Not another one," Harry grumbled.
"Another what?" Cain questioned; his mouth full of bacon.
"A lord wanting to discuss the idea of a marriage contract," Harry
sighed as he placed the offending letter on the table.
"How many of those have you received?" Sirius broke in curiously.
"Four, so far."
Sirius laughed before waggling his eyebrows at his godson.
"The witches are starting to queue up for you," he snorted amusedly.
"Well, their parents are," he added with a frown. "What are you going
to do?"
Harry shrugged as he continued eating his breakfast.
"It's not exactly the most opportune time to consider any of this," he
pointed out.
"And?" Sirius pressed.
Harry released a deep breath.
"I don't want to marry someone for political clout. I don't need it, and I
don't want my titles being used to someone else's advantage. If I
was just Lord Potter, half of these wouldn't have reached out to me."
"I think they would," Remus interjected. "You have to remember what
it is you are famous for, Harry. The Potter name has become much
more valuable since you were a baby. I'm not saying the likes of
Malfoy would have, but many others would."
"What do you know about it? You're not a pureblood."
"No, but I am a logical man," Remus replied with a smirk. "It makes
sense that your fame would have attracted more prospective brides."
Harry scowled at the thought.
"Well, I'm not interested," he declared. "I don't want a bloody
contract."
Irritably, he speared a sausage on the end of his fork and glared at it.
Harry knew there were certain expectations of him, and as a Lord
that had reached his majority, he needed to fulfil them.
"Alright, do you want my advice?" Sirius asked, seemingly having
mercy on him.
"Does it involve me humouring any of this?"
"One option does."
"Fine," Harry huffed. "What would the amazing Sirius Black do in my
position?"
"I would stop sulking for a start," Sirius chuckled. "After that, you
have to reply to each request and politely decline the offer, or explain
that with the current circumstances, you are not considering
marriage."
"That seems fair," Harry agreed.
"Or there is the second option," Sirius continued with a grin.
"If you're about to suggest I marry one or more of these girls…"
Sirius held up a hand to placate him.
"I was going to say that you are the Lord Black and Lord Potter.
There's not a person in the country that you can't tell to stuff it and
do whatever you like. Aunt Cassie won't like that, but it is an option
for you. Who is going to take offense and in turn risk offending you?
Most of these Lords are already willing to pucker up and kiss your
arse to earn your favour."
"That wouldn't earn me any allies."
"Do you care?"
"Not really," Harry sighed, "but why make enemies when I don't need
to? I think I'll take the first option."
"And then what?" Sirius probed. "When the war is over with, the
proposals will come flooding in. For now, you can brush them off, but
you can't do that forever."
Harry cursed under his breath, eliciting a bout of laughter from the
others.
"And what are you lot laughing at?" Lucinda questioned as she
entered the room with Eleanor in tow.
"Nothing," Sirius answered.
Lucinda hummed as she poured herself a coffee.
"You drink that?" Harry asked confusedly. "It's not like you need it to
keep awake."
"No, but I quite like the routine of it," the vampire replied. "I drink a
cup before I go to work."
Harry could only shake his head as Lucinda peered over the table at
the parchment, raising a single brow.
"Another one?"
Harry nodded and Lucinda shrugged.
"Are you not worried about them?" Cain asked.
Lucinda grinned, baring her fangs as she shook her head.
"There's not a single witch alive that could ever do for Harry what I
can," she answered simply. "He might have to marry one of them
one day, but it will be me he is thinking of. See you later."
She placed a kiss on the flushed cheek of Harry before gesturing for
Eleanor to follow her from the room.
The four men remained in stunned silence for some time, the words
of the vampire ringing in their ears.
"Bloody hell," Sirius whispered. "Now that is a woman."
"That she is," Harry agreed.
Cain burst out laughing, and Harry glared at his friend.
"You are in trouble," the werewolf said amusedly. "You can't marry
anyone else, not with her around."
"What if I don't want to?" Harry asked seriously.
Sirius and Remus shared a look.
"People won't like it," the latter pointed out. "You marrying a creature
over the daughter of a prominent Lord would be like a slap in the
face."
"But, it's like I said, you can just about do what you want," Sirius
reiterated. "They might not like it, but it's not as though they are
going to publicly take offense."
