Reading Time: 119 Minutes

Title: Never A Spare
Author: Strailo
Fandom: Harry Potter
Genre: Angst, Family, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, Slash, Time Travel, Tragedy
Relationship(s): Cassius Warrington/Harry Potter
Content Rating: R
Warnings: Major Character Death, Violence-Graphic, Canon-Level Violence, Torture, Obsession, Violence – Against Children, Kidnapping, Murder
Author Note: Thank you for coming to read my story! This was a trip to write and I’m glad it’s finally done and out there. Enjoy.
Word Count: 121,649
Summary: When Magic Herself decides that things are oh so wrong, She makes her move with Fate, Destiny, and Death standing beside her. They knew the Ripples would come when they chose their Person. Those Ripples touch everyone in the Wizarding World. They touch Harry Potter the most, being the Chosen One to bring balance to an unbalanced world.
Artist: Veevess

01 The Goblet and the Vow

Slipping out of the compartment and away from Hermione and Ron as they snipped at each other, Harry blew out a slow breath, shaking his head. Their entire group was early to the train, which had been a surprise but not quite since Sirius had gotten them out of the house on time. Which mean that they did have an hour before the train was to leave, and he found himself wanting to be alone.

Since he had arrived at Grimmauld place, Hermione had been harping on him about the fact that he hadn’t done most of his homework from the moment that she had found out. He had reminded her, several times, that the Dursley’s often locked his things up in the cupboard under the stairs until he was able to pick the lock to get them.

Even though they were afraid of Sirius, they had still made it hard to do his work at all.

He had been thankful that Sirius had moved him to a room behind the family ward that had kept him out of Ron’s and Hermione’s clutches for most of his time there. He loved his friends, but Ron had a habit of trying to get Harry to skiv off the work that he wanted to do and Hermione often harassed him about it.

Being behind the wards had meant that he had gotten his homework done in his own time without Hermione trying to correct it for him. Or telling him that he shouldn’t read certain books.

But for now, he needed some air away from them.

Stepping off of the train, Harry took a deep breath and headed towards the bathrooms near the floo arrival rooms. Slipping into the bathroom, he went over to the sinks and turned on the faucet. He lent forward to splash some water onto his face before standing straight with a sigh, running his hand over his face to get rid of the clinging water on his face.

He blinked when the sink next to him turned on, looking to find Markus washing his hands next to him.

They didn’t speak as Harry pulled a paper towel free from the roll, drying his hands and tossing it into the trash. A lick of fire turned the paper towel into ash. Markus looked him over with a frown as Cassius Warrington walked into the bathroom.

“You almost done, Markus?” Cassius asked. He looked over Harry, getting a wide eyed, curious look from the younger male. “Heir Potter.” He watched as the curious look morph into confusion, grunting in displeasure as he figured something out. “I see. Look, this doesn’t get to those two you call friends or any of your fellow Gryffindors, but I’m going to suggest that you get your hands on an elf and bonding with them. You need to contact Gringotts if you don’t know why I’m calling you Heir Potter.” He looked at Markus. “Come on. Blaise is waiting for us and has letters from his aunt for us.”

Markus grunted. “Right.” He looked at Harry, who was frowning as he thought. “Take his advice, Heir Potter. You’ve really pissed off a lot of people, but if you truly don’t know what’s going on, that means there are people who haven’t done their jobs properly. We could send you a list of books to read if you need.”

“Ah, yes, please,” Harry said softly, watching as the two males left after Markus nodded his head. His head was already swirling with what little the two Slytherin’s had told him. Checking his watch, he left the bathroom and went to the small cafe that he had discovered one day while exploring before their third year, sitting down at a table after ordering a cup of tea and some of the tiny muffins.

He thought as he enjoyed his snack. Finished with his food, he left a tip in the jar and rejoined his friends, he found that they were still waiting in the compartment that he had left them in. He was kind of glad that he had had Sirius lay some protections on his trunk and bags when he saw the scowl on Hermione’s face and the purple fingers. He figured that she had tried to get to his homework.

They would stop anyone trying to get into his trunk or bag without his permission or without the password. He just sat down, ignoring her, and said nothing to her as he pulled out a book and started to read as he thought.

Sitting at the Gryffindor table, surrounded by his friends, Harry looked up at the professors table and listened to Dumbledore give out the last of the main announcements before they all headed to bed.

“There is one last exciting announcement,” Dumbledore said as he smiled brightly. Harry felt something in his gut curl heavy with worry, having a feeling that this year was going to be another year of someone trying to kill him. “We are pleased to announce that we are hosting the Tri-Wizard Tournament! This Tournament has been held many times before and brings together three schools for their Champions to compete in three tasks over the year. Unfortunately, due to the way that the tournament is held, we are not able to host Quidditch.

“But! Please be assured that we have set up exhibition matches for those who are to be scouted for future Quidditch opportunities or for those who wish to play. We will be speaking with the captains at the end of the week to discuss how they will be set up and who will want to participate, so if you wish to, speak with your houses captain,” Dumbledore explained. “We were warned that outright canceling Quidditch would end up hurting many people’s chances. Back to the tournament, the Champions are chosen by an ancient artifact called the Goblet of Fire. To make it as safe as possible, we are placing an age line around the Goblet. Those of age are free to place your names in the Goblet. Anyone who is not of age, that is sixteen or above, will find that the line will not allow you near the Goblet.”

The twins groaned dramatically in tease, making Dumbledore smile slightly at them.

“Now, the other two schools who have chosen to join this time is the Drumstrang Institute from the far north of Europe, and Beauxbatons Academy of Magic hailing from France. Hogwarts is going to host them during the year. The students will be attending their own classes with their own teachers, not joining us for classes. We do have accommodations should they wish to stay in the castle instead of in their own lodgings, and can even use the unused rooms for their classes if they should want to. We shall see what they wish to do,” he continued.

He looked over the people as Harry frowned slightly to himself.

“For now, It is late and over the next few days I will explain more on how things are to happen during this time. Head to bed. Off with you,” he finished, dismissing them all for the night. Harry stood and left with his fellow students, heading to Gryffindor tower with them. They were told the password by one of their Prefects and headed upstairs to his dorm room, telling Hermione and Ron that he wanted a proper shower after their day and to get to bed early. He told them it had been a long day after all and he wanted sleep.

As he took a shower, he thought about what Cassius and Markus had told him to do in the bathrooms. He did know one such elf who would who would be willing to bond with him as long as he was treated well.

Harry smiled at that plan and finished his shower.

The next day, a Saturday, found Harry flipping through the pages of the catalog that he had sent Hedwig out for just after they had arrived at the school, scanning through it. She had brought it to him during breakfast and now he was sitting on his bed, writing down the books that he wanted in his own writing from the list that Cassius had given him.

Somehow the other teen had slipped it into his pocket.

He knew that it would take the store a bit of time to fulfill the book order seeing as it was a Saturday before the school officially started. He was going to send Hedwig out with some money and a letter that said if he needed to pay more, he would find a way to get the money to them within a few days.

He finished with his form and sent it off with his pouch of money with Hedwig, deciding to settle in with some of his school books. It was still early in the evening, lunch having been eaten earlier.

It seemed as if all the books he wanted and the amount he had sent had been enough seeing as Hedwig had swooped into the room through the open window with a little pouch that wasn’t his and a letter about an hour later.

Harry smiled, giving her scratches and taking the note and pouch, putting them to the side before he gave her a treat. “Thank you, girl,” he said softly. Reading the letter, he smiled at the fact that he had sent just enough to pay for the books. They had been shrunk down and a lightening spell placed on them so that Hedwig could carry them back to the school for him.

All he had to do was pull them out and set them on a surface to break the spells.

The owner did ask that he send the pouch back to him via owl once he had the books pulled out. Harry smiled at his familiar as she settled onto her perch by the window. “I’ll send this back in the morning if you’r up for a quick morning run?” he asked.

Hedwig bobbed her head, clacking her beak in agreement. Harry smiled at her and started to pull out the books one by one. As he put them down on his bed, the letter was proven right as they expanded, each one a book on the list Cassius had slipped him.

Titles and Rules by Agatha Markins.

The Families of Power by Kendrick Kings.

What It Means To Be a Heir to a Powerful Family by Gergio Malfoy.

What Being a Lord or Lady Entails by Harriet Potter.

The last book had Harry pause and flip to the very back of it where a small autobiography was. He found out that she had been his great-great-great grandfather’s wife for about two years before they had divorced.

Shaking his head at the new bit of family history, Harry putt the books back into his trunk and made sure that they wouldn’t be found by anyone digging around in it. He tucked the first one though under his pillow so that he could read it before he went to bed. He had a feeling that he had to know a lot of things and very fast.

There was just no way that he was going to be able to move through his new world the way that he had been without knowing things. Without learning about what his world was all about and his responsibilities to said world.

That night, as he closed his curtains and settled back with the book that he had put there earlier that day. He started to write down his questions in a notebook that he had brought with his stuff on the off chance that he could use. By the time that he was done for the night, his dorm mates had all headed to bed and were snoring into their own pillows.

He stared around the room before he made a decision.

Once Harry was sure that everyone had gone to bed for the night, he slipped out of his bed and headed down to the common room. He cast a few privacy spells that Sirius had taught him around a corner table before he called Dobby to him.

“Master Harry Potter wanted Dobby?” Dobby asked as he looked up at Harry.

“Hey, Dobby. Sorry about calling you so late at night, but I need to ask some things and I couldn’t risk anyone hearing us,” he said. Dobby bobbed his head. “I was hoping that you would like to bond with me as your master. I can promise that I’ll treat you well, make sure that you have a good allowance since from what I’ve read that would be the best way to pay you. I don’t want you to punish yourself without talking with me first and figure out what you should do if things don’t work out for something I set you to do. I need someone that I know for a fact that I can trust right now. There’s things coming and I could use all of the allies I can get.”

Dobby’s eyes widened before he started to nod. “Dobby wants to bond with Master Harry Potter! Dobby would be most happy to have a good master again. Perhaps though…later? Master could also bond with Winky?” he asked softly. “Winky was let go by bad master and now drinks herself sick every night.”

Harry groaned but nodded his head. “Tell her that if she can stay sober for a week, I will bond with her as my second elf. That she will have her own allowance just like you so that you both can buy the things for your personal uniforms and for things to do when you’re not working so you don’t get bored or overwork yourself,” he told Dobby. “Now, how do we do this?”

Ten minutes later found Harry with a new elf bonded to him, and had given him instructions on going to meet with whoever was over his accounts at the bank. He doubted that his family, who is said to be rich and prominent, didn’t have a manager watching their estate. He also told him that he would need him to eventually go get him books once he knew what they were. Cassius Warrington and Markus Flint would be sending him that list sometime soon if he had to guess.

Dobby promised him that he would also get all of his keys back and make sure that he could buy the books, while acting like a ferry between Harry, the two males, and the bank. Winky was quickly gathered to talk to Harry and he told her about the deal to be bonded to Harry.

She started to silently cry at the fact that Harry was so willing to bond with her, especially after she had been let go by her last master. She agreed to the deal, that she would get sober and stay sober, and once she had a week of being sober, he would bond with her. By then, Dobby would have things figured out at the bank along with how much their allowance would be and the starting amount she would get to get the things needed for her uniform.

Harry was just quietly hoping that he had a home somewhere that he could send them to deal with things there whenever they weren’t at the school.

Popping into the Potter family’s Goblin managers office when he was sure the goblin was alone, Dobby looked around with narrowed eyes before allowing the Goblin to see him. Said goblin looked down at him with a raised eyebrow ridge, the only sign of his curiosity. “Elf,” he greeted.

“Master Goblin,” Dobby greeted with a small bob, keeping his eyes on the Goblin. “My Master Harrison James Evens-Potter sends you greetings and that he is sorry for not having contacted you before now,” Dobby said. He still remembered his mother’s lessons on dealing with Goblins. He had often done such things for Narcissa Malfoy nee Black, a woman who knew how to respect the ones that controlled their wealth.

“You are the bonded elf to Heir Potter?” the goblin asked him. Dobby nodded and held out his hand. A hand with long clawed tipped fingers wrapped around his own, feeling the bond and the power behind it. “Then I welcome the Personal Head Elf of House Potter and Heir Potter. I am Hacksaw and I run the Potter and Black accounts. What can I do for the House of Potter and House of Black?” he asked, letting Dobby’s hand go.

“My master has no knowledge of his rights nor his holdings. He has worries that he will be forced into a tournament for adults. He needs proper information to make plans,” Dobby stated, bobbing his head. “Owls are not a good thing to be used. Master Potter also has need to get his keys. Is Master Hacksaw able to recall all of his keys and make it so that they are blood locked?” he asked.

Hacksaw hummed before he nodded. “I will have someone go and gather one of the mail boxes that Lord Fleamont used before his untimely death. His son never used them. It will allow myself and Heir Potter to communicate without others getting in the way of our communications,” he stated as he tapped on a rune on his desk. A goblin stepped into the room and bowed, Hacksaw instructing him what he needed from the main Potter vault before pulling out some paperwork. He was quick to fill out the papers and had Dobby place his hand on it, magically signing it as the Potter family elf to agree to the recall of the keys.

Once the goblin that had gone to get the boxes returned, Dobby tucked it into a never full bag that he had found and taken with him when he had left the Malfoy’s control. With that done, Hacksaw recalled the Potter family keys. The keys all quickly appeared in boxes that had numbers on them, explaining what they were to Dobby. The first key was the key to Harry’s trust vault, while the second was the main vault key to the vault of the Potter family wealth. There was also the storage vault key, the key to Lily’s personal vault, and the key to James’ trust vault. Which had been the only vault in use at the time of James’ and Lily’s death.

Despite what others had thought, James had never taken up the actual Lordship of the Potter family and was only the Heir at his time of death, thus hadn’t had full access to everything. Hacksaw had made sure that things had gone on as normal with his standing permission to invest where he had felt was a good place to invest in. James’ vault and Harry’s vault were the only two vaults that were in active use according to the information written out on parchment paper.

“I wonder,” Hacksaw hummed. He picked up the key for James’ vault and placed it on a parchment before he reached into another drawer, pulling out a potion that would revel who had used the key and for what reason. Magic left a signature after all.

He poured the potion onto the key and paper, watching it list out who had used it last, starting with the newest transaction and going back about fifteen years. He clicked his tongue, unsurprised at having found that Dumbledore had kept using it with James’ permission even after his death. It didn’t hurt the vault seeing as James had made some small, personal investments when he had been alive.

Hacksaw shook his head.

He struck out the permission and wrote the reason before pulling fresh parchment towards himself. He wrote a letter stating that he had done a deep dive audit into the Potter Estate, as was his right, and found that the vault of a dead man had been in use, thus he had it sealed, all permissions stopped, and it was un-useable until Harry could claim it properly outside of the investments and taxes. He smirked down at Dobby as he tossed James’ vault key into a bin, the key becoming a melted piece of ore that would be cleansed and reformed into a new key later.

“Give me about ten minutes to create a new key for that vault. Then you can take them to your master to have him drop three blood drops onto the various keys,” he stated, Dobby nodding his head.

And indeed, after ten minutes of time, Dobby was finding Harry in the Room of Requirement, where he had gone to hide for the rest of the night, and woke him to place the blood on the keys, locking it to himself. He gave Dobby permission to use it to get things for him from then on.

Dobby smirked and disappeared with the key, knowing that he was going to get so many books for his Master Harry Potter when he found the list from Heir Warrington and Heir Flint.

Halloween day found Harry sitting down at the Gryffindor table as he thought about the last couple of months.

His friends had been…interesting. Ron had talked about trying to get an older student to put his name into the goblet. In return, Hermione had flat out told him no and that if he tried, she would tell the professors about his plan. Ron had ended up pouting for the rest of the night before he had started to wonder about who would be chosen.

They knew that Markus Flint and Cassius Warrington of Slytherin had entered their names while Cedric Diggory had also put his name in. They were the top three choices for champions.

