione had gone still at the words, narrowing her eyes dangerously at the redhead.
“And what exactly do you plan on saying to him? What do you want to apologize for?” Hermione’s glare made Ginny shrink back, but she held her ground.
“There’s a lot I need to apologize for,” Ginny responded, sincerity in her tone. “I want to apologize for my actions and never bothering to break free from the ideas that my mum planted in my head.” At the look Hermione gave her, the youngest Weasley continued talking.
“Even though my mum filled my head with lies, I also never took the initiative to grow up and become my own person. I won’t deny that I tried to dose Harry with Amortentia,” This time, she didn’t even flinch at the glare. “My mum has deliberately lied to me about love potions for as long as I can remember. I’ve grown up my entire life believing it was okay to use them because she told me it was.” Hermione’s glare lessened a fraction at the words, something passing over her features.
“My mum told me stories of Harry when I was a little girl. I was obsessed with the idea of Princes at the time. The way she talked about him…I was enamored before I even started Hogwarts. Then it grew over the years. When I told my mum about the crush I had on Harry, she suggested I use Amortentia, so that his true feelings for me would come to the surface. It wasn’t until I read up on the potion myself did I realize her falsifications of the potion.” Ginny sighed, taking a breath. “I need to apologize to Harry for trying to dose him with that potion, and for being stupid by not researching it myself all this time.” Ginny seemed to deflate now, a deep sadness lingering in her eyes.
“I know where I made my mistakes,” She continued. “But I am willing to grow from them. I don’t expect to be forgiven for this, but I want Harry to know how sorry I am. Even if he wishes to never speak to me again, that’s fine.” Ginny swallowed hard. “I want him to know that had I know the truth about Amortentia, I never would have tried to dose him with it. I want to apologize and move on from this.”
Hermione still seemed to hesitate, but there was a curious gleam in her eyes that Ginny couldn’t quite decipher. The look almost held pity, but she was unsure why that look would have been in Hermione’s eyes.
“He was in the library when I last saw him,” Hermione waved her wand, sending her books and papers into her bag. “If we leave now, we’ll be able to talk to him before he heads to his detention with Professor Snape.” As Hermione gathered all of her things, she rose an eyebrow as Ginny seemed to gape at her. “What?”
“I was expecting you to glare at me more,” Ginny admitted with an embarrassed flush. “I’ve done and said horrible stuff in the last few months. I wasn’t expecting you to agree to help me.” As she finished, Hermione sighed deeply, looking solemn.
“Ginny, you never heard about Ron, did you?” The younger witch frowned deeply as she shook her head.
“No. I tried to owl him, but…” Ginny trailed off, biting her lips hard. “What does this have to do with me?” She asked, more confused now than ever.
“I’ll explain when we find Harry,” Hermione replied, waiting on Ginny to stop gawking as they headed to the library. Despite wanting to press the older Gryffindor for more answers, Ginny counted her luck and followed behind, growing nervous when they were close to the library.
“Harry is more forgiving than you realize,” Hermione cut in through the silence, sparing Ginny a chaste glance. “If you tell him what you told me, I think he can find it to forgive you, especially if…” Hermione shook her head, almost as if she was trying to dislodge her thoughts.
As they entered the library, they spotted Harry hunched over a table, writing away in a notebook. Gathering the rest of her courage, Ginny walked with Hermione until they came to a stop at the table.
“Harry?” Hermione’s voice pulled Harry from his thoughts as he lifted his head, brows furrowing at the image he was greeted with. “Ginny wanted to talk to you.” She mumbled and Harry swallowed, knowing the tone all too well. He turned to give the redhead all of his attention, apprehension settling in his stomach.
“These last few weeks have opened my eyes,” Ginny spoke up, looking into Harry’s emerald eyes. “I don’t expect you to forgive me for what I’ve done, but I want you to know I am ashamed of what I planned.” Ginny looked away, her eyes filling with tears. “I let my mom fill ideas into my head, and I never bothered to live for myself. I took everything she said and never questioned it or looked into it myself.”
“What did she say, Ginny?” Harry’s tone was soft and patient, the opposite of what she had been expecting. “What ideas did she give you?” The worry in her former friend's eyes made her heart seize with emotion, hot tears prickling her eyes rapidly.
“She would tell me stories about you all the time when I was younger and encouraged me to become friends with you. When I told her that I had a crush on you, she was excited and told me to pursue you. Eventually, she told me to slip you a love potion.” The tears were freely falling now, hot against her cheeks. “My mum lied to me about Amortentia. She told me it was the strongest love potion because it brought forth the recipient's true emotions. I believed her.” Harry saw the subtle wand movements from Hermione, eyes widening in realization at what she was doing. “Until I took the time to research it myself, I was fooled into believing her views on love potions.”
“She wanted you to dose me with it? It was never your idea?” Harry asked eyebrows furrowed as his worry increased.
“No. It was never my idea.” Ginny sniffed. “She was adamant about me using it and convinced me to do it this year.” Harry looked at Hermione, paling when he saw the paper that was in her hand, and the grim look on her face.
“Merlin,” Harry whispered, his own eyes closing at the gravity of the situation. Hermione handed him the paper and after glancing at it, he grimaced and shoved it in his robe pocket. “Ginny, do you trust me?” He asked, laying a hand on her shoulder gently. Blinking in confusion, Ginny looked at Harry, really looked at him.
She looked at the person who had saved her life in her first year, looked at the person who helped other students all the time, never requiring anything in return.
“Of course I trust you, Harry,” Ginny responded, watching as he sighed deeply.
“Then you need to come with me to the dungeons. I…I want to tell you why Ron left.” The proposal caught her off guard, but she nodded nonetheless, knowing something was going on. She might not be as smart as Harry or Hermione, but she was able to tell that something was up.
“It has something to do with me now, doesn’t it?” Ginny cautiously questioned, starting to become horribly nervous again. “I have no idea what happened with Ron, but I’m getting the feeling that whatever it was, is happening to me now?” It was Hermione who spoke up now.
“Yes. Harry will explain everything once he takes you to Professor Snape.” Hermione promised, squeezing her hand gently. “I need to head to arithmancy now. I’ll see you after,” She spoke to both Gryffindors, giving a small, yet sad smile as she walked away. Ginny missed the look of anguish on Hermione’s face, but Harry knew his best friend well enough to sense it.
“Come on, Gin,” At the use of her old nickname, Ginny almost broke down into tears. “I’ll tell you what happened to Ron on our way to Professor Snape,” Harry promised, waving his hand and making his items disappear. Before Ginny could openly gasp at the display of wandless magic, Harry was already leading the way to the dungeons.
“Did you ever notice how Ron started to pick more fights with me over the years?” Harry quietly asked. The question came suddenly, but when she gave it thought, Ginny frowned and nodded. “Well, apparently that wasn’t his conscious choice.” The sadness in Harry’s voice made Ginny’s heart ache for him. “He had been placed under compulsions.” Ginny drew in a surprised breath, eyes wide.
“Compulsions?” She nearly blanched. Her father had told her about those nasty things and how he would occasionally get a muggle item that was spelled with a compulsion curse. “Who placed them on him?“ A sudden chill went down her spine as her blood ran cold, face paling. “…do you think I’m under a compulsion?” The way Harry grimaced made her hands tremble in fear.
“That’s why we’re heading to see Professor Snape. He’ll be able to check.” The paper in his pocket felt heavy, but he couldn’t show her the paper without Severus. Not when he had the potion to undo the effects.
He seriously needed to start on a spell to ensure the removal of compulsions. A finite wasn’t good enough, not when there were other compulsion methods, such as potions and rituals. With a sigh, Harry added that to the list of spells he needed to invent with Severus.
“You never answered my question about Ron.” Ginny pointed out after taking a moment to compose herself. “Who put the compulsions on him?” She pressed once they had finally made their way to the dungeons. This time, Harry didn’t just grimace. Instead, he sighed deeply.
“Gin, I promise I’ll tell you everything. I just need you to trust me, okay?” She hesitantly closed her mouth, looking at the pleading look in Harry’s eyes.
“You promise?” It sounded slightly childish coming from her lips like that, but it made Harry give a small smile.
“I promise,” He said, leading her to Professor Snape’s office. Harry rose his hand and knocked, feeling a horrible sense of déjà vu.
“Enter,” A voice called. Harry couldn’t stop the small smile, the dark tone relaxing him as he opened the door, ushering Ginny in. When Severus rose his eyebrows, Harry fished out the paper and placed it on the desk, seeing the flicker of recognition in the onyx eyes.
“My assignment, sir,” Harry lied, watching lips twitch in amusement. Severus took the paper and moved it aside, looking back to Ginny. “I also brought Ginny because I think we have another compulsion situation.” They both knew it, but it would be easier to let Ginny believe that a professor had run the spell, instead of it being done behind her back.
“I see,” He turned to the younger witch and hummed. “Do I have your permission to run a diagnostic spell, Miss Prewett?” Severus asked, ignoring the flinch at the new name.
“Yes sir.” Ginny sighed, wanting to be done with it. If Harry and Hermione both were worried about her, then she didn’t have a reason not to believe them, not when it was what sent her brother away in the end. “If I do have compulsions on me, is there a way to remove them?” That scared her the most. If she did, what if these were permanent?
“I have a potion to remove them,” Professor Snape responded, raising his wand and flicking it fluently.
Harry watched the movements, eyes lingering on the way those long fingers wrapped around the wand. Fighting off a flush, he removed his gaze and focused back on the events in front of him. He would need to concentrate to help Ginny.
When the paper was produced, Severus sighed. “Mister Potter was correct. There are several compulsions placed on you, Miss Prewett.” Severus handed the paper to Harry as he vanished to retrieve the needed potions.
“Merlin,” Ginny covered her mouth, tears forming once more as the weight of it all was starting to hit her. “You were right. Oh, Merlin. You were right.” Ginny was opening and closing her mouth, needing to convey her message, but not having the words. “Who-“ She croaked.
“Sit down and drink this.” Severus returned with a vial. Blinking away the tears, Ginny did as she was told and sat down, taking the potion in her trembling hands. Taking a breath, she brought the glass to her lips and drank it, eyes widening when a sense of clarity hit her after a moment.
“How do you feel?” Harry questioned, placing a hand on her shoulders as she seemed to shake herself out of the moment. It was like coming out of a thick fog and returning to the sunlight.
“Honestly? I don’t know.” Ginny confessed. “I feel this level of clarity that I’ve never felt before, and it’s a lot to take in.” She mumbled softly, starting to frown. “Who placed them on me?" Ginny turned to Harry, eyes widening when he handed her a slip of paper.
Admiration Compulsion: Age Nine and Eleven, placed by Molly Prewett
Attraction Compulsion: Age Thirteen and Fifteen, placed by Molly Prewett
Order of the Phoenix agreeance compulsion: Age Fourteen and Sixteen, placed by Molly Prewett
Love potion agreeance compulsion: Age Sixteen, placed by Molly Prewett.
“My mum placed all of these on me.” There was no question now, her eyes staring at the paper with wide, disbelieving eyes. Now that her head was clear, it all made sense. All the comments, all the suggestions. It was to manipulate her. “Was she the one who placed the compulsions on Ron?”
“Sadly,” Harry sighed, not wanting to bring up the fact that Ron had also been under compulsions from the headmaster. “Ginny, what do you want to do about this?” Harry finally asked after a moment.
“I don’t know what to do.” Her voice was suddenly small and frail. “I can’t go back to my dad. He disowned me. I’ll be stuck with my…with Molly.” Ginny corrected, no longer seeing Molly Prewett as her mother.
“Ginny, from what I know, he can undo the disowning. He didn’t completely disown you.” Harry corrected, taking her hand and squeezing it. “You weren’t acting on your own volition when you did this, Gin. Molly took your free will from you, and you can’t be blamed for that. Arthur will understand if you tell him what happened.”
“I’m scared, Harry. Why…why would she do this?” Ginny asked, covering her face with her hands. “Will you come with me to the burrow? I don’t want to go alone.” Harry felt his heartbreak at the question, and he nodded, pulling her in for a gentle hug.
“Of course, Gin. You’ve always been like a sister to me, you know? I’ll make sure this doesn’t happen again.” He looked to Severus, giving a small smile to the other wizard. “Do you mind if we use your floo, Severus?” He asked, smiling in gratitude when the man nodded.
“I will be working in the lab if my presence is required,” Severus moved past, heading into his personal lab.
“…Did you just call Professor Snape by his first name?” Ginny asked when the wizard was gone, looking at Harry inquisitively.
“Huh? Oh, yeah. You get on a first name basis when you have detention for over two months.” Harry joked, moving to the floor. “I’m gonna firecall your dad first, that way I don’t show up unannounced.”
It only took a few minutes for the call to be picked up by Ron.
“Harry? What are you calling for, mate? Is something wrong?” Ron asked, looking worried. “Not that it isn’t nice to see you! You don’t normally firecall, though.”
“Hey, Ron.” Harry felt a tinge of happiness at seeing his first friend. “And yeah, something happened. Is your dad there?” Ron disappeared for a moment before Arthur took his place.
“Harry? Ronald told me something happened. Is everything alright?” Arthur asked, frowns of worry noticeable in the fire.
“It’s about Ginny. She needs to come to the burrow, sir. Molly did it again.” He watched as Arthur gasped, eyes widening. “I wanted to call before we showed up, Arthur. Ginny just took the anti-compulsion potion.”
“Merlin’s beard.” Arthur choked out. “You’re welcome to come at any time. I’ll be waiting here for the two of you.” Despite it being a fire, Harry could practically see the tears in Arthur’s eyes.
Once the firecall ended. Ginny moved closer to Harry, ready to floo over to the burrow.
“Thank you, Harry. I really appreciate this,” She mumbled, moving into the floo with him.
“I did the same for Ron,” Harry smiled. “It’s really no problem, Gin.” He promised, flooing with her to the Burrow.
“Tell me everything,” Arthur demanded the moment they stepped out of the fireplace, looking downright distraught. Instead of speaking, Harry pulled forth the sheet of paper from the diagnostic scan and handed it to Arthur. The eldest Weasley greedily took the paper and read it over, his eyes widening and face paling as he reached the end.
“For over six years, Molly’s been doing this, and I was none the wiser.” Arthur hissed out, the anger catching Harry off guard. He had never seen the man so incensed before, but it was about time. “The only reason I didn’t press charges earlier was because Molly was the one watching over Ginny. I didn’t want to leave her an orphan and to be raised by the elder Prewetts. They’re too old to reasonably take care of a teenager.” Arthur’s hands were shaking as he read over the damning paper again.
“Oh Ginny,” Arthur ripped his eyes away from the paper to find the eyes of his daughter, who still looked apprehensive. “I’m so sorry this happened to you. I should have paid attention more! Her doing this to Ron was bad enough…”
“You didn’t know. None of us did until Harry noticed something was wrong.” Ron spoke up as he moved closer to his friend. “Besides, you were under a different type of spell, dad. All the love potions Molly dosed you with could have made you miss certain details.”
“Ron’s right, Arthur.” Harry supplied. “You shouldn’t blame yourself for any of this. None of us knew about Molly’s true nature.” If anything, Harry felt like the one with the most blame. This family had gone through so much because of him. He couldn’t help but wonder what their life would have been like if he had never existed.
But then again, Arthur would have still been under Amortentia, wouldn’t he? Harry being the chosen one had nothing to do with that crime. The dosing came from Molly all on her own.
“I don’t blame you, Dad,” Ginny said softly, nervously chewing on her bottom lip. “Why should you have suspected our own mother? She was supposed to care for us and try to make sure we were happy. What she did behind your back is not your fault.” With the anti-compulsion spell in her system, she felt like she was able to focus more. Her focus was now on the guilt and tears that were building in her dad's eyes, and it broke her heart.
“I’m so sorry, Ginny,” Arthur whispered brokenly, moving closer to give his daughter a tight embrace. “I would never have disowned you if I knew none of this was your own doing.” Arthur looked to Ron as well, feeling another wave of guilt hit just as strong. Molly had placed compulsions on both of them, and he had been none the wiser to her actions. If it hadn’t been for Harry, his two youngest would still be under their control.
Harry, who had once again saved his family. Arthur was starting to lose track at this point.
“Harry, come here.” Arthur gently ordered when he pulled away from the hug with Ginny, motioning for the other wizard to join him. Harry did as he was told, flushing a bit when he was pulled into a tight hug as well by the man he considered to be a father to him. “Thank you,” Arthur whispered, voice thick with raw emotion. “Without your interference, I fear to imagine what would have happened. I am so sorry for all the trouble Molly has caused you.” It hadn’t escaped Arthur’s notice that these compulsions were sadly tied to Harry, all in an effort to try and control him in any way possible. Just how far had his ex-wife been willing to go to ensure that Harry was under the Orders thumb?
“I should be the one apologizing,” Harry mumbled, the weight of the situation pressing insistently onto his shoulders. “Molly and Dumbledore did all of this planning and scheming because of me. If I hadn’t-“
“Don’t you dare finish that sentence, young man?” Arthur was quick to scold him, tightening his grip around the younger. “You were but a toddler when those two created their heinous plans to control you. None of this is your fault either.”
Harry felt the words settle into his chest, warmth flowing through him as he nodded, the thoughts from before vanishing.
“Now then,” Arthur was giving his attention back to Ginny. “The disowning process will be undone, and your things will arrive here when Gringotts finalizes everything.” Arthur paused. “Would you like to remain here, or do you feel safe in returning to Hogwarts?” Ginny was a little put off by the question and glanced to her brother when he cleared his throat.
“If it was only Molly who compelled me, I would have stayed in Hogwarts.” Ron began to explain. “But it was her and the Headmaster who had both put the spells on me,” He confessed, feeling protective of his little sister when he realized that Dumbledore could potentially try to add another compulsion.
“Wait,” Ginny felt her jaw drop. “Headmaster Dumbledore was also placing compulsions on you?” She felt fear grip her throat and lodge into it at the news.
“Yeah,” Ron sighed. “I didn’t feel safe going back after I found out.” Ron rubbed the back of his neck, glancing to the side. “Just, keep your distance from him, Gin. I know we used to worship the ground he walked on, but he doesn’t deserve it.”
“What can I do to ensure he won’t compel me?” Ginny asked, her fist clenched tightly and her eyes blazing with fire. “How can I protect myself?”
“I’m going to start working on a spell soon…well, multiple spells,” Harry said after a moment. “After all of this, I think we need an anti-compulsion protection spell. I want to make a spell that removes compulsions as well, but the protection spell holds my priority right now.”
“You’re gonna make another spell? My goodness, Harry. You already surprised me when you created the spell that detected if someone was dosed with love potions.” Arthur shook his head in awe. “I have confidence in you, lad.” Arthur gripped Harry’s shoulder in thanks.
“What are you going to do about Molly?” Harry couldn’t stop from asking, having a rising suspicion that the man was planning something soon. If the only reason he had stopped himself from pressing charges was because of Ginny, what was going to stop him now? At the question, Arthur felt a sigh escape him.
“Now that she will no longer be taking care of Ginny, I plan on charging her with anything I can,” Arthur explained. “Illegal usage of Amortentia, illegal use of mind magic, and child negligence, to name a few.”
Harry felt his lips twitch into a smirk, already having an idea on ways to ensure the charges went through smoothly.
“I have a few connections,” Harry began, holding back another smirk. “To some well respected and credited lawyers, if you need them.” Arthur blanched, unsure of how to respond.
“You’ve been kind enough, Harry…” Arthur shook his head. “You don’t need to do anything else, lad.”
“I know,” Harry started. “But I want to help you with this all I can. You’re all my family and I don’t plan on letting her get away with this. Besides,” Harry began. “The lawyers I know despise child endangerment. When they see what Molly was doing to Ron and Ginny, they will be ruthless with the charges.”
Ron grinned suddenly. “C’mon, dad. There’s no way we can let the opportunity slide. If Harry says these lawyers will be ruthless, I believe him,”
“What about Dumbledore?” Ginny asked. “If he also placed compulsions on Ron, Molly will likely either bring that up, or the lawyers will use the evidence that will condemn him in the trial.”
“If they do find the evidence, Dumbledore will be getting those charges added to the others,” Harry shrugged. “I’m sure you noticed the Board of Governors nearly two weeks ago?” When Ginny nodded, he continued. “They weren’t pleased with Dumbledore. At the end of this term, he’ll be gone.” Ron couldn’t contain his shout of excitement. “And he’ll be getting a trial once he’s removed as the Headmaster. Another compulsion charge won’t do him any favors.”
“Another?” Arthur frowned deeply, looking at Harry in concern. “Lad, what else did he do?” Harry sighed, shaking his head.
“I’d be here all night, Arthur. Long story short, he tried to use a compulsion on me and failed. I have a restraining order against him because of it.”
“He tried to compel you too?” Ginny wanted to be surprised, but after everything that had come to light in the last hour, she was starting to become numb to all the revelations. “I can’t say I’m surprised anymore. If he was willing to compel Ron, why wouldn’t he try to do the same to you?” Ginny sighed, feeling drained all of the sudden. She felt like she could sleep for days at this point. Harry seemed to notice her tiredness and turned to Ron and Arthur, giving a small smile.
“I’ve been able to keep him off my back for a while. The restraining order has been useful, and if he tries to break it, the Board will arrive immediately to remove him. So, there’s that area of protection as well.” Harry said, feeling the need to pacify Arthur, who still looked worried for his sake. It honestly touched Harry. Knowing that he had a family with the Weasleys always made him feel all warm inside. They were part of the family he never had.
Still, he couldn’t tell them everything. He couldn’t tell them which side he was truly on, or the people he was fraternizing with these days. It would break Arthur’s heart. The only Weasleys who knew were Fred and George, but he trusted them completely. As much as he loved the others, he couldn’t tell them. Even if they weren’t part of the Order anymore, they were still as light as they came.
“Alright then,” Arthur looked conflicted as he saw the two head over to the floo. “Harry, if you ever feel unsafe as well, you know you’re more than welcome to stay here.” Harry smiled at the offer, nodding.
“Thank you. I’m mostly trying to make a point to Dumbledore these days.” Harry felt safe admitting the detail. “All I’ve been wanting to do is finish my education in peace. Dumbledore has made it his mission to ensure I’m unable to do that, but I keep persevering through it. I’m not going to let him win.” And truthfully, Harry only felt safe with a select few people. At the top of that list was Severus.
“We should be getting back now though. It’s an hour before curfew and I’d hate for Filch to find us,” Arthur, who had long since graduated, made a face at the mention.
“I understand. Please, be careful.” He was speaking to both Gryffindors, his eyes practically begging.
“I will, dad.” Ginny hugged her father one more time before returning to Harry’s side as they entered the floo network. While they left, Harry was forming multiple plans in his head and deciding the next steps he needed to take.
Hopefully, Tom wouldn’t mind an impromptu meeting tonight after he helped Ginny back and made sure she was safe.
And when she was safe, Harry apparated inside Tom’s office, not the slightest bit surprised to see him at his desk.
“Why is it whenever I visit, you’re always at your desk?” Harry asked, smirking when Tom leveled him with an unimpressed look.
“Because some of us have important work to do,” Tom shot back, putting the papers down elegantly. He raised an eyebrow at Harry’s next sentence.
“Sure, but even genius Dark Lords need a break,” Harry grinned, moving to sit on a vacant chair. “I think my visits are good for you, and you’ve already confessed to liking my company.” Harry smiled sweetly, making Tom force himself to look away for a moment.
“You were like a parasite. You attached yourself and refused to leave,” Tom teased back, making Harry snort and give a mock sigh of hurt.
“Says the person who was desperate for me to join them,” Harry winked. “Anyway,” He began, leaning forward as he grinned. “How much do you love me, Tommy?” His voice was sickeningly sweet, but the words almost made an embarrassing flush stain Tom’s cheeks.
“Merlin, I should have known you were here because you needed something,” Tom huffed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “What do you need?” He asked, making Harry shrug.
“I’m not sure yet. I know you’ve got a couple of reputable Lawyers in your ranks,” Harry watched as the dark lord’s expression changed from slight annoyance to intrigue. “Arthur Weasley is going to press charges against Molly Prewett for several different things, one of which involves her using compulsion spells against two of her own kids, who happened to be underage at the time. I told him I would get him a ruthless lawyer if I could.”
“Richard Greengrass is one of the most ruthless lawyers, as is Samantha Parkinson.” Those two were in his ranks and had never lost a case. Tom immediately responded without a second of hesitation, hands steeped together. “They also don’t take kindly to child abuse,” And if Molly was going to be charged with using mind magic against her underage kids, that alone was at least ten years in Azkaban, per child.
Neither did he, for that matter.
“Either one of them will work,” Harry smirked. “As long as they ensure she loses everything and ends up in Azkaban for a very long time.” She deserved to suffer for all she had put her family through. “I mean, she put a compulsion on Ginny to make the girl fall in love with me. Then she even compelled her to use Amortentia on me,” Harry grimaced, remembered the paper with all the compulsions Ginny had been under.
“She compelled her daughter to dose you with Amortentia?” The anger in Tom’s eyes was like a blazing inferno. “She will be getting life in prison for that easily. And if not, I will ensure she is never free again.”
Harry nearly sucked in a breath, fighting off a flush at the pure fury in Tom’s eyes, and like last time, it was all on his behalf.
“She and Dumbledore not only made an illegal marriage contract, but Molly Prewett,” Tom’s voice was steadily colder and more dangerous. “-was willing to take away any freedom you might have had.” Tom’s eyes were dark red by now as his eyes narrowed into slits. :If she were here, I would decimate her:
:You can always do that to Dumbledore instead if you’d like.” Harry tried to lighten the mood. :After he’s humiliated completely and thrown into Azkaban afterward, you can hurt him for all the pain he’s caused us.:
:Does that include the filthy muggles that dared to hurt you?: Harry couldn’t help but smile a bit.
:Not Dudley, but my aunt and uncle are fair game.: Harry teased, feeling like sighing with relief when Tom seemed to calm down. “Thank you though. I know you have a weird way of showing how you care, but it does mean a lot.” He blinked in surprise when he was pulled into a warm chest, strong arms wrapped around him. Harry immediately returned the embrace, smiling softly.
He was getting used to the way Tom showed his affection, slowly but surely.
“You know, there was another reason why I came tonight too, well, two of them,” Harry smirked when the older wizard huffed.
“Should I be worried?”
“Unless you don’t want to help me create a new spell, I don’t think so?” Harry responded innocently enough. “You’ve had more experience with compulsion spells than I have. I want to make a compulsion protection spell, that way I can stop this from happening again.”
Tom wouldn’t dare miss this opportunity for anything. He was a scholar at heart, like Severus and Harry, so having the chance to make another spell was something he eagerly latched onto.
“And what was the other reason?” Harry smirked at the question.
“Your desperation might have paid off in the end. Now, don’t expect me to follow any orders or come to any meetings, but” Harry wanted to laugh as Tom’s eyes started to light up. “I do count myself on your side now, for what it’s worth.”
“I am pleased to hear that,” Tom purred and if Harry wasn’t so attracted to a different baritone voice, that sound would have made him shiver.
It was around midnight when Harry apparated back to Severus’ brewing rooms, satisfied beyond measure. As he expected, the man was still standing over a cauldron. (From what he could gather, Severus didn’t stop brewing until at least one in the morning)
“Sorry I was gone for so long. I had to tell Tom that Arthur is going to need one of his most ruthless lawyers.” Severus glanced up from the potion at that, raising an eyebrow.
“Arthur has finally decided to charge Molly,” Severus gathered, pleased to know the gentle man was ready to be harsh against his ex-wife.
“It’s about time. He told me the reason he didn’t beforehand was because he didn’t want Ginny to be raised by the elderly Prewetts.” Harry shrugged. “Now that he’s reversed the disowning, he doesn’t have any problems tearing her apart.”
“I have never seen him angry before. I assume it was a sight.” Harry smirked a bit, humming.
“Oh, you have no idea. It surprised me at first, but I’m happy to see him use that anger at Molly. Merlin knows she deserves it.” Harry sighed. “Luckily, Tom helped me with that issue as well,” When Severus gave him a look, he elaborated. “I don’t have much experience with mental or mind magic. I’ve mastered occlumency, but that’s it. I got him to help me create an anti-compulsion spell to protect people from someone like Dumbledore or Molly.”
“I see. How did the spell hold?” Severus asked as he stirred his potion clockwise five times, before adding another ingredient and letting it simmer.
“It’s fine against spells,” Harry began, pulling out the notes he and Tom and scribbled. “But I wanted your help with the potions aspect.” He admitted. “Tom is fine with potions, but we wanted an expert before we finalized the spell,” Harry grinned a bit. “So, you wanna help with it too when you’re free?” He teased, already knowing the answer.
Needless to say, Harry didn’t sleep that night until he and Severus completed the spell.
And if he happened to fall asleep on the sofa, pressed against Severus’ shoulder and chest, he might have slept better than he ever had in his life.
Notes:
Well, how do we feel about it? What did y'all think of the sudden change?
Chapter 21
Notes:
Sorry that this took so long to write. This chapter is probably one of the weaker ones, honestly. It's all over the place because I could not decide where/how I wanted to end it. So it ended up being over 7k words because of my indecision.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The following morning, Harry woke up feeling well-rested and far too comfortable. On instinct, he pressed closer to the intoxicating warmth and snuggled further into the firm chest. A few moments later, he felt his face burn with a dark flush, the memories from the other night slamming into him. Before he could start to internally panic, long fingers carefully burrowed into his hair and started to slowly stroke the untamed curls. The contact took his breath away and Harry found himself sinking into the touch, melting further into the warm chest. Whenever Severus’ elegant fingers found their way into his hair, his body seemed to relax on its own accord, almost turning into goo at times.
As he sinks further into Severus, Harry withholds a sigh of pleasure when those fingers add the perfect amount of pressure to his scalp. When thinking about it, this action was a common thing lately. How often had Severus’ fingers managed to land in his hair on a stressful night? On the nights when Dumbledore had been staring at him for far too long, Severus would notice something was off. When they would sit together and do their respected work, Harry would always lean into the fingers that landed in his hair, the stress from Dumbledore starting to quickly filter away.
Severus knew his mannerisms’ to a t these days, able to tell when there was a problem with a single look. Sometimes they didn’t even need to verbally communicate. All it took was a single look in their eyes to know what the other was conveying. In all of his life, there hadn’t been anyone to who he felt so close to. His closeness with Fred, George, and Hermione were the only exceptions, and even then, it was different than what he had with Severus. Severus understood him on a level that Hermione likely never could. It wasn’t for any bad reasons, but his best friend would never understand what it was like to grow up how he did. The only person who could remotely understand the horrors he dealt with were Severus and Tom, respectively.
Hermione was as understanding as they came, but he knew she would never consider aligning herself with the dark. She would strictly proclaim herself as being neutral, like Amelia Bones, and Harry loved that about her. Truthfully, the light side had some good points, but because many of them were so twisted by Dumbledore’s manipulation, their ideals were misguided. Had Dumbledore not twisted their views, Harry could have easily found himself as a neutral wizard, with leanings towards the dark.
But the longer he studied the perspective and ideas of the dark, the more he began to understand what their goals were. It wasn’t about removing muggleborns (although some of the purebloods were elitists) but rather being able to reclaim certain spells and rituals. Dumbledore and the ministry had deemed spells like blood magic, and blood runes, to be too dark and needed to be banned. From what Severus had told him about blood runes, they were powerful in curing fatal illnesses. Illnesses that other magical countries had long since developed cures for. While he agreed that there were some dark spells that needed to be banned (like the Horcrux curse that Tom used on himself too much) there were other dark spells that needed to return. If they could help society, why ban them in the first place? A dark spell or ritual shouldn’t be banned for the fact it was dark.
The ministry and Dumbledore were trying to censor what they believed to be wrong.
Harry’s deep thinking was brought to an end when skillful fingers stroked the hair on his nape slowly. The pleased sigh that he had been holding back finally escaped, a small shiver nearly escaping with it. With the gentle petting, Harry was finding it harder to stay awake, his mind and body at ease. Before he started to drift off, he instinctively reached for Severus’ free hand and laced their fingers together, savoring the rush of warmth. With his eyes closed, he would miss the soft look in Severus’ eyes and the flush that painted the man's cheeks.
And when he began to wake up for the final time, it wasn’t the morning bell that woke him, but lips ghosting across the top of his head. All of the air was knocked out of him, his heart stuttering and close to beating out of his chest. In his sleep-clouded mind, Harry could envision himself leaning up and letting Severus’ lips ghost across his lips instead. He could imagine threading his hands through the dark hair and tugging him impossibly closer.
But the version of himself he envisioned was much braver than he truly was.
As much as he wanted to tilt his head and capture Severus’ lips with his own, something was holding him back.
It wasn’t fear holding him back this time. He wasn’t paralyzed and incapable of moving. No, it was something simple and complicated at the same time.
The moment didn’t feel right. He wanted to do something for Severus before taking a leap. He wanted to show his affection in a way that wouldn’t be too obvious.
But it had to be something that Severus would understand and appreciate as well, something that they both enjoyed.
His breath nearly hitched low in his throat when the idea came to him, and the fact that they had done it together the night before.
Severus, like him, enjoyed spell crafting. His dark eyes had formed a gleam in them last night when the prospect of creating a new spell came forth. Even if he had originally made the basis for the spell with Tom, it was Severus who had helped place the finishing touches.
They had worked side by side for hours, not stopping until the spell was perfected. There had been a satisfaction in completing the spell, which was increased tenfold at the fact that they completed the spell together. It made a small smile form on his lips, warmth flaring through his chest.
Spell crafting was their love language. The sharing of knowledge and ideas was enticing to them.
It meant that he had the perfect idea for Severus’ Yule gift.
“You’ve been studying more than I have lately,” Hermione remarked one day, looking impressed as she gazed at her friend. “Not that it’s a bad thing, but it is surprising considering you already study quite a bit.” Harry gazed up from one of the potions books he was reading and gave a sheepish smile, a small flush on his cheeks.
“I’ve been doing some research before I start constructing a new spell,” Harry confessed. “It’s focused more on potions and poisons, so I’m out of my depth here.” Hermione tilted her head, humming.
“Professor Snape could easily help you with that. There’s no telling how much knowledge he would have about that subject.” Harry sighed, nodding in agreement.
“Yes, but I can’t use him for this.” He bit his lips a bit. “I’m creating a new spell for him. I want it to be one of his Yule gifts.” Harry watched as his friend’s eyes widen at the information, her shock giving way to one of appraisal.
“I think that would be a wonderful gift to give him,” Hermione admitted. “What do you plan on having the spell do? Maybe I can help find some books for you?” His chest swelled with gratitude, a bright smile on his face.
“There aren’t many spells to help pinpoint if someone has been poisoned. It can be a good thing if you’re the person doing the poisoning, but it’s a bad thing for the victim.” The bushy-haired witch frowned at that, giving a nod.
“I’ve never thought of it that way. You have a point though. There are a ton of antidote spells, but that isn’t useful if you don’t know which type of poison it is.”
“My first thought was to make a spell that could at least indicate what type of poison was used.” Harry began, already brainstorming again. “From what I researched so far, there are three types of poisons. Ones that are consumed, inhaled, and touched.” Hermione’s eyes had lit up, shining with awe.
“I think that’s a perfect spell.” She hastened to say. “Because there are so many poisons, I think it will be impossible to pinpoint which one was used. However, if you can narrow it down to the method of poison, that would be a monumental breakthrough.” Harry chuckled at his friend’s enthusiasm, his own mood automatically brightening.
“I’ll definitely need more books about the three types of poisoning, in that case.” Hermione was scribbling on her quill, humming.
“Most of these books will either be in the restricted section, or outright banned.” She reminded. “The only one that will potentially be here is a book about ingested poisons. There might be others here and there, but you might need to go outside of Hogwarts to find books like that.”
“I was thinking that too. There are a few places I can try, like the family vaults. I bet the Black vaults would have something useful. Either that or Tom…” Hermione snorted and Harry rose an eyebrow at her. “What?”
“Honestly, going to him might be your best bet. You’ve told me how extensive his study was, and that’s just his study. If he prides himself on studying all sorts of knowledge and all areas of magic, he will have a lot of books about poison. Dumbledore always made sure to hammer in the fact that Riddle tried to gain as much knowledge as he could.” Hermione rolled her eyes, which caused Harry to give a soft chuckle.
“Isn’t that the most ironic thing?” Harry asked, shaking his head. “Now, I’m not saying that Tom didn’t do horrible things when he was younger. He certainly wasn’t an angel.” Harry clarified. “But Dumbledore made it sound terrible at the fact Tom traveled the world to gain more knowledge. Some of it might have been dark, but magic is just magic. It’s the way you use it that matters.” Harry took a breath. “That should have been a red flag back then, but it is now, especially with what Tom told me.”
“What did he tell you?” Hermione asked, tilting her head.
“Tom wanted to be a professor. The defense professor, actually.” Harry clarified. “Dumbledore rejected him for the fact that he was a Dark wizard.” Hermione blinked in confusion, opening her mouth.
“He refused to let him teach because he had studied Dark Magic?” Hermione asked slowly, looking aghast.
“Yes. Dumbledore believed that Tom had gone ‘too far' in his drabbles in dark magic and believed him to be unsuitable for a professor. Granted,” Harry held up a hand. “Tom did go too far, but that was in one area of dark magic. Still, there is no reason to discriminate against someone for practicing the dark arts. It’s part of the reason he advocates for the dark arts so much.”
“Merlin, that makes sense.” Hermione huffed, covering her face with her hand. “Harry, how much control does Dumbledore have over the muggleborn population?” The sudden question made Harry falter, his green eyes narrowing on his friend’s-stricken expression. “He’s part of the reason there is still so much discrimination between both sides! I didn’t see it before, but Dark Wizards are discriminated against these days. A lot of it is from the Muggleborns, who get told that the Dark side wants them removed from this world.”
How much of the tension between both sides was due to neither side taking the time to know each other?
“There needs to be a compromise.” Harry agreed. “Purebloods and half-bloods need to understand muggle culture, but it shouldn’t be one-sided. Muggleborns need to understand wizard culture and traditions as well. The discrimination won’t stop until everyone is on level ground.”
“Do you think Tom Riddle will be able to do that?” Hermione asked and Harry paused, turning to give her his full attention.
“I do have faith in him,” Harry confessed, but there was a hint of hesitation in his tone. “He is an incredibly charming and influential person. There’s something about him that will draw people in. It’s part of the reason he has so many followers.” Tom could sway crowds and make people join his cause. “But there are things that he struggles with as well. I trust he can overcome them, but it will take time.”
Hermione looked at him, her eyes gleaming in interest.
“If I have to step in, I will,” Harry mumbled softly. “I don’t want to get involved with this war, but if my advice or insight is needed, I will provide it. Not that Tom doesn’t have emotions, but when he makes plans, he tends to use more data and logic. He needs someone to provide an emotional and considerate outlook.” The green-eyed wizard explained, chewing on his bottom lip. “He already uses advisors to help him with important decisions, but a lot of them can be biased. It’s why I might have to step in at some point, even if it means we butt heads.”
“You and Tom would make an interesting team.” Hermione couldn’t help but voice, watching Harry with a curious look in her eyes. “You two are eerily similar, yet different at the same time. It’s interesting.” She mumbled out loud, deep in thought. “Honestly, if you weren’t in love with Professor Snape, I could envision you and Tom together.” Harry nearly choked at the words, his eyes widening as his mouth parted in shock.
“What? Why?” Harry was quick to ask, his brows furrowed in confusion.
“Partially your shared experiences,” Hermione admitted. “Had we not been as observant or suspicious of Dumbledore, you two would have been foils to each other. You would have focused on the differences, instead of the similarities you share.” Hermione paused after she said this, looking thoughtful as her eyes peered into Harry’s emerald eyes. “However, since that wasn’t the case, recently you’ve been able to focus on the similarities that you two share. From what you’ve told me about him, you two have a sadly similar past.”
Harry nearly flinched at that reminder, knowing all too well that it was true. The pain they had suffered in their childhood was almost the same. They both knew what it was like to be tormented by others for being different.
“He also knows what it was like to be stalked by Dumbledore,” Harry confessed softly. “He regrets a lot of the things that he has done, but..” Harry hesitated, unsure how to continue. “Tom told me that the moment he was sorted into Slytherin, he was ignored by Dumbledore…until he started to focus on the dark arts.” There was a small sigh. “From there, Dumbledore tried to invade his mind, tried to corner him to ‘talk’”
“That’s what he’s been doing to you,” Hermione had a frown on her face, eyes clouded with worry.
“Dumbledore has a tendency to try and control the people that are a threat to him or at least keep tabs on them,” Harry muttered. “He wants to use me for his master plan, which would involve my death, as well as Toms.” Harry reminded.
“There’s one thing I don’t understand about that,” Hermione confessed. “If his plan was for Tom to kill you because you’re a Horcrux, what would that do? If you’re the one that was supposed to defeat him, what would happen when he was still standing after that?”
Suddenly, something occurred to Harry that hadn’t before, and his magic began to boil in his chest. Had it not been for his control over it, his magic would have burst from his body and exploded around them. That was the last thing he needed to deal with right now.
“Because he would swoop in and save the day.” Harry hissed darkly, his eyes practically glowing with anger. “When their supposed savior is dead on the ground, that leaves Dumbledore to finish the job and gain more loyalty from his adoring fans. I mean, he’d likely gain even more support if he were to use my death as a turning point. He would take it upon himself to avenge me, or something similar.”
Hermione stared at Harry with wide eyes, her face paling as the words sunk in.
“This entire time.” She was breathless. “This entire time, he planned for you to die in order to take the glory of vanishing the dark side for himself, and all to gain more support.” Hermione almost laughed at the obscurity of it all, but she barely held it back as her heart broke for her friend and all of those who Dumbledore moved around on his chessboard.
However, there was a silver lining, and it was creeping closer and closer.
“There is good news about Dumbledore at least,” Hermione reminded with a small smirk, wanting to shift Harry’s anger before something happened, knowing that the longer it festered and burned within him, the harder it would be for her friend to control it. “Yule will be here in a few weeks.”
The anger that had gnawed at Harry was slowly beginning to ease, a forced breath flowing past his lips. With it, some of his anger was blown away.
“Then he’ll discover he can’t get into Grimmauld Place,” he said. “And that the borrow is off-limits too.” Hermione smiled in relief when her friend seemed to calm down. There was still an edge of anger around him, but she knew it would likely vanish when he saw Snape. “Sorry about that.” Harry apologized after releasing another breath, more of his anger vanishing.
“Don’t.” Hermione held her hand up. “You have more reason than anyone else to be upset, Harry. You don’t need to apologize about anything. Your response was normal. I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t have reacted in a similar fashion.”
Harry opened his mouth to say something else, but a faint glow from one of his journals made him falter. “I can’t say I’m surprised.” He reached for the journal, pulling it closer as Hermione rose an eyebrow.
“Who is it?“ She knew it was either Tom or Snape, but it was a fifty-fifty chance.
“Tom,” Harry said sheepishly. “I bet he felt how angry I was earlier and is checking up on me,”
“You’ve mentioned in the past that you two can feel emotions from each other. What does that all entail?” She asked, catching harry off-guard with the inquiry.
“It usually has to be extremely strong emotions, like fear to anger.” Harry began. “When Dumbledore cornered me that one night, he felt how terrified I was in that moment. See,” Harry laid the book down for a moment, wanting to explain as best as he could. “It’s true that we have a mind link and that our minds are connected, but there’s more to it. Because we’ve both mastered occlumency, we also have a mind block set up. Our minds are connected all the time.” Harry explained. “It’s only lowered in moments like now, where our emotions and magic seep out of us.”
“I see,” Hermione nodded in understanding, despite more questions forming. It looked like she wanted to question him more about the link, but she stopped herself and shook her head. “Don’t let me keep you,” She giggled. “I could distract you all day with all my questions.”
Harry snorted at her words, tilting his head. “Mione, I love your questions.” He teased as he opened the book, smirking at the familiar script.
Are you alright, Harry? I felt an alarming amount of anger coming from you moments ago. What did that manipulative old fool do now?
I had a realization about Dumbledore that made me furious. Remember when we talked about how he wanted us to kill each other because I’m your Horcrux? Harry could a throb of anger that didn’t belong to him, making him almost smile.
Unfortunately.
Well, what if I told you Hermione and I pieced something together about it? She brought up the fact that if I had to die because I’m a Horcrux, where would that leave you? If in order to defeat you, I had to die, then that would mean someone else would kill you. We were supposedly destined to fight one on one in Dumbledore’s interpretation, right?
Harry, where are you going with this?
Tom, think about it. If I were dead, how in the name of Merlin could I defeat you? That would mean someone else would need to step up in order to destroy you. Someone that isn’t me. The only person who fits the bill is Dumbledore. He wanted me to destroy your Horcruxes first. Then he was probably going to tell me that I was one myself so I would seek you out to fight, only to sacrifice myself in the end. After I was dead, he would swoop in and deal your final blow. All so he could take the glory and gain more support from defeating a Dark Lord for the second time in his life.
Instead of feeling a throb of anger, Harry felt it erupt through him like a volcano. He felt sorry for whoever was in the manor with Tom at the time. They would have no doubt felt the man’s magic rolling off of him in waves.
Looks like you’re angry now too. Sorry about that.
The only person who needs to apologize for anything is Albus, Harry. Don’t you dare apologize when you aren’t to blame. This information was needed because it will make his downfall all the more pleasant. His desire to send you to your death will resort in hours of torture for him after he is removed from Hogwarts. I will ensure that he will regret the moment he even thought of harming you.
Harry felt a small flush spread across his face at the words, being reminded of the other night when Tom had promised something similar.
He had a strong feeling that if he were there right now, strong arms would be wrapping around him and tugging him into a warm chest.
If it weren’t for the fact that he’s set to leave soon, I’d beg you to get rid of him. Harry felt like a weight was lifted from his shoulders as he confessed to Tom. As much as he wanted to tell Severus the same, the other man was already doing far too much for him as it was. Telling him how on edge he was with Dumbledore would only make Severus worry more. I’m worried he’s going to target Hermione next. I’ve already put protective charms and spells on the family necklace I made for her, but I don’t want her to be the target of his next attack.
The closer Yule drew, the more he dreaded what the headmaster was going to do. Coming after him one last time was one thing but coming after Hermione was another. Dumbledore was going to be desperate, and that meant he was going to be unpredictable.
I trust your protection charms. Tom wrote back. If you can effectively create a spell to block the killing curse, I trust that you can singlehandedly protect her.
The compliment from Tom did help ease his nerves slightly, a breath escaping that he hadn’t been aware of holding.
If the plans you made hadn’t been set in motion yet, I would apparate there myself to rid of him for you.
Suddenly Harry paused, nearly hitting his head at his lack of insight.
Tom, why did it occur to me just now that you have the ability to apparate to Hogwarts too? For some reason, he could already imagine Tom chuckling at him. Why did you never do that? Wouldn’t it have made your plans easier?
Truthfully, I had issues appariting before I started to regain parts of my soul. I was still powerful, but some areas of magic were difficult for me. Apparting is something that I have recently regained.
That would be a fun way to scare the shit out of Dumbledore. Merlin, imagine if you got to apparate here right after he tried to do something else.
If the Board is slow in their removal, I will not hesitate.
Before Harry could say anything else, the bell chimed for breakfast to begin.
I have to go. Don’t be surprised if I visit later.
Oh, joy. Harry smirked a bit, unable to stop from writing one more time.
I’ll have cauldron cakes and ideas for a new spell? And maybe a butterbeer if you ask nice enough.
Brat.
Harry snorted at the message as he gathered the rest of his supplies, leaving the journal open. Right before he closed it, he saw the last message.
Fine. Please bring a butterbeer too.
“What’s so funny?” Hermione smirked a bit, glancing at her laughing friend and the notebook that was in his hands.