Harry nodded his understanding as he pondered the matter.
"So, it's not just about the, erm benefits?" Cain asked curiously.
"Get your head out of the gutter," Harry huffed. "You're in no position
to judge with what you and Summerbee get up to."
"I have no idea what you mean," Cain said airily.
"I'm a wolf too, remember?" Harry returned. "I can smell you all over
each other. You're not as coy as you think you are."
It was Cain's turn to blush, and he busied himself with his breakfast
as he cursed Harry.
Sirius and Remus laughed at the younger werewolf, and Harry
turned his attention to them.
"What the hell are you two finding so amusing?" he questioned. "I
don't see either of you dating anyone, or as Cain would say, rutting
like wolves."
Remus grimaced at the choice of words.
"I'm a former Azkaban inmate," Sirius pointed out.
"There are some women who would love that," Harry replied.
"Probably not the most stable of women, but there's no reason for
you to be moping around here with him all day," he added, jerking a
thumb towards Remus. "You've got years to make-up for."
"I got my fair share before I went to prison," Sirius declared proudly.
"Disgusting," Harry muttered. "What's your excuse?" he asked
Remus.
"I'm a werewolf."
"So is he," Harry sighed, pointing to Cain. "That's not stopping him.
Unless the two of you plan on giving each other a hand, I'd suggest
you get yourselves out there before more people start questioning
the nature of your relationship."
"Who's questioning the nature of our relationship?" Sirius demanded
to know.
Harry shrugged as grin tugged at his lips.
"I bet Snape is."
Sirius's expression morphed into one of horror before he shot to his
feet.
"Right, get ready Moony, we're going to a seedy bar somewhere."
"It's not even nine in the morning," the werewolf pointed out.
"Oh, I know a few places," Sirius replied as he pulled his friend to his
feet. "We can't have Snivellus thinking that about us."
Remus shot an amused Harry a look of irritation as he was all but
frog-marched from the room.
"Do people really think that about them?" Cain asked.
"Maybe," Harry answered. "Sirius is just too easy to rile up, and I
couldn't pass up the opportunity."
"Well, then you will have to deal with the consequences," Cain
returned. "If those two are out drinking this early, how do you think it
is going to end?"
"Bollocks," Harry grumbled. "I'll get a message to Shacklebolt and
Tonks to keep an eye out for them."
"Five galleons says they will be in a Ministry cell before dinner."
Harry shook his head.
"Only an idiot would take that bet."
Cain nodded his agreement, and the two of them finished their
breakfast in peace without discussing what Harry intended to do
about the offers of marriage.
It was something he needed to ponder himself, and though he knew
he could do what he wished, he needed to consider his decision
carefully.
Not that he needed the added stress.
Already he had much on his mind; one of those things being the
meeting he had scheduled for later in the day.
It could prove to be fruitless, but if he was fortunate and he played
his hand correctly, it could be that the tide of the war could turn in his
favour quite significantly.
The inane tasks of being the Minister of Magic were things
Cassiopeia could certainly do without. Not a day went by that a Head
of Department wouldn't accost her to discuss something dull;
pertaining to their position, or to simply have her co-sign a
document.
Still, the drudgery was something of a welcome distraction from the
task of dealing with a Dark Lord and dozens upon dozens of men
and women at large.
"You don't seem so concerned about the marriage contracts."
The voice of the Summerbee girl piqued Cassie's curiosity, and she
placed her quill on her desk to listen to the conversation taking place
just outside her office.
The girls evidently thought she had not taken the step of ensuring
she knew exactly whom was within the vicinity at any given time.
With just a flick of her wand, she could see through her office door,
and choose whether or not she wished to speak with a particular
visitor.
"Harry knows I don't like it, but it's not as though he can stop people
writing to ask, is it?" Lucinda replied.
Cassiopeia frowned.
She had no idea Harry had been receiving proposals of marriage.
He certainly had not discussed them with her.
"Do you think he will accept one of them?"
"He'd better not," Lucinda huffed. "I will make the rest of his life
miserable if he even thinks about it."
Cassiopeia snorted amusedly.
The vampire had grown on her over the past months of spending so
much time in her company.
She was growing to be a strong woman, stubborn to a fault, and
undoubtedly, for reasons Cassie did not understand, she and Harry
were very much smitten with one another.