Ron had taken to rooting for Cedric while Harry was wandering how the goblet chose who would be each schools Champion.

They did know that several of the students from Beauxbatons and Drumstrang had put their own names in the Goblet. Ron was only hoping to see Viktor Krum be called seeing as the male was a Quidditch star and quite famous.

When the students of the other two schools had arrived at Hogwarts, it had been a big show of their lodges arriving. Beauxbatons had flown down from the sky in a carriage pulled by Abraxans’. Hagrid was taking care of the giant winged horses as far as Harry knew. Drumstrang had arrived in a ship that had come up in the lake.

Headmistress Olympe Maxime of Beauxbatons was a tall, lovely woman. Hermione had theorized that she had some kind of giant blood in her family and Hagrid seemed to be smitten with her already.

Headmaster Igor Karkaroff of Drumstang on the other hand was of normal height for a man, with dark eyes and hair, built for strength and moving with purpose. Harry had heard from others that he had been a traitor Death Eater when he had been wandering the halls. Heir Daphne Greengrass, her friend, New Heir Tracey Davis, and a few others had been talking about the rumors.

It made him wonder just what the man had done to turn ‘traitor’, but he had decided to ignore it for the most part as the goblet had been lit up that night, allowing people to put their names in it. It had been funny when the twins had found out about the age line rather fast when they had been tossed back with long white beards on their faces. The beards had stayed on their faces for the last twenty-four hours and had just fallen off right before dinner.

Harry sighed as he poured himself some tea and drank some of it as they waited for the names to come out. He looked up to the front as when the fire in the Goblet went from blue to red, getting ready to spit out the first name.

Dumbledore smiled as he caught the fluttering paper and read it aloud. “From Hogwarts, our Champion is our very own Cassius Warrington!” he called out, turning to smile brightly at them.

Cassius stood with the cheers of the Slytherins’ as the rest of the students politely clapped. Ron muttered about slimy snakes being chosen and having cheated their way into the Tournament some how. Which set Hermione off that no one could cheat when it came to the cup.

Dumbledore called the next name the moment that Cassius had disappeared into a side room and the goblet spit out the paper. Fleur followed after Cassius with Viktor following after her. Just as Dumbledore was about to say something, the cup flared again and a fourth name was called out.

“Harry Potter?” the man asked, looking just as confused as Harry before Harry’s confusion turned into absolute horror.

Harry frowned as he stood up, already not liking the fact that his name had been called. Ron was staring at him as if he had personally betrayed him, Harry shaking his head. “I did not put my name in the goblet,” he stated, loud enough to be heard perfectly in the Great Hall. “I did not ask for anyone else to do it either.”

“I am afraid that your name has been called,” Dumbledore stated. “Please go into the room and we will try to figure this out,” he promised. Harry snorted but headed that way, his mind already whirling with his thoughts and plans.

He had a feeling that the Headmaster wouldn’t do much about a damn thing to get him free. The man had probably figured that something like this would happen. Therefore, Harry was going to need to figure out what he was going to do and how to protect himself from anyone who had issues with him since his name was called.

Stepping into the side room, he closed the door behind him as he frowned, Fleur looking up. “Are zey cal’ing for us?” she asked, her English good if not heavily accented.

“No,” Harry responded as he shook his head. “My name was called. And I didn’t put my name into the Goblet in any form, fashion or way, so I’m trying to figure out how it got there,” he stated. Severus stared hard at him, Harry staring back at him with a confused and worried look. The man nodded his head. “I…It’s likely that I’m going to be forced into competing even though I haven’t put my name in the goblet. Like I said.”

Cassius frowned at his words, thinking for a moment before he nodded his head as Dumbledore stalked into the room with Barty Crouch Sr and Ludo Bagman followed after him. “I can call my personal solicitor for you to speak with you about how to make a Vow tomorrow. That’ll help kill any kind of doubt by the school and anyone else out there that you may have entered the tournament for some reason.”

“I do suggest that you do that, Potter,” Crouch stated, looking over them as he carried in the four signed contracts that had appeared on a table behind the goblet. “Unfortunately your contract is binding. It was your name with your magical signature that was entered despite you not having done it. The school that was written down was one that your mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother all started actually helped to start. The Lily School of Exceptional Practice, which is under Gringotts control. It teaches those who can not afford to come to Hogwarts, is unable to get on the scholarship program for Hogwarts, or they are magically on the lower side of the scale. I will write to the Headmistress personally and find out what they wish to do. Officially, you are still a Hogwart’s Student but you are the representative of the Lily School.” He frowned at his notes. “Your grandmother and great-grandmother were low magicals from what I understand.”

Harry frowned, nodding in thanks for the information, and took the offered contract, frowning as he read over it. “So I’m going to have to do this even though I didn’t put my name in?” he asked, Crouch frowning sadly as he nodded. “Damn. Yeah, Heir Warrington, I think I will take you up on that offer. Tomorrow morning preferably. I want to get this vow out of the way and done with so I don’t have to worry about it. To the Champions, I am sorry that my yearly issues is coming up. It seems as if this year’s ‘Kill Harry Potter’ plot is the tournament,” Harry sighed.

Olympe looked horrified with what was going on. “What? This is a yearly thing with you? You are, what, a fourth year?” she asked, nearly hissing. Harry nodded. “I see.” She stood up to her full height. “I will contact the school myself and I offer a room on the carriage. We have a few of our male students with us and one has no roommate. I am sure that he will be happy to watch over you for the time being.”

Igor nodded his head. “I to offer you a room on my ship,” he said. “And an escort for the time. I will speak with my students to see who will be willing to escort you.”

“The same for me,” Olympe said, noticing that Fleur was using a charmed messaging mirror to send messages to her fellow students apparently. She looked up and smiled, showing him the enchanted mirror, quietly explaining that some of their muggleborn students had brought about the new car phones that the very rich could use while traveling and the new messaging systems. They had worked out how to charm mirrors and the school was a testing ground for them. They could use the mirrors to communicate or send messages as needed.

Fleur decided that she would get him one, just in case.

Harry smiled at her for the explanation before giving Olympe and Igor his answer. “I would be delighted and honored to stay in your carriage, Headmistress Maxime. I am sorry, Headmaster Karkaroff, but I tend to get sea sick and while I am sure that your ship is charmed against the rocking, I learned the hard way that my body doesn’t care,” he said once he was sure they were paying attention. “I would love to meet your students though. I know that this tournament is about making connections and new friends.”

He narrowed his eyes at Dumbledore when the man cleared his throat. The man just smiled and gave him a thoughtful look in return.

“And I can promise, Headmistress Maxime, that I would not do anything untoward with your girls or males. I’m fairly young and seeing as I am still learning about myself in a lot of ways, I haven’t really thought about what I want in a partner,” he said. Fleur cooed at him, coming over to him and smoothing his hair down. Olympe smiled, pleased that all he was doing was blushing over someone fussing over him.

Crouch and Bagman talked about the various letters that they had to send out to the Lily Academy and how things would need to go. Olympe and Fleur walked out with Harry, talking about offering to teach him all sorts of things that they had learned at Beauxbatons.

Coming to stand before her fellow Ravenclaws in their common room, Penelope Clearwater shared a speaking look with her fellow Prefect, Marcus Turner. The two held out their wands and used a bright light charm, making the room glow blue. All of the Ravenclaws knew that when that particular charm was used by the Prefects or by their Head of House, they were to pay attention.

“I am ashamed of my fellow Ravenclaws at this moment,” Penelope stated as she looked over to the group who had been complaining about Harry being entered. “I did not know that you were Seers who know just how Heir Potter was entered. I had assumed that we would accept that we do not know what happened. If we have to base some of our assumptions on his face when his name was called out, it looked as if he did not enter nor want to be entered.

“We will, if he’s as smart as we think he is, hear a full explanation in the morning. We did not see them after he had gone into the room after all,” she said. She ran her eyes over the group. “We are the House of the Brilliant. The ones who will seek out knowledge to share with the world and use it to the betterment of all. But all I am seeing right this moment, is what I have been seeing since I started at Hogwarts. Greedy humans who shame the name of Ravenclaw by being smug and hording your knowledge. Cruel humans who have gone after their own because they are not what they consider as normal.”

“Did you know that Rowena Ravenclaw wasn’t just a brilliant mind, nor just a charms mistress who could create new spells with the ease many wish they could copy? She also saw things that others did not. She was an Aura Reader,” Markus said. “The Ravenclaw family, such as it is now, were all Seers of some kind. Mistress Rowena herself could see Aura. Her daughter, as I had the honor of learning while talking with her, was able to see the history of items, and had trained to only look when she wants. She would have been working with the ministry at the time to figure out her abilities. All of you have decided that you know history without speaking or learning the history. Just as you have decided what has happened to Heir Potter. I am ashamed of all of you,” he said, shaking his head.

He watched as Cho Chang and her friends looked down at their hands. Roger Davis shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He had one of the main people against Harry since the school had learned about his ability to speak Parsletongue. Markus turned and checked on Luna, finding that she was shuffling through a small box that had a few letters in it, checking against a small booklet. Like most ‘Claws, she kept note of whenever she received a letter, who it was from and if she had responded to it, or if she hadn’t for reasons.

“Heir Lovegood? Is there an issue?” he asked as he walked over to her.

“I seem to be missing one of my letters from Harry. I was able to find my letter box earlier this week because of the charms, and I am warning those who wish to touch my items again that there are new wards placed on them. A very nice elf was kind enough to put them on for me. I do not know who asked the elf to do so, just that my things have protections,” Luna said, still shifting through her letters. “Harry and I have talked quite a bit over the last two summers, so I have quite a few letters from him. I’m missing the last one before school started.”

Flitwick walked over from where he had come into the common rooms, and transfigured a seat into a set of stairs to speak with her properly. Markus and Penelope turned on Cho and her band of mean girls about picking on Luna just because she saw things others didn’t. Again. They warned them that they’d lose privileges for the rest of the semester if they didn’t stop it.

While they dealt with the girls, Flitwick carefully went through the letters with Luna and found that each time Harry signed his name, he had done so with a bit of magic. Luna admitted to that she had taught him that so that they could make sure that it was each other due to the status of their world with people trying to get at Harry.

The very fact that someone had dared to steal her letter box, one that had been charmed by her mother when she had created said box, just meant that there was a chance that they had been able to get into it just long enough to snag a letter. Flitwick promised to tell young Heir Potter the next day about what they had learned, and she thanked him before heading up to her now private room.

Cedric nodded his head to his fellow Hufflepuff prefect before he held out his hand, setting off a small bang over the arguing Hufflepuffs. “Stop! We are not the hotheads in Gryffindor but you are sure as hell sounding like you are!” he called out. Everyone stopped arguing and looked at him sheepishly.

“I can’t stand by and say nothing, Cedric,” Tamsin Applebee said, coming forward as she crossed her arms. “First a Slytherin was chosen over you, and then Potter was called?”

“That is Heir Potter to you, Miss. Applebee,” Professor Pomona Sprout stated as she walked in. “You would do very well to remember those lessons you get every year. Now, from what I learned from Professor Snape, it seems as if Heir Potter did not enter his name into the contest. Nor did he ask or have another do it for him. There will be more information coming out tomorrow, and most likely, seeing as he is to speak with a solicitor, there will be a full article and a Vow to show his truthfulness.” She ran her eyes over her students. “Now, we are the house of the Loyal, the Hardworking, the Just, the Fair, and the Modest. The arguments and comments that I just heard goes against every single one of those tenants.”

Several of the Hufflepuffs looked to the floor, knowing that she was right. They hadn’t acted like real Hufflepuffs with the way that they had started to turn on their Champions, unwished for or not. They should have supported Champion Warrington and waited for Harry’s statement about his involvement before they made their opinions. They all knew that, but they had really hoped that Cedric would have been the chosen one. He was Light. Good.

Cassius Warrington though? As far as they knew, he was Dark cored.

Sprout took a slow, deep breath. “Now, not many people know this about the tournament, but the Goblet has always chosen Champions that are either Grey or as close to Gray magically as it could,” she told them. “Every single one of the Champions chosen are most likely closer to Gray magic then Light or Dark, which is best for neutrality, healing and protection. From what I have seen of Heir Potter, his core being close to Gray fits into who he is. He’s always been good at the protection spells, such as the Patronous. Now, I want all of you to write me a foot long summary of the Three Magical Cores and their subcategories. If you can think of someone who would fit in the summary, make a note of them and what makes them fit in that category. They will win you extra points. If you do not want to use full names though, initials are fine seeing as they will be burned after I have read through them. You have a week.”

The Hufflepuffs all agreed with their punishment and broke into small groups to share the books on the subjects that sat in the common room. Most of the books that they had in the common rooms covered subjects the school didn’t cover, like etiquette, cores, and rituals that could be practiced on the holidays. It was all geared to making sure that the Hufflepuffs would be powerhouses in both knowledge and magic by the time they graduated.

Cedric blew out a breath as he turned to smile at their Head of House.

“Thank you, Professor Sprout,” he said, smiling and shaking her hand.

“Of course, Heir Diggory. Go do your summary. I know that you will do it even if you don’t have to. This will be a good lesson for the first and second years anyways since most of this is taught to them during their third year when they start to develop a color,” Sprout said. She shook her head. She smiled as she watched Cedric go to join a group of first and second years, the other older students spread around to show which books had the best definitions and information about cores. They read the books aloud and talked with them after each round.

It was what made Hufflepuff so good at things. They worked together and spoke with those who wanted to talk. Susan Bones and Hanna Abbott were talking together as they read something in Susan’s personal books, pointing to various parts of the page. Sprout knew that the young Bones heir had been taught all things that she needed to know as heiress and future Lady of House of Bones. Any witch or wizard worth their reputation learned such things after all.

There was a good reason why the Potters, Abbotts, Bones, Longbottoms, and a few other families were well known to be magically powerful.

They always respected magic.

Sprout moved to the desk she had in the common room and sat down to write Harry a note about what books he should read. He should learn about the traditions his family had followed until his father and mother had decided to leave the old ways. She knew of an elf or two who would be happy to take the letter straight to Harry instead of Dumbledore after all.

Walking into the Slytherin common rooms and finding that it was already in an uproar, Serverus scowled and pulled out his wand. He sent out a loud bang that stopped everyone in their tracks, whipping around to find that their Head of House was pissed off next to the Prefects.

“What is the meaning of this?” Severus asked, not having to raise his voice to be heard over the arguments going on. Draco stepped forward, or was rather pushed due to the little stumble to his footsteps and the jerking stop.

Severus said nothing but simply raised an eyebrow at him. “Potter is stealing Slytherin’s time to shine. He has somehow cheated to get into the tournament and gain even more fame! He’s nothing but a spoiled brat and he should be automatically disqualified from the tournament for lying,” Draco stated. “At least according to those who were talking,” he continued.

Outside of Slytherin house, to the public, Draco showed a much different face then what Hogwarts in general saw. His father had made sure that he had learned that to be spoiled or egotistical would be a good way to be hated and have his ambitions stunted within the house. Aloof was fine once he got to a certain age, being an annoying prat was not. His mother had made sure she taught him how to be cunning while being open to those who proved to him that they were a true friend.

He had a few that called themselves allies within the house, but he was closest with Gregory Goyle, Vincent Crabbe, Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini, and the new Champion, Cassius Warrington. He was somewhat close to Markus Flint.

The Goyle, Crabbe, and Parkinson families had been life long friends with the Malfoy’s, stemming from their shared family lines in France. The Warrington’s and Malfoy’s had always found themselves working together in business most generations.

Severus knew all of this so took Draco’s word for the truth that it was. He looked over his charges.

“Those that think that Heir Potter has somehow stolen the shine from Slytherin on purpose, to the left. Those of you who think that this is an idiotic thought and will wait for more information to come out, to the right,” he instructed them. He watched as the two groups formed, noting who was in the left group. There were only a few of them but they were often the loudest of his charges.

