Chapter 1
"I'm not stupid you know."
"You're doing a really great impression of it," snapped Harry.
"Yeah?" said Ron, and there was no trace of a grin, forced or otherwise, on his face now. "You want to get to bed, Harry, I expect you'll need to be up early tomorrow for a photo call or something."
He wrenched the hangings shut around his four poster, leaving Harry standing there by the door, staring at the dark red velvet curtains, now hiding one of the few people who he thought would believe him.
Harry moved the Gryffindor banner off his bed and lay down, the noise from the party still going on downstairs destroying any chance of sleep. That seemed like a bad joke though as there was no way his mind was going to let him fall asleep for hours yet, the events of another disastrous Halloween that could be added to the Potter's growing collection were playing over and over in his head.
Hermione having to give him a push when his name came out that goblet, then every face in the hall staring at him, the one that stood out more than any other though was Cho. Harry had been slightly crushing on her from afar but her expression tonight crushed all romantic thoughts towards the pretty Ravenclaw seeker.
Only his Aunt Petunia had ever looked at him like that before, when Dudley had pushed him down into old Ripper's leavings in the garden, yes Cho had looked at him as if he'd just been dipped in dog shit. Add to that a Veela who thought he was a 'little boy' and the Potter ego had taken a real battering tonight.
That wasn't even mentioning the fact that the whole school, including his supposed best friend, thought he was a cheating liar and were probably looking forward to watching him making an arse of himself. What really worried him was that this was an occurrence that was more than likely to happen as he hadn't a clue what he was doing.
It was kind of ironic that the only task he set himself this year was to try and find a girlfriend, the former number one candidate would now apparently rather date a dementor than go out with him.
If Harry was being honest with himself he would have to concede that Cho wasn't the number one candidate, a certain witch with beautiful chocolate brown eyes and that lovely hair had haunted his better dreams since the night they saved Sirius. Having her riding behind him on Buckbeak while holding on tight, let's just say he was now well aware that Hermione Jane Granger was all girl.
The problem was that they were a trio, her, him and Ron, though apparently that was no longer the case as Ron couldn't control his jealousy, Harry suspected he never would. On this horrible night Harry came to a decision, if Hermione believed him she would offer to help with his training, this would be his opportunity to ask her if she liked him enough to be his girlfriend, if she said no he could always hope the first task would kill him.
Harry realised that he had been lying there sorting out his thoughts for hours and that everyone else was not only in bed but fast asleep, he drew back his curtains to get his pyjamas when the unmistakable sound of an owl chapping at the window demanded his attention. Opening the window admitted a large, regal owl, wearing the crest of Gringotts hanging from a fine silver chain, and carrying a scroll addressed to him.
Opening the scroll changed his life forever.
Dear Lord Potter
We here at Gringotts are distressed to discover that once again the life of our most prestigious customer is being unnecessarily placed at risk, we goblins consider this latest travesty as the last straw and feel duty bound to help you in any way we can. Our legal team have examined the magical contract and regret to announce it is unbreakable, this does not mean they haven't found a few loopholes that can be exploited, and as this would also be the equivalent of giving the finger to the ministry that would be considered payment enough for us.
You are being forced to compete in a ministry sponsored competition that is exclusively reserved for wizards and witches that are of age, our legal team insists that the ministry therefore must recognise you as an adult wizard. If the ministry fights this then you cannot be allowed to compete in the competition, they can't have it both ways!
Being declared an adult has major advantages, not least of which is full access to your inheritance and the freedom to choose where you live.
That certainly focused Harry's attention, he didn't know what to make of an inheritance but anything that could take him away from Privet Drive was all good in his book.
To claim your inheritance, and independence, simply press your thumb into the segregated square in the bottom left hand corner of the attached form, this will draw a drop of blood and signal your status as an adult wizard.
All at Gringotts eagerly await your decision on this matter but feel it is important to emphasise the choice is entirely yours to make, while we at Gringotts are pleased to offer advice, any final decision will always belong to our customer.
Barchoke
Head of the Potter Accounts
Potter accounts, just how many accounts did he have? Harry's eyes kept returning to 'freedom to choose where you live' which effectively meant no more Dursleys as, given the choice, he wouldn't go within fifty miles of them.
Since he was effectively being given that element of choice Harry didn't hesitate for a second, he pushed his thumb firmly into the square thus drawing the required blood. The parchment was surrounded by a blue energy before it completely disappeared, leaving Harry to wonder if he was dreaming or perhaps it hadn't work.
Another Gringotts owl chapping at the window held a scroll that answered his questions.
May we at Gringotts be the first to congratulate you Lord Potter on your becoming an adult in the magical world. I consider it imperative that we meet at the earliest opportunity therefore this note will act as a portkey to Gringotts bank, it is voice activated by the phrase "Lord Potter" but will only work outside the Hogwarts wards. We at Gringotts are looking forward to continuing our long and profitable partnership with the house of Potter.
Barchoke
Head of the Potter Accounts
Harry wanted to race out the front doors right this very minute but figured it would be easier to sneak out tomorrow. His mind was already forming a plan as he lay back on his bed and unbelievably fell asleep, dreaming of a life with no more Dursleys but definitely containing a beautiful brown eyed girl.
-oOoOo-
Laughing and a running hey, hey
Skipping and a jumping
In the misty morning fog with
Our hearts a thumpin' and you
My brown eyed girl,
You my brown eyed girl
(Van Morrison)
This was the soundtrack to Harry's most pleasant dream ever, he was almost sorry to wake up but he had to talk to the real Hermione, hoping his dream didn't turn into a nightmare. It was Sunday but he was up, showered and dressed before trying to sneak out the portrait hole without encountering any of his housemates. He was about to congratulate himself on escaping Gryffindor common room undetected when he almost collided with the one person he wanted to find, she was standing there like an angel with toast and pumpkin juice for him.
This simple gesture almost overwhelmed him, "Hermione I can't thank you enough, it's not just the toast but the fact that you're here for me."
She smiled sweetly, "Don't worry Harry, I figured you wouldn't want to go anywhere near the great hall this morning."
Harry made sure his mouth was empty of toast before replying, "That bad huh?"
"The Hufflepuffs think you stole their thunder, Cho is Cedric's girlfriend and turned Ravenclaw against you while the Slytherins would rather see anyone win but Harry
Potter. All of Gryffindor is fully behind you though, well nearly all."