“Getting a Dark Lord to say please.”
“What do you hope to accomplish with this spell?” Tom asked, reading over Harry’s notes.
“I want it to tell how the person was poisoned,” Harry responded. “From what I’ve researched, there are three types of poisonous potions and substances. The ones you drink, inhale, and touch. It’s impossible to create a spell that will tell you the exact potion used, but I figured creating one like this would be doable.”
“It will be,” Tom agreed, eyes narrowing on something. “You already have a fair amount of research put into this. I assume you will need to use my libraries to find another book about inhaled and dermal poisons?”
“Even the restricted section at Hogwarts was lacking on the subjects. I found a few, but not enough to create a feasible spell with,” Harry confessed. “And it’s supposed to be one of the best libraries.” Tom laughed humorlessly.
“It was until they started to remove books left and right. All of the Dark Arts had been moved to the restricted section from what I remember as Quirrell.” Tom scribbled something down and waved his hand. Suddenly, two thick books flew from the shelves and neatly placed themselves on Harry’s lap.
“That was surprisingly quick,” Harry smirked, looking up at Tom who fondly rolled his eyes. “Why do I have a feeling that you know where every single book is?”
“That’s what it means to be organized.” Tom shot back with a smirk when Harry huffed, opening the new books to begin another round of research.
After a while, Harry looked up and rubbed the back of his neck. “Hey, Tom?”
The man was doing paperwork, while also reviewing a book for him.
“Yes?” The wizard asked, not bothering to look up.
“Thank you, by the way. For helping me with this and letting me use your library.” As much as he thanked Severus for all he did, it felt needed to do the same for Tom. The wizard looked up from his work to stare at him, humming.
“I can never pass up the opportunity to help create a new spell,” Tom said nonchalantly, but the slight twitch of his lips gave him away. “Or say no to bribes of sweets.”
“Not even my company?” Harry had a mock pout, missing the slight flush on Tom’s pale cheeks.
“I suppose I enjoy it,” Tom teased back, looking back to the notes. “Besides the lack of adequate spells for this,” He began. “What pushed you to create it?”
“It started from a conversation I had with Severus a few weeks ago when I made a joke about us poisoning Dumbledore.” Tom’s lips twitched at that, unable to stop his chuckle. “Which lead to the conversation about different poisons and the different ingredients that go into them based on region.”
“I see,” Tom wrote a note next to Harry’s own, pausing when the younger spoke up again.
“I figured this would be a sentimental gift to Severus for Yule,” Harry confessed, missing the twinge of Tom’s jaw. “He’s the potions expert and I wanted to give him something related to that. He’s also a spell-crafter too, so I thought it would be a fitting gift.”
“It is.” Tom agreed, scribbling more on the paper. “I’ve no doubt that Severus will appreciate all you have put into this.” Harry smiled to himself as the words washed over him.
“He’s done a lot for me this year,” The younger wizard confessed, looking to the fire that was blazing in the fireplace. “At the opening feast, Dumbledore sought me out and Severus stopped him. He offered me a place to hide and be myself. Even if he says I shouldn’t thank him for it, I will always be grateful.” Harry’s eyes were trained on the fire, watching the flames flicker. “I’m sorry that you had to face him on your own. I don’t know what I would have done if I was in your place,”
“Something tells me that you would have visited far too often,” Tom smiled when Harry laughed, the younger wizard being brought out of his thoughts.
“Probably. Hell, I would have likely lived here at that point,” Harry grinned. “Either that or I would have begged you to be a professor so you would be forced to deal with Dumbledore too.” Tom laughed softly, piling his papers together.
“Merlin, that would have been torture seeing the fool every day and being unable to hurt him,” Tom said with a small shake of his head.
“But think of all the students you could teach and even change their views.” Harry noticed the gleam that entered Tom’s eye and rolled with it. “You mentioned wanting to teach defense in the past. For what it’s worth, I think you would have made an amazing professor.” He added. “And to top it off, an unlimited supply of cauldron cakes at your disposal.”
“You’re really trying to get me to consider being a professor, aren’t you?” Harry innocently shrugged.
“It would have been interesting to be taught by you,” He admitted with a chuckle. “And to plot Dumbledore’s demise, just like I do with Severus during my ‘detentions.’ I think you would have loved to help me master defense and the dark arts, knowing that Dumbledore was none the wiser. Merlin, we could have made his life even worse than it is now.”
As Harry went back to reading and taking more notes, he wouldn’t see the look in Tom’s eyes, or hear the wistful words.
“That would have been nice,” Tom mumbled under his breath, licking his bottom lip as his chest constricted in longing.
It would have been wonderful, wouldn’t it?
“Where were you this morning?” Hermione asked as they took their seats in the library, having already placed their privacy charms.
“I accidentally fell asleep while with Tom last night,” Harry confessed, but there was a brightness to his eyes. “He had a lot of books about poisons, and we were able to create the spell. I crashed on the sofa in the library right after.” He had woken up with a warm blanket tossed over his body and a small pillow shoved under his head, but he decided to leave that part out.
Hermione lit up, a look of awe crossing over her features.
“You mean to tell me you created a complicated spell like that in one day?” She looked flabbergasted at him, mouth parted in shock.
“Thanks to Tom, yeah. He was really helpful and had a lot of books that pushed us in the right direction. I also had a lot of research on it, to begin with, so it wasn’t technically done in a single day.” Harry had spent at least a week alone with his portion of the research, and it helped to finish the spell sooner rather than later.
Hermione shook her head, still in awe about what her friend had told her.
“That’s wonderful, Harry! I’m excited that you were able to create the spell.” She smiled at him. “I bet you’re excited to give it to Severus for Yule. Was there anything else you planned on getting for him?
“There was an enchanted spell journal I saw at Diagon Alley one day. It wards off people from opening the book and finding your spells. It only opens for those that the person trusts.” And from getting to know Severus for so long, trust was important to the older wizard.
“What about you? Any idea on what you plan to get Viktor?” Harry watched as his friend smiled, nodding.
“Viktor can be a little rough with his Quidditch gear, so I not only got him some new attire, but I got it with a lifetime warranty for him. This way he doesn’t have to spend so much on replacing his gear.”
“I’ve seen him play. I can’t say I’m surprised that he breaks his gear so often. Merlin, I can only imagine the price of replacing all of that.” Hermione grimaced, shaking her head.
“Viktor gets paid well, but the team will only repair so much before it makes him pay out of pocket. Even if he could afford it easily, it was still a wasteful expense.”
The two of them continued to talk as they reviewed for their classes tomorrow, only stopping when the dinner bell rang.
“You really ought to eat dinner tonight,” Hermione reminded as she started to pack her stuff. “Snape noticed you weren’t at dinner last night and that you weren’t at breakfast this morning.” Harry swallowed hard, nodding.
He probably should have told Severus where he was going, but it hadn’t occurred to him at the moment.
“Did he look worried?” Then again, with all Dumbledore had put him through in the past three months, it was warranted.
“A little.” Hermione nodded. “He also looked a little suspicious, like he was thinking you were about to plan something or were actively doing something.” Harry merely smirked.
“Well, he wasn’t wrong. Tom did have a plan in mind last night if the Board was too slow in apprehending Dumbledore,” Harry chuckled. “I have my training with Severus tonight anyway. I’m sure he’ll ask what I was up to during that time.”
“And what will you tell him?” Hermione giggled as her friend nearly faltered in his step.
“Damn. I never thought about that,” Harry groaned suddenly. “I could say that I needed to use Tom’s library for research?” It was still true. “Because I truly needed it. Even the restricted section here was lacking in the material.” There had been some other books he had looked through that didn’t pertain to poisons, thankfully.
And he was always thinking about new spells.
“That would work. I’m sure Snape has noticed the lack of dark arts books, even in the restricted section.” Hermione commented, placing her bag around her shoulder. “I bet his library was impressive.”
“You’ve no idea, Mione. There was an array of books that I doubt Hogwarts has ever had, and if they did, it would have been hundreds of years ago. Tom had a few books about Parselmagic, actually. Skimming through them was interesting.”
Walking into the Great Hall with Hermione, Harry felt a familiar set of eyes on him, and he barely resisted the urge to smile. When he took his usual seat, he glanced to the Head Table, smiling when he caught the sight of onyx orbs.
“I think it’s sweet how excited you are when you see him,” Hermione stated calmly, grinning to herself when Harry flushed a dark shade of red. “You really ought to see your eyes, Harry. They lit up as soon as you saw him.”
“Merlin, Mione.” Harry huffed, blushing more. “You really like to make me blush in front of him, don’t you?” He fondly huffed when his friend smiled sweetly at him.
“I am curious about something,” Hermione admitted, scooping some fresh vegetables on her plate and some fruit. “Are you planning to confess to him before or after Yule? Or are you still deciding?” Harry paused, placing his drink back on the table.
He really shouldn’t have been surprised that Hermione had figured something out so soon.
“I honestly don’t know,” Harry mumbled with a small shrug, running a hand through his hair. “It’s not so much that I’m planning on confessing at a specific time,” He began, unsure how to explain what was going on in his head. “but more like I’m waiting on the right moment?” He questioned, noticing the way Hermione regarded him.
“Right. I can understand that.” She nodded, tapping her chin in thought. “It’s difficult to plan something like that anyway. For Viktor and I, it was more simple for the fact of the Yule Ball.” She paused. “It might have gone differently had that not been an event.” She shrugged. “He would have still asked me out, but it would have been different.”
“Exactly,” Harry nodded, taking a few bites of his mashed potatoes. “I’m just waiting on the right moment to do it.” He shrugged. “I don’t know how or when that will be, honestly. I could have kissed him yesterday morning,” At Hermione’s wide eyes, he smirked, deciding to tell her the event some other day. “But it didn’t feel right. Not in that moment at least.”
“How will you know when the moment is right though?” She asked, buttering a roll. Harry merely shrugged again.
“I don’t know,” He confessed. “I guess I’ll know when the moment comes. How did you know that Viktor was the one you wanted?” Hermione paused mid-bite, shaking her head mutely.
“I guess I didn’t know until I did,” She confessed. “It was sudden and unpredictable. No plans were made. It just happened.”
“I figured,” Harry nodded, taking a helping of fresh vegetables as well. “And that’s what it is like for me right now. I don’t know how I plan to do it, or when I plan to do it. I just know something will happen when it does, and we’ll see from there.” Harry forced a small smile, still apprehensive about some aspects.
There were still parts of him that wanted to shake off the idea that Severus felt the same and blame it on the hope that had blossomed. But he couldn’t do that. Not after Luna’s words from nearly a week ago. Ignoring it didn’t feel right, even if there were still lingering bits of denial swimming about.
“No matter what, you and Snape care deeply about each other,” Hermione cut into his thoughts, gently touching his hand to lace their fingers together, squeezing gently. “To people who know what to look for, they would see how much he cares about you, Harry.” She whispered, a smile forming on her lips as he blushed, his emerald eyes twinkling.
On impulse, he turned his head to the direction of the Head Table again, breath catching in his throat.
Those onyx eyes were dark as they stared at him, the intensity of the gaze burning through him. It made his throat constrict and his mouth dry, gut flaring with an ignited fire. He swallowed again, finger twitching slightly in Hermione’s hand, which only seemed to make the fire in Severus’ gaze intensifies.
His heart thudded quickly as he let go of Hermione’s hand, using it to grab the cool glass of the pumpkin juice, the condensation doing nothing to cool off the heat in his chest. When he looked back to his friend, he rose an eyebrow at the knowing look in the brown eyes.
“Sorry. Déjà vu.” Hermione said with a small smirk, taking a bite of her roll. After swallowing, she gave him a small smile at his confused look.
“Déjà vu?” He asked, trying to rid himself of the lingering blush. “In what way?”
“Oh, nothing. I’m just remembering the same look he gave Justin a few times” She commented offhandedly, waving it off. “Oh. And the day that offensive article was published. ” Hermione grinned as emerald eyes began to widen like saucers.
“Merlin,” He covered his face with his hands, taking a deep breath when he recalled the exact look Hermione was referencing. “Mione…” He suddenly started to whisper, despite there already being a privacy spell around them. “Are you trying to insinuate that Severus is…” He bit his lips, unable to bring himself to say the words.
“I’m not insinuating anything.” She took a bite of her apple, placing it back down on her plate. “Not when it’s obvious.” Harry choked at the words, running a hand down his face as he stared at her incredulously.
“You seriously think Severus is..” He swallowed, forcing himself to complete the sentence this time. “Jealous?” He inquired, chewing on his bottom lip when the bushy-haired witch shrugged.
“That’s for you to decide, Harry.” She added, folding her hands together. “You’re the one who used that specific word,” Hermione reminded, peering at him.
She was right, of course. Even if she had laid the pieces, he was the one who put it all together. Hermione had never suggested that word. That had been him, after connecting it. However, he shook the idea off, unsure of how to even go about it.
Maybe it was him looking too much into it this time. It was one thing to hope, but it was another to overanalyze everything, right?
Still, the idea is stuck in his mind this time. It won’t leave, even if he tries to force the ideas down. The idea that Severus might be jealous settles into him, causing him to shiver.
“Well,” He takes another swig of Pumpkin Juice to calm his nerves. “I’ll probably figure out more tonight when I meet him for detention,”
He was never nervous meeting Severus for detention. But with those intense dark eyes, it made his entire body flare with warmth. It sent his mind racing a mile a minute.
“I’m gonna die tonight, aren’t I?” Harry huffed out, making Hermione smirk.
“Either that, or you’ll be fucked.”
Dark onyx eyes narrowed in on the dark blush settling on Harry’s face, eyebrow quirking up when the younger wizard choked on his pumpkin juice, sputtering.
Notes:
Also, I'm sorry about Severus not being in this chapter as much. I wanted to add him, but I decided to end it where I did. If I hadn't I have no idea how long this chapter would have been. I had trouble stopping where I did.
Also, have some pining Tom because I really love Tomarry, but I have to hold off on writing it because I need to finish this story first.
Eventually, I will get to write the AU. I'm already thinking of different ideas I want to use because I want some aspects of the story to be different.
Chapter 22
Notes:
Well, things will start to change from here now lol. Sorry about the flow of this chapter. it's more filler in order to set up what's about to come.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Taking a deep breath, Harry made the familiar trek to Severus’ quarters, his heart racing in his chest as it threatened to escape. The intense gaze of dark onyx lingered in his mind, a shiver running down his spine at the memory. He bit his lips, body thrumming in anticipation as he grew closer and closer, his mind running a mile a minute.
However, the moment he reached the door, he exhaled softly as he swallowed, his thoughts shifting.
In all likelihood, there was a strong possibility that nothing was going to happen and the look in Severus' eyes had been something else entirely. Why would things suddenly change between them in less than a week? Because, if he was being honest with himself, not much had changed, save for him waking up in Severus' arms.
But that hadn’t been the first time he had fallen asleep on the other man, had it? The night Dumbledore finally crossed the line, his head had lolled to the side and landed on Severus' shoulder. Even if he didn’t remember waking up with the man, for some reason he doubted that Severus had immediately moved him off.
Things would probably continue as they always did, and Harry didn’t know if should be relieved or disappointed. Perhaps it would be a mix of both, but he couldn’t be sure. With one more deep breath, Harry pushed open the door and made his way into the brewing chambers, where Severus had gathered a variety of ingredients and a few cauldrons.
One look at the Jobberknoll feathers and Harry knew exactly what potion Severus was going to be brewing.
“Veritaserum?” Harry questioned as he placed his bag on one of the chairs. Severus turned to face him, a small smirk on his lips that made Harry relax. “I think it’s a new moon tonight, which would mean it’s the time to start on them.” He said, nodding to cauldrons.
The potion itself wasn’t hard to brew, but because the task took over a month, it was considered to be one of the more advanced potions. That, and it was easy to mess up if you weren’t paying attention. Suddenly, Harry had an idea of what Severus was planning for the class tomorrow.
“Let me guess, there’s going to be an impromptu brewing assignment tomorrow for the NEWT classes.” The green-eyed wizard smirked when Severus paused, a look of surprise flashing in his eyes for a split second.
“And what led you to that idea?” Severus inquired; his onyx eyes not as intense as they once were.
“A conversation that I had with Hermione and Draco a while back,” Harry stated. “We figured that you would have a mock examination for us before Yule break, that way you could remove the students who didn’t perform as they should.” He watched as Severus got the table ready, humming. “There are two students that are a danger to everyone and this would serve as an easy way to kick them out.” As much as Harry hated to see it happen to his peers, they weren’t capable enough for the volatile potions.
“Why am I not surprised that you figured it out?” Severus shook his head, conjuring the final ingredients for the needed potions.
“It’s what I would have done,” He admitted. “I have no idea what possessed Slughorn to pass them,” The sour look on Severus' face nearly made him chuckle. “Especially Justin. I’ve lost count on how many times Draco and I have stopped him from blowing up his cauldron.”
And Severus had probably lost count on how often he had to stop Pansy from blowing up hers. He nearly shuddered at the idea of partnering those two, already dreading the outcome of that inept duo.
“We also thought it would have been a good time for a mock examination regardless. Even if there are two students who are exceptionally lacking, there are others who need a wake-up call.” Harry shrugged. “The first semester is about to be over within less than a month. I don’t think it has sunk in yet.”
“You would be correct,” Severus replied, waving his wand as the ingredients organized themselves. “There are only four students I trust to complete potions without any supervision or help. There are those who are too reliant on their partner.” Humming, Harry nodded, understanding where that concern was coming from.
Their NEWTs would not only be lacking a recipe to follow, but they would also be on their own. There were no lab partners when it came to taking the exam, and even though he hadn’t paid too much attention to his other peers, he knew Severus was right. If they were to change the class and take away lab partners, then there would be a problem for some.
“Oh,” Harry paused and looked to the table, starting to understand why Severus was gathering so many cauldrons. It wasn’t just going to be a mock assignment with no recipe, but it was going to be one person per cauldron. “You’re going to be ruthless tomorrow, aren’t you?” Harry grinned, catching onto the amused gleam in the onyx eyes.
“There are some who have potential.” The older wizard began, vanishing the cauldrons with a wave of his wand, no doubt transporting them into an unoccupied classroom. “Those who are too reliant on their partners have the potential to excel. This will make them aware of their flaws.”
“Those who fail tomorrow will receive detention, I gather?” Harry teased a bit, knowing that was the Slytherins way of getting them to study more. There was a hint of a smirk on the older wizard's face at his words, which made Harry’s chest warm at the sight. “You know, there was a debate if you would tell them about the mock exam or not,” Harry admitted. “But I think this idea is better.” Not only would this assignment be an eye-opener, but it would get them ready for the midterms that would be arriving.
Severus’ plan was absolutely brilliant. Not only was he planning on removing those who had no chance of passing the class, but he was taking the time to subtly guide those who weren’t trying hard enough. He knew that as a professor, Severus didn’t like failing people, but there were those who weren’t cut out for it and didn’t study enough.
And those people who didn’t study enough could blow up a cauldron with their mistakes. It was one thing to make a single mistake, but it was another when you made multiple and never improved.
“After tomorrow, they will know my expectations regarding their winter exams,” Severus stated. Harry hummed, grinning.
“Before or after they botch up their potions?” The sound of Severus’ chuckle made Harry smile to himself, a pleased flutter settling in his chest. “I do see why you’re going with this potion, besides the timing.” The younger wizard began. “It’s one of the least volatile,” He finished when Severus looked at him.
“Precisely,” It looked like Severus was withholding a grimace, and not that Harry could blame him. “There are multiple students that I would not allow to make a volatile potion unsupervised.” Harry couldn’t help but smirk a bit.
“You know, at least you didn’t have to teach Neville too.” As much as Harry loved his friend, Neville was the absolute worst at potions, even worse than Justin or Pansy. The look Severus gave him made his smirk widen even more. “Justin and Neville as partners would have been horrifying.”
“If I had the misfortune of teaching those two at the same time, I would have retired early.” Harry held back a snort at the comment, watching as the other wizard finished his task.
Now that the table was clear and Severus was getting ready to brew his own potion, the older wizard glanced at him, seeming to be interested in something.
“I noticed you weren’t at dinner last night,” Severus began, making Harry swallow, knowing where the conversation was going. “Or at breakfast this morning.” The underlying worry he could hear made his chest flare with warmth, fondness rolling through him.
“I ended up visiting Tom longer than I intended to,” Harry began, unaware of Severus gripping the side of the table, knuckles white. “I needed some…darker books for research.” He confessed, flushing at his admission. “And for some reason, even the restricted section was lacking,”
“Unsurprising.” Severus began, hand going slack on the table. “Did you find what you needed?” At the question, Harry’s eyes brightened as he smiled.
“I did thankfully. I even found some books written in parselscript. It gave me some new ideas for spells,” Harry smiled, wanting to be as truthful with Severus as he could. Even if he wasn’t lying to him, not telling him the complete truth felt odd. It was gnawing at him from the inside, especially with the knowledge that Severus valued trust and honestly.
It almost felt as if he were going against the man, almost as if he were betraying that trust.
“I also had to visit him after what Hermione made me realize yesterday,” Harry said with a sigh, knowing that Severus needed the information as well. “I think it’s made Tom hate Dumbledore even more,” He tried to tease when he noticed the protective fire ignite in Severus’ eyes.
“What happened?” The words were slow and dark, almost making Harry shiver at how deep it was. Taking a breath, Harry leaned back, knowing that it would cause Severus’ mood to worsen.
“Hermione and I were talking about Horcruxes, and how Dumbledore was trying to get me to destroy all of them last year. I told her that in the headmaster's plan, I would also have to die in order to supposedly defeat Tom for good. Well,” A humorless smile made its way to his lips, settling there. “In order for me to do that, it would mean that I need to sacrifice myself. Hermione made the connection that if that were to happen, someone else would need to take my place if I were dead.” He saw the way Severus froze, the fire in his eyes blazing into an inferno.
“And even if Neville could have also been selected as the chosen one, Dumbledore never interacts with him, so he’s out of the question.” Harry chuckled sadly. “Which leaves the headmaster himself. He would have been the one to act as their savior as he deals the final blow to the Dark Lord, effectively gaining more support from those around him.”
There was no question that Severus was furious, if the dark anger and tense jaw were anything to go by.
“I told Tom about what Hermione and I pieced together, and he finalized a plan last night when I was doing research. He wants to ensure that Dumbledore is taken care of before he is ever tried.” Severus quirked a brow in intrigue, tilting his head for Harry to continue.
“The Board has plans to put Dumbledore on trial after his removal, but Tom and Lucius are both apprehensive about it for a few reasons. For one, he might disclose information about me being a Horcrux to the public. While he doesn’t have as much support as he did in the past, that information could paint a nasty target on my back.” He swallowed at the way Severus tensed, the protective look returning full force. “It also paints a target on Tom, in a way. If the public is made aware of the Horcruxes in general, there’s going to be civil unrest. Some will do everything they can to figure out what items are Horcruxes and destroy them.” Harry ran a hand through his hair, disheveling the already messy hair.
“There’s also the issue that Dumbledore might target you and others. Even though Tom knows you’re a double spy and your allegiance is with him, Dumbledore will think the opposite. He will try to force you and any other death eaters he helped to accredit. He would even be willing to recant his original testimony in order to ensure your compliance with him. Tom says that the divide between the light and dark is lessening, but it could completely splinter if Dumbledore is allowed to be tried.”
Merlin, that was a mouthful to get out, but Severus listened to it all, his intelligent eyes calculating and processing the information.
“Albus is too much of a threat to be kept alive,” Severus agreed, thinking back to other order members who would have done anything to keep Dumbledore from Azkaban. Those same people had some marginal level of power in the ministry, and they would have broken the law for their leader.
“The quicker he is removed, the easier it will be for everyone,” Harry mumbled. “Thankfully, Tom has two unspeakables in his ranks. Having their help for this will be vital.” As much as he wanted to witness Dumbledore wither under the scrutiny of the public, it was too much of a risk to let the man divulge any information he might have.
“I assume they will act the moment Dumbledore is apprehended?” The younger wizard hesitated, nodding slightly.
“Somewhat.” Harry began. “What Dumbledore doesn’t know is that there’s another spy in Voldemort’s ranks, one who is also part of the Order.” As Severus raised an eyebrow, Harry smirked. “She’s not marked as a Death Eater, but she swore loyalty to him with an unbreakable vow. Her name is Emmeline Vance.”
Severus seemed impressed by the information, if not a little pleased.
“Vance is an intelligent and powerful witch. She was never one for following others blindly.” Harry nodded at the description, thinking about what Tom had told him last night.
“Tom told me he’s been using her as an asset only in recent years. When he became aware of the support Dumbledore had from some high ministry officials, he knew he needed someone in the order and the ministry, one that he knew was more neutral leaning.”
Having a spy at Hogwarts and the ministry was genius.
“Dumbledore will be immediately transported to the ministry after he’s taken from here and talks of his trial will begin,” There was a mischievous gleam in Harry’s eye. “The Board wanted him to be tried as soon as he was removed, which is where Vance comes in. When Dumbledore is placed in the holding cell, she will sneak in and give him an untraceable portkey that will transport him to the Dungeon’s in riddle manor.”
“Will he trust her enough to take it?” It was a valid question, one that made Harry hum.
“I was worried about that too,” Harry admitted. “But with how many people have left the order, we think he will be too desperate. He’ll latch onto any help or anyone who shows him the right amount of hero worship.”
For a man who was supposed to be the wisest and most powerful wizard alive, some things were all too predictable about him.
“Tell him how much he is needed and how everyone is looking up to him and me to stop Tom, then he will eat right out of their hands.” Severus’ lips twitched as he nodded, seeing the point.
“But, the best part would come after,” Harry mumbled with a devilish smile, one that Severus let his eyes linger for. “Because they won’t be able to prove what happened with the portkey thanks to Tom and Lucius, they will assume he either fled or had an accomplice.”
Which would lead to speculation of his guilt. Why would the great Albus Dumbledore flee from his holding cell in face of the multiple charges against him? Even if there wouldn’t be a unanimous agreement of his guilt, the seeds would be planted and those who were once loyal would also start to doubt the man.
“He would be labeled as a fugitive,” Severus mumbled, smirking when Harry’s green eyes brightened. “I can only imagine how the Minster will respond.” The younger wizard chuckled at that.
“That’s also part of this plan. Make Fudge look even worse and let the press bombard him with damning questions that he won’t be able to control. He’ll be turning to Lucius for even more guidance.” After that, he wasn’t too sure. He left the politics and planning to Tom on that front.
“I see,” Severus looked more impressed than usual as he gazed at the younger wizard. “Your plans never cease to amaze me.” Harry felt a small flush spread across his cheeks at the praise, chuckling softly.
“I can’t take all the credit. Tom and Lucius have been talking about the plan for a few weeks now. I just gave some of my own ideas that Tom decided to work into the finalized plan,” Harry shrugged but paused as he thought about the other wizard and his new plans. “Once it’s done, I suppose he can start to integrate himself with the public or use Lucius to do it.”
“Despite Dumbledore being gone, he will face pushback if he appears as the Dark Lord,” Severus commented, already knowing where Harry was going with his ideas. “There are people who will never give their trust to him.” The propaganda against the dark side was engrained into the wizarding population-if Tom appeared as he did in the past, there would be another split.
“No, they won’t.” Harry agreed. “I think he knows that too. I’ve heard him talking about creating a new moniker, starting low in the ministry until he worked his way up.” Harry shrugged again. “I don’t think he even knows at this point. So much of his plans have revolved around defeating Dumbledore and the Order, and we all know the Order will fall without Albus.”
Soon enough, Albus Dumbledore would be removed. Harry might have been wanting this for a few years now, but Tom had wanted this for even longer.
“The Dark Lord will have more work to do once Dumbledore is gone,” Severus offered. “It will take him a long time to undo the laws Dumbledore has passed.” Harry nearly grimaced at the reminder, thinking about all the paperwork Tom would have to sift through.
And in his opinion, Tom already had more than enough.
“I’d prefer to keep to academic studies personally,” Harry mumbled, thoughts still on Tom. He knew that the man had wanted to be a professor at one time, but had been turned away by Dumbledore. He couldn’t help but wonder what the world would have been like if Tom was never turned away. “I kinda feel bad for him in that regard.” Severus turned to look at him, a curious expression on his face.
“How so?” Harry sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Tom had originally wanted to teach defense,” Harry admitted. “Dumbledore turned him away because he believed that his studies in the dark arts went too far. I just wonder what it would have been like if that didn’t happen. If Tom was allowed to do what he wanted.” Emerald eyes met onyx and he offered a small smile. “I want to teach too, but it was also Dumbledore who was stopping me. I wouldn’t have felt comfortable being a professor under him...I just see a lot of similarities between myself and Tom, and they seem to increase every day.” Had things been different, he could have easily imagined himself doing what Tom was.
He would have buried himself in academics, laws, and politics to try and undermine Dumbledore. He would have tried to gain support from others, to show the world that the one they treated like a god was no more than a manipulator.
Luckily, he wasn’t in the exact situation. With planning from numerous individuals, Dumbledore would be removed. Taking a breath, he turned to Severus.
Even the older wizard fell into the category. While his circumstances were different than his and Tom's, there were still overlaps of similarities. Albus used Severus’ allegiance with Voldemort against him. He let him escape a ticket to Azkaban in order to become his spy and gain the information that he needed.
“You should be commended for all the time you’ve spent around Dumbledore as a double spy,” Harry mumbled with a snort, moving to start helping with the demonstration potion for the sixth years.
“Triple spy,” Severus corrected softly, making Harry pause in his movements as he turned to look at the man, confusion shining in the emerald eyes.
“What?”
“You are aware that I defected the night your mother was killed.” Harry nodded, having already been told about the reason Severus was a double spy. “If the dark lord had not placed pieces of his soul back together and remained a monster, I would have turned against him as well.”
That confession causes a wave of warmth to explode from his chest, his face flushing against his will as a lump formed in his throat.
“You would have gone against both of them for me?” Knowing Tom as he was now, Harry couldn’t envision fighting the man, but he knew it could have come to that, had things been different.
He had never taken the time to think about what would have happened if he hadn’t sought Severus out that day. How he wouldn’t have the understanding from the other side. How it was likely that the two of them wouldn’t be as close as they were now.
He also never stopped to think about what it would have been like if he and Tom were truly against each other. Even if he hadn’t sought Severus out that day and offered a branch of neutrality to Tom, it didn’t necessarily mean that he would have been against the Dark Lord.
What he didn’t think about was the idea of Tom remaining a monster. It was true that the man had been unhinged and diabolical in the past, thanks to his fear of Dumbledore and the fear of dying. Had that version of Tom still been around, Harry hated to imagine what things would have been like.
For Severus included. The man would have been against both Voldemort and Dumbledore, playing both sides just to keep him safe.
“To protect you, yes.” And once again, Harry feels a wave of warmth coil around his chest, spreading through his body as his heart stutters at the honest tone. In a blink of an eye, he’s moving forward.
Harry finds himself pressed against Severus’ chest; arms wrapped around the older wizard’s as his fingers dig into the dark cloak. His fingers hold the fabric tighter as a mix of emotions hits his chest.
He doesn’t know what to say to that. How can he respond to such a confession? Besides a handful of people, no one has ever put him first. Not to this extent at least. It makes him shudder in Severus' arms, afraid to let go and even more afraid to break down.
For some reason, the words soothe a part of him that he hadn’t realized needed to be soothed.
Maybe a small amount of fear had formed, hidden beneath his feelings. Perhaps there had been a twinge of fear that Severus only cared about him because of his neutrality, then later dark leanings.
Their interactions over the past year had shown him that Severus had grown to care for the true Harry Potter, the one that very few people saw. Even if he was allowed to be more himself now at Hogwarts, there was still a slight persona he had to put on. He still had to keep parts of himself hidden from the public, only his true friends seeing the entire person beneath.
Even if a small amount of fear had formed, it was quickly washed away. Harry blinked back tears, practically melting as arms wrapped around him, keeping him close.
“Thank you,” Harry mumbled after a moment, smiling at the almost inaudible huff. “I know, I know. No need to thank you,” Even if he couldn’t see Severus, he could imagine a slight smirk and amusement within those deep onyx eyes. “But I mean it, Severus.” Harry swallowed hard, feeling a strange emotion hit his chest.
Just how much had Severus sacrificed? How much would the man have sacrificed, had things been different?
Those questions go unanswered and were eventually forgotten as the night continued, and a skillful hand found its way into his unruly hair.
“Is he still behind us?” Hermione whispered when they turned a corner, trying to avoid the calculating blue eyes that had been tracking their movements. Neville glanced back, withholding a smirk when he saw the figure hunched over, hands pressed into his forehead as he stopped in his tracks.
“Nope. That necklace is doing exactly what Harry said it would.” Neville whispered back as they kept going and turned another corner, leaving Dumbledore to be forgotten as they quickly escaped his stalking attempts.
“I’ll need to tell Harry about this later,” Hermione mumbled, glancing down at the necklace that was effectively protecting her. “I don’t want to upset him more, though. Dumbledore’s actions have already been weighing on him enough as it is.”
“He’ll be more upset if you don’t tell him.” Neville cautiously reminded. “He made that necklace for a reason. Harry’s worried that Dumbledore will act recklessly and desperately. Him trying to stalk us tonight is proof.” Hermione bit her lips, expression changing to one of worry.
“That’s what concerns me, Nev. I don’t know if the Headmaster will try to stalk me more or do something worse, but I fear for Harry more. Dumbledore never told me or Ron what he needed Harry for. The only person he told out of the three of us was Harry,” She explained.
“And you don’t think he will seek you out further because of that?” Neville asked, a thoughtful expression lingering on his face until it was replaced by hesitance.
“If Dumbledore were to seek me out, it would be so he could persuade me to convince Harry to listen to him.” Hermione clarified. “And in order to do that, Dumbledore would need to spill secrets.”
“What about compulsions?” Neville suggested. “He tried that with Harry before. What would stop him from trying the same with you?” It was a valid concern, but Hermione shook her head.
“I was thinking about that too, but it wouldn’t add up. Surely Dumbledore realized how intelligent Harry is by now? If I suddenly started to suggest that he listen to Dumbledore, Harry would immediately know something was wrong. That’s why I don’t think he’ll try much with me. He doesn’t know what to do with me, now that Ron is also gone.” Neville paused for a moment, understanding the implications of Hermione’s words.
“I think I see your point,” The younger Gryffindor confessed. “You, Ron, and Harry used to be inseparable. With Ron out of the equation, that could have left Dumbledore uncertain of how to label you.” Neville mused. “And since Ron was also connected to a family that was in the order, having him gone would have shattered a lot of his plans.”
“That’s why I’m more worried about Harry,” Hermione’s voice was soft. “Dumbledore knows he won’t gain anything from me. The only thing that would get to Harry is if Dumbledore tried to abduct me as leverage against him, but that would backfire because Harry would just get the Board and Ministry involved.” Neville shook his head.
“Let’s be honest. If it came to that, he would just get the Dark Lord involved.” While they never had any in-depth conversation about Harry’s side in the war, it was easy to mention. Sometimes it felt surreal, but like right now, it felt like something that had always been.
“Probably.” Hermione nodded in agreement. “He goes over to see Voldemort at least once or twice a week.” Neville blinked at that, snorting.
“It’s weird thinking about it sometimes, isn’t it?” Neville asked. “You know more than I do about it, obviously, but I figured it would sometimes feel bizarre even for you.” The closer they got to the tower; the more Hermione started to relax. She hummed at the question, glancing at Neville.
“At first it certainly felt odd. This was someone who, to my knowledge, had attacked Harry and was after him. It was during our fifth year when things didn’t add up and then Harry had lost his god-father..” Hermione swallowed at the memory, remembering how broken her friend had been.
“But that’s when Harry told me about the prophecy, and how Dumbledore used that as a means to get Harry to fight. Dumbledore took it upon himself to try and force Harry to live a certain life and make certain decisions, whether he wanted to do them or not.” Hermione sighed, looking at Neville again. “Last year we spent a lot of our time studying. Harry might not have realized it then, but I think that was when he actually started to shift in mindset. When we expanded our knowledge, he began to openly question the light and what they were fighting for.” Dumbledore’s controlling nature had been part of it, but the other had been Harry’s own thirst for knowledge.
“For me, the only thing that had been keeping me on the light side was because of the past,” Neville confessed, sitting down with Hermione in the empty common room. “I had grown up hating their side because of what they had done to my parents.” Hermione nodded in understanding, eyes wide at Neville’s next words. “My Gran is actually a neutral witch, with darker leanings.” He confessed, smirking a bit at Hermione’s expression.
“I thought your grandmother was light?” She asked, clearly confused. “I know she hates Dumbledore, but I had assumed she would have hated their side because of what they did.” Neville nodded.
“She hates the people responsible.” Neville was quick to agree. “However, she doesn’t hate the side.” Hermione still seemed unsure, so the Gryffindor continued. “I was lost for a while, to be honest. While I had never been a fan of Dumbledore because of my Gran, I had never given the other side any thought until Harry confided in us. I’ve always trusted Harry as one of my best friends, but it was still uncharted territory for me. Luna helped clear a lot of things for me since the Lovegood’s have always been on the neutral or darker side. About a month ago, I went home to talk about things with my Gran, and that’s when she got me to see things.”
“Every side has bad apples,” Neville mumbled. “But we shouldn’t let their actions completely alter the way we view their side. Those monsters who tortured my parents, they were the ones who painted their side in a negative light. The idea that the dark was nothing but bloodshed formed because of them. They tarnished the message that the dark was trying to get across. It’s a message that my gran agrees with.”
“The diminishing traditions and knowledge?” Hermione asked, making Neville nod.
“My gran opened up to me, for the first time.” He confessed. “She told me about how much she missed being able to openly celebrate the Wheel of the year, and how connected she felt with her magic. So many rituals were banned for the fact they took blood, even if it was just a fingerpick. She…she told me cleansing rituals that were banned, and how they helped you clear your mind and focus your magic.” Neville sighed. “Sorry I talked your ear off. It was thanks to her that I was truly able to accept what the Dark side wanted.”
“I understand,” Hermione was quick to touch his shoulder, giving a small squeeze. “As someone who didn’t grow up in this world, I was thrust here and told that the dark was bad. I was told that they saw me as inferior because of my blood status and that they wanted to kill muggles and muggleborns. But after doing my own research and with the help of Harry, I realized that wasn’t what their intentions were. It was, as you put it, the bad apples that pained that image.”
It felt good being able to talk like this with Neville. She trusted Harry’s judgment, but at the beginning, she had felt unsure of the switch. It was nice knowing that Neville had also felt it bizarre at first, but that he also supported Harry’s decision no matter what.
“So,” Neville began, leaning back into the sofa. “Has Harry made a move on Professor Snape yet?” At Hermione’s wide eyes, Neville laughed. “Luna and I were talking about it the other day. I noticed that Harry had worn Professor Snape’s scarf again. He wouldn’t let just anyone have his scarf like that.”
“Tell that to Harry,” Hermione groaned. “I think he’s finally starting to realize that it’s mutual, but Merlin,” Hermione rubbed at her temples. “I can’t tell you how long he was denying it! If you look at the head table during meals, you’ll notice that Professor Snape usually has his eyes on Harry.”
“Oh, I started to notice. Today in particular.” Neville almost shuddered. “I felt this intense gaze during dinner and when I turned to see where it was coming from, I saw Snape fixated on you and Harry.” Hermione snorted, shaking her head.
“I think he might be the jealous sort. I took Harry’s hand and said a crude joke that made him blush. I don’t think the professor liked it.” Neville laughed, covering his mouth.
“You making a crude joke? Merlin, I wish I heard it.” Neville thought for a second. “Did Harry even notice Snape staring at him? I know I did, and his glare wasn’t even meant for me.” Hermione smirked deviously, nodding her head.
“Trust me, Harry saw it. He even pieced together that Snape might have been jealous.” At the look on Neville’s face, Hermione clarified. “I usually take Harry’s hand when he’s upset. I was holding it when Snape started to stare like that.” There was a snort as the wizard shook his head.
“You think he’ll make a move tonight then?” Hermione shrugged.
“Honestly, I have no idea. Harry’s waiting until the time feels right to make a move, so I don’t know when that’ll be. Harry doesn’t even know yet.” Neville hummed, considering that.
“I get it. I never knew how to ask Luna out, actually. In the end, it was her who made the first move.” He shrugged. “So, I get being apprehensive about stuff like that. I bet you’ll be happy once Harry, or even Snape, makes a move.” Hermione sighed, a fond look in her eyes.
“You have no idea. Honestly, I just want Harry to be happy, and from what I’ve already seen, Snape does that. He looks at Snape and he just seems to immediately light up. As for Snape, I don’t think I’ve seen anyone else that is as protective. He also looks at Harry like he’s the only person in the room.”
Of course Snape was subtle about that part, but Hermione knew what she was looking for.
“When did you realize that Snape might have felt the same?” She frowns at the question, biting her lips as her mind racked through the memories.
“There were different moments that made me wonder..” Hermione confessed. “But the moment that cemented the idea for me was when Justin was hitting on Harry. He looked displeased.” Hermione mumbled. “And when Skeeter published that article that insinuated they were dating, Snape had a dark look in his eyes.”
“Oh,” Neville’s eyes widened. “Like the look he had today.” Hermione nodded.
“Now that Harry has seen it too, I imagine that things might be different.”
She couldn’t say when things would start to change, but it was clear that Harry was becoming bolder.
Notes:
As for Hermione and Neville's long conversation, I wanted to put it out there because of anyone having issues with the dark side for their actions, it would be Neville. Neville's parents might not have died like Harry's, but they were tortured to the point of insanity and even to the point that they didn't even know their own son.
By having him open up that he understands there are bad apples on both sides, it allows him to grow as a person and look at things for himself.
Chapter 23
Notes:
Forewarning: This is a longer chapter than I usually post. It ended up being over 10k words. It's not as good as I wanted it to be and this story keeps divulging from the plans I set forth. But overall, I am happy with parts of it. I'm sorry if any of this feels rushed at all. I just wanted to finally give y'all an update since I promised it was gonna be soon.
Also, I minored in Classical Civilizations in college. Can you spot the joke I put in? ;)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“You look even more pleased to go to potions than usual,” Hermione grinned from across the table, a gleam in her eyes that made Harry raise an eyebrow. “You clearly know something that I don’t.” Chuckling, Harry glanced around and then back to Hermione.
“Part one of Severus kicking out the dangerous students is about to commence,” Harry whispered, even though they were both under a privacy spell. His grin turned into a smirk at the way Hermione’s eyes lit up like a burning yule log, gleeful and relieved at the same time. He couldn’t help but share her sentiment.
“Wait, you said part one.” Hermione tilted her head as she looked at him, chewing on the inside of her cheek. “This will only be the beginning.” There was a hint of disappointment and Harry had to resist from laughing at his friends’ obvious displeasure.
“I know you’re just as impatient as I am about it,” Harry began, “But the truth is, Severus doesn’t like to fail people. He sees potential in a lot of his students, and he doesn’t want to fail them in one swoop.” Harry stole a glance at the potions professor, who was engaged in a conversation with Professor McGonagall. He smiled a bit as he turned back to Hermione. “The practice exam today will be an eye-opener for a lot of people, including those who are doing well with the help of their partner,” He added, holding back another look that formed in Hermione’s eyes.
“Oh, I see.” She nodded, putting everything together. “He’s going to start off today with a separate mock examination,” She had to admit, it was a great idea to make them brew a potion alone and have them realize it was going to be that way on their actual NEWTs. “And then he’ll have his midterms in about two weeks.”
“I think it’s a great way to weed out those who have potential and those who don’t. We already know that Pansy and Justin will fail today, but I wonder how that number will increase when partners are separated.” He knew Draco and Zabini would pass, as well as himself and Hermione. But he couldn’t be certain about the others. The only other person he knew that would likely pass would be Daphne Greengrass, and that was only because Draco had confidence in her abilities.
“You make a good point,” Hermione admitted. “I never paid much attention to other students besides Pansy and Justin, but I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of our peers are using their partners to pass.” Even though Ron was no longer in school, she could clearly remember him using her and Harry to pass. “I don’t understand how Slughorn managed to pass Justin,” Harry paused at the statement, trying to figure it out as well.
“He was lenient with a lot of students,” Harry reminded. “He also played favorites and let his own bias affect other students.” On impulse, he found Draco at the Slytherin table with Zabini, the two of them talking, fondness in their eyes. “It goes with the conversation we had the other day, about dark wizards and witches being treated differently.” Hermione frowned at that as well, nodding.
“I remember. He treated Draco differently because of his family being connected to the Dark Lord.” Hermione paused as she hesitantly spoke up again. “And yet he had the Carrow twins in attendance,” She remembered. “And their family is known supporters of the dark lord.” Her friend paused, thinking.
“If I’m not mistaken, I don’t think that Flora and Hestia were direct descendants of Amycus or Alecto. The Carrow family is a large family, like the Blacks and the Lestranges.” Hermione tilted her head.
“I see. I’m still confused about why he singled out Malfoy, though. Lucius was never proven to be a Death Eater.” Harry nodded at the assessment but soon spoke up to make another point.
“That’s true, but his father was part of the original group. They went by the name of Knights of Walpurgis, and they were the Death Eaters before, well the Death Eaters. Lucius’ Father was in that group, and Slughorn taught all of them.” Hermione’s eyes widened as she nodded, starting to see the full picture. “If you look at the way he selected people for his Slug Club, he never selected direct descendants of Death Eaters. Even if Lucius was never found guilty, everyone knew his father was a supporter, and that would have been enough for Slughorn.”
“That’s why Zabini was selected out of all the Slytherins, besides the Carrows.” Hermione realized. “Most of the Slytherins that made it to the NEWTs in our sixth year are direct descendants.” Harry nodded.
“Bias can be so interesting,” Harry stated, looking down at the table and towards the younger years. “I mean, look at where we’re sitting, Mione. People have a bias against the death eaters, but people also have a bias against the Order of the Phoenix.” Harry shook his head. “Not that the bias against the Order is wrong, but this whole war is based on misconceptions and biases.” His friend followed his gaze, subtlety sweeping past the younger Gryffindors.
“A lot of that will change in the coming months. With the introduction of new professors, some of that bias will change. As much as I loved Hagrid, he’s too devoted to Dumbledore to ever see reason.” Harry thought about the man and how much he had done for him, but the Gryffindor nodded in agreement.
“He’s part of the reason I never ended up in Slytherin. When he told me about Voldemort for the first time, he essentially blamed all the Slytherins. He said, ‘There’s not a single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn’t in Slytherin.” Hermione’s grimace was obvious as she huffed.
“It’s generalizations and prejudices that made the divide in Hogwarts all the more noticeable.” She shook her head again, sighing. “And you’ve taught me that Dark doesn’t mean evil,” Hermione added. “I didn’t ask yet, since we’ve both been so busy…” She seemed to hesitate for a moment. “But now that Dumbledore will officially be leaving, does that mean you plan on being a professor after you get your mastery?” Harry licked his lips, debating on what to say.
“I want to,” Harry confessed. “There’s no job at the ministry that calls to me, honestly. I never wanted to be an auror in the first place and I don’t think I’d do well at a desk job, working under someone who’s almost as bad as Dumbledore.” Hermione snorted and nodded, understanding his issues. “The only division that I would particularly be interested in would be as an Unspeakable. I want to stay in the scholarly field, you know? Continue research in the academic setting.” Harry shrugged. “And while unspeakables conduct research, they can’t talk about it. I don’t understand doing research if that information isn’t going to be shared eventually.”
Of course there were ways to get by it, but Harry wasn’t interested in that.
“You know, I think you should join the board of governors in the future,” At her suggestion, Harry thought of the idea, tilting his head in thought. “You’re always thinking about ways to enhance the school and fix the issues that you see. Without you exposing Dumbledore, none of this would have happened. And you’ve already spoken to Professor McGonagall about a permanent dueling class. If you joined the board one day, you could advocate for less censorship in Hogwarts.”