Nevertheless, such fondness presented several problems,
particularly of a political and legal nature.
Cassiopeia could not be sure, but she was certain it was against the
law for a human to marry a vampire in Britain.
Not that such a thing would be difficult to navigate.
Politically, many would be rather put-out by Harry choosing Lucinda
over marrying a British pureblood, which many seemed to be
expecting.
Why wouldn't they?
He was the Head of two distinguished families, so it made sense that
would be the case.
However, none knew Harry like Cassie; Lucinda perhaps being the
exception.
There was not a person alive that could convince him to do
something he was against, nor dissuade him from something he had
his heart set on.
Given the choice, Cassie would see him do the duty expected of
him, but she would not be the one to get in the way if he chose
Lucinda. He'd sacrificed enough in life, and if what she had learned
from Galanis held any truth, Harry was destined to be a widower for
centuries after any human spouse would perish.
She smiled sadly to herself at the thought.
Cassie could not imagine Harry being alone for so long, and she did
not wish to even consider such a thing.
Perhaps fate had brought Lucinda into his life for a reason, or maybe
it was just that life had found just another way to mess with the boy
she had raised as her own?
Regardless, what mattered to her more than anything else was that
he could experience a semblance of happiness for himself when all
was said and done with the war against Voldemort.
Releasing a deep sigh, she signed another document and decided
that she would raise the matter with him.
He had been raised to carefully consider all of his options, but to
Cassie, this one spoke for itself.
Harry could either enjoy a full and happy life with the vampire he had
already chosen or experience more loss with a bride he would take
to placate others.
A thousand years was indeed a long time, and if he must live it,
Cassie would see that he did so as happy and whole as can be.
It was strange to consider his own mortality, and though Albus had
come to accept his impending death with as much grace as he could
muster, he could not help but think there was much for him left to do.
Tom was still here, living breathing, and the threat hanging over
Britain.
Would Albus be alive to see his demise?
With the progress he had made with locating the Horcruxes, he held
out hope that he might pass when Britain was at peace, but that he
could not be certain of.
In the interim, he had been setting his affairs in order, and had
reached the point of whom he would leave his various belongings to.
Harry had happily accepted that Fawkes may wish to reside with
him, and with the continued visits of the thunderbird, Albus was
convinced that was where his companion would go.
Knowing his time was short, he had spent as much time with the
phoenix as possible, even having Fawkes join him at the staff table
for meals, much to the delight of the students.
His smiled at his slumbering feathered friend fondly.
He had spent the afternoon chasing the thunderbird across the
grounds of the school, each taking it in turns to do so.
It was quite the sight to behold, and one that Albus would not tire of
seeing for his remaining days.
He shook himself of his thoughts and turned his attention to the task
at hand.
Harry would also receive the majority of the books he had
accumulated over the many decades he had lived.
The young man would appreciate them more than any other, though
he would be leaving Minerva his various Transfiguration tomes, in
the hope that it may earn her forgiveness for his sudden departure.
He had considered informing her of his current status but was
undecided on if he should discuss it with his deputy.
Minerva would not take the news well.
Albus sighed as knock sounded at the door.
"Come in, Severus," he urged.
The Potions Master entered the room, his expression as grim as
ever since Tom had resurfaced so many months prior.
"I wished to speak with you, Headmaster," Severus said as he made
his way across the room.
He did not take a seat. He rarely did.
"What can I help you with?" Albus replied with a light frown.
"I overheard a conversation within Malfoy Manor when I was there
preparing potions for Draco."
"How is he?"
Severus shook his head.
"Dying," he answered simply. "I do not know what Potter has done to
him, but Draco is not long for this world. I have done all I can."
"I see," Albus returned sadly. "I do not believe appealing to Harry's
better nature would help. He is quite wroth towards Draco after what
he did."
"I am not pleased by his actions either," Severus murmured. "The
curse he used was of my own creation, one that the Dark Lord is
unaware of. I taught Draco it in the hope that if he needed to use it
for his own safety, it could potentially have bought him time to
escape. I did not expect him to use it to murder another student."
"You cannot blame yourself for his actions, Severus," Albus said
firmly. "You did not force Mr Malfoy to act in such a way."
"No, but I am curious to know how Potter reversed the curse, albeit,
too late."