"Yeah but every one of them thinks I cheated my way into the competition, especially Ron"
"Harry, one look at your face last night and I knew you didn't put your name in that goblet, and anyway you know you can't keep secrets from me Potter. I've already started work on a training schedule, researching what spells could be useful…"
Harry banished what was left of his juice, leaving his hands free so he could throw his arms around Hermione, this had the effect of silencing the young witch. Harry leaned in slowly for a kiss, giving Hermione plenty of time to object but found her leaning in as well while her arms reached up to his shoulders to ensure he wasn't going anywhere.
Their first kiss was gentle, loving and held the promise of many more to come, they finished with their foreheads resting against one another as Harry fought to get himself under control before speaking, "Knowing me I've probably made a mess of things by not asking you before that kiss but Hermione, would you be my girlfriend?"
Hermione kissed him again before answering, "Harry James Potter, if you think I would let anyone but my boyfriend kiss me like that then you don't know me very well."
Harry lifted Hermione off her feet and spun her around as she giggled, he kissed her once more before dragging his new girlfriend away from the Gryffindor entrance, "Hermione we have to talk but not here," Harry's whole face lit up with joy as an idea came to him, Hermione thought that if this was a cartoon, a light bulb bright enough to illuminate the entire castle would be beside Harry's head.
"Oh that is perfect, I probably won't understand half of what they say anyway. You will come with me, please!"
Hermione felt her heart melt at the needy expression on his face, she'd had a boyfriend less than two minutes yet that look could totally undermine all her defences. She just couldn't say no to him and only the fact that this was Harry saved that from being a terrifying thought, he would never do anything to hurt her.
A hug and kiss later found her once again being dragged along but this time she had worked out their destination, she would be a good girlfriend and give him a chance to explain before biting his head off.
They arrived at the statue of the one eyed witch where Harry took his father's map out, checking that the coast was clear.
"Harry, could you please tell me what's going on?" Hermione asked sweetly.
Had Harry been a bit more experienced with girls or even paying full attention to his girlfriend he may have recognised the danger signals in those words, as it was only pure luck deflected their first argument as a couple.
"Hermione I promise you'll know everything I do, just not here. Trust me love it's quite a story."
Promising full disclosure, peaking her interest with 'quite a story' and calling Hermione 'love' had placated his girlfriend for now, she consoled her rule breaking concerns with the fact that they wouldn't technically have left the school grounds, just standing in a tunnel that led directly to Hogsmead.
"Dissendium" led to the opening appearing as Harry helped her escape the castle, she was soon joined by her boyfriend as they lit their wands. There was no ambiguity in Hermione's next statement, even someone as thick as Ron couldn't have missed the obvious danger signals, "Ok Harry, so far I've been a good little girlfriend and we can't be overheard down here. Spill it Potter, now!"
Harry pulled her close as he tried to figure out the best way to tell Hermione just what was going on, the only thing that came to mind was to give it to her straight, "Hermione, all the adults in that room last night agreed I was being set-up for something, they all had opinions but nobody gave a shit about mine!"
Once Harry started the floodgates opened, "Whoever entered me for the tri-wiz did not do so for the sake of my health, quite the opposite in fact, yet the people who are supposedly charge with my safety and welfare seem quite happy to have me staked out there like a sacrificial lamb. Their only interest seems to be who would take the bait, not what could happen to me, I felt like a worm on a fisherman's hook, about to be cast into the water to see what fancies a nibble."
Hermione was holding him tight as she tried to reassure him, "Listen Harry, anybody attempting to nibble on you who is not named Hermione Granger is going to have to deal with your seriously angry girlfriend first."
The thought of Hermione nibbling on him couldn't fail to raise a smile, he knew that was why his girlfriend had said it. "Last night I received an offer of help that I willingly accepted and we're on our way there now. What would you say if I told you your boyfriend was of age, not only that but apparently a lord to boot."
Hermione was nonplussed so Harry helped her out, "The goblins contacted me with an interesting legal point, since I'm being forced to compete in a competition the rules clearly state only of age wizards or witches may enter into then I must be considered an adult. Either that or I should be disqualified for being under-age, the ministry can't have it both ways and the goblins will help me make sure that they don't. I have a portkey to take me to Gringotts and want you to come with me, we need to get outside Hogwarts wards before it will work though."
Hermione had been worried sick ever since his name came out of that goblet, her relief that someone was actually helping her Harry far outweighed any concerns she had about breaking rules by leaving the school grounds. She grabbed his hand and began dragging him along the tunnel, "We had better get a move on then."
-oOoOo-
Barchoke felt the wards trigger indicating Lord Potter's portkey had been activated, the appearance of two teens in his office confirmed this, "Good morning Lord Potter, my name is Barchoke and it's a pleasure to meet you, though I wasn't expecting you to bring company."
"Barchoke, this is my best friend and girlfriend, Hermione Granger. Anything you have to say to me can be said in front of her, she's stood by me through everything and I trust her with my life."
"Good morning Miss Granger, I meant no disrespect and will happily comply with Lord Potter's wishes. I have taken the liberty of requesting some refreshments as I fear we may be here for quite some time. I suggest we deal with the Potter estate first, sorting out the legal requirements before moving on to more recent matters."
It was well over an hour later when two badly shaken Gryffindors were drinking cups of tea, trying to come to grips with the fact that Harry was exceedingly wealthy and had his choice of homes rather than the Dursleys. Hermione was trying to work out why Harry had been dumped there in the first place while the boy in question was rubbing the back of his hand, there were a stack of documents that had required his signature in blood. She was so pleased he'd asked her to be his girlfriend before she had found out about all the gold, it was easy to say it didn't matter but with that sum involved who would believe her.
Barchoke then wanted to hear about their adventures at Hogwarts, when Harry told the tale of the chamber of secrets, the goblin's eyes widened to almost Dobby proportions but he didn't interrupt, just adding to his now copious notes. His quill sped up with the happenings in the shrieking shack and only stopped after Harry related the manipulations after his name was spat out the goblet.
They then had a lovely lunch in Bachoke's rather plush office to give the goblin time to digest the mountain of information he'd just been given. "Lord Potter, what you have told me here this morning not only confirms suspicions the goblin nation had but fills in a few gaps as well. Your actions since attending Hogwarts have major ramifications that should have been explained to you, it could change your status dramatically which I believe is why this information was deliberately withheld."
