(Sometime Later)
Finally able to ditch his escort so he could meet up with his friends in secret in the 'Swan room', he walked through the door, addressing the group. "I'm sorry I'm late, had problems ditching my escort," he offered in explanation, seeing Blaise had joined them for the first time, sitting close to Daphne, clearly marking his territory of sorts. "Nice to see you, Blaise. What has Daphne told you of this place?" he said, offering his hand, making a subtle power play.
Shaking his hand firmly, Blaise offered a noncommittal, "Bits and pieces," before he briefly looked at Daphne, as if she had sold him out. Daphne, not to be cowed, glared mildly right back at him, telling him to be quiet. At least that's the impression Harry got.
"Well, I'll give you a brief history. This room was a private study of Lady Swan, hence the swan door guardian. Tracy found this room for us so we could have a private meeting place to study without persecution or distraction from the rest of the school," he explained, getting nods all around.
"We also use this room to discuss our own more private business, which we prefer not to be overheard by other students or staff. You could say this room is a place where we can plot and scheme without eavesdroppers. Naturally, using our combined influence to help shape events in school to our benefit," he listed. "I'm sure you can understand the desire to have like-minded people working together for mutual gain? Daphne, do you have anything you want to add?" he finished, wondering if the Slytherin wanted to add anything.
"No, you covered everything."
"Have I missed anything?" he asked, looking around, getting shaken heads from Padma and Tracy.
"Oh, by the way, Daphne chose the colour scheme of black and gold," he revealed, gesturing to the rug and the curtains, giving the girl credit. "Now onto business. First and foremost, I'm okay and alive. However, I would advise you to distance yourselves from me publicly until Peter is taken care of. I'd rather you guys didn't get caught in the crossfire.
Also, by the sounds of it, I'm going to have Mad-Eye Moody watching over me, and frankly, I doubt I'll be able to slip away from him like I did with my current guard. So I may have problems getting to these meetings and this place in general, so I'll ask Padma to relay anything important. I doubt you want Aurors listening in on our private business, especially any of the more sensitive stuff," he reasoned, getting a nod from Daphne.
"Now, Peter is also a rat Animagus. Yes, I know this for a fact, so be watchful. After this, I plan to go to the library and research any spells that can be used to detect Animagi, so if you want to join me, I won't pass up the extra pair of hands for researching. Also, as you've probably seen, Tonks and Penny have taken it upon themselves to escort me around," he said dryly, watching as smirks appeared on the others' faces. "Yes, I know it's funny, but it also prevents me from meeting as freely."
"We could just invite them to join us? Tonks is a prefect; she's popular within the Puffs and the 7th years. Having her on our side would be useful and could help us move about easier. Plus, it would be good to have someone in the Hufflepuff and the upper years," Tracy suggested thoughtfully, getting a nod from Daphne.
"Penny would be useful as well. She's loyal to you, we all can see it. She's also one of the staff's favourites. She'll probably end up being the Head Girl next year, and it would be good to have that position in our pocket. Percy will probably be the Head Boy, and he's an ass and a bully.
We've all seen what he was like last year, so Penny could help keep him on a leash. The boy is crushing all over her; we can all see the puppy eyes he has for her." Hearing Tracy's description of Percy caused him to remember the drama from last year in the hospital wing after the whole troll ordeal. "On a more personal note, the girl is smart, and I could use some extra help with my studies," Tracy admitted, getting a giggle from Padma.
Faking a hurt look, Harry replied playfully, "So I'm no longer good enough for you?"
"Yup," Tracy said instantly, not falling for his banter.
"I won't object to having them around more. It would make my life easier if I didn't have to ditch them or lie to them," he admitted. "What about you guys? What do you think?"
"Hmm..." Daphne hummed thoughtfully. "I'm fine with it. I just don't want to add too many people to the group too fast because we can't properly learn about their character or whether we can trust them fully. After all, we'll be discussing private issues between us and don't want my business becoming common gossip.
Tracy makes a good argument though; Tonks will be gone by the end of the year, plus she's good at DADA, and you duel with her. So having her around would be logical and would help us with our studies since Lockhart is dreadful.