"That, I do not know," Albus murmured thoughtfully. "Young Harry is
an exceptionally gifted wizard. I'm sure there is a perfectly
reasonable explanation for it."
Severus shook his head.
"I do not believe even the Dark Lord would be able to do it,
Headmaster, let alone someone who is barely a man."
Albus frowned.
"Well, I do not think we will find an explanation without mentioning it
to Harry. I would avoid doing so. If he was to learn that it was your
curse that killed Miss Greengrass, I expect he would be quite furious.
Now, the conversation you overheard?"
"The Dark Lord is attempting to find a way into Hogwarts," Severus
revealed. "I do not know why, but I heard him discussing the idea
with Rookwood and Barty."
"I expected this would happen," Albus sighed. "Worry not, Severus. I
have already taken the required measures to secure the school as
best I can. Besides, what he seeks is no longer here. Perhaps it
would be best if he learned that I destroyed the trinket he had hidden
on the seventh floor."
Severus nodded his understanding.
"What happens next, Headmaster?" he asked worriedly.
"Next we hope that Harry is ready for what he is to face," Albus
replied gravely. "I believe the war will come to an end sooner than
we expect. We simply need a single breakthrough to seize the
advantage, and think what you will of Harry, but his tenacity and
determination are unmatched. He will find a way."
"You have too much faith in the boy. He cannot defeat him."
"I believe with everything I am that Harry will emerge victorious,
Severus. I would bet my life on it," Albus added with a bright smile.
It had been many years ago that Narcissa last visited Grimmauld
Place. She had been on the cusp of womanhood and due to marry
Lucius, whom her grandfather did not approve of.
Arcturus Black had used words that she would never repeat to
describe her future husband, and as such, Narcissa had not returned
to the ancestral home of the Blacks.
If Lucius was not welcome, then she would not come either.
How things had changed.
Here she was once again, but not to celebrate her upcoming
nuptials.
No, she was little more than a common beggar, coming to beseech
the new Lord of her former house, to plead with him for mercy, if it
was necessary.
Narcissa was a proud woman, but one who was desperate and in
dire need of help.
She glanced around the study that had once belonged to Arcturus
Black and remembered him fondly telling her stories when she would
sneak in here to watch him work.
Narcissa had been welcome then, but now, she could feel that she
was not.
It was as though something within the house was waiting for her to
overstep her boundaries, to do something that would displease the
current lord.
She swallowed deeply as she continued to wait.
Her position here was abundantly clear.
Narcissa was merely a visitor, and one not held in high esteem as
demonstrated by Potter not personally greeting her upon arrival.
In his place, Elgar had done so, and shown her to her seat before
leaving.
Evidently, Potter thought so little of the Malfoys that he could not
even offer one of them the most common of courtesies.
She jumped slightly as the door opened and Harry Potter entered.
It had been only a few years prior that she had first met him in the
Minister's box at the World Cup Final, and once more, Narcissa
found herself pondering just how things had changed.
Even then, he'd had quite the presence about him.
For a boy of only fourteen, he had talked circles around Lucius and
Fudge, and had come away some five hundred galleons better off
from a bet with her husband.
It was not the political exchanges Narcissa remembered, however.
No, it had been his parting words informing her of his acquaintance
with her Aunt Cassie.
"My apologies for the delay," Potter spoke. "Family business."
He wasn't sorry, and his emphasis on the word 'Family' let her know
that he did not consider her such.
"I understand you are very busy," Narcissa replied politely yet firmly.
She would not allow him to think her weak despite her unfavourable
position.
"Well, let's not stand on ceremony. You came here for a reason, so
what is it?"
It was odd to be spoken to in such a way, and the way Potter stared
at her from across the opposite side of the desk was reminiscent of
her grandfather, though he much more resembled his own.
A mix of Charlus Potter and Arcturus Black was not something any
would wish they found themselves facing.
"Draco," Narcissa replied simply. "I want you to help him."
"No."
Narcissa felt her resolve buckle, but she remained sitting straight
and proudly in her chair.
"Why?"
"Because your son deserves every ounce of pain and misery he is
experiencing," Potter returned coldly. "He kidnapped and handed a
Hogwarts Professor to Voldemort who undoubtedly tortured and
murdered her. He then murdered a young woman himself in cold
blood because he is a deranged, petty little man."