They all came from new Pureblood families with new money. They didn’t think that the traditions and reputations that they all followed were something they had to worry about. They didn’t know a lot about their world, and it showed in the way their heirs were acting.

He hummed. “You on the left will now research and write out a two foot essay about how the Goblet works. I will have the needed books sent to you by the house elves. I want your own words, not what the books say, about how the Goblet is lit, how it chooses the Champions and how to best trick them into taking a fourth person. Again, minimum two feet. At max, it can be up to five. Clear and concise is what I need from you. You know how to write essays.”

Cassius stepped forward, being the injured party in what was going on. “This does not go beyond Slytherin House Doors, but Heir Potter has agreed to speak with a solicitor that I will be contacting him for. He and the solicitor will be writing out a full Vow and public notice on what they know has happened. Seeing as you have made fools of yourself on my behalf, you will be on probation for the next month. One step out of line from any of you, and you will find privileges taken from you. Now, if you will excuse me, Professor Snape, I need to speak with my friends about what went on while we were speaking, and then I need to call my solicitor if I have permission to use the floo room,” he said.

Severus nodded once. “Feel free to use the private meeting rooms for your talk and the floo call,” he stated. He handed over a small key to Cassius. They were all glad that Salazar Slytherin had thought of having rooms for privacy seeing as most who came to his house were heirs. Thus private rooms with the proper privacy wards over them had been created as a part of the Slytherin Dorms.

Cassius, Draco, Pansy, Blaise, Greg, Vincent, Markus, and Theo all headed into the conference room, the door shutting with a soft thump behind them. Severus gazed over his charges once more before waving a hand, dismissing the group on the right. He raised a bubble of privacy around himself and the group on the left before tearing into them for not thinking things through. For not questioning why Harry could have been entered and why things kept happening every year to Harry James Potter in a school supposedly the safest in the world.

Taking a deep breath as Fleur patted him on the back, having escorted him to Gryffindor tower to gather his things, Harry gave the Fat Lady the password and explained to her that Fleur was there to help him take his things to the carriage. That for his safety at the moment he was going to stay with them. She nodded, and swung forward, allowing them in, finding that Gryffindor was already celebrating while McGonagall was waiting for them with a frown and tapping foot.

Fleur snorted and flicked out her wand, swishing it, the sound of church bells ringing out through the room, calling attention to them. “Dis iz dis-graceful. You are sitting here celebrating that one of your own is being put into a competition that he does not want to be in,” she stated, sniffing at them with a sneer of distaste. “How uncouth.”

“I take it then, you have no idea how your name was entered into the tournament?” McGonagall asked, Harry shaking his head.

“No. Not a clue. Heir Warrington has offered to get me in touch with a solicitor tomorrow so that I can write out a proper Vow about this and a statement,” Harry told her. “Headmistress Maxime offered to let me stay in the carriage while we work out what I’m going to do in the long run since apparently I’m entered under the Lilly School of Exceptional Practice. They’re also going to be contacted by her and Headmaster Karkoff tomorrow. But I’m stuck in this thing according to everyone. Not that I want to be.”

“Ah, mate, you don’t have to lie about your feelings,” Ron said as he walked up to them, shoving Harry gently on the shoulder, smiling brightly. “Come on. Tell us how you did it at all.”

“I didn’t do a bloody thing, Ron. Sorry for the language,” Harry said, shaking his head, eyes turning to Fleur who waved him off. “I was kind of looking forward to having a quiet year for once. Play some of the pickup teams for the Gryffindor team so that people like Oliver has the chance to show off for the recruiters,” he said. “That’s why I’m talking with a solicitor about a Vow tomorrow.”

“A Vow is a heavy thing to do. Are you sure that you want to do that, Harry? If you lie at all while you do it, you’ll end up losing your magic,” Hermione said. “I should probably go…”

“Non,” Fleur interrupted her, shaking her head as she snapped her fingers. A house-elf wearing a pressed and well kept uniform appeared, curtsying, the schools crest prominent on her chest. Fleur quietly gave the elf instructions to gather all of Heir Harry Potter’s items.

The elf curtsied again and disappeared, only to be snagged by Winky, who said that her and Dobby could gather everything of their master’s items. She showed the house-elf where most things would be publicly stored, while also showing her the found trunk from a Potter long gone with proper space for everything else. Together they gathered everything that had a Potter signature on it.

While the elves were doing what they had to do, Fleur was explaining to Hermione why she couldn’t attend the meeting with Harry. She stated that a meeting between solicitor and client was a private thing and the only person who would be allowed would be a chosen adviser who would be paid for their time. And that adviser had to be older, could not be a teacher nor the headmaster, and had to be chosen by Harry himself, when Hermione suggested one of the teachers.

Hermione huffed at her and sneered, hoping to get Harry to allow her to be with him during the meeting, but he held strong and said no. The French elf appeared again and gave him his trunk, all packed and neatly organized, using her broken English to promise that it was all there. Fleur promised him when she looked to him that she would use a spell to help him learn French over the next few months while he was living with them that would also translate the words.

He thanked her with a smile, thanked the elf, and then said goodnight to McGonagall. Harry carefully ignored Hermione’s very pissed off sounds and Ron’s gaping face as they left.

McGonagall turned to her charges and sent them to bed for the night, and made sure that they had gotten some dinner seeing as they had been sent to their dorm rooms after Harry’s name had been called.

Once she was sure that the Gryffindors were controlled, she left. She had an old fool to interrogate after all.

Harry groaned as he pushed himself up from the bed, getting up early. Dobby placed a cup full of tea next to his bed on his side table before disappearing quietly. After Fleur had escorted him to the carriage, she had introduced him to her various friends in the school and her youngest sister, who had started her base education. All of them had promised to help him train and learn new things for the tournament.

He had warned Olympe and Fleur that he would have to head back to Gryffindor tower that morning to talk with his friend, Neville Longbottom. He had seen how the other male had stayed out of the way, frowning as he listened to the ongoing conversations going on. He had wanted to talk with him the night before, but he hadn’t had the chance to get to him before he had to leave.

Harry took his time in quietly drinking a cup of tea as his roommate took a shower and got ready to go do some homework before breakfast. He took a shower after his roommate had gotten out and then prepared for the day, pulling on his robes and a warm cloak, packing his bag for classes. He left the bedroom and told Pierre, who was the French equivalent of a Prefect, that he was heading up to the school to meet with a friend.

Harry accepted the note from Cassius via a school owl the moment he stepped outside of the carriage, finding that he had set up a meeting with a solicitor named Arturus Black for later that morning. About an hour before breakfast from what the note said. He was fairly sure that it would only take that long to write out a full Vow and statement. Before then though, he wanted to talk with Neville about being there for the talk since the other male had been through the proper training that all Heirs had to have. Harry himself was still working through the books that he had picked up on the suggestion of Markus and Cassius seeing as the pile had gotten rather large.

Walking through the castle and up to the Gryffindor common room, Harry took a seat and sighed as he waited for Neville to come down from his dorm room. He knew that his fellow classmate didn’t take long to get ready and he liked to sit in the common room doing homework or just reading something before breakfast. He looked away from the fire when he heard Neville walked down just a few minutes after he had arrived, the slightly older male sitting next to his friend.

“I’m surprised that you’re here and not still in the carriage as you plot your Vow,” Neville greeted softly as he put his bag down on the floor. He looked to Harry, who just smiled at him.

Harry hummed, shrugging one shoulder. “I wanted to talk to you about a few things. Neville, what do you know about being a Heir?” he asked.

Neville sighed as he sat back. “Everything. True, I’m still learning, but I know what it means to be an heir and a Lord. Why?” he asked.

“To be blunt, I was never taught anything about being a heir, Nev. And I think I’m going to need all the help that I can get. I’m going to need people who I can trust in my corner. Heir Warrington and Heir Flint have both helped me already with getting me a list of books that I’ve started to read already. The Longbottoms and Potters were friends at one point in time before my father apparently screwed things up somehow. Or so my mother’s journals said. I know that our mothers were close. She talked about your mum a lot,” Harry admitted softly.

Neville blew out a breath as Harry offered to make copies of the entries that talked about Frank and Alice Longbottom. He then started to go over the basics of politics within the school and how it transferred to out of the school. How a name gave a person power and how the gossip chains actually worked. He told Harry about how Dumbledore was known to think that the politics of the school had been changed, turned into something passive. More muggle school in the way of groups of friends or allies, but that the political workings were underground so to speak.

Neville promised that he would show him how things worked in the school, and how it would translate to the world beyond Hogwarts walls. By the time that Dobby came to tell them that Warrington was heading to the doors to meet with the solicitor, Harry was already getting what Neville was telling him.

They took the meat and cheese stuffed pastry that the house-elf gave them with a bob before they left the common room and headed down to the conference room that the note to Harry had told him to meet them. They brushed off their hands, took a moment to wash them in a bathroom on the way, using a mouth freshening spell before going to meet the two.

Harry just want to get things done, and get back to working out how to get through the Wizarding World as an Heir and possible Lord that could take up his rings within the next six months.

“Heir Potter, it is a pleasure to finally be able to meet with you,” Arcturus greeted. He bowed slightly as Harry looked to Neville, taking his cues by bowing his head slightly before shaking the solicitor’s hand.

“Thank you for taking the time to meet you. I know that it’s rather sudden but I need to get this done before breakfast is over. I think that I would probably forget to do it if I don’t do it now instead of later,” Harry explained as they stepped into the conference room. He noticed that the house elves had made sure that it was fully cleaned and had set up the round table with tea and small breakfast finger foods waiting for the group. He watched as the solicitor waved his wand around the room and over the food before he nodded and tapped the pot to get it to pour the tea for them.

“Your elves are very good at their job and predicting what you need,” Arcturus said. Harry tilted his head. “I found bound house elf magic left behind. With just a bit of your magical signature so that I’m guessing that it was house elves.”

“Most likely it was Winky, yes,” Harry said, smiling. “She tends to take on the chores for feeding and cleaning while Dobby is my main elf for letter delivery. He makes sure that things get delivered back and forth without having to use owls. I’ve also been allowing Neville and Hermione to use Hedwig to send owls to their families since I’m not really using her much. Though,” he said, turning to Neville, “I might have to stop her from using Hedwig if she starts getting pushy. I need people who are willing to talk with me, not at me.” Neville patted his back with a grimace.

“I’m sure that if you write to gran, she’d be very happy to answer your questions about the Potter and Longbottom friendship, or anything else,” Neville promised, Harry smiling at him. “Do you want me here?” he asked.

“Please. While I would like Cassius to be my on record adviser for this, I think I would like a trusted friend with me while we talk about this,” Harry said. Neville nodded as they sat at the table.

Arcturus went over the temporary contract and how it was set up. It simply stated that Arcturus would help Harry to create a press release for the Prophet, the Quibbler, the Wizarding World News, and even Witches Weekly. There would be special editions once they had written the press release and it was signed off by Harry.

They went over the notes for the press release and what Harry wanted to be known. They worked out the Vow details and what it would say to cover things without hurting Harry. Cassius explained in detail how a Vow worked and how the wording was best to figure out before stating it. Neville even learned something new about Vows listening to Cassius.

Once the contract had been signed, and the fee paid, Arcturus wrote out a basic release right there, stating that his PR person would fill in details, sending it via his personal elf. The elf would bring the release to Harry to go over it once it had been fleshed out in full. Harry approved of that, looking to Neville and getting a nod that the other would help him make sure it looked good.

They were about half way through the writing of the Vow when the press release was returned to them by the same elf, who waited as the four read over it. Harry approved of most of it, telling them to nix the Boy-Who-Lived title since this wasn’t about his current status. Cassius agreed with him and told them to just put “Heir Harry James Potter” instead of any possible other names Harry may hold since he did have a ‘magical’ name that he had to use for certain situations.

Cassius promised to personally escort him with a proper escort to a Gringott’s branch that Saturday if he wanted him to. He even said that Neville could act like their chaperone if he wanted to, and the two boys agreed as Arcturus sent the press release back with the fixes and approval otherwise.

They returned to writing the Vow and quickly finished it off just as Dobby appeared and told them that everyone in the school was in the Great Hall for breakfast. They were ready to hear his statement. Harry thanked him and invited Arcturus to come be his binder for the Vow since he was neutral party.

Arcturus smirked at the offer, the look lined with a smug satisfaction and razor blades that made Harry smile in delight as he agreed to do it. Cassius chuckled softly and offered his arm to Harry, who blushed but took it with a smile. Neville smirked behind them as he made a note to explain how courtship worked in the Wizarding world.

Taking a deep breath before he walked into the Great Hall with his friend, and two escorts, Harry looked at them and nodded. They pushed the doors open and walked in, heading to the head table and came to stand before Dumbledore, the man putting his tea cup down.

“Yes, Harry?” he asked.

Arcturus frowned. “That is Heir Potter to you, Headmaster Dumbledore. And he is here to provide his Vow before those who saw him be called to this tournament. I am here to explain to any who do not know how a Vow works, and what it does,” he stated. Dumbledore just gave him a cool look.

“I see. Very well then,” Dumbledore said, knowing that he would not win this argument. He stood and sent out sparks to draw attention from everyone sitting there. “Everyone, I would like to introduce Solicitor Arcturus Black. He comes here today to help Heir Potter in a Vow, and to explain how said Vow works.” He nodded to the group as Neville made a note to send a letter to his grandmother about Dumbledore and how the man seemed to treat others who didn’t treat him like some second coming of Merlin.

Arcturus snorted softly before turning to the Great Hall, using Sonorus on himself so he could be heard. “As Headmaster Dumbledore has introduced, I am Solicitor Arcturus Black. For those of you wondering, I come from the Ireland Branch of my family so no, I do not know Sirius Black, nor do I know any of the branch of the family that reside here. Now that has been answered,” he said, looking over the various students before him. “A magical Vow is a Magic backed Promise that will punish the person making it if they are lying in some way. If they knowingly lie, they will lose their magic. Unknowingly, they will find themselves in quite a bit of pain. I have made sure that Heir Potter is not lying to you, knowingly or not,” he said. He put his arms behind his back, holding his hands there. “Most Vows can be undertaken without a second person as the binder, but to make sure that no one can say that this Vow is not truthful or weak, I will be stepping into the position of binder for this vow. The reasons why are because I am a neutral party in this matter, I am an adult, and I have been a Binder for other Vows in my life time. As the Binder, I will be punished only if I do not stop him from lying.”

Arcturus turned to Harry and nodded, holding out his hand. Harry grasped his hand, taking a deep breath and nodding. They both pulled out their wands in their free hands and held them up, pointing towards the ceiling with them slightly angled away from their bodies.

“Do you, Harry James Potter, Vow that you did not want to be a part of the Tri-Wizard Tournament?” Arcturus asked.

“I, Harry James Potter, Vow that I did not want to be a part of the Tri-Wizard Tournament.” Gold ribbons came from each wand and wrapped around their wrists.

“Do you Vow that you did not place your name into the Goblet of Fire?”

“I Vow that I did not place my name into the Goblet of Fire.”

“Do you Vow that you did not have another person or being place your name into the Goblet of Fire?”

“I Vow that I did not have another person or being place my name into the Goblet of Fire.”

“Do you Vow that you did not suggest, hint, or in any way put the idea that you wanted your name to be placed into the Goblet of fire or that you wanted to join in the Tournament?”

“I Vow that I did not suggest, hint, or in any way put the idea that I wanted my name to be placed into the Goblet of Fire or that I wanted to join in the Tournament.”

With each part of the Vow, more gold ribbons came out and wrapped around their joined hands and arms, glowing brightly as their wand tip glowed with matching lights.

“So mote it be.”

“So mote it be.” With the last words of the Vow sealing it, the bonds glowed once more before they sank into their skin, allowing them to pull their hands apart.

