Chapter 12: Twelve: Confrontations
Cepheus Granger was confused, was there another boy with the same name as him? He could hear the whispers going up and down the table like wildfire, but he looked up at the head table where an incredibly old man on a throne seemed to be staring at him. Honestly, the look was creeping him out a bit as the boy felt a hand nudge him forward. He looked around to see Harry, the boy he had met recently, and his sister was smiling at him. Shrugging mentally, he stepped up to the chair where the teacher Professor McGonagall, he thought, placed the Hat on his head. Before the Hat went over his eyes, he noticed Harry watching him intently. Though the stare did not bother him as much as the creepy old man.
"Black, eh?" The Hat spoke in his ear, making Cepheus jump, "You possess some of your great-grandfather's power; you're also as mischievous as your father, and you have the courage of your brother."
"Father?" Cepheus asked curiously. He knew he was adopted, but who was his brother?
"Yes, Sirius Black is your father and Arcturus Black is your great-grandfather. Your brother started a few years ago, though I do not think he knew it then," the small voice mused, "did you not know your heritage?"
"I was adopted at birth," explained Ceph, "I was only told of my adoption when my Hogwarts letter arrived,"
"Well, you will be a powerful wizard," the Hat went on, "with Slytherin, you could be on the road to greatness."
"Please put me in Gryffindor with Harry Black, now that I know he must be my brother," understanding dawned on Ceph, especially as to the impromptu visit of Sirius and Harry Black. He wondered if they had already known about him, why was he abandoned?
"Are you positive?" the small voice broke his thoughts, "well, it's the choices that make us, so I shall put you in GRYFFINDOR."
Everyone could see the relief on his face as he walked to the Gryffindor table while the rest of the hall remained quiet, not sure what to make of this Black. The last Black had been Regulus years before. Now once again, there were two Blacks, if the papers were to be believed. He passed the first years and took a seat next to Hermione as Harry examined him from the corner of his eye. Several more names passed, such as Brick, Savannah- Hufflepuff. Chadwin, Eric- Hufflepuff. Two others became Ravenclaw and Slytherin, respectively, when a name made Harry perk up.
"Evans, Mark," Harry looked at the small brunette as he walked up to the Hat, remembering the times he had saved the boy from Dudley's gang.
"Do you know that boy?" Cepheus asked.
"He lived in my neighbourhood; Dudley and his gang used to beat him up a lot," Harry responded, not really thinking about what he was saying. He never noticed Hermione's frown or Neville's interested look.
"Gryffindor," the Hat cried out. Harry clapped louder than anyone else. Mark gave the older teen a surprised look when he saw Harry but took a seat with the other first years. The names continued to be called until the next name drew Ron's attention.
"Monahan, Riley," a brunette lad walked brazenly up to the chair, confident of the house he would be put in.
"A Monahan, your father was a Slytherin and your mother a Ravenclaw, but you could be so much more," the Hat mused to itself, "your future holds so many possibilities, some good and some bad."
"Just get on with it. I am going to be following my father's footsteps,"
"Perhaps if you had a better role model and less of your father's influence, then maybe let's see how about- GRYFFINDOR." Riley sagged; no one in his family had ever been a Gryffindor. Ron looked gobsmacked, and Harry looked on with interest as though he knew something.
"What is up with you?" Hermione asked the redhead, noticing his expression.
"His father is close friends with Lucius Malfoy and probably a Death Eater," Ron replied as Riley found a seat.
"That does not make him a Death Eater," Harry spoke up once, ending the conversation, then returned to watching the sorting. Soon they reached S.
"Selwyn, Danica." After Harry's dealings with the Selwyn's during the summer, he was interested as the young blonde girl almost swaggered forward. Like Malfoy's sorting five years earlier, the Hat barely sat on her head before shouting out:
"Slytherin!" Danica ignored her fellow first years in favour of sitting close to the Slytherin Prince. Draco, however, dismissed the young upstart as he continued to watch the first years. Theo Nott engaged the girl in conversation; they seemed quite familiar with each other. As the sorting continued, Harry looked up at the head table, noticing a distinct absence.
"Hagrid's not there," he spoke suddenly. Hermione and Neville looked at the table, noting that there was a giant-shaped hole at the table. Then Neville gasped.
"She's really here then!" Neville sneered.
"Who?" Hermione asked.
"Umbitch" was the reply she received. She was shocked that the usually timid Neville would say something like that. Then she considered that he was different this year, maybe it was being with Harry and Draco a lot of the summer, or perhaps he had just grown up.
"Madam Umbridge, she was at my Trial, then at the Wizengamot. They announced that if Dumbledore could not find a DADA teacher, the Ministry would provide one," Harry explained.