"He is still my son."
"Who chose Lucius's life over yours," Potter reminded her as he
leaned back in his chair. "The world will be a better place without
him."
"You forced him to choose!"
"I did," Potter said unashamedly, "and make no mistake, had he
chosen to save you, I would have killed you without hesitation."
Narcissa believed him, and she unwittingly shuddered at the thought.
"Please," she whispered, finally allowing her emotion to show
through her crumbling façade. "Draco is all I have left, and the Dark
Lord is going to kill us both if I don't find it."
"Find what?"
Once more, Narcissa swallowed deeply.
"A diary. He gave a diary to Lucius and he is determined to have it
returned to him," she explained. "I have searched every inch of the
house and vault. It is in neither."
Potter chuckled.
"Then I would begin arranging the funerals for you and Draco," he
urged. "The diary is gone. Lucius decided to use it on an elevenyear-
old girl who is still suffering the effects of what it did to her. The
diary was destroyed when it was discovered at Hogwarts."
Narcissa choked as she deflated.
That was it.
There was no longer anything she could do.
"How many Death Eaters are at your home, and do not lie to me. If
you want any chance of surviving this war, I am your only option."
Now it felt as though she was speaking to the Dark Lord, and as she
met Potter's gaze, it felt as though he was looking into her very soul
the same way.
"Forty," she answered. "Most of his inner circle are there."
"Bellatrix?"
Narcissa reluctantly nodded.
"Voldemort?"
She flinched at the mention of the man before shaking her head.
"No, he left some weeks ago. Bella mentioned he had gone to his
own family home."
Potter frowned thoughtfully, and a smirk tugged at his lips after a
moment.
"Good," he murmured as he stood. "Can you get me in?"
"I will not allow you into my home!"
"Then both you and Draco will die."
Again, Narcissa could see that he meant it.
He would not help her unless she helped him in return.
"I am giving you a chance to get out of this," Potter spoke once
more, somewhat gentler this time. "If you can get me in, I will allow
you to escape. You can even take half of the gold in the Malfoy vault.
That will be more than enough to last you for the rest of your life."
"What about Draco?"
Potter's nostrils flared.
"The best I am willing to offer is that he goes to prison. He will not be
pardoned for what he has done. Take it or leave it."
Narcissa knew that this was the best she could hope for, and though
it was with utter reluctance, she nodded a few moments later.
"Not Azkaban."
"Fine," Potter agreed immediately. "Now, how do I get in?"
Narcissa eyed him to look for any signs of deception, but his
expression was unreadable.
Much to her dismay, she would have to trust Potter, who, for better or
worse, had proven to keep his word when given thus far.
"The study on the ground floor is open to the Death Eaters," she
explained. "They have each been given a portkey that will take them
there."
"You can get me one of the portkeys?"
Narcissa nodded.
"I can. They are always leaving them lying around."
"Then you will send it along, and I will test it," Potter instructed. "If all
is as it should be, we have a deal."
"What about Draco?"
"When I have cleaned up the filth in your home, I will counter the
curse placed on him, and he will be taken to the Ministry. I will
ensure he is not given the death penalty and sent to an appropriate
prison."
"Which prison?"
"You will learn which one when your end of the bargain is held up,"
Potter said firmly. "If you deviate from my instructions, or speak of
this to anyone, I will find a way into your home regardless, and when
I catch up with you, you will wish it was Voldemort that had gotten to
you first. Do you understand?"
Narcissa nodded as she stood.
"I will do as you have asked."
"Good," Potter declared. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have other
things to attend to. Elgar?"
The elf appeared and offered Potter a bow.
"Yes, Lord Black?"
"Please ensure Mrs Malfoy takes her leave of the house promptly."
With that, Potter was gone, and Narcissa was escorted towards the
fireplace, where she was ushered from Grimmauld Place with due
haste.
Arriving in her own bedroom, she perched herself on the edge of the
bed she had shared with her husband for more than twenty-years
feeling a mixture of shame, relief, and fear.
Should Potter prove to be successful in his endeavour, both she and
Draco would make it out of this mess with their lives intact.
If he did not, then they would both perish at the hands of the Dark
Lord.