Harry and Hermione hadn't a clue what Barchoke was alluding to so he attempted to explain it, "You have now defeated the heir of Slytherin three times in deadly combat, the last confrontation was in Salazar's own chamber and you battled his Basilisk at the same time. I believe you could now claim to be the heir of Slytherin by right of conquest, the sword of Gryffindor coming to your aid would give you a strong case for being heir of that house as well."
Hermione could clearly see the utter panic in Harry's eyes, she took his hand and felt the Potter head of house ring, this appeared to bring her boyfriend's mind into focus as he reached a decision, "Barchoke, in the last twenty four hours I've been entered into a competition where people have died, become head of house Potter and a wonderful girl agreed to be my girlfriend. I have no idea what being heir to Slytherin or Gryffindor means but, since I'm only fourteen I think I have quite enough to be going on with at the moment. We can always come back to it at a later date."
Hermione wanted to grab him to snog his brains out, she'd never been so proud of him. The only thing stopping her was the certainty that it would breach goblin etiquette and they still needed their help, "Barchoke, you mentioned helping Harry with the competition, how can you help him?"
The goblin was momentarily stunned, he'd never met a wizard who'd refused power before, Barchoke needed to see how far this couple wanted to go. "Lord Potter, can I ask what your goals are for the competition?"
There was no hesitation from Harry, "Be alive at the end of it and hopefully not have made too big an arse of myself in the process."
A grinning goblin was a fearsome sight, "We goblins are a warrior race, banned by magic users from even having an army, so we have had to develop more subtle ways of winning the battles. Our American cousins have a saying that's rather appropriate, they call it sticking it to the human!"
Both teenagers tried not to laugh at the adaptation of a phrase they were familiar with.
"We now take great delight in spoiling a witch or wizard's day, not grovelling at their feet and being deliberately pedantic in our dealings with them can put a pureblood off their lunch. We have here a golden opportunity to turn this very high profile, ministry organised competition into a farce, your late father would have called it a prank."
The two teens glanced at one another and nodded, Harry didn't want to be entered in the first place so why shouldn't he take the piss out of the people who were forcing him to compete while Hermione just wanted him safe.
"What did you have in mind?" Harry asked
That goblin grin was back in full force, "All the financial arrangements are done through Gringotts, we even made and charmed the golden articles you have to retrieve in the first task. I really see only one problem"
Both teens waited for an answer but Barchoke was looking unusually pensive, "In the second task something you prize will be taken from you and placed at the bottom of the lake, you will have one hour to rescue it. I have only known you for a short time yet it is blindingly obvious what they will take."
Hermione was still trying to figure it out when she felt Harry stiffen beside her, his voice suddenly held a quality of menace she'd never heard before. "Anyone trying to lay a hand on my Hermione will find me waiting for them, I might just need Gryffindor's sword after all."
"Won't I be able to just say no?" Hermione asked, not relishing the thought of being under the lake at all.
"Was Harry given a choice? There is a way around this but I think I'll make the suggestion then leave you two alone to talk about it. Anyone attempting to place Lord Potter's betrothed at the bottom of the lake would find themselves at minimum facing five years in Azkaban."
The two teens were so intent on each other that Barchoke left the room unnoticed, Harry felt he had to say something, "Hermione you know I would do anything to keep you safe and the thought of you as my betrothed fills me with the most pleasant feeling I've ever known. I realise that this is very quick and not the most romantic of settings but would you at least consider the idea?"
Hermione's heart was racing but she tried to be practical, "Harry what are your plans, your dreams, what do you want to do with your life?"
Harry knew this was a moment for total honesty, if he truly wanted this girl to be his betrothed then he had to do something he'd never done in his life before, lay bare his soul. "Hermione my plans always seem to consist of surviving my current year at Hogwarts and then being shipped off back to my loving relatives for a summer of fun and laughter. My dreams recently have featured my brown eyed girl and any future dreams are hopefully going to continue that trend. What I want to do with my life is survive Hogwarts, never go back to the Dursleys and have you part of it always in whatever form you'll have me. My ultimate aim in life is to have a family of my own and be the best dad and husband possible, I've only ever dreamed this a few times but in every one it was always you that was by my side."
Hermione's sensible/practical side had crashed and burned when he called her his brown eyed girl, those brown eyes currently had tears in them as she answered, "Harry that would be a dream come true for me as well, I would love to be your betrothed."
Outside there may be a dark lord, death eaters and any number of others who wanted him dead but at the moment he didn't care, he was happier than he'd ever been so why shouldn't he be allowed to enjoy it. "I think I need to buy my betrothed a ring."
Harry was positive there must be some kind of monitoring charm on the room because Barchoke re-entered with a case full of Potter family rings.
"There was never any doubt Lord Potter would ask and I was just as sure your young lady would say yes, we have here an assortment of Potter betrothal rings, some dating back centuries."
Hermione found herself drawn to one that was platinum with an emerald the exact shade of Harry's eyes, the Potter crest gave the illusion of floating inside the gemstone, it really was a thing of beauty.
Harry placed it on her finger and it shrank to fit as if especially made for her by a master of their craft. If Barchoke hadn't interrupted they may have stood there, holding hands and gazing into each others eyes all day.
"Lord Potter, I took the liberty of having the Gryffindor and Slytherin rings brought up from the founder's vault and beg you to reconsider your decision. Being a founder's heir would allow you and your betrothed to portkey to and from Hogwarts, the castle itself would protect you from attack within its walls. There are books detailing much more of what a founder's heir can do but for the safety and protection alone I advise you to try the rings on."
If trying on a ring could keep Hermione safe then Harry was going to do it, the Gryffindor ring resized on first contact while the snake motif on the Slytherin ring actually spoke to him in parseltongue, Harry's answer in the same language was enough for it to decide he was the rightful heir.
The grin on Bachoke's face had turned predatory, "Now we need to plan how you want to handle this, we don't want to give away any secrets too soon."
Hermione was adamant though, "I'm not covering up my ring, I don't care who knows that Harry and I are betrothed."
Barchoke nodded in understanding, "I think our first goal should be gaining some control over the media, then…" they talked for hours.