"Obviously, Dumbledore could not find a new DADA," Neville added miserably.
"Or maybe, it fell into his lap," Harry spoke up darkly. Hermione had only heard bits and pieces, but not the whole story regarding Dumbledore's interference with the Black Family. She was stopped from saying anything as the Headmaster got up to say a few odd words, and then announced dinner.
"So, you're, erm, my brother?" Ceph asked curiously, looking at the dark-haired boy.
"Yes, though we will talk about that more after dinner," Harry returned.
"OK." Harry smiled at the boy, getting a shy smile back.
"He is plotting something; the boy is never this quiet," Hermione laughed, diffusing the tension.
"Oh, a little prankster, hello young Black, a pleasure to make your acquaintance," one of the twins said, budging Ron up as the other took a seat next to young Ceph.
"We'll see if we can make a new marauder of you yet," the other twin added. Hermione and Harry looked at each other and burst out laughing. Everyone looked at them as though they were loonies from crazy town. The conversation continued with one or the other giggling every now and then. The twins did not know what to make of them.
"Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices," said Dumbledore. "First years ought to know that the forest in the grounds is out of bounds to students — and a few of our older students ought to know by now too."
"Mr Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four hundred and sixty-second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor are many other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr Filch's office door.
"We have had a few changes in staffing this year. We are incredibly pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."
There was a round of polite but unenthusiastic applause. Harry and Hermione exchanged slightly panicked looks; Dumbledore had not said how long Grubbly-Plank would teach. Dumbledore continued, "Try-outs for the House Quidditch teams will take place on the —"
He broke off, looking inquiringly at Professor Umbridge. As she was not much taller standing than sitting, there was a moment when nobody understood why Dumbledore had stopped talking, but then Professor Umbridge said, "Hem, hem," and it became clear that she had got to her feet and was intending to make a speech.
Dumbledore only looked taken aback for a moment, then he sat back down smartly and looked alertly at Professor Umbridge as though he desired nothing better than to listen to her talk. Other members of staff were not as adept at hiding their surprise. Professor Sprout's eyebrows had disappeared into her flyaway hair, and Professor McGonagall's mouth was as thin as Harry had ever seen it. No new teacher had ever interrupted Dumbledore before. Many of the students were smirking; this woman obviously did not know how things were done at Hogwarts.
"Thank you, Headmaster," Professor Umbridge simpered, "for those kind words of welcome."
"Fake, you mean," Ron muttered, and Harry knew what he meant. He was still annoyed with the redhead, who had been glaring at Neville through the whole of dinner. Umbridge cleared her throat again with that stupid noise.
"Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!" She smiled, revealing very pointed teeth. "And to see such happy little faces looking back at me!"
Harry glanced around. None of the faces he could see looked happy; on the contrary, they all looked taken aback at being addressed as though they were five years old.
"I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all, and I'm sure we'll be perfect friends!" Students exchanged looks at this; some of them were barely concealing grins.
"I'll be her friend as long as I don't have to borrow that cardigan," Parvati whispered to Lavender, and both lapsed into silent giggles. When Umbridge spoke again, it was more like when she spoke in the Wizengamot, more business-like.
"The Ministry of Magic has always considered young witches and wizards' education to be of vital importance. You were born with the rare gifts that may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the Wizarding community must be passed down through the generations lest we lose them forever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished, and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching."
Professor Umbridge paused here and made a slight bow to her fellow staff members, none of whom bowed back. Professor McGonagall's dark eyebrows had contracted so that she looked positively hawklike, and Harry distinctly saw her exchange a significant glance with Professor Sprout as Umbridge gave another little "Hem, hem" and went on with her speech.
"Every Headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school, and that is as it should be, for, without progress, there will be stagnation and decay. There again, progress for progress's sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation . . ."
Harry found his attentiveness ebbing, as though his brain was slipping in and out of tune. The quiet that always filled the Hall when Dumbledore was speaking was breaking up as students put their heads together, whispering and giggling. Over at the Ravenclaw table, Cho Chang was chatting animatedly with her friends. A few seats along from Cho, Luna Lovegood, had got out The Quibbler again. Meanwhile, at the Hufflepuff table, Ernie Macmillan was one of the few still staring at Professor Umbridge. Still, he was glassy-eyed, and Harry was sure he was only pretending to listen to live up to the new prefect's badge gleaming on his chest. Further down, Robyn was sitting on her own, staring at the wooden table, picking at something on her finger.
Professor Umbridge did not seem to notice the restlessness of her audience. Harry had the impression that a full-scale riot could have broken out under her nose, and she would have ploughed on with her speech. The teachers, however, were still listening very attentively. Hermione was drinking in every word Umbridge spoke, though judging by her expression, they were not at all to her taste.