Hermione had a strong and great point there and Harry couldn’t help but save the idea for later, wanting to give it more thought. It was actually a really good idea, one that he knew would be at the back of his mind for days to come.
“I’m not sure how I would join it, but I’m sure I can ask Lucius in the future if I decide to do it.” He truly liked the idea, but he didn’t want to get his hopes up in case there were certain requirements that needed to be met.
“When do you think you’ll be done with your mastery in defense?” Hermione asked, finishing her breakfast as she started to pack her books up. Harry perked up at the question, smiling more.
“It’s been a lot of studying, to be honest. Technically I’m almost done. I just need to pass my NEWTs and then schedule a time to take the Mastery exam.” Hermione’s eyes widened at that, in awe at his words.
“Congratulations, Harry. I had no idea you were almost done with it.” The wizard shrugged, chewing on his bottom lip as he debated on his answer.
“Something that makes it different from the NEWTs is all the dark arts in it,” Harry admitted. “Not that we don’t know some for the NEWTs, but the Mastery in defense requires me to be familiar with a longer list of dark spells. A lot of the spells I need to be familiar with aren’t taught here. They have to either be self-taught, or taught in specific classes for aurors, or the magical law enforcement in general.” Harry explained. “The reason I’m almost done is thanks to Severus and Tom. Tom has a lot of books. His library honestly puts this one to shame.” Harry chuckled.
“With all the dark arts books at my disposal, it made studying it a lot easier. Tom also helped me if I was having trouble when I visited him,” Harry glanced back to Severus, who was getting ready to leave the table. “And Severus was always there to help me with the spells as well. They’re both extremely intelligent and experts at whatever they set their mind to.” Hermione smirked at the words, following his gaze.
“We should probably head to potions soon ourselves. I don’t want to miss their expressions when Professor Snape reveals what’s going to happen.” Harry smirked at his friend's devious nature, packing his own books as well.
He would be lying if he said he wasn’t looking forward to their expressions too.
Inside the potions classroom, the tension was palpable as the seventh years glanced at the sets of cauldrons on their tables. Each table also had a magical barrier between them, hiding the other person from view. Harry smirked as the color drained from Pansy’s face, yet a satisfied gleam seemed to entire Daphne’s eyes.
Justin’s expression was just as priceless. His brown eyes were as wide as saucers and his lips were parted in shock, his hands twitching as if he were unsure where to place them.
Others seemed just as nervous, worriedly glancing at their former partners and hoping this nightmare would end.
“Your Yule exams will be given in two weeks,” Severus spoke as he entered the room, making many of the anxious students jump in surprise. They glanced at their professor, their fear making him raise an eyebrow as he continued on. “And from there, you will either pass or fail. Those of you who fail will be dropped from this class and unable to take your NEWTs.” It was so silent you couldn’t even hear a pin drop, the students too afraid to even breathe. “Just like your NEWTs, your Yule exams will be taken individually.” He waved his hand, ingredients appearing on the counter behind him. “As will this assignment.”
If Severus was enjoying this, he was doing a great job at hiding it. From the others, that is. In those dark eyes, Harry could see a glint of pleasure hidden from the others. He shifted, covering his mouth with his hand to hide a smirk that desperately wanted to break across his face.
“Today you will brew Veritaserum,” Severus paused when a hand shot up. “Yes, Miss Turpin?”
“How will we know if the potion is brewed correctly, sir? Veritaserum takes an entire lunar phase to complete.” Severus hummed.
“That is correct. I will use a mint leaf to check your potion at the end.” That seemed to cause more confusion among the students, who were outright whispering to each other about the mint leaf. As their whispers got louder, it was Justin who made a fool of himself. Even if only for the sake of other students in the class.
“How would a mint leaf tell if the potion is correct or not.” Harry saw the annoyed look that was starting to gather in Severus’ onyx eyes and acted on impulse.
“Mint is a key ingredient in poison antidotes,” Harry spoke up. “Jobberknoll feathers and sopophorous beans together can cause a potion to become toxic unless prepared correctly. If the leaf floats, your potion is fine. If it disentangles, you created a poison instead.” Harry easily explained, hesitantly looking up and finding a look of surprise in the onyx eyes, which quickly turned appraising, making his stomach flutter. He could feel others looking at him with looks of astonishment, even Hermione. He flushed at the gazes, instinctively biting on his bottom lip as he looks into Severus’ eyes.
For a split second, he could have sworn those onyx eyes had landed on his lips, lingering for a moment as those eyes darkened more. Harry felt his cheeks burn, mouth drying as the world seemed to fall away. In a blink of an eye, Severus was looking elsewhere.
Just like that, the moment was over.
“Ten points to Gryffindor for a correct summation of why mint is used,” Severus spoke, turning back to the wide-eyed students. “Those who fail this assignment will be given an hour of detention for the next two weeks, where you will spend time in your common room studying.” The wide eyes had turned sorrow-filled now, the fear settling back into their bones.
“Begin.”
Harry barely stopped from snorting at the sight of the students floundering as they rushed to gather ingredients, some not even knowing the quantity needed. However, when he met Severus’ gaze again and saw the slight smirk that was only meant for him, Harry felt warmth explode through his chest as he forgot about the others in the room.
-
An hour later, Harry and a few other students were finishing up their potions, turning off their burners, and waiting for Severus to arrive with a mint leaf. As he finished, his eyes automatically wandered to where Justin was, eyebrow quirking at the substance that was in the cauldron.
Their end product needed to be clear and thin in consistency. Not black and…foaming?
He covered his face with a deep sigh, already knowing what the end product was going to do. Luckily it wouldn’t be too volatile, but it would take weeks for Justin to get that out of his hair. Stealing a glance at Malfoy, he saw the look of horror on the blonde’s face, pale face turning to an almost sickly white.
“Dear Merlin, he’s going to kill us all,” Draco huffed quietly with a shake of his head, throwing a shield potion over himself and Zabini, who snorted at the words, not looking up yet. When the other Slytherin did, his mouth opened in shock.
“Actually, Draco,” Zabini spoke with a weird tone in his voice that quickly caught Harry’s attention. “I think it’ll be a competition between him and Pansy on who kills us first.” Hermione turned to look in the direction Zabini was looking and quietly choked to herself.
“He’s right, Harry.” She whispered with a smirk. “Black and foaming is one thing, but gray and boiling?” Paling, Harry was quick to cast a shield charm around them as well, just to be on the safe side. When he dared to look around at the other students, he shook his head at the numerous mistakes that were bubbling in their cauldrons. He couldn’t see everything thanks to the barriers Severus had placed between partners, but the look of concern on some students' faces gave them away.
“Your potions should be clear by now,” Severus' voice broke through the sound of the room, his billowing figure making a familiar trek as he checked the potions. Harry bit his lips to stop from smirking at the displeased tone when he reached Pansy’s cauldron.
“Miss Parkinson, this has to be one of the worst attempts I have ever seen.” Severus banished the potion with a small sneer. She was avoiding his gaze, flushed in embarrassment as he left her to go over the next horrid potion attempt.
When Severus eventually made it to his desk, Harry hid a smirk when the man rose an eyebrow at the shielding charm. He nodded his head to the black cauldron a row ahead of him, the foam worsening. Harry was unable to hide his smirk at the look of pure contempt, those dark eyes narrowing in on the foam. He heard a small sigh.
Not wasting any more time, the mint was placed, unsurprisingly remaining intact. His and Hermione’s potions were bottled and placed on a desk with a few others.
When Severus reached Justin’s potion, Harry caught Draco’s eyes and smirked.
“Mister Finch-Fletchley, this is also one of the worst attempts I’ve ever seen,” Harry could hear the scowl on the Slytherin’s face. “Had I not banished it, your potion would have exploded, leaving your skin and hair dyed for the next week.” Justin was sinking in his seat, face just as flushed as Pansy’s.
At the end of the inspections, only seven of the twelve potions passed, leaving five people to serve detention in the common rooms every night. Harry could see the dejection on Justin’s face from a mile away when the class was over, and he offered him a small smile. Justin shakily returned it, sighing.
“I wonder if I should just go ahead and drop the class,” Justin admitted quietly. “I tried, but it’s just not sticking.” Harry withheld a grimace and shrugged. He wanted Justin out of the class personally, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed the hurt that was on his friend's face.
“You should do whatever you think is best,” Harry stated. “Potions aren’t for everyone. I mean, I’m sure you were there when Neville had his many accidents.” It was nice getting a soft laugh from the Hufflepuff. Justin nodded, remembering those previous classes all too well. “And contrary to popular belief, there are many positions that don’t require you to earn a NEWT in potions. You have an OWL in it and that’s enough for a lot of jobs.” Justin seemed to consider that as he nodded, thinking it over.
“Thanks for that, Harry. It helps a lot,” The Hufflepuff smiled again as he grabbed his things and left, not having to clean much since his potion had been banished. Hermione glanced at him with a small smile, shaking her head.
“You’ve always been good at that. Helping someone when they’re upset, I mean.” Hermione added, making Harry shrug as he finished cleaning his workstation. Her smile widened when she saw the slight flush on his cheeks.
“He’s still a friend even if he sucks at potions. You would have done the same for Neville, had he been here.” She considered that as he glanced to the place Justin had previously been occupying, nodding.
“I would. I could tell he needed some soft, yet genuine, words. I think the fact you didn’t dissuade him from quitting was a good idea. He needed encouragement, but not the false sort.” Harry knew exactly what she meant by that and nodded. “That was very Slytherin of you,” She added with a smirk, making him chuckle.
“It comes naturally,” He joked, helping Hermione with her things. From the corner of his eye, he witnessed a journal glow slightly. Stealing a quick look at Severus, he saw the man was busy with grading the fresh potions, meaning it was from Tom. Hermione seemed to notice the journal as well, tilting her head.
“He doesn’t usually message you when you’re in class.” Harry shook his head, a little surprised by the sudden message as well. He grabbed the journal, not yet opening it when there were still some students around, even if most had left.
“I have a feeling I’ll need to visit him shortly. It’s a good thing that charms and defense are done until the exams.” They had review classes available, but Harry didn’t need to attend those. Not when he was so far ahead. But something was telling him that the message Tom sent was serious. He shot a glance at Severus, who was watching him from his desk.
In a blink, Harry took a piece of parchment, scribbled on it, and charmed it to land on Severus' desk. The man didn’t look at it yet, knowing the look in the green eyes all too well.
“C’mon, Mione,” Harry whispered, clutching the glowing journal close.
When Severus opened the note later, the potions professor raised an eyebrow.
I might be late for detention.
“Is it serious?” Hermione questioned when Harry opened the journal in a private place, swallowing when her friend nodded. “Harry?”
:Samantha Parkinson has informed me that Arthur Weasley accepted her as his lawyer. She will need your statements and memories for the upcoming hearing and trial. You will not be expected to make an appearance at the trials themselves, but she will need to question you beforehand.:
:Will she also need a statement from Severus? He was with me when the compulsions were revealed, and he was the one to give them the anti-compulsion potions. Hermione was also with me. She’s the one who cast the spell on Ginny to figure out if she was under compulsions: Harry felt a wave of panic go through him at the thought. It was one thing about him being questioned, but it was another if Severus or Hermione was. If Dumbledore were in attendance, and Harry was sure that he would be, then that would paint Severus as the enemy. Even more, if Hermione was connected to the downfall of his plans too, he might just try to single both of them out. Dumbledore didn’t have a restraining order from her, so he might have tried to use that to his advantage. Before he could panic more, Tom wrote a reply.
:No. You are the only one who needs to provide a statement. These attacks, save the love potion usage on Lord Weasley, have been directed against you personally. As you are a Lord of multiple houses and own considerable wealth in your vaults, your statements are vital. It’s a punishable crime for amortentia use, let alone compelling a minor to use it on a Lord. You are a victim in this situation as well.:
:If I’m also a victim in this, why do they only want my statement?: Not that he minded, of course, but there had to be something else.
:I knew you wouldn’t want to make an appearance, not with Dumbledore likely to attend the trial.: Harry felt a wave of warmth spread through his chest, smiling softly. :You’ve also mentioned that you feel worse for the Weasley family. I figured you would feel as if you were going to be in the spotlight because of your status as the ‘Boy who lived.’ Harry was even more touched at what Tom was doing for him. In the past, he had never expected the dark lord to take him into consideration, but Tom was constantly defying his expectations by the day.
:Thank you. Remind me to give you a hug later.: For some reason, he could imagine Tom fondly rolling his eyes with a small smile on his lips. :I’m serious. I would have been unhappy to do that trial in person, and you knew it.:
:I suppose after all the times you’ve apparated here, I’ve started to understand what you like and don’t like.: Again, Harry smiled despite himself, shaking his head. He shouldn’t be surprised by Tom anymore, but the man liked to prove him wrong it seemed.
:I’m finished with class for the day. Would you like me to apparate there now?: Harry still had a suspicion that something else needed to be discussed, but if he was going to be there eventually, he figured Tom was waiting until then to talk about it. He couldn’t stop himself from voicing it. :Am I also correct to assume that there’s something else you need to talk to me about later?: The response took longer this time, but what was written made his eyebrow raise.
:You would be correct. I have some information that I would prefer to share face to face, just so I can see your reaction.: Snorting, Harry became more intrigued. :And feel free to apparate whenever. I’m sure you know where I am.: Smirking, Harry chuckled softly.
:At your desk, surrounded by paperwork?:
:As always.:
“That was a rollercoaster,” Hermione commented from the side. “You went from anxious to surprised, and then finally landing to amused.” She had a small smile on her lips, glad that the situation wasn’t as horrible as she first feared.
“I’m needed to make some statements regarding Molly’s trials,” Harry confessed. “As a victim myself, I’ll need to tell them what she did against me.” He knew it was going to be a lot, since most of what Molly did to her children were ways to get at him.
“I’m sorry, Harry.” Hermione frowned at the idea of her friend speaking about what had happened. “You’re doing that tonight?” Harry nodded at her inquiry.
“Tom informed me that I wouldn’t have to appear at the trial itself. There’s a high chance that Dumbledore will be there, and he doesn’t want to put me in the spotlight.” Dumbledore knew they were at odds, but it would make things worse if the headmaster saw how his plans were toppling down because of him in person. There hadn’t been a connection to Harry convincing Arthur to leave Molly, but he was afraid that had he been at the trial, that would have become known.
“It would be for the best if you weren’t at the trail in person. Wouldn’t Dumbledore’s own mistakes be known as well? Molly might have compelled Ginny alone, but the headmaster also placed compulsions on Ron.” Harry paused at that, biting his lips as he thought about the damning information. Hermione was right, after all. When Ron’s compulsions would be brought up, surely Dumbledore’s actions would be known.
Maybe that was one of the things that Tom had to speak with him about.
“I told Tom I’m free for the rest of the day. For one, I don’t know how long this will take,” Harry admitted. “And Tom wanted to talk to me about something else. He said he wanted to see my reaction himself.” He shrugged, still curious as to what Tom was keeping from him.
“Did he?” Hermione asked, tilting her head. “I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.” Harry shook his head, not knowing himself. “It must be important, though,” Hermione mumbled.
Whatever it was, the confusion was going to eat at him.
“I already told Severus that I might be late to detention tonight, but I’m going to need to tell him why I might be late,” Harry mumbled as they finally made their way back to Gryffindor tower, grabbing his invisibility cloak and another grimoire. He didn’t like keeping Severus in the dark. Once he knew something, he tried to tell Severus as quickly as he could.
“If you’ll even be able to make it to detention.” Hermione rebutted. “While it might not take you long to give your statements, you might be needed to stay for the other information.” Harry considered that as he nodded.
“Yeah, you got a point. The last time I was with Tom, I was there all night going through his plan on getting rid of Dumbledore as efficiently as possible.” He had also stayed late to finish spells before, but that was a different matter. Tom might have more plans that needed to be discussed, and honestly?
Harry loved that. Tom shared his plans and was always listening for new input, always taking everything into consideration. It was the exact opposite of how Dumbledore was. Even his own followers saw that now and were turning away from him.
It was important to have some secrets, but to keep everyone at arm’s length? To keep everyone in the dark and give them vague answers? To leave them suspicious and frustrated at the lack of clear, coherent answers?
Dumbledore was his own worst enemy. He had to wonder if the headmaster even trusted himself.
“I better get going,” Harry sighed, neatly putting everything in his charmed bag. “I don’t know if I’ll be back tonight. If I’m not, please be careful. I’m glad Neville was with you last night,” Harry mumbled, still upset over the information Hermione told him early in the morning. She smiled softly, going to give his hand a small squeeze.
“Luna’s also walking with us today. So, we’ll have an extra pair of eyes on us,” She smirked. “Besides,” She pointed to the necklace against her neck. “This is all we really need. I wish you could have seen its effect yourself.” Pleased at that, Harry gave her a small squeeze in return, before pulling away.
Before apparting, Harry took his other journal and quickly conjured a quill to send Severus another message.
Arthur agreed to take Lady Parkinson as his attorney to sue Molly. I’m going to be required to give my statements today. Apparently, Tom has other information that needs to be discussed as well. I’m not sure if I’ll be back tonight or not. I have a feeling he has another plan to go over with me. I don’t know how long it will take, but I’m hoping it won’t take long. I was looking forward to making fun of the failed potions with you tonight.
It wasn’t long before he received a reply.
A pity. I was hoping to settle the debate on which potion was worse today. Harry snorted, recalling a certain blonde Slytherin making a comment about a bet of which potion was the worst.
Pansy had not been happy with that when she left, glaring at her housemate.
It might be better to examine them a day after to see what they settled into. Harry wrote back with a smirk. We could see if they become more poisonous with the cycle of the moon. He wasn’t sure why the thought came to him, but it was an interesting idea.
That is why I believed you would do well in earning a mastery in potions as well, Harry. Smiling softly at the subtle praise, he bit his lips, warmth flaring through his chest at the next comment. If you do make it back before morning, you are welcome here.
Thank you, Severus. I’m not going to like reviewing some of these memories. Especially if I need to talk about Dumbledore for much of it. He hated remembering the coldness in Dumbledore’s voice and magic, the feeling of how wrong it had been. I don’t want to inconvenience you if I do come back earlier, though.
Harry, you have yet to be an inconvenience this year. My rooms are always available if you need me.
Thank you. That was all Harry could say, something raw burning in him at the message, his heart racing in his chest. It threatened to jump out as he stared at the words for a moment longer, biting his lips as he read it over and over until it sunk into his head.
Severus offering his private rooms for him was nothing new, but this message was something entirely different. It wasn’t uncommon for Harry to occasionally fall asleep on Severus' sofa, but those were usually situations that happened at the moment. Now, the other wizard had offered his rooms in advance, and, whenever he needed them.
It was likely that he was reading too far into it, but Severus was a man of clear words and actions. He never said or did something that he didn’t mean. Swallowing hard, Harry took a deep breath, continuing to let the message sink in.
When the message sunk in fully, Harry found himself smiling as he apparated, his mood brightening more at the sight that awaited him. It made him shake his head fondly.
:Like I said,: Harry hissed softly, grinning mischievously. :At your desk, surrounded by paperwork.: There was a barely-there snort, the man eventually looking up from his stack of papers. :I admit, I’m dying to know what you have to tell me.: Harry teased, almost pouting when Tom waved it off.
:After you give your statements,: Tom instructed, smirking at the slight pout. :Is that disappointment I see?: Harry moved closer, humming.
:I suppose I can be patient this once.: He mock sighed. :When will Lady Parkinson arrive?: Harry wanted to know, that way he could prepare mentally for the questions he knew would drain him. Tom glanced at the paper at his desk.
:Within the next hour.: He replied, pausing when Harry came even closer.
:I guess that means I can give you your hug now?: Harry innocently asked, making Tom raise his eyebrow. :Unless you don’t want one?: Harry was cut off by the dark lord getting up and carefully pulling him for an embrace. Smiling to himself, he allowed his arms to wrap around the sturdy frame, melting against the other man. “Thank you for doing this,” He spoke in English this time, burrowing closer. “It might not seem like much, but it means a lot to me.” Tom hummed, cautiously placing a hand in his mop of curls, stroking through the black hair.
“Severus protects you at Hogwarts,” Tom began, absently stroking through the curls as he held on. “And while I can’t do that, I can try to protect you outside of Hogwarts.” Hearing Tom say that made Harry swallow hard, a lump forming in his throat. “However, I would apparate to Hogwarts immediately if you needed me,” Tom whispered, making the lump in Harry’s throat turn into cement, his eyes watering slightly.
“Thank you,” Harry said again, somehow managing to find his voice despite the emotions coursing through him. He had a hunch that Tom could feel it, thanks to their bond, but the older wizard did not comment as he continued to stroke through his hair.
“Lord Potter,” Samantha Parkinson came into the room, a levitating clipboard following behind her as she entered the room, subtlety bowing to the Dark Lord in respect. “My Lord,” She observed the two wizards, who had been hunched over a desk, looking through multiple papers. At her quick glance, she could see squiggles that were unfamiliar to her.
“Lady Parkinson,” The Dark Lord stood up, motioning for her to come closer. “Feel free to use the room as long as you need,” His fingers brushed against Harry’s to offer one more small exchange of comfort. He tried to school his features when those warm fingers lingered, curling instinctively to almost chase his touch.
Barely holding down his blush, Tom left the room, heart beating erratically.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Parkinson,” Harry stood for her, giving a small bow. “Thank you for all you’re doing.” A soft smile spread across the witch as she placed her hand on Harry’s shoulder, thinking of her own child.
“There is no need to thank me. This is my job, and I absolutely hate when children are taken advantage of, and by their parents no less.” Harry could see the pain in her eyes and nodded.
“I will have a few questions to ask you and they will be recorded by my quill, as well as memories that will be used in a pensive. Before I ask you the first set of questions, I must perform the lusiurandum spell.” She stated, conjuring a professional table with comfortable chairs for them. They both took their seats, sitting properly. “The lusiurandum spell is an oath of truce. It is primarily used during trials for those who testify in person, but it has multiple uses. One such use is to create a magical barrier that stops false information from being given, even those under compulsions.” Harry rose an eyebrow at the nature of the spell.
“If this spell exists, why is there a need for Veritaserum?” His question was met with a pleased smirk.
“I used to ask the same question myself when I discovered the spell. Using both the spell and the potion together is becoming the norm,” She explained. “I’m sure you’re aware of resistance to the truth potion?” At the nod, she carried on. “By combining it with the spell, it ensures that the truth is still given. This spell can also be resisted with enough power, but they can only choose one thing to resist. We typically use both methods for those with severe charges against them.” Harry perked up at that, unable to stop the gleam that entered his eyes.
“Speaking of charges, what charges did Arthur Weasley end up filing against Molly?” He asked, watching as she smiled darkly, ruthlessness shining in her eyes.
“She is being charged with child abuse, unauthorized use of compulsions against minors, illegal creation of a marriage contract, illegal use of amortentia, and attempted use of amortentia against a Lord.” Harry swallowed at the list, heart skipping a beat. If he was right, then Dumbledore’s name would end up being brought up in these charges. Still, a thrum of excitement coursed through him at the changes that were soon coming.
“Now, some of these questions will pertain to different situations, because I have been informed that you are also a victim.” She flipped through a file with a dark look. “In fact, it would seem that all of this was to get to you in some fashion,” She added, making Harry swallow and nod. He hated that most of these actions were a means to trap him, but there was no use in dwelling on that. He had his statements to give, and he was going to ensure that Molly’s world fully collapsed into shambles.
“I’m ready to provide my statements,” She hummed, getting her quill ready as she waved her wand and prepared the oath spell. A golden barrier surrounded them, glowing dimly as she took a glance at the first page.
“To start off, were you aware of a marriage contract between yourself and Ginevra Weasley?” Harry nearly flinched, trying to figure out how to exactly phrase what he wanted to say.
“I became aware of the contract when I turned seventeen. I went to Gringotts to perform an inheritance test and claim my lordships when I became aware of the contract.” He saw the frown on her face, watching the way she turned a page, eyes narrowing on something.
“It says that this contract was forged by Molly Weasley and Albus Dumbledore, who was stated to be your magical guardian. He never informed you of this contract?” Harry shook his head, holding his anger at bay.
“No. When I requested my files at Gringotts, I was made aware that Albus Dumbledore was never my legal magical guardian to begin with, and that the contract would be null and void.” Samantha considered that as her quill scribbled something quickly.
“My next set of questions will take longer,” She explained, taking out another paper. “It connects to the contract, as well as the use of Ginevra Weasley.” Harry nodded, letting her get the questions ready. “Can you explain the event that transpired on October fifteenth?” She asked. “My client tells me that you went to him to explain that his daughter had tried to dose you with a love potion?” Sighing, Harry nodded.
“It was dinner, maybe seven or seven-thirty? I had just started to eat when my Black ring started to glow.” He motioned towards the lordship ring on his finger. “It glows when a potion has been administered,” He explained when she nodded. “However,” Harry pulled his necklace from its hiding place on his neck. “As a lord of the Gryffindor house,” He resisted the urge to chuckle at her wide eyes. “It also protects me from potions and poisons that were administered without my consent.”
“How were you able to connect this to Ginevra Weasley?” She asked after composing herself.
“I had detention with Professor Snape the previous night. He had been brewing a demonstration amortentia for the six years, which is the grade Ginevra is in.” Considering that, the quill jotted more down. “I wasn’t sure if it was amortentia at first, so when I went to Professor Snape that night to serve my other detention, I asked him to check. It came back positive.”
“Was there anything else that lead you to believe it was Ginevra who dosed your food?” Harry nodded with a grimace.
“When I left the table to go to detention, I had multiple people inform me that she was noticeably upset when I left. Dean Thomas and Neville Longbottom said they heard her mumbling ‘it didn’t work.’” There was a grimace on Samantha’s face as well as she listened to the story.
“This leads us to another question. My client tells me you were worried about his safety and went to visit him? What made you do this?”
“I’m sure everyone knows I don’t have my own family,” There was a look of sadness in her eyes again. “Arthur Weasley has always offered me a place to stay, even when my muggle relatives wanted nothing to do with me. He’s always been like a father to me, and I doubted that he was aware of the marriage contract. That was when I informed him of the contract and the recent dosing of amortentia against me. However,” Harry took a breath.
“The main reason I was concerned was based on a conversation I heard about two years ago. I was staying at the Weasley residence when I overheard Molly joking about the use of amortentia so…casually. She had made a joke about making them when she was younger,” He explained, taking great care to keep his tone calm. “I knew that Arthur abhors love potions, as does his entire family. The only person that didn’t have an intense hatred for the potion was Molly herself, and I began to suspect that she was the one who convinced Ginny to dose me.” He straightened his posture. “When I met Arthur to inform him of what his wife had done regarding the illegal marriage contract, and what Ginny had attempted to do, I expressed my worry for him. I explained he needed to be tested for Amortentia, to be certain he wasn’t being dosed.”
“Your intuition ended up being correct, Lord Potter. As you had suspected, my client had been under the influence of amortentia. For over two decades, nonetheless. However,” She pulled a paper out next. “That’s not all that Mrs. Prewett did, is it?” Feeling a wave of sadness himself, he shook his head.
“Can you tell me about the events that transpired between you and Ronald Weasley on October Sixteenth? What made you suspicious of his state of mind?” Harry nearly sighed when he remembered the event, thinking back to the devastation on his friend's face.
“I hadn’t realized anything was wrong until Ron sought me out,” Harry confessed. “Our relationship had started to strain in our fourth year. In a matter of days, he had changed. It was subtle at first, but it became worse as the years progressed. The day after Ginny tried to dose with me amortentia, Ron wanted to apologize on her behalf. That was when he started to apologize for everything.” Harry sighed, knowing it would be better to provide a memory for the exchange he had with Ron.
“If it’s alright, could I provide a memory for this? It’s hard for me to explain it accurately.” With a gentle nod of her head, she conjured a miniature pensive for him to use. Within moments, Harry was depositing the memory for her to view.
“I’m not asking to be completely forgiven. I don’t expect things to ever go back to how they once were, but I want to try to regain as much as I can,” Ron paused and looked away for a moment, exhaling shakily. “I miss my friend,”
“You were my first real friend, Ron. Nothing will ever change that,” Harry promised. “It’ll take time before anything can improve though. I’m still not happy with your comments about Dean and Seamus, or the way you think Hermione should be with you, even when she has a loving boyfriend who is right for her.” Ron flinched at that, running a hand down his face as his own words were thrown back at him.
“I have no idea what’s gotten into me lately. I’m not even homophobic, I swear! Fred and George and Charlie are all gay, and I’ve got no problems with it. It’s like something is telling me to say shit like that even when I don’t mean it or want to say anything. Just like when I see you with Hermione. It’s like something is forcing me to do it. I don’t even care if you’re dating-“
“Ron,” Harry gently cut the other off, eyebrows knitted. “What do you mean that you don’t want to say it?”
“I know you don’t care for fame, Harry, but there are moments when it feels like something is telling me to get angry at you for it.”
Pulling back once the memory was finished, Samantha Parkinson sighed slightly. “Your intuition was correct once more.” Harry shrugged.
“We went more in-depth with compulsions in my NEWT classes. Everything he said reminded me of people detailing their accounts under compulsions in the articles and textbooks we had to read for class.” Harry swallowed. “There’s a spell that shows the type of compulsions and who placed them.” The dark look was back in her eyes again as she pulled out a small piece of paper.
“You mentioned earlier that your relationship with Ronald Weasley became strained starting in your fourth year?” She asked, making Harry nod. “And what did the paper say, Lord Potter?” Withholding a grimace, he spoke up.
“That Molly Weasley had placed a compulsion on him during our fourth year. It was a jealousy compulsion that was set to grow worse each year.” Samantha’s quill had flicked something on a paper when it stopped.
“The paper states that there was also a compulsion placed by Headmaster Dumbledore. The compulsion was to hate anything remotely dark in magic, as well as a compulsion to fight for his cause.” Harry bit his lips, nodding.
“Yes. Ron felt unsafe after we discovered that information as well. He felt lost after this, and he left Hogwarts to get away from Dumbledore. He didn’t want me to say anything about that part, because he was aware that the Headmaster was already giving me issues at Hogwarts.” Samantha already knew about these issues but hearing the young lord say it made her angry on his behalf. “I was also worried about bringing those issues public and receiving Dumbledore’s ire.” Even if Dumbledore was trapped, Harry didn’t want to bring attention to himself. He was sure the old wizard knew that he had been the catalyst for his downfall, but Harry had tried playing it as safe as he could. Giving him a small, but understanding smile, she spoke up.
“Lastly, we have Ginevra Weasley.” The lawyer flipped another page delicately, despite the anger boiling in her eyes. “Who was in a similar situation as her brother.” She gazed at Harry again. “Can you tell me about the event, or show me a memory like you did for Ronald Weasley?” Nodding, Harry braced himself for a long explanation.
“I was studying in the library when my friend, Hermione Granger, brought Ginny to talk with me. Ginny wanted to apologize for dosing me with Amortentia and letting her mother's lies fill her head.” Like before, he conjured a memory for Lady Parkinson to look at.
“Harry, Ginny wanted to talk to you.”
“These last few weeks have opened my eyes,” Ginny spoke up. “I don’t expect you to forgive me for what I’ve done, but I want you to know I am ashamed of what I planned. I let my mom fill ideas into my head, and I never bothered to live for myself. I took everything she said and never questioned it or looked into it myself.”
“What did she say, Ginny? What ideas did she give you?”
“She would tell me stories about you all the time when I was younger and encouraged me to become friends with you. When I told her that I had a crush on you, she was excited and told me to pursue you. Eventually, she told me to slip you a love potion.” Ginny was openly crying. “My mum lied to me about Amortentia. She told me it was the strongest love potion because it brought forth the recipient's true emotions. I believed her.”
“She wanted you to dose me with it? It was never your idea?”
“No. It was never my idea.” Ginny sniffed. “She was adamant about me using it and convinced me to do it this year.”
Pulling back from the memory, Harry glanced at Lady Parkinson, catching the despair in her eyes.
“Had the situation with Ron not happened, I wouldn’t have been so on edge with the entire conversation. But I couldn’t risk another person being under a compulsion spell and not realizing it. If Molly Prewitt had cast a compulsion on her own son, I didn’t think much was stopping her from doing the same to her daughter. I wanted to be wrong.” He was honest as he said those words. He hadn’t wanted Molly to stoop so low as to compel her own daughter to use amortentia against someone.
It nearly made him sick to his stomach, thinking of all the grooming Molly had done to her daughter.
“Sadly, you were not.” She flipped another page, landing on one of the final documents. “What do you remember from the list of compulsions placed on Ginevra?” Holding back a grimace, Harry recited some of the list.
“I recall an Admiration and attraction compulsion on her, all relating to me.” He didn’t hold back his look of displeasure at that. “As well as a compulsion to use amortentia, which was also targeted on me.” Watching her, he saw the way her eyes lingered on the paper. “She was also very young when the first compulsion was placed on her, if I’m not mistaken. I believe it mentioned that she was only nine when it was originally placed.” He could see the anger in her eyes as she nodded.
“The paper says there was another compulsion placed on her as well. One that made her loyal to Albus Dumbledore and The Order of the Phoenix.” Harry had nearly forgotten about that one.
“Molly was always…odd about that. I was in my fifth year when she began to talk about the group with her children and me. She always held them in high regard, but..” He hesitated. “It was clear to me that most of her children, besides Ginny and Ron, didn’t want to be there. I don’t think she ever gave them a choice.” At that, Lady Parkinson placed her papers down.
“You are aware of the charges being placed against Molly Prewitt, Lord Potter. In your opinion, how would you judge her character? Do you believe she has remorse for what she’s done?” He didn’t even need to think about her question for long.
“Based on the information uncovered this year, I see nothing but evil in Molly Prewitt. From the beginning, she groomed her daughter to fall in love with me. Ginny was just a kid. While compulsions can be fought against, a child is helpless. Ginny was only nine years old when the first compulsion was placed on her, meaning she didn’t even have her wand yet. And with Ron, he was also just a kid. Maybe not as young as Ginny, but still under the age of seventeen. A fourteen-year-old also isn’t likely to fight off a compulsion from someone in their forties.” Taking another breath, he clenched his fist near his sides, forcing himself to calm down. “I trusted her at one point. She was like the mum I never had…but after a while, I started to see where her lies started and I pulled away from them.”
“I don’t think there is any remorse in her. If there was remorse, she would have come clean long ago. She was content in continuously using amortentia and keeping the compulsions in place on her children. While I am bothered by what she tried to do to me through them, I care more about the family that has been hurt by her actions. The Weasley family welcomed me into this world when I didn’t have anyone to help me. I want justice for Arthur Weasley and his family. They deserve it.” Harry finished, his eyes blazing green.
“A dementor's kiss has been cited as a possibility in retribution for her crimes against her children. Do you think she warrants this over Azkaban?” Harry blinked; unaware the kiss was a possibility.
“In my opinion, I think a dementor's kiss is too merciful for her.” He could see a slight surprise in her eyes as he said this. “I’ve heard that a dementor's kiss is worse than death, but I don’t quite believe that. When you’re kissed by a dementor, you lose your soul and your memories. Why should she be allowed to lose those? After everything she has done to the Weasleys, she needs to remember why she is imprisoned. When you’re kissed, you no longer feel anything. I don’t think that’s fair considering everything she’s done to her children.”
“Thank you for your time, Lord Potter. Your statements will help shine a light on this situation.” She waved her wand, making the golden barrier dissipate. Now that they were done, Lady Parkinson placed all information from the statements in a secure case, dozens of protection charms on them. She chuckled when everything was put away, looking at the young Wizard.
“I have to say that I’m impressed, Lord Potter. I think your ending statement will garner a lot of interest in how dementors kisses are handled.” Snorting, Harry glanced at her.
“I think a dementor's kiss is pointless, to be honest. It might seem horrific to some people, but if you have no memory of yourself or anything in life, why does it matter? You don’t feel pain. You just exist. It’s the easy way out. People like Molly deserve to feel the pain that they’re in.” Again, there was a gleam in her eyes.
“I see why the Dark Lord respects you,” The witch noted the slight flush, grabbing her case. “Poised, yet passionate about your beliefs. And it would be foolish of me to not thank you for all of this,” She began, fixing the table and chairs back to normal. “None of this would be possible if it weren’t for you. Pansy has told me how excited she is about the upcoming change in the professors.” Again, Harry flushed.
“There needed to be a change,” Harry admitted. “But I honestly can’t take full responsibility for this. Ironically, Albus was the key to all of this. He was desperate and acted recklessly. Had it not been for his mistake, none of this would be happening so soon.” Harry knew that it would have happened regardless, but it came swifter thanks to the headmaster himself.”
She considered that with a nod as she waved her wand, smiling when a house-elf appeared before them.
“Hello, Tinky. Could you inform your master that we are done?” The house-elf bowed excitedly.
“Yes, Lady Parkinsons! Tinky’s be right on that.” In a pop, the house-elf was gone. Not long after, Tom reappeared, hands behind his back.
“I trust that these statements will result in a clear victory?” Lady Parkinson withheld a snort, glancing at Harry.
“That and more. There is damning evidence against Dumbledore as well in his statements. If there wasn’t plans already set in motion, we would have enough with this as well. Prewitt will certainly be serving life in Azkaban for this.” Harry smirked a bit at the vindictive gleam in Tom’s eyes. “I wouldn’t be surprised if her trial lasts for an hour or two at most. Her guilt is clear.”
“Good.” Tom nodded at her. “Thank you for your work, Samantha.”
Before the witch left, she looked at the dark lord.
“My lord, I have to agree with you on something. Lord Potter is quite a humble individual.” She stated, apparting from the manor and leaving behind a chuckling Dark Lord and a flushed Gryffindor.
“Honestly, I like her,” Harry mumbled after a moment with a shake of his head. He could see why she was known for never losing a case. Samantha Parkinson had sorted all of the information and formed questions that would be a final nail in Molly’s coffin. “She was meticulous and knew exactly what to ask.”
“Lord Weasley selected one of the best lawyers,” Tom agreed. “Now then,” Giving his attention to Harry, the Dark Lord smirked. “I have some information to share with you,” He began, watching the excitement bloom in the green eyes. “The ministry is worried about the transition about to occur at Hogwarts, namely the number of new professors. They are hesitant to place a ministry official in the school after the disaster with Dolores Umbridge.” He watched the scowl form on Harry’s face, noting the way he subconsciously thumbed the back of his hand.
“Considering she was torturing students with a blood quill; I think the word ‘disaster’ is an understatement.” Harry snorted humorlessly, unaware of the crimson eyes narrowing at that, glancing back to the hidden hand.
“Lucius omitted that part,” Tom commented, tearing his gaze away and forcing himself to remain on track. “They want a third-party official to observe Hogwarts for a month after Dumbledore leaves, then report back to the Board of Governors and the Ministry.” Catching on, Harry felt his lips shift into a smirk, excitement coming back at full force as he shoved away thoughts about Umbridge. “Julian Claudius Gaunt has gladly offered his assistance.” Harry’s eyes widened slightly, a noise of surprise sounding from the back of his throat.
“How were you able to use that name? From what I know about the ministry documents, they can detect lies.”
“There was an ancient ritual spell that I uncovered in one of Slytherin’s grimoires. It involves the use of blood runes and blood magic,” He explained. “It removes any traces of your previous name to you.” Harry couldn’t help but be impressed. “According to documents in the Ministry and Gringotts, Tom Riddle is no more. Julian Gaunt is now the Lord to the Slytherin and Gaunt houses.” A playful gleam entered the Gryffindor’s eyes and Tom let his gaze linger for a moment.
“I can still call you Tom though, right? Julian might suit you, but I can’t imagine calling you anything else but Tom-Tom.” He smirked at the look shot his way. “I have to say, I really like the middle name you chose. I think it suits what you’re doing.”
“Lucius thought so as well,” Tom said with a small smirk.
“How many of your followers know about this?” Harry had to ask, wondering if Severus was aware of the change. The younger wizard had a feeling the change was relatively new because of the fact that Tom hadn’t elected to share this information during his last visit, which hadn’t been too long ago.
“Besides Lucius and my followers that work in the Ministry, you are the only one who is aware,” Tom answered. “Severus was next on the list to be informed, but,” Tom smirked at him. “I figured you would do that part for me.” The Dark Lord admitted.
“You’re looking forward to being at Hogwarts again,” Harry smiled, watching the wistful expression in Tom’s eyes as the man nodded.
“I am. The last time I was there, I was a parasite relying on another person. With the new name, it’s a clean slate to work with. I am thankful for Lucius and his connections within the Ministry.” Tom shot him a small smile. “I also have you to thank for a lot of this, Harry.” He took pleasure in watching the flush spread across Harry’s face.
“Samantha Parkinson said something like that too. It’s honestly funny how things have ended up like this. My original plan to be a thorn in Dumbledore’s side was supposed to end a lot differently, but I can’t say I mind this.” Harry remarked with a small shrug. “This all started with me just wanting to reclaim Grimmauld place.” He said with a snort. “And now we're getting ready to remove him from Hogwarts for good.”
He couldn’t wait for Yule.
Notes:
The joke is a play on the name Julian Claudius. He was a nephew of Constantine, the Roman Emperor who ended up making Christianity the main religion of the Roman Empire and ending the persecutions against them. The ironic thing? Towards the end of his reign, he began to ban the worship of the Paganism (believing in other gods)
Also, Constantine wasn't that great of a guy. He murdered some members in his family, like many of the males so he could be the only heir. Yet, his friend Eusebius, who was a Chrisitan historian published a story "the life of Constantine" This story would paint Constantine in a godly light, capable of doing no wrong and doing what was best for everyone.
When Julian came into power, he set forth to retake Paganism and re-establish it as Rome's main religion, wanting to undo what his Uncle had done.
I thought it was a fitting anolgy for Dumbledore and Tom.
Chapter 24
Notes:
This chapter DID NOT WANT TO WRITE. Lets just say I had a field day with getting this one done.
Hope you all enjoy it regardless :)))
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“How did the questioning go last night, Harry?” Hermione asked when she saw that her friend had returned to Gryffindor tower the following morning, her eyes sharp despite the sleepiness in them.
“It went really well,” He confessed with a small smile, but Hermione frowned when she noticed something was off with it. She came closer to sit beside him, the concern obvious on her features.
“What’s wrong?” She asked, watching the way he hesitated, his expression shifting from slight guilt to anxiety in a matter of seconds. “Did something happen last night?” He shook his head quickly, dispelling her worry at that end.
“No, nothing like that. I guess I’m overthinking things right now,” Her friend confessed with a small chuckle, his green eyes shining. “I am glad that I did the questions,” Harry continued on, knowing that he needed to tell her what was on his mind. “A small part of me is simply afraid.” He confessed. “At outright and publicly going against Dumbledore in this matter. Everything before has been tied to Hogwarts in some way. Besides the Board of Governors and the restraining order through Gringotts, I’ve never gone against him in public.” Hermione was beginning to understand the dilemma.
“I understand now,” She nodded. “For The Ministry and Wizengamot to learn of this is different.” Harry sighed, running a hand through his hair as more thoughts swam through his head.
“It’s not just that either. It’s also the implications. Just because he’s lost a lot of support doesn’t mean he doesn’t have loyal followers. I’d be an idiot not to acknowledge that.” Harry shook his head. “And even if Dumbledore is out of the picture, who's to stop one of his devoted followers from taking it upon themselves to try and force me to fight? Not that it would work, but I can already imagine the upcoming confrontations.”
“Something tells me Tom wouldn’t let that happen,” Hermione mumbled to Harry’s surprise, looking at her with a raised eyebrow. She snorted at his look, opening her mouth to explain. “Yes, it is possible that some of Dumbledore’s followers will try and coerce you to fight, but from how you’ve described the Dark lord, I can’t imagine he would stand by and let this happen.” Harry released a breath, knowing deep down that his friend was right.
“I know,” He agreed. “Tom is working hard to bridge the gap between the dark and light. I don’t know all of his plans politics-wise, but I know it will involve the removal of extremist views. On both sides,” He was quick to say, wanting to clear that up before anything else. “With how unstable magic has become even among the pureblood families, he is suggesting that if they wish to continue their family lines, they need to stop inbreeding and select muggleborns or half-bloods to include in their lines,” Hermione was unable to stop her eyes from widening at that.
“Seriously? That’s…” She trailed off, blinking in shock. “That’s wonderful. I don’t imagine some of the families took it well though. Has he lost many followers because of it?” To her astonishment, he shook his head. “Really?” She asked, lips parting in shock.
“I won’t deny that there were those who were displeased,” Harry confessed with a shrug. “There are simply some people who are too set in their ways to change.” The only thing that occasionally bothered him about the dark side was the elitist views of some. But as he had told Hermione in the past, many of the people who joined Tom did it for the betterment of dark magic, not for the blood purity. Hermione nodded at his words.
“Each side will have bad apples,” She said, quoting a muggle saying they both knew all too well. “No matter which side you’re on, there are always going to be a few people that you don’t like,” Harry nodded, thinking back to some of the Death Eaters who he had a low opinion of. “Do you ever bump into them when you visit Tom?” Blinking at the question, Harry shook his head.
“Not really? The only one I’ve seen around his estate is Lucius, but that’s a given considering he is helping Tom with the Ministry plans,” Harry paused. “And no Death Eater has access to his personal study unless he summons them in there. I don’t even know if the Death Eaters live there half the time, or if they stay in their own manors,” Hermione considered that.
“I was curious about some of them,” She admitted. “I can’t help but wonder what they will do after this war is over? Some of them were broken out of prison, so they can’t exactly show their faces in public.” Harry withheld a sigh, those same questions plaguing him as well. He hadn’t asked Tom about it since he felt like those logistics didn’t concern him, but there were times when the thoughts came when he allowed his mind to roam.
“I imagine he is thinking of something for them,” Harry spoke after a moment, a thoughtful look on his face. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s having trouble with this as well. Before all of these plans came to fruition, I think we all had a different idea of how this war would end. Such as a huge battle with many people dead on each side. And for that reason, he’s likely kept certain people around for it. I will always hate Bellatrix, but I know she is a skilled dueler. I think that was the reason she and a few others were kept around.” Hermione considered that with a thoughtful hum, nodding. “And Tom has always respected loyalty,”
But now that he thought about it, there was nothing Bellatrix could help him with. His plans needed strategic minds, not unhinged and ruthless ones. It made him wonder what would become of her and a few others. He had a brief thought of Tom shielding them from the public, or relocating them away from society.
“I’m thankful that most of his followers are not like that,” Harry spoke up, changing the course of the topic to force his wayward thoughts away. “Many of them are like Severus; cool and collected. Intelligent and cunning,” Hermione smiled a bit at his wording, and then suddenly, Harry remembered that he needed to tell her the other information regarding Tom. “Merlin, I nearly forgot to tell you the important information I learned from Tom last night!”
“It must be important,” Hermione teased, a soft grin on her face. “Your eyes lit up like they do when you hang around Fred and George,” Snorting at her remark, he started to explain.
“Tom explained that the Ministry is worried about the change that is about to happen here,” Harry informed. “They want to send someone in to keep an eye on things to ensure every student and professor is acclimating to the change, however,” There was an amused look on his face. “They also don’t want to repeat the disaster that occurred with Umbridge,” Hermione grimaced at the name, a foul look on her face.
“No one needs to go through that again,” She mumbled bitterly.
“For these reasons, the Ministry wanted a third-party official to represent them. This is where Tom comes in,” Hermione felt her eyes widen at the direction the explanation was going. “He did a ritual and changed his name, which is now Julian Claudius Gaunt. He won’t become the permanent headmaster, but he will hold the position until they elect a new one in the following months or next year.”