-oOoOo-
They were in an empty corridor as Harry searched the map for a certain individual, Hermione was still in awe at her new book bag and the gifts it contained. There was everything from books that belonged to the founders to the original rule book for the tri-wizard cup yet it weighed less than a kilo. The ministry had only changed the age requirement so everything else was still valid but she was fairly certain this was the only copy in the castle.
"Found her, she's in the library sitting alone, if we hurry we can still make dinner in time before the show begins."
They hurried towards the library and Hermione couldn't believe how much she was looking forward to tonight, pranks had always made her blood boil as she thought of it as a form of bullying but not here. This was the little guy striking back at authority, unjust authority at that, in one day she'd went from know-it-all bookworm to Hermione Jane Granger, betrothed of Lord Harry Potter and freedom fighter, she really needed to cut down on the romantic novels.
Luna Lovegood heard her name called and cringed, she'd been having a lovely day as everyone was too busy discussing the happenings of Halloween to bother with her, looks like that was about to change. She turned her head around to see who had spoke to her and got one of the biggest shocks of her life.
"You're Luna Lovegood? I'm Harry Potter and this is Hermione Granger, do you mind if we join you for a moment."
Luna could only move her head to signal it was ok, her vocal chords had frozen at the thought that Harry Potter knew her name.
"Luna we understand your father owns the Quibbler, we would like to do a deal giving him exclusive rights to 'Harry Potter'…"
Luna was on her feet, "I thought you would be different Harry but you're just like all the rest, making fun of me." She went to run away but suddenly found herself staring into the greenest eyes she'd ever seen, boy he moved fast!
"Luna enough people have made fun of me in my life to ensure I would never do it to anyone else, please sit with us and we can talk about this."
She felt Harry's hand on her arm as he gently led her back to her seat, "That was a serious offer? Harry our paper is a very small, family run business, we couldn't afford that."
"I'm selling the rights up until the first of July next year for one Galleon, do you think your father would be interested?"
Luna was suddenly all business, "I'm on the board of directors and my father always says I can do any deals, up to the value of one galleon, so on behalf of the Quibbler I would be delighted to accept."
Harry withdrew a contract that Barchoke had drawn up for him, "Luna this deal is with your family and the Quibbler, if your father tries to sell the rights or the newspaper the contract will be broken."
Luna understood and tried to set Harry's mind at rest, "My dad loves that newspaper, he could no more sell it than he could me, we may be purebloods but we don't stick to the old ways."
"This deal means that anyone else printing pictures or stories featuring myself or my betrothed will receive a visit from our lawyers."
Luna's head spun round to see the lovely girl playing with her beautiful new ring, "Congratulations to both of you, are we allowed to print that? Oh I don't have a galleon on me."
Hermione handed her a galleon to give to Harry, "Luna you can print what you want as long as it's the truth, since Harry and I are betrothed, and I have no intention of hiding that fact then of course you may print it."
The contract accepted Luna's signature, glowing golden before duplicating a copy for each party then disappearing.
Everyone was happy with the deal because they all benefited from it, "Luna would you care to join s for dinner? Everyone seems determined to talk about Harry so in about twenty minutes we're going to give them something to talk about, as our newly appointed press representative I wouldn't want you to miss it."
Luna was walking along the corridor towards the great hall beside the couple who were holding hands thinking she wouldn't miss this for the world.
-oOoOo-
Ron Weasley was in a right funk, what was the point of blatantly ignoring someone if they weren't around for you to blatantly ignore, to make matters worse Hermione had been missing all day as well. She was far too sensible though to fall for that tri-wiz champion fame rubbish though, forgetting that had he been able to enter he would have used the status to get with as many girls as possible.
The silence that descended over the hall drew his attention to the couple that had just entered, the couple who were holding hands, the couple containing the girl he wanted and that back-stabbing bastard Potter. Ron was on his feet with his wand firing a curse while he tried to scream abuse at his former friends, the sudden pain was unbelievable as he glanced down at the chunk of hamburger that used to be his hand, Ron was screaming now for an entirely different reason.
Hermione had watched as the curse sped towards them but, before they could even think of reacting, Ron's wand exploded in his hand. Barchoke was certainly right about the castle offering protection, "I'm so glad you took those rings Harry."
"Not as glad as I am that you took mine," he kissed her forehead in relief before multiple shouts of "POTTER!" emanated from the staff table. This is bloody typical thought Harry, for the first time ever we actually have a plan and barely make it through the door before said plan goes out the window; they were just going to have to wing it as usual.
Chapter 2
The three stood there and watched as Madam Pomfrey headed straight for Ron, McGonagall seemed to deliberate before deciding Poppy could handle the situation and moved in their direction while Dumbledore and Snape could hardly wait to get to them. The sight of these three heading in her direction had Luna actually shaking but she was determined to stand by the two Gryffindors, she was also unaccustomed to being the centre of attention and was sure her housemates would make her pay for it later.
"Potter, what did you do?" sneered Snape.
Harry kept his face straight, "I'm sorry sir but I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Don't lie to me Potter, what did you do to Weasley's hand?"
"I didn't do anything to him, all our wands are still in our pockets. I really would appreciate you having some proof before you accuse me of lying, sir." Harry looked around the hall and raised his voice slightly, "And that goes for everyone."
Snape's sneer was running full force now, "You're not still trying to maintain that ridiculous 'I didn't enter' story are you? Just be a man and admit it."
Harry removed his wand and pointed it straight up, "I, Harry James Potter swear on my life and magic that I did not enter myself in the tri-wizard tournament."
The light that surrounded him illuminated the entire great hall, as the light faded Harry cast his patronus and the silver stag sprang forward looking for enemies, on finding none prongs faded slowly out of existence but not before leaving quite a few people revaluating their opinions.
"It would appear sir that you owe me an apology, will you just be a man and give it?"
Snape just stared straight into Harry's eyes and then those closest to the group clearly heard the hissing coming from the hidden ring, "Mr Potter, what is that?" asked McGonagall.
"That Professor, is a gift from a friend of mine that's telling me Snape is attempting to enter my mind. It's also telling me that I can legally kill him where he stands for his transgression."
"And what do you think of that Harry?" Dumbledore asked.
Hermione spotted the verbal trap and answered before Harry could say anything, "Actually, we're more interested in what you think headmaster. What have you to say since a member of your staff just carried out an illegal attack on a student in the middle of the great hall?"
Dumbledore's eye's twinkled, "To quote Mr Potter, where is your proof Miss Granger?"