“Go ahead, Heir Potter, and do a spell if you could,” Arcturus instructed. Harry raised his wand and cast a Lumos Maximum, filling the area with bright light from the tip of his wand before he flicked it off with a Nox. “Very good. The Vow has been approved by Mother Magick. There shall be a press release later today right around lunch time in various news sources. There will be a longer interview that we are setting up with trusted reporters to discuss the Vow, the Tournament and what Heir Potter wishes to do in the coming months. Thank you for your time,” he said, nodding his head as he canceled the sonorous.

Cassius smiled as he turned to Harry, smiling down at him. “I’ll send a letter to you soon. Go ahead and go do what it is you need to do before class, Heir Potter,” he promised.

“Please, call me Harry. I think that you gained the right to call me that with all of the help that you’ve given me, Heir Warrington,” Harry told him. He shook his head with a small smile.

Cassius smiled, dipping his head in acknowledgment. “Then please, feel free to call me Cassius. The same for you, Heir Longbottom.”

“Call me Neville then, please. I think I would love to speak with your father about the seed import soon if he would be willing to do so. I am curious if I could get some seeds for a particular plant and his secretary comes from a family that hates my family. I hate to ask you, but I am getting tired of her denying my request for a meeting and I am hoping you would be nice enough to get a letter to him,” Neville said, keeping his voice low as he shook Cassius’ hand.

Cassius groaned as he nodded his head. “Yes, she’s been told to not do such things before. I will send him a letter to tell him about your request and what you have been dealing with. We’ll talk during lunch to discuss meeting details if you would like to join me at the Slytherin table so I know what to write to father about?” he asked.

“I would be pleased to join you during lunch,” Neville said. He and Harry nodded to the other male before leaving the great hall after small bows. Cassius returned to his own table, taking a seat next to Markus and some of the other older Slytherins, Draco keeping up appearances by sneering at him.

Special Edition of the Daily Prophet

November 1, 1994

By: Betty Braithwaite

On October 31, 1994, the calling of the Champions for the Tri-Wizard Tournament happened for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy, Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and Durmstrang Institute. As expected, the three champions, one for each school, were called (see the Daily Prophet morning Edition for information on each Champion, their schools and other information). But a surprise fourth Champion was called!

One Heir Harry James Potter was called for the Lily’s School of Exceptional Practice, and everyone was surprised. Most especially young Heir Potter himself. The following statement comes straight from him through his solicitor’s office, and has not been changed nor exaggerated.

I, Heir Harry James Potter, did not enter the tournament. I didn’t ask for anyone to enter me into the tournament, nor do I want to be a part of this tournament as a Champion. I was hoping that I would be allowed to have a quiet year and enjoy watching the Champions compete in what was looking to be a very exciting tournament.

Due to someone putting my name into the Goblet of Fire under a fourth school, I will now have to compete as the fourth Champion under the Lily’s School of Exceptional Practice banner. We will be speaking with the Headmistress of the school sometime today and will discuss what it is that she wishes to do and what options I have in the long run. Currently, I am still an enrolled Hogwarts student but I am staying with the students of Beauxbatons Academy of Magic in their carriage. Headmistress Maxime has opened her doors to me, as did Headmaster Karkaroff.

I explained Headmaster Karkaroff that I was unable to take up his offer of safety due to the fact that even with magical means, I tend to get sea sick after a few days on a ship.

As stated, I am still an enrolled student of Hogwarts, but as of right now, I am a dual enrolled student for the purpose of the Tournament. Once the discussion with the headmistress has been had and details worked out, I will have my Solicitor, Solicitor Arcturus Black, and his law firm send out a new statement about what has happened and what will happen during the next year.

Heir Harry James Potter

As we call all see, he has been forced into this tournament. I know that he has, by the time of this publication, given a Vow before those at Hogwarts, and they promise to send the full Vow with all of the information on what they will be doing in regards to his schooling once that was worked out.

He has asked for the time to figure this out so that he can properly consider his next step as he processes what happened last night.

We here at the Daily Prophet promise to allow him the time and the ability to come to us should he need us to send out information to the rest of Magical England.

Special Edition Witches Weekly: Heir Harry James Potter’s Statement on His Forced Inclusion in the Tri-Wizard Tournament!

Special Edition The Quibbler: Statement from Heir Harry James Potter About His Forced Participation in the Adult Tournament Hosted by Hogwarts.

Special Edition The Wizarding World News: Heir Harry James Potter Sends Out a Statement About His Involvement in the Tri-Wizard Tournament!

Is someone trying to kill the young heir by forcing him to participate in a tournament with a death count?

02 Post Vow

Harry groaned softly as he and Neville wandered down the path to the carriage so that Harry could grab the book that he had forgotten to grab earlier. “Do you think there will be issues after all of that?” he asked as they wandered along, eating more of the meat pies that Dobby had handed them. He had told them that since they were not eating in the Great Hall, they would eat on the go while also giving them their morning mail.

“Among the Pure Bloods? No, not a single issue. There is no doubt that Mother Magic has stated that you are not lying about any of it and that you were allowed to keep your magic,” Neville mused. “The others? I’m not really sure,” he said. He shrugged. “We really should still have those classes that talk about things like Vows, Magical promises, Life Debts and those sort of things. But we don’t. Which is really odd. I should write to Gran about that.”

“I’ll have Dobby take your letter to your grandmother just to be smart about it so that we know it’ll get to her. I don’t really trust Dumbledore to try and not read any mail from those who support me and keep things from being talked about,” he admitted. Neville hummed and nodded as they walked up to the carriage. Neville waited outside, burying himself in his cloak as he waited for Harry to head in and grab his books, putting them into his father light bag. Dobby had picked it up for him when he had started to research new things and carried around the books he didn’t want Hermione or Ron to know about.

Coming out again, Harry smiled as they started up the path back to the castle.

“Hey, Nev?”

“Yeah?”

“What’s a Life Debt?” Harry asked. Neville frowned at the question and tucked his hands into his pockets.

“A Life Debt is usually created when you save someone’s life or help their life take a turn for the better without thinking of how useful it would be to have them in your debt,” Neville told him. “Wholly innocent. I know that Professor Snape owed your father a life debt. From what gran told me, he saved his life during their school years but he never cashed in on it. I don’t think he knew or cared about it, but Gran always said that it’s a cruel man to not call it in properly. You’d be able to call it in, but there are limits on what you can ask for it,” he said. Harry frowned in thought.

“Do you think that’s why he’s been so protective of me while still being an absolute berk to me?” he asked.

“I think that he hears things about how you might have lived according to what was leaked about you but it’s also a lot of anger at your father and thinking you’re just like him,” Neville said. Harry gave him a surprised look as they walked through the front doors of Hogwarts, Neville shrugging. “I have to think about those things. Professor Snape scares the absolute piss out of me, but he’s a Master in Potions. He’s just not someone who should be teaching anyone below fifth year.”

“I think that he wants the Defense position. I do agree that he’s not really built to teach students, especially something that he considers muscle memory by now,” Harry said after a moment as they headed up the stairs to Double Transfiguration. He frowned again. “I do also think that he’d be best for the later classes, post OWL if possible. Not the younger years though.”

“He’d be really good to teach the harder potion classes that we have to take for our NEWTs,” Neville said as they stepped into McGonagall’s class room and took their own seats. “But we both know that Dumbledore will never think of hiring another potions teacher to teach the younger years. He doesn’t even hire a proper teacher for History. I do suggest that if you want to get an OWL in history though, you do your own self-study on things. I do it over the summer months so I don’t have to add to my workload.”

“I’m thinking that I’ll do that along with trying to study for Muggle Studies. I’m kind of curious about just how far behind you guys are,” Harry admitted. Neville pulled out his Muggle studies book, handing it to his friend with a raised eyebrow. “Did your gran have you studying this?” he asked. Neville nodded. Harry hummed and flipped through, snorting. “You guys are stuck in the forties and fifties.” He went over what was different and had changed as McGonagall listened to them talk before class, making mental notes.

She was going to talk with the muggleborns or with those raised in the muggle world just to see just how far behind they were in knowledge. And maybe find some books about the muggle world at large that she could show them. Maybe now that she would have the proper information on her side, she would get Dumbledore to listen. And if not him, the governors.

She wondered if she could get Harry to speak with them about what he knew and just how much certain classes could help all of them, from Heirs down to the muggleborn. And maybe then Dumbledore would stop trying to force his ideas onto the school.

As he had been trying since he joined Hogwarts staff.

Harry pulled out the letter that Dobby had snuck into his bag during their class as they started to clean up, and read over it. It stated that Harry would be having lunch with the Headmistress of the Lily Academy, the Headmaster, and Headmistress Maxime to discuss what could be done for Harry. It also told him that Ludo Bagman and Barty Crouch Sr would both be joining in the lunch since they were two of the heads of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. He showed it to Neville, who nodded, as they left the classroom and turned towards their next class.

After their class, Neville escorted Harry to the room that had been set up for the meeting. Harry smiled up at Olympe, thanking her for her willingness to act as his chaperon for the talk. The half-giantess told him that it was no hardship and she was happy to do so. Stepping into the room, he found that Dumbledore, Bagman, Crouch, and a woman were all waiting for him as Neville headed to the Great Hall.

Olympe introduce the woman as Lilac Harson from America and the Headmistress of the school. She told him that her family had connections to Lestranges that had split off from the main branch and had married into the Harson family before moving her husband and children here to teach at the Lily Academy when it had opened.

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Heir Potter. Your family had set up the school with quite a bit of donations and investments when your mother had married your father. She had used her power and knowledge to give those who are Low magical or weren’t able to afford Hogwart’s tuition or who just didn’t want to come here to help us build it,” Lilac said, smiling at him. “We’re a day school so those students who come to us take the buses that we have, or even portkeys and floo, depending on the student. We make sure that our students know both sides of the academic world and we are accredited as a day school, part time boarding school for certain students, in the muggle world to,” she explained as they sat down at the table with plates.

“So you make sure that your graduates from your school can live in both worlds, while still providing education for everyone?” Harry asked, Lilac nodding her head as they ordered their food by tapping options on a menu.

“Yes. Despite what others think, we need those who can grow certain plants or brew potions that require next to no magical signatures. You don’t need a lot of magic anyways while doing magic if you have a good knowledge of ambient magic and runes. But also some potions are much more dangerous when being brewed by those who have an active magical core,” Lilac told him. “Same with some plants, as I said. I’m sure that if you ask the young Heir Longbottom, he’d tell you all about the wards that go over greenhouses to help suppress magical power around various plants.”

Harry hummed and they continued to talk while they ate, ignoring the way that Dumbledore kept trying to butt into their conversation. He could wait for them to finish lunch before they talked with him.

After they had eaten their food, they settled in to really figure out just what would happen with Harry. It was finally decided that Harry would be able to decide for himself if he wanted to have tutors and self-study or go to Hogwarts classes as he did like usual. If he did self-study, the Lily Academy would find those who would be the ones to find him tutors.

He did decide to keep going to classes like Herbology, Charms, and Transfiguration, liking the classes themselves, but he wanted to self-study through Potions, Defense, Runes, Astronomy, Creatures, History and Arithmancy. He would have to catch up in Runes and Arithmancy, but he didn’t particularly care. He could do that along with the maths and science classes that he was being offered.

Dumbledore promised that he would have three classrooms, one for theory and lectures, one for potions, and one for physical work, set up for Harry for his tutoring sessions. He would also shift Harry’s Hogwart’s classes around so that he could have them over two days instead of spread out so that he could focus on the others. Harry thanked him and then asked Lilac about inviting anyone to his sessions. She agreed with that as long as they had parental permission they could join him if they were free and he smiled at that, happy about that answer.

With everything hammered out, it was decided that Harry would start his new class schedule the next week. After that, he headed to his next class of the day. After their short tea later that afternoon, he talked with Neville about what the plan was, carefully ignoring Hermione, who was staring at him, trying to make him come to her first. She continued to stare him down all through their classes.

He knew that once they were at the Great Hall for dinner, she would be coming after him with her demands. He could deal with that but he wasn’t going to talk with her first.

Until she came at him, he was going to do his classes for the week and send Dobby out to get the various books that he needed and a better trunk to hold everything. He would need space for all of his work after all. Or at least something that had a room he could hide in when he needed away from people.

“Harry!” Cassius called out when he spotted Harry stepping into the Great Hall with Neville for dinner time. Harry smiled as he and Neville walked over to the Slytherin table. “Neville, a pleasure to see you again. I have the base letter done if you feel up to sitting with me here,” he offered, waving a hand to the table. Neville looked to Harry before nodding.

“You gonna be okay?” he asked, Harry smiling at him, waving him off.

“Yeah, not a problem. Go ahead and talk shop. I know that you really want those seeds after what happened to your last plants at your home,” Harry said, smiling at the scowl that Neville had at the thought of what happened to his plants. The other male blushed though at the soft chuckle but smiled and nodded. Cassius chuckled.

“I promise that I’ll bring him back safe and sound after we have finished with the letter,” Cassius said. “I was wondering though if you would be interested in going to Hogsmead with me this Saturday. Along with some of my friend group,” he continued, leaning closer to them. “Draco, Pansy, Markus, Blaise, Vincent and Greg will be all there but due to the politics of the school, they are forced to wear masks.” Harry nodded in understanding at the explanation.

Harry smiled at him before answering. “That will be fine, Cassius. I will join you as long as you don’t mind if Neville, and possibly Seamus and Dean, came with.”

“That would not be an issue,” Cassius replied, nodding his head and leading Neville over to the Slytherin table. Harry moved over to the Gryffindor table and sat across from Seamus and Dean. Hermione frowned at him and moved, sitting down next to Harry.

“What was that all about?” she asked, voice sharp.

Harry sighed as he placed some food onto his plate. “That was business between Neville and Cassius,” he stated. “Nothing that you need worry about.”

“Harry, we both know that he’s a…”

Harry cut in. “If you say future Death Eater or a Slytherin, I will remind you, quite forcibly even, about Peter Pettigrew. Who was a Gyffindor, a heir to a minor family, and the betrayer of my family,” he told her, glaring. “If you want to judge everyone on their house, you should judge everyone on their house. This includes the Ravenclaws, the Hufflepuffs, and the Gryffindors the same as we sneer and judge the Slytherins.”

“And what does that mean?” Hermione huffed. Seamus rolled his eyes.

“Did ya know that there’s public lists of those who ended up marked as a Death Eater? And that those who got off said that they were forced into it?” Seamus asked. “I’ve seen those lists. Was curious over the summer so I went lookin’. It don’t matter about houses to the Dark Lord, did it? It was all about havin’ those with power under his control. Political. Familial. Magical. Didn’t matter,” he continued. “Got Death Eaters from all of the houses according to those lists. Creatures to. Dementors. Werewolves. Vampires. Didn’t matter ta him. Power is power. And he promised ‘em things that they wanted.”

“Like I said, Hermione, if you judge one house by something, you must judge all them all the same,” Harry said, shaking his head. “Now, as I said originally, Neville’s and Cassius’ business is not any of yours. Cassius has shown that he is willing to help us where he can from the start,” he continued. He turned to his plate and started to eat. “And that Ron, who is a Pure Blood, raised with these traditions and information, who should know this shite, has been saying that I not only cheated to get into the Tri-Wizard Tournament, but also cheated the Vow somehow.”

“He’s just an idiot,” Dean said, shaking his head. “Even those who were raised in the muggle world know that you can’t cheat Magic. There are books about magic and magical law and how they work. We all know you follow those rules to a point. And from what I learned from the books that I found in the library this morning, any time that you swear on your own magic means that Mother Magic will hold you to the promise, stripping you of your magic if you lied.”

Hermione huffed, scowling at them. “I still don’t…”

“You don’t know everything, Hermione. And until you get your head out of your arse about how books, authority figures and whatever you think is right can be wrong, please do not speak with me. I’m tired of being harped on only for you to turn around and be a hypocrite when you lecture me about the things you just did,” Harry stated.

He finished his dinner and stood up, walking out of the Great Hall with Fleur fussing over him. His suite mate followed after them, teasing Fleur about acting like a mother hen over their young guest.