". . . because some changes will be for the better, while others will come, in the fullness of time, to be recognised as errors of judgment. Meanwhile, some old habits will be retained, and rightly so, whereas others, outmoded and outworn, must be abandoned. Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness, and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited."
She sat down. Dumbledore clapped and was joined by a couple of the other staff, but none of the students joined in. Dumbledore now stood up, looking over the students. He paused when he caught Harry's eye, frowning a little.
"Unfortunately, a little bit of sad news, Madam Pomfrey has had to leave on family business, but I am delighted to say Madam Tonks has agreed to step in. She is a healer at St Mungo's and will also be teaching a new class about Healing for fifth years and above." Harry, Neville, and Hermione clapped the loudest, which was a bit more enthusiastic than Umbridge and Grubbly-Plank.
"Now, our bellies are full, and I am sure I have bored you with my announcements. Let us get you back to the Common Rooms for the evening." Now dismissed, everyone began talking loudly, leaving for their Common rooms.
"Come on, Ron, we have got to direct the firsties to the Common room," Hermione reminded the boy. He groaned, getting a sharp look from Hermione but followed along beside her.
"It is nice to spend more time with you. Hermione's always talking about you," Harry looked down to see Ceph grinning cheekily.
"I am sure she is," he winked at the boy, remembering what the boy had told him at their home.
"Mister Po-, erm Black, the headmaster would like to see young Master Black," Professor McGonagall got their attention. Harry noticed Andromeda nearby, nodding at him.
"I will take Cepheus up to the Headmaster then," Harry replied.
"He did want to speak to you, but later with Mister Malfoy," McGonagall told him. Harry noticed Draco lingering in the vicinity.
"Professor, were you asked to sit in with Cepheus as he is one of your lions?" Harry asked, receiving a headshake, "it is a bit odd that an eleven-year-old boy has been asked to be left alone with a strange man."
"He's well creepy," Ceph spoke up as Harry tried not to laugh.
"Now that you mention it, it does seem a little unusual. Very well, then, Mister Malfoy, you may as well come," the Transfiguration teacher spotted the blond boy lingering.
"Scar Head," Malfoy muttered with a grin as he fell alongside the other fifth year.
"So, what do you think of the school so far, Cepheus?"
"Call me, Ceph. Cepheus is a bit much!" the boy replied.
"I wonder what your real mother was thinking when she called you that," Harry mused.
"Except for you, Scar Head, everyone else in the family is named after a star," They had reached the Headmaster's office. Professor McGonagall went in first, followed by Andromeda, as the three students sat outside waiting.
"I am Harry's guardian while at school. I will also be Cepheus' once we make it all official," they heard Andromeda's voice after several minutes, and it was icy. Harry and Draco shared a grin. They knew that voice well, the 'I'm terribly angry with you' voice.
"Come in," the Deputy Headmistress said a few moments later. Harry led Cepheus inside, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder possessively. His dominant wand hand twitched, ready to summon his wand to him. Harry took notice of Severus Snape in the corner of the room as he watched the dark look on the Headmaster's face fade away, replaced by his grandfather mask, Harry realised.
"Firstly, Cepheus, welcome to Hogwarts; how was your trip across the lake?" Dumbledore asked. Harry noticed his eyes were twinkling slightly. Wandless Leglimency, that is impressive.
"Albus, could you please use the proper terms? It's Lord Black," Harry interrupted the man making him lose his direct eye-to-eye contact with the boy.
"Mr Black!" McGonagall uttered. "The Headmaster will have your respect."
"If the Headmaster would show us some respect, then I will use his correct titles," Harry replied, "In the classroom, you may refer to us as Mr Black, but in more formal settings, it is Lord Rendlesham or Lord Black for my brother." Harry heard a cough, knowing Andromeda was trying to hide her laughter. Ceph looked between the two, not quite realising what was being suggested.
"You've never had any respect for the teachers," Snape snarled, stepping out of his corner. Harry turned to the Potions Master and then back to the Headmaster.
"I can understand Professor Snape is here for Mister Malfoy, but you have yet to speak to Mister Malfoy. Are you finished with my brother? Then we can discuss what you wanted to talk to us about," Harry suggested. Dumbledore knew he was backed into a corner.
"Yes, Lord Black may go," the Headmaster swallowed the toad in his throat.
"A prefect is waiting downstairs to escort him to the Tower," Professor McGonagall told them.
"Thank you, go on, Buddy. I will be up in the tower shortly," he motioned the boy out, who looked back but nodded. As the door closed, the adults all looked at the two teens.