Hermione was done bowing to authority figures, especially ones that were out to harm her Harry, "Well, following Harry's outstanding example of honesty. I'm quite sure Professor Snape wouldn't object to swearing an oath that he didn't just try to invade Harry's mind? That would easily clear up this whole misunderstanding. That would be the manly thing to do, wouldn't it Professor Snape?"
If looks could kill Hermione would be dead as Snape stared daggers at her. The confrontation was interrupted by the arrival of Gringotts owls, the sight of owls at dinner was a rarity but since they were easily recognisable as belonging to the wizarding bank then everyone paid attention.
One headed to the Hufflepuff table and delivered its message to Justin Finch-Fletchley, a pair landed at the Gryffindor table beside Ginny and Colin.
"Potter, what is this?" asked Justin.
"Compensation Justin."
Ginny's voice was quivering, "Harry, this is a cheque for fifty thousand galleons. Why are you doing this?"
"This payment is for the people who were attacked by the Basilisk…"
"Where's my owl then Potter?" shouted Ron who was still being worked on by Pomfrey.
"The only thing that attacked you was Lockhart. If you want compensation, I suggest you speak to the person that hired the imposter to teach here."
Another owl entering drew everyone's attention as they now knew these birds carried a fortune, it headed straight for Hermione though.
"Harry you didn't have to…" as she put her arm up for the owl to land on, shrill screams came from the Gryffindor table that gave Hermione barely enough time to collect the message before the owl shot up to the rafters and safety. Snape found himself shoved to the side as both Hermione's dorm mates spotted her ring and rushed toward her.
"Oh Hermione it's gorgeous…"
"You and Harry…"
"We always knew you two would get together…"
"You have to tell us everything!"
"GIRLS!" McGonagall was in her Scottish Terrier mode, why her animagus form was a pussy cat was an unsolvable mystery. "Mr Potter, if I don't get an explanation soon I'm going to get angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry!"
"Professor McGonagall, tonight I'm going down into Salzar Slytherin's secret chamber to collect the body of a sixty foot Basilisk that I killed with a sword. No offence ma'am but, scary as you are, you can't kill me with a single look."
Snape verbally exploded at that revelation. "You insufferable little brat, there will be nothing removed from Hogwarts tonight. The basilisk will be rendered into potion ingredients for use in the school, after you open the chamber."
"There may be a slight problem with that sir as I've already sold the carcass, that's why I shared the money with its victims. Nobody else seemed to give a Knut for them losing months of their lives."
Dumbledore was growing concerned. Harry should be full of nerves, worry and doubt, not standing here confidently facing down Minerva and Severus. His usual tactics of unleashing his two attack dogs while he stood and observed, ready to step in and play his benevolent mediator role, was not going to work here. Whatever had changed with Potter needed to be reversed, and quickly, "Perhaps you could explain who you sold the basilisk to Mr Potter?"
Barchoke proved he had impeccable timing by choosing that exact moment to enter the great hall. As he was accompanied by a dozen goblins with long, razor sharp blades that could cut through a basilisk's hide, they provided quite a show and froze everyone into position.
"Our apologies Lord Potter but it took slightly longer to put together your accommodation module than we anticipated. In our defence, I would like to say that we built in a few additional extras"
"Thank you Barchoke, my betrothed and I will check it out after our business is finished in the chamber." Harry turned to Luna, "As a tri-wizard champion I'm apparently allowed an entourage, would you like to be my press representative? It would mean moving out of the Ravenclaw dorm and moving in with us."
Luna spared one glance at her housemates before answering, "Hell yes!"
"Nobody will be moving anywhere!" Dumbledore pronounced, arrogantly passing judgement over everything as if the matter was now closed.
This was Barchoke's moment, the goblin's payment, an opportunity to stick it to Dumbledore. "I'm afraid that's not your decision to make headmaster, by forcing Lord Potter to compete in this competition you unintentionally made him a legal adult. You could have cancelled the competition and redrawn the names anytime in the first four hours, you chose instead to tell a fourteen-year-old wizard he must compete then sent him off to bed with a patronising pat on the head."
McGonagall had just gotten her anger redirected and turned on Albus. "You knew this and still let the lad compete? What the hell were you thinking?"
Barchoke continued, "A supposition was made that Lord Potter's name had been scurrilously entered under the pseudonym of a fictitious fourth school, this must have indeed been the case as the rules clearly state that each school is allowed only one champion. Cedric Diggory is without question the Hogwarts champion." This really perked up the Hufflepuff contingent in the hall.
"Lord Potter has graciously accepted our offer to represent the Goblin Academy of Youth, we of course realise that GAY has different connotations in your culture so it will just say Gringotts on the front of his robes."
Having Harry appear in robes that proclaimed Gringotts on the front and Potter on the back would do more for goblin/wizarding relations than any other act this last century, there was no Goblin Academy but the expression on Dumbledore's face at the though of 'his' golden boy parading around proclaiming GAY on his shirt was worth the lie and prevent him objecting to Gringotts. Anything that took the piss out of the chief warlock was manna from heaven to the goblins. The misconception that the goblins hated wizards in general was one the purebloods were happy to cultivate, what the goblins hated was being treated like second class citizens and the fact they'd had to fight a couple of wars to get even that. Treating a goblin with respect would see that respect returned, along with greatly improved service. It was such a shame most wizards never bothered to find this out.
Barchoke was really enjoying himself now. "As he's now considered an outsider competing in the tri-wizard, Lord Potter is entitled to the same conditions as the other two champions. Both are living and training in separate dwellings on Hogwarts grounds, we have taken the liberty of supplying something similar for our champion and his entourage."
Dumbledore was now sweating buckets. Harry had his inheritance, was legally an adult and now a goblin champion, how the hell was he supposed to get him to go back to the Dursleys this summer? This wasn't a set back but a bloody disaster, all those carefully laid out scenarios just got flushed away. He would just have to do this a bit at a time, Albus didn't know his night was only going to get worse.
Barchoke turned to Harry, "Whenever you're ready Lord Potter."
Harry glanced over at the Gryffindor table. "Colin, I assume you've got your camera with you? How would you like to get a picture of the monster that put you in the infirmary?" Colin literally jumped at the chance, he actually was jumping up and down on the spot with excitement. Harry's eyes next sought out Ginny's, the poor girl was white as a sheet but with a determined set to her jaw, "Ginny?"