Hermione scowled and opened her mouth to call after Harry before Seamus hit her with a silencing spell. “Eat yur food, Granger. Don’t go airin’ house business around the school. You know better,” he drawled. Hermione huffed at him, sending a scowl at him, but ate, continuing to glare at them.

Later that night, in the Gryffindor Common room, both Hermione and Ron were stuck in a chair, McGonagall standing nearby to make sure that things didn’t get out of hand. Seamus and Dean had learned a few things about what they could do during the summer, and Fred and George were acting as their backup for this being Pure Bloods. Ginny was in her own chair, stuck by a charm. While she hadn’t been quite as vocal as Ron and Hermione about what was going on with Harry, and how he had pulled away from them as friends, she had still be annoying.

“Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and Ginny Weasley, heed my words,” Dean started.

Something he had done when he had found out about his magical family was learn things that he should have learned when he had come into the Wizarding World. Including the option to impart wisdom in a their common room in a way that they could not ignore.

“A Vow is one of the most sacred of Magical promises to Magic Herself that you undertake only under the most dire of circumstances. Should you take a Vow, it means that you are not only promising that you are not lying about what you are Vowing about, or that you will try your very best to do what you are Vowing to do. There are several types of Vows that you can do.”

“The type of Vow that Harry undertook was a promise that he hadn’t done the thing,” Seamus said as he crossed his arms. “That means that he did not enter his name. While the Goblet accepted him as the Fourth Champion and he is forced ta participate, he didn’t do it on purpose. He didn’t want ta join at all. As far as Magic is concerned, someone is forcin’ him inta this and he is the victim. Which means that the way you three are actin’ means you ain’t his friends as much as you think you are if you think otherwise.”

“From what we have seen in the last day, Heir Longbottom, Neville here, has been more of a friend to him then you have. Again, it’s only been a day since the names were drawn,” Dean snorted. He shook his head. “He isn’t interested in the so called fame that will come to this. We all know this. Really, he’s said that he would be happy to be watching the tournament with his friends, cheering on the Hogwarts choice, but instead he’s been shoved into a dangerous situation that he had no urge to do in the first place.”

“The very fact that you don’t actually believe that means a lot to him and everyone around you,” Neville spoke up. He shook his head in sadness. “He has told me personally that he’s really not happy about having been entered, and he really is not happy about having been entered. He wants to know who entered him to so he can call Justice on them. I know that Luna was able to talk to him from a note I got handed on the way back that told him one of his letters to him was stolen in the last few weeks.”

Dean crossed his arms, shifting his stance. “So I’m gonna guess and say that they used the part with his signature and magical aura to forcefully enter him?” he asked. Neville nodded once. “Yeah, then that’ll do it. And I bet Luna’s stuff was also scattered around the castle again, meaning her letters were to.”

“They were, yeah. But she has some new wards put onto her trunk and items to stop that from happening again,” Neville said as he sat back in his chair. “As it is, Ronald, he’s very hurt that after your time working together on things that you didn’t believe him when he said he hadn’t entered. He thought that you both would have stood by his side and actually listened to him instead of blaming him for what happened. I’m really not surprised that he has pulled away from you because of this. He’s got things to learn a lot of things and he doesn’t have a whole lot of time. Now if you will excuse me, I have some homework to deal with.”

With his part spoken, Neville walked off and headed up to the dorm room, intent on doing his schoolwork in private. Dean and Seamus returned to tearing into the three before they left them to deal with the rest of the Gryffindors, sitting at their own desks that they had asked for.

Ron slinked up later that night and did his own nightly routine before he closed the curtains around his bed after climbing into it. The three boys ignored him and his silent tantrum.

That Saturday, Harry, Neville, Seamus and Dean were all invited to sit at the Slytherin table for breakfast while they talked about things. Harry asked a few questions about Heirship things when Cassius said one of their first stops was to the bank. Neville and Dean both admitted they had to go themselves so would go with them.

Daphne and Pansy both offered their services to chaperone Cassius and Harry during the trip since they also had their own accounts to deal with. Harry accepted it, not quite sure why he would need chaperones, but not complaining about it.

They left after eating breakfast, ignoring the way Hermione was glaring at them as they walked out of the Great Hall.

Taking the carriages to the village, the group that included Draco, Blaise, Markus, Greg, and Vincent, all headed to the smaller Hogsmead branch of Gringotts. Harry used the short lesson that the Purebloods had given him in greeting one of the tellers. “Master Teller, I do hope your gold is flowing well today,” he greeted. The Goblin gazed at him before smirking, giving just the tiniest hint of teeth, as was proper for his culture.

“It flows well, Heir Potter. We here at Gringotts have heard much about your circumstances. I find hope that the blood of your enemies curdle in their views at the thought of your coming wrath. I am Axegrind. How may Gringotts help you this day, Heir Potter?” he asked.

“Teller Axegrind, I find myself in a very dangerous position due to an artifact and adults who refuse to help. I do not know a thing about my finances, no one, not even my supposed magical guardian, has told me about my position as Heir to the Potter House. I am fairly sure that you have heard about the fact that I have been forced into the Tri-Wizard Tournament as the representative of Lily’s Academy of Exceptional Practice. I need to learn all of this information. I need to know how this Tournament and my forced participation has changed my status legally. If at all,” Harry explained.

He was very glad that he and the others had talked on the way to Hogsmead about how he was to present things. His manager had suggested it in his letter the day before when he had learned that Harry was heading to the bank. He would play dumb, keep his secrets for longer. Harry had warned his companions though so they didn’t throw things off.

Cassius stepped up next to him, Daphne and Pansy slightly to the side. “Teller Axegrind, I believe that someone has lied to Gringotts about Harry, and has kept Harry away from Gringotts for their own means. I am here in an advisory role in this, and Heir Greengrass and Heir Parkinson are here acting as chaperones for the day,” he explained. Axegrind nodded his head.

“Very well,” Axegrind said, pulling out a piece of parchment with a short explanation on it and a needle. “I will need three blood drops on this page. It will confirm that you are indeed Heir Potter and lock your accounts to your blood,” he said. He placed the parchment and pin down. Harry read over the short page, Cassius reading over his shoulder before nodding, Harry taking that as a go ahead sign.

Harry picked up the needle and pricked his finger, finding that it didn’t hurt to do so. He let three blood drops fall onto the paper as Axegrind used the candle that sat on his desk for light to burn away any blood left on the needle. It was then dropped into a small cauldron that flared with a nearly invisible flame before disappearing, leaving behind nothing of the needle.

They watched as Harry’s full name, his “Lord” name, and the houses that he held under his name, along with the Goblin Managers that he needed to speak with was spelled out on the parchment. Harry sighed and waved over the waiting Neville to them.

“Hey, Nev? You mind doing something for me?” he asked, showing him the list. Neville whistled softly at the names on the paper. “I have a feeling that I’m going to be here for a while. If I give you the list of things I need and some money, can you go pick them up for me? It’s a short list. Just parchment with my family header on it, along with personalized parchment to, but I think I’ll have to wait for the personalized stuff.”

Neville smiled, nodding his head as he took the list from the other male. He waved off the offer of money. “Pay me back later,” He said. “I’ll grab the stuff since I need to go to the stationary store myself. Hopefully you’ll have enough time to go to the bookstore before we have to head back. But if not, I’ll grab their updating catalog for you,” he promised.

“Thanks, Nev. That’ll help a lot,” Harry said. He turned back to the teller as Neville joined Dean and Seamus where they were talking to a goblin at a desk under a heavy privacy ward. “Are my managers currently available?” he asked.

Axegrind smirked. “They will be for such a powerful client. Follow me. They will have been informed of this already and will be waiting in a conference room for you,” he said. He hopped down from his stool and lead the four down a long hallway to a solid gold door with gemstone doorknobs.

Harry took a breath, Cassius placing a hand on his lower back and giving him a look. He nodded and Axegrind opened the door, allowing the four to walk into the conference room.

Three hours later found Harry staring down at the merged rings on his right middle finger. He had been expecting to get the Heir Ring to the House of Potter. What he hadn’t been expecting to get was the Heir Ring to the House of Black with Sirius as the acting Lord, the Lord Ring to the House of Potter seeing as he was named a magical adult by the tournament, and the Lord Ring to the House of Ravenclaw through his mother.

From what his managers had told him, Sirius, his Vowed and Blooded Godfather, had come to Gringotts sometime after third year, and claimed the Lordship of Black. He would be working to remove certain people from his family once he had been given a proper trial according to the Goblin. Which he was working with Gringotts to demand one with Veritaserum since he had been denied one before.

Harry had been warned that he would most likely be called to the stand to talk about the night that Pettigrew had escaped. Hermione, Ron, and Severus would also be called to the stand along with Dumbledore. But at the moment, Harry was the named and chosen Heir to the Black blood, having more of a claim through Sirius’ blood given oath as godfather- and Harry’s Grandmother, Dorea Potter nee Black.

The fact that he had gotten the Potter Lordship had been a surprise. He had expected that he would get the heirship but because he was in the tournament, the contract stating that only an adult could play, he had been named one by the adults in his life and thus by magic around them. His managers had also had the trace on his wand removed and Cassius had offered to take him to see a wand-maker to get a secondary wand.

Just in case.

As for Ravenclaw, he didn’t think any of them were expecting it beyond the Goblin Manager. He hadn’t known that his mother had taken her own blood tests and found out that they came from a long muggle line of the Ravenclaw family. From what he had been told, the Charters of the family were very specific on who could take the mantle of Lord or Lady.

And it seemed as if Harry fit those specifics. He was loyal and smart but knew when to cut out those who would hurt him or hold him back after a few years of learning that lesson. He was willing to learn and share what he learned with those who asked and to the world in general. He was strong magically and unwilling to back down from his beliefs as long as those beliefs were not going to hurt others.

The charters had chosen Lily just as they had chosen him to be the head of the family. Not that she had said anything when she had become Lady Ravenclaw to anybody. She hadn’t wanted to draw more attention to herself during the war. There was a reason why she had been able to create the school that she had once she had become James’ wife. Being the head of Ravenclaw, the part of the original agreement between the later Ministry and Hogwarts stated that any of the family lines could create new schools outside of Hogwarts. The last of the actual Hufflepuffs that had been able to claim their titles had been able to keep that enforced.

“It’s just so weird,” Harry said as he shook his head. “I didn’t even know that Sirius had named me his heir. He didn’t say a thing about that. Much less that he set it up to make decisions until he could do things in public,” he said.

“To be truthful, I hadn’t even known that Lord Black never had a trial,” Daphne admitted, frowning as she tapped one finger on her cheek. “I’ll have to write to daddy. He’s known to go through past trial transcripts of the big named ‘Death Eaters’ to check them against our laws. He’s trying to figure out what is up with the trials of the Lestrange Brothers and Bellatrix Lestrange nee Black currently.”

“I really do have a lot to learn,” Harry sighed, shaking his head with a frown. “Will you be willing to help me with this?” he asked as he looked to the three.

“Of course, Harry,” Daphne said. They had agreed to get rid of last names while in private, along with titles since Harry was still learning. “I know that Pansy and I can help. Tracey’s family is only a Noble family and has a different set of rules they have to follow because of that. And I’m sure the others, including Cassius here, will be willing to help you learn. You were done a great disservice in not being taught anything about your position and how things are run.” She made a disgusted face at that. “We do need to get you new clothing fitting for your position though. Let’s go do that seeing as we have a bit of time yet,” she said. She paused at a message stall and sent off a short one to their friends to tell them where to meet them.

She then continued to lead them to a tailor and talked with the man who came out of the back when they entered. She explained what they were looking for in regards for Harry, telling him the younger male needed nicer robes for Lordship meetings, ones that would grow with him for the next year. Harry would also need clothes to go under his robes, most of which could be pre-made and have them tailored accordingly.

By the time they were done with the tailor, Harry had several bags shrunk in a pocket and put into his travel bag. Draco was explaining to Dean and Seamus why Harry needed the wardrobe that he did and Cassius had sent a message to Arcturus about another meeting to discuss the press release about Harry and his updated status.

Along with maybe setting up an interview to lay some things out for the world at large, fixing their perception.

“Oh, look, there’s a smaller store for daily wear things,” Pansy suggested after they had stopped to eat a late lunch at a private small cafe where they had met their friends. Pansy had paid for Dean while Neville had covered for Seamus, the two boys having saved for pub food, not the higher end cafe that they had settled at.

“Means Harry here doesn’t have ta wear nothin’ but the really fancy stuff or the stuff he got from his fat whale of a cousin then?” Seamus asked as he sipped his coffee, looking at the store across from the cafe.

When the others had asked why he drank coffee compared to tea, he had explained about something called Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD. He told them that while he did take medicines, he was usually left out of it for about an hour after. So he had gotten in the habit of having a cup of coffee with breakfast and lunch, and sticking with a no caffeine tea at dinner.

“Exactly the plan,” Cassius drawled. “It’s run by a New Blood who married into an Old Blood Family,” he explained. “She wanted to bring in the more modern styles and fabrics into our world, but has adjusted it to our mentality. I’m sure that you’ve noticed that we do occasionally wear jeans, but that they’re of a higher quality?” he asked.

“We did,” Harry admitted, looking down at Cassius’ jean encased legs. “We did see that Draco doesn’t though.”

“I do wear jeans. When I am at home. But the pants that I wear during the colder months here have inbuilt heat charms that work well with the rest of my winter clothes,” Draco told him. “Jeans and the fabric that makes them hold the cold charms compared to heating charms.”

“I had runes placed on my belt instead of long lasting charms,” Cassius admitted. He smirked as Pansy and Markus both rolled their eyes. Daphne chuckled.

“I just like the thicker and heavier skirts during this time of year with really long socks. I’m not one for pants, but I do wear them on occasion,” she admitted. “But that’s just my preference and not anyone telling me to do it.”

“I prefer my jeans and polo shirts myself. Which reminds me, I need to see how my new investments are doing to. It’s how I’m funding a lot of my shopping right now. I get my profit’s every three months and then I take a part of it to invest again. The rest I save for school and shopping things,” Dean said. “I know that my da’s account was collecting money but I’m still waiting for the full accounting that I asked for before I touch that.”

“Your father was Davis McNair right?” Pansy asked. “Daddy told me that he had taken his wife’s name and was disowned by his family.”

“That’d be him. From what the Manager I talked to told me, he was taken out by Death Eaters when he told ‘em to shove it up their arses,” Dean said. “I need to look into new winter clothes, which is why I need to check in on my accounts.”

“If nothing else, one of us can cover for you until you can pay us back. You should be able to find some good stuff that’ll grow with you for a good price. It’s fairly cheap compared to tailored things seeing as they’re made in bulk,” Pansy told him.

“I could use some more pants myself. Some of mine are wearing out a bit,” Markus grunted. “They also take anything that you want to return. Depending on the cloth, they’ll either unwind the fabric down to it’s original form, like wool or cotton, and then use them for more clothes. At least until the stuff can’t be used any more. Then they turn the clothes into rags,” he continued. “I’ll replace things and return other things, getting store credit for it.”

“That’s a good way of recyclin’,” Seamus said. The others who lived in the muggle side of the world nodded, agreeing with it. “And the rags last long right?” he asked.

“From what my house elves tell me, about ten years of near constant use, yes,” Neville said. “I have rags that I use in the greenhouse for clean up, and that are used by the gardening house elves when I’m not at home to keep the plants properly.

“Then we can do that after we finish with our food,” Harry suggested, everyone agreeing. They ate their light lunch of soup, half sandwiches, and small salads before they left with to-go cups of warm drinks. Harry had gone for a hot apple cider, admitting that he loved it but didn’t often indulge in it seeing as it was so sweet.

Cassius smiled at him, making a note to buy some of the better bottles of it for Harry since the young man now had a way of keeping them properly.

Pansy and Daphne shared a knowing look as they lead the group to the store, pushing the door open and giggling softly at their friend.