"Why do you have two wands?" Dumbledore asked bluntly, sitting back in his leather chair; Harry could see the shift in magic. To anyone else, it would make him seem more prominent. However, his natural empathy allowed him to see the magic.
"It is necessary for protection," Harry answered simply.
"But surely you are safe behind Hogwarts walls," the Transfiguration teacher added tight-lipped. Snape remained quiet, merely watching the two boys.
"Safe!" Harry barked, almost laughing, "I would like to point out that in the first year, I faced off against Voldemort and a three-headed dog. In my second year, I dealt with the Chamber of Secrets. In my third year, I was attacked by a crazed mass murderer and a werewolf, and my fourth year was the resurrection of Voldemort."
"You really think I've been safe!" he added, and the adults looked at him, astonished.
"Might I add that the Dark Lord will send assassins to those he believes are traitors," Draco gave a side-long look at Harry, "He does not yet know that Mother and I have left permanently, but he will be furious when the prodigal son does not come to him."
"There are worse things out there than Voldemort," Harry did not break his stride at Draco's revelation. However, McGonagall stared at the blond.
"You have turned your back on your father?" she asked, shocked.
"His Grace offered my mother sanctuary, and she took it without telling me. I did not agree at first. But I have spent the last three weeks with Granger, and she is not as bad as I expected," the boy shrugged. Harry observed them all; Dumbledore's mask dropped briefly in surprise, while only Snape's eye twitching revealed he was just as surprised.
"Can they be traced?" Snape spoke up suddenly.
"Are you a stooge for the Ministry now, Severus?" Harry asked, smirking at the Potions Master. Said Potions Master glared at Harry. How dare this impertinent boy call him by his first name? "Neither Draco nor I can have our wands traced; the Ministry Trace Ollivander puts on his wands have been removed."
"While not against the rules, it is highly irregular," Dumbledore mused, but Harry thought he knew the man enough to know he was annoyed. Harry bit back another comment as Andromeda stepped in.
"I have been assured by His Grace, and Lady Malfoy, that both sets of wands are legal and safe. If I have the boys agree to use one wand during lessons, will that be acceptable?" Harry and Draco nodded their heads as Dumbledore looked them over.
"If they promise to use just one wand, then the Heads and I will agree to let them keep the wands. If they do not obey, their second wands shall be locked away in my office," Dumbledore told them sternly, not noticing Harry rolling his eyes.
"As for your disregard for uniform," Professor McGonagall began.
"I have read the rules back to front; there are no rules against wearing school uniform at the Welcoming Feast," Harry replied stubbornly.
"You are turning into Granger," Draco sniggered, earning a glare from his Head of House.
"We cannot make an exception for you," the Scottish woman continued.
"On Monday, I shall be in uniform," Harry conceded. Harry figured that was everything when Andromeda spoke up.
"Headmaster, Professors, Draco's 'defection' for lack of a better word, must not be known at the moment," she told them.
"I am going to try speaking to several Slytherins and see if I can stop Voldemort from destroying more young lives," Draco added maturely. Snape could not contain his surprise at the young Malfoy using the Dark Lord's name.
"That seems like a good idea," Dumbledore answered after a few moments, "Harry, I have declined your right to drop divination."
"Excuse me!" Harry asked, his anger coming off him in waves.
"Professor, may I ask why you have not allowed Lord Rendlesham to drop Divination?" Andromeda asked, using his proper title.
"He has been doing it for two years; he cannot have a free period and will not be able to take any of the other subjects as he has not studied them," Professor Dumbledore explained like he was talking to a child. Andromeda drew herself up, not missing his condescending tone.
"Lord Rendlesham will be studying in my Healing lessons at those times. If you do not change his rota back to what was agreed by the Deputy headmistress and the Duke of Anglia, I will be speaking to the Board of Governors about your blatant disregard for parental wishes," she told the man icily. Even Professor McGonagall was glaring at the Headmaster. Harry and Draco were trying to keep straight-faced at the old man being put in place.
"I doubt they will overrule me on this," He replied coldly, his usual countenance gone.
"We will see, Headmaster. Until then, as his guardian, I am pulling him from all Divination lessons," Andromeda snapped back, ready to usher the two boys out.
"Could I possibly speak to Harry alone?" the Headmaster's voice stopped her. Andromeda turned to the man. If looks could kill, he would be dead.
"Actually, Headmaster, unless His Grace or I am present, you cannot speak to Lord Rendlesham alone," Andromeda said formally, before pushing Harry and Draco out of the door. They were almost to the Great Hall when Andromeda lost her composure, "The absolute nerve of that man."