"Yes Harry, it's time to put it behind me. I need to do this."
Justin had his answer all ready for when Harry looked in his direction, "Oh yes please Potter, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Thanks for including me."
They headed out the great hall in the direction of Myrtle's bathroom only to find that what appeared to be the whole school was following on behind. "Em, Harry we may just have a problem here," Hermione whispered.
"Don't worry love, me and Sal got it covered. Keep an eye on Ginny though since she's the only other person who knows what's waiting on us down there. She's really terrified and needs her friends to stick close."
Luna had spent her time at Hogwarts listening and watching, never participating because Loony Lovegood wasn't wanted. She listened as Harry told Hermione that Ginny would need her, watched as she gave his hand a squeeze before moving across to the girl and Luna knew it was time to participate. This couple actually wanted her, Loony Lovegood. She moved over to be with Hermione and offer support to Ginny, the two smiles she received actually made her feel what it was to be wanted for the first time in years.
They reached the toilet with the goblins acting as a buffer between Harry's invited guests and the rest of the school, Ginny was now visibly shaking with both Hermione and Luna having their arms around the girl.
"Ginny you know I'll never let anything happen to you, don't you?"
She managed a weak smile, "Yes Harry I always feel safe when you're around. Congratulations on your betrothal to Hermione, I'm really happy for you both but sorry about my prat of a brother."
Everyone watched in amazement as Harry opened the sink, the Slytherin ring hissed in parseltongue which saw the chute become spotlessly clean, stairs appear along its length and Harry certainly felt the wards that went up.
He led them down but the real fun started after the goblins followed them, Albus attempted to enter the chute but found his way blocked by an invisible barrier, a barrier so strong it supported his weight as if standing on a thick sheet of glass. That he couldn't even detect it, far less dispel it frightened him more than anything else he'd see or heard tonight.
Unsurprisingly the barrier also blocked Severus, perhaps less of a surprise was his reaction to this. "Potter, if you don't get back up here and remove this barrier now then you will have detention with me every day for the next three years." There was absolutely no surprise in the fact that Harry totally ignored Snape's ranting.
The real surprise was when Minerva pushed past the head of Slytherin and found no barrier in her way. Quick as a flash Albus took her arm, hoping that this would gain him entry as well, being flung onto his arse on the other side of the toilet confirmed this method would not work either. Snape's anger was escalating exponentially as he watched the other two heads of house allowed entry as well but when the Weasley twins were granted access, the greasy haired one reached for his wand.
As luck would have it Albus was quicker and grabbed his arm. "Severus, we have still not ascertained what happened to Mr Weasley's hand when he fired that curse. I have yet to meet a one handed potion master so perhaps you should desist from this course of action for the moment. Let us learn from whom the barrier lets through and wait on the party returning, we can then make our claim that Hogwarts should receive at least part of the basilisk without having the unpleasant task of having to harvest the decaying carcass."
Snape had to smile at the old man's guile and control. The headmaster being barred from a part of Hogwarts must really hurt his pride yet he appeared serene, almost as if he planned to be spending Sunday night hanging about in a girls' toilet. While the Slytherin struggled to work out what was wrong with that last statement, Albus never took his eyes off who was being admitted/rejected.
All the Gryffindor forth year, sans Ronald Weasley who was in the infirmary and the Quidditch team were allowed, as was Hufflepuff's Susan Bones and Hannah Abbot. Cedric Diggory was a surprise more for the way his girlfriend was ejected, a la Dumbledore, Miss Chang appeared to be more upset that Mr Diggory chose to go on without her as teenage tears fell. Apart from Miss Lovegood not one Ravenclaw student was granted access but the real surprise was when Miss Davis and Miss Greengrass were allowed to proceed down the stairs. The look of shock on their faces was mirrored by everyone left standing in the toilet, trying to tune out Myrtle's moaning.
-oOoOo-
They were all gathered in a group waiting as the goblins removed the cave-in. "This is where that fraud Lockhart tried to obliviate us. We went to him because he was the defence professor and the coward was going to leave us all here to die while he played the tragic hero, the git already planning to write it up as his new bestseller."
As the group digested that information Little Professor Flitwick just had to ask. "Mr Potter, what was that ward upstairs and why did it let some people through but not others?"
"This is a founder's chamber that apparently recognises me from before, it's only allowed those through that it found worthy."
Flitwick appeared concerned with that analysis, "That worries me Mr Potter when we have more Slytherins down here than Ravenclaws."
"I have no problem with Slytherin house sir, the sorting hat originally wanted to put me there but I refused to be in the same house as Draco." Harry pointedly looked toward Luna, "I also hate bullies which may explain the absence of your house professor."
Images of the young girl with the strange earrings sitting alone at dinner, in the library and charms class came to mind. He'd just never connected the dots before, Filius had now got the message loud and clear. "Rest assured, I shall investigate."
Tracy had only stepped forward with Daphne for a laugh, no one was more shocked than her that they were allowed through. Yet here she was and now even more shocked, "The sorting hat really wanted to put you in Slytherin?"
Harry smiled and nodded, "When I got on that train I knew practically nothing of magic, never mind houses. I didn't ask for Gryffindor, just not the same house that Malfoy was in. After meeting the arse I didn't want to be classed the same as him."
The goblins had cleared a passage so they moved along to the large door with snakes on it, "This may smell a bit since its been lying here for two years." Harry hissed to open the door and discovered it definitely smelt more than a bit, the three heads of house had their wands out casting air freshening spells as they entered the chamber proper. Torches lit around the walls and the basilisk was revealed, stopping everyone in their tracks.
Hermione desperately wanted to go and throw her arms around Harry but currently she and Luna were the only things holding Ginny up. Harry led the three girls over to where he'd found Ginny and the little redhead sunk to her knees and sobbed. Hermione and Luna were trying to console her as Harry found himself suddenly grabbed by two seriously crying, emotional wrecks of Weasley twins.
"I'm looking at it and still don't bloody believe it!"
"You fought that to save our Ginny?"
"Anything we have is yours."
"You ever need us, we're there."
"You're more of a Weasley than that prat upstairs is."
Both then pulled him into a hug that would rival their mother's before wiping their eyes and going to help their sister. This freed Hermione to fly into his arms, "I know you told me it was big but that's not big, it's bloody gigantic! How the hell did you kill that with a sword?"