Wandering about the shop, Harry found that it was quite a bit larger then they had thought it would be. It was two stories and filled with clothes. Harry shook his head as Neville headed for the gardening section, stating that he needed new overalls and gloves for his work. Daphne and Pansy headed for the stockings and shoes while Cassius, Dean and Seamus all joined Harry in just exploring the store.

Harry found that his eyes were turning towards things like the skirts and looser pants that looked like skirts. Cassius caught him looking and walked over, leaning close. “If you want to look at them and even try them, you can. The Wizarding world doesn’t care what you wear as long as it’s covering everything properly” he said, smiling at the startled look on Harry’s face. “Those thin strapped tank tops that a lot of the muggleborn girls wear when shopping? That’s considered improper cover. If they have something like a short sleeved jacket pulled over it, it would be fine. But showing that much shoulder, back and chest? Not so much.”

“I had wondered about the looks that they get,” Harry admitted as he eyed the pants again, biting at his bottom lip. “Everyone seems to expect me to be some kind of strong and powerful man when I grow up. I know that they’re going to expect me to marry a woman in the future to have lots of Potter babies. But really? I’ve never really crushed on a girl. Not…not like the others. What would they say if I started to dress…” He paused. “Not feminine, but androgynous.”

“Harry, the world doesn’t have a say in how you dress,” Cassius stated, drawing Harry’s attention up to him. “You’re more then free to express yourself in any way that you want to, and that includes how you dress. There are various ways for men to have children, even in our world. There are surrogates who are willing to carry for us via a potion. There are also those who are magically strong who want to carry their children if they want to. There are all sorts of ways. So there is no reason for you to marry a woman if you do not want to,” he explained.

“He’s right, ya know,” Seamus said as he slid up next to his friend. “I have a cousin. Born a dude. Is actually a chick. She live’s in the America’s and is considered a witch. She’s engaged to some big shot heir over there so that she can buy the special potions and medical spells ta change her physical body. It’s just as intensive as the muggle surgeries are I heard, but she’ll have a womb and be able ta have children at the end of it because it’s a full permanent transformation. Don’t worry about others, Harry. You’re Harry and ya can do what ya want,” he said, tugging Harry to the pants. “Pick somethin’ out and try ‘em on.”

Harry looked at the clothes before nodding, accepting that his friends were right. He would go with it, try new things. He was tired of worrying about what others expected of him. Pansy and Daphne joined them to help him pick out clothes that would fit him well and that could have charms added to them to allow them to grow out with him.

In the end, he found a few broom skirts that were winter heavy for the colder months along with rather high stockings that would help keep his legs warm. He also found various styles of pants that he liked that were cut for all bodies along with shirts that were more hinting then stating. The shoes though took him a bit of time since he didn’t trust himself in anything more then a kitten heel. He did find some rather nice Mary Jane shoes to go with his skirts and unisex ankle boots to go with the rest of his clothes.

Once they had paid for things and the charms applied, they left with their bags shrunken down with the other bags, Harry found himself beaming brightly with how things were going so far. Dean and Seamus suggested that they stop by an art supply store so that Dean could grab some things that he needed from there.

Harry personally was drawn to some of the supplies, picking them up with Dean promising to show him how to use them, and that if he didn’t enjoy using them, he would pay for their value.

They caught the carriages back to the castle, a fair bit of money having been spent, but more then happy with how the day had gone. Hermione watched them as she stepped down from her own carriage, having followed them around without them noticing her. She hoped.

She was frowning, having heard quite a few things that she hadn’t thought about but needed time to think about some things.

Harry walked into his room on the carriage, pulling the bags from his pocket and putting them down, releasing the shrinking spell with a huff. A knock came from the still open door, Fleur giggling at him.

“I see zat you went shopping?” she asked, Harry smiling at her and nodding.

“Yeah. Cassius, Draco, Pansy, Daphne, Seamus, Dean, Neville and I all did because according to them, I have to have the proper clothes for my new station,” Harry admitted. He showed her the ring on his finger, the witch carefully examining it. She hummed softly before nodding and leaning back, calling to one of the two males that had come with them and Harry’s roommate.

“Lucas? Young Harry here is needing to learn how to juggle multiple heirships. Your mother taught you the English way because she is secondary heir to your maternal family, yes?” she asked.

“Yes,” Lucas replied as he came over. He looked to Harry and tilted his head. “I take it that you learned about your heirships and their being multiple of them?” he asked.

Harry chuckled sheepishly as he played with the translation bracelet around his wrist. He could hear both the original French being layered with the English meaning. He found that he had picked up more in the last few days then he had in any language class in primary, and he could actually guess what they were saying even without the bracelet.

“Lordships actually,” Harry admitted as he showed them his rings and shrugging a shoulder. The translation bracelet turned his English into French easily. “I need to learn how things run. Neville and Cassius have already offered how to teach me how things would work for the Black and Potter families, but I know that the Ravenclaw family works a lot like the French and Irish nobility.”

“Then it is good that my mother is an Irish Heiress and I can teach you. You have gotten the charters for your families?” Lucas asked as he tilted his head.

“They’re going to be delivered by my house Elf in a couple of hours,” Harry told them. “They had to gather them from my vaults. Because of the way that my time here have gone, earlier this year I figured that I should probably bond with an elf. That way I could contact the Potter family manager and anyone who wanted to contact me,” he explained. Fleur made a knowing sound and nodded her head.

“Yes, I was thinking that you had done so for some reason,” she said, shaking her head. “Anyways, Lucas can help you as long as he is willing?” Lucas nodded his head, Fleur smiling at him. “Wonderful! Now, what did you buy while you were out?” she asked, smiling at him.

Harry chuckled as Lucas sat in his desk chair as Harry pulled out the various clothes that he had bought. She cooed and promised him that she would introduce him to some of her own tailors for when she wanted more androgynous clothing, which tended to use when they were visiting the village near their school or at home.

Harry beamed and nodded at her, flowing easily with the French that he had started to mix into his English. Lucas chuckled and watched them as Harry told her all about Cassius and how he was treating him. She mused that it was possible that he was thinking about Courting him and then gave him a lesson in what it was.

Harry admitted after her lecture that he wouldn’t mind being courted by the other male. The squeal of delight from his silver-blond friend echoed through the carriage, everyone chuckling at the happy sound. Since Harry had come, they had seen Fleur be much more open and happy, so they were happy with the squeal that they heard.

Sitting down at his desk by his bed in the dorm room he shared with others, Cassius frowned at his hand as he idly played with his wand. He had been on the surprised side by his sudden interest in Harry beyond just an interesting human who was important to their world, and a future fellow Lord.

Like Markus and those who had knowledge of the darker parts of their world.

He and Markus had once wondered if Harry would be up to the challenges that was heaped on his head starting from the day he had arrived.

He and the older Slytherins all knew that Voldemort hadn’t fully died somehow. While Markus’ own father and mother hadn’t taken up the Dark Mark, they had supported him and his uncles had taken the mark. They had told him that the mark had started to tingle more, as if awakening from a long sleep. Markus had asked them to keep him updated on what was going on, acting as if he was thinking of joining the Death Eaters when the Dark Lord returned.

Cassius knew that Markus wasn’t going to. He was far to much like his mother’s mother. He was prideful, but wasn’t egotistical like what Draco portrayed outside of their common rooms. He knew what his status was. He was an heir to a minor Most Noble family and he was far from good looking. But he also knew that he had options outside of England for a wife or husband depending on what he wanted.

He also knew that he would never bow to another. None of them would. They would pledge alliance to someone strong enough, but they would not bow. They would not allow themselves to be tortured just because they had been in the vicinity when the man had a bad moment.

Cassius had told Markus that he would never join because his family was, and always would be, neutral. They would do business with anyone with any kind of magic, be it Dark, Gray, or Light magic.

And much like Blaise and his mother, they would follow the one who was working for Magic itself. And he had figured out that was Harry Potter.

Catching him in the bathroom before he and Markus had boarded the train hadn’t been something they had planned, but he was glad that they had run into him. Harry had been writing to him off and on since then, asking him questions that he had, using his personal elf to deliver the letters. It was mostly stuff that he could find himself in the books or when he was looking for a different perspective on the information.

Cassius had come to figure out that Harry wasn’t quite what he showed the rest of the school, or like what the school thought of him.

He was sassy. He had quite the brain, but he hid it well. Cassius could only guess that it was because of his history. History that no one really knew but those with eyes and a brain could guess at. It was also partly because of the youngest Weasley. Cassius would doubt that the lazy red head often tried to get Harry to skiv off of his work. But now without him dragging him down, his grades would mostly like improve.

Especially since he was likely to start learning from a tutors who would spend more time explaining things and getting him up to date. Cassius had tutors that he worked with during the summer holidays to make sure that his education was well rounded. He refused to allow the lack of certain classes hurt his education or options for when he left the school.

Turning his thoughts back Harry, he thought about their day out with their friends. There had just been something magnetic about how Harry had lit up when he learned he had the freedom to dress as he pleased instead of conforming to what others had expected him.

He had tried so many styles and options, being feminine, masculine, and androgynous, all of them in rich shades of colors. If he had gone for a softer color, he had kept to greens, blues and purples or softer, pastel colors. Every piece had fit him with some room to grow so he didn’t have to worry about buying more clothes later.

It had made Cassius seriously think of doing something that he hadn’t been planning on doing any time soon with anyone.

He pulled out some parchment and wrote a letter to his mother, asking her to gather a few things for him. He called for her personal elf and asked her to deliver the letter for him since it was important to get things done fast.

Once the letter was sent off, he settled in to do his homework. It was when he was climbing into his bed that a letter arrived via his mother’s elf. He read it and smiled, glad that she would have what he asked for before breakfast the next day.

He smiled as he slipped fully into his bed, feeling nothing but anticipation for the next day and butterflies in his stomach.

Draco tossed his wet towel into a basket by the bathroom door and turned to stare at Blaise. The Italian male was drying his tight curls of his hair with one of his own towels and cocked his head.

“What do you think of the Gryffindors? And I do mean, really think of them,” Draco asked.

“The three that were with Harry today?” Theo asked as he pulled his night shirt over his head.

“Yes.”

“The are not what I was expecting,” Theo admitted softly.

“Same with me,” Blaise drawled. “They are very different then what we have seen during classes and meal times.” He dropped the terry cloth towel into the basket before moving to use his wand to dry his hair the rest of the way. With that done, he pulled out his hair care products as he continued to talk. “Though, I have a feeling that Seamus will probably end up a Fire based Wizard if you test his magical core.”

“Ten to one, yes, he would be,” Theo hummed, shaking his head. “Though, Harry would most likely come out as Spirit.”

“What makes you say that?” Draco asked as he watched Blaise smooth product through his hair with his fingers and a small comb. He sounded genuinely curious without being pushy. Blaise was to, but they knew better after three years as his roommates to push him for answers.

Theo didn’t often talk about his family or the magicks that they carried. Especially the magics from his mother’s side. They all knew that he knew things that he shouldn’t know, but had never pushed about it. Like most witches and wizards with special family magics, he had kept quiet.

He had admitted one day that he didn’t say anything to protect himself then not trusting people. His father and brother weren’t exactly the best people to have knowing secrets that they thought they could use after all.

Theo looked at them for a long moment before nodding, coming to a decision. “I can tell where a core is heading for in regards to the kind of elements that they will be drawn to. That they will find easiest to use or control. With Harry? He’s been touched by Death and Life. I think it might be because of what happened that Halloween night when he lost his parents. And his own near death experience,” he said. He shrugged. “Fate might also have plans for him, but I don’t know. I’m not that versed in telling more then the basics of a situation. Mother left me her books, but it takes time to actually learn this kind of magic without tipping the Ministry off.”

Blaise wrinkled his nose but nodded in understanding. “This is why I do my own things in Italy or under heavy wards,” he said, shaking his head.

Draco grunted. “Same. Do you think that Harry would be interested in learning about the traditional holidays and rituals?” he asked as he found a book, sitting on his bed with it in hand.

“Next year, I would think. Give him some time to get used to being a Lord and to figure out what the world expects from him in the long run,” Blaise said. “I’ll be sending him a Yule gift with a few books on things from Italy. Mother has already agreed to gather them for me in English since I’m not there to buy them personally. I told her anything that she thinks that will help him in his new life to grab them to. She’s agreed and said that she will hold those back for when she meets him person to person outside of galas.”

Draco groaned as he settled against his headboard with book opened. “Don’t remind me of the galas. With everything that is going on, mother is contemplating inviting Harry to our Yule gala, but I don’t know what to really think about it. I don’t know if he would enjoy going to one,” he said.

“I think that Cassius is going to ask to Court Harry. And that they would probably spend most of the gala together,” Blaise said. “The way that they are acting around each other…it’s very comfortable. And Cassius has always followed Magick’s tug when it comes to things,” he mused. Draco hummed.

“If they do end up courting, I’ll have to start looking for an engagement gift. They’ll finish this year out engaged no more then a week after we get out,” Draco predicted.

Theo hummed. “I’ll do the same, but I will have to hide it at your home,” he warned Draco as he frowned. “Father said that He’s working on coming back.”

Draco shuddered, sneering at that bit of information. “I will not join that absolutely insane bastard. I’m not stupid, nor do I feel the need to bow to another. No matter how powerful they are.”

Blaise hummed as he finished with his hair care. He wrapped a protective scarf around his head as Draco moved his reading light closer to him. Theo stood, staring at a wall for a moment before he shuddered and climbed into bed himself. He settled back with his journal and a dip pen, ink well close by, already writing things out in the journal.

03 Starting to Court

Sunday morning, Harry and Fleur headed up to the castle together, talking softly as they pulled their cloaks tightly around themselves. The wind was colder with the early hour. “How have your few tutors been treating you in the last few days?” Fleur asked as they walked across the grounds.

“They’ve been really good. I’m glad that Headmaster Harson was able to find them so fast considering that she only had a day or so to find them,” Harry said, smiling softly at her. “I’m glad that Remus is my DADA and History tutor though. He’s really good at his job. Have you read any books by R. Larin?” he asked her.

“Often, yes. His books at some of the very best introductions to historical events of the world and defense, only second to Newt Scamander and his family in creatures. Are you really saying…?” Fleur trailed off. She beamed when Harry nodded. “I feel as if I need to ask if he’s going to put out more books soon.”

“He’s working on a new book about werewolves and the research he’s done into the disease,” Harry said. “He found out that it comes from something that had been created by a magical in early Mesopotamia. The Epic of Gilgamesh was actually a twisting of that bit of history where he was trying to curse his lover to be a beast on the outside as he was on the inside. Instead, it seemed to have mixed with a blood based curse that the man already carried and it created the werewolf disease. Unfortunately, it was able to spread fast through the blood based curse that was used more often then not around the world. It triggered in those who were connected and had the right blood types,” Harry told her. “I got that lesson Thursday. When he was in that part of the world with my godfather, he did some digging while there. Got a lot of information from some really old records and memories, along with the stories that were passed down.”

“Do you think that there can be a cure created from this information? Or does he think it has mutated to much from the original curse?” Fleur asked as she pulled her scarf up. “I know of a few weres who do have a very good life for the moment, but they tend to be very annoyed by the three days that they must deal with the moon.”

Harry shrugged one shoulder. “Not a clue,” he said after he thought about it. “I can ask Remus what he thinks though. I think that he had gotten some letters from a contact over in Syria that is doing a deep dive into more of the curse. Apparently there is a family there that have ties back to the original magical Mesopotamia. They have a lot of memories that were saved from their ancestors, but they were saved in some weird ways then what we’re used to now. He says that they’re figuring out how best to watch and preserve them.”

They stepped inside the castle and pulled off their cloaks, gloves and scarves, tucking them into the pockets in their bags just for such reasons. Fleur had given him one of her bags so he didn’t have to come back to the carriage for his things.

“That sounds fascinating,” Fleur said, her eyes bright as they headed to the Great Hall. Her eyes glowed in delight as she spotted Cassius with Neville waiting for them. He held a box, the younger male smirking next to him as he adjusted his robes. “Ah, so it seems as if I was right that Heir Warrington was thinking of courting you,” she cooed teasingly.