Tonks is a Puff too, so she'll be loyal to you, both because she likes you and you're part of her family. She would be loyal to us by proxy, so she won't gossip about what we talk about. Penny I have no doubt of. Invite her, she will be useful, especially if she's Head Girl," she said simply, clearly already planning on how to use Penny for her own advantage.
"I agree," Padma added. "Both are talented and smart, and outside Hogwarts they should do well. So I'm all for having just older friends outside Hogwarts that I'm on good terms with."
She looked over at Blaise, who was just watching silently. "What do you think? You're a part of this group now, so feel free to add your opinion, even if you disagree with what's being said."
"I don't know them, never really cared to learn about them," he admitted coldly. "But the points made are valid. Far better to have them friendly to us than someone else. Percy is arrogant. The Head Boy position would make him insufferable. That alone gives merits to the Muggleborn," he said, causing Daphne and Tracy to shoot venomous looks at the boy.
Ignoring the comment, despite it being a dig at a couple of his friends, and indirectly at his mother, Harry sent a questioning look at Daphne. "Okay, I'll bring them next time. Daphne, I finished that potion you requested." He reached into his pocket and slid the vial over to her from across the table. "Tell me if you need any more," he added, catching the curious looks Blaise was sending them both.
"My thanks."
"You're welcome."
"Oh, while I remember, here," Daphne said, taking out a couple of pieces of parchment. "Notes from Tuesday's lesson," she clarified, handing him the notes.
"Thanks, you're a lifesaver," he said, looking over the Herbology notes.
He and Daphne eventually found themselves alone, so he took the opportunity to talk to her. "I hope you're right about Blaise." He already had his own doubts about the other boy.
...
( That Evening )
Walking up through the steps to his dorm room, just grateful at finally being able to get some peace and quiet so he could start looking over the notes he made in the library, he was annoyed when a rough male voice sounded behind him. "Potter."
Harry spun around, wondering who it could be before seeing a disfigured man in Auror robes with a magical blue eye, which spun madly about scanning the corridor, before he limped forward, revealing a metal claw-like leg. Putting all these things together, he realized this was the Mad-Eye Moody that his cousin had mentioned at breakfast. "Mad-Eye."
"So you've heard of me, Potter," the aged Auror replied, his magical eye scanning him.
"Only by reputation. I also know you were my dad's partner for a while during the war and a part of the Order of the Phoenix. My mother's journal spoke rather highly of you, and my cousin saw you earlier talking with the Headmaster," he listed, examining the Auror in turn, wondering what that magic eye could see.
"Good, now that that's out of the way. First things first, I ask you not to ditch your escorts. Second, tell us where you're going at all times. If I say no, it's no. That means no Quidditch, no walking school halls alone, you go where we say you can go," the Auror said, listing off the rules.
Knowing it was stupid, but he wasn't about to quit Quidditch when he'd put so much work into getting onto the team. "No," he said sternly, causing the Auror to blink with his good eye. "This is my life, not yours. I never asked for this protection detail. The Chief Warlock did because he wants to save face. Any more bad press and he'd get kicked out of Hogwarts because it would be proof he can't provide security for the students. Something the press has been braying for all year."
"Listen, Potter, this isn't a game, nor a time to be stubborn," the Auror argued.
"If push comes to shove, I can easily disappear and get homeschooled. I don't want your help, and personally, I want the son of a bitch to try his luck again. Now that I know he's here, I'll be ready for him. He took something from me, his actions cost me my family, and that's something I have no intentions of overlooking," he promised, already having a basic plan in place for if the assassin truly was Peter.
"This is no time for heroics, boy!" That word, that tone, caused him to see red, to see his uncle's chubby face, reminding him of his promise. Ignoring his rising anger and the desire to hex the Auror, knowing that it was futile and childish he could already see the man was outfitted with body armour he answered, his voice cold, "Remember this, I can either work with you or against you, and at the moment I feel very much like causing you and your squad as much trouble as possible. Now if you'll excuse me, I have work I need to handle."
He slipped into his room, having every intention of ignoring the man, who he could hear following behind him due to the metal limb's heavy impact against the stone floor. Inside, he was confronted with a magical portrait, a door guardian, who happened to be an elderly scholar, reading an aged book, blocking access to his room.
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