Harry held her face gently in his hands, "You should know nothing touches my Hermione and gets away with it." At any other time and place, that would have been considered the cheesiest line in the world. With a giant basilisk as a backdrop, it just worked. He kissed her tenderly on the lips and even McGonagall had tears in her eyes.
Justin and Colin were staring at the monster in disbelief, it was only now beginning to sink in how close they had come to death. Neither had any illusions that they would be able to take that thing on with a machine gun, far less a sword. Colin was so shocked he'd yet to take a picture.
Cedric Diggory thought they should take the tri-wiz trophy and just hand it to Harry right now. This beast was roaming the corridors of the school and all the ministry had done was arrest Hagrid. What made him even angrier is that instead of rewarding Harry and looking after the students who were petrified, the whole thing had been swept under the rug as usual. The rumour mill had Harry defeating you-know-who again in his first year and all he received for his efforts was house points and another cover up, looking at this beast Cedric doubted if the combined efforts of himself and the other two champions could have survived the encounter, never mind defeat the huge basilisk. He had thought Harry's patronus in the great hall was an impressive piece of magic but this! Cedric had a feeling that a certain French Veela would be left to eat her 'little boy' comment before too long.
Barchoke approached Harry and Hermione with awe in his voice, "Lord Potter, I fear we have seriously underestimated the value of this beast. Never before has one this size been discovered, Gringotts would be more than willing to renegotiate your payment."
"Barchoke, we made the deal in good faith and I'm happy with it. If you feel bad about it then donate some new brooms to Hogwarts, Luna here will make sure you get good publicity for it."
The goblin was afraid Lord Potter would think they had deceived him on price and, while a goblin loved making profit, there had to be honour involved. Here was a way for great profit, with trust and honour satisfied on both sides, and good publicity for the goblin nation thrown in. Working with Lord Potter was going to be very different.
Ginny had got herself under control and approached as Barchoke spoke to Harry, Hermione and Luna, the young girl was carrying a certain fang. "Harry, can I have this as a keepsake?" The funny looks she was getting from both girls and the goblin forced her to explain. "Harry pulled this out his arm and stabbed the diary with it, saving my life. He was dying and trying to apologise for not being quick enough before Fawkes cried into his wound."
Hermione just held him tighter, "Typical Harry Potter, thinks of everyone else before himself."
An embarrassed Harry replied, "If it makes you feel better Ginny then by all means take it. I would like you to give it to Barchoke first though so we can be certain all the venom has been removed."
Drawing on reserves of courage she didn't know she possessed, Ginny kissed Harry on the cheek. "I can never thank you enough Harry, all I can do is try to be the best friend I can be."
The flash that illuminated the chamber signified Colin had overcome his initial shock and was now happily snapping away. It took the goblin team the best part of an hour to decide on the most efficient method to harvest this mountain of gold, the minute they started cutting into the basilisk, the exodus back upstairs hurriedly began.
Soon only Harry, Hermione and Luna were left, though as Professor Sprout walked passed them she couldn't resist a comment. "You know of course that the headmaster and professor Snape will be waiting for you leaving here?"
The smile on Hermione's face could only be described as wicked, "You might want to send them some cocoa later, they're both in for a long night with only Myrtle for company."
All three students were certain they saw a smirk on the head of Hufflepuff's face.
-oOoOo-
Colin had a smile on his face that was wider than the Grand Canyon as he exited the stairs into the bathroom. Dumbledore pounced at once. "Ah Mr Creevey, I would be most interested in a copy of your photographs taken tonight."
Colin's smile never faltered, "I'm sorry headmaster but I have signed a contract giving Harry and the Quibbler exclusive rights to my pictures until the summer. I'm going to have my pictures published!"
"Foolish boy, you're too young to sign a contract," sneered Snape.
"Oh I know that sir, so Professor McGonagall signed it as my head of house. It's not for a lot of money but Harry's already given me a fortune tonight so that didn't matter. I am now the only person allowed to take Harry's picture with only the Quibbler able to print it, I would have paid any amount of money for this opportunity."
Minerva chose that moment to exit into the toilet, "Is there a problem here?"
Albus didn't want her ire directed at him, she would be needed for bringing Potter back to heel. "We were just discussing Mr Creevey's contract and why you felt that I didn't need to be involved in the business negotiations."
"Since the sum involved was one galleon, I felt confident in my abilities to handle the negotiations. For that sum Mr Creevey gets a wonderful opportunity to perhaps turn something he loves into a career. He will receive accreditation in the newspaper for every picture they print and a payment based on sales. Unlike some present here, Mr Potter has proven that his integrity and honesty is beyond reproach so there is little chance of financial exploitation in this case." Minerva's stare was directed at Severus with her last comment. She then left to escort Colin back to the Gryffindor common room, the lad was desperate to develop his film.
Pomona was last to exit and Albus groaned as the sinks moved back into place, "Tell it to open again, if that egotistic arse Potter can manage it then surely you can?" Snape was almost pleading with Dumbledore now at the thought of all those prized potions ingredients slipping away from him.
"Alas Severus, parseltongue can only be spoken by a parselmouth. Its not a language that can be learned like Mermish, rather a special ability that very, very few possess, otherwise you would have hundreds of people talking to snakes. Did they say anything before you left Pomona?"
She really had to bite her lip to control her laugh, "I was advised to bring you both some cocoa later as you were in for a long night."
Pomona allowed her laughter its release as she walked along the corridor, leaving the two men alone in the girl's toilet.
"It is as I feared Severus, they have another method of leaving the chamber. Were you able to ascertain any information from Mr Potter earlier?"
Snape actually appeared embarrassed, "Both Potter and Granger's minds are now totally closed to us, even a few seconds scanning the Lovegood girl leaves you with a blinding headache and no way to discern if the information gained is fact or fiction. Do you think it would be worth asking Fawkes again if he would take us down there?"
Dumbledore shook his head, "He has refused on every occasion, last time he disappeared for nearly three weeks. I'm afraid to continue our vigil here would be fruitless so I suggest we turn in for the night."
Both left and set off in the direction of their respective quarters, Severus wasn't exactly paying attention as he had a few other things on his mind. After walking for ten minutes though, and once again finding himself at the entrance hall, he began to suspect everything was not as it should be. He tried once more to reach his quarters but again found himself unerringly ending up at the entrance hall, deciding to inform Albus of this latest prank of the Weasleys he changed direction to the headmaster's office.