"Don't worry, Aunt Andi, we will just have to be careful about how we proceed," Harry reassured the woman, reminding her of their plans. She took a deep breath and looked over at her cousin's boy. He had matured a lot since she had met him at the beginning of summer.
"Goodnight, Master Malfoy," She said a bit stiffly in case they were being watched, "and goodnight, Harry, have a nice weekend and look after your brother."
"Brother," Harry said to himself as he wished them both goodnights. He had gone nearly fifteen years without a proper family, now he had a father, a younger brother and a whole host of cousins and Aunts/Uncles. He wandered up to the seventh floor, wondering if their plans would have to change with the arrival of Dolores Umbridge. He considered Cepheus, though he barely knew the boy; I wonder what he is like?
"Password?" The portrait of the Fat Lady asked, breaking his thoughts. Harry looked around, realising he was in front of the Gryffindor portrait.
"Hmm, what?" he asked, his mind not catching up.
"Password?" the portrait asked patiently.
"Felix Culpa," the woman in the portrait nodded and swung open. He was immediately besieged by noise and warmth. Ron and Hermione seemed to be fending off questions as Cepheus looked overwhelmed as he was asked about his time in the Headmaster's office. By the roaring fire, the other First Years were sat talking excitedly. Harry decided to stop the questioning of Cepheus.
"Leave the boy alone, it is his first night here." Harry told the group.
"We hear you bested Malfoy again!" a smug-looking Cormac McClaggen spoke up. Harry turns toward Cormac and stares at the 6th year boy and shakes his head. Harry shouts out to get everyone's attention and says…
"There has always been school rivalry by the four houses, and rivalry is good in small doses. However, we need to start making more friends between the four houses, especially Slytherin. They have become isolated, and I'd like Gryffindor to lead by example and start making friends with the Slytherins. Second, through the Seventh year, you will find it the hardest to make friends with our fiercest rivals, but you must try. First-years I encourage you to make friends with your counterparts in Slytherin, and perhaps this will start a new era of friendship between all houses," Many of the older Gryffindor students stared at him in shock; the biggest rivalry in school was between Harry Potter and Slytherin Prince Draco Malfoy.
Hermione grinned at the boy, knowing this was the start of his plans to get the school united; with the help of Draco, they would be able to stop Slytherin from becoming even more isolated.
"So smart—"
"And insightful is our youngest Seeker," Fred and George mocked the teen as everyone went back to what they were doing, discussing this new topic. Harry turned to join Hermione and Ron, meeting Cepheus's eye briefly then steered the younger boy over to the fireplace where Harry explained their father was a noble, and as the younger son, Cepheus was entitled to the title of Lord Black.
"Does that mean we live in a grand old house?" the boys' eyes were wide.
"We do have a big manor house, but we are not going to take you away from your parents," Harry reminded the boy.
"That's good; I love them and my sister," Ceph said with a big yawn.
"Go to bed, kiddo. We will talk more about this tomorrow. I am sure Dad will want to meet you 'properly.'"
"Thanks, Harry," Ceph said, sleepily going off to his dorm. Harry grinned, heading up to the fifth year dorm. It almost felt like coming home if he did not now have a home. Unbuttoning his shirt, he began to undress as Neville, Dean, Seamus, and Ron entered. Abruptly Seamus and Dean went quiet, seeing Harry already in the room.
"All right, Dean, how was your summer?" Harry asked cheerfully.
"Good, thanks, better than Seamus'," Dean replied awkwardly.
"What happened?" Harry looked visibly concerned.
"Me mam didn't want me to come back," Seamus replied, his back turned to Harry as he pottered around his bed.
"What? Why?"
"She didn't want me coming back to Hogwarts," Seamus returned, still refusing to look at Harry. "Because of, well, you."
"What do you mean?" Harry asked, confused. His heart was beating faster as sudden comprehension hit him as Seamus answered his question.
"Well," repeated Seamus, still avoiding Harry's eyes, "she . . . er . . . well, it's not just you, it's Dumbledore too…"
"She believes the Prophet?" Harry spoke glumly. "Thinks I am crazy or a liar while Dumbledore's an old fool?"
"Something like that," mumbled Seamus. Harry didn't answer; he was beginning to get angry now.
"Harry, if you told everyone what happened that night with Diggory, perhaps they'll believe you," this came from a surprising source. Ron was looking over at him reassuringly. The other boys' bar Neville was all looking at him eagerly.
"Try reading the Prophet?" Harry replied bitterly, "like Seamus' mum, they seem to know everything."
"Don't bring my mum into this!" Seamus shouted.
"I will call out anyone that reads that dishrag. If they believe everything said, then they are stupid," Harry responded hotly.