“Merlin,” Hermione mumbled, a look of awe on her face. “That’s genius,” She mumbled to herself, thinking of all the work that had gone into the plan.
“I don’t know what he plans on doing after they find the permanent Headmaster, but my guess is that he will go back to gaining more presence in the Ministry, and with the attention he will gain from doing this, he might gain a lot of popularity.”
“I can see why,” Hermione agreed. “Part of the reason Dumbledore had once been so beloved is because he was the Headmaster here. With how precious children are in this world, it takes a lot of trusts to leave them in a school where you don’t see them for months at a time,” The words make him hum in agreement, nodding along.
“I don’t know what your schooling was like before you came here, but most schools in the muggle world send you home at the end of the day. There were some academy-type schools where you were boarded like this one, but those weren’t that common where I was from.”
“I went to the typical school for my first few years in grade school,” She commented. “My school started around eight and ended at three. Then we were sent home,” Harry nodded, thinking back to his own time in school.
“Honestly, while I do love the knowledge we have here. I missed the other classes we took in muggle schools. Mostly science and maths. Arithmancy isn’t quite the same,” Harry chuckled with an embarrassed flush. “Sometimes I would take Dudley’s school books when we came home from Hogwarts so I could try and teach myself what Hogwarts didn’t.” There was a grin on Hermione’s face as she listened to Harry’s words.
“I did the same thing. I was lucky that my parents made a good amount of money by muggle standards. They never had a problem buying me a book so I could keep up with the other children. I saw a lot of them during the summer break, and that first summer was hard on me. They asked me where I had gone and what my classes were like. I couldn’t tell them anything,” Harry frowned at that, knowing it must have been hard on Hermione and the other muggleborns to be dumped back into the muggle world, especially if you had friends waiting on you.
Harry didn’t know if it was a curse or a blessing that Dudley had stopped him from making friends.
“I didn’t have to deal with that,” Harry admitted. “Everyone thought I was disturbed, and my relatives even concocted a fake school where troubled kids went. They never asked me about my schooling because of that,” He could care less about that now because, in the long run, it had saved him from having to lie.
“I’m sorry, Harry.” Hermione frowned, a distraught look in her eyes. It wasn’t a secret what his home life had been like. Hermione was one of the few that knew how bad it was. “When I go home to see my parents before I go to visit Viktor, would you like me to owl you some of the muggle schoolbooks I plan on getting?” Harry smiled at the offer and nodded his head.
“If you don’t mind,” Harry spoke, tone conveying nothing but gratitude. “I don’t exactly plan on going to the muggle world again anytime soon. I don’t have friends or a family that cares. If I ever go back, it will be to visit their bookstores and their coffee shops, but I don’t think I’m ready to go back,” Not that he would ever have to see the Dursleys again, but there really wasn’t anything left for him in that world besides the knowledge they had.
“I understand,” Hermione touched his shoulder gently, giving a friendly squeeze. “Besides my parents, there is nothing tying me to that world either. The friends I had are either gone, or we drifted apart. You don’t share much in common with someone anymore when you only see them for a few months out of the year if that.” Hermione admitted. “Even during the summer holidays, I tried to visit the Weasleys and the Wizarding World in general. We both stayed with them for nearly two weeks a few summers ago,” Harry nodded at that, thinking back to that time.
“I’m glad you took to learning everything you could, Mione,” Harry spoke, thinking back to how many of the muggleborns their age were struggling now. “Justin’s still clueless about what he wants to do. Deans luckily got something lined up for him after Hogwarts, but it’s rare for a muggleborn to do that apparently. Being pulled between two worlds isn’t easy,”
“Especially when you’re not getting the schooling of the other,” Hermione finished for him. “I can’t speak on their behalf, but I don’t know how many of them did what we did when we went back to the muggle world. If they haven’t, then they’re in trouble. They would only have primary school knowledge and nothing from secondary school.” Harry didn’t bother to withhold his grimace.
“I hope they can decide what they want to do if they remain in this world,” Harry mumbled softly, feeling his heartache for those who were struggling to find themselves. He might have been able to, but that was after he had struggled as well. With Dumbledore trying to convince him to be an auror and with society always speculating what he was going to do after Hogwarts, it felt smothering at times. He felt like he was never able to catch a break.
But with the Twins and Hermione at his side, he had always been able to forget about the demands of the public. They all worked together and studied hard, the four of them ready to take on the world if it came to it.
“I miss Fred and George,” Harry commented, unable to help it. It might have been random, but Hermione didn’t care as she nodded along with him.
“Merlin, me too.” She sighed. “Why don’t we visit them this weekend? It’s been too long since we’ve seen them face to face. Firecalling and writing just aren’t the same,” Harry grinned at her idea and nodded eagerly.
"You don’t need to convince me, Mione.”
Harry had been looking forward to seeing Severus all day. The meeting with Tom had lasted longer than he thought it would the previous night, so he had stayed over. He was also mentally drained after providing his statements, those emotional memories still fresh in his mind. It had been far too easy to fall asleep not long after he and Tom talked over the plans, despite wanting to go back to Severus and judge the potions with him.
When he finally came to Severus’ rooms, he smirked at the separated potions on one of the brewing tables, knowing it was the failed batches and feeling gleeful at the opportunity to finally look them over.
“Have you settled the debate yet?” Harry asked, nodding to the horrendous attempts. The small smirk on Severus’ face caused a wave of warmth to flutter through his stomach, settling in his chest.
“Excluding Parkinson’s and Finch-Fletchley,” Harry snorted at the disdain in his voice. “There is one which is almost pure poison,” Harry winced at that, coming closer to observe the potion Severus was talking about. Upon closer inspection, he noticed the coloration of the one in the middle, which was like muddled water, with flecks of a putrid green mixed in. He withheld another wince.
“They must have not mixed the Joberknoll feather in well enough,” He summarized, unaware of the dark gaze that was locked on him. “The green flecks in the potion came from the feather, not the beans. My guess is that they stirred clockwise and not counterclockwise when they added it in,” When he did turn to look at Severus, he nearly flushed when onyx eyes stared at him appraisingly, just like the day before.
And just like the previous day, Harry felt his cheeks flush slightly.
“Perhaps you don’t need further training for a potions mastery,” Severus began, the words making the fluttering in his stomach intensify. “Besides myself, no other has been so quick to identify the cause of a potion turning into a poison.” Harry swallowed, flushing more.
“I’ve done a lot of research about poisons these last few weeks,” Harry chuckled, missing the look of intrigue on Severus’ face. “I guess it stemmed from the conversation we had about poisons and the different climates for the ingredients.” Severus gave a low hum, recalling that particular conversation as well. “I didn’t get a good look at Pansy’s potion,” He withheld a smirk at the way Severus' lips twitched in displeasure. “But I think she might have won the ‘worst potion’ bet.”
“Is that so?” Severus asked, raising an eyebrow. “Explain,” So Harry did.
“Justin’s was horrible, but despite the mess it would have caused, it was one of the least dangerous. His would have merely stained his skin for a few weeks, while Pansy’s could have poisoned her, had it exploded.” Harry explained. “Either she was barely stirring, or she was mishandling the Sopophorous beans.” He paused. “And if she was barely stirring, it was likely causing air to become trapped in the potion, which would have created toxic gas bubbles.” He could feel Severus’ gaze on him, and he fought off his flush this time, but the fluttering in his stomach increased when the older wizard spoke up in a pleased voice.
“Those were my thoughts as well,” Severus subtly praised. “Slughorn was truly blind last year to pass most of the students in your year,” Harry snorted but agreed nonetheless.
“He was far too lenient in the classroom,” Harry recalled. “He was more about making connections instead of providing a decent education. He wanted to make potions more…exciting, I suppose?” He spoke slowly. “Instead of taking the care to explain the dangerous side of them,” It was sad, but even Hagrid had been a better professor than that. Even if Hagrid wasn’t qualified to teach, he had always gone over the danger of the magical creatures. He made the class lively, but he always explained the risks. Thinking of Hagrid made him think of the news he had to share with Severus.
“That reminds me, but Tom told me some interesting information last night after I provided my statements,” He saw the way Severus’ eyes gained a glint of interest, obviously expecting something extremely important. “The Ministry is being smart for once. With all the new professors and the change of the headmaster, the Ministry is worried about how students will acclimate to the change. They’re also worried about the former professors and the new professors as well. They want to send in a third-party representative to keep an eye on things and report back to the Ministry if there are any issues.” Harry smirked slightly.
“They want a third party because of the disaster with Umbridge two years ago. This person will hold the position as the temporary headmaster until they find a new one in the upcoming months.” Harry explained. “And thanks to a ritual Tom found, he’s going to take the position. I think by doing this, it makes his appearance in the Ministry and Wizengamot more well-known. This moniker will allow him to build his way up,” Severus nodded, the glint increasing.
“Clever. With the war coming to an end soon, this will serve him greatly.” Harry nodded in agreement.
“That’s something me and Hermione were talking about earlier today,” His emerald eyes were bright. “I told her that so many of us were expecting this to go differently. Even last year I would have expected a huge final battle, with a lot of people dead on both sides. I didn’t want any part of that,” He confessed with a frown. “But now it raises the question of what Tom is going to do with his followers whose only usefulness was their brutality,” Even though he had this conversation with Hermione hours ago, he wanted to know what Severus thought.
“I imagine the Dark Lord plans on keeping them either away from the public or relocating them permanently,” Severus spoke, his words soft and deep. “His more…volatile followers are rarely present for the strategic meetings. I know there’s been talk about sending some to Saint Mungo’s or Saint Mirabilis in Germany,” Never hearing of that hospital, Harry tilted his head slightly.
“Saint Mirabilis?” He asked, growing more intrigued. “I’ve never heard of that one before,”
“It’s reserved for mental illnesses,” Severus explained, watching the emerald eyes dawn with understanding. “Unlike Mungo’s, Mirabilis only deals with the mental aspect. Mungo’s has a department, but it has fewer resources.” Harry considered that as he nodded along, thinking about the possibility of Bellatrix being sent there, along with a few others.
“Has Tom discussed this with you before?” Harry asked, wondering if this was a debate that many of the other Death Eaters had before. It would make sense if that were the case. If any of the Death Eaters were about strategy, then having someone like Bellatrix on their side would cause issues.
“Partially. Lucius is the one who is most adamant,” Severus explained. “He has grown tired of watching Narcissa run herself ragged trying to heal her sister’s mind.” Harry nearly winced, afraid to imagine what that was like. “What brought this on?” He took a breath, trying to form his thoughts.
“The fact that this war will be over soon,” Harry mumbled softly. “We know the war is only between Dumbledore, his followers, and the Dark Lord. With Dumbledore about to be gone soon, it made me think of the plans Tom has next. He’s going to make his way through Wizengamot and the Ministry, but as a new wizard. His side will know for the most part, but not all. It made me think of what would become of those who would be deemed impractical going into the future.”
“The Dark Lord is likely planning something for them soon. He would see their impracticalities just as you have. If you advise him on it, I’m sure he would listen,” Harry flushed at the words, unaware of the dark onyx eyes staring at the flush, an unreadable look behind them.
“I might eventually,” Harry conceded. “Bellatrix in particular is too volatile to be kept around. I don’t know if she’s always been that way, or if Azkaban caused it.” Severus gave a dry snort.
“A bit of both,” The potions master confessed. “Not many come back unscathed,” Harry considered that, but soon dislodged his thoughts, not wanting to dwell on them for too long.
“I’ll talk to him about it the next time I see him,” Harry mumbled. “Even if he doesn’t agree with what I’ll say, it would be nice to explain my concerns,” When he looked back to Severus, he offered a small smile. “You think he would listen?”
“The Dark Lord regards your opinion quite highly,” Severus’ voice was dark, sending a slight shiver down his spine. “If you need to address something, he will listen. Especially to you,” Harry felt himself flushing again, his embarrassment obvious as he swallowed. Severus watched him, his voice soft as he spoke up again. “There is something else bothering you,” Sighing, Harry nodded, not surprised that the other wizard figured it out.
“Out of all the Death Eaters that were incarcerated, it’s the Lestranges that people have focused on the most. Those are the three that still have numerous Auror teams searching for them. They’re also the three that are the most dangerous in the public eye. Even if the war fades into the background, people won’t forget that the Lestranges aren’t in prison. That sort of unrest won’t fade away,”
“No, it won’t.” Severus agreed.
“I might be looking too far into the future,” Harry admitted. “But I’d rather deal with it sooner rather than later. I think the longer it waits, the more damage could be done. It’s likely that Dumbledore’s followers will try and convince me to find them,” He didn’t need to say more, because Severus understood.
He always understood.
Harry found himself pressed against a warm chest, an elegant hand stroking through his locks in an act of comfort.
“There was no meeting today,” Severus spoke up after a few moments. “If you want to talk to him now, you can,” Harry hummed softly, melting more into the embrace on instinct.
“I’d rather stay here,” He said quietly, soon flushing darkly at his words. “If that’s alright,” Harry added, shifting a bit. Before he could pull away, an arm tightened around him subtly as a voice like velvet drifted over him.
“Of course it is,” Severus mumbled back. “I’d prefer to keep you here,” The words were barely audible, but he heard them. His cheeks burned darkly with another blush as he closed his eyes, letting the moment sink in. Gathering his courage, he opens his mouth.
“During the summer I was terrified that I wouldn’t find solace when I came back to Hogwarts,” Harry mumbled softly, pressing into the warmth surrounding him. “Before I stormed Riddle Manor all those months ago, I briefly had the idea to say screw it, and not even come back because I was so fed up with Dumbledore. I was worried that I would never feel safe here again, but I was proven wrong.” He takes a steady breath. “Thank you for making this place feel safe again,” His words were spoken into the warm chest, heart fluttering when those arms tighten around him again, keeping him secure.
“I told you that you don’t need to thank me,” The tone held a hint of amusement, but his words were firm, yet soft. “I’m sorry you had to deal with the headmaster for so long,” Severus whispered, hands lingering on the small of his back.
“You had the worst of it,” Harry mumbled. “Between being a spy and a professor, you’ve had to deal with him the most out of everyone. Then you had to deal with me during those detentions too-“ His breath stuttered quietly as the hold tightened yet again, words being spoken near his ear.
“You were never a burden,” Severus mumbled, and Harry flushed more, his entire body burning. Green eyes shut as warm fingers landed on his nape, carefully tracing the sensitive spot. The other hand stayed at the small of his back, the warmth seeping into his already burning skin through the multiple layers. “Not for a moment, Harry,” A lump lodges into his throat at the words, his fingers slowly grasping at Severus’ robes, clinging to the material. “I would not change a moment of this,” Severus breathed against his ear slowly, the warm breath and words spurring him on.
“I couldn’t imagine getting through this year without you,” Harry finds his voice after a moment, forehead resting on the sturdy chest, his cheeks blazing with heat. He takes a second to finally get the words out that have been in his chest for months. “You made this place feel like home again,” Harry whispers softly, pressing further into Severus’ chest, heart thudding in his ears. “I always feel at home with you,” Harry whispers quietly, biting his lips at the sound of Severus sucking in a soft breath.
The hand resting on his nape stops moving, pausing for a moment before sliding along the warm neck. Once it reaches his chin, a finger tilts the chin upwards, green and onyx locking. Harry could swear that a jolt of magic passed through them.
The hand on the small of his back presses more, and Harry finds himself tugged into a warm lap, lips claiming his own.
A soft sound passes through as he wraps an arm around Severus’s neck, lips moving together, melding against each other perfectly.
Their kisses were slow, testing the water and exploring the new sensations. Tongues teased and prodded, sliding forth to explore and taste. When they eventually broke apart, there was a dark flush on their cheeks, and their eyes heated.
“I’ve wanted to do that for a while,” Harry mumbled, voice raspy as he regained his breath. He swallowed when lips pressed against his again, sweet and chaste.
“As have I,” Severus mumbled, thumb stroking the flushed cheek. Harry leaned into the touch, closing his eyes with a small smile. When he reopened them and met Severus' warm gaze again, his chest exploded with warmth as he leaned forward to reclaim those lips in another kiss.
Warm hands splay across his hip, long fingers dipping below the waistband to touch the skin there, each touch leaving a trail of fire that causes Harry to gasp against the lips, a skilled tongue slipping past. He groans, one hand clinging to the dark robe as the other burrows in Severus’ hair, arching as a hand slips under his shirt, a jolt going down his spine.
“Beautiful,” Severus praises against his ear when they part, teeth nipping on a lobe before moving down to mouth at the flushed neck, leaving a pale mark.
“Severus,” Harry whines, tilting his neck as lips explore every inch of his throat, followed by sharp teeth and a warm tongue. He groans again, shifting in Severus’ lap and grounding down on the awaiting hardness. He takes delight in the soft sound Severus gives as he does that, pressing down again to hear the dark growl that he feels more than he hears.
“Harry,” Severus' voice was darker than ever and the younger wizard was falling in love with it. “What do want?” The deep voice purred into his ear, fingers stopping in their exploration. Despite the heated words, Harry heard the gentleness in them and pressed closer, biting his lips.
Severus was always looking out for him.
“I want you to touch me,” Harry whispered back, pressing back into the bulge under him, a shiver going down his spine. “I want to touch you too, Severus,” He pressed into the heated neck, nipping at the skin there and mouthing at it, wanting to leave his own marks. “Please?” He whispered, gasping when a hand cupped his ass and scooped him up within seconds. On instinct, he wrapped his legs around the waist, fingers clutching the material of Severus’ clothes, afraid that if he were to let go, he would once again wake up in his bed in Gryffindor tower.
Their lips find each other again and Harry loses himself in the passionate kiss, only aware that they made it into Severus' room when he finds himself laying on a mattress. He’s flat on his back with Severus hovering over him and Harry wants to close that space between them, so he drags the older wizard into another desperate kiss, humming in appreciation when Severus presses into him, not an inch of space between them.
Long fingers have undone his shirt, pulling it free as those same fingers drag along his skin, leaving goosebumps in their wake. He blindly reaches forward, huffing at all the layers in his way.
“You’ve got too many layers,” Harry pants out, sucking in a breath as fingers land on a nipple, teasing the bud. The lips mouthing at his neck slowly smirks and hums in agreement, shifting to grab a wand.
“Perhaps you’re right,” With a flick of the wand, all of their clothes vanish to the nightstand, leaving a dark flush that spreads down Harry’s chest. The younger snaps out of his surprise and reaches forward, touching the firm muscle as he tilts his head up to capture lips again, nipping on the bottom lip and tugging gently.
His body shudders at the soft growl, moaning when he’s soon pressed back into the mattress, lips, and fingers taking him apart.
“Fuck,” He curses, a soft moan flying past as a warm hand grips his twitching shaft, giving a long pump. “Severus,” He wraps an arm around the man’s neck, the other sliding down to wrap around the flushed member, brain short-circuiting at the sensation of the weight in his hand.
“You’re perfect,” Severus praises into his ear and Harry chokes on a moan, eyes shut as a deep shiver goes through him, a soft whine soon following. In all of his fantasies about Severus, nothing could have prepared him for the soft praises that were making him come undone as much as the warm hand stroking him. Harry can’t stop from twitching in Severus’ hand, pressing closer. “So perfect for me,”
“Only for you,” Harry pants out, body blazing at the sound that comes out of Severus' lips, the man bucking into him.
“Is that so?” Severus’ voice is raspy, with a broken edge to it that sends his every nerve on fire. “Only for me,” Severus growls back, leaning down to press wet kiss after wet kiss on the marked neck, sucking a dark bruise on the pulse point. “I’m yours too,” Harry whimpers at that, nails digging into the older wizard’s shoulder as he bucks into the hand, meeting the deep thrusts.
“Please, Severus,” Harry begs, holding tighter as he feels his gut coil in heat. “So close,” He breathes out, moaning as lips capture his in a demanding kiss, their bodies rutting against each other as their need grows. “Fuck,” Harry pants out, precum gathering as Severus thrusts against him, the fire in his gut tightening before it finally snaps and he releases between their chests, with Severus following not long after.
The pair regain their breath, a small smile forming on Harry’s face when he feels Severus grab his wand and cast a cleaning spell on them, their mess vanishing.
“This better not be a dream,” Harry mumbled softly, tiredness starting to settle in him as an arm wrapped around his body, pulling him into a warm chest. “Don’t wanna wake up without you,” Harry yawns, unaware of the gentle smile on his lover’s face.
“Nor do I,” Severus mumbles, smile widening when Harry presses into him more.
Neither had slept better in their life.
Notes:
Just want to say that NO, this is not how I planned for it to happen. I had a whole scene already set in mind, but nope. This is what my hands typed out these past few months. (lost the og chapter bc of file issues)
But anyway! Here you have it. hope it meant y'alls expectations of
I might write a deleted scene in how they were supposed to orginally get together once the story is done.
Chapter 25
Notes:
Howdy, everyone! I hope you enjoy this short chapter. I wanted a fun little one before I started on the final parts of the story. After this, everything will start wrapping up soon. I'd say there are give or take five chapters left in the story. Everything after this point will lead us to the end. I've had a lot of fun writing this. I hope you've enjoyed reading it too.
If you can't tell, I'm so ready to work on the Tomarry AU lol. I prefer Tomarry most of the time, and it's itching to come alive.
Chapter Text
Harry felt content when he started to wake up for the first time, cocooned in warmth and a sensation of protection that he had never felt before. Slowly, the events from earlier that night come to the forefront of his mind and he smiles to himself, pressing into the body holding him. The arms around him tighten protectively, tugging him closer. Lips slowly press against his neck, chaste and sweet, but it sends a tingle down his spine. Harry tilts his head, offering more space.
Kisses trailed down his neck slowly, teeth nipping the sensitive skin. He shifts, pressing back against the chest and arching into it when a hand splays across his abdomen, stroking the skin teasingly. His eyes flutter shut when a hand carefully wraps around his rising erection, a soft moan escaping.
“Perfect,” The deep voice rumbles into his ear, and Harry moans again, fingers clenching at the bedsheets at the soft pumping and praising. The teeth making his neck with possessive marks cause him to shudder, heart skipping a beat. Severus’ other hand rubs at his hip slowly, making his already flushed face burn as more desire settles into his gut. Harry groans as he’s carefully tugged against the warm chest, back burning at the skin-on-skin contact.
“Severus,” He gasps, slowly rubbing up against the erection that was poking at his backside. He feels the vibration of Severus’ soft groan, the hand tightening on his hip. As they slowly grind against each other, another desperate need settles between them.
Later, Harry finds himself on his stomach, moaning while fingers take him apart as lips trail along his back and shoulder, nipping the skin gently. He groans and presses into the sensation, begging for more.
When Severus eventually pushes in, Harry loses himself to the pleasure and meets the deep thrusts, embarrassing moans slipping past his parted lips. Each time Severus leaves a possessive mark on his skin, another tremble escapes his body, cock twitching in need.
“Beautiful,” Severus rasps against his ear, making Harry arch into the firm chest, grasping at the arm that was holding him tightly. He tilts his head back, moaning as lips greedily claim his own, swallowing his moans of pleasure.
Each thrust hits the bundle of nerves, pleasure shooting up his spine over and over. With the long, elegant fingers pumping him, his gut starts to coil as his release begins to build up.
“Se-Severus,” Harry pants out, sweat forming on his forehead as he bucks into the quick pumps, pre-cum slicking the hand further. “Fuck,” He whines against the kiss-swollen lips, knowing he was close. He sucks in a breath when the hips snap harder, sending the cock even deeper somehow. His eyes roll back as he shudders in the strong arms, a cry of pleasure flying past as his cock pulses before releasing, splashing on his stomach. He clenches around Severus, moaning as the elegant hand milks him dry.
Lips capture his own again, swallowing his small moans of pleasure. He feels Severus’ hips stutter before he’s filled with warmth from the man's release. They panted against each other, riding their highs as their kisses turn soft and gentle, the two regaining their breath.
As the tiredness began to creep back, Harry smiled when he felt familiar magic wash over him, cleaning them of their mess. He hums when he’s carefully pulled back into a warm embrace, back pressed into the solid chest once more. A soft smile forms on his lips when those arms return around him, a possessive and protective hold that makes his heart flutter happily in his chest.
“Mmh,” Harry feels a lightness in his chest as he opens his mouth. “Love you, Severus.” He mumbles softly, too tired to hear the shaky exhale or feel the reverent kiss on his shoulder and nape.
“I love you too,” Severus mumbled back, heart racing as he held onto the dozing wizard even tighter, sleep following him not long after.
The sun was just beginning to rise when Harry woke up for the final time, barely holding back a hum of displeasure when he felt the arms around him start to pull away. He smiled to himself when a chaste kiss was placed on his shoulder, heart fluttering.
“Good morning,” Harry mumbled softly, shifting to look at him, his hair a disheveled mess. Soft onyx eyes roam over him, making him flush at the gentle look that sends another flutter through his chest. Fingers run through his hair slowly, moving it from his eyes gently. He smiles, leaning into the touch with a pleased sigh as he closes his eyes. How Severus’ touch always did this to him, he would never know.
Sadly, he knew this moment would have to end soon. He had to get back to Gryffindor Tower and Severus had to get ready for the morning classes. His lover trailed a hand through his hair again, voice deep as he spoke.
“I look forward to seeing you tonight,” Harry leaned into the touch, meeting him for a soft kiss before pulling away. “I would suggest covering your neck,” The voice was soft with amusement and pleasure, making Harry grin to himself as he gingerly touched the multiple love bites on his neck, humming innocently.
“Probably. I like the idea of people knowing I belong to someone, though,” He admitted, enjoying the spark of possessive heat in his lover’s eyes, the satisfaction in them making him nearly shudder. “I’ll use your scarf to cover them up,” He added, flushing when lips kissed at one of the darker marks, his body shivering slightly.
“Brat,” The older teased, squeezing his hip gently, teeth playfully nipping at the sensitive skin. The younger wizard chuckled, arm wrapping around the taller body as he lingered with him for a moment, wishing they could stay together like this. The next morning would be even better,
“At least tomorrow is Saturday,” Harry breathed out, thinking that they could linger as long as they wanted to. “I liked waking up with you,” He whispered, swallowing at the exhale, the strong arms tightening around him, not wanting to let go either.
“As did I,” Severus admitted, nose brushing against his ear. “I look forward to doing it again,” The deep voice rumbled against him. They both stayed like that for a few more moments, before finally parting and going their separate ways to start the day.
He was never more thankful for his earlier rising habits, because as soon as he made it to the common room, he immediately made a beeline for his rooms and the showers connecting to them. Most of his other dormmates were either still sleeping, or they were sleeping elsewhere, if their empty beds were any evidence of that. He freshened up in the shower and brushed his teeth after, looking at the mirror with a flush as he got a good look at the dark bruises covering his usually pale neck. He bit his lips, gingerly running a finger on one of the darker bites, shivering at the memory of Severus sucking it while holding him down and-
Harry shook his head, grinning to himself. No need to work himself up at the thought. He didn’t want to get back in the shower after he just took one. Banishing the passionate thoughts from his mind, Harry dressed for the day and grabbed the dark green scarf, carefully wrapping it around his neck to hide the marks.
As soon as he was done freshening up, he went to the desk beside his bed and grabbed the journal he shared with Tom. He took a breath, knowing he needed to talk to the man about what he discussed with Severus the night before.
I’m sure you’re awake right now because you seem to have a strange sleep schedule like I do. It was a few minutes before the page lit up slightly, letting him know he was receiving a response. He grinned as neat penmanship started to fill the page.
Being a Dark Lord doesn’t usually allow you the luxury of sleeping in. Not when the end of this war is so close, and the ministry is in my grasp. Harry fondly rolled his eyes at the slight dramatism to the words, but he smiled softly at the next words. Is something wrong? You rarely message me so early in the morning unless something has happened. The care Tom showed him warmed him.
No, nothing has happened exactly. I had a conversation with Severus last night and confessed some of my worries to him. It’s about a few of your followers, namely Bellatrix. Harry swallowed thickly, nerves starting to jitter as he feared what type of response he would get. This wasn’t something he usually discussed with Tom. Their conversations rarely involved his followers, at least, not the zealot ones.
You are not the only one who is worried about her. Can you tell me what worries you in specific, Harry? He took a deep breath, relieved that the man didn’t seem angered by his words. Before he could begin, more words started to appear on the paper. You know you can tell me anything. I value all of my followers’ opinions, but yours matters the most to me. Unable to stop the small flush, Harry let the words wash over him, letting it take the rest of his worries with them.
The public will never forget what the Lestrange family has done. Of the people who broke free from Azkaban, they are the ones who strike the most fear and disgust in the civilians and the ministry. That unrest is what worries me. I fear that Dumbledore’s followers will use that as a way to make me fight. They will try and convince me to find them. It was quiet on Tom’s end and Harry felt a small amount of worry settle into his chest.
I will never let that happen to you. Harry blinked at the dark words, already imagining the red of Tom’s eyes. You are right, however. I have been talking with Lucius about it on and off for a year now. He shares your same worries about how this will affect the public once Dumbledore is removed. His wife can not care for Bellatrix for the rest of her life. They all need help.
Severus mentioned Saint Mirabilis last night. I agree with him and Lucius. They have the best facilities there and if they can be helped, that is the best place for them. Harry took a breath. Either that, or they need to be killed. Harry rolled his eyes when he felt amusement from the other.
Those are very different options, Harry. He rolled his eyes at the teasing, smiling just a bit at the familiarity of it. But, you are correct once more. Those are our two options, and I have been leaning more toward the last one. Harry blinked in surprise, parting his lips in shock.
Aren’t they some of your most loyal, though? I would have thought you wanted to protect them for that reason. He felt a strange emotion in their bond, tilting his head as words slowly started to appear.
My monstrosity came from splitting my soul too many times. Theirs came from craving violence and chaos. I only killed when provoked, besides my attack against you and your parents. They have caused the magical blood to diminish, and we were already small in number compared to other communities. There was a pause before Tom started again. I am slightly biased, I will admit. Bellatrix in particular has hurt you horribly, and I will not allow anyone who does such a thing to live.
Harry felt his eyes widen comically as he read the words over and over, lips parting in shock as he an embarrassed flush burned his cheeks, unsure how to respond to such words. It reminded him of when Tom said he would kill Rita Skeeter for making his life difficult. Despite the morbidly of it, he was touched by the words and sentiment.
And because he missed Sirius and hated seeing Remus alone, missing his mate. Remus lost everything to the war. Harry never had the chance to meet his parents, so it was hard to miss something he couldn’t remember. Remus lost his best friends and then his partner to this war. Sirius was the last thing Remus had, and Bellatrix killed him, her own family member. All for choosing a different path.
Thank you. Harry wrote, tears filling his eyes as he wrote, hand nearly trembling. It means a lot, Tom. Won’t Narcissa be upset though? That is her sister after all. I don’t know if she will be complacent in letting her die. He didn’t know much about their family dynamic, but he knew Narcissa was taking care of her.
Narcissa was also hurt deeply by the death of Sirius Black. They were apparently close when they were younger, from what Lucius has divulged. The only reason she has agreed to watch over Bellatrix is because they are family. She had little care for her sister after she murdered their cousin. Harry was surprised at that, but he didn’t question it. Sirius had never been too forthcoming about his childhood, but he never pressed. His godfather had been deeply hurt by his family and didn’t enjoy talking about it.
Harry knew that feeling all too well.
I was also displeased when I learned of what she did. At the time, I was too focused on plotting and gathering my wayward Horcrux to officially punish her. I believe now is the time. Harry smiled more, some of his worries starting to dissipate. And I was certainly displeased with the three of them torturing a magical family into insanity. Death would have been kinder.
Thank you for listening. I wasn’t sure what you would think.
You can talk to me about anything, Harry. You mean a great deal to me. If you worry about your security in the future regarding the war, I want you to tell me. I will not let anyone force you to do something you don’t want to. Harry released a deep breath he was holding, feeling comforted by the sincere words.
Thank you again. It means so much to me. Besides a handful of people, no one has ever bothered this much.
You deserved far better than you have been given, Harry. I need to go now, but if you need something else, you know where I am. Harry smiled at the words gratefully, writing one more thing before closing the journal.
Don’t work too hard, Tom. Even secretly sweet Dark Lords need a break too. He felt warmth through their bond and smiled to himself, grabbing his books and bag as he checked the time, grinning to himself.
Hermione was most likely awake by now and reading in the common room. He waved his hand and fixed his desk, heading downstairs to see if his friend was awake. When he spotted the bushy hair, a grin spread across his face as he made his way to her, slipping beside her on the empty couch while casting a privacy charm.
“Morning, Mione.” He grinned at the way she startled a bit, chuckling to herself.
“Merlin, Harry. I didn’t even hear you come down!” She turned to him, eyebrows furrowing. “When did you get back? I don’t remember you coming back last night unless you had your cloak on while you did.” Harry hummed.
“No. I only got back about an hour ago. I needed to shower and talk to Tom.” Hermione frowned at that, tilting her head. “About what you and I discussed yesterday. He’s thinking of ways to remove the Lestrange as well.” There was relief on her face at that, nodding along.
“Good. That’s a relief to hear. I was worried about you dealing with that mess after Hogwarts.” Harry grimaced at the thought, shaking his head. “I’m glad you won’t be.” Harry nodded with her, unaware of her eyes narrowing on the green scarf around his neck. “You cold, Harry? You don’t usually wear a scarf unless you’ve been flying.” Blushing, he touched the clothing with an embarrassed chuckle.
“It was either wear this scarf, cast a glamour, or use a potion.” At her concerned eyes, Harry tugged the scarf down, showing her some of the dark marks on his neck, flushing as her eyes widened. A delighted look soon formed on her face, a wide smile on her lips. “Looks like you were right, Mione. He definitely felt the same about me.”
“I told you!” She teased, eyes twinkling with fondness. “Now, tell me! How did this happen?” Harry chuckled and explained how he confessed and how Severus had kissed him.
“I’m so happy for you, Harry. You’ve gone through so much these last few years. Severus is good for you. I trust him to take care of your heart.” Harry smiled at her words, unable to stop his flush and nod.
“I do too. He understands what I’m going through, and his life hasn’t been easy either. He understands me in ways not many people can.”
They talked for a little longer, deciding to go over their work for the upcoming classes they had.
"He has a Slytherin's heart indeed." Hermione gasped suddenly, making Harry turn to her in confusion, wondering where the outburst had come from. “Luna’s known all along.” Harry blinked in surprise for a long moment, until he remembered the conversation from a few weeks ago. It was that same conversation that had given him hope and courage to be more forward. Had it not been for those words, he would never have taken a risk weeks later. He smiled softly.
“Remind me to get Luna the chocolates from France that she loves. Merlin knows she deserves it." Hermione just snorted, making Harry grin a bit. “And don’t worry, Mione. I’m getting you something wonderful too. You’re the one who tried to get me to see it from the very beginning. I haven’t forgotten your encouraging words,” He teased. “But access to the Black Library will have to wait until Yule,”
It was worth seeing her eyes light up like a yule log, a look of mischief in her eyes.
“I assume you’re also inviting the twins to the library,” Harry smirked, his own mischief coming out.
“Of course. I’m sure they can find something to experiment with in there.”
Chapter 26
Notes:
Okay, so this is going to be an interesting chapter. It kind of got away from me, but I think some of you will be pleased with the direction this will be taking.
I hope you all enjoy it.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
As much as Harry wanted to deny it, the closer Yule break came, the more apprehensive he became. There was relief mixed in as well, but the apprehension wasn’t easily ignored when accounting for Dumbledore. He caught cold blue eyes staring at him multiple times a day now, mostly during meals. The infernal twinkle had been absent for the past week, and he knew from experience that it meant trouble. One of the last times Dumbledore had looked at him with cold, calculating blue eyes, he had tried to compel him.
Harry shivered at the memory. The coldness seeping from Dumbledore tried to pierce his veins and freeze him on the spot. Then there was the fact that he had tried following Hermione and Neville a few weeks ago but was unable to because of the charmed necklace. The desperation was becoming glaringly obvious, and while he had counted on that from the beginning of the plan, it was still disconcerting. With the start of Yule break in two weeks, it meant that Dumbledore would break at any point.
Hermione could tell he was worried and in her caring way, she suggested they go visit the twins to try and get a breath of fresh air.
“This is a study week,” Hermione had reminded. “The classes are just going to be about a review for the Yule exams and are completely optional. Why don’t we go see the twins? They always manage to cheer you up,” Harry smiled softly at that, though it was strained.
“I’m not sad,” Harry said, feeling the need to make that point. His friend merely rolled her eyes in fond exasperation, but her touch was gentle when she laid a hand on his forearm.
“I know you’re not,” She responded. “If you were simply sad, I would suggest you go to the dungeons or visit Tom.” Hermione withheld a grin when the wizard sported a dark flush at her words. “However, the twins are away from all of this. I think you need to get away from Hogwarts for a bit. A change of scenery.” Harry blinked at that and tilted his head, dwelling on her words. “I know Snape helps you out more than most, but even when he helps you, you’re still confined to Hogwarts.”
“You’re right,” Harry sighed. “As much as I love it here, I do need some time away. I think being couped up here might be causing me to stress more.” Hermione nodded at his words, looking at him in intrigue.
“I’m surprised you haven’t taken the opportunity to visit Tom more if I’m being honest. It’s also a change in scenery.” Harry merely shrugged, sporting a slight flush that made Hermione narrow her eyes in contemplation.
“It’s not like I haven’t thought of visiting more. I just…feel bad, I guess.” Harry turned to fully give his attention to Hermione. “I don’t feel comfortable just up and leaving Hogwarts without you unless it’s the weekend or an emergency happens.” He explained since she knew that Sunday was when he typically visited Tom. “I’ve seen the way Dumbledore’s been watching you too, Mione. I don’t like it. I feel better staying here to make sure nothing happens when I’m away.” Her eyes softened at that as she took his hand, giving a small, gentle squeeze.
“Harry, the necklace you gave me has been a lifesaver. It works perfectly and I haven’t taken it off. I don’t plan to take it off, for that matter. You’re already protecting me, okay? I also have Luna, Neville, and even Ginny. You should also know from experience that I’m more than capable of taking care of myself. Or do you not remember our third year?” She joked, earning a soft snort at the memory. He shook his head, laughing softly.
“No no, I remember it completely. Are you referring to Malfoy’s broken nose or the nasty hex you placed on Bullstrode?” He joked, making Hermione grin in triumph. “I know you can take care of yourself, Mione. The reason I’ve been so anxious is that I don’t know what to expect from Dumbledore. What he tried to do that night was one thing, but it’ll be another when he becomes more desperate. If he tried to compel me, what will he do once he’s fully backed into a corner?” Hermione frowned, sighing softly.
“I am worried about that as well.” She admitted with another sigh. “Do you doubt your ability to fight him off?” Hermione asked, curious to know what the answer would be. Harry bit his lips, shaking his head.
“No, not exactly.” He answered. “It’s not about me worrying about my power against his own, it’s about worrying about what he plans to do. He’s been alive for a long time. He’s fought against Grindelwald and even Tom before. I suppose I’m more worried about what spells he’ll try to use.” She considered the response, nodding.
“Like a spell that’s likely been removed. One from the war he had with Grindelwald.” She surmised, making Harry nod immediately.
“Exactly. I’m still earning my Mastery in Defense and studying for it. Dumbledore is over one hundred years old. It would be foolish of me to deny the fact that he has decades' worth of knowledge that I don’t. Knowledge, which is likely lost to us now,” As much as he studied the multiple spell books in Tom’s possession, a few months' worth of studying was nothing compared to years. There was also the fact that he hadn’t even gone through the Black library completely yet and wouldn’t be able to until Yule.
“You are forgetting one thing,” Hermione said with such certainty that Harry was caught off guard by it. “Well, two.” She quickly added. “First, you have your own spells that Dumbledore has no idea about. Spells that he would have no way of countering if you threw at him.” She had a point, Harry realized with a small amount of relief. “And second, you have spells that only you and Tom can use. Parselmagic is powerful and only a parselmouth could fight against it. You have Salazar Slytherins’ grimoire, something only you and Tom can utilize as well.” He sighed, knowing she was right.
“Yeah, you’re correct.” Harry agreed, thinking back to how he first barged into Riddle Manor all those months ago with the use of Parselmagic. It was almost weird thinking back on that moment when he had wandlessly disarmed Tom and sent a group of Death Eaters to their knees with a single flick of his wrist. That had been an extremely risky move back then, but one that paid off tremendously. If he could have done such a feat, then he should be prepared for whatever Dumbledore threw his way.
“It’s okay to be worried, Harry. I’d honestly be a little concerned if you weren’t.” Hermione spoke, giving him another encouraging smile. “But I also know you overthink things sometimes, or that you doubt yourself when you shouldn’t.” He found himself giving her a smile in return, having heard about his apparently low self-confidence from several people in the past few months. It wasn’t an easy thing to overcome, but he was slowly working on it. Severus helped him in several ways, and so did Tom for that matter.
“Alright,” He gave a mock sigh, feeling loads better. “I suppose a visit to Fred and George is in order.” Harry couldn’t keep the smile off his lips as he said that, missing the chaotic duo and the laughter they brought wherever they went. It made him miss the times when the four of them would sneak off to the room of requirement to either study, or experiment with potions, spells, or prank products.
“You’ll also get to tell them about the fun you have in detention,” Hermione commented innocently, making Harry flush darkly as his lips parted. He groaned, flopping down on the couch as he looked up at the ceiling.
“Merlin, Mione. They’re going to ask so many questions!” He flushed in remembrance at the duo catching onto his crush when he referred to Snape as Severus too many times. They hadn’t even been surprised either, which had caught him off guard.
“Severus, huh?” Fred grinned as Harry flushed at the tone and the waggling of ginger eyebrows.
“Finally realized you have a crush on him, Harry?” George had asked, grinning along with his brother. Harry opened and closed his mouth like a fish, turning to Hermione for help, but she just grinned right along with them. “Don’t look so surprised. We know you better than anyone else does. Of course we’d notice when you like someone.”
“Your eyes get so expressive when you’ve got a new crush,” Fred grinned. “They light up and get a dreamy look in them.” Harry just flushed more, hiding his face with a huff. Hermione snorted softly, covering her mouth to stop from giggling openly. The flushed wizard gave her a look as he sighed.
“Go ahead, Mione,” Harry said with a small smirk. “Tell them,” Snorting again, Hermione turned to the pair of gingers, smirking when they gained a suspicious look on their faces.
“Funny you should say that considering Harry had a crush on you two in his fourth and fifth year,” The tables were turned as the twins froze, their jaws dropping.
“What?” They said together, the pair were in shock as they turned to Harry at the same time. He had been surprised they didn’t get whiplash. “Is she joking?” Laughing at the surprise in their tone and the slight flush on their cheeks, Harry shook his head.
“Nope.” He said, popping the p at the end. “Had a huge crush on you in my fifth year. I never said anything because I didn’t want to ruin our friendship if things became awkward.” The twins merely huffed and crossed their arms at the same time, pouting at him.
“We had a crush on you around the same time, Harry,” Fred spoke, but there was a teasing gleam in his eye that showed he wasn’t upset.
“Never said anything because we were worried how you’d take it. We come as a package deal,” George grinned, making Harry snort and shake his head.
“Oh, I know. That’s what I wanted,” He grinned back, enjoying making them gape at him again. “I’m surprised you didn’t know I wanted to be sandwiched between you two back then.” The pair had let out shocked laughter, eyes gleaming. “Even if I don’t think about that anymore, I’m sure Lee Jordan does,” Harry commented easily, making the twins flush again, innocently looking away.
The crush he had on Fred and George in his fifth year had vanished within time. They were all close friends, and he didn’t want to mess that up. There was also the fact that his feelings did change after a while. Their teasing was gentle flirting, platonic, and leading nowhere. They were best friends and after a while, Harry couldn’t envision himself with them. It just didn’t feel right.
“Then you’ll just have to ask questions about Lee Jordan,” Hermione grinned back, making Harry pause and slowly smirk. “Like if they’ve managed to woo him yet,” Harry grinned at the idea of the twins taking Lee out for a date and how awkward they would be.
“They can be suave when they want something or when they want to tease, but once you add real emotion into it, those two start to trip all over themselves.” Harry chuckled. “I think that’s another reason we wouldn’t have worked out in the long run, honestly. All three of us couldn’t be disasters at once.”
“Merlin,” Hermione groaned, nearly face-palming. “As funny as that would have been, it would have been a nightmare.”
“It’s a good thing you decided to visit,” Fred spoke with a devilish smirk. “Because we’ve created a new product that we want you two to look at.” Harry felt at ease with their presence, moving to one of the tables to get a better look. From what he could see, it was an average candy tin.
“Freddie,” George spoke with another grin. “You didn’t even tell him what it does.”
“I was being nice to you, Georgie. I thought you might want the honor,” The two grinned at the same time, moving even Harry closer to the table.
“You see, we got an idea after you told us Dumbledore was stressing you out.” Fred began, tone slightly serious. “And we didn’t like that one bit,”
“Not at all,” George frowned. “No one messes with our favorite Gryffindors while we’re not around,”
“Quite true, George. And since our favorite Gryffindors are being messed with, we decided to mess with his favorite food,” With a wave of his wand, the tin opened and revealed multiple candies, all of which looked like the absurd lemon drops that Dumbledore constantly fawned over. “The effects all differ depending on the candy,”
“Like elephant on a bicycle,” Harry realized, the twins shooting him more grins.
“We got some inspiration from them, but these will pack more of a punch.” Hermione raised an eyebrow at that, growing more curious as she gazed at the candies.
“Some are harmless. They removed all the color from your clothes.” Fred began, and George quickly added. “or take away your ability to see color for the day.” Harry smirked, particularly liking the effect it would have on some of Dumbledore’s more…outlandish clothes.
“There’s also one that tastes perfectly fine until you get to the end.” George leaned back, particularly proud of his upcoming words. “Because it leaves a rotten taste in your mouth depending on how much of the piece you ate. The more you eat, the nastier the aftertaste will be.” Hermione felt her eyes widen at the words, a look of slight excitement in them, a look she only got when breaking the rules.
“And there’s one that makes you relive your worst memory a few minutes after you first start to eat it,” Fred smirked. “Our goal is to get Dumbledore to associate his favorite candy with horrible things, making him incapable of eating them without getting sick, or no longer liking them.”
“And we factored in personal taste too,” George practically cackled. “The effects would be different for a person that despises lemon drops. Not much would happen to them if they ate it. The more you like the candy. The worse the effect will be.” Harry couldn’t stop his laugh.
“Merlin, that’s absolutely brilliant! You two are geniuses.” They pretended to preen at his words. “How long have you been working on these?” From all the work and detail the two had put into it, Harry wouldn’t have been surprised if they were working on this for a while now.
“Since you first had to get a restraining order on him,” George answered seriously. “We had to stop ourselves from making some of these more lethal,” He joked, but Harry could hear the truth.
“Instead of poison, we have another specific candy that will make him horribly ill the next day. It was the best we could do without outright killing him. We exhausted all of our patients by not charming one to make him choke,” Hermione snorted softly.
“It’s a good thing he’ll be gone soon. Otherwise, death by lemon drop would have been the next best plan,” Harry choked on a laugh, shaking his head.
“That would have been priceless, though. A man who defeated a dark lord dying from a lemon drop?” The more he spoke, the wider his grin spread, another chuckle escaping the more he thought of it. The twins grinned softly, their arms going around Harry’s shoulder affectionately.
“Good to hear you laugh like that, Harry,” Fred spoke, giving a playful squeeze.
“Yeah. We’ve missed it. Once Dumbledore is gone, you have to promise us you’ll laugh more!” The playful tone made him smile more, returning the affectionate squeeze, eyes bright.