Narcissa could only hope beyond hope that Potter would prevail, and
she snorted at the irony of wishing for the success of the man who
had murdered her husband and all but robbed her son of his life.
Potter was no friend to her, but he was the enemy of the threat that
hung over what remained of the Malfoy family, and that was enough
to do what she needed to.
She had been a Slytherin, after all, and self-preservation was
something Narcissa would keenly pursue in these dark days.
Taking a moment to fix her appearance, she knew that time was of
the essence.
She needed to secure her future, and to do that, a visit to Gringotts
was necessary.
Then, she would find the needed portkey to pass along.
From there, her fate would very much hinge on Potter, and though
the very thought filled her with dread, there was truly no other choice
in the matter.
"You are certain there is no way to enter the castle undetected?"
"My lord, Hogwarts is perhaps the most secure building in all of
Britain," Augustus pointed out. "To enter undetected is one thing, but
to remain so for any period of time is likely impossible. The problem
we face is that only someone who has been a Headmaster of the
school will truly know what protections are in place. I would be
exceedingly surprised if it is not old magic that keeps unwanted
people out."
"I thought as much," Voldemort murmured.
Augustus was an expert on magical protections, and though the
Dark Lord probably knew the castle better than any alive, he had
never gotten any indication of any weaknesses in the defences.
There were passageways in and out of the school but using them
was risky at best. The last thing Voldemort needed was to find
himself in an environment where he had no control over such
powerful protections and be faced with a wizard of Dumbledore's
calibre.
Facing him when he was outside of the castle was one thing, but
within, Hogwarts was very much his domain.
He released a deep breath of frustration.
Was it not of such import that he get inside, he would dismiss the
idea as folly. However, he did not have such luxury.
No, he needed to find a way inside, or find someone else who could
do it on his behalf, someone who would not know what it is he had
them fetch.
This was where Pettigrew would be useful.
The man was a snivelling coward at best, but he'd often boasted of
how he could navigate the castle without being detected.
The blubbering fool could get in and out before any became aware of
his presence.
The Dark Lord hummed to himself.
Perhaps it would be easier to find a way of locating the imprisoned
man and have him take the risk of entering Hogwarts?
To do so, he would need to capture someone who would know of his
whereabouts.
If he had not been taken to Azkaban, then where?
Bones would know, as would Black, but both had proven to be
beyond his reach since he had torched the manor belonging to the
former.
There had to be others.
"Who would know where Pettigrew was taken?" Voldemort asked the
former Unspeakable.
"Well, Bones and the Minister," Rookwood replied thoughtfully, "and
the aurors that would have escorted him."
"Can you get to them?"
Augustus nodded.
"I will need to learn of who was given the task and see what, if any
protections they have in place, but I expect it would easier than
either Black or Bones."
"Then do what you can, Augustus," Voldemort instructed. "Should
you need anything, I will ensure you have it. Speak of this to no one.
It is of the utmost importance that our movements remain hidden."
"Of course, my lord," Rookwood replied with a bow. "I will begin at
once."
Without further comment, the man left the room, and the Dark Lord
breathed a sigh of relief.
It was not a guaranteed avenue into the castle, and was much more
longwinded than he'd like, but it was the best he could come up with.
Still, he needed Rookwood to act quickly.
He needed the reassurance of at least another of his Horcruxes to
secure his future.
The Dark Lord will mark him as his equal…he will have a power the
Dark Lord know not…
Voldemort shook his head of thoughts of the prophecy.
Focusing on it only filled him with the concern he so despised.
Nonetheless, he could not deny the threat posed to him now with his
Horcruxes being so vulnerable.
" Nagini?" he called, releasing a deep breath as she emerged from
below one of the cabinets she liked to sleep under.
He had to keep her close.
Despite being a remarkably intelligent serpent, she was vulnerable to
any who carried a wand, and though the Dark Lord had rarely felt
such, he could not shake the feeling away now at what he could only
deem to be the most pivotal point of his life.
Harry looked exhausted as he entered the kitchen at almost three
am. He'd left abruptly several hours prior after meeting with an
unknown woman in his study.
Lucinda knew it was a woman because the faint smell of her
perfume lingered long after she had departed.
It had crossed her mind that Harry had entertained the idea of one of
the contracts he'd received, but along with the floral aroma of the
perfume was the unmistakeable smell of fear.