"Oi, don't call my mum stupid!"
"If you have got a problem sharing a dormitory with me, go and ask McGonagall if you can be moved, stop your mummy worrying —"
"Everyone calm down; we're not going to get anywhere arguing and shouting," Neville spoke up, looking between the pair. Harry snorted and ripped his curtains closed.
Mist hung in the air in tendrils but was quickly burnt off as Harry completed his run alongside the Forbidden Forest's edge. He stopped, looking over the Black Lake as he took a drink from his bottle. After a few minutes, he transfigured two sticks until they were about three feet in length. Harry began a delicate dance using the sticks and calming his mind down after the meetings and confrontations last night. September was continuing to be unseasonably warm, so sweat trickled down Harry's back.
"Nice moves," a voice spoke from behind him breaking his concentration. Harry turned to find Draco leaning against a tree. Like Harry, he was wearing Muggle shorts and a T-shirt.
"Getting some exercise?" Harry asked with a smirk.
"Got to keep up with you," Draco replied with a partial sneer.
"Drop the act, spots," Harry returned, rubbing his chest down with a towel before he found a tree opposite Draco to lean on
"It is not an act. I really do need to keep up with you," Draco protested. "Padfoot and Moony were slave masters. I have only ever beaten you once."
"Because I am better than you," Harry shrugged.
"You will never be as good as me, Pup," Draco replied with a grin, getting a glare from the dark-haired boy.
"Do not call me Pup; only Dad and Remus can call me that," Harry growled. Draco grinned at how easily the boy was calling Sirius dad now. "We need to get someone in Voldemort's camp; he has been silent since he returned."
"Can you not use Snape and the Order?" Draco asked.
"Dad refuses to work with the Order, and Snape is just a bastard," Harry replied.
"Some were wondering why I did not start anything with you yesterday," Draco commented.
"Maybe we need to stage a fight?" Harry considered, "Do you think you can bring any of them to our side?"
"I am pretty sure there are several Slytherins that do not want to go to the Dark Side, but they are reluctant to get involved with Bumbledore," Draco admitted.
"That is the case with the Neutrals. I need to start making some more friends."
"That will be hard with the Weasel. He wants to keep you to himself," Draco smirked. "Do you reckon he fancies you?"
"You're a dick," came the reply as Harry gathered his stuff, heading up towards the castle.
"Be careful around Dumbledore, you nearly lost it last night, and you cannot let him see through you," Draco warned.
"I know, but the manipulative old fool annoys me." Harry went off in a different direction so that the pair weren't seen together.
Minutes later, Harry stood in front of the mirror in the shower. He opened his toiletries to get out his wash stuff.
"Hi Harry," Ceph exclaimed, entering with a couple of first years. Although he seemed to be nervous around the older boy.
"Would you like me to show you around the castle today? Then we can talk on the quidditch pitch,"
"That sound pretty cool," Ceph shrugged nonchalantly, but he looked eager.
"Are you looking forward to your first day of classes on Monday?"
"A bit nervous," the boy returned, then looked at Harry's shirtless torso, "Do you lift weights?"
"Excuse me?" Harry washed his face with a flannel as he looked at the curious Child.
"I wondered if you lift weights because you seem quite muscular," Ceph rushed, "I wanted to know what you did so I can try and not be bullied."
"Are you being bullied?"
"Oh no, not here, but when I was at the Muggle school, the other boys would hit me and call me names," Ceph looked smaller than an eleven-year-old as he shuffled his bare feet on the tiles. Harry looked at him, then smiled.
"Were you popular with the girls, kiddo?" Harry asked. Ceph looked up and smiled at the term of affection.
"Well, I had a lot of friends who were girls."
"Boys can be cruel, and they were probably jealous. You have got Dad's look, buddy. I reckon several of the girls had crushes on you, making the other boys envious," Ceph's face went bright red with embarrassment, "Now go get showered, or you will be late for breakfast."
In the Great Hall, Hermione slowly ate her breakfast as she considered her best friend, Harry Black. They had held hands a couple of times now, and he seemed much more attentive to her than he had ever been. Hermione knew she had a crush on Harry but could he possibly like her back? Her eye caught the sight of Ginny, who appeared upset. The older girl noticed that Ginny had seen Draco, a big smile erupting on her face. Hermione almost laughed; she knew Draco would never go near Ginny in a million years.
"What are you grinning at?" Neville asked, taking a seat opposite.
"I think Ginny's going to make Harry jealous by flirting with Draco." Neville barked out laughter.