“I can make a better promise,” Harry added. “Once Dumbledore is gone and Yule is here, you’re welcome to join me and Hermione in the Black Library,” Their eyes gained a devious gleam, excitement thrumming through them. “Remus will also be around. I know he’ll be happy with the prospect of research and the ability to experiment again. I know he’s wanting to make another map too, and he’s interested in the one we talked about for Diagon Alley,” If possible, the twin's eyes lit up even more.
“An original Marauder helping us with the map?” The twins spoke in unison. “Wicked!”
It was about an hour later when Harry cleared his throat, knowing he should go ahead and tell them the truth.
“So, you know that crush I had on Professor Snape?” Their smirks made him blush darkly, wanting to sink away at their knowing looks.
“You mean the one where you got all stary-eyed when you talked about him?” Fred inquired nonchalantly, pleased with himself when Harry’s face darkened more. “The same crush that made you smile to yourself whenever you thought about him?” Letting out a slight huff, he shook his head.
“Okay, I get it. You remember the crush I had on him. Well,” He smiled to himself, ready for them to know. “I thought you would be happy to know that my crush was not unrequited,” They grinned widely at him.
“Hell yeah,” They wrapped their arms around him again, fondly ruffling his hair. “Look at you go, Harry.”
“We’re happy for you,” Fred was sincere. “It’s obvious that you cared deeply for him, and from what you and Hermione have said, he obviously cares deeply for you as well.”
“He better make you happy, though.” George smiled darkly. “He won’t know what will hit him if he ever hurts you,” Even though Harry knew Severus would never hurt him, it was nice hearing the protective tone in his best friends’ voice. It reminded him of just how much he was cared for, and how much he cared for them in return.
“Thank you,” Harry spoke to Hermione later that day when they returned to Hogwarts, smiling to himself. “I knew I was stressed from everything going on, but I wasn’t aware of just how much I was overthinking things. Visiting them helped me a lot. I don’t think I’ve laughed like that in a long time,”
“I don’t think you have either. It was nice hearing it again,” Hermione said with a kind smile. “Besides with me, I’ve only heard you laugh like that recently when you talk to Professor Snape or Tom through the journals,” Harry considered that, knowing she was right. It looked like Hermione wanted to say more, but she was interrupted by Luna, who walked up to the duo.
“Mind if I join you?” She asked softly, multiple creature books in her hand that made Harry smile. Some of the tomes looked like they were pulled from a family library, if the weathered covers and faded words were anything to go by. He pulled out a chair for her windlessly, smiling up at her.
“Not at all, Luna. Is Neville with you?” Harry inquired, to which the younger shook her head.
“Not today. His grandmother requested his assistance. I believe it is about what is happening at the Ministry.” Hermione and Harry shared a look at that, the pair’s eyebrows creasing with worry. “Oh.” She spoke up, a dazed look in her eyes. “Have you not heard?” Harry felt himself frowning more.
“Heard what?” Hermione asked, growing more concerned as well. She watched as Luna reached for her bag, digging out a recently printed paper. From the looks of it, it looked like it was the Daily Prophet, which usually ran in the mornings.
“It came around Lunch,” Luna explained, folding the paper out so they could read for themselves.
BREAKING NEWS: DELIVERY FOR THE MINISTRY
At approximately eleven this morning, three fugitive Azkaban escapes were found dead at the Ministry of Magic. The three were disposed in front of the Fountain of Brethren, for all to see. The three victims were Bellatrix Lestrange, Rudolphus Lestrange, and Rebastian Lestrange.
Bellatrix Lestrange, Rudolphus Lestrange, and Rebastian Lestrange took part in a heinous attack nearly two decades ago against Frank and Alice Longbottom, torturing them to insanity. The three were imprisoned for using the Crucitas curse on the victims for an extended period of time, resulting in them being placed in St. Mungo’s indefinitely.
Not long after their escape, the trio were involved in a battle at the Ministry. Bellatrix Lestrange killed Sirius Black, one of the last male Blacks in the bloodline. Sirius Black had been exonerated and cleared of his charges since then but at the cost of his untimely death.
The trio were some of the most infamous Death Eaters, answering to only their leader. Their first massacre only came to a halt with the demise of their leader nearly two decades ago. Now, two years after they escaped from Azkaban, the three have met their demise as well.
There are currently no suspects connected to this strange event, nor any eyewitnesses to give their statements. Mercenary, Vigilante, or good Samaritan, they have our thanks for apprehending some of the most feared criminals in our generation.
We can all rest much easier now that the feared trio has been apprehended.
Harry could hardly believe his eyes, which were wide as he reread the article, just to make sure it was real. He and Tom had discussed what needed to be done with the Lestranges, but to his knowledge, their deaths weren’t supposed to happen for at least another month. Or until Dumbledore was apprehended at least. He couldn’t help but wonder if something had happened that made Tom kill them sooner than anticipated.
“Merlin,” Hermione breathed out, eyes latched onto the image of the three Lestranges tied around the fountain, unable to believe her eyes. She knew that Harry recently had a conversation with Tom about this, but she was under the impression it would be much later. Not that she was complaining, however. Knowing those monsters were gone made her breathe just a little easier. She could remember ending up on the fourth floor with Harry and Ron, seeing firsthand what the attack had done to the Longbottoms. She could remember Neville slipping the gum wrapper into his pocket, unshed tears in his eyes as he said goodbye to his parents that didn’t even know him.
It broke her heart.
“Good riddance,” Hermione mumbled after a moment, eyes flashing. “I hope they suffered for what they did to Neville’s parents.” Luna, ever gentle, nodded in agreement, her own eyes flashing for a brief moment in seriousness.
“Me too,” Harry mumbled. “My parents are completely gone. I can’t imagine what it would have been like to see them, but not talk to them. It’s worse than being dead.” Harry said softly, looking at the blurred picture on the cover. It was slightly censored to hide what he assumed were deep wounds. He doubted Tom was gentle with them, and he sincerely doubted he had simply used the killing curse on them. He would have used it once he was finished making a point.
But unlike the three he killed; he wouldn’t let them stay alive to suffer as the Longbottoms had. He would have killed them almost immediately after he was done torturing them, and he certainly wouldn’t have tortured them into insanity. As he gazed at the picture, deep in thought, he missed the way Luna’s eyes glazed over.
“He did it for you,” She spoke softly, almost to the point where Harry had to lean in closer to understand what she was saying. When the words registered, he felt a hot blush warm on his cheeks. He shifted his gaze, avoiding Hermione’s suddenly piercing eyes. Before he could say anything, Luna was speaking in a dreamy voice.
“The orchestrated war is winding to a close. Even those in the middle have turned away,” Harry blinked at her, the words playing in his ears as he tried to get a grasp of what it meant. “One of the monsters has been slain, the other will be quick to follow.”
It hit him suddenly. He remembered telling his fears to Tom a few days ago. The public will never forget what the Lestrange family has done. Of the people who broke free from Azkaban, they are the ones who strike the most fear and disgust in the civilians and the ministry. That unrest is what worries me.
He did it for you.
Luna’s words enter unbidden in his mind, trying to shove them aside as he focused on the meaning of her other message. Taking a deep breath, he tries again.
Those in the middle were the regular day-to-day civilians. Now that the Lestranges have been apprehended, the public will relax at knowing they’re gone. There will be some who will question the Lestrange family and their demise, and there will be some who will always be suspicious as well. However, the majority would be relieved knowing the three cruel escapes were no longer at large. With them gone now, the ‘war’ would slowly fizzle out into nothingness after a while.
A genuine smile spread across his face, heart light at the added freedom this offers. No more cries for ‘The Boy Who Lived’ to save society or sacrifice himself in a war he never asked to fight for.
The other will be quick to follow. While those words promised the defeat of Dumbledore, something inside of him shuddered at the meaning. Quick. Meaning soon. He fights down the unease the thoughts bring up and instead thinks of the lemon drops that were waiting on Dumbledore’s desk, ready to be eaten. He thinks of the pain it will cause. It makes him forget about the upcoming confrontation that is close to happening.
“I’m glad this is going to settle now,” Harry spoke at the silence that had risen, wanting to breathe light back into their conversation. “The public will feel much safer,” Hermione hummed, nodding immediately.
“And they will be safer as well. I remember facing off against them in our fifth year.” Hermione had a small frown on her face at the memory. While people blamed Antonin Dolohov for her injuries, it had been Rodolphus Lestrange who had cursed her with the purple flame. From what she could remember from the battle, Dolohov had used dark spells, but nothing lethal. Most of the other Death Eaters had primarily used curses to stun or disarm them, or they had outright focused on Harry. When the Order came, they quickly turned their attention to them instead, fighting them even harder.
At the time, it hadn’t mattered much to her because she was focused on surviving. It wasn’t until afterward that she realized many of them were going easy on them, likely because they were so much younger. They were only fifteen years old after all.
“Rodolphus was one of the more brutal ones,” She spoke, scrunching her nose at the painful memory. “The order blamed Dolohov when it was actually him who tried to kill me,” Harry felt his frown deepen at that, remembering it as well.
“His brother was also the one who had tried to kill Ron with a similar curse,” Harry recounted. “Besides the Lestrange family, the only other brutal Death Eater from that battle was Macnair, but he’s just creepy in general.” Hermione flinched at thinking of the executioner.
“Maybe he’s next,” Hermione mumbled under her breath. “Merlin knows no one will miss him,” Luna hummed at that, looking a little dazed.
“No, he would not be. He is less unhinged, but that will not save him from his fate. His desire to see blood will be his downfall. Slytherin protects those they care about most,” Harry couldn’t breathe, the world stopping for just a second as her words landed, unsure of how to take them.
Was she prophesying Severus killing Macnair for him? It didn’t make much sense considering Tom had ordered him to be left alone. None of his followers would dare disobey him, especially the ones who were ranked higher.
Hermione’s confusion was obvious as well, her lips parted in shock as her lips started to move, quietly repeating Luna’s words to try and make sense of it.
The more Harry thought about it, another thought came to mind. Perhaps he would be the one to kill Macnair? He was a snake in lion's clothing, and if Macnair planned on hurting his friends, nothing could stop him from protecting them. When Slytherin made friends, those friends became extremely important to them. They had a sense of trust and closeness that couldn’t easily fade away. Their friends were small in number, but those friends they did have were extremely close. It made him think of his friendships and how close-knit they were. As he continued to ponder, Luna spoke up again, making his thoughts freeze in their tracks.
“You have Slytherin’s heart. It will stop at nothing to protect you.” Harry couldn’t breathe at the words, face flushing darkly as he heard Hermione gasp beside him. When he turned to look at her, there was a small look of surprise, but it was mostly overshadowed by a familiar look of realization.
It was her ‘I knew it’ expression, and Harry had no idea what that meant.
As their conversation shifted to charms and magical beasts, Luna had to excuse herself an hour later, citing something about gedlewals being active this time of the day. When she left, it was just him and Hermione at the library table, their books spread across the surface. As he flipped the page, he felt his brain short-circuit as he realized something extremely important. Something that he had so obviously missed.
Luna had said Slytherin’s in her last mystical comment. As in a single person, not plural. His heart thrummed wildly in his chest, face slowly heating up again.
Slytherin. He had Slytherin’s heart.
“Oh,” He whispered, placing his rapidly flushing face into his trembling hands, heart fluttering more.
Luna hadn’t been referring to Severus, had she?
She was referring to Tom.
When he eventually lowered his hand and met Hermione’s eyes, he released a long breath that he wasn’t aware he had been holding. Of course she would have known. Of course she would have seen it. His friend had always been good at that.
“You knew,” He stated in a small voice, the shock of it starting to vanish. Hermione gave him a slight smile, placing her book on the table gently, rubbing a finger on a small crinkle in the page.
“Not for certain,” She explained, worrying her bottom lip. “I started to assume about a month or a month and a half ago,” The bushy-haired witch explained. “From the messages you showed me and the way you described his interactions with you…” She trailed off for a moment. “It led me to believe there was something there,” Harry sighed, rubbing his face slowly, aggravated at the flush on his face that would not go away.
“Severus is not going to like this at all,” Harry mumbled, not wanting to make things awkward between Severus and the person he followed. Hermione considered that as she tilted her head, looking at him with a strange expression.
“And how do you know that he isn’t already aware of Tom’s feelings for you?” Harry was jolted at that, looking at her with wide eyes. She held up her hand, stopping him from speaking. “If I can figure it out from a few messages you’ve shown me and a few conversations you’ve told me about, I know he’s likely to come to the same conclusion too. He’s more intelligent than I am by miles.” Harry felt his nose twitch in displeasure that that, heart sinking.
His sullen demeanor must have been more obvious than he wanted because Hermione was touching his hand gently, a look of concern in her eyes.
“This is bothering you more than you’re admitting to,” Hermione realized when she looked deep into his pain-filled green eyes, frowning more at the way they avoided her gaze. “Oh, Harry.” She whispered in understanding. “You’re in love with both of them, aren’t you?” Her words broke the damn as he leaned forward, crying into her shoulder. She quickly wrapped her arm around her best friend, rubbing soothing circles on his back. “And you’re just realizing it now, aren’t you?”
“I don’t know how it happened,” Harry whispered brokenly. “I think part of me has known for a while now, but I ignored it. With my growing feelings for Severus at the time, it was easy to focus on that. But,” His green eyes were screwed shut, trying to stop more tears from falling. “I can’t ignore how he makes me feel, Mione. For Merlin’s sake, I always blush whenever he compliments me or tells me how much he cares-“
“Hey,” Hermione soothed him, rubbing her hand up and down his back more, tightening her hold on her distressed friend. “It’s okay, Harry. You don’t need to explain anything to me.” She promised, her heart clenching at the broken voice of her friend.
“I don’t want to lose Severus because of this, Mione,” Harry whispered in a small, panicked voice that broke her heart more. “I love him so much. I’m prepared to ignore my feelings for Tom and let them fade away, so I don’t lose Severus. It would kill me if I lost him,” His heart sunk further into his chest at the thought of Severus sneering at him, or even looking at him with hatred, disgust, or Merlin forbid, hurt. He couldn’t do that to the man. He would work to control his feelings for Tom. He would make the feelings go away and-
“You’ll need to talk to him about this eventually, Harry.” Hermione carefully said, not wanting to make him panic more. She felt him tense in her arms, shaking a bit. “You know I’m right. If I caught on to your feelings…” She trailed off, knowing he got the hint. He tensed more, heart racing in fear, ready to burst out of his chest and flee.
“I’m so scared, Hermione. I don’t want to hurt him,” As gently as she could, she held him closer, tucking him into her chin.
“It would hurt him worse if you kept this a secret, Harry, trust me.” Harry swallowed the lump in his throat at her words, knowing she was right. It was either hurt Severus by telling him he also liked Tom, or hurt him by not telling him.
But, if there was one thing he heard about relationships, it was that communication was important. Taking a deep breath, he condemned himself to his fate.
“How are you so calm about this?” Harry asked after his tears had subsided, his voice returning to normal.
“Triads are extremely common in the Wizarding World, Harry. I know you used to have a crush on the twins, but relationships like that are more common than you realize.” He pulled away, nearly gawking at her.
“You can’t seriously be suggesting Severus would be okay with a triad, Mione!” Harry opened and closed his mouth, trying to form coherent words from the racing thoughts in his head. “I know you’ve seen him get jealous. I don’t-“
“Just talk to him, Harry. It doesn’t need to be tonight, but it needs to be a conversation you have. And no, I’m not saying he would be fine with a triad. I meant his reaction might not be what you’re fearing because of how common triads are in this world.” She soothed. “I know in the muggle world that monogamy is the norm, but that isn’t the case here. The only monogamist creatures here are werewolves, but you already know that.” Harry took a breath, nodding when he thought of Remus. “I’m not saying everyone is open to a triad, either, just that it is extremely common.”
Harry took another breath, nodding.
“Thank you for this,” Harry said slowly, flushing in embarrassment. “I’m sorry-“
“Don’t apologize for anything, Harry. I remember when I got into that argument with Viktor last year, and you did the same thing for me.” Harry paused, but soon nodded, a small smile on his face. “We’ve always got each other’s backs.” He smiled wider.
“Of course we do, Mione. There’s a reason I adopted you as my blood sister.” He teased, earning a playful huff.
Harry slowly opened the journal that was glowing, his heart pumping in his chest loudly. He swallowed hard and peered down.
Is something wrong? I felt an abundance of sadness and fear through our bond. Has Dumbledore done anything to you? I will apparate immediately to your side if he’s tried to mess with you again. Smiling at the concern, he conjured a quill and wrote a response.
Everything is alright, Tom. I’m sorry for disturbing you. I promise that everything is okay. I just had a difficult conversation with one of my friends. It’s all been worked out now. It was silent on the other end, but soon, words appeared on the paper.
I see. I am relieved that you are alright, however. You know where I am if you need my assistance with anything. You must be anticipating Dumbledore to make a move any day now. Grimacing at the words, Harry withheld the shudder that wanted to escape. I will be there if you call for me, Harry. I will not allow him to hurt you.
Severus had said something similar to him not long ago.
Thank you, by the way. He scribbled down. I was only able to read the Daily Prophet about two hours ago. I wasn’t expecting you to kill them so soon. He felt a thrum of anger that wasn’t his own and frowned.
Neither was I.
What happened, Tom? It went silent again. He had a feeling the man didn’t want to share. Only if you feel comfortable telling me.
One of the lower-ranked Death Eaters let it slip that you had claimed the Black Lordship, and Bellatrix was displeased. She spoke of how her nephew deserved the title more because he wasn’t a Filthy Half-Blood and wouldn’t tarnish the Black family name. She then went into account that instead of merely killing Sirius Black, she should have also killed you as well. Harry held his breath, eyes widening more. That was the final straw. As soon as she threatened to hurt you, I put her in her place, as well as her lovers.
Lovers. He hadn’t been aware that she was with both of the Lestrange brothers, but the conversation he recently had with Hermione came back to his mind.
Perhaps it was more common than he realized.
Anyone who dares insult you in such a way will answer to me personally. I will not tolerate their insolence regarding you. He flushed again, biting his lips to try and quell the smile that was threatening to split forth. Nor will I tolerate their blood politics. Being a half-blood myself, I took great insult to what she said. Harry winced at that.
Merlin, it takes a lot for them to upset you. What did she say about Half-Blood exactly?
That we were an abomination. That we couldn’t decide what we wanted to be. Since we were neither pureblood nor muggle blood, we were the scum of the earth. Harry sucked in a breath, his own anger boiling in his chest at her words. She also said we needed to be killed off, along with all the muggles and muggleborns.
I’m glad I wasn’t there to hear it. I don’t think my patience would have lasted long. It’s rich coming from her. She’s the product of incest, for Merlin’s sake. If anyone was the abomination, it was her.
I agree. They were ruining the flow of magic. Harry wanted to continue the conversation, but he was expected in Severus’ room soon. The thought made him swallow hard, afraid of facing the man after his realization.
But he needed to.
I’ve got detention with Severus soon. I should get going.
Detention? Dare I imagine what you did to aggravate him? Laughing softly, he penned a quick response.
Nothing like that. I secretly use that time to study for my Mastery in Defense. I perfectly behave in class; I’ll have you know. If anyone were to give me detention, I imagine it would have been Dumbledore, but the man isn’t allowed in the same space as me, except for the Great Hall.
I have no doubt you’re well-behaved in class. Your intelligence is evidence of that.
Harry flushed at the words and shut the journal slowly, hiding his face in his hands with a deep, foreboding sigh.
“Merlin, what am I going to do?”
Notes:
After giving it some thought (and I mean A LOT of thought) I want to try Severus/Harry/Tom, because many of you believe that I have written them in such a way that a poly relationship would be feasible between them, and I think I might be inclined to agree.
However, I still plan on doing an AU of Taking His Life Back that is purely Tomarry, because I have a specific plot and story I want to try.
I'm sorry for those of you who wanted a strict Snarry story, and I promise you that none of this was my intention, but the story divulged and lead down a path that I hadn't foreseen. I hope you continue to read this story despite the inclusion of Tom and the triad.
If not, I completely understand. I thank you all for reading thus far, at least.
Chapter 27
Notes:
Another chapter is finally done! I hope everyone enjoys this chapter because I had a lot of fun writing it. I'm super excited for the upcoming chapters because we will be reaching the end soon.
For those wondering, while I did make a triad between Tom/Harry/Severus, Tom/Severus is not going to happen because they do not feel that way for each other. The ships are Tom/Harry, and Severus/Harry, with Tom and Severus putting aside their possessive/jealous nature because they trust each other. I will not change my mind on this, so I'm sorry if you were wanting a Tom/Severus, but that is just not possible.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Harry had never been so apprehensive about meeting Severus before, not since they had become so close at least. He didn’t know what to say to him or how to broach the topic of the growing feelings for Tom. He couldn’t even pinpoint when the shift in his feelings had begun, only fully becoming aware of them in the past two weeks.
They had likely been there for a while now, but he had either outright ignored them, or denied them so vehemently that they were barely noticeable. In the end, he lied to himself. Harry wasn’t sure if that was impressive, or if it was troubling. For now, he settled on both.
The more he thought about it, the more he realized he had missed. One thing he missed was the way Severus commented on his closeness with Tom a few months ago. At the time, he hadn’t thought much of the comment, figuring it was just an observation. Severus saw things similar to Hermione, but with even more detail and precision. The man was a spy for a reason after all. He had trained himself to see the small subtleties of others and the way they reacted to certain things. His trained eyes could catch the smallest change in expression.
Harry took a deep breath, wondering what it was that Severus had already seen regarding him. Had he seen his crush on Tom develop? Had the beautiful onyx eyes caught his blush, or the small smile he would save for the journal? Maybe he had even seen the way he smiled fondly when recounting plans or conversations he had with Tom.
His racing thoughts terrified him, dreading any of the answers his treacherous mind came up with. He closed his eyes for a moment, dispelling the thoughts in order to clear his head. No matter how afraid of this conversation he was, he needed to be calm. Panicking about the conversation would only make things worse.
With his racing heart, the seventh year makes his way to the dungeons and down the familiar trek to Severus’ courters. Taking a breath, he entered the welcoming rooms, dimly wondering if this would be the last time he was allowed entrance. The mere thought makes his heart sink, but when he feels Severus’ presence nearby, it does ease his tension slightly.
“Amortentia?” Harry comments as he enters the personal brewing rooms, immediately noting the pleasant aroma wafting through the air. There were a few cauldrons in the corner, placed within the confines of a containment spell. As soon as he got a closer look, he was grimacing, noticing the green sheen that was evident in many poisons. “Let me guess; if it’s inhaled, it poisons the person?” He saw lips twitch slightly, an appraising look in the dark eyes that made him swallow hard, flushing slightly.
“Unfortunately,” Severus drawled out. “I caught it before it erupted,” Harry winced at that, knowing exactly what could have happened if air bubbles became trapped in the boiling potion. It would have made the reactions even worse.
“How did they manage to turn this into a poison?” Harry moved closer to get a better look at the potions, pondering on what could have caused it to become so unsteady. “The only thing I can imagine is that they either added all the Ashwinder eggs at once, or they pricked their finger on the rose thorn early on and didn’t catch it.” He mused, knowing none of the other ingredients could have created a poison. His eyes widened at Severus’ next words.
“You are correct on both accounts,” Harry choked on a laugh, shaking his head again. Merlin, no wonder the potion had become so volatile in a matter of moments. It would have been bad enough with one of the two mistakes, but both?
“I’m glad you caught it. How did you figure it was both?” Harry asked, genuinely curious. He felt himself blush when the warm body came forward, sliding against his. A hand landed on his hip, giving a gentle squeeze as deep words spoke lowly, near his flushed ear.
“The pearl dust,” Severus informed slowly, motioning towards the shimmer within the containment bottle. “Under the light, it appeared red instead of pale pink,” Harry hummed in understanding, withholding a shudder as his hip was gently squeezed again. “I caught Mr. Creevey,” Harry grimaced at the name, thinking of the younger wizard and the annoying camera that used to follow him around. “Throwing them all in at once.” Harry made a face at that.
“I have no idea why Slughorn passed him,” From what he had observed over the years, Colin wasn’t the most studious. He was extremely nice, though, and he did have a good eye for photography. He wasn’t sure if he would pursue a career with that in the muggle world or try to land a job in the wizarding world.
He hoped that with Dumbledore gone, they could reintroduce classes on Wizard traditions for the muggleborns and half-bloods. If they had a muggle studies class, they needed a Wizard tradition class too.
“He erred in several ways when he returned,” Severus mumbled. “I will not let it happen again,” Harry smiled at the words, heart fluttering softly in his chest. If there was anything that Severus was passionate about, it was his potions. He had high standards but for obvious reasons. Potion-making could be dangerous, if not done correctly. Merlin knows how many accidents he has seen over the years.
“I take it you have something you want to implement?” Harry asked, smiling at the sensation of lips ghosting across his head, featherlight but still leaving tingles in its wake.
“For those in the NEWT classes, yes,” Severus spoke. “After this year, there will be an exam given near the beginning of the year. They will have two weeks to prepare. Failure of the exam will result in being kicked from the class.” Harry hummed in surprise, but he couldn’t deny how crucial the change would be.
“It’s a good idea,” Harry mumbled. “NEWT level classes are taken because of the impact it has on our career. If someone is in the class, they need to retain that knowledge in general, not memorize it for an exam the next day and then forget it,” He began, going quiet after a few moments.
“Precisely,” Severus agreed, but there was something else in his voice. When Harry turned to look at him, he found dark eyes locked on him. His heart thudded loudly in his ears, a flush blossoming over his cheeks. “Something is on your mind.” It wasn’t a question, Harry noted, surprised that his lover could tell so quickly. Severus gently tilted his chin up, peering at him with a look of contemplation, a hint of concern in the depths of his dark eyes. Mouth going dry, Harry’s cheeks warmed up further as he tried to ignore the pounding of his heart which so desperately wanted to jump out of his chest. Before he could even open his mouth to say anything, Severus was leading him to the living space and the sofa that he had once spent many nights on.
“Uh,” He began, thoughts racing a mile a minute. “Sorry,” Harry apologized, closing his eyes when long fingers burrowed in his hair, stroking the strands slowly. “Hermione and I visited the twins today, but when we returned is when I learned of the Lestranges' demise.” He started off with something small, not wanting to jump into the full situation. Even if he was a Gryffindor, there were some things that were even too reckless for him. “I was a little surprised, given that it was supposed to take place a month from now,”
“I was surprised as well,” Severus confessed, still stroking his hair. The gentle movement and sensation helped ground Harry, keeping him from slipping into an anxious mess.
“I asked Tom what happened to make him kill them so early. Apparently, Bellatrix said some extremely derogatory remarks about Half-bloods that even he took offense to. However, the final nail in the coffin was when she insulted me and made a few threats to kill me,” He felt the hand slow down for a second, tension obvious in the older wizard’s shoulders. “After saying she should have killed me beside Sirius two years ago,” He finished with a sigh.
“She was more of an idiot than I realized-” Severus’ voice was deep, with a darkness to it that made Harry’s breath catch low in his throat. “If she thought she could say that in front of the Dark Lord and live.” The blush that had only started to fade away came back tenfold, lips parting in shock briefly. “He is not subtle with his affection for you,” Fighting off another blush, Harry opened his mouth.
“It wasn’t obvious to me,” Harry mumbled, earning an eyebrow that was raised in surprise. “I didn’t figure out Tom had…those sorts of feelings for me until Luna said something when she was in one of her trances,” He licked his lips, feeling hot all over.
“You weren’t aware of the Dark Lord’s feelings?” Swallowing hard, Harry shook his head.
“No. I wasn’t aware until a few hours ago,” Harry confessed, chewing his bottom lip. “It all started when Luna prophesized Macnair being the next Death Eater to be killed,” He stated, watching the interest flicker on his lover’s face. “After that, she said Slytherin protects those they care about most, and I thought she was referring to you at first, because I know that you would,” There was a protective inferno blazing in Severus’ eyes.
“In a heartbeat,” Severus mumbled, dark voice making him swallow hard, fighting the wave of terror that wanted to roll through him at the upcoming words he had to speak.
“But then Luna said I had Slytherin’s heart…and it took me an hour to realize what she meant.” Harry sighed. “Because the way she worded it hadn’t been plural, but a singular person instead. There’s only one person I know who could be labeled as Slytherin like that. That’s how I realized she was referring to Tom and his feelings for me,” Harry breathed out. “Merlin knows I’m oblivious to stuff like that. It took me months to figure out you felt the same,” Harry tried to joke, but it fell flat even to his own ears.
“I see,” Severus spoke slowly, his expression flickering between contemplation and another emotion that he couldn’t quite identify.
“I take it you figured it out a lot sooner than I had?” Harry mumbled, closing his eyes again when the warm hand continued stroking his hair. “Hermione’s hypothesized for about a month apparently. She was proven right today.” Severus considered that as he slowly spoke up.
“I had my suspicions, but they were proven correct the night Dumbledore first attacked you.” Harry went completely quiet as he listened, letting his lover explain. “The Dark Lord hides his emotions well at times, but that night he was beside himself with worry,” Harry remembered all too well. Tom hadn’t slept at all and was only pacified when he came to see him. That was the first time the man had hugged him. The more he thought about it, the more Harry realized Tom had lingered in the embrace, as if he didn’t want to let him go.
It went silent for a moment and as Harry tried to think of how to break it and inform his lover of his own feelings, Severus broke the silence for him.
“I imagine you became aware of your own feelings today as well?” At the simple words, Harry felt the world freeze around him, his heart dropping as his veins turned into ice, fear sinking into his very core. Hermione had been right again, hadn’t she? Severus had noticed his emotions, even when he hadn’t. With the coldness settling into his very bones, Harry didn’t know if he should laugh or cry. But right now, he couldn’t do either. He had to get through this.
“I don’t understand,” Harry began, unable to look into the dark eyes that could so easily tear his heart apart. “I’ve only just realized…how did you..” Panic wanted to choke him as his eyes started to sting, his body fighting off the urge to shake. Vaguely, he heard a soft curse as warm arms enveloped him, tugging him into a familiar chest. A jumble of words was soon flowing from his lips, the fear dripping off each syllable. “I don’t have plans to act on these feelings. I was going to let them fade. You can use my truth spell Alítheia on me if you don’t believe me, or you can use vertesserem-“ Harry rambled, shaking in the other wizards’ arms, unaware of the way they tightened immediately. “I’m sorry,” He rushed out, unaware of the apologies that slipped past his trembling lips.
Don’t leave me, please. Was what Harry wanted to desperately say, but the fear stuck to his throat, his heart pounding hard. If he lost Severus…
Harry felt the way Severus tensed and immediately assumed the worst, heart sinking further as he clung to the robes, face hidden in the smooth material. This was it, wasn’t it? He was going to lose him.
However, Severus didn’t push him away or demand that he leave. Instead, the older wizard leaned down and spoke deeply, lips inches away from his ear.
“I will never leave you,” He promised, his voice dark and passionate, a low growl to it that took Harry by surprise. “Don’t think that for a moment, Harry.” Exhaling shakily, Harry let his fingers relax, no longer gripping the material tightly. He took another breath, trying to get his heartbeat to return to normal. “You mean a great deal to me,” Harry let the words sink in. After a few minutes of letting his breath come back, he was speaking up in a soft voice.
“I love you, Severus. I was afraid that I would lose you because of this.” Harry breathed out, heart only just starting to slow down, no longer thudding wildly. “You mean so much to me,” His words were raspy, but so sincere as he relaxed in the wizard’s arms, no longer trembling.
“I love you too,” Severus whispered back, one of his hands stroking up and down his spine, offering another level of comfort. “You won’t lose me, I promise.” Harry breathed out in relief, feeling lips ghost across his hair. “I noticed your feelings for him started to rise more this past month,” Severus began, keeping his voice slow and careful in order to hinder another panic attack.
“Was I that obvious?” Harry mumbled, relaxing as Severus continued to gently stroke his back up and down.
“Not at first,” Severus' gentle voice mumbled back. “However, the closer we became, the more I noticed your reactions.” Harry hummed at that, thinking back to how close he and Hermione were. They knew how the other felt with just a look. It made his heart flutter at the knowledge that he and Severus had reached that point as well. “It would be foolish of me to ignore the fact you care deeply for him,” Harry swallowed hard, hesitantly looking up to meet his lover’s eyes, still dreading what he would find.
He gasped when a finger gently tilted his chin up, lips claiming his own in a deep, sensual kiss. Harry closed his eyes with a soft hum, kissing back as his lover mapped out his mouth with a skilled tongue. When they broke apart, Harry panted softly, face flushed when Severus gently coaxed him to meet his eyes again.
There was no anger or disappointment behind the onyx eyes, and Harry felt immense relief fill him, heart beating lighter. He leaned into the warm touch, breathing much easier than he had since discovering Tom’s feelings, on top of his own. There was still something behind those dark eyes and he took a small breath. “Severus?” He asked, knowing the man had more he wanted to say.
“I am a possessive man,” Severus commented after a second of silence, trying to gather his words. “However, if you wish to also pursue a relationship with the Dark Lord, I would not be opposed.” Harry felt his lips part in shock, closing them when his lover looked at him with a hint of amusement.
“You would be open to a triad?” The Gryffindor asked, more than a little surprised at the answer. In all honesty, in his best-case scenario to all of this, he had been expecting to let go of his feelings for Tom. This wasn’t something he had thought possible, given how jealous his lover could be.
“For you, yes.” Severus ran a hand through his hair, fingernails gently scraping against his scalp. “I could not ask you to remove your feelings for the Dark Lord because I can see how deep it goes,” Harry nearly flinched at that, knowing that deep down, Severus was right. He might not have been able to remove his feelings for Tom if they were already this strong. However, that didn’t mean he would have been incapable of ignoring them. There were plenty of crushes he had in the past and never acted on. Although, he also knew that his feelings for Tom were much stronger than a mere crush.
“Are you sure this is something you want?” Harry asked after the shock died down, wanting to make sure this was a path Severus was okay with. “I am happy with you, Severus.” He promised, smiling when he was pulled into a chaste, but sweet kiss. He kissed back, holding onto his lover.
“I know you are,” Severus’ deep voice was soothing and gentle as he spoke clearly, wanting to keep his lover calm. “However, I know he would also make you happy,” Harry flushed darkly, wanting to say something but unable to come up with a response, knowing that once again, Severus was right. “I trust him as well,” Severus confessed, their eyes locking. “I know he would do anything to make you happy.” Hearing the words made his heart flutter erratically, flushing darkly.
“If you’re sure about this,” Harry began, taking Severus’ hand and intertwining their fingers. “Then I would like to talk to Tom about the possibility at some point.” He pressed closer, chewing on his bottom lip. “For now, I want to just be with you.”
He heard the slight hitch in Severus’ breath and a soft groan before he was tugged into a passionate kiss.
Later that night, as Severus pinned him to the bed, the older wizard made sure to remind him that he would never leave him.
“Severus,” Harry gasped out, bucking into the hand that was wrapped around his leaking cock, panting at the soft lips that kissed every inch of skin they could land on.
“I will never leave you,” Severus promised again, claiming his mouth in a bruising kiss. “I will make sure you remember that fact,” The deep voice breathed out, replacing his hand with his mouth as he swallowed him down. Harry choked on a moan, fingers threading through the silky hair.
Needless to say, he hadn’t lasted long.
“Good morning,” Hermione smiled at him from the sofa when he returned to Gryffindor Tower. She giggled in surprise when her friend immediately moved closer, pulling her into a friendly hug. “What’s this for, Harry?”
“For convincing me to talk to Severus yesterday,” Harry mumbled, grinning softly. “Looks like I was overthinking things again,” Hermione laughed, playfully tilting her head to gaze at him.
“You seem to do that a lot,” She teased, tone good-natured as she gently grabbed his arm. “I am happy everything is okay though. I know it must have terrified you to have that conversation with him. I am proud of you for facing that fear.”
“In the end, I really didn’t need to,” Harry confessed. “Severus figured out my feelings for Tom long before I did. He reassured me that he would never leave me,” A smile broke across his face as he said that, blushing to himself as the memory from last night resurfaced. He would not forget that night for the rest of his life.
“That’s wonderful! I’m glad everything worked out.” Hermione smiled brightly, pausing when a different blush settled on her friend’s face as he bit his lips again, trying to stop another smile from spreading. Her eyebrow quirked in interest, knowing there was something else.
“That’s not all,” Harry confessed shyly, eyes bright. “He’s open to me also dating Tom if Tom agrees to the triad.” Hermione lit up as she took her friend’s hand, squeezing gently as excitement for her friend ran through her.
“I’m so happy for you!” She grinned as his smile grew more, his own excitement starting to shine through his emerald-green eyes. “When do you plan on talking about it with Tom?” Hermione questioned, unable to help herself. She wanted to know all she could.
“Sometime today. I talked about it with Severus, and he agreed that talking to him either today or tonight would be best.” Harry said, running a hand through his hair. “
“Are you worried?” Hermione asked, making Harry pause as he considered his answer.
“I don’t know.” He confessed. “There is always the possibility that he might say no to this, and I’ve come to terms with that I think.” Harry shrugged. “It will hurt if that is the case, but that is one concern I have.” Hermione nodded, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.
“You know I’m here if you need to talk about it, Harry. You’re not alone.” She smiled at him, making him offer a small one in return. He gave her a quiet “I know,” as they pulled away.
When Hermione left to finish getting ready for the day, Harry pulled out his journal and quill, writing carefully.
Can I visit at some point today or tonight? It wasn’t long before a response appeared on the page, the script as neat as ever.
You’re welcome to visit me whenever you wish. You don’t need to ask. Smiling, Harry touched the words, flushing darkly.
Wanted to make sure you weren’t going to be in the middle of a Death Eater meeting. I don’t think they would appreciate it if I showed up unannounced.
Nonsense. Most of them are extremely fond of you, especially the ones currently in my inner circle. Lucius in particular is impressed by your ambition, as well as your determination to see Dumbledore fall.” Harry chuckled softly, thinking back to the small interactions he had with the blonde. My inner circle appreciates all you have done to remove Dumbledore.
It wasn’t just me. Albus dug his own grave in the end. I was just there to bury it. He felt amusement through their bond, grinning to himself. I do have something I want to discuss with you later. It’s important.
Am I to assume this is regarding the emotions I felt from you yesterday and last night? Harry winced, having forgotten about his panic with Severus and the fact that Tom must have felt it too. Merlin, he must have given Tom multiple scares yesterday.
Partially. I promise that everything is okay. I will explain it all later.
I should hope so. You have no idea how close I was to apparating to your side last night. Harry licked his lips, staring at the words with a soft expression as he smiled more. If anyone has bothered you, I will take care of them.
No one’s done anything recently. I promise that you would be one of the first to know. It looked like that had done the trick because Tom was soon writing back.
Good. With all the injustice you have been dealt, some from my own hands, you deserve the world. His eyes widened, his mouth opening and closing. Deserve the world? He flushed darker the more he stared at the sweet words. He had to shove it away for now, needing to focus on the other thing Tom wrote.
I’ve forgiven you for that, Tom. You were not the man you are now. With how many times you split your soul, it’s a wonder that you were even able to perform any magic. I know one thing for certain, if you had more of your soul that night, you would not have attacked me. I trust you with my life, and I don’t give my trust to just anyone.
You are far too forgiving. Harry smiled at the words, feeling the wave of warmth and longing that came from Tom, despite the man’s obvious attempt to conceal it. He closed his eyes and answered it with his own, breathing out in a slow exhale.
And you should not blame yourself for actions performed with less than five percent of your soul. Harry reminded kindly. You have proven how much you care time and time again. I forgave you the moment you offered me a place on your side. No one had ever given me the chance to decide until then. It was always about fighting for the light. And when I told you I would consider the dark, you didn’t push. You respected my decision and let me remain neutral. And when I came around to accepting the fact that I considered myself on your side, you never once questioned it and let me do what I wanted. That level of freedom is something I dreamed of for so long. Harry took a deep breath, hand cramping from all his writing.
Merlin, he had not meant to say so much.
I’m sorry that you have never been given freedom until now. That will change. After Dumbledore is gone, you will no longer have to pretend to be anything you are not. I will ensure that anyone who dares to try and make you fight will meet a swift end. They should not have put the weight of the world on your shoulders. You are not their atlas.
I can already imagine some of Dumbledore’s followers being outraged when they learn I plan on sticking to the education career path instead of being an Auror. They will have to deal with it. Harry smiled, adding another line. I am curious though. Since I’m not their atlas, what do you imagine I am? He could feel the tenderness coming from Tom and he shivered slightly, lips parting in shock as he gasped at the answer.
Apollo. The god of knowledge, education, brightness, and beauty. Harry felt his face burn with a deep flush that trailed all the way down his neck. You carry all of the traits Apollo does.
Merlin. His green eyes stare at the word beauty, chest flaring with warmth.
Harry swallowed hard and shakily stood up, waving his hand to spell his quill to respond for him, his hand trembling too much to grip the quill.
Are you sure you’re not referring to yourself, Tom? You’ve described yourself perfectly too. Harry held his breath at the sudden silence and stillness from their shared bond, wondering if he had gone too far. However, words appeared on the page, not nearly as neat as they had previously been.
Harry, come here. Please. Mouth going dry, he slowly closed the journal, waving his hand to send his items into his bag. Swallowing hard, he closed his eyes and apparated to Riddle Manor, coming face to face with a flushed Tom Riddle, who was seated at his desk like always.
The usual paperwork was tossed to the side, the journal in its place. Harry bit his lips, watching as Tom gripped the corner of his desk, a gleam in his crimson eyes. He sucked in a steadying breath and decided to channel that Gryffindor bravery he so often ignored.
With confident steps, he walked over to Tom and did something he so often joked about during the past few months.
He sat on his lap, earning a gasp of surprise as strong hands gripped his hips, crimson eyes blazing with heat. Those hands squeezed his hips, a slight tremble to them as they tightened their hold as if they were afraid that he would vanish. Harry leaned down to whisper in his ear, voice automatically slipping into Parseltongue.
:Is now a good time to talk?: He gasped as he was hoisted closer, their hips pressed together as Tom spoke in a broken voice that made Harry shudder.
:You are playing a dangerous game: Tom warned, nose brushing against his pulse point. :I know you and Severus are together: Harry could hear the shakiness in Tom’s words, his heart starting to race as the man spoke up again. :And as much as I wish I could be the one to hold you at night as he does: Harry felt his heart flutter, face warming more as Tom breathed against his ear. :I will not betray Severus like that, no matter how deeply I yearn for you.:
:And if Severus was fine with this?: Harry asked, choking on his breath as a broken sound left Tom’s throat, lips slowly brushing against the underside of his jaw, afraid to press for more. Harry realized that the man was afraid of losing his control, afraid of going too far, but still unable to help himself from lingering. :That he is open to the possibility of a triad because he saw how much I loved you too?: Harry doesn’t know where the confession came from, but it was true and he was done denying it because he had done so for far too long. He heard Tom suck in his breath as if he were a dying man, their bond saturated in confusion, but pure delight.
:Harry..: Tom shifted, cupping the Gryffindor’s cheeks as he tilted his face up, forcing them to make eye contact. When green and red met, it was like an electrical current passed through their bodies, the pair unable to look away. :You mean to tell me…: Tom stroked his cheeks worshipfully, a look of pure reverence on his face.
:This is what I wanted to talk about: Harry explained, leaning into the touch with a satisfied sigh, his eyes fluttering shut. :Severus and I discussed it last night. He was surprised that I wasn’t aware of your attraction towards me until yesterday: He reopened his eyes, focusing on the small flush that dusted over Tom’s cheeks. :I was afraid last night because I didn’t know how Severus would respond to my feelings for you. I knew he could be jealous because I had seen it a few times, and I was worried about how he would react to my feelings for you. However, he surprised me with his reaction. He told me that he knew you would also make me happy, and that out of everyone else, you were the only other person he trusted to do that.: Harry blushed as he spoke, chewing on his bottom lip.
:Severus and Lucius were the ones who helped me gather my wayward horcruxes, and he was also the one who helped me perform the ritual to reabsorb all the souls back in, save for you and Nagini. I also trust him deeply, especially with you. Had anyone else wanted to pursue a relationship with you, I would have thought them inadequate and not good enough for you.: Harry felt his very being tingle at Tom’s words, unable to stop his magic from reacting and sending his feeling of love and warmth through their bond. Thinking back to Tom’s words, he knew that the trust was mutual between Severus and Tom, and it was a relief that they were close as well. Before he could dwell on it further, a memory came back of a conversation about Tom’s Horcruxes.
:I thought that you decided to keep the cup?: Harry asked, remembering how Tom had stated that the only one Dumbledore apparently didn’t know about was the Hufflepuff cup, which he said was stored in a safe location.
:I did at first, but two months ago I decided to retrieve it and undo the Horcrux ritual. My only two Horcruxes left are you and Nagini. I didn’t want to risk having more than two, after everything that happened.: Harry nodded at that, soon flushing when Tom’s hands squeezed his hips again, eyes half-lidded.
“Uh,” Harry began, flushing at the look of vibrant affection, heart skipping a beat. “Now that you know Severus is okay with a triad between us, do you want to try this?” Harry asked, leaning into the warm touch again. “Because I have fallen in love with you too, Tom. I don’t know how it happened-“ A thumb pressed against his lips, cutting him off.
“I love you too, Harry. I’ve never felt anything this strongly before. I will not let you go once I have you. You will be mine too.” Harry sucked in a breath, a soft sound escaping his lips as Tom tugged him closer. “And the only other person I trust with your heart is also Severus. You’re ours, aren’t you?” Tom whispered. A barely-there moan slipped past Harry’s lips as he croaked out.
“Yes.” He agreed, watching the happiness and satisfaction settle into Tom’s eyes, the older wizard smiling softly at him. “I am yours, just as you are mine.” Those crimson eyes filled with more satisfaction at his words, a gleam shining within them, his smile softening even more.
He knew from experience that Tom’s soft smile was only reserved for him.
“Like Severus, I am also a possessive man.” Tom began, leaning closer so that their noses were almost brushing. “But I would be happy to share your affections with him. My heart already belongs to you.” Harry wrapped his arms around the sweet-talking wizard, dragging him down for a gentle kiss, pouring his love and devotion into it.
Tom responded in kind, smiling against the Gryffindor's lips as their bond dripped with adoration and love. When they broke apart, they both had a smile on their faces.
“Will you stay with me tonight?” Tom asked softly, kissing the corner of his mouth and under his jaw. Harry tilted his head to the side, giving a little more room.
“If you’ll have me,” Harry teased, gasping at a playful nip just under his ear. “I take it that means you want me to stay?” He innocently asked, smirking as he received another small nip.
:I would always want you,: Tom purred out, the shift in language making Harry swallow hard, not used to hearing it used in a seductive way.
:Something tells me you’re a romantic at heart,: Harry teased, grinning at the soft, but fond huff. :I love it,: He purred back, pulling him down for another kiss. :I also love that I’m the only one who gets to hear it.: He purred again, pressing against his new lover.
Just like his lovers, Harry could be possessive too.
He heard the hitch in Tom’s breath, which turned into a soft growl as lips eagerly claimed his own again, a tongue slipping into his mouth, taking advantage of the position to kiss him deeply.
:Something tells me you will be the death of me: Tom teased back once they broke apart, their lips wet and kiss swollen, a flush on both of their cheeks. :What a wonderful way to go,: Snorting, Harry opened his mouth to respond, but he was cut off by another passionate kiss, one that left him breathless and tingling all over.
Notes:
Now that the triad is in the works, I can start to write the final chapters and the conclusion to this story! I've got an idea of how I want certain things to go now. Thank you to everyone who has stuck with it so far.
And again, I'm sorry for those who wanted it to only be Snarry.
Chapter 28
Notes:
Here's another chapter! Can't wait to write the next one! It's gonna be a fun next few chapters, I think.
Also, I wanted to use some characters from Hogwarts Legacy to further the plot along. Hope everyone likes it.