Harry blushed but still smiled as he walked up to Cassius and Neville. Cassius smiled in greeting and held out the box to Harry.

Harry could feel the blush get brighter as he walked up to the two, not having expected Cassius to make a move so soon. He had talked with Fleur about his behavior in the last few days since the tournament had started, but he wasn’t complaining.

He took the package and tilted his head to look up at him in question.

“Lord Potter, I, Heir Warrington, wish to properly court you in the tradition manner of all Old Bloods, showing my intent and my heart,” Cassius stated, smiling slightly as Lucas walked up behind them and lent down to whisper in Harry’s ear. He was most likely instructing him on how to respond seeing as the male had heard Cassius’ declaration.

Harry smiled. “I, Lord Potter, welcome Heir Warrington’s suit and wish to set down the contract in the next week as is convenient for both of us,” Harry replied. Cassius beamed and handed over the package with a wink. Harry tugged at the ribbon around the box and opened the box, gasping in delight at what was inside.

The box itself was a fairly large one, but once opened it showed that inside it was filled to the brim with sunflowers that shifted through various shades of yellows and golds. In the very middle of them though was a velvet bed in dark green, gently holding a courting bracelet in the middle.

The bracelet was made up of two dark onyx pieces that had been inscribed with runes of intent, soft leather holding the two pieces together. It would fit snuggly on his left wrist, never rubbing at his skin and forever comfortable. It would also show the rest of the Wizarding world that he was being properly courted and that his Courting partner would protect him with his life.

At least according to what Lucas and Fleur were telling him.

Fleur gasped as she really looked at the runes that ran along the leather. “Those are for protection against ze harshest of spells and potions, yes? To show Harry if there iz anything that would endanger the courtship,” she said, beaming with pride at her fellow Champion. She rather approved of the bracelet. In the short time that she had known Harry, she had started to see him as a younger brother who needed someone to properly treat him right and fuss over him.

It didn’t matter to her that he was a Lord and Heir of major houses. She would fuss at him like a proper older sister and she would make sure Cassius treated him right. As was her right.

Cassius smiled and blushed very slightly. “My mother went the smart route, as she told me this morning when she dropped this box off. She knows that there will be others who will not be happy with the fact that a Slytherin from a Gray and Neutral family is courting the so-called Boy-Who-Lived, who is supposedly Light. Never mind that moniker was gained by the fact that you lost your family and lived through nothing you did,” he said. He picked up the bracelet and gently took Harry’s left hand, tying it around Harry’s wrist. “So, in the best way to protect you, I had mother get this one from our vaults. I have a temporary one that I’ll be wearing until you can find one that pleases you,” he said.

“I’ll have to make a trip to Gringotts. We should also set up an appointment to go there anyways with our solicitors and managers,” he said as he stroked his fingers over the sunflowers with a small smile. “Winky.”

Winky appeared next to him, curtsying before she caught sight of Harry with the courting bracelet resting on his wrist and a bunch of flowers in his hands. “Yes, Master Harry? How cans Winky be helping?”

“Can you take these to my rooms and put them in a vase? I kind of want to keep them for as long as I can,” Harry said, handing the box over with a smile.

She cooed at the present and nodded, taking the flowers as Cassius held out his arm. He escorted Fleur, Harry and Lucas over to the Ravenclaw table where the other Beauxbaton students were sitting that day.

Cassius pressed a kiss to the back of Harry’s left hand, showing off the courting bracelet as he smiled. “I will contact my solicitor and mother to get in contact with yours for our contract talks,” he promised. Harry beamed and nodded.

“I’m hoping sometime early this week. I’m sure we can get away with missing a class or two for this,” Harry said.

“Anything you want,” Cassius said. He winked at Harry before he headed to Slytherin table. Luna scooted over slightly, allowing Harry to sit down with Fleur sitting on her other side while Lucas sat on Harry’s other side.

“Congratulations, Harry, on your courting,” she said. Harry tilted his head and looked at Luna with a curious look.

He had barely caught the hint of sadness and the hazy look in her blue eyes, knowing, deep in his heart, she had Seen something. But he didn’t ask. Whatever had told him she had Seen something also told him not to ask. He also knew better then to try to ask after she had let slip last year how it felt to See things that other’s couldn’t. The future would do what it needed to do for the world around it.

And he knew better then to ask a Seer what they Saw if he wasn’t ready for the answer.

After a full day of classes and tutors, Harry got a letter delivered via Dobby from his solicitor, making him smile as he read it over. He would be picked up just after lunch on Thursday and taken to Gringotts along with Cassius, the Warrington parents and their own solicitor along with Harry’s. Sirius would meet with them at Gringotts while he was working with Amelia about his so-called ‘trial’ that he had never gotten.

Apparently from what the letter from his godfather was saying, whoever had tossed him in without a trial had buried his file with so much paperwork that it was taking her a bit of time to actually find it. Which Harry could understand but he found it fairly annoying all things considered. He was hoping for it to be resolved faster.

Harry was told that he was going to have to announce that he was Lord Ravenclaw-Potter and Heir Black seeing as all courting contracts are announced. Sirius would be talking in depth with his Gringott’s manager about clearing up his name since Gringotts worked on the Truth of Magic instead of what the courts said, Amelia could use their information if Sirius gave them permission.

He could use the fact that the Black Lordship had allowed him to claim it and name Harry as his heir by blood and Vows.

Harry hummed, making a note of it in his calendar book before he headed out to the professor side of the carriage, tapping on one particular plaque that had one of his teachers for the Lily school staying in it. The man opened the door and looked down at Harry.

“Professor Kennedy,” Harry greeted, smiling up at the man who ran his science and math classes.

“Yes, Lord Potter?” Kennedy asked, his accent distinctly mid-West American as Harry had been told. The man had admitted that he had dual citizenship since his mother had been American while his father had been British, but both of them had been First Generation Magicals. He had made sure his education had gone both ways and went to school for a teaching degree, making him qualified for both sides of their world and the perfect tutor for Harry.

“I have scheduled my meeting for the courting contract on Thursday just after lunch to discuss it with Heir Warrington and his family,” Harry said, smiling up at him. “So I’m afraid that I’m going to most likely miss some of my lessons that day.”

“That is fine,” Kennedy said, smiling down at him. “I’ll just make sure you know what to go over during that class then so that you can self-study it. Don’t forget that you still have your potions essay about exhaustion potions and the type of exhaustions that they can treat,” he said.

“I’ve gotten about halfway through my notes. There’s a lot of potions that are listed and I need to figure out what ones to use for my essay,” Harry promised, Kennedy nodding. He did take the offered list on what Harry had learned in Transfiguration, promising to give it to his tutors before Harry headed back to his rooms.

Kennedy disappeared back into his room that he was staying in with Harry’s Astronomy teacher, his wife, Ariel. They were there until they could figure out better lodgings, which were small homes that could be built and taken down in a matter of days. They were just waiting for them to arrive that weekend.

Harry was also talking with his managers about opening a giant home that would allow his tutors to floo to the castle instead if they wanted to stay there instead of on the Hogwarts grounds.

For now, Harry sat down at his personal desk as Lucas worked on his homework at his own, and penned out his agreement of the date and noting that he would need an adult escort. He sent it off to his solicitor through the box that sat on his desk and turned to the Potions essay. The homework that he was doing had been so much more interesting then what Snape had him do now that he wasn’t being berated for living and being pushed to write a certain way.

He paused and wondered what Hermione was up to and how she was doing before shaking his head and pushing it out of his head. She had to make the first move and so did Ron. He was tired of being the only one to reach out.

The next three days went by quickly for the group. Harry spent most of his days in the main castle. Luna occasionally joined some of his tutoring sessions after her Herbology class had been set to self-study while Sprout did some things during that hour.

When he wasn’t studying, he was hanging out with the new friends he had discovered. Hermione would some times join them, not pushing for it, being allowed to join them. She was still coming to terms with the fact that Harry was hanging with Slytherins. She had decided that she wanted to be friends with harry about and she was getting the hint that her way of studying wasn’t the be all, end of studying ways.

The good things that had come out of the study group so far as that Neville had found himself being able to work with his wand a lot better. Daphne had sent a polite chewing out to Regent Longbottom about wand compatibility and having a proper wand for magic. He had gone during their study hour on Tuesday and gotten a new wand.

Luna was enjoying just having friends to be around and found that she was targeted less. Fleur and Lucas often joined them to learn how to speak French, Hermione helping. They had started after learning that both Hermione and Luna were French, but Luna had also learned Castillian Spanish, which was spoke in Spain, the Mexico style of Spanish, along with several other languages that were recognized in Mexico.

She had told them that the creatures her and her father looked for like Mexico’s various biomes, and they had connections to the various Mesoamerican civilizations. She had smiled at the curious looks that she had gotten before Harry had stated she probably seen ruins or ancient civilations that had gone underground. And she wouldn’t tell them anything.

The smile she had given them was all the confirmation they needed and prompted them to return to their studies, not wanting to try and press her.

Neville had just shaken his head as Hermione had worked to process that there were things out there that the non-magical world either thought of them as myths or as ancient history that had long ended. She had been good after a few minutes of staring at the ceiling. She did have the chance to practice that particular skill for the last few days since Harry had started to hang out with Neville and Luna so much.

Neville and Fleur had also sat Harry down to explain just how a courting contract could be set up. They told him that the most basic ‘not allowed to date nor have any kind of sexual touch outside of certain things’ contracts first. Then they explained the most detailed of contracts laid out just how the couple wanted their courtship going.

Neville figured that since most of the Warrington’s had pretty intricate contracts that would enjoy what kind of sexual acts could or could not be done that Harry would need to think about that.

Harry had blushed so hard during the sexual limits talk but had gotten through it. He had just asked questions where he needed to, and worked out just what he wanted in his courting with Cassius.

Of course, Cassius was also hand delivering small gifts every morning and night. Personalized parchment for anything that wasn’t personal was one gift. Another was an ink set with dozens of colors and three new glass dip pens, which Harry found easier to use. He had plans on picking up some more basic dip pens to use in class next Hogsmead visit. Cassius had been nice enough to give him a catalog that he had bought them from.

And of course, a new sunflower each day.

Harry was looking forward to the contract creation when Thursday rolled around. Fleur invaded his and Lucas’ room and set out his clothes for him. She decided to put him into something a little more androgynous but he approved it, his friend having gotten good at reading his moods.

It was also comfortable, warm since there was snow on the ground, and he found himself looking forward to the day as he headed to his tutoring sessions before lunch.

Harry smiled as he stepped out of the carriage, his solicitor waiting for him along with Professor Flitwick standing next to him. “Ah, Lord Potter,” Arcturus greeted as he bowed slightly. “It is a pleasure to see you again.”

“The same to you,” Harry greeted, nodding his head. “How are we getting to the edge of the wards? Do we want to walk?”

“No, no, not in this weather. I fear that it will start to rain soon. I was able to rent a carriage to take us to Hogsmead’s Gringotts where we are to meet Lord and Lady Warrington and Heir Warrington and their chosen solicitor,” Arcturus stated. He nodded to the carriage. “I do hope that you have something to read while we travel though.”

“Yes. Lucas suggested that I take something with me during the trip. I have a fiction book that I brought from the muggle world,” Harry said as he held up the book that he had in his bag. “I’ve been wanting to read it since my cousin chose it. He thought it was an action book but it’s drama.”

Arcturus chuckled in delight and nodded, leading Harry over to the carriage before he signed him out with Flitwick. The half-goblin sent the paper back to the main castle before getting into the carriage as a proper escort for Harry. He had been asked by Arcturus to be his chaperon for the trip and wasn’t going to let them leave without him. He took his job very seriously.

Settling into the carriage, the three started to read their chosen items. Arcturus made notes on what Harry wanted from the courting by asking questions and getting answers from the young man, filling in the information Harry had already sent. Flitwick shifted through some of the student essays as Harry read his book.

They took about forty-five minutes to arrive at Gringotts, the rain having started while they were on the way.

Harry waited for the driver to come around with an umbrella for them, remembering the lessons Lucas had given him. Cassius smiled and offered his hand, helping him to step down. Harry blushed but stepped out of the way and closer to him as Cassius mother cooed softly behind one hand.

“Lord and Lady Warrington, it is a pleasure to finally have the chance to meet you,” Harry greeted, bowing with a slight dip of a curtsy. One of the things that Fleur had taught him in the last week and some odd days was what kind of bows or curtsies he had to do depending on what he was wearing.

“Lord Black-Potter, a pleasure. My name is Raphael Warrington, and this lovely woman by my side is my delightfully loving wife, Jessica Warrington. But please, feel free to call me Raphael. You are being courted by my son after all,” Raphael greeted, kissing the back of Harry’s hand, as was polite. If Harry was dressed in a more masculine cut of clothes, he would have just shook his hand after a shallow bow.

Harry smiled shyly at him and nodded.

“And please, call me Jessica, dear. I hope that our families can become close in coming years,” Cassandra said, smiling down at Harry.

“Then, in return, please call me Harry. This is my solicitor and a distant cousin from my grandmother’s side, Arcturus Black. And this is my chaperone, Charms and Dueling Master, and my Charms professor, Filius Flitwick. They’re here to help me with the contract,” Harry introduced, a hand moving to wave at them each. The carriage pulled off to another building to stay out of the way until they were ready to head back to the school.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Master Black,” Raphael said, smiling and shaking his hand. “My partner in my own firm is helping us today. I’ve been meaning to send you an offer letter if you have time sometime this week to talk. I’ve heard about some of the issues that your firm has been experiencing.”

Harry tilted his head to look up at Arcturus, concerned as he tucked his hand into the crook of Cassius’ elbow. The man smiled softly at his young client and patted him on the shoulder. “Lord Malfoy has been making quite a few problems for my firm due to the fact that we never dropped the Potter nor the Black family from our Client lists. He thought he would have control over the Black family by now and should be allowed to name those over the various accounts. I will send you a letter later today to set up a possible time, if that is all right with you, Lord Warrington,” he suggested.

“That is perfectly fine,” Raphael stated.

Harry hummed and shook his head. “If he does change firms, I’ll be coming with him,” he stated, Arcturus smiling at that. “I am sure that my godfather, who is Lord Black, will be quite happy to follow us. Shall we?” he asked. “It’s a bit wet out here.”

“We shall. I’m very excited to see what you want from our courtship,” Cassius said. He lifted Harry’s hand to his mouth to press a kiss to the back of it, Harry smiling and blushing.

“So am I,” Harry replied softly as they headed up the stairs. “So am I.”

Stepping into a private conference room, Harry did his partial curtsy to Axegrind, who had agreed to do the contract for his families. “Well met, Account Master Axegrind. May your gold be flowing and growing with every second of the day,” he greeted.

Axegrind grinned, his smile to keep his teeth hidden. “Well met, Lord Black-Potter,” he greeted. “May you and your families be well blessed and grow your fortunes in all parts of your life,” he continued. “I hear that we are here to discuss a proper Courting Contract between yourself and Heir Warrington?” he asked.

“Indeed. This is Heir Cassius Warrington, and his parents, the Lord and Lady Warrington. I’m sure that you remember my solicitor, who Heir Warrington was able to get me in contact with. And of course, Profess Flitwick who is here to act as my chaperone,” he said.

“Of course. This is Accountant Lifetruth. He is the Warrington’s personal manager and is working on becoming a Master Accountant,” Axegrind said, sounding rather proud of the fairly young goblin next to him.

“Then I hope that your goals are attained and bless you and yours,” Harry said, nodding to the goblin.

“The same to you, Lord Black-Potter. Lord and Lady Warrington, Heir Warrington, it is good to see you once more. I fear that we must all sign contracts that will hold us to not speak about certain secrets within this room until we are given leave,” Lifetruth said as he laid out the contracts.

“I am sorry to drop this on you like this, but there are just some things that I can’t afford to get out right now. Not until things have been fixed,” Harry said, looking at them with a wavering, scared smile.