"I wish I could see her face when she finds out he's got a crush on –" But whatever Neville was going to say was lost as the pair heard loud voices coming from just outside the Great Hall. There seemed to be a circle of students, so most likely a fight. As a Prefect, she decided to stop it. Halfway there, she heard her brother's voice and got angry with him for starting fights on the second day of school, even though teaching had yet to begin. She was just about to push through the circle when a hand checked her.
"Wait! Watch," Malfoy said from her side, and she saw Harry coming down the stairs. He passed through the crowd quickly; power and authority seemed to radiate from him. He came up behind Cepheus and looked at the other first year, Danica Selwyn.
"What's going on?" Harry purred quietly, almost Snape-like. Speaking of teachers, they were watching with interest but did not move to interfere.
"We are just having a debate," Danica sneered, so reminiscent of Draco, Harry wondered if they were related, "About which house is better."
"Neither. All four houses have their strengths and weaknesses. However, you should be striving to make friends instead of debating the finer points of each house," Harry responded to the shocked gasps of some. Everyone in the crowd and the Great Hall seemed to be hanging onto his every word.
"If we are all supposed to play happy families, what is the rivalry between you and Draco Malfoy we hear so much about?" Danica asked, and there were a few nods from those that had seen it in the last few years.
"I will tell you a little tale about when I was an innocent first year," Harry's voice had become hard as steel and gripped Ceph's shoulder, "before we were sorted, I was offered a friendship."
"An offer I made," Draco added as he stepped into the circle beside Danica amidst gasps. These two were legends both in and out of Hogwarts; everyone had heard about the famous rivalry between the pair. Now the pair were saying Draco Malfoy had offered the hand of friendship to Harry Potter.
"It was an offer I foolishly rejected. At the time, I did not know I was offending him; no one had taught me any of our world's traditions or propriety. Both Draco and I have been rivals for four years, but it is time to put such pettiness behind us. I, for one, respect Draco immensely," Harry finished, "However, it is not for first years of any house to argue about our rivalry, and which is the better house."
"I agree. All four houses should be equal this year," Draco spoke and stepped before Cepheus, holding out his hand. Harry almost grinned as the pair re-enacted the second time they met, but this time he took the other boy's hand firmly. Whispers raced through the crowd as the four-year rivalry ended, and then they dispersed to their tables. Harry led Ceph by the shoulder towards the Gryffindor table. They joined Neville at the table, where Hermione sat down in her former place. Ron had to find a seat next to Neville as Harry placed Cepheus next to him.
"Cepheus Granger! Mum is going to kill you for starting fights on the second day of school," Hermione scolded the boy. The other three young men looked between the bow-headed boy and their friend.
"Technically, classes have not started yet," Harry pointed out as he grabbed a roll and some eggs.
"Don't you get involved. This is between him and me," Hermione snapped. Harry merely shrugged as the young woman turned her attention back to the small boy. "Why did you start the fight?"
"I didn't actually start a fight," Ceph whined. "I was trying to defend Gryffindor House."
"Look, Ceph, from what Hermione said, you are a good kid, so why not leave it to me to protect Gryffindor's Honour," Harry told the boy as they finished breakfast. "Now, let me introduce you to Hedwig."
"Whose Hedwig?" Ceph asked as Harry moved through the castle showing the boy different routes to get to his classes.
"Hedwig is my owl; she is a very special owl," Harry explained as they moved up the west tower. The cold wind hit them as Harry, Hermione, and Cepheus entered the room. As Harry stepped foot onto the straw-covered floor, avoiding dead mice and droppings, a white shape was already descending. Hedwig glided to the ground, landing smoothly on Harry's shoulder. She stroked her beak through his hair, grooming him.
"This is Hedwig; she is the most intelligent owl ever." The owl seemed to sit up straighter, preening at the compliment. "Hedwig, this is my brother Cepheus."
"She looks beautiful," Cepheus said, his eyes full of awe as the white bird regarded him, then jumped down onto the smaller boy's shoulder. He giggled as she began to nibble his ear affectionately. Harry and Hermione's eyes met over Ceph's head with a grin.
"She will send your letters to Dad. Now have you seen a quidditch match?" Harry asked, changing the subject. Ceph looked up at Harry, wide-eyed, as Hermione grinned. She was a little jealous, but Hermione was glad they were bonding as brothers.
Chapter 13: Thirteen: Brothers and Allies
"Quidditch is a game of fourteen players, seven on each side," Harry explained as he tossed a quaffle between each hand. They were stood on the Quidditch pitch with Harry's Firebolt by their feet, and a Shooting Star Harry had borrowed from the Broomstick shed. "On one side, you have a Keeper, a bit like a goalie in football, two beaters that keep the Bludgers away from other players. Three chasers who keep the Quaffle between themselves, then you have the Seeker."