Chapter Text
Shifting into the new relationship wasn’t completely easy, but after about a week, a nice routine had been found. Every other day Harry spent time with one of his two lovers, then went to see the other the following night. It was a simple, yet effective tactic, and it helped him spend time as equally as he could.
He was just beginning to wake up when he felt Tom shift beside him, warm arms tightening around him and pulling him closer.
:I could wake up like this for the rest of my life and still have my breath taken away: Tom hissed into his ears, making Harry shudder and flush darky, turning to look into warm crimson eyes. :Gorgeous: Tom praised softly, pulling him in for a deep, but sweet kiss. Harry closed his eyes and kissed back, crawling into the warm lap.
:So sweet: Harry mumbled against the smirking lips, giving a chaste kiss as he gazed into the heated eyes. :I love it: He smiled softly, kissing him slower, the tiredness still evident in their movements. Tom gripped his thighs as he rolled his hips slowly, earning a tired moan from Harry, who pressed his face into the warm neck.
:Minx: Tom mumbled softly. You’ve always had such a fascination with my lap: Tom’s voice was a rumble, a mix of arousal and grogginess. :I certainly enjoy having you on it: His words were punctuated by another roll of his hips, Harry’s eyes fluttering shut at the sensation.
:You should be proud of me for not sitting on it during your meetings. You have no idea how badly I thought of doing it.: Harry panted out as nimble fingers prodded at his backside, teasing his entrance. He pressed against it, a soft whine forming in the back of his throat. “A spell would be quicker.” Tom chuckled, kissing the flushed shoulder.
“In a hurry, aren’t we?” He leaned down to nip and suck at the marked neck, kissing a dark spot and grinning as he was rewarded with another whine. “I suppose you’re correct, though. You’ll be expected at Hogwarts in two hours.” Tom smirked and made a movement with his finger and wrist, the spell settling around Harry, who gave a desperate groan. “Perfect.”
“Please,” Harry begged, grinding down on Tom’s lap, sucking in a breath as Tom pushed his hips down, entering him in a matter of seconds. “Fuck,” He groaned, eyes fluttering shut at the familiar sensation, rolling his hips. Tom gave a soft groan, fingers digging into his thighs as he gave a small thrust forward, watching the way his lover parted his lips, a shaky moan leaving them.
:My beautiful emerald: Tom praised, looking into the green eyes which were clouded with pleasure. Harry sucked in a breath, face burning as he leaned down to capture Tom’s lips, slowly sinking up and down, movements a little sloppy from just waking up. :So stunning,: Tom groaned, tugging the hips down to meet his sloppy thrusts.
It was an embarrassingly short time later that Harry released, with Tom following not long after him, the duo flushed and panting, sharing sleepy kisses. With Tom’s soft words and gentle praises, Harry’s eyelids became heavy, and he found himself draped across the warm chest as the older cast a cleaning charm around them. The last thing he could remember was lips pressing against his scar, words whispering :I love you: before he fell back asleep, mumbling ‘I love you too’
He was woken up an hour later, blinking at the sight of Tom in a three-piece suit, his brain coming to a halt as he drank in the sight. His lover noticed and sent him a small smirk, crimson eyes shifting to dark brown.
“How did you do that?” Harry blinked in surprise, flushing when a hand tilted his chin up, their eyes locking. “It doesn’t look like a glamour.”
“Goblin magic,” Tom informed him, slowly caressing the warm cheek. “They’re still allowed to perform blood rituals within the Goblin Nation, so long as it’s performed within Gringotts, or in their homes. Wizards aren’t allowed to interfere with that.” Harry nodded in understanding, thinking back to the treaties he read in Binns's classroom, and during his own studies, “My eyes were originally brown, which is why I can change between the two.” Harry hummed in understanding, leaning to place a chaste kiss on his lover’s lips, smiling as it was returned eagerly.
“Are you worried that someone could recognize you?” Harry couldn’t help but ask, looking into the dark brown eyes that he had once seen in the chamber of secrets, and once through a pensive when Dumbledore had tried to make him chase after Horcruxes in his sixth year.
“No. There weren’t many who associated Tom Riddle with Lord Voldemort, and now that I go by Julian Claudius Gaunt, there will be even less to make the connection.” His lover said, a thoughtful look on his face. “You see, there is one thing that no one knows, not even Dumbledore,” Tom spoke softly, dark eyes alight with knowledge. “There was another Gaunt. My grandfather had a brother.” Harry felt his eyes widen slightly at that.
For the select few that knew Tom Riddle was Voldemort, or even that he was connected to the Gaunt family through Marvolo Gaunt, this would throw them off.
“His name was Ominis Gaunt and he did sire two children with a member of the Greengrass family,” Harry could hardly believe it. Dumbledore was wrong again. When the man had tried to force him to look for Horcruxes, he had been forced to see the Gaunt Family in their hovel, fighting with each other and tearing each other apart with their instability. Dumbledore had told him that this was the last of the Gaunt family.
“Why is it not common knowledge?” Harry questioned. “I know the Gaunt family had been reduced to next to nothing. That was one of the memories Dumbledore forced me to watch last year.” How Dumbledore had gotten them, he would never know.
“Ominis disowned himself from the Gaunt family shortly after his graduation. He wanted nothing to do with them. Instead of his wife changing her last name, he changed his when they married.” Harry listened to the words, letting them sink in as he got a better understanding.
“How did you discover all of this?” Harry asked, waving his hand as he started to get dressed, giving a small smirk at the way Tom lingered on his neck and chest, eying the marks with a pleased expression.
“While he removed himself from the family, his disowning was never finalized by magic. His birth and death certificates still reside in the Gaunt Vaults, as well as the Slytherin Vaults. The Slytherin Vault has a magical artifact similar to a pensive. Instead of memories fueling it, it is fueled by magic itself, as well as the person's emotions.” Harry’s eyes widened again, fascinated by the object.
“When you say emotion…I take it there were a lot of negative and dark emotions?” He hesitated, watching as his lover nodded after a moment.
“Ominis in particular. They forced him to perform the Crucitas curse, and when he refused, they used it on him when he was a child.” Harry twitched at that, a deep frown on his face. “I plan on using my relation to him. In his later years, he was a prominent figure in the Ministry, despite his blindness. He promoted the old traditions, while expressing the need for change regarding blood status.” The more Harry heard, the more he fell in love with the idea. It was a great way for his lover to cover his tracks and a great way to set forth a motion for change.
“You’re a bloody genius,” Harry said, shaking his head fondly. “Truly. You think of every detail. It’s astounding.” His lover had the smallest flush on his cheeks and Harry grinned at it, pulling him down for a small peck. :My genius Dark Lord: There was a flash of amusement in their bond. “I am curious about something, though. If there were more descendants from the Gaunt line who went by the name of Greengrass, surely the parselmouths would have been exposed in the Greengrass line?” Tom hummed at that, nodding.
“Ominis had only one male heir. His daughter, unfortunately, died fairly young from Dragon Pox, being that there was no cure yet. His son carried the line for a few years, but eventually, the Greengrass blood curse killed his last descendant thirty years ago. She died in her twenties and had no husband at the time.” Harry felt his eyes widen at the information, going over it in his head. “In the documents created by the Goblins, she had an illegitimate child,” Harry smirked at the information.
“If they ask, that’s who you will claim to be your mother?” His lover nodded.
“Precisely, and to stay hidden, private tutors were hired while I lived in France.” Harry was awestruck again by his lover’s meticulous planning, not a single detail missed. Tom chuckled at the look of awe on his face, leaning down to give him a final kiss. “As much as I love having you with me, you have to head back to Hogwarts soon,” Harry merely hummed, wrapping his arms around Tom slowly, biting his lips.
“I’m looking forward to seeing you there soon,” He mumbled, flushing when a hand carded through his hair, eyes soft. “When will you be coming to Hogwarts?” He asked, leaning into the touch with a small sigh of pleasure. Tom smiled, stroking the hair more.
“Tomorrow night. They want the students to be aware of my presence before Dumbledore’s removal, to not create a shock when they return from the holidays.” Harry nodded at that, fingers curling into Tom’s robes slowly as excitement bled into the bond.
“Good. I’m happy I’ll get to see more of you instead of just at night,” The older wizard smiled down at him, placing a small kiss on his scar. “And I’m looking forward to the mornings. You could keep me in your bed for longer,” There was a soft groan as Tom leaned down to capture his lips instead, backing him up against a small desk in the corner.
“Minx,” Tom breathed out, claiming his lips again and Harry eagerly pressed back, letting the time trickle away.
“You were later than usual this morning,” Hermione grinned at him as they found a perfect spot in the courtyards, the pair deciding to avoid the great hall today and enjoy a light, but warm meal outside. “Have fun?” Harry flushed at the look but was unable to stop from smiling to himself.
“Yeah, we did. It can be hard to leave him in the mornings sometimes. I commend you for the long distance you’re doing with Viktor, Merlin knows that it must be hard.” It was something they occasionally talked about, but it didn’t come up too often in their conversations.
“It is hard, but you know I enjoy a challenge.” Harry laughed softly at the good nature in her voice and the way she smiled. “It’s something we had to discuss fairly early on and being that we both had time constraints to distract us, we came to the agreement that we would be able to do long distance. He often travels for Quidditch, and with me still, in school, it’s served as a good distraction for both of us. We write and firecall whenever we can. And during breaks, we always take the time to see each other.” There was a look in her eyes and Harry noticed something behind them as he took her hand, watching her expression flicker again.
“Hermione? Is there something you’re not saying?” She bit her lips and slowly looked into his eyes, a look of hesitancy in them. He frowned more, growing more concerned at her hesitancy.
“I’m worried about the future.” She admitted, her expression brittle. “Not the immediate future, but further down the line. Viktor and I won’t be able to maintain a long-distance relationship like this forever. I have plans to join the ministry and work under the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, to try and change the way magical creatures are treated. Viktor knows I’m passionate about this and he supports me fully, but…” She bit her lips again, and Harry knew what she was trying to express.
“You don’t want to leave the United Kingdom and you don’t want to ask Viktor to leave Bulgaria.” She deflated and nodded solemnly.
“I want a family and kids,” She admitted to Harry’s surprise. “Not immediately. But I do want it. And if Viktor and I can’t compromise, I don’t see how we can have a future together.” She turned to him, soft tears landing on his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her, being reminded of a similar moment a week ago. He stroked up and down her back slowly, letting her vent her worries.
“I love him so much, Harry. He’s charming, smart, funny..” She trailed off. “He looks at me like I’m the most important person to him, and I feel that way when I look at him too.” Harry used one hand to stroke her hair as a small sob left her.
“Talk to him during Yule when you visit him,” Harry suggested softly. “Trust me when I say this, Mione. That man is smitten by you. I’ve seen the way he looks at you, and that’s the face of someone who wants to spend the rest of his life with you. Tell him what you’re worried about, okay? He might be worrying about the same thing.”
“I gave you similar advice last week,” She laughed wetly, and Harry chuckled, kissing her curls gently.
“What can I say? You’re always giving good advice. I figured it was my turn to do it,” He joked, earning another wet laugh. “I’m sorry you’re having doubts about your future, though. How long have you been worrying about this?” He couldn’t help but ask, hearing the small sniffle she gave.
“Truthfully? This is a recent development.” Hermione confessed. “School has always played a major role with the long distance. It’s always been part of my distraction, but now that we're going to be graduating in six months, it hit me hard. That in six months I would be applying for a position in the ministry and not be moving back with my parents.” Harry saw another expression flicker on her face, and he gently tightened his hold around her.
“I’m sorry,” He whispered, not able to imagine how it would feel to leave behind a family, especially one as supportive and caring as Hermione’s. Another sniffle escaped from his friend as she curled into him.
“They know I plan on staying here, but that doesn’t mean it’s not going to be hard leaving them behind. I plan on visiting them when I can, but I do feel guilty about leaving them.” Harry nodded, considering her words. “They assured me that they don’t blame me and that they’re not upset, but I know it’s also hard on them.”
“They want what’s best for you,” Harry’s voice was soft as he spoke, running a hand through her curls. “And I know they’re proud of you, Mione. You’re one of the top students in our class and you have so much passion for improving this world. Even if they don’t understand some of the laws or customs here, they do understand all the hard work you’ve put into this and getting to where you are.” The bushy-haired witch offered a wet smile, hugging him tightly.
“Thank you,” She whispered. Harry could feel some lightness return to his friend and he didn’t bother withholding his small smirk.
“I know something else that will cheer you up.” At her small hum, Harry continued, “I plan on using the Twins lemon drops today.” Another laugh escaped from Hermione, who slowly pulled away.
“Merlin, I can’t wait to see that!”
Albus Dumbledore was having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.
First, it started with eating a rotten lemon drop. It was delicious right until the end. As soon as the candy finished melting on his tongue, the worst taste replaced the delicious lemon flavor. He immediately bolted from the great hall, holding his hand to his mouth as he ignored the whispers and stares.
Later in his office, Fawkes pecked his hand hard, drawing blood. The feisty phoenix then scratched at the hand, flying away and squawking at him loud enough for his ears to ring. The bird had been doing that often in the last two years, which served to only frustrate the old man more.
“Come now, Fawkes,” He had spoken in a soothing voice. “I brought you food.” The Phoenix merely squawked at him again, flying higher to the tallest perch he found, turning his back on the wizard. “How rude-“ Before he even finished the sentence, something warm and sticky hit his robes and head.
The window opened suddenly, with magic that was not his own, and out the Phoenix went, leaving behind a gaping soon-to-be ex-headmaster, with Phoenix excrement on his body.
And when he had finally cleaned himself up and made his way to dinner in the great hall, a letter was waiting for him at the head table. With a resigned sigh, he opened the envelope.
Headmaster Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore,
In an effort to make this acclimation easier on the students, the Ministry will be sending in a third-party official to finish your tenure after Yule. He will be arriving tomorrow night so both he and the students can familiarize themselves with each other.
Julian Claudius Gaunt will be arriving at approximately ten o’clock tomorrow night, and he will be treated with respect. If the Board discovers any attempts to discredit him, or attempts to make the students wary of him, the consequences will be dire.
As stated in the last letter, your position at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry will be nullified starting the 22nd of December. Your belongings will be gathered, and you will be escorted off the premises no later than eleven pm,
An Official Statement from The Board of Governors, Chairman Lucius Malfoy, and Chairwoman Amelia Bones.
Dumbledore felt numb as he stared at the letter, dread pooling in his gut as he read the name over and over.
Julian Claudius Gaunt.
Gaunt. Gaunt. Gaunt.
His head was buzzing, eyes wide and face pale as he tried to grasp the situation.
Gaunt.
Could it be…
When he looked up from the table and met Harry’s eyes, the old fool came to a conclusion.
He had to convince the chosen one, and soon.
As he unwrapped a new lemon drop and internally thought of what to say to Harry. As he placed the hard candy into his mouth, it eventually started to burn and sting. He winced as he removed the candy slowly, eyes catching the long crack that had splinters through the deformed piece. The edges had cut his tongue open, making the lemon flavor burn and sting all the more.
Albus Dumbledore was definitely having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.
Chapter 29
Notes:
Hello again, everyone! I hope you enjoy this short chapter. Sorry that it's taken so long. The next one is sure to be interesting.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“Wait, that’s happening today?” Hermione asked the next morning, her eyes wide with wonder and excitement. “I had no idea that it would be so soon! Why didn’t you say anything?” Harry nearly winced, wanting to smack his forehead at his own forgetfulness.
“I completely forgot myself,” Harry answered truthfully. “You were also not having the best day yesterday, so I wanted to cheer you up as much as I could,” He gave her a kind smile which she returned, nodding at his answer. Her smile dimmed slightly after a moment, a look of worry forming on her features.
“You must be growing more concerned though. Even if the start of Yule isn’t until another week, Dumbledore will feel more caged in with the arrival of…Julian,” Hermione said, making sure to use the new moniker. Harry swallowed slightly, wanting to shrink back at her piercing gaze as he chewed on his bottom lip, his heart growing heavy as it sank slowly.
“I noticed him staring a lot more than usual yesterday after he read the letter,” There was a pregnant pause as Harry took a breath, running a hand through his messy curls. “Dumbledore is one of the very few who knows about Tom’s connection to the Gaunt family, as well as him being Voldemort,” He licked his abused lips, wanting to confess his worries. “So yes, I am growing more concerned Dumbledore will try something soon. He’s the one who told me about Tom Riddle and how he was a descendant of the Gaunt family. He will use this to try and get to me,” Hermione reached over and laid her warm hand on his, her eyes full of kindness.
“At least you’ll have both Professor Snape and Tom here though,” Hermione had a small grin on her face as she spoke up. “And if need be, both of them would destroy Dumbledore to protect you,” Harry couldn’t help but flush at her blunt words, a small chuckle leaving his lips.
“You have no idea how many times Tom has promised to remove Dumbledore himself if the Headmaster was to try anything again,” Hermione grinned back, unable to stop herself from giggling too.
“I can’t say I’m surprised. From what I’ve been able to observe over the past few weeks and months, both of them are rather protective of you. I think it’s sweet,” She added when Harry’s cheeks seemed to darken even more. “Do you think Dumbledore will try something before Yule now?” Harry considered her question, giving a nod after a moment.
“Before the ministry decided to send…Julian,” Harry paused, forcing himself to use that name like Hermione had earlier. “-the original idea was that Dumbledore would lash out when Yule was much closer. He would grow more anxious and seek me out in an effort to get me to understand his grand plan,” Harry rolled his eyes at that with a sneer. “but that was a plan more about chance and timing. Now…” Harry hummed. “Now he will be paranoid because of the Gaunt name,”
“And you think his desire and paranoia to get to you will be more volatile than your original plan,” The wizard immediately nodded, giving a small sigh.
“There’s always been a risk,” He admitted, giving a small shrug. “The original plan played into his flaws and his desire to be in control, but there was always the risk he would be more volatile the closer Yule came,” Harry confessed. “However, with him knowing that Tom will be inside Hogwarts, it will increase his paranoia drastically.” It would be stupid on his end to believe that Dumbledore would fall for a different name. The man would have his suspicions, which would only grow as the days passed.
“I don’t think Dumbledore will seek me out immediately,” Harry confessed, imagining all the ways the plan could go. “I personally don’t see him doing anything until after Julian is introduced to Hogwarts at least. It wouldn’t make sense for him to seek me out until then,”
“I agree,” Hermione nodded, thinking about the logic behind his words. “He’d want you to see firsthand that the man is inside Hogwarts before doing anything. Otherwise, he’d not only face the issue of breaking the restraining order but the fact you could claim not to believe him,”
“Exactly,” Harry nodded, relaxing at the thought that all of this would be over soon. Even if these upcoming days were full of tension and required him to constantly look over his shoulder, he felt more at peace knowing it wouldn’t be for much longer. After these upcoming days, Harry would no longer have to worry about Dumbledore. He would have to worry here and there about his fanatic supporters, but even then, they were diminishing more and more as the months passed and no sign of Voldemort rose.
Then there was the palpable relief throughout society that the Lestrange trio was dead. There would be less pressure for him to join and fight an imaginary monster that Dumbledore had helped fabricate in the later years of the war.
“I’ll be happy when all of this is over,” Harry said, voicing his thoughts to Hermione as he smiled at her, forcing himself to relax more for his best friend. “I’m looking forward to next term so much, Mione. Being able to just be a student and not have to worry for once…” He sighed wistfully, sending her a look. “I don’t think I can ever thank you enough for being my friend and staying with me all of these years, despite the hardships you’ve had to endure too,” Hermione huffed, pulling her friend for a strong hug.
“Friends stay together throughout all the hardships, Harry. Real friends never leave you behind,” He squeezed her in response to the words, unable to ask for anyone better than her. “And even if you’ve had a crazy life, I think it’s made us all stronger in the end. Had we not gone through so much, we never would have mastered certain spells so quickly,” Harry had to nod in agreement with her words, thinking about how quickly he learned the Patronus charm and occlumency,
“You have a very valid point there,” Harry said, pulling away as he continued to mull over her words. While he liked to believe that he would still be studious even if he hadn’t lived a crazy life, Harry doubted he would be at this level. Still, a small smirk formed on his face as he thought of their friendship with the twins. “Although, since we were so close to the twins during their time here, I believe we would still master certain spells quicker,” He joked, earning a fond laugh from the bushy-haired wizard. “If anything, the lack of Dumbledore might have increased our chances of inventing even further,”
“Merlin, Harry,” Hermione gasped, still laughing. “There’s no telling what we would have been up to,”
“I wonder what’s going on,” Seamus mumbled the next morning, eyes roaming over the Great Hall as every student and professor was called to a mandatory breakfast. “This looks serious,” He added, motioning to McGonagall and her enchanted clipboard, which was accompanied by an enchanted quill too.
“I wonder if it has to do with tall, dark, and mysterious,” Dean said, making Harry smirk to himself at the muggle phrase, unable to keep his eyes off of his secret lover, who was quick to meet his gaze, warmth spreading through their shared connection.
“Lucius Malfoy and Amelia Bones are here as well,” Hermione played along, pretending to be invested in the events going on. “…they’re the chairs for the Board of Governors, aren’t they?” She feigned ignorance, meeting Harry’s smirk when people nearby caught onto her words, more mumbles and rumors starting to spread.
“That’s right!” Seamus gasped, grabbing his lover’s hand as a glint of excitement entered his eyes. “They were here a few months ago, weren’t they?” This caused Dean to freeze, his eyes widening too as he started to put the pieces together.
“Yeah, I remember now!” He turned to look at his lover, then Harry and Hermione. “They did a random inspection last month. I had never heard of them doing anything like that before then,” Dean snapped his fingers, recalling another thing. “And I recall that Dumbledore specifically received a golden letter the following night. Me and Seamus had so many conspiracies about what the letter was.”
“Merlin, I completely forgot about it,” Seamus gasped, also looking between Hermione and Harry, catching onto something. “You know what’s going on, don’t you?” There were no demands, just a wicked grin. Harry met it with his own and chuckled to himself. With a subtle flick of his wrist, a privacy charm was wrapped around the four of them.
“I might have forgotten to mention this,” Harry began, grinning more as the two Gryffindor boys leaned closer, their eyes bright with curiosity and mischief. “But I was part of the reason the Board did an impromptu investigation last month,” He said, watching with glee as their eyes widened. “Because I finally went and filled a restraining order against Dumbledore when he crossed the line,”
He wasn’t as close to Seamus and Dean, so it had completely slipped his mind to tell them about some of the events over the past few months. That, and the two had a fairly normal Hogwarts experience. He didn’t want to ruin that for them.
“Good for you, Harry!” Seamus was grinning at him, giving him a thumbs up while Dean nodded along, a bright smile on the other wizard’s face.
“Wait,” Dean froze again, somehow his smile growing even wider. “I remember a few days after that some of the professors were coming forward saying this was going to be their last term here. Does that mean,” Dean’s eyes snuck at a glance at Dumbledore, who seemed to be in a deep conversation with Hagrid, the half-giant looking conflicted by something.
“No way,” Seamus gathered what Dean was referring to, his own grin widened too as he looked at Harry with an expectant, eager look. “Is his time up too?” Seamus asked, giving a whoop when Harry nodded at his question.
“It’s odd that he hasn’t said anything about it yet,” Hermione said after a moment, being sincere as she looked at the professors at the head table who had already told their students. “You would think he would have said something about it by now,”
“I think he wanted to try and get away with his ego intact,” Harry said to the others, thinking about Hermione’s comment. “He’s lost a lot of power these past three years, like his Mugwump and chief Wizengamot status. Somehow, I think this is the one that will damage his reputation the most,” There was a delighted smirk on Harry’s face as he spoke, watching as Dean and Seamus went back to looking at the new figure near the head table.
“That must be the person who’s replacing him,” Dean surmised, humming to himself. “He’s certainly a lot easier to look at than Dumbledore,” Harry couldn’t contain his laughter, pressing his hand to his mouth. Seamus sent him an amused look, unused to this side of the other wizard.
“I have to agree with you, Dean,” Harry said after regaining his breath, face lightly flushed from laughing so hard. “He is a lot easier to look at than Dumbledore, and that’s not even counting the robes yet,” Seamus snorted, playfully poking his temple with an exaggerated shudder.
“At least I won’t have to worry about migraines caused by Dumbledore’s clashing robes anymore,” Seamus grinned to himself as his lover laughed at his joke, turning to give him an adoring look.
“Before Dumbledore leaves, I think I want to try a new spell on his robes. I wonder if they can get any worse with a paintball effect,” Seamus tilted his head at the words, scrunching his nose in pure confusion.
“Paintball?” He asked, looking even more confused once he uttered the word. Harry’s eyes lit up, thinking about the time Dudley had received one for his birthday one year. “What’s that?”
“It’s a muggle sports game,” Hermione said, a light in her eyes that Harry noticed immediately. “The objective is to shoot opponents with a fake weapon that fires paint,” Seamus listened, growing intrigued. “I personally think it’s more enjoyable than Quidditch,” Harry choked, along with the other two at how nonchalantly Hermione said those words.
“You’ve played paintball?” Dean asked, face lighting up as Hermione nodded. “Really?! That’s bloody brilliant! I’ve played a few rounds with some of my family. What made you play?”
“When you’re the only granddaughter from a family with a total of seven grandkids, you end up playing paintball every Christmas,” Harry, who thought he knew everything about Hermione, could only listen with a grin. “If you want help with a paintball spell, I have a good aim,” She smirked, earning devious chuckles from the group.
As they discussed a target spell and a paintball spell, they eventually went quiet as a commanding pop reverberated through the entire great hall, silencing everyone in a matter of seconds.
“Good morning, students,” McGonagall was standing straight, the clipboard glowing, singling that everyone was accounted for. “We have an important announcement to make, so please, listen,” She took a breath, starting again. “This Yule will signal Headmaster Dumbledore’s last term as the Headmaster at Hogwarts,” Harry could hear a few gasps from some of the younger years, their eyes widening. She nodded to Lucius and Amelia, who moved to the center, followed by Tom.
“The Board has selected Julian Claudius Gaunt to serve as a temporary Headmaster until a new one can be appointed,” Amelia stated, motioning to the man standing tall and regal. “Despite the fact he will only be here a short time, we expect him to be treated with the same respect you would give Headmaster Dumbledore,”
“I apologize for the shock this has surely caused,” Tom’s voice flew through the room, making Harry melt as he listened, watching the man’s lips move as he continued speaking. “It is an honor to serve as a temporary Headmaster for Hogwarts and witness your growth into fine witches and wizards. While it is true that I will only be here for a short term, I look forward to witnessing the brilliance of Hogwarts firsthand,”
Harry met the man’s gaze, giving him a subtle smile, their shared bond flicking with warmth and pride. Watching the man speak was a reminder of why he had so many true, loyal followers. His charm was infectious, everyone seeming to smile and brighten at his words, despite the sudden news of Dumbledore’s departure.
“We are currently looking for a transfiguration replacement,” Lucius began, and Harry grinned at how there was more outrage at that information, many of the Gryffindors making a noise of distress at the thought of Minerva McGonagall leaving them too. “So that Professor McGonagall can step in as the permanent Headmistress,” There was a collective sigh of relief, grins soon spreading among the entire student body. “Until then, Julian Gaunt will be treated with the utmost respect,” McGonagall nodded at his words, looking at her students with a sharp gaze that would make even the most powerful witch or wizard shiver.
“Yes. If I find out that any of my students are disrespectful to Headmaster Gaunt, I will personally talk with them.” The gulp was heard around the room, specifically from the first to third years, who avoided the sharp look.
“Thank you, everyone. It will be a pleasure working with you, even if for a short while,” The man bowed to the students, moving to take a place at the head table, close to Severus.
As the mandatory breakfast meeting came to an end and the Board of Governors left, Harry listened to the rumors that were spreading across the Gryffindor table, grinning in delight as some of the more intelligent students began to theorize.
“I don’t think he’s retiring,” Patil whispered to her friends, glancing at the Headmaster from the corner of her eyes. “Not that a headmaster or staff can’t retire,” She was quick to amend when Lavender Brown went to open her mouth. “But I think it’s odd that he’s suddenly leaving when Hagrid and Trelawney told us they were being sacked,”
“Oh shite, that’s true,” Lavender said in agreement, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear, thinking hard. “Well, more like Hagrid’s been demoted to an assistant,” She corrected, making Patil roll her eyes fondly. Colin was listening, a frown on his face.
“And Pince was sacked too,” He added, drawing their attention. “She’s been crying about it because she’s losing access to all her beloved books,” Neville snorted, finally speaking up after drinking a cup of coffee, alive to the world now.
“Not her books,” He said with ease, shaking his head. “They belong to Hogwarts itself, not one person who doesn’t want to share them,” Neville made a face at that, thinking about how he had to practically rip the book from her hands for an assignment.
“No, I agree,” Colin sighed, looking frustrated as he recalled his issues with her. “I needed a book for my NEWT potions, and I practically had to beg her to let me borrow it,” Hermione blinked, realizing that Neville was fueled by caffeine finally.
“I didn’t even realize you were there, Nev,” Harry laughed, especially when the boy merely grunted, starting to drink another cup of coffee.
“I was running an experiment last night with Professor Sprout on a new plant hybrid. When I got back to the common room last night, it was nearing one in the morning,” Harry winced at that, watching his friend in amusement.
“You’re also not a morning person,” Harry said in good nature, a hint of a smile forming on Neville’s face.
“I’m not a morning person,” Neville agreed, rubbing away the circle from his eyes. “Luna is amazing though. I don’t know how she manages to be both a morning and a night owl,” Harry hummed, thinking of the Ravenclaw and her penchant for magical creatures.
“It probably has to do with the creatures she likes to research,” Harry commented, earning a hum of surprise from Hermione, who nodded after a moment, agreeing with his assessment. “I can’t sleep sometimes, so when I sneak out to walk around, I’ll catch her outside making logs about the sleep patterns of the creatures out there,” He had a smile at the memory of her petting a thestral and feeding them. “I think she’s been making logs about the flora out there too, and the type of creatures that are attracted to certain plants,”
“A woman after my own heart,” Neville swooned, and Hermione just giggled, patting his shoulder.
“Let’s be honest, Neville. She already has it,” The boy flushed darkly before busting out into laughter, nodding at her words as if it was the simplest thing in the universe.
“You got that right, Hermione. She’s had it for a very long time now,” He grinned, turning his attention to the Ravenclaw table, smiling when he caught sight of the blonde. Harry shook his head fondly at his friend's antics, catching onto different conversations that were occurring in the great hall, many coming to the same conclusion that Patil had.
From what he could gather from some of the conversations he could hear, there weren’t many who believed Dumbledore was leaving of his own volition. They believed he was being sacked, just like the other professors who had already opened up about it.
“I think Professor McGonagall will make for a wonderful Headmistress too,” Hermione agreed with Lavendar, and Harry thought he’d never see the day the two witches would agree on anything. “She’s always been extremely fair in her classrooms and never allowed for any favoritism to occur,”
“That’s something that I’ve always loved about her,” Another voice piped up, and if Harry had to guess, they couldn’t be older than a fifth year. “She also has a stern, but approachable presence. It’s not easy to manage something like that,”
Harry smiled at all the compliments McGonagall was receiving, for once feeling pride in his house for their support for their transfiguration professor. If there was one thing the elder witch did well, it was giving her students a listening ear when they were struggling, even if they weren’t in her house.
Looking at the head table, he smiled more as Minerva received support from those around her, especially from Flitwick, who looked overjoyed for her. He had a bright smile on his face, looking far more excited than he had in a very long time.
Feeling a gaze on him, Harry looked towards the end of the table, meeting Severus' dark gaze, offering the man a hidden smile that was just for him. The man answered with a twitch of his lips, before continuing his conversation with Tom and the defense professor.
Harry nearly jumped in surprise when a privacy charm surrounded him, but at the familiarity of the magic, he relaxed and looked to Hermione in question.
“The Daily Prophet just arrived,” His friend said breathlessly, her eyes wide as she passed it to him, looking shellshocked.
BREAKING NEWS: ANOTHER DELIVERY FOR THE MINISTRY
At approximately five this morning, Ministry officials discovered the body of Walden Macnair disposed of in front of the Fountain of Brethren, the position identical to the late Lestrange trio.
Walden Macnair was a former ministry employee, working as an executioner in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. He was briefly incarcerated for a few months before a raid in Azkaban allowed him to escape.
With the sudden onslaught of dangerous Death Eaters being defeated and delivered to the ministry deceased, the Ministry has no comment at this time, only that we thank you for your help in capturing these dangerous criminals.
Whoever is behind these defeats, the Wizarding World also thanks you for your bravery. Once more, we can all rest easier with these dangerous individuals apprehended.
“Luna’s prophecy came true,” Hermione mumbled, peeking at Julian Gaunt as a small hum left her lips. “I wonder what Macnair did,” Harry read the paper again, wondering the same thing as well.
“Whatever it was, it couldn’t have been good,” Harry said, recalling Luna’s prophecy from a few weeks ago.
“No, he would not be. He is less unhinged, but that will not save him from his fate. His desire to see blood will be his downfall. Slytherin protects those they care about most,”
It made him more curious, his brows furrowing as he looked at Tom at the head table, wondering what Macnair had done, or at least, planned to do.
He flushed when Tom met his gaze, sending him a small smile.
I will explain later. Tom said through their link and Harry accepted it, turning back to Hermione.
“I’ll know by the end of the day what happened,” Harry said, taking a sip of tea. “Once I find out, I’ll tell you tonight in the common room,” Hermione nodded, frowning at the paper more.
“Be careful, Harry,” She mumbled. “Dumbledore doesn’t look pleased with the news,” Swallowing, Harry risked a glance at the Headmaster, nearly grimacing at the cold look on the man’s face, which was soon aimed at him.
“Yeah, I got a bad feeling about that look,” Harry confessed.
“At least your knights in shining armor are here to protect you,” Chuckling, Harry was about to say something about the joke when Hermione spoke up again. “Seriously, Harry. If looks could kill, Dumbledore would be six feet under by now,” Deciding against looking at the head table again, the raven-haired wizard merely took another sip of tea.
As Harry let himself fall into an easy conversation with his friends, he was unaware of Dumbledore’s cold eyes narrowing in on Julian Gaunt, a stormy expression starting to fester.
Luna was the one who spotted it, making a mental note to search for some speckled-sparsouc to gift the Headmaster.
“They turn violently aggressive when around lemons,” Luna remembered with a dreamy smile.
Notes:
As always, thank you for reading.
Chapter 30
Notes:
Another chapter finished! Had a rough time with some of the scenes in this chapter, but I've always found that it's hard to write the calm before the storm :)
On another note, this story is almost done. I would say it has 2-4 chapters left at the most. I've had fun writing it over the years, and I'm happy that I found my motivation again.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“Good evening, Severus.” The potions professor gave a court nod to the soon-to-be terminated Headmaster, already having an inkling to what the man needed. “I see that you are getting along well with the new Headmaster.” As always, the man played it safe, keeping his face blank.
“He’s been cordial with me thus far,” Severus explained easily enough, gazing at the elder with a raised eyebrow. “Is that why you summoned me here, Albus? To discuss the temporary Headmaster?” Onyx eyes peered into blue, his shields up as he watched the twinkle turn icy.
“Partially,” Dumbledore admitted, laying the article on the desk for Severus to read. “I was wondering if Lord Voldemort has summoned you or his inner circle regarding the recent events at the ministry.” Severus hummed, glancing at the paper.
“No, he hasn’t summoned me,” Severus confessed. “But you know he rarely does when Hogwarts is in session.” He reminded the man, watching as Dumbledore frowned at his words. “From my understanding, there hasn’t been any sighting of him from the others either, not since the Lestrange’s were killed.” It was easy feeding into the man's ideals and delusions. “There have been rumors and whispers that he’s fled.”
“And do you think he has?” Dumbledore asked seriously, latching onto Severus’ words.
“It’s possible,” Severus admitted. “The Lestrange family were some of his most powerful followers. Macnair was one of his strongest allies as well,” Severus admitted. “I haven’t heard from the Dark Lord personally since Hogwarts resumed,” Dumbledore nodded along, stroking his beard.
“I see.” Dumbledore looked pensive, his expression growing pinched as he released a deep sigh. “I find it very concerning that he’s not been sighted for this long. It doesn’t bode well if he’s planning something.” Severus nodded along, crossing his arms.
“I’m not sure, Albus. I would tell you everything if I had more information, but I have none.” Dumbledore merely nodded, still stroking his beard as he gazed at Severus again, clearing his throat.
“And this Julian Gaunt,” The elder wizard began, going to steep his bony fingers together. “What do you know about him? He has no connections with the Death Eaters, correct?” Severus gave him a look, shaking his head at the question.
“As of today, this was my first time meeting him,” Severus confessed with sincerity. “I’ve never seen him before, Albus. He’s not a Death Eater that I’m aware of.” The former headmaster nodded at the words, looking more and more troubled.
“I have my doubts about this man,” Albus confessed. “I’ve never heard of him before, Severus. I find it odd that the Dark Lord has been missing for so long, and then this Julian Gaunt shows up.” The double spy tilted his head, looking at the elder pensively and calculating.
“…You believe that this man is the Dark Lord?” Severus asked slowly, crossing his arms again. “If that were the case, my arm would react to his presence, Albus. Which it hasn’t,” He added, internally smirking at the conflicted look that spread across the man’s wrinkled face.
“I’m merely speculating, Severus,” Albus sighed. “You must forgive me. I have been on edge ever since the prophet this morning.” The potions professor regarded him, face still blank.
“Indeed,” He mumbled. “While it might not be a coincidence, at least it’s one less Death Eater to worry about.” Dumbledore nodded in agreement, leaning back with a sigh.
“Can I ask you to keep an eye on Julian Gaunt, Severus? If you find out he’s connected to Lord Voldemort in any way, I need your information immediately.” Severus gave a simple nod at the request. “And keep an eye on Mister Potter too,” Dumbledore added. “If my hunch about Headmaster Gaunt is correct, I want to keep Harry away from him.” Again, Severus gave him a nod, this one more sincere than the other.
“I take care of all my students, Albus. Potter will be no different.” Dumbledore watched him, giving a slow nod.
“I must confess something to you, Severus,” Dumbledore began, and for once, Severus found himself dreading where the conversation was going to lead. “This is about Harry and my concern regarding Julian Gaunt.” Sitting straighter, Severus gave him a look that told him to continue. The elder wizard sighed, looking off to the side.
“There is a reason that Harry shares a link with Voldemort,” Dumbledore confessed, stroking his beard as he spoke, not being able to look Severus in the eyes. “The night he survived the killing curse, a piece of Voldemort’s soul transferred into young Harry. If Voldemort is to be extinguished for good, the soul piece that resides in Harry must be destroyed as well. Only then will the prophecy be complete.”
“And the Dark Lord must be the one to kill him?” There was an inferno roaring in his chest at Dumbledore’s callous words, the old man speaking as if he weren’t trying to orchestrate the death of a teenager who was merely trying to finish his education.
“Yes. He must die at the right moment, sadly,” Albus admitted with a deep and depressing sigh. “I wish there was another way, Severus. But as long as the Horcrux in Harry survives, Voldemort will always have a way to return.” The potions professor listened, reminding himself of the plans that were already in motion, otherwise, he would have killed the elderly man right then and there.
“You have been raising him like a pig for slaughter,” Severus spoke cooly, keeping calm as Dumbledore grimaced at his words, despite not even a hint of guilt on his face.
“Ah. It seems you have grown to care for the boy, then?” Albus questioned, and Severus’ mask nearly fell, but he kept it erected as he peered at the manipulating elderly man.
“He is my student,” Severus reminded with ease. “Or have you forgotten I have an oath to the school, Albus? It is also my duty to protect all my students.” Albus peered at him for a long moment before eventually relenting and sighing with a small nod. “While I am loyal to you and the Order, I will not help you orchestrate his death. If the boy wishes to fight the Dark Lord, he will do so on his own accord. I will not be the one who forces him to fight.”
“Severus.” Albus held his hand up, giving the man a stern look. “I will not ask you to do so. You have already done much for the Order by being a spy. I will not ask you to-“
“Forgo my morals and send a student to his death?” Severus supplied, and again, Dumbledore grimaced. “You will do what you think is best, Albus. But I want no part in that,” He explained.
“And I won’t drag you into it, Severus,” Dumbledore promised. “You have been faithful to me for nearly two decades now. I already asked a lot of you to be a double spy for me. I won’t ask more from you than that. My only request is for you to keep an eye on Harry and Julian Gaunt.” Here, Dumbledore rubbed his temples, looking weathered down. “The other concern I wanted to make you aware of is about Julian Gaunt’s name, Severus.”
“His name?” Severus repeated slowly, starting to look unimpressed.
“Only Harry and I know this information about the Dark Lord,” Dumbledore began, ignoring the look Severus was giving him. “Voldemort is supposed to be the last descendant of the Gaunt Family,” The wizard explained, watching as Severus furrowed his brows at the information, starting to listen more. Dumbledore internally sighed in relief, glad that the potions professor was starting to understand and see the problem firsthand now. “And with the information that Voldemort hasn’t been spotted in months, it causes concern on who this new wizard is,” Severus nodded.
“I will keep watch over the new Headmaster, Dumbledore,” Severus clasped his hands together. “If this is indeed the Dark Lord, it wouldn’t be the first time he’s managed to get into the school. I helped stop him last time, and this will be no different.” Dumbledore seemed pleased at the words, giving a small smile of appreciation to the double spy. “If this is the Dark Lord, what do you imagine he wants?” Severus questioned, secretly wondering what the former headmaster had to say.
“That’s what is puzzling me, Severus,” Dumbledore confessed, looking thoughtful as he glanced at the empty perch where Fawkes used to reside. “The first time Voldemort was here, he was after the stone. This time…” He trailed off, something clicking in his mind. “He might be here for Harry.”
“If he were after Mr. Potter, wouldn’t it be easier to disguise himself as a professor? Why go through the trouble of creating a new persona if that’s the case, Albus?” Dumbledore shook his head, waving off the words.
“No, no,” Albus closed his eyes, a dreadful thought entering his mind that he had to voice. “Voldemort, as we both know, is a genius. The Dark Lord may have realized why he shares a connection with young Harry. He might be planning to capture him and hide him away. We must stop him.” The potions professor groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“This is merely speculation, Albus,” Severus reminded him. “As I said, I will keep an eye on them. I will not react without further proof that Julian Gaunt is the Dark Lord. For all we know, he could have come from an illegitimate affair.” Albus paused at the words, clearly mulling them over. “Or he could have come from a generation of unknown squibs that were thrown out,” Severus added, causing Dumbledore to once again relent to his words.
“You’re right, of course, Severus,” Dumbledore was forced to admit. “Thank you for agreeing to watch them, however. If you notice anything unusual, please inform me as soon you can,” He beseeched, causing the Slytherin to internally sneer as he nodded. “I’ve got some packing to do soon, so I won’t be at dinner tonight.”
“I will inform you if I learn anything incriminating, Albus,” He lied, unable to hold back a look of disgust as the man offered him a lemon drop. “You know I don’t eat those sweets. I’ve never been a fan of most confections.”
“Ah, but it never hurts to offer,” Dumbledore replied with a grandfatherly smile that Severus wanted to hex away. “Please take care of Harry, Severus. If Julian Gaunt is the Dark Lord, we can’t let him take our only hope for peace. I will do everything I can to keep the boy safe as well, even if he doesn’t appreciate or understand my actions.” Standing up, he gave a final court bow to the former headmaster, his expression turning stormy once he was out of sight.
While it was accounted for that Dumbledore would be quick to figure out who Julian Gaunt was, the thought of the man going after Harry soon sent him on edge. He knew well that it was part of the plan Harry himself had concocted, but it didn’t make letting it fall into place any easier.
With purposeful steps, Severus made his way to the Great Hall and took his seat beside Julian, an extremely powerful privacy spell surrounding them.
“You seem troubled,” The Dark Lord noted, sipping at a cup of hot tea. “What did the old fool say this time?” Severus snorted dryly as he took his own cup of tea, wording his thoughts very carefully.
“Dumbledore just confessed to knowing Harry is a Horcrux, and that he planned for him to die at the right moment,” Severus commented, taking a drink from his cup to calm his nerves. He could feel the way the man next to him tensed at the words, his eyes flashing like a crack of lightning. “He requested that I keep an eye on you, as he believes you’re secretly the Dark Lord,” Julian hummed, smirking into his cup.
“He also requested that I keep an eye on Harry. He’s under the impression that you’re here because you’ve realized Potter is your Horcrux.” The new Headmaster snorted at that, thinking about how he had been aware for months now, thanks to Harry himself. “Based on his final words to me, it appears he may seek Harry out soon.” Julain paused mid-sip, a dangerous glint forming in his eyes.
“Is that so?” He inquired, placing his cup down slowly. “We’ll be there to ensure the old fool suffers for any attempt he makes.” Severus smirked slightly in agreement, hiding it behind his cup. To his left, dark brown eyes were wandering across the Great Hall before finally landing on the Gryffindor table. Julian’s lips quirked up as he witnessed Harry laughing amongst his friends, able to be carefree for once. The lightness behind those green eyes made his chest flare with warmth, and he drank in the sight of his lover's bright, infectious smile.
His small smile vanished when a missive arrived for him, floating down in front of his plate, with Dumbledore’s signature attached.
“It seems he is already requesting my attendance,” Julian sighed, finishing his tea and standing up with the ease of an esteemed lord. “I will summon you if I find any alarming news, Severus.” His loyal follower nodded, watching as the man walked out the hall, the nearby students watching and whispering.
“You requested my presence, Headmaster Dumbledore?” Julian stood in front of the man, who gestured to a nearby seat, motioning for him to take it.
“Please sit down, Lord Gaunt. Despite my exit occurring soon, I would like to get to know you. You’ll have to forgive my bluntness, but I have been at Hogwarts for many years, and I’ve always made an effort to learn about all the staff.” Accepting the offer, the secret Dark Lord sat down, giving the elderly wizard a small, but fake, smile.
“What would you like to know about me, Lord Dumbledore?”
“I’m curious about your education. I don’t recall you having attended Hogwarts, so I was wondering where you received your education.” Taking it in stride, Julian was quick to answer.
“I was tutored in private because of my lineage,” He confessed with a small frown. “You may remember my mother, as she graduated Hogwarts around forty years ago. Her name was Celeste Greengrass.” It was amusing to watch the elderly man pause, his lips opening and closing like a fish.
“I remember teaching her, yes,” Dumbledore confessed, starting to look unsure of himself.
“She became a disgrace to the family when she ignored her betrothal contract and became entangled with a muggleborn,” He explained. “Because I was an illegitimate spawn of their actions, I was taken to France and hidden away from the rest of the Wizarding World, besides my tutors. She died when I was seven years old from battling the Greengrass family curse.”
“I’m well aware of that curse…” Dumbledore mumbled, peering at him in contemplation. “Your last name is…odd, however,” The former headmaster continued. “Please forgive me for my callous words, but it’s been believed that the Gaunt family has been extinct for years.”
“I don’t know much about the Gaunt family,” Julian replied with honesty. “I only learned about it when I went for an inheritance test once I returned to Britain. All I know is that the Gaunt name comes from my great-grandfather on my mother’s side. His name was Ominis Gaunt,” Albus was startled when the portrait behind him let out a laugh, even Julian paused, peering at one of the deceased Headmasters.
“You look just like him, too. The only difference is your hair color and eye color. It’s almost like looking into the past,” Phineas Black chuckled, and Dumbledore slowly turned to him, regarding him with calculating eyes.
“You knew his Great-Grandfather then?” Albus inquired, nearly grimacing at the look of pure contempt the painting sent him.
“Of course I did. As soon as that poor fellow graduated, he denounced his Gaunt name and married a girl from the Greengrass family. He took her last name in the marriage.” Phineas sneered at him, looking at Dumbledore as if he were a vile insect that needed to be squashed.