"This arrived for you while you were out," Cain explained, sliding an
envelope to Harry who immediately opened it, laughing to himself a
moment later.
"What is it?" Cain asked curiously.
Harry said nothing but slid the note to the werewolf.
"Well, that is rather disgraceful language from a role model for
children," he remarked. "He can't have thought you were serious?"
Harry shrugged and grinned amusedly.
"It got the response I expected," he snorted. "Viktor is too easy to
wind up, especially where his sister is concerned."
"What did you do?" Lucinda sighed.
"I sent an offer of marriage to his parents, along with a note
explaining that I was only doing so to annoy Viktor. They obviously
played their part well," Harry explained.
Lucinda frowned as she took the letter from Cain.
"I'm going to use my Firebolt to split you in half," she read aloud.
Harry's grin widened as Cain, Eleanor, and Ana laughed.
"He's going to kill you, even if it was only a joke."
"He'll calm down before I see him again. Anyway, I have some
news."
"Are you going to tell us where you have been all night?" Ana asked.
Harry nodded and tapped the table with his wand, ensuring their
conversation would not be listened in on.
"I know where Voldemort is."
"Where?"
"It doesn't matter because I can't do anything about it," Harry huffed.
"There is no way of getting in there without him knowing. He has the
place set up with so many traps that even the entire auror force
would not make it past his defences."
"So, it's a lost cause then," Cain grumbled.
"It is, but knowing where he is can't be a bad thing. I will be keeping
an eye on the place to see who is visiting him. He has made it
impossible for any to apparate or portkey in, so they are having to
use the nearby village to arrive. This evening, he met with Augustus
Rookwood. He's a very dangerous wizard who used to work for the
Department of Mysteries."
"Did you kill him?"
Harry shook his head.
"He was gone before I realised it was him," he explained. "He uses
charms so no one pays attention to him. By the time I noticed him,
he'd activated a portkey, but that brings me to my next point. I have a
way in to another place where a considerable force of Death Eaters
are holed-up."
"Is this the part where you do something stupid?" Eleanor sighed.
"Yes and no," Harry replied with a thoughtful frown. "I need to figure
out the details but I don't want to sit on the information too long. I'll
need to act as soon as possible."
"What do you need us to do?" Cain asked.
"Nothing," Harry replied. "It will be best if I handle it alone."
"Against a considerable number of Death Eaters, as you put it?"
"They won't even know I'm there," Harry replied with a smirk. "It is
best if I handle this. It will be safer for me to do it alone, but I do not
want anyone else knowing, especially the Order."
"Why not the Order?"
Harry released a deep breath.
"Snape," he answered simply. "Dumbledore trusts him, but I don't,
not when my life is on the line."
"Are you sure about this, Harry?" Eleanor asked.
"I am," Harry assured the blonde. "When it is done, Voldemort will
have to act. We will need to be ready for that. He will be desperate
and unpredictable. There is no telling what he will do in retaliation.
He will still have the numbers advantage, even without his inner
circle."
"I don't like it," Cain murmured.
"He will like it even less," Harry returned, the smile he offered the
werewolf not as reassuring as he'd intended.
Lucinda frowned as she felt the familiar sense of worry fill her.
Harry was not as convinced by his plan as he was letting on, but she
knew he would not be talked out of it.
"Did Sirius and Remus make it back?"
"Remus did," Cain chuckled. "He said something about not being as
young as he once was before going to bed. He left Sirius in a bar
chatting up a woman he took a shine to."
Harry shook his head.
"Well, at least the aurors haven't been in touch."
"Not yet," Cain pointed out. "Sirius could be up to anything."
"True," Harry sighed. "Anyway, I'm going to get some sleep. Wake
me up if you need me," he urged before taking his leave of the room.
The group fell silent for several moments after he had left.
"I really don't like this," Cain murmured.
None of them did when it came to Harry doing something potentially
foolish.
He had a tendency of getting himself hurt in some way, and if his
prediction of Voldemort retaliating proved to be correct, they would
need him at his very best.
"I'll see what I can do," Lucinda huffed, following in Harry's footsteps.
Already, she knew she would not change his mind, but it was the
perfect excuse to spend a little time with him, even if he did intend to
merely sleep.