Three times in the next ten minutes saw him standing perplexed in the entrance hall, no matter what route he chose the castle appeared to shepherd him back here. The problem now was exasperated ten fold by the pressing fact that, after spending most of the evening standing in one, Severus Snape was now in dire need of a toilet.
He tried to call for an elf with a chamber pot but even that didn't work, reluctantly he passed through the doors to the outside, looking for a dark place up against a wall.
His welcome relief was short lived though as, when he attempted to re-enter the castle the doors refused to open. The potion's master was denied access for the second time tonight, Severus Snape was left standing in the cold and dark literally without a pot to piss in.
-oOoOo-
Back in the chamber Hermione had a question she couldn't wait any longer to ask her betrothed. "Harry, who is Sal?"
Harry turned to their blond companion, "Luna I'm really trusting you a lot with this information but it's definitely not for repeating, far less printing."
Luna had never had someone place their trust in her before and was determined to be worthy of it, "I won't let either of you down."
Harry held out his hand that now contained three rings, the lion on Gryffindors appeared to be awakening from sleep while the snake of Slytherin was clearly animated. "This is Sal, I think it's a bit like the marauders putting a piece of their personality into the map but this wasn't done by four students. I've felt them getting stronger since we came back to the castle, it's as if they can talk to Hogwarts herself. Sal here hated Snape instantly and despises Riddle, that's why he was happy to choose me as the heir of Slytherin."
Luna tried to remain calm but it was difficult, "Let me see if I've got this right, you're Lord Potter, head of an Ancient and Noble Family, the Heir of Gryffindor, the Heir of Slytherin and a Tri-Wizard Champion representing the goblins? What the hell do I call you?"
"My friends call me Harry, Luna. Will that be ok for you?"
Luna was so choked she could only nod as Sal began hissing.
"Sal said there is a library of sorts down here, that is if the half-blood bastard hasn't ransacked it. he really doesn't like Riddle."
Luna was trying to get her emotions back under control as they started walking in the direction Harry had indicated but a few things Harry said were confusing her. "Harry aren't you a half-blood and who is this Riddle?"
"Luna, blood purity means nothing to me but it meant everything to Riddle. So much so that he changed his name from that of his hated muggle father to one you might recognise, Voldemort!"
Hermione now had a question, "Does that mean that Salazar was not a blood purist?"
"Oh I think that Sal here is quite the bloodsnob but it's all about standards. Would he like to see Hogwarts attended solely by purebloods – absolutely! Would he brutally torture and kill all those not of pure blood in order to achieve this – never! The thought of trying to kill a one year old baby makes his blood boil and he will help us anyway he can to cleanse the world of that bastard Riddle, his words – not mine. Riddle has corrupted Slytherin house from a place of cunning and ambition to one where lies, cheating and corruption run rife. Take Draco as an example, he could hardly be classed as cunning and while definitely ambitious, he has neither the knowledge nor skill to achieve them, he is totally reliant on the Malfoy name getting him whatever he wants. Sal doesn't consider him a Slytherin and wouldn't have allowed him entry in his day. Sal said the basilisk was a guardian for this chamber, it was ordered never to leave and had been perfectly safe for almost a millennia until Riddle came along."
They found the library after being instructed to tap certain bricks in order, an arch exactly like the one at Diagon Alley opened in the wall and Harry had a hard time holding both girls back until Sal confirmed it was safe. Harry left the two girls in their idea of heaven while he sought Barchoke to arrange the relocation of the books, the goblins eyes again did their Dobby impersonation as he gazed upon a treasure even greater than the basilisk, these volumes were priceless.
They'd spent time earlier today practicing the portkey creation spell, Harry had managed it quite quickly and his founder's heir status allowed him to create portkeys that took all the cases of basilisk parts and most of the goblins to the storage room in Gringotts they had visited today.
They had eight large crates of books, magically packed and shrunk as Barchoke informed Harry that their accommodation module was quite close to Hagrid's hut. He could only make a portkey to somewhere he'd been but he was well acquainted with the area around Hagrid's, they had no sooner appeared before spying what looked like a gigantic vault about a hundred meters ahead of them. Levitating the crates they headed for what was obviously their new home.
The doors swung open to reveal a massive entrance hall, someone had really done a number with the expansion charms on this place but the three teens were way too tired to give their quarters the appreciation they undoubtedly deserved. It was now after midnight and Harry had very little sleep the night before, Hermione not much better and Luna just had the most exhilarating night of her life.
Barchoke smiled as he pointed them in the direction of the bedrooms, the first one they came to had ALL Luna's belongings in it. The young blond had tears in her eyes at the kindness she'd been shown, she repeated Ginny's actions from earlier and kissed Harry on the cheek. "Thank you Harry, you have no idea how much this means to me."
"Actually I do, but that's a story for another time. We'll see you in the morning Luna."
The next room they came to had Crookshanks lying on the bed and bookshelves on two walls so it was a pretty safe bet this was Hermione's. The couple shared their first goodnight kiss before Harry dragged himself off to the next room and just collapsed on top of the bed, in no time at all he was dreaming of his brown eyed betrothed.
-oOoOo-
Wormtail hated disturbing his master with news, but if he didn't and it proved important then there would be pain, there would be a lot of pain. "Master your agent has sent word, Potter has used being in the tournament to have himself declared an adult and formed an alliance with the goblins."
The fact that this news was met with silence was not a good sign, if his master ranted and raved then he could usually escape serious injury. Silence usually meant he was going to be creative in his punishment, for at least the millionth time Peter asked himself how he could have been stupid enough to become a death eater.
"Why did no one foresee this happening, do I have to think of everything myself? Yet again you have disappointed me Wormtail, Crucio!"
-oOoOo-
Dan Granger's bedside digital clock displayed five forty eight, whoever was knocking on his door at this time in the morning better have a bloody good reason or there would be hell to pay. Emma heard her husband get up, then voices from the lounge peaked her curiosity, this saw her putting on her house coat and heading downstairs.
Emma had just arrived when her husband let out a roar as his temper exploded before shouting, "I'm going to kill the little bastard and then my daughter is coming straight home!"
Emma immediately recognised Albus Dumbledore from his picture in Hogwarts a History, she also couldn't fail to notice the twinkle in his eyes at Dan's reaction.