“Like I said,” Julian cut in, bringing Dumbledore’s attention back to himself. “I didn’t know about the Gaunt heritage until I claimed my inheritance test. The Goblins also provided me with a family tree, which is how I learned about Ominis Gaunt. I hope this answers your questions about my background, Headmaster Dumbledore.” For once, there was a look of guilt on the man's face.
“Uh, yes, yes,” Dumbledore nodded along. “I apologize if my inquiries caused you any discomfort.” Julian waved him off, accepting the apology.
“Was there more you wanted to discuss, headmaster? I don’t intend to cut this short, but I have a lot of unpacking left, and I would like to retire to my rooms soon. I’m sorry if that comes across as rude,” Dumbledore quickly shook his head.
“Not at all, Lord Gaunt. I’ve already kept you in here for too long already. You’re free to leave as soon as you wish. Would you like a lemon drop before you depart?” Tom eyed the confections in the candy dish, remembering the old fool offering them many years ago.
“No, thank you. I just had dinner.” He made to stand. “I will see you at breakfast tomorrow, Headmaster. It was a pleasure talking with you,” Julian lied, wanting to bite back a horrible curse as the man gave him a grandfatherly look, his magic itching to wrap around the man’s throat and snap it.
While it was partially true that he still had bags to unpack, there was something far more important waiting for him in his rooms tonight.
“I can’t believe you’re finally here.” Harry grinned when he apparated into his rooms after his detention with Severus, melting against Tom as the man tugged him into an embrace, nose burrowing into his dark curls.
“I can keep you safer this way, too,” Tom breathed out, tightening his hold around his younger lover as he placed a lingering kiss on his forehead, smiling as Harry peered up at him with a beautiful flush on his cheeks. “For months, I’ve found myself worrying about you. I can’t tell you how often I planned on breaking through these wards to get to you.” It was worth watching the flush on Harry’s face darken, spreading all the way to his ears. Tom leaned down to press a chaste kiss to the warm lips, smiling against them for a moment before pulling away to lead the younger wizard into the other room, where they could both sit down.
“I have to admit,” Harry laughed as he placed his bag to the side. “It’s odd not seeing you surrounded by paperwork.” Tom fondly rolled his eyes, tugging Harry on the sofa, dragging the younger wizard into his lap. His lover went with ease, wrapping his arms around his neck slowly. The dark lord held him against his chest, exhaling shakily as he tightened his hold, the atmosphere in the room turning charged, changing quickly.
It didn’t surprise him that Harry was quick to realize something was wrong.
“Tom? What’s wrong?” Harry asked, feeling flushed as his lover pressed a simple kiss to his shoulder. The younger wizard closed his eyes, thinking about what he and Hermione had read earlier in the morning. He hummed, coming to a conclusion. “…is it about Walden Macnair?” He inquired softly, swallowing when he was somehow tugged even closer into the warm chest, the embrace a possessive and protective inferno that warmed Harry to his core.
:He was obsessed with you.: Tom hissed dangerously, making Harry shiver at the tone, the hair on his arms standing up as he slowly processed the words, a sick feeling forming in his gut. :I had no idea of his obsession until yesterday, when Lucius warned me about what he uncovered.: The tone darkened even more, the atmosphere so thick that Harry almost couldn’t breathe.
:Tom,: Harry soothed the older wizard, feeling the tension throughout his lover’s body. :I’m here, and I’m safe thanks to you. It’s okay,: He promised, sighing in relief when the man started to relax ever so slightly.
:Lucius overheard a conversation Macnair was having. He was boasting about his plans to capture you and torture you.: Despite the seriousness of the moment, Harry couldn’t find it in himself to be surprised at the words, already witnessing Macnair and his brutality firsthand in his fifth year. :He thought you would look beautiful covered in blood,:
:Oh yeah, he was definitely insane.: Harry said, his nose scrunching up in disgust at the words. Tom didn’t laugh at his words, still holding him close. :Next, you’ll tell me you and Lucius found a shrine he had of me.: When Tom hissed dangerously, Harry paled. :Seriously?: He asked, breath hitching at the kiss to his scar.
:I had never felt so much fury until that moment,: Tom hissed. :I made it abundantly clear to everyone there that if they even dared to speak your name wrong, I would finish them off like I had Macnair.: Harry was oddly touched by the words, his thumb caressing Tom’s cheeks slowly.
:Thank you for protecting me,: Harry whispered, smiling as lips pressed against his own, the gentleness making him melt into his lover.
:I will always protect you,: Tom promised against his skin, lips moving to press along his flushed cheek. :Severus and I will never allow anyone to harm you again.: Harry’s flush darked considerably at the declaration, his breath hitching when his lover kissed his neck slowly. :We are both concerned about Dumbledore seeking you out soon, but we will be there to protect you.: Harry shuddered as the warm lips moved against his skin, warmth flowing through his body.
:I know you will,: Harry breathed out, smiling at his lover. :I trust you both with my life and heart.: Tom exhaled softly, tilting his chin up to kiss him deeply. Harry’s smile widened, his body sinking into the sofa as Tom kissed him thoroughly.
Later on, when Harry was pressed against Tom’s chest as the covers were draped over them, the younger wizard spoke up.
“You and Severus are right to worry about Dumbledore seeking me out soon,” Harry admitted, feeling his lover's arm wrap around him even tighter. “Because he’s going to find out some troubling news tomorrow,” Tom hummed in understanding, immediately knowing what Harry was referring to.
“You’re taking Grimmauld Place back sooner than planned, aren’t you?” Harry nodded, glancing up at Tom, who was peering at him with such an intense look that the younger flushed from head to toe.
“I wasn’t going to, but after everything you and Severus informed me about today, I think it might be the best course of action to take. I told Severus earlier tonight, before I came here,” Harry admitted, and Tom was struck with the realization that Harry wanted Dumbledore to seek him out sooner than planned. Harry saw the pinched look and smiled at him, starting to explain his reasoning.
“By doing this it will be the final nail on the coffin for Dumbledore. I don’t want to take any risks by having Dumbledore not react fast enough. I know he’s already paranoid because of your last name, but you’re so charming and captivating that it’s going to be hard for him not to fall for your words,” Tom allowed a small smile to form at that as Harry continued talking, the compliment making his heart flutter in his chest. “I worry about who he’s willing to get into contact with, and if they would barge into Hogwarts because they worship the ground Dumbledore walks on,” Tom sighed at the words, thinking of the few Order members Harry had warned him about, and how they were either in Wizengamot, or were Aurors.
Tom sat up, earning a hum of displeasure from Harry. The older man smirked, carding his fingers through the messy curls while his other hand summoned a quill and parchment.
“What are you doing?” Harry asked, flushing as long fingers rubbed at a fresh mark on his neck, a shaky exhale leaving his lips.
“Sending a missive to Severus,” Tom explained. “We will be rotating the times we patrol the corridors to ensure that Dumbledore has eyes on him all the time.” Harry flushed at the protective timbre in his lover's voice, his breath stuttering when a finger pressed further against the fresh mark on his neck, a soft groan flying past his lips.
When the missive was sent, Harry tilted his head as Tom waved his wand, summoning a box to them.
“There’s something I want you to have,” The Slytherin confessed as he opened the box, Harry’s heart skipping a beat at what lay inside it. “I was going to wait until Yule, but I would feel more at ease if you wore it now.”
“Isn’t that the Gaunt Lordship ring?” Harry asked before he froze, remembering something else. “And your former Horcrux?” Tom hummed, taking the ring out of the box as he placed it in Harry’s hand, caressing the warm palm.
“It was an heirloom, not a Lordship ring,” Tom corrected gently. “While it is was passed down from generation to generation, it was also common for it to be gifted to…partners.” Harry’s heart fluttered at the words, letting the ring slide onto his index finger, a strange but not unpleasant warmth spreading through him.
“I…thank you,” Harry choked out, flushing as he cupped Tom’s cheek, pulling him in for a loving kiss. Tom pressed their foreheads together, recalling a conversation from many months ago.
“I know this is likely to tip Dumbledore off more.” Tom stroked his lover’s hand, lingering on the finger that wore the heirship ring. “But I want to protect you as much as I can,” He said, raising the hand to his lips.
“Even if it does, I know you and Severus will be there,” Harry said, flushing as those lips pressed another sweet kiss to his hand.
“It looks perfect on you,” Tom whispered, pressing Harry against the bed as they met for another kiss, this one more passionate than the others.
In the back of his mind, the younger wizard had a feeling that everything was about to change tomorrow.
Early in the morning, just before six, Harry found himself in Gringotts, passing a paper onto a grinning Goblin. After a quick visit to Grimmauld Place and a final ward adjustment, everything was ready.
“Thank you, Lord Potter-Black,” Griphook had a toothy grin in place, his eyes bright with glee. “In a few moments, Lord Dumbledore will not only lose rights to Grimmauld Place, but he will also cease to be the Secret Keeper. As you are the legal owner of the building, the rights to the Fidelius Charm in place will be transferred to you as well or to anyone you select. This will not remove Lord Dumbledore’s memory of the location, but he will be unable to access it anytime he enters,” Harry nodded, accepting the terms.
“Can I issue a statement to him in writing saying this?” Harry felt his lips twitch when the Goblin’s grin turned sharper, an envelope landing on the table.
“It will be issued from Gringotts on your behalf, Lord Potter-Black.” Harry chuckled, something akin to relief spreading through him as a new contract and deed were commissioned, the paper glowing as Griphook started to write. “I will need a drop of your blood to seal the contract and deed, Lord Potter-Black.”
Doing as he was told, Harry watched in fascination as the paper turned silver before a dark red seal blossomed across the top of it, signaling its completion.
“Grimmauld Place is officially yours, Lord Potter-Black. Lord Dumbledore is to be barred by magic anytime he attempts to return. He will also receive a notice saying that he has been banned from the premises, and any attempt he makes otherwise will result in a trespassing charge against him.” Harry smiled darkly at the words despite the slight fear that was starting to rage inside him.
This was going to send Dumbledore off the rails for sure.
And when Harry was back at Hogwarts, eating his breakfast beside Hermione and a half-awake Neville, he grinned into his cup when the owls arrived.
“Well,” Harry began, looking to Hermione, then Neville, who was drinking his second cup of coffee. “It’s time for the beginning of the end,” He said, watching as Dumbledore grabbed the envelope with unease, before his expression went from shocked to furious.
“…Harry,” Hermione said, nearly dropping her fork. “You didn’t.”
“I did,” He said, watching as her mouth went slack as her eyes widened in understanding.
“What’d he do?” Neville asked with a yawn, becoming more awake when Hermione choked.
“You took Grimmauld Place back. A week earlier than planned,” She said, looking a mixture of shocked and proud.
“Wait, what?!” Neville practically choked, too, looking at Harry with wide eyes.
“Nev, Mione, you know me,” Harry sighed with a shrug, risking a glance at Dumbledore, who was glaring daggers at him. “I’m great at planning and letting most things fall into place, but at the last minute, I will always be a little reckless.”
“Reckless and strategic is always a bad combination when it comes to you,” Hermione huffed fondly, teasing her friend, who merely grinned back. Neville snorted at her comment, a small smirk forming on his face, too.
“You want to know what else is going to get him to snap?” Harry asked nonchalantly, taking a long sip of his tea, the gaunt ring on full display. It earned him a choked laugh from Hermione, who was quick to cover it up. Her eyes were bright when Neville looked at the ring in confusion, blinking at it.
“Merlin, Harry,” She said, watching him with a devilish grin, knowing exactly what the ring was thanks to Harry explaining all of the Dark Lord’s former Horcruxes. “It’s times like these that I remember why you were sorted into Gryffindor,” Harry laughed, content on ignoring the furious glare that was trained on him.
Dumbledore sat at the head table, his hands practically shaking with rage at the contents of the letter.
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, as of this date, on December Tenth, you are hereby banned from entering Grimmauld Place. In the will of Sirius Black, Harry James Potter-Black-Gryffindor-Peverell became the sole benefactor of the Black estate, which now rightly belongs to him. Any attempt to enter the property will be barred by magic, and a trespassing charge, also formed from magic, will be issued to you.
You have hereby lost all the visitation rights to Grimmauld Place, including the title of Secret Keeper. You are not permitted to enter or come within fifty feet of the premises.
As Dumbledore finished reading the horrid letter, he found himself glaring at the person who was at the center of all his problems.
Harry Potter. The boy who lived.
As he continued to glare, Dumbledore tensed at what lay on Harry’s left index finger.
Tom Riddle’s ring was on full display, the boy not bothering to hide what he was wearing as he took a sip of his tea, the ring facing the elderly man.
“Dear Merlin,” Dumbledore croaked to himself, watching as Harry idly thumbed the ring, grinning at his friends. In a flash, Harry was glancing at him, wearing a smirk that made Dumbledore simultaneously flare with anger and freeze with dread.
This had to end.
He would make sure Harry fulfilled his destiny, whether the boy wanted to or not.
Even if it meant having to kill him himself.
Notes:
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! The next one is going to be the moment we've all been waiting for.
Chapter 31
Notes:
We're almost near the end! This chapter is a little shorter than usual, but I think you all will understand why.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Ever since breakfast that morning, Harry felt multiple eyes on him, watching his every move. While it was unnerving in the case of Dumbledore, it was also relaxing to know his lovers were watching over him. Their familiar gazes warmed him to his core, his magic buzzing within his chest at their protective gazes.
It was Dumbledore’s gaze that made him feel ill, the icy eyes eliciting a shudder of displeasure. Anytime he felt the cold gaze on him, there was a pinprick of unease that slid down his spine, goosebumps spreading across his skin. His magic wanted to lash out and strike the elder wizard; it wanted to make him bleed and suffer for all of his lies and manipulations. When the right moment came, Harry would let his magic free. He would finally get to see the moment Dumbledore realized he was completely trapped and there was nothing the former headmaster could do to change his fate.
For now, all he had to do was wait until the elder wizard snapped and based on the new article that was released at dinner, Harry imagined it would be sooner than he even thought possible.
“Harry,” Hermione said slowly, reading the paper that had landed on the table a few moments ago. Neville was reading it too, his eyes growing wider with each word he read, his face turning ashen as he looked between the paper and Harry. “I’m not sure how I feel about this timing.” She confessed, a pinched expression on her face. Harry sighed, rubbing his neck slowly.
“To be fair,” Harry began, starting to flip through his own article as well. “I had no idea this was happening today, Hermione. I was under the impression they would have the trial after Yule.” He admitted, looking back at the headline with a soft sigh, already knowing the outrage it would spark.
Mother of seven sentenced to life in Azkaban: The Trial of Molly Prewett
Molly Prewett has been charged with multiple counts of child abuse, unauthorized use of compulsion spells against minors, illegal creation of a marriage contract, illegal use of amortentia, and attempted use of amortentia against a Lord. She has been found guilty on all charges after only an hour of deliberation in the court of Wizengamot.
These charges were filed by her former husband, Arthur Weasley, who recently discovered Molly Prewett had been using Amortentia on him for over two decades. In light of these events, it was also discovered that she had placed powerful compulsion spells on two of her children, who were both underage during these attacks. Her daughter, Ginevra Weasley, had only been nine years of age when Molly Prewett had placed the first compulsion.
Through extensive questioning and testimonies, it has been revealed that Molly Prewett had placed a compulsion on her daughter that forced her to attempt to use Amortentia on Lord Harry Potter-Black. It has also been revealed that an illegal marriage contract had previously been crafted by Molly Weasley and Albus Dumbledore to ensnare Lord Harry Potter-Black and Ginevra Weasley into a marriage that would strip Lord Harry Potter-Black of half of his vaults and half of his seats in Wizengamot.
With the use of Veritaserum and the lusiurandum spell, Molly Prewett confessed to all the crimes she was being charged with, while also implicating Albus Dumbledore in these events as well. The longstanding headmaster of Hogwarts is departing at the start of the Yule break and will face his own indictments in the following months for conspiring with Molly Prewett to forge an illegal marriage contract, as well as placing a compulsion spell on an underage student in his care. Ronald Weasley was fourteen at the time of this attack.
After deliberation regarding her sentence, the use of a dementor's kiss was declined. Molly Prewett will spend the rest of her days behind bars in Azkaban for the crimes against her family and Lord Potter-Black.
As Harry finished reading the article, it was deathly quiet in the great hall, the silence almost overbearing as students read and re-read their articles, their lips parting in shock. With a glance at the head table, Harry resisted the urge to smirk as McGonagall slammed the paper down, glaring daggers at Dumbledore, who flinched back from her ire.
“You placed compulsions on a student?” The witch hissed at him, looking incensed. While Harry knew McGonagall was aware of Albus's attempts to do the same to him, he suddenly remembered that his head of house was left in the dark about Ron. “Albus, what in the name of Merlin were you thinking?” The elder wizard flinched again, trying to hold his hands out to placate the witch, hoping to make her understand.
“Come now, Minerva. Surely it isn’t the best time for this-“ Minerva snorted at him, peering down at him through her spectacles like he was a speck of dirt.
“If you’re trying to save your image for the student's sake, then your efforts are going to be futile,” She spat at him, not bothering to hide her disgust. “There is nothing you can say that will change any of this, Albus. I, for one, am relieved that you will not be headmaster after this term, since you saw it fit to place a compulsion spell on an underage student.” He looked stricken at her words, wanting to say more but closing his lips when the rest of the staff, even Hagrid, looked at him with contempt.
“I can see why my presence here was urgent,” Julian spoke calmly, taking a long sip of his tea as he eyed Dumbledore, who looked conflicted at his words. “My mother always spoke highly of Hogwarts and her time here. During my short tenure, I will help ensure that Hogwarts improves and transforms back into the school my mother was proud of.” Julian smirked behind his cup as he took another long sip of tea, watching as his words got under Dumbledore’s already irritated skin.
Harry watched as chaos soon started to erupt among the students, their expressions morphing into outrage. Even the upper years looked startled at what they read, their eyes wide as many looked at Harry, then back to Dumbledore.
It didn’t escape his notice that they were looking at the elderly headmaster like he was the Dark Lord himself. To his side, a sixth year uttered. “I think I preferred Umbridge to him.” And Harry couldn’t stop his small laugh, despite the unease that was rising in him the longer dinner went on, feeling a set of eyes on him and Hermione the entire time.
“Harry, I can walk myself back,” Hermione said later on that night, walking with Harry down the corridor as they exited the library. Most of the classes were finished until next term, their professors urging them to use the free time to study. “Really. We’re not that far from the common room.”
“I don’t want Dumbledore to go after you alone, Hermione,” Harry admitted. “I know the necklace I gave you works well, but Dumbledore is powerful. He’s strong enough to resist it once he puts all of his will into it,” Hermione considered the words, giving a small nod in understanding. “Besides, Severus and Julain have been rotating the times they patrol the corridors. I told them where we would be and at what time, that way one of them would be there if we needed them.”
“Your thoroughness makes me envious sometimes,” Hermione teased, laughing with Harry as they turned a corner, the two of them slowing down when they heard a low hiss that transformed into a growl, then a frustrated huff.
“Blasted cat,” Harry felt his heart drop at the sound of the voice, knowing it was Dumbledore. “Get out of here and find Argus, you little-“ Harry and Hermione peeked around the corner, their eyes wide as Mrs. Norris was hunched back in a defensive position, her ears pulled back and all of her fur standing up. Her claws were extended as she made fast swipes at the man, growling lowly in her throat as she attacked the headmaster’s legs with a ferocity that frankly startled Harry.
The man was trying to shake her off, finally dislodging her, his wand pointed at the growling animal, starting to utter a curse at it. He felt Hermione tense, gasping as she ran from their spot, looking at Dumbledore with hatred in her eyes.
“Don’t you dare attack her!” Hermione seethed, casting a shielding charm over Mrs. Norris. Harry shifted quickly, coming to stand by Hermione too, erecting another shielding charm over all of them. He glanced around at the long-haired cat, knowing she wanted to pounce again as her tail flicked in agitation.
“Get Filch,” He whispered to the cat, her intelligent yellow eyes boring into his own for a moment. Soon enough, she relaxed her stance and ran off in the opposite direction, doing what was asked of her at lightning speed, trying to find her owner.
“Ah,” Dumbledore had an odd look on his face as he tried to compose himself, taking furtive glances between the two of them, seemingly not caring that Mrs. Norris had run off to seek her owner. Harry took a steadying breath, knowing that one of his lovers would make their appearance soon. “Mrs. Granger, Mr. Potter,” Dumbledore began, his wand lowering slightly, but Harry was quick to note that it wasn’t pocketed. “I was hoping I would bump into you tonight.”
“Is that so?” Harry kept his face blank, eyes trained on the lowered wand. “You’ll have to excuse us, Headmaster Dumbledore. We’re just returned from the library and we’re very tired from studying,” Harry said, their shield charms still in place. The elder wizard hummed, the coldness in his eyes still there, but less prevalent.
Harry didn’t doubt for a moment that the man was going to attempt a grandfatherly façade again, just to see if they let their guards drop. Dumbledore offered them a kind smile that didn’t quite meet his eyes, looking between the two of them with something akin to pride.
“I see that Mrs. Granger’s studious nature has had a positive effect on your academics, Harry. I am quite pleased by that, my boy. You and Mrs. Granger seem to have the highest marks in your year.” Dumbledore was looking between them, putting something together that made the hair on the back of his neck raise. “You must forgive me for not making either of you a head boy or a head girl. I didn’t think you could handle the stress with the upcoming war,” Hermione seemed uncomfortable too, her wand hidden within her sleeve as she cleared her throat.
“It’s alright, headmaster. We understand.” Hermione said, her face blank, just like Harry’s was. “Thank you for the praise, sir. If you don’t mind, we will be going now. We have exams coming up and need all the sleep we can get,” Harry nodded at the words, forcing a small smile.
“We have exams in two days, sir,” Harry added. “We would like to go now and-“
“I commend both of you for your academic prowess.” The smile on his face wasn’t kind, and Harry forced himself to stay calm, relaxing just slightly when he heard a soft meow down the hall, indicating that Mrs. Filch had discovered her loyal owner. “But there are more important things that lie ahead of us. The war is coming here, and very soon. It has already touched Hogwarts in ways that no one other than myself understands yet,” Harry could feel Dumbledore staring at the Gaunt ring on his finger, the accusatory look full of loathing.
Distantly, Harry could also hear the sound of panting, Mr. Filch growing closer to them as the man rounded the corner. Harry could see the caretaker and his cat behind Dumbledore, who was unaware they were behind him, his back facing the pair. Rounding the corner with them was Severus, a thunderous look on his face as his wand was drawn. It made Harry almost let out a relieved breath at the sight of the two, even if Filch was unable to do magic.
“I have to say, I am also disappointed in you, my boy,” Dumbledore rattled on, eyes hard. “Molly should not be in Azkaban. She should be free and readying herself and her family to fight in the war for our side. Your parents would be disappointed in you for not stepping up and fulfilling your destiny. I think Lord Voldemort has corrupted you, whether you are aware of it or not. You foolish boy,” Dumbledore said, unaware of the wand that was pointed behind him, ready to utter a curse. “You are his Horcrux. His evilness lives in you, and it must be destroyed.”
Ready for the attack, Harry gave a gasp when he was unexpectedly flung to the side with wandless magic when Dumbledore flicked his wrinkled wrist. The wand in his other hand was quick, sending a sickly green blast at Hermione, who crumbled to the floor.
Time seemed to slow down to a halt as Harry watched his best friend’s lifeless body fall to the floor, his heart seeming to stop when hers did. Anguished tears filled his eyes, a power like no other forming within him.
“Hermione!” Harry screamed, his heartbroken cry echoing through the hall as he gripped his wand tightly, his green eyes glowing as he snapped his head in Dumbledore’s direction, the man wasting no time in sending the same spell in his direction.
“Scutum a morte,” Harry hissed in anger, blocking the killing curse completely. Dumbledore’s ashen face and parted lips would have made him amused long ago, but he found nothing funny in this moment.
“How-“ Dumbledore croaked, giving a choked gasp as Harry cast another one of his personal spells, ten angry hands aiming for his throat and shoulders, dragging him to the ground. One of the hands grabbed Dumbledore’s wand, flinging it in Harry’s direction. “No-“ Dumbledore’s already ashen face went even whiter somehow, his jaw dropping at the power radiating off the younger wizard.
The teenager caught it, the power that was already in him doubling in intensity as something clicked into place, like a puzzle piece slotting together after being disconnected for so long. His eyes were glowing a bright neon green, their ire freezing Dumbledore in place as another spell was thrown at him, forcing the man to kneel on the floor, something other than the hands holding him down. The younger wizard looked at him with pure contempt, sneering at him as he breathed out with a promise that terrified Dumbledore.
"You will pay for everything you've ever done, Dumbledore." He promised with a hiss, eyes still flashing when he looked away once Dumbledore was completely trapped with his spells. For good measure, he placed another one of his spells on him, causing the elderly wizard to scream in pain. At one point in time, the man's cries of pain would have brought vindictive glee to Harry, but everything felt numb as he turned away, eyes drawn to those of his best friend.
Harry looked at Hermione's lifeless body, and another heartbreaking sound escaped his lips. A bright light exploded from his chest and wand, everything beginning to go dark as he started to fall to his knees as reality caught up to him.
The last thing he saw was Severus running to catch him, the man’s voice incensed with a protective fury that always managed to make him smile.
It didn't make him smile this time.
“You dare attack my students, Albus?” Severus growled, his strong arm wrapped protectively around his vulnerable lover. “The Board has been notified of your treacherous behavior, Dumbledore. You will be removed tonight."
As the words became fainter, all Harry could think about as he completely lost consciousness was Hermione’s crumpled body on the floor, her lifeless gaze haunting him as the world went completely dark.
Notes:
I hope everyone has enjoyed this story so far. I have two more chapters to write I think, then everything will be done.
It's been such a blast writing this story.
Chapter 32
Notes:
And here's the next chapter! I had a lot of fun writing it and I hope you all enjoy it too
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“Do you ever feel guilty for wanting to leave the Muggle world?” Hermione had given him a bittersweet smile, her hair bouncing as she nodded, fiddling with the hem of her shirt. “I only knew about your parents. I had no idea you had so many cousins. It must be hard leaving behind your family,” Hermione took his hand, gently squeezing it as she spoke up.
“I will always love my family, and it’s not like I can’t visit them during holidays, but…“ Her smile morphed, turning from bittersweet to tender as she looked at Harry, her stare penetrating him deeply. Her brown eyes were wet and gleaming; her voice was soft as the powerful words spread between them. “Family is more than what we were born into; it’s the friends we choose along the way. It’s the people we love, even if they aren’t blood,” Harry felt his eyes fill with tears at her words, a gentle smile forming on his lips as he squeezed her hand in return. It reminded him of a similar conversation they had nearly two years prior.
“You’re my family, Harry. I’ve never had a brother before, but with you, I have one. I am so sorry about Sirius. I know that no one can ever replace him, but I will be here for you whenever you need me. We’re family,” Hermione had said, her words just as soft and powerful. Harry had sniffed at the loyal confession, crying into his friend’s shoulder as he dealt with the pain of losing his Godfather. Slowly, he wrapped an arm around the witch as he nodded at her words, repeating the sentiment to her, unaware that they had formed a bond in doing so; the two immediately being recognized as siblings by Magic and the Goblin Nation.
Later, they had undergone an official blood adoption ceremony once they discovered the bond.
“I know family is more than blood,” Harry began, a sheepish smile on his face that was still tinged with sadness. “But there is no one else I would want to be my sister other than you,” He confessed, smiling as she enveloped him in a tight hug, laughing in delight as she nodded happily, agreeing to the official ceremony.
And the more Harry thought about it, the more he realized how true his words were over the years. While he adored Fred and George, they were only close friends. With Hermione, there was another bond there, something that felt more familial than anything he had with the Weasleys.
She was his rock, always there to ensure he stood tall. She was there for his worst moments, when he felt so low after losing Sirius that nothing made him smile anymore. She was there for him when he had officially turned away from the Order of the Phoenix, supporting him as he completely pulled away from Albus Dumbledore. She was the one who sat beside him in the library, helping him research advanced spells and potions. She was the one who stood up to Ron when the ginger was under the influence of compulsions spells. She was always there for him, giving him her encouraging smiles and gently squeezing his hand. She was always there for him, no matter what, and no words could ever describe how much it meant to Harry.
Hermione Granger was his best friend, turned blood-adopted sister, and Harry frankly couldn’t imagine his life without her in it.
-
When Harry woke up, it wasn’t with a jolt or flash of light. It was anticlimactic as his eyes slowly fluttered open, meeting the strangely familiar sight of the ceiling in the hospital wing. His mind was groggy as he sat up, trying to remember everything that had led up to him waking up in the infirmary. The images from his dream drifted away as he tried to concentrate, forgetting about the bright light and a hooded figure walking with him. He sighed, rubbing his head.
All he could remember was walking towards the Gryffindor common room and finding Mrs. Norris attacking Dumbledore. The long-haired cat was ferocious with her attacks, but then he and Hermione jumped in and stopped Dumbledore from-
Hermione…
He let out a slow breath as everything came rushing back, his eyes clenching shut as frustrated and despairing tears filled his eyes, threatening to spill over as he bit his lips, afraid of the sounds that would come out. It felt like his heart was being squeezed by a relentless hand, the hand squeezing so hard that it felt impossible to breathe. His entire world was flipped upside down, everything off kilter as he took steadying breaths, his hands starting to tremble as he gripped the bedsheets.
How had this happened? How had he not been quick enough to stop Dumbledore from killing his best friend? He was supposed to keep Hermione safe and free from the harm Dumbledore wanted to bestow upon them. Dumbledore was supposed to seek him out, and him alone. Hermione wasn’t supposed to receive the brunt of the headmaster’s ire and desperation.
Dear Merlin, this was all his fault. Hermione was dead because of him, even if Dumbledore had been the one to fire the killing curse.
His plan had been too risky and reckless. He should have done more to prevent this from happening. He should have taken more time to ensure that Hermione would be untouched by Dumbledore. His closeness to her in the last few days would have painted an even brighter target on her back that Dumbledore would have zeroed in on as his desperation grew.
Considering the senile old man had already shown signs of noticing their friendship in the past, as well as looking at them both oddly, Harry should have done more to protect her. Hermione’s blood was on his hands, and he didn’t know how he could ever move on from this one.
It had taken him over a year to stop blaming himself for Sirius’ death after he had been murdered by Bellatrix. At that point, Sirius had been the closest thing Harry had ever had to a father. He had loved the Weasleys, but even back then, Molly had made him feel uneasy, even if she tried to act like a kind mother. Sirius was his first genuine taste of what having a loving family felt like.
However, Hermione had been there for him through everything, and he finally understood what the phrase Family isn’t blood meant. He pressed his trembling hands into his face as the dam started to break, trying so hard to fight the wave of tears that was gradually building up.
Distantly, he hears the familiar sound of a billowing cloak and feels some of his tension ebb. When Severus is beside him, all Harry can think to do is press his face into the sturdy chest, trembling when those comforting arms wrap around him, keeping him secure. He is moments away from breaking apart and crumbling, but knowing Severus is there makes the process easier. With Severus, Harry knows it’s okay to break, and that his lover would be there for him through it all. Before he officially breaks down, his lover was running a hand through his hair slowly, fingers reverently stroking through his dark hair as they eventually land on his nape.
“I am relieved you’re unharmed,” Severus mumbled, his voice a deep murmur that helped ease Harry just slightly, his broken heart warming at the words. He pressed closer to his lover, letting his gentle words wash over him. His tears were still clinging to the corners of his eyes, but after being silent for so long, there was a question that was burning him from the inside.
“What happened with Dumbledore? Has he been removed yet?” Harry questioned softly, voice sounding distant and flat to his own ears as they lodge in his throat. He melted further into the arms holding him as Severus stroked through his hair once again, the sensation helping to ground him. The words hurt to say, an unrelenting lump stuck in his throat.
“The Board had him arrested,” Severus spoke up, words soft and slow. “He is being charged with breaking a magical restraining order and two counts of attempted murder on students.” As Harry listened, everything seemed to stand still as he went over the words over and over in his head.
He is being charged with two counts of attempted murder on students…
“Attempted murder?” Harry asked, watery eyes finally meeting those of concerned onyx. Looking into the dark eyes for the first time in hours, the younger wizard could easily spot the dark circles. It made him wonder how long he had been unconscious and how long his lover had been waiting for him to wake up. Severus’ lips twitched into a small smile, and Harry felt his heart leap into his throat, his hope starting to bubble in his chest while he clutched his lover’s robes.
“Miss Granger is alive,” Severus answered, and Harry felt like he could breathe again, his heart kickstarting as color seemed to come back all around him, even the sun seemed to shine brighter than before. “She is resting in the next room. Madame Pomfrey is having her monitored for when she wakes up again.” Harry could have jumped up and run straight to Hermione, but he kept himself still, coming to terms that his best friend was still alive, despite dying in front of him.
“I…” Harry was at a loss, leaning against his lover as he processed everything, his heart racing in his chest as his mind started to work overtime. “I saw her die, Severus. The killing curse hit Hermione, and I didn’t have time to cast my shielding charm around her. She was dead.” The last thing he could remember was looking into Hermione’s lifeless eyes as he crumbled to the ground. That image was seared into the back of his mind, still haunting him and making him feel ice cold. His lover carefully looked at him, and Harry could tell there was something else going on, something major and life-changing. It made him apprehensive, but he took a breath and forced himself to relax, knowing he needed to hear everything, even the most minuscule detail.
“She was dead,” Severus agreed, because he had been there to witness the final moments of the fiasco with Dumbledore. “Somehow, you brought her back when you lost consciousness.” Harry furrowed his brows, unsure if he heard right. His lips parted in surprise, blinking slowly.
“I brought her back to life?” Harry asked again, needing the clarification. How could he have possibly brought her back to life? He hadn’t placed a spell on her, nor did he do a ritual to bring her back. “How could I have done that?” While Harry knew about necromancy and understood the power behind it, he didn’t practice it and wasn’t a necromancer. He was brought out of his thoughts when he noticed his lover hesitated, and the Gryffindor was left wondering what the reluctance meant. Severus wasn’t the type to withhold information unless he couldn’t explain it himself, which did worry Harry slightly.
“Before you lost consciousness, there was a flash of light that came from your chest and the wand.” Harry held his breath as Severus spoke, unsure what to make of the explanation himself. “It surrounded Miss Granger and within moments, she was sitting up and breathing again.” After hearing his lover explain what happened, Harry couldn’t blame him for hesitating, not when the explanation gave him more questions than answers. However, had it not been for the strange rush of power he felt when he disarmed Dumbledore, he would have thought all of this impossible.
But as Harry remembered what it felt like to use Dumbledore’s wand, he found everything more believable than usual. In fact, lying on the nightstand beside his hospital bed was Dumbledore’s former wand. Even now, it called to him, letting Harry know he had not only its allegiance, but all the power within it and more.
“Which wand did the light come out of?” Harry found himself asking, watching as Severus considered his answer for a moment.
“Dumbledore’s former wand.” Harry hummed softly; his eyes drawn to the interesting wand again, looking at it briefly. “The Dark Lord has his suspicions about it, but he wants to confirm them with you when he returns,” At the mention of his other lover, Harry turned to Severus, finding the gleam that was in his eyes. It was vindictive, and Harry immediately knew what it meant.
“I assume he’s waiting for the information to reach the ministry and their journalist before he sets the trap in motion?” Harry flushed at the dark amusement on his lover’s face, a serene sigh escaping him as Severus pressed a gentle kiss to his hair. He had a hunch that the news would spread like a wildfire and that soon, Dumbledore would be moved by Emmaline Vance.
“Had either of us had less self-discipline, Dumbledore would have never left Hogwarts alive,” Harry shuddered at the deep voice, the tone darker than usual, but still impactful as ever. “When you lost consciousness, I feared you had been killed too until I saw the flash of light come from you.” Severus did not talk very much. His sentences were usually short and to the point, but hearing him now, Harry felt his heart flutter. He looked up, a charged moment passing through them as Severus cupped his cheek and leaned down, neither of them able to resist the pull of their emotional kiss.
“I’m right here,” Harry promised after they parted, a flush staining his cheeks. “I’m not going anywhere without you, I promise,” Harry added, their lips meeting again and again, their kisses slow and full of passion. In the back of his mind, the younger wizard realized Severus was kissing him as if he’d never be able to do it again. For a brief moment, their kisses deepened more, their tongues sliding and touching until Harry released a soft whine that carefully broke the two apart, knowing they had to stop.
“I love you,” Severus breathed into his ear, and Harry melted into him, a serene smile spreading across his face as he leaned up for one final kiss, pouring his love into it as he clung tighter.
“I love you too,” Harry mumbled, feeling fully relaxed for the first time in what felt like forever. Severus held him close in private, the two only parting when the familiar sound of Pomfrey walking down the hall echoed in the room.
It wasn’t long after that when Hermione had woken up again, ready to have visitors. Harry was given the okay to leave the infirmary and visit Hermione first. The two of them shared a tight hug, and Severus left them, giving the two students privacy as emotional tears filled their eyes.
“Merlin, Hermione,” Harry sobbed softly into his friend’s shoulder, afraid of letting her go ever again. “I nearly lost you, and it would have been all my fault. I am so sorry that I put you in needless danger during these past months. I-“ He was cut off by Hermione squeezing him even tighter, the witch shaking her head and disagreeing with all of his words with a stern look.
“Don’t you dare blame yourself for Dumbledore’s actions, Harry. Yes, you might have expected him to react more negatively to you the closer his removal date came, but you’re not a seer. No one, including me, expected him to do what he did. Harry, it would have made more sense for him to try and kill you first and then try and kill me to remove the witness. He specifically fired that spell at me first, and I believe there was a reason for that,” Harry swallowed hard and nodded slowly, having come to that conclusion as well. Even though Dumbledore’s actions looked crazed and delusional, the man was manipulative and conniving. There was a hidden meaning to the actions he had taken, and he wanted to know why. There was another thing he wanted to know, and he took a deep breath, his heart thudding erratically in his chest.
“Hermione, what do you remember?” Harry asked softly, trying not to picture her lifeless brown eyes staring at him unseeingly. His best friend looked away for a moment, a look of concentration soon forming on her face. “After Dumbledore attacked you, I mean,” Hermione tucked a stray hair behind her ear, hesitating as she shook her head to herself, looking unsure.
“It’s kind of hazy, Harry,” She confessed with a soft exhale. “I remember Dumbledore firing the killing curse at me, and I…” She trailed off, looking uncomfortable as a small frown formed. “I remember dying,” She confessed, sending Harry a sad smile when her friend made a noise of distress, his face pale and his green eyes bright with tears. “I also remember seeing you in front of me with a hooded figure that I couldn’t identify, and then I was suddenly surrounded by a bright white light. I can’t remember anything after that. I know I woke up before now, but I can’t remember anything other than Dumbledore being arrested.” She admitted with a small shrug, remembering the Headmaster screaming about how Harry was evil and how they were making a mistake. She remembered a strong silencing hex being placed on the former headmaster as he was forcibly dragged away by an incensed Board member, followed by an equally incensed auror. After that, she had lost consciousness again, too tired to keep her eyes open.
“You saw me and a hooded figure?” Harry asked after Hermione was finished, looking flabbergasted at the statement, his eyes fluttering shut as a vague memory resurfaced, one that included him and a friendly figure who guided him through the light. It reminded him of a dream; the memory of it slipping away, but with clear moments that stuck with him. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind. “I can remember a figure too, but it’s such a vague memory,” Harry said, rubbing at his head. “No one else was with us, though. I don’t understand it,” Harry confessed, and Hermione nodded, a gleam entering her eyes that made Harry smile despite himself. “Severus told me that Tom has an idea on how I was able to bring you back. I’ll have to tell him about the hooded figure when he returns,” Hermione hummed, looking ready to dive headfirst into a pile of books.
“If his hunch ends up being incorrect, I think you and I have just found something interesting to research,” Hermione said, and Harry laughed, happy tears filling his eyes as he nodded, unable to stop himself from hugging her as he smiled wider. “So, we both saw this hooded figure…”
Since Hermione was ready to start on new research, Harry knew that his friend was okay. The apprehension that had settled into his chest eased up, disappearing fully as they discussed the figure.
When Tom had returned to Hogwarts, Harry wasn’t surprised when he was dragged into a fiercely protective hug, the former dark lord burrowing his face into the younger wizard’s neck.
“I have never been so terrified in all my life,” Tom’s soft voice made the younger wizard shudder, his flush darkening when his lover held him even tighter, reminding him of the way Severus held him earlier in the morning. Just like Severus, Tom had dark circles under his eyes, his tension obvious in his every movement. Harry gently touched his jaw, wanting to help ease his lover’s worries and fears. “I could feel the pain in your heart.” Harry swallowed at the rough words, letting Tom hold him even tighter. “And when I felt you lose consciousness, I had no idea what to think. I thought I was going to lose you,” Lips pressed against his scar slowly, mumbling gentle declarations of love that had Harry clinging tighter, melting into every small kiss.
“I’m not leaving you,” Harry promised, smiling against Tom’s lips as the older wizard moved down, kissing his cheeks and lips, kissing every inch of skin they could. “I promise. It’ll take a lot more than Dumbledore to take me away from you.” Tom’s shaky exhale made him smile sadly, stroking his lover’s warm cheek worshipfully, his heart feeling light in his chest.
“I wouldn’t let them,” Tom promised, kissing Harry’s palm, then his wrist, pressing his cheek into the warm hand with a relieved sigh. :I would follow you anywhere, my beautiful emerald: Harry sucked in a desperate breath at the powerful declaration, unable to speak as he was pulled into a searing and loving kiss. He wrapped an arm around Tom’s neck, keeping the older wizard closer as they kissed passionately, forgetting about the rest of the world for a brief moment. When they broke apart, Tom pressed their foreheads together, simply holding Harry for a few minutes. Harry took a breath, so many questions on his tongue as the moment settled.
“Is Dumbledore in a holding cell at the Ministry, or has he been removed by Vance already?” Harry asked, seeing the slight twinge in his lover’s jaw, which relaxed as the older wizard spoke up, looking at Harry with a small smile.
“He is incapacitated in the cellar at the Gaunt house currently. The wards will inform me once he awakens,” Harry couldn’t deny his surprise at that. He figured Dumbledore would have been moved to the cellar in Riddle Manor, and Tom must have felt the question through their link, because the other wizard was speaking up again. “Besides the occasional Death Eater meeting in Riddle Manor and my regretful attack against the Riddle family, the estate was largely left out of the war. During the days when I was essentially soulless, the meetings and tortures were held in Lestrange Manor. I would prefer to keep Riddle Manor free from further bloodshed,” Harry understood the sentiment, nodding along. “Even if the blood being spilled is the one who deserves it the most, I want to leave Voldemort in the past in the Gaunt house.”
It was with those words that Harry truly realized how close the war was to ending. It felt as if a weight was being lifted from his chest, a soft sigh escaping. He let himself enjoy the moment, but there was still another question that he was desperate to know, wondering what information Tom would share.
“Severus informed me that you have a suspicion as to how I brought Hermione back to life,” Harry began, still having a hard time saying those words. Slowly, Tom nodded, moving Harry to a chair as he turned to a nearby bookcase.
“There is a children’s book that may hold the answer,” Tom confessed, waving his hand, summoning a book to him. It landed softly in his outstretched hand, the book opening immediately to the page he needed. “My obsession with immortality and cheating death led me to discover this book before I made my Horcruxes. When I graduated from Hogwarts, I had left my copy behind. Somehow, it had fallen into the possession of Dumbledore,” Tom spoke, finger ghosting across the frayed page. “A house elf kindly retrieved it from Dumbledore’s office when I asked about its whereabouts.” He passed the open book to Harry, who looked at it with intrigue.
“The Tale of the Three Brothers…” Harry read the short story within the book, his lips parting in surprise and understanding the more he read. When he finished, he licked his lips, something important sticking out as he sighed, gradually putting the pieces together. “Death had an invisibility cloak that was passed down to the youngest brother's son.” Harry took a shuddering breath after he spoke. “It’s a tradition in the Potter family to pass down an invisibility cloak to the firstborn as a family heirloom. From what I’ve read about it in the Potter Vaults, the cloak I have is hundreds of years old and is impervious to magic.” His lover’s breath hitched.
“It is also in perfect condition,” Tom said in a strange tone, causing Harry to pause and consider the words, soon nodding at the assessment. “Most mass-produced invisibility cloaks only last for five years, ten at the most, before they are unable to keep the invisibility charm on them.” Truthfully, Harry didn’t know that until now. His hand trembled, touching the pocket that held Dumbledore’s former wand, still hearing it call for him.
The same wand that was likely the Elder Wand, now that he had read the book and learned about the raw power that emanated from the wand. He chewed his bottom lip, brows furrowed.
“You think I own all of the Deathly Hollows?” Harry asked, growing shocked when Tom nodded. Deciding to read all the notes Dumbledore had scribbled into the book next, Harry hoped to find more information about the hollows. He froze when he reached the annotations about the three brothers and their family name, a choked sound flying past his lips as he held the book tighter.
“Well fuck,” Harry mumbled, staring at the surname he had claimed as one of his lordships after turning seventeen. “According to Dumbledore’s notes, Peverell is the believed last name of the three brothers,” Harry said, looking at the Peverell Lordship ring. Tom’s surprise was obvious, another strange look entering his eyes. “If all of this is true, the only thing I don’t understand is how I came to possess the resurrection stone. The Peverell lordship ring is older than the Deathly Hallows, and I don’t have anything else that would…” Harry trailed off as he and Tom shared a look, both coming to the same conclusion at the same moment. Slowly, Tom raised Harry’s hand, the Gaunt heirloom glistening in the light.
“The origin of this ring stimmed from the Peverell family as well,” Tom confessed and Harry sucked in a breath, his eyes wide. “It was rumored that Cadmus Peverell gave the ring to his son, demanding that he gift it to the person he fell in love with. The tradition of gifting the ring to husbands and wives started immediately after Cadmus committed suicide, leaving his lineage to pass the ring to those they loved the most.” Despite the shock to his system at the words, the gentle lips against his knuckles made Harry smile, warmth spreading through him.
Harry glanced at the annotations, reading what was inscribed about the Elder Wand and shaking his head with a breathless chuckle.
“Gellert Grindlewald was obsessed with the Deathly Hallows,” Harry read, his eyes widening slightly when he reached the next line. “He spent years researching the hollows and eventually tracked down the elder wand, winning its loyalty from Gregorovitch. The wand eventually became loyal to Dumbledore instead when the two dueled and Grindelwald was defeated.” Harry took a shuddering breath. “And now that I disarmed Dumbledore, the wand is loyal to me,” Harry said breathlessly, coming to terms that he was potentially in possession of all three Deathly Hollows, and that he was the fabled Master of Death.
Suddenly, his dream-like memory of the hooded figure made a lot of sense.
“Dear Merlin,” Harry exhaled, looking at Tom with wide eyes. “Hermione was telling me that before she was brought back to life, she had seen me standing beside a hooded figure. I couldn’t remember much of it myself, but I did remember a hooded figure being with me when I passed out, and how they helped guide me through the bright light.” Tom’s lips parted in surprise, gently stroking Harry’s cheek as the younger wizard exhaled. With a final look at the notes in Dumbledore’s copy of the book, Harry shook his head. “I’m the Master of Death…” Harry said, expecting the words to feel wrong and incorrect. However, saying it out loud, the younger wizard found that the words felt right and that his magic had clicked into place.
“My suspicions were correct, then,” Tom mumbled, staring at Harry with awe for a brief moment, but it quickly turned into fondness, warm lips pressing against his scar again. :You are one of a kind, my beautiful emerald.: Harry flushed at the words, their lips slowly slotting together before breaking apart after a few minutes.