Cassandra cooed and smoothed a bit of his hair down, loving the way that it sprang back into the curl it had been. “Do not worry so much, dear. We do understand having to protect yourself for various reasons,” she told him. Harry nodded his head, beaming up at her.

The group settled at the table, the four humans signing the contracts. Lifetruth was already under contract to not speak about any client under Gringott’s watch seeing as he was working towards his Mastery. He knew better then to talk about secrets. Once the contracts had been signed, Harry showed his three rings, removing them from the merge.

“I came here a while ago and my mother had done a blood test before she had married my father. I found out that she was able to take up the Heirship to the Ravenclaw family. Her plan was to claim the Ladyship after the war, but we all know what happened when the Dark Lord went after me and my parents during that Halloween,” Harry said, showing them the Ravenclaw ring. “My full last name is Ravenclaw-Black-Potter, but I do not want any of this coming out until our official announcement. There’s no money to the name, all of it donated to the school to invest, but there are a lot of books and heirlooms. Since was I told that the contracts are binding, I was considered to be an adult since the age limit on the Tournament is of age. This made me emancipated and allowed to take on the Lordships of Ravenclaw and Potter and the Heir of Black.”

“Do forgive my words, but Heir Malfoy and Lord Malfoy are both going to shit bricks when they learn that Lord Black was able to claim his Lordship and named you his heir,” Cassius chuckled. “I take it that Lord Black is Sirius Black, your godfather?”

“Yes, he is. And this is something that is covered by the contract,” Sirius chirped as he walked in, nodding to them. “I am his Blood Sworn Godfather. The fact that it never came out means that someone hid that fact from the rest of the Wizarding World,” he said. Harry smiled softly at him, glad that he was looking much better then he had been earlier.

“I am working with Director Bones to find any and all information about Lord Black’s so called trial. Gringotts was very helpful in finding the Will Orbs of the late Lord and Lady Potter, along with the paperwork for Lord Black to take his Blood Oath,” Arcturus stated, nodding his head.

“Wonderful,” Raphael said, beaming. “I remember your grandfather, Lord Black. He was a good man before he was forced into hiding from his own family.” Sirius hummed and nodded. “If you need any help, please feel free to ask for help.”

Harry smiled at him. “The next Wizengamont meeting is held tomorrow, correct? When Director Bones calls for a proper trial and Evidence collection for Sirius Black, we could use some more backers. The Potter family regent will be taking his seat tomorrow and the Ravenclaw seat requires me to be there personally to claim them,” he requested. “Solicitor Black of course will be there to act as Sirius’ solicitor of course.”

Raphael’s laugh was loud and booming, making Harry feel warm through and through as Cassius gave him a warm, caring smile. “I can do that. Now, let us discuss the courting contract,” he said, nodding his head.

“Now, I have gathered the charters and past examples of Courting Contracts from the Potter, Black and Ravenclaw vaults,” Axegrind said as he laid things out.

“I did the same with the Warrington charters and past Courting Contracts,” Lifetruth said as he laid out his own collection. “From what we have learned, all of the families are like every other family in how things are done. Are we thinking of doing a detailed contract?” he asked.

Cassius hummed, looking to Harry who nodded. “Somewhat detailed. What we can and can not do without any hard time line for now. An option to come back every six months to adjust things as we need until we become engaged if we do. I want to give us that minimum of six months to really get to know each other and to figure things out,” he said, smiling down at Harry. “And it will get us through the rest of our school year.”

Harry smiled softly up at him, placing a hand on his. “That works perfectly for me,” he said, nodding his head.

“I have a few things that Harry is looking for in his contract,” Arcturus said as he made copies of his notes and handing them over. From there, the group settled in to speak about what they wanted in their contract and their relationship.

They both agreed that they would like to have private dates but that they would allow an escort who wasn’t obvious so they didn’t feel stalked or watched. They did agree that they would most likely have double dates with friends who had partners, or were just going to be with close friends depending on the day.

They also wanted, after a period of three months, for private in-school dates that would be set up with the proper wardings set up around it. Harry blushed brightly when Cassius admitted that he was going to allow Harry to set the pace of anything sexual, but did stated that he wanted that part of their courtship to be open beyond the hard boundaries.

Like penetrative sex and oral. Axegrind just smirked as Harry hid his face, Sirius’ barking laugh making the young male groan.

Harry did agree to it.

By the time that they were done with the contract, Harry was leaning against Cassius seeing as most of the contract was centered around Harry’s desires seeing as he was the younger of them. They went over the fully written contract with Arcturus, Raphael, Kendricks – Raphael’s partner in the law firm- and Sirius, making sure that everything was written properly before they signed it.

Harry took the box of Courting Bracelets that Axegrind had gathered for him, nad looked through them to find one that would match, mostly, his own. While his was thinish, which matched his personal tastes , and a dark onyx, he wanted one that was thicker and just as dark for Cassius’.

He found one that had a little tag that listed off all of the spells and runes that were on it. Apparently Arcturus Black the Third had worn it while he had been courting Melania Macmillan. She had gifted it to him after they had signed their own courting contract and it had been placed into the Black Family vault for future generations to use.

Harry picked it up out of it’s case and felt the warmth of the magic, making him smile as he stroked the deeply carved runes. “I think that this one would be the best one,” he said. Sirius looked at it and nodded with a smile.

Cassius stroked a finger over the runes and shivered slightly at the welcoming warmth of the magic in the bracelet. “Yes, it is the best option. I love it.”

Harry beamed up at him and placed it around Cassius’ wrist. They watched as it warmed up and accepted the other man. They shared their first kiss right there, Harry melting under the soft touch of his courting mate’s lips, feeling warmth spread through him as he leaned into the kiss happily.

Stepping out of Gringotts with a sigh, having left Arcturus behind to speak with his godfather and goblin manager, Harry blew out a breath. He chuckled sheepishly when his stomach grumbled. “Ah, sorry about that. I was a bit to nervous really to each much lunch,” he admitted.

“How does this sound: for a successful Courting Contract discussion, I will take you all to lunch at a little restaurant that I enjoy. It’s private and cozy, but not expensive,” Flitwick offered.

“No, let it be my treat. It is a good day that my son has found someone that he has come to care about enough to court properly,” Raphael said, smiling at his son and Harry. Harry blushed, pressing his face into Cassius’ shoulder. He wasn’t really used to approval from adults who had just met him, so it was a new experience.

“That sounds perfect,” Jessica said, smiling at her husband and the professor. “I wish to learn more about you, Harry. If you don’t mind that is.”

“No, I don’t mind. Though…I might not talk about some things with you, if you won’t be insulted. Unfortunately, there are things that I wouldn’t be comfortable talking with you about,” he told her. Jessica waved a hand at him with a smile.

“Do not worry so much, sweetness. We do understand about secrets and tales that are not something to talk casually about,” Cassandra stated. “We hope that you will one day find it in yourself to trust us with such things. But that is for future possibilities,” she continued. “Now, Professor, if you could show the way to the restaurant, I believe I know which one it is. It’s quite private considering that the announcement isn’t coming out until Saturday.”

“We really do not want Skeeter to get a hold of the story until the official announcement. That parasite would twist things around in such a way that it would cast a bad light on the happy announcement if she had her way,” Cassius snorted as they started to head down the street, Flitwick leading the way, umbrella’s over their heads.

“Who is Skeeter?” Harry asked. “I think I’ve seen that name a few times in the paper.”

“You would have. Rita Skeeter is a writer who works at the Prophet and Witches Weekly. She’s a mud raker if there was ever one. She will twist words and information and if she doesn’t like you, or think that she can get away with it, she will drag your name through the mud,” Cassius snorted. “She’s tried it with the headmaster a few times. Others to. She sucks up hard with those who are Old Blood to.”

“Why in the world would she do that?” Harry asked him, giving his partner a confused look.

“She doesn’t want others to know this, but she’s only second generation Old Blood,” Raphael stated. “Her grandmother was a New Blood. She learned all of the customs and traditions of our world and left behind her non-magical roots. I hear that she hadn’t known who her parents were, the two dying when she was just a baby.”

“I see,” Harry frowned as they turned down an alley way and towards the small restaurant. “Why do you use Old Blood and New Blood instead of Pure Blood and Muggleborn?” he asked finally.

“That would be my influence. My great-great grandmother married an American Wizard who had taken our name. He did not use Pureblood or Muggleborn, finding the terms pretentious and insulting, in that order,” Cassandra told him. “The others know better then to try to change how we speak. The last one who tried was Lord Malfoy’s grandfather. It almost caused a blood feud between the Lestranges and the Malfoys. That was because my grandfather was a close cousin to the main Lestrange family. Lord Lestrange is quite the figure and is still very upset with the way his sons had been railroaded. They were charged and trialed all together, which shouldn’t have happened. Each person should have had their own proper trial.”

Harry frowned at that. He remembered that Neville’s parents had been tortured by Bellatrix, who was Sirius’ cousin, and probably the Lestrange brothers. “I may not like them for what they did, but I don’t like that they were denied their own proper trials. Perhaps there’s something that we can do. New proper trials for them.”

“Ah, but that would take overturning the law protecting Old Bloods from being dosed with Veritaserum,” Flitwick stated as they walked into the building. “A private booth for five please,” he requested of the hostess.

“Now that’s an idea, isn’t it?” Harry snorted as they were lead towards the private booth to talk with each other. He wanted to learn everything that he could do. And it seemed as if the Warringtons’ were willing to teach him everything he wanted to know.

Harry picked up the menu and looked over the options, deciding that he would go for a good old fashioned fish and chips dish. They all ordered their meals, including drinks to go over with it. Harry and Cassius decided to split a pot of tea while Flitwick ordered himself a smaller pot of oolong. He told them that due to his goblin blood, he had to watch which kind of teas he drank for various reasons. Raphael and Cassandra both opted for coffee with creamer and sugar on the side.

Once they had ordered their food, Raphael turned to Harry with a smile. “When did this interest in politics and the Wizengamont start up?” he asked.

Harry hummed. “It’s not so much a new interest as one that has come to be a main focus. I’ve been reading on things since Heir Flint and Cassius talked with me before we boarded the train. I took some advice and bonded with an elf, and was able to send him out to get the books once I figured out my accounts for the moment. I started to read them back in early September.” He paused when the waiter came over with their drinks, nodding his head before he left them alone again. “Despite what everyone thinks, I was not raised knowing about the magical part of the world.”

“You weren’t?” Flitwick asked him, eyebrows rising in surprise.

“No. Whoever said that I had been was lying to anyone who they told that to,” Harry said, shaking his head. “My aunt, my mother’s older sister, hates the magical world. She has a lot of reasons as to why, but she never once told me about the magic in my blood until Hagrid came to collect me. And that’s another long story that I really don’t want to get into right now.” He leant into Cassius, the other male wrapping an arm around his back.

“We won’t press you. You’ll tell us when you’re ready to talk, if you ever are,” Cassius said, smiling down at his new partner. Harry smiled up at him and nodded.

“Anyways, I’ve been reading and learning since I could get the books. Neville has also been telling me about a few things to. Luna sometimes tells me that I need to learn something so that my education is rounded out. The books were really informative too. My godfather has also taken to sending me letters about various things that I need to know about how the Black family is run and how he’s hoping to change things once he’s been given his trial.”

“It really does say something about the fact that he never got one originally,” Jessica said, shaking her head with a frown. They stopped talking again as the waiter came by to deliver their food before he once more disappeared to deal with other customers. “You said that he is working with your solicitor, manager, and Director Bones now?” she asked as she looked over her plate of lemon pepper salmon with a light salad, honey rolls, and garlic carrots.

“Yes, which is why I want to see if I can’t get that stupid law about Veitaserum and the…Old Bloods not taking it over turned. When did they get that one passed any ways?” Harry asked as he looked over his plate of fish and chips.

“I believe it was when it was at the start of the Dark Lords’ rise. I believe that it had been pushed through by the Lestrange brother’s father, who had been sitting for his own father at the time,” Jessica said. “Lord Lestrange is their grandfather but he was sick during those three sessions and his vote was able to get the law through.”

“Do you think you can send Harry the books with all of the current laws and treaties?” Cassius asked, tilting his head to his mother. “I’m sure that he’d like to know what laws there are, and figure out what his own votes were used when he wasn’t able to control them.”

Harry groaned. “Yeah, I do need to know all of that, don’t I?” he asked.

“And you also need to make sure your Regents are set and know the rules that they are to abide by. You’ll need to set the Ravenclaw regent to,” Flitwick told him. Harry grumbled softly as Cassius chuckled, Cassandra hiding her amusement in her coffee cup.

After they had enjoyed their rather early dinner, the two students and professor was escorted back to the school in the carriage. Flitwick had to chuckle at how willing the two were to be in contact, the parents pleased by what they were seeing.

They came up to the carriage of Beaubaxtons and Cassius helped Harry stepped down, Flitwick staying in the carriage but watching them.

“Thank you for honoring me with this courtship,” Cassius said, Harry blushing softly and smiling at him.

“I never really thought that someone would want to court me. Not…really. I know that everyone seems to think that I’m going to marry a girl, but I’m still fourteen. I never really thought about things outside of the random crushes I got. But I also never really allowed myself to do anything with them since I was raised by the Dursley’s, who are very anti-‘normal’. But since the start of this year, it’s like I’ve discovered all sorts of things about myself. Let myself think about what I really want. Especially when you guys talked to me and I started talking with Neville. I find that I am attracted to girls, but I’m also attracted to males. You just happened to be the only one that had enough guts to court me,” he said. “And you’re good looking in your own way. You’ve treated me with respect. I’m excited to see where this ends up going.”

Cassius chuckled and lent down to steal a soft kiss in the cold air of the evening. Harry sighed into it, feeling as if warmth was spreading through his body from his lips even as the other male pulled away, breaking the kiss. “Just know that even if you are my supposed opponent, I will treat you with all of the respect,” he promised, leaning down to brush their lips together. He felt Harry smile against his lips.

“The same goes for me. Just because we’re opponents in this doesn’t mean that we have to be jerks about it,” he chuckled. “Do you want to join me with Fleur and Viktor in training?” he asked.

“I would be very pleased to join you. I get to spend time with my new courting partner and the other champions? I do think that training together is all a part of the Tri-Wizard Tournament,” Cassius teased. He stole another kiss, leaving Harry with a blush that was not just hte cold around them before he pulled away. “I’ll escort you and Heir Delacour to the castle tomorrow?” he asked.

“That would be nice, thank you,” Harry said. He watched as Cassius left with Flitwick. He blushed even more when Lucas chuckled from the door of the carriage.

“I take it that the courting negotiations went well?” the other male asked. Harry nodded and smiled at him.

“Very well. Now let me in, you pain, it’s cold out here,” he teased, Lucas helping him to step up into the carriage, closing the door behind him. “We had a very lovely early dinner with his parents and Professor Flitwick to. We talked about a few things. I need to go to the Wizengamont meeting tomorrow to do some things. My teachers were warned that might happen. I also need to officially claim my seats before I put out an article about my Lordships and Heirships,” Harry told him.

“I did hear your tutors planning on what you would have to do for your self-studying over the weekend,” Lucas said. “You have a letter waiting for you from that Granger girl. She came by to see you and decided to let me leave it on your desk,” he said. Harry hummed, nodding his head.

“Thank you for telling me about the letter,” he said as he pulled off his cloak and headed for their room. He could hear Fleur walking around in her room, babbling in French to someone he figured was her sister. Harry shook his head and sat down at his desk to work on his homework.

He did have to keep up with his schooling after all. He decided to ignore the letter for the moment. Hermione had started to do better in the last while, but he wasn’t ready to face the issues he had with her at that moment.

Never A Spare – 1/5 – Strailo

01 The Goblet and the Vow

02 Post Vow

03 Starting to Court

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Never A Spare – 1/5 – Strailo

01 The Goblet and the Vow

02 Post Vow

03 Starting to Court

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Strailo

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