"Rule six builds on rule four — you will attire yourself as I expect — and what I expect is plain emerald green robes with the crest of Slytherin House on the arms, do you understand?"
Plato's eyes widened. "Master, house elves is not to be wearing—"
"—You are not just any house elf, Plato, you are my house elf. When people see you, they will be seeing me — my house — my family, do you wish to shame me by showing people a member of Slytherin House wearing rags?" Plato's lip trembled.
Harry shook his head. "The robes you wear will remain the property of Slytherin House. You will not own them, merely take care of them, keep them clean and well maintained, is that a fair compromise?"
Plato's lip stopped trembling. He seemed to think for a moment. Then he nodded. "Plato understands, Master. Plato will wear Master's clothes and keep them in perfect condition."
"Excellent. Raise your right hand."
Plato raised his right hand, and Harry waved his wand over it. A ring appeared on Plato's finger. Plato stared at it in awe.
"This is a servant ring. It grants you limited access to the Slytherin Gringotts vault and acts as identification when doing business on my behalf. I will be spending most of my time in Hogwarts, where, unfortunately, you will not be able to directly serve me, at least not for the moment."
Plato's awe quickly vanished. His head drooped and his ears sank down flat against his face.
"It's something I'm working on it. While I'm there, you will stay with my vassals, the House of Granger, but let's go over what else we need to do."
Plato shook away his disappointment and stood back to attention. "Yes, Master Lord Slytherin. Plato will always serve you, Master. Even when Master is away."
Harry smiled. Merlin, house elves were awesome. Draco sat at breakfast and read his owl from home.
Dear Draco,
We hope this owl finds you well and that you are proceeding satisfactorily with your studies. I look forward to seeing your outstanding results at the end of the school year.
Draco looked uneasily over at where Greengrass and Granger sat at the opposite end of the table. He'd be feeling a lot more comfortable if Anthony Goldstein from Ravenclaw, a friend of the family, hadn't told him that he currently sat in twelfth place overall in the year, according to the Ravenclaw academic tables in the Ravenclaw common room. He cast his eyes back down to the owl. A matter has come up which requires your action. For the good of the Dark and the Noble House of Malfoy, Harry Potter must be isolated from us and all our allies for the next four weeks. I trust you will be able to accomplish this. It is very important.
Love,
Father and Mother
Draco's eyes widened. Really? But it was almost the duelling tournament. This was the moment when being seen to have Potter on their side would be most beneficial. He'd actually quite enjoyed having the super powerful boy in his circle for the last week, but…. He traced the signature at the end of the owl with his finger. …If father demanded it, then it had to be done. Good help is hard to find. Sometimes though, good help isn't what a wizard is looking for.
Dumbledore sat in the small throne behind his desk in the Headmaster's office. His many trinkets biped and bobbed and occasionally one would let out a little hiss of steam or plop of dripping water.
The door opened and a seventh-year Hufflepuff witch stepped through. She looked nervous. Her hair was short and bubblegum pink.
"Ah, Miss Tonks," Dumbledore smiled a grandfatherly smile. "Please sit down and don't mind the mess."
"Ah, thank you, Headmaster." Tonks sat down in the chair offered. Her eyes quickly darted around the room before focusing on the Headmaster again. "I'm not in trouble, am I? This isn't about the duelling club, is it? Because I swear I didn't mean to hex Catherine quite that badly during practise."
Dumbledore waved his hand jovially. "No, not at all Miss Tonks. Not at all. I actually wanted to talk about your immediate plans after your NEWTS. I understand you plan to join the auror training program after graduation."
Tonks nodded.
"Are you aware that in the last war, I led a… shall we say, resistance force, against Voldemort?"
Tonks flinched before answering. "It was always rumoured, sir, but no one knew for sure."
"You know why I formed that organisation?" "To fight you-know-who."
"Yes, but why did I need to? Why weren't the aurors able to?"
"Uh." Tonks hesitated. "Because of the Dark in the Wizengamot?"
Dumbledore slightly inclined his head. "I need to ask you a question, Miss Tonks. If another war happened like the last one, terrible though that would be, would you stay to your command in the aurors, doing nothing to protect the people who cannot defend themselves, or would you do the hard and dangerous thing, and work behind the backs of your superiors and colleagues, knowing that if you're caught it could mean your job at best and your life at worst?"
Tonks swallowed. "I…I like to think I would, yes."
"Even if it meant breaking the law?"
Tonks hesitated again, before straightening. Her eyes firmed. "If the law no longer protects the innocent then it is no law at all."
Dumbledore leaned in closer and looked at Tonks' over his moon shaped glasses. "What if you had to do things that were not only illegal, but were also immoral? What if the only way to save many innocents was to cause the death of one innocent?"
Tonks' hair shifted from pink to white. "I don't know. Surely there would be some way to save them all."
Dumbledore slowly shook his head. "War does not always allow us that luxury, I'm afraid. That is the terrible responsibility that is placed on those who fight the darkness."
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