“Do you think Dumbledore knew?” Harry asked, thinking about how the former headmaster had gifted him the invisibility cloak for Christmas during his first year. If Dumbledore had researched as much as Grindelwald had, why let Harry have the cloak in the first place? Why enable Harry to potentially gain an upper hand, and have a magical ability that Dumbledore couldn’t possess?
Without warning, his newly acquired wand started to shine, bathing the book in a bright light. The magic was urging him to flip through the book, and both he and Tom shared a look.
Feeling compelled, Harry flipped through the book, lips parting in shock at the confessions that were written into the pages. His eyes widened, and he tugged Tom close, engrossed by the words Dumbledore had hastily scrawled into some of the pages, almost like it was a diary.
“Dear Merlin,” They both mumbled. A dark grin formed on Tom’s face as Harry handed the book to him after they had read the contents. “This certainly will change how the public will view Dumbledore’s past with Grindelwald,” Harry snorted at the understatement, already knowing what his lover was likely to do.
“Dumbledore’s reputation is already going to be tarnished when they reveal he tried to kill two students, but this will be the final nail in the coffin. Even those who were loyal to him will turn their backs on him once this reaches the public.” The older wizard smirked when Harry chuckled darkly, the Gryffindor shaking his head. “I knew there was more at play when it came to Dumbledore and Grindelwald, and this proves it. When are you going to sneak this to Lucius?” Harry asked innocently, smirking as his lover’s eyes gleamed even more.
“After the Daily Prophet reveals Dumbledore has escaped,” Tom answered immediately, a dangerous smile on his face that would have made anyone else shudder in pure fear.
Walking into the Great Hall for breakfast the next morning, Harry and Hermione smirked at each other as the student body whispered, many of them looking at Julian Gaunt, who had taken Dumbledore’s seat.
“Wasn’t Dumbledore supposed to leave when Yule break started?” Colin Creevy asked, nudging Neville, who tiredly swatted the boy away, yawning into his cup of coffee. He seemed to straighten up when he caught sight of Harry and Hermione, immediately moving closer to them and letting the pair sit down. Once they did, a strong privacy charm was in place.
“Are you two okay?” Neville was glancing between the two, looking far more awake than he had moments ago. “Luna had a strange trance two nights ago, and she kept referring to you two. She kept mumbling about bright lights and being caught in the middle of eternity. She said you were being brought back home, Hermione, and that Harry could see through the veil of light and dark. I had no idea what she was talking about, but then I realized that neither of you had returned to the common room that night. When I asked McGonagall the next morning, all she said was that you were in the infirmary and that you weren’t receiving visitors. Then they announced all classes were cancelled for the next few days.” Harry gently touched Neville’s shoulder, realizing how stressed their friend was.
“We’re sorry for scaring you, Neville,” Hermione said, looking guilty as she laid a hand on his, offering him a small smile that she hoped would put him at ease. “A lot happened over the past day, and the prophet is about to come out with an article about it.” They watched Neville’s eyes widen at their words, the seventh year looking between them.
“Remember when I told you how Dumbledore attacked me a few months ago, Nev?” Harry asked, watching as understanding dawned on his friend. At the nod, Harry continued. “Well, this time was much worse. Dumbledore tried to kill us. He fired the killing curse at Hermione, and it hit her. Neville looked like he was going to be ill, his face a sick pallor as he grasped Hermione’s hand more desperately, his eyes as wide as saucers. “I was able to bring her back to life.” Somehow, Neville’s eyes widened even further, looking at Harry with a slack jaw. “And no, not with necromancy or even dark magic. My magic just lashed out and somehow brought Hermione back to life. After that, I passed out from using so much magic at once.” Neville was at a loss for words as the story, pressing a finger to his temple as he blinked owlishly. “I…I haven’t told anyone this besides Hermione, but I came into possession of the Deathly Hallows.” Neville’s eyes bulged out of his head at that, looking as if he was trying to solve a puzzle.
“The Deathly Hallows? Do you mean the wand, the stone, and the cloak from the Beetle the Bard story?” Neville asked, his eyes widening when Harry nodded. The seventh year choked, snapping his fingers as he placed something together.
“That could have been what Luna was referring to!” Neville groaned, looking less flabbergasted as he explained the other trance his girlfriend had gone into. “She said Harry has been marked by three, and beside him, the hooded figure lurked within the light and darkness. It helps and obeys, helping guide everyone and everything.” Harry’s eyes were wide as Neville finished, looking at Hermione, who looked just as shocked.
“At this point, I think Luna will have a section in the Hall of Prophecies created just for her,” Hermione wagered, and Harry snorted despite himself, grinning more at the fond amusement in Neville’s eyes. Harry nodded at the words, thinking about all the trances Luna had gone into this year. He was going to say something else, but the owls started to descend. A silence descended upon the Great Hall as the owls all swooped in, dropping countless newspapers, and Harry felt his lips twitch slightly, already knowing what to expect. The collective gasp that was heard through the hall made him snort, looking at Hermione and Neville with a private grin.
BREAKING NEWS: FORMER HOGWARTS HEADMASTER ARRESTED
Albus Dumbledore was arrested Monday evening, being forcibly taken from Hogwarts school grounds after the Board of Governors was notified of the former Headmaster attacking two students in the halls. Witnesses say this attack was unprovoked and that the two students in question were simply trying to return to their common rooms after leaving the library.
Albus Dumbledore is being charged with attempted murder for his attack on the two students. During the confrontation, witnesses confirmed that Dumbledore attempted to use the killing curse against the two students. A powerful artefact protected one of the students, and the other eventually disarmed the former headmaster during a duel.
This comes after the headmaster had apparently been stalking one of these students, to the point that a magical restraining order was issued. In this attempted murderous confrontation, Dumbledore is also charged with one count of breaking a magical restraining order and one count of stalking.
This list is only added to the upcoming trials Albus Dumbledore faces. He has been implicated in other crimes that came into light during the trial of Molly Prewett. With these added offenses, it is becoming glaringly obvious that the former headmaster of Hogwarts will soon be joining Molly Prewett in Azkaban.
For the rest of the school year, Julian Gaunt will serve as a temporary headmaster. At the end of the year, Minerva McGonagall, the longstanding Transfiguration professor, will be promoted to the official Headmistress.
Harry could feel eyes on him and Hermione, mostly from the upper year students. They looked at him with horror, glancing back and forth between their papers and the two of them. Even Draco was giving him a strange look, his silver eyes wide as he whispered something to Zabini. The more Harry observed the Slytherin table, the more he came to realize that many of them were looking at him and Hermione with wide, concerned eyes. A glance at the Hufflepuff table had him meeting the concerned gaze of Justin, who had his jaw dropped in pure surprise.
To his side, Dean and Seamus were shaking their heads, moving closer to him and Hermione, their hands finding their shoulders and subtly squeezing. Their apprehension and unease were obvious as it saturated the air, but their care made Harry smile at the two in gratitude.
“When we found out you were in the infirmary, we thought it was because a spell had gone wrong, or because you were testing a new Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes product,” Harry couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled out of him, snickering at the thought of the twins panicking if their products sent him and Hermione into the infirmary. Hermione shared his humor, smirking into her cup. “We didn’t think you were there because Dumbledore tried killing you!” Now that the adrenaline of everything was over, Harry could find the amusement in it, even if it had been a traumatic experience.
“Honestly, he was demented in those last moments,” Harry said seriously, Hermione nodding as she recalled the strange attitude and actions. “I think he was becoming senile personally. He was attacking a cat when we ran into him in the hall.” Saying those words out loud, Harry started to realize that maybe Dumbledore had been turning senile the entire time.
“Considering he tried to act all fatherly before killing us, it does make sense,” Hermione agreed nonchalantly, smiling as Harry laughed deeply at her words. She sighed in relief, having not heard one of his true laughs in what felt like ages. “He changed his attitude like a light switch, honestly. He was either senile or an utter psychopath,” Harry considered that with a hum, thinking that both statements held merit, especially with the fact that Dumbledore likely didn’t feel an ounce of guilt for any of his actions. All he tried to do was charm Harry and Hermione in those last moments, and when it started to fail, he attacked them, willing to kill them in order to move forward with whatever story he had crafted. He shook his head, wanting to change the subject and think about something else.
“Whatever the cast may be, the best part of the confrontation was when Mrs. Norris clawed the shit out of Dumbledore’s leg. I didn’t realize how hard she could bite until she took a chunk of his skin,” Harry admitted, and Neville picked the wrong moment to drink coffee, sputtering it out as he laughed loudly. “Honestly, she was the real hero in all of this,” Harry said, thinking about how the long-haired feline had been the first to attack Dumbledore with a ferocity that still made him snicker to himself. Hermione shared his humor as she nodded seriously.
“I concur,” Hermione said fondly, remembering the leaping jump Mrs. Norris had performed as she dug her claws and teeth into Dumbledore’s legs. His robes didn’t stand a chance as the cat shredded them. “Mrs. Norris was the true hero.”
Unknown to them, Mrs. Norris heard the esteemed praise, purring in delight as she congratulated herself. She then jumped onto her owner’s lap, demanding a piece of bacon and sausage for all her hard work as the unsung heroine.
Notes:
The next chapter will be the last one for the main plot of the story. (I may write an epilogue, but I will wait and see how the last chapter turns out.)
I already have some of the last chapter written out and it's a bittersweet feeling tbh. I can't believe we're almost at the end.
A huge thank you to everyone who has been with this fic since the beginning.
Chapter 33
Notes:
I don't really have much to say, to be honest. This is a bittersweet feeling. This is my first full-legnth fic that I've actually completed, and it means a lot to me that so many of you have stuck with it to the very end. I will be posting a short epilogue after this chapter is out, but for those who don't like epilogues, this is the last chapter of the main plot.
i hope you enjoy it.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Harry informed Hermione about what he had uncovered in Dumbledore’s copy of the Tales of Beetle the Bard, her face going slack with surprise as she listened to his every word, needing to sit down after Harry had told her everything.
“I don’t think joking about him being senile is much of a joke at this point,” Hermione admitted, chewing on her bottom lip as her mind was filing away all the new information, a concentrated expression settling on her face. “Dear Merlin, what compelled him to write all of that in a children's book! I never thought of him being the type to use a diary,” Harry nodded along at her words, trying to make sense of it as well.
“You want to know what I think?” Harry asked after a moment, thinking of Dumbledore’s pensieve and how easy it was to look into, even if it was deemed rude by society's standards. “I think he was not only paranoid but also exhausted from keeping that secret in him for so long. If someone were planning on trying to find information about you, the first place they would look is a pensieve. Dumbledore may have been…” Harry trailed off, trying to find the right words. “-strange in his last moments at Hogwarts, but he was still no fool. Who would think to read through a children’s book to find information on someone? Especially in a copy that was unravelling due to its age. I think he would expect someone to throw away the book before taking the time to read it. Hermione nearly huffed at that, crossing her arms at the thought of someone tossing away a book, but she nodded in agreement after considering his words.
“That is sound logic,” She admitted with a small sigh, shaking her head for what felt like the millionth time in the last few days. “It’s hard to picture what went through Dumbledore’s head most of the time, but one thing was for sure: he was paranoid most of the time. I think that ended up being his biggest weakness in the end,” Harry hummed, thinking about how true Hermione’s words were. Most of the plans that he helped create played on Dumbledore’s paranoia and desperation in some form.
“I think it was that on top of his need for control,” Harry said, his lips turning up slightly when Hermione snorted. “If something impeded his plans, he tried to manipulate the situation so things would fix themselves. It failed because he couldn’t manipulate me in the end,” Harry leaned back, not wanting to imagine a world where he was too blind to see the man’s manipulations. It was a terrifying thought because it was something that could have easily happened had he not been a more independent person. To his side, Hermione chuckled, a mirthful gleam in her eyes.
“Maybe you were his greatest weakness, then,” Hermione quipped, and Harry couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled out of him, her words ringing true. “Most of his plans were centered around you, and the moment you started to defy him, everything started to fall apart around him,” Harry’s grin widened, unable to help himself as he thought about how all of Dumbledore’s plans had failed and how the man was now starting to be viewed as the monster he was underneath his grandfatherly façade. It was a wonderful feeling to have. For so long, the elderly wizard had charmed and captivated the public, getting them to believe in his authority and his wisdom. He had managed to get countless people to fawn over him, believing him to be the second coming of Merlin himself.
Now, his image would be tarnished beyond repair. Even his most loyal and devout followers would turn their backs on him and snub any reminder of the former Headmaster. Harry couldn’t deny the immense satisfaction he felt at those thoughts alone. For over two years, he had seen what other people were too blind to see. It was gratifying for the rest of the public to finally be aware of how evil the elderly wizard truly was.
His reputation was already falling apart with the recent article detailing his escape from the Ministry’s holding cell. The whispers were growing and spreading, becoming more vocal with each passing hour. Even the students in Hogwarts were condemning the former headmaster, no longer trying to hide their displeasure and hatred of him. There were no whispers among the seventh and sixth years, their voices loud as they openly expressed their hatred of the man for trying to kill two of their peers and then escaping, unwilling to undergo his trial out of cowardice.
“What a ruddy coward,” A Gryffindor had scoffed at the paper, glaring at it as they tossed it onto the table. “Dumbledore knew he’d be sentenced to Azkaban. He should have owned up to his actions.” There was agreement from everyone around the table, all of them agreeing. All of the other houses had all glared at the papers in their hands, tossing them to the side when they were done reading. Harry, Hermione, and Neville had all shared a small grin as the anger seemed to carry on throughout the entire Great Hall. When he spared a glance at the Head table, his grin stayed in place as he saw the anger mirrored in all the professors.
McGonagall in particular had looked the most incensed out of everyone, a deep scowl on her face as she mumbled, ‘And to think this monstrous man was in charge of children for decades!’ All of the professors nodded around her, even Hagrid, who looked absolutely heartbroken as he read the paper, his black eyes wet with unshed tears. Harry had frowned slightly and turned away, having felt conflicted.
He still felt that way now as he spoke with Hermione, a soft sigh escaping as he spoke up after a few moments of silence, feeling safe in voicing his emotions in their private spot.
“I don’t know how I feel about Hagrid,” Harry confessed, hating the way Hermione seemed to deflate as she looked at him, her eyes turning sad as she nodded in understanding, mumbling a ‘me too’ that caused Harry to sigh again. “He was the one who bought Hedwig for me,” Green eyes looked out the window that was behind them, looking to the owlery where his familiar was resting. “And I will always be grateful to him for doing that. And the way he helped us and stood up for us when we would get into it with Malfoy. It’s clear that he always viewed us as his friends and that he cared for us, but…” Harry swallowed hard, a lump forming in his throat as he closed his eyes.
“It’s hard to look past all of the loyalty he had for Dumbledore,” Hermione surmised, the sad smile never wavering as she leaned further into her seat, gently closing the book as she looked at her friend. “I don’t blame Hagrid completely. He’s known Dumbledore for decades and likely felt obligated to support him because of everything Dumbledore did for him. It must be a shock to him that Dumbledore was capable of committing such atrocities,” Harry knew Hermione was right, and he couldn’t stop his mind from racing, thinking about how Dumbledore had ensured Hagrid stayed at Hogwarts.
“He’s been manipulated for so long. I can’t imagine,” Harry smiled sadly at Hermione too, giving a small, helpless shrug. “I don’t blame him completely either. Hagrid is far too trusting of most people to begin with, and I don’t think it took Dumbledore too much effort to manipulate him.” If anything, Harry was starting to feel bad for the half-giant. Hermione, who seemed to know him better than himself sometimes, gently squeezed his hand.
“Do you want to visit him? For old times' sake?” Harry chuckled and eventually nodded, eyes shining with gratitude as he squeezed her hand in return, touched by her thoughtfulness. Thinking about the article that was going to be published at dinner tonight, Harry was inclined to agree that it was time they visited their old friend.
“I think I would like that. Do you want to plan one for tomorrow? He might appreciate a friendly visit after the next article is released tonight at dinner.” Hermione’s lips parted, thinking back to their earlier conversation, her eyes widening at how fast the article was going to be published. Her lips quirked as she gently shook Harry’s shoulder, a dangerous gleam in her eyes that made Harry snicker, knowing how excited the witch was.
“I didn’t think the article was going to be published so soon!” Hermione gasped, forgetting about Hagrid as they changed the topic back to their original conversation. She had been surprised when Harry told her what Dumbledore had written in the books, and knowing it was about to be released to the public so soon made her grin. “How in the name of Merlin were you able to get that published so fast?!” She exclaimed with excitement, and Harry chuckled fondly.
“Lucius Malfoy,” Harry said, which was answer enough. Hermione’s gleam never lessened, another thoughtful look crossing over her face as she looked at Harry, realizing there was something else her friend wasn’t saying. He noticed the look and smirked slightly, knowing it was time to tell her the rest before she figured it out on her own. “After dinner is over, I’m going to visit Dumbledore with Tom. I…” Here, Harry faltered, chewing on his bottom lip. “I want to show him the article myself, so he can see how all of society has turned on him, and I want to rub it in his face that I sided with Tom,” Hermione noticed the way her friend swallowed hard. “And most importantly, I want to know what his goal was. I want him to tell me why he targeted you first, then me. Even if his plan failed, I need to understand it and have closure from it,” Hermione listened, eventually speaking up with an unwavering voice, a hardness in her eyes.
“I want to come with you,” Hermione confessed, catching Harry by surprise. He looked at her with wide eyes, trying to comprehend her words as he opened and closed his mouth, still at a loss. The bushy-haired witch couldn’t stop the small smile, looking at her friend fondly.
“You do?” Harry inquired, taking a moment to compose himself as he looked at her with a tilt of his head. “Are you sure, Mione?’ He asked gently. “I ask this because Dumbledore is being kept captive in a cellar, and he’s likely been tortured by Tom.” Usually, Harry would be against such things, but this man had killed Hermione, despite it being a brief ordeal. As far as he was concerned, Dumbledore deserved everything that was thrown at him. Hermione’s eyes hardened as she nodded, looking so determined that Harry felt the need to back down immediately.
“I want to see the look on his face when he realizes I’m alive,” Hermione said firmly, sitting straighter. “I want him to look me in the eyes and see how he failed at everything,” Harry grinned at her words, knowing exactly what that sentiment felt like. “And, I want closure too, Harry.” Her words were strong and resolute, her eyes flashing. “I want to know what his plan was when he tried to kill us, just so we can rub it in and show how it epically failed,” Harry’s lips turned upwards, enjoying the determination his best friend was showing. He respected it, especially since she was willing to push through her discomfort. “And yes, usually I despise torture and murder,” Hermione agreed, needing to air it out. “But I couldn't care less right now, Harry. He’s spent years trying to manipulate your life; he’s been trying to set up your death and have you willingly fall into the trap. And when it didn’t work, he tried to kill us. He deserves every ounce of pain he receives.”
Harry couldn’t find it in him to be surprised, not when he knew how loyal they were to each other. There was a reason magic recognized them as siblings before even they did. Dumbledore was a fool for ever going after them that night.
“Alright,” Harry agreed, opening the two-way journal and grabbing his quill. “Just let me inform Tom, that way he’s not surprised when you show up with me,” Distantly, Harry was aware that this was the first time Tom and Hermione would interact one-on-one, and he didn’t know why it sent a flutter through his stomach, his nerves spiking for a split-second. He pushed it to the side as he started to write the message. ‘Hermione is coming with me when we visit Dumbledore. She wants to see the look on his face when he realizes she’s alive’ Surprisingly, it didn’t take long for Tom to write back, amusement flickering through their bond.
‘I like her. I would also like to see Dumbledore’s reaction to that as well. As your blood-sister, she is allowed into any of my homes at any time. I will have the wards re-adjusted for her to enter whenever she needs.’ Harry’s heart fluttered at the words his lover sent, a bright smile forming on his face. He showed Hermione the message, somehow smiling more when her eyes widened, appreciative tears filling her eyes at how easily she was accepted.
“I…that was very kind of him,” Hermione settled on, flushed in embarrassment, looking at Harry with a tender expression. “I can tell how much he loves you, Harry. Tom and Severus adore you, and I’m so happy that you’ve found such…pure love. They adore you, and I’m so happy that you have them,” Harry’s eyes softened at the mention of both of his lovers, a flush rising on his cheeks as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, unable to stop his heart from fluttering.
“I’m beyond happy that I have them,” Harry confessed in a soft voice. “I could easily picture spending the rest of my life with them. I just…they feel like my other halves, you know?” Harry grinned when Hermione nodded, a bashful look forming on her face as she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.
“That’s how I feel with Viktor. When I’m with him, it feels like the entire world just fades away, and it’s just us. He feels like my other half,” Hermione said with a wistful smile, growing happier at the thought of seeing her boyfriend during Yule, which was growing closer and closer. At the mention of Viktor, Harry licked his lips, wondering how to ask his question.
“Have you told him what happened?” Hermione’s smile faltered, and she swallowed hard, clearing her throat as she spoke up.
“I told him some vague things, but I didn’t tell him everything. I think some things are better said in person,” Hermione admitted. “And I didn’t want to tell him without your permission, Harry. With you being the Master of Death, many people would come after you just for the fact that you have the Elder Wand. Even though I know Viktor would never tell another soul, that’s still an aspect of your life that you should have control over. It’s your right to tell who you want to tell,” A wave of gratitude hit him, and he pulled Hermione in for a hug, which she eagerly returned.
“You have my permission to tell Viktor,” Harry said, pulling back as he gave her a playful look. “He’s going to be my brother-in-law at some point, so he deserves to know. I trust him, Mione. He would never do anything to hurt either of us, especially you,” Hermione let out a soft breath and nodded. “Dinner is about to start. How about we head there early so we can see everyone’s reactions?” Hermione grinned at the words, accepting the hand that helped her up.
“Sounds perfect,” She smirked.
“Is Severus not going?” Hermione asked quietly once they were seated in the great hall, a privacy charm around them. Harry blinked and shook his head with a sigh.
“I wish he were, but it would look too suspicious if they both left the school grounds at the same time,” Harry reminded, and Hermione hummed in understanding. “And from what he told me this morning, he caught a group of fifth years who were trying to unsuccessfully brew Felix Felicis with ingredients stolen from his storeroom,” Hermione grimaced at that. “To make matters worse, they were only working on the potion for about a week,” Hermione froze.
“That potion takes six months to brew,” She said slowly, starting to pale when Harry nodded. “Dear Merlin,” She gasped. “He stopped a total catastrophe!” Harry outright laughed as he nodded again. “I’m terrified of whatever concoction they were trying to make! I hate to imagine what the potion would have looked like after two weeks of inactivity!” Harry tapped his chin.
“That’s a good point. I’ll have to ask Severus about that one when I see him tomorrow. I wonder what would have happened, since the potion needs to be stirred every few days for about two months before resting…” Harry mumbled, a concentrated look forming on his face. Before he had time to ponder what the botched potion would have done, students started to file in, quickly filling the Great Hall. “Well, it looks like the show's about to start,” Harry commented when the owls soon flew in, garnering deep sighs from everyone.
“I wonder what it’s going to be this time,” Seemed to be the sentiment of not only the students, but most of the professors as well. McGonagall looked absolutely done with everything as she picked up the paper, her eyes bulging out of her head as her jaw dropped. Unable to help himself, Harry grabbed a paper for himself, curious at how the article was written.
A Secret Dark Lord:
The Untold Truth of Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald
In the wake of Albus Dumbledore’s escape from the Ministry and their holding cell, a generous Ministry official has kindly provided evidence of the true nature of Albus Dumbledore. Handwritten evidence against Dumbledore has been given to us, so that we may share the horrid truth about the former headmaster of Hogwarts. This evidence was collected by the ministry official in hopes of tracking down Dumbledore, but instead of helping us track him down, it has shed light on the once esteemed man.
Albus Dumbledore has confessed to his own guilt in numerous incidents in these pages. The spell Caligo has been placed on the ink to ensure it was written by Dumbledore, and it came back positive.
In being transparent with our readers, we were shocked once we read the entire pages for ourselves. For anyone who once believed Albus Dumbledore was a kind wizard, we are sorry for what we are about to share. This information places a dark shadow on the past that we were all oblivious to until now.
Albus Dumbledore, as he confessed in these pages, was in an intimate relationship with the Dark Lord Gellert Grindelwald. The two were partners in all senses of the word, including in their goals of taking over the Muggle world and having full control over the wizarding world as well.
Yes, the once great Albus Dumbledore actively conspired with the Dark Lord Grindelwald to take over society as we know it, all so they could shape it in the image they wanted. They would have controlled the world as a duo, but an act of betrayal cut their partnership short.
Albus Dumbledore grew wary and fearful of the power Grindelwald amassed, so he resorted to drastic measures to subtly end their partnership himself. During a duel with Grindelwald and his brother, Albus Dumbledore intentionally fired a fatal spell at his sister, Ariana Dumbledore. He did this so he could pull away from Grindelwald and search for the Deathly Hallows himself and gather more power. Dumbledore became more involved with the public and Hogwarts, keeping his motives hidden as he manipulated people to support him through the years.
When the time to battle Grindelwald arrived, Dumbledore admitted the true reason he stood against Grindelwald. It wasn’t for the betterment of society or ensuring that the war would finally end. No, it was because Dumbledore admitted to wanting to cement his legacy as a powerful and legendary wizard who managed to vanquish a Dark Lord. He also stopped Grindelwald because the man was starting to become too powerful and have too many supporters, according to the former Headmaster. In Dumbledore’s words, Gellert needed to be stopped because all the power shouldn’t have been just for him alone.
As the years went by, Dumbledore confessed to having grown remorseful in his actions of betraying his former lover and for not completing their goals together.
Albus Dumbledore felt no remorse in killing his younger sister, or for the ideals he and Grindelwald shared, which he coined as being For The Greater Good, just as Gellert Grindelwald often did. The only thing Dumbledore admitted to regretting was betraying Grindelwald instead of helping the man take over the Muggle and wizarding world.
Word for word, here are some of the last lines Dumbledore wrote in the pages uncovered:
Muggles will always be inferior to wizards, and I was a fool for letting my fear of Gelert’s power blind me to that. I should never have turned away from Gelert or our plans for total wizard domination. In all my life, that is my one and only regret. We could have both controlled the world and everyone else in it, creating a new world order where Wizards reign supremely. Even if that is no longer possible, there is still power in being a Headmaster. I can at least control the new generation of witches and wizards, molding them to my beliefs and controlling what they learn of the world.
To say this was a shock to write would be an understatement, my dear readers. Albus Dumbledore was not the man he portrayed to the public. For years, he has manipulated everyone around him, uncaring of how he went about it. Albus Dumbledore is nothing but a fraud and a manipulative liar. We all feel foolish for placing so much trust in him.
From this day forward, we urge everyone, including magical beings in other countries, to involve the act of the damnatio memoriae, so that we may erase everything he has ever done. Albus Dumbledore does not deserve to be remembered for his accomplishments that were built on lies. He deserves to be forgotten and left as a mere footnote in our history.
“Damn,” Harry whistled quietly, unable to help himself. “They didn’t hold back at all. Not that I was expecting them too, but I’m frankly impressed with how well they wrote everything,” To his side, Hermione hummed in agreement, a glint in her eyes as she placed the paper down on the table. All around them, students were openly squawking at their papers, their eyes as wide as saucers, all engrossed in the article. There was the occasional sound of utensils clattering as they slipped from students' and professors’ fingers alike. All in all, almost everyone in the Great Hall was deeply shocked, the air still with tension. Minutes passed, and the silence seemed to grow, no one uttering a word as they processed the article.
It was Minerva McGonagall who stood up, taking a stand as she composed herself, trying to look as calm and collected as she always did. There was a frazzled air about her that the witch couldn’t quite shake off, but she carried on with raising her wand. It lit up, a golden spark flying out as it ran around the room. It zapped all around before flying out the doors, the sound of crashing echoing in the hall it escaped to.
“Damnatio memoriae, for those who don’t know, is an act of physically removing a person from memory. This is done by destroying their pictures, statues, or awards. It removes any presence this person had.” She took a breath. “I have invoked damnatio memoriae against Albus Dumbledore for all of Hogwarts and her surrounding buildings. Hogwarts will forever be free from that odious man,” The clapping started slowly, but gradually increased in frequency as every student and professor clapped for Minerva McGonagall, some even whistling for her and cheering. There was a small flush on the witch’s face as she sat down, sitting straight as she gave a small nod to the students. “And I apologize on behalf of Hogwarts for all the turmoil that man may have caused you,” Harry was positive she was looking at him and Hermione at that, and he smiled at her, noticing her posture ease just slightly as she sent him a private smile in return.
The rest of dinner was a quiet affair. Many students were still in shock about the news, and they kept to themselves, eating slowly like mindless zombies, which the two used to their advantage. Harry and Hermione finished eating, taking the opportunity to leave as quickly as possible. They went to an abandoned classroom, utilizing the privacy as Harry spoke up, his wand out.
“Tom will meet us there shortly. Until then, I’ll apparate us there,” Hermione nodded as she grabbed hold of Harry’s arm, the familiarity of side-along apparition settling over her as they landed in a plain-looking house. While not ornate or intricate, it was obvious that the house was well taken care of, despite the layer of dust residing on some furniture. When she sent Harry a questioning look, her friend was quick to answer. “Tom prefers to live in Riddle Manor. He told me that this place has a painful past that he doesn’t like to revisit much,” Hermione listened, glancing at some of the family portraits that still hung on the walls. Looking at the despondent gazes, Hermione found that she couldn’t blame Tom for not spending much time in this house.
“I can see that,” Hermione mumbled, eyeing a picture of Merope Gaunt that made her simultaneously feel pitiful for the woman, but also feel terrified of her. Harry noticed where Hermione’s gaze landed and felt a small grimace pull at his face, sighing at the picture.
“That’s Tom’s mother,” Harry said softly, eyes landing on the empty eyes of Merope. He didn’t want to tell the full story of Merope Gaunt, since it wasn’t quite his story to tell. That would be up to Tom, and he doubted his lover wanted many to be aware of what his mother had not only endured, but the atrocities she had also committed. “She didn’t have an easy life. Her father was prejudiced to the point that he forbade either of his kids from attending Hogwarts. The isolation and abuse fractured the family, and Merope was desperate to escape it. She eventually did,” That was all Harry permitted himself to say, and thankfully, Hermione seemed to realize it was a sensitive topic. She merely gave him a sad smile, nodding in understanding.
There was a pop not long after their conversation ended, Tom appearing in the middle of the room. Hermione immediately noticed Tom’s eyes light up as soon as they spotted Harry, and she knew right then and there that the Dark Lord was absolutely besotted with her best friend. Seeing it firsthand made her smile to herself, especially when Harry gravitated towards the man, their fingers brushing subtly.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you formally, Miss Granger,” Tom said politely, offering the muggleborn witch a genuine smile, a fond look in his eyes. “You have my eternal gratitude for always staying by Harry’s side. Magic could not have chosen a better sister,” Hermione flushed deeply at the words, growing warm at the esteemed compliment.
“Harry has been betrayed by too many people in his life. He should have had more people stick by his side, but I would do it all again, over and over,” Hermione said, smiling as her friend squeezed her hand gently. He had a similar flush burning his cheeks. “And I want to see Dumbledore personally pay for everything he’s done to Harry. I want to see him when he realizes he failed at everything,” Tom smirked at the words, motioning towards the door that was at the corner of the room.
“Then by all means, follow me,” Tom said, leading the two to Dumbledore's cell.
To say that Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore felt like a fool would be an understatement. For decades, the public revered him. His position of power in and outside of Hogwarts made him the most influential wizard of his era. People used to bow to him, looking to him for guidance and protection.
Then the ministry started to doubt him over the years. They tried to place restrictions on his domain in Hogwarts, and when they failed, the Board of Governors stepped in, stripping him of his deserved position. They took away his power and questioned him, trying to balance his power. It was a mere nuisance at first, but they had crossed the line the past year, finally undermining him and getting what they wanted.
Dumbledore could admit to himself that attacking Harry that first night had been an error on his part. He shouldn’t have been so careless in trying to get to the seventeen-year-old. That mistake had been fully made by him, especially for failing to notice how magically powerful Harry had become over the last year. He should have been more observant. If he had, then perhaps he could have planned for it better. He could still have Harry under his thumb, turning the boy into the perfect puppet for the wizarding world. The boy would have given him so much more power.
But would that have truly changed things? Dumbledore looked at the cell he was kept in, a scowl on his face as he remembered who had brought him here. He glared at the one-way portkey that was thrown across his cell, its mere reminder a slap to the face. Distantly, he wondered if the betrayal he felt was even a fraction of what Gellert must have felt.
Emmeline Vance had been a member of the Order of the Phoenix since the organization was founded. She had always been one of the first to constantly offer her services, always doing what was asked of her, never complaining once. She clung to his every word with eagerness, her eyes full of admiration and awe.
As he stared at the bare cobblestone wall, Dumbledore began to wonder just how much of that had been a façade for his benefit. How many members were plotting his downfall? How many truly believed in him and his cause?
Before he could internally question himself more, the sound of a door opening drew him from his gruesome thoughts, and multiple sounds of feet stopping at his cell. He sneered as Tom Riddle stood in front of his cell, the man looking at him impassively. The crimson eyes were bright, the once impassive face morphing into a smirk.
“Good evening, Albus. I have some guests that would like to speak to you,” Tom took a step back, smirking wider as Hermione Granger and Harry Potter came into view. Dumbledore, despite wanting to keep his emotions hidden, he was unable to stop his lips from parting in shock as he looked at the very much alive Hermione Granger.
“How…” Harry looked at him like he was a piece of dirt, his vibrant eyes flashing.
“Surprised to see her?” Harry innocently asked, a saccharine smile in place. His eyes gave him away, their anger and hate chilling Dumbledore down to his bones, the air suddenly too thick to breathe. “But considering you killed her, I suppose anyone would be surprised,” Harry’s voice shifted, turning darker and more unforgiving.
“You’re going down a very dark path, my boy,” Dumbledore tried to reason with the powerful wizard, eyeing him with apprehension. “Necromancy is nothing to be trifled with. It will warp your soul, just as he has,” Dumbledore pointed at Tom, who lazily raised an eyebrow.
“You weren’t kidding about his manipulation skills being subpar,” Tom said, earning a small snort from Hermione, who quickly covered it up. Harry shot his lover a fond look, lips quirked into a private smile.
“Harry!” Dumbledore urged, trying to get control over the situation, even if it would be minimal. “You have allowed yourself to be corrupted by this man. Your parents would be devastated by your actions. You could have prevented this had you-“
“Let me guess,” Harry cut him off with practiced ease. “I could have prevented this by hunting down and destroying all of Tom’s Horcruxes? Only to eventually realize that I was one as well, and that I also needed to die in order to vanquish Tom for good? I sacrifice myself, killing his final Horcrux so that you can swoop in and deal the final blow to Tom, cementing yourself as a vanquisher of Dark Lords for the second time?” Harry inquired, smirking when Dumbledore turned ashen, looking absolutely flabbergasted. “I’ve known about being his Horcrux since I turned seventeen, Dumbledore. It didn’t take us long to figure out what your intentions were, especially since you constantly preached to me about hunting for Horcruxes and how it was my destiny to destroy them all.”
“You have it all wrong-“ Dumbledore tried, sputtering when Hermione turned to Harry, giving him an evil grin as she whispered something to the wizard. Harry lit up at that, giving her a devious smile in return.
“You’re absolutely brilliant, Hermione.” Harry turned back to Dumbledore and, to Dumbledore’s horror, cast a spell on him using the elder wand. “Alítheia,” A golden light wrapped around the elderly wizard, who was too weak to fight against it. “Severus gave me a potion to use, but this one will work even better. I completely forgot I invented it!” Tom watched the interaction with a grin, particularly when he saw Dumbledore’s defeated expression. Harry nodded at Hermione, letting his friend take control.
“Why did you kill me first that night?” She asked, lips quirking when Dumbledore paled, eyes darting as he tried to come up with an answer, but the truth was literally ripped from his lips as he gasped in pain.
“Since I couldn’t get Harry to listen to me about his destiny, I was going to remove him myself. I was planning on placing a memory charm on myself to show Harry attacking and killing you first, before I could stop him. The memory charm would show him being corrupted by the Horcrux as Lord Voldemort began to possess him. It would show a final duel breaking out between us, with poor Harry being killed by my hands as Voldemort possessed his body.” There was a beat of silence, but the air was thicker than before. “Healers use a spell that indicates the time of exact death. If I killed Harry first, it would raise too much suspicion as to why you were also killed, and who had killed you,” Tom let out a low, dangerous hiss from nearby.
Hermione swallowed hard as she turned, seeing the thunderous expression on Tom’s face that would have frozen anyone, even a ghost. The man stalked closer to the cell, almost shaking in rage as another low hiss escaped his lips. Harry immediately grabbed the man’s hand, intertwining their fingers as he squeezed tightly. Gradually, Tom’s tension began to ease slightly, the magic within the room dissipating slowly. After a few seconds, it was easier to breathe.
“Well, it seems you failed at that endeavor, since I have this lovely wand to show for it,” Harry taunted, twirling the wand between his fingers and smirking at the dark look that settled across Dumbledore’s face. “Before we get to the final part of our visit, there’s something I want to tell you, Dumbledore,” Harry had a conspiratorial look on his face. “I didn’t use necromancy to bring Hermione back from the dead,”
“There is no other way you could have.” Dumbledore tried to speak, but the spell placed on him prevented him from speaking again, not until he was asked another question or the curse was lifted.
“When you unite a wand, a stone, and a cloak, the possibilities are endless,” Harry grinned as Dumbledore audibly gasped, not bothering to hide his surprise as he sat up straight, eyeing Harry warily. “Death wasn’t pleased with your actions, and he especially wasn’t fond of you killing the blood-sister of his master.” Hermione resisted the urge to laugh at the expression Dumbledore wore, choosing instead to hammer the final nail in the coffin.
“Why don’t we show him the paper, Harry?” Hermione asked, pulling out a small parchment from her pocket. She tapped her wand on it, and the paper soon enlarged. “I’m sure he’d love to read what the Prophet has released about him,” Harry nodded, letting his friend toss the paper into the cell.
“I know I enjoyed reading what they wrote. Although nothing beats reading the original handwritten notes inside a children’s book.” The effect of his words was immediate as Dumbledore choked, eyes wide and wild as he read the article, growing paler and paler. Harry spoke up again, enjoying the utter look of devastation on Dumbledore’s face. “McGonagall gave a wonderful speech today after she placed a damnatio memoriae ritual at Hogwarts today. You’re already being forgotten, Dumbledore.” The man opened and closed his mouth, looking frazzled as he tugged at his beard and hair.
“You know what I find to be ironic?” Tom drawled, pressing close to Harry as he smiled darkly. “Gellert Grindlewald will die and be remembered for countless generations. You will die being forgotten,” Tom turned to look at Harry, finger gently stroking down the warn cheek. “Perhaps if you had stayed loyal to the one you loved most, you would not die alone,” Harry flushed and leaned into the touch, turning to find wide, startled eyes gazing at him.
Harry wanted to do something else that would make the elderly wizard gape like a fish. He took a calming breath and turned to Tom, cupping his cheek as he flushed more.
“I talked with Severus about this yesterday,” Harry mumbled, smiling when Hermione gasped, knowing what he was about to do. “And we both agreed that the ring you gave me deserves to be on a different finger,” Harry said, body warming when Tom’s lips parted, both of them forgetting about Dumbledore.
“Harry,” Tom exhaled, breathless as he shakily took the ring off his lover’s index finger, only to put it on his ring finger instead. :My beautiful emerald, are you sure?:
:Positive.: Harry responded without any hesitation, grinning as Tom pulled him for a passionate kiss, neither one of them hearing the choked gasp Dumbledore let out. :Since you and I can’t have a marriage bond because of our souls, this was the best alternative: Harry whispered, almost laughing when he was pulled into another desperate kiss. They only parted when Hermione cleared her throat, pointing to the slumped form of Albus Dumbledore, who was no longer breathing.
“I think he had a heart attack?” Hermione said, looking a mixture of disgusted and amused.
Notes:
If I'm being honest, I don't know how I feel about this story sometimes, which is part of the reason I'm somewhat relieved to have it done. There was so much I ended up not doing because of the added Tomarry (which I know many of you, including myself liked) but it did end up changing my end product from what I originally intended.
I may eventually post a chapter titled 'deleted scenes' so that everyone can see some of the other scenes and plot points that I never got around to including.
Chapter 34: Epilogue
Notes:
And that's aaaallll, folks! Thanks for reading my story. I hope you enjoyed it, even if was a long time in the making.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Life was going perfectly for Harry Potter. After Dumbledore passed away from his heart giving out, life felt easier. There were no more crushing weights on his shoulders or demands for him to do anything he didn’t want to do.
For the first time in his life, he was completely free.
When Yule arrived, Harry gently grasped Severus’ hands, his heart beating a mile a minute.
“You can say no to this if you want,” Harry said, handing his lover a box. On the inside was the official Potter bonding ring for marriage. “It’s for a marriage bond-“ Harry gasped as lips crashed into his own, taking him apart with such ease that he was left a gasping mess at the end of it.
“I would never say no to this,” Severus whispered into the rapidly flushing ear, kissing him all over again until they were both flushed and panting. Taking the opportunity, Harry provided the next gift.
Severus was taken aback by the spell that was crafted for him.
“It’s called Veniros,” Harry mumbled, flushing more as he explained the spell. “It shows the method of poison. It will light up green for ingested, blue for inhaled, and red for touched,” Severus had kissed him again, but this one was slower and full of wonder.
“You will never cease to amaze me.” All Harry could do was flush and kiss back, melting into his lover's embrace.
When he and Tom exchanged gifts the next day, Harry smiled shyly, fiddling with Tom’s gift.
“It doesn’t feel right for you not to have a ring,” Harry explained, passing the small box to Tom. “I did some research in the Black library and vaults, and I eventually found a ring that was similar to the one you gifted me. This ring was gifted to lovers instead of using a traditional bonding ring.” When Harry slipped the ring on his lover’s finger, he couldn’t deny the way his magic shuddered with excitement, his chest bursting with warmth.
“I also bought this for you,” Harry waved his hand and pressed a small object into Tom’s hands, grinning a bit. “It made me think of us. I hope you like it.”
In Tom’s palm was a figurine carved out of jade. Two snakes were coiled around each other, their foreheads pressed together. Tom smiled softly, gently stroking the figure as he tugged Harry closer, kissing him with such passion that the younger was sure his heart would explode.
:My beautiful emerald. It’s absolutely perfect, just like you: Harry groaned as he was kissed senselessly.
-
As Yule came and went, so did the last term at Hogwarts. Harry and Hermione studied together as they always did, with Neville, Dean, and Seamus joining them more often. His last term at Hogwarts was soon coming to an end, just when he was beginning to enjoy it. With each passing week, his time at Hogwarts was soon drawing to a close, and just when he was beginning to enjoy having a normal school life, free from danger and Dumbledore.
He was brought into McGonagall’s office two weeks before the NEWTS were about to be taken, the upcoming Headmistress looking at him with a kind smile.
“Hello, Mr. Potter. I’m sure you’re wondering why I called you here?” She questioned, earning a nod in response. “I was curious if you were still interested in joining Hogwarts as a Professor after your graduation?” Harry’s eyes widened, and he immediately nodded, unable to stop himself from showing his excitement.
“I would love to,” He confessed, growing breathless as hope blossomed in his chest.
“I have received word that the Board of Governors has agreed to reinstate a permanent Dueling class. This class will focus on the ability to cast spells and use them. The Defense Against the Dark Arts will focus more on theory and counters for dark spells,” Harry lit up at her words, already liking the direction that was being taken. “I have informed them that I already have a candidate in mind for the position, should he want it,”
“Professor,” Harry choked, trying to keep his emotions at bay. “I would love to take the position. By the end of the summer, I should have my mastery in Defense and Potions as well, so I hope-“ The upcoming Headmistress gasped at him, looking astounded.
“Mr. Potter, do you mean to tell me you have been studying for a Mastery in Defense and Potions, on top of your NEWTS?” Harry cleared his throat.
“Er, yes?”
-
Harry had clapped loudly when Severus was promoted to Deputy Headmaster the following school year, sitting beside his lover with a private grin. On his other side was Neville, who was being mentored by Professor Sprout.
Harry flushed scarlet with McGonagall promoted him as the Head of Gryffindor, telling him that she was proud of the young man he was turning into. It left him with a pleasant feeling inside.
As the first day of classes started, Hedwig delivered a letter to Harry at breakfast. He smiled at the familiar writing on it, opening it with a nearby letter-opener.
Good luck with your first day of teaching, Harry! I’m so happy you and Neville were able to get the positions. I’ll be sure to visit you during Hogsmeade trips, and you know you can come over to visit me and Viktor anytime you want.
I don’t think I told you yet, but I’m getting an entry-level position in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. A position just opened up, and I’m excited to make a difference in the lives of the magical creatures. I won’t keep you too long; just remember to write back soon. I still expect a floo call every night, mister!
Harry chuckled at the words, showing the letter to Severus, whose lips twitched upwards in amusement.
“The twins are likely to send a letter soon. You might want to be prepared for whatever they send you,” Harry paled at that, groaning into his hands.
“Dear Merlin,” Harry shook his head. “That was not something I wanted to think about, Severus,” He shot the man a private smirk that was only noticed by Neville, who was more concerned about finishing his cup of coffee to say anything.
-
:Any plans on usurping the minister yet?: Harry asked when Tom apparated into his private rooms at Hogwarts, grinning when his lover pulled him in for a deep kiss.
:You have no idea: Tom said, seriously. :How he was ever voted into this position is beyond me.: Harry chuckled, kissing Tom again. :He is nothing but a headache and nuisance to everyone around him. I can count on my hand the number of migraines he gave me today: Harry grinned at that, sinking to his knees.
:Would you like me to help relieve you of that headache, Tom?: Harry grinned when his lover shuddered, crimson eyes burning him alive. :You know how much I love getting on my knees for you:
:Brat: Tom groaned, hissing in pleasure when his cock was grasped, a warm mouth swallowing him down to the base. :You are a minx: Tom accused, eyes fluttering shut as he gently gripped Harry’s hair, bucking into his mouth until he finished.
:I might be a minx, but I’m your minx: Harry grinned up at him, chuckling as he was kissed passionately, Tom pressing him into the mattress and giving him the same treatment.
-
As the months passed and Dumbledore was almost completely forgotten, Harry couldn’t deny how truly happy he was. He no longer had to live in fear and could finally enjoy the moments of peace with his friends and family.
And even if getting to this point had been a difficult challenge, he wouldn’t change it for the world.
Even now, as the students ate their dinner, Harry gazed at Mrs. Norris with appreciation, often sneaking her pieces of chicken and fish when Argus wasn’t paying attention.
“You were a real hero all along, weren’t you, Mrs. Norris?” Harry asked, scratching under her chin and grinning at her loud purrs. She gave his fingers a headbutt, nodding at his statement as she perched herself on his lap, demanding more pets.
And Harry, as the Master of Death, frankly couldn’t find it in him to be surprised when the cat nodded at him. He merely sighed and dished her another piece of salmon, ignoring the side-eye Severus was giving him as he talked to Minerva.
“She deserves some treats. After all, it’s hard being a hero,” Harry sighed, petting the purring feline.
He would tell Tom and Severus the tale of how heroic Mrs. Norris actually was during the battle between the cat and Dumbledore eventually, but for now, the long-haired cat deserved to be pampered.
Notes:
Thank you everyone for reading this over the years! It's hard to believe that this story will be turning six years old in July. It was a blast writing it, even though my muse would leave me high and dry for months on end at times.
I guess the last thing I want to say is; Be on the lookout for my current and upcoming fics. Now that I'm done with this one, I will hopefully update the others in the coming months.
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