"Mi says you're the Seeker for Gryffindor," Ceph said proudly as Harry looked at the stands where Ron and Hermione were talking. He felt a shot of jealousy move through him.
"Yes, I am. The Seeker catches the Golden Snitch, which is worth one hundred and fifty points. Catching the Snitch ends the game," Harry explained to the wide-eyed boy.
"But you were the youngest Seeker in a century, right?" Ceph asked.
"Yep, I have been playing as Seeker since the first year, but I do not recommend you do what I did," Harry laughed. "Now, do you want to try on a broom?"
"Sure," the boy looked tentative, but Harry was distracted as he heard a yelp from the stands. He looked up to see Ron and Hermione arguing.
"Wait here, DO not go on that broom until I come back," Harry warned as he jumped on his broom, launching himself towards the Gryffindor stands. As he got closer, Ron stomped off, not looking back. Harry could see Hermione had her chin up, portraying to all that she was not bothered, but the teen knew her far too well for that. He pushed the Firebolt inwards, then gently landed on the stands.
"Are you OK, Hermione?" Harry asked carefully.
"I am fine, just Ron being Ron," Hermione replied waspishly, casually wiping away tears from her eyes. Harry approached her like she was a wounded animal before taking Hermione into his arms. The girl stiffened instantly, then slowly relaxed into Harry's embrace, burying her face in Harry's chest. Hermione put her arms around Harry, hugging him tightly.
"Tell me about it," Harry murmured into her bushy hair.
"Why are boys so stupid? I have tried telling him I do not like him, then he insinuates it is all your fault, that you are drugging me to make me fall in love with you. Ha! As if I need a drug to do that," Hermione went quiet as she realised she had said more than she meant to. Harry completely ignored the last comment, though his heart thumped harder.
"Ron's been very angry lately; he seems to have become even more jealous of me," Harry rambled.
"It started during the summer when all the Prophet tales were coming out, around the time you become the Marquess of Rendlesham if the timelines match up," Hermione theorised, still enjoying the warmth of Harry's embrace. Harry reluctantly let her go but sat next to the girl holding her hand.
"I become Marquess around the second week of July," Harry told her.
"That is around the time he started bad-mouthing you. Even Molly looked put out then," Hermione called.
"What do you think it means?" Harry asked his best friend.
"It may mean nothing, but something was not right in the Weasley Household. Arthur always looked worried. I have never seen him like that before."
"Are we going to play Quidditch, or are you going to cuddle up with my sister? That's like incest or something ain't it seen as you are my brother, and she's my sister," a voice spoke from the stairs. Harry found Cepheus standing there with a shit-eating grin on his face.
"First off, she is your sister by adoption, so no blood relation. She is not my sister! Secondly, Mister Black, I will cuddle up to whomever I like. I could even kiss Hermione if I liked," Harry noticed the faint blush on Hermione's face as Ceph gave a slight grin.
"Ewww," the boy said like a little kid. Harry half expected him to say something about cooties when a deeper voice interrupted.
"Do not make the boy sick. No one wants to see Harry making out with his girlfriend," Sirius stated as Harry whirled around, his face flushing bright red. Sirius knew how to embarrass the boy.
"Cepheus, meet your father! Dad, this little booger is Ceph," Harry properly introduced the pair. Hermione looked up at the man with a questioning look.
"I spoke to your parents last night. Minerva owled me after getting the confirmation Cepheus is my son. However, we still want to do the Puerapatre potion just to make absolutely sure," Sirius explained.
"I love Mum and Dad, but why did you abandon me?" Ceph asked, looking at the man wearily.
"It is a long and complicated story. Do you want to come to Hogsmeade for lunch?" the boys' eyes lit up. Hermione groaned.
"You have made a monster now; Bucky loves his food," Hermione groaned, getting a glare from the boy.
"I told you not to call me Bucky, especially not in front of Harry," Ceph growled.
"Bucky?" Harry asked, looking between the two.
"Despite not being a Granger, Ceph had buck teeth when he was younger. He had braces from eight to ten," Hermione explained.
"With that smile, you will have the girls all over you," Sirius grinned, making the boy blush.
"Dad, be serious!"
"I am always Sirius," came the return, getting a groan from Harry and Hermione, "I bet you take after me."
"I am not so sure you are a good example," Harry grinned at the man.
"Oh, son, I am deeply wounded by that," Sirius staggered back, holding his heart. "Just because you found The One when you were young does not mean we all will. Plus, you do not have a meddling old fool dealing with your love life."
"I would not be so sure about that," Harry muttered.
"Look, if you want to take Ceph to Hogsmeade, we better get permission from Professor McGonagall," Hermione changed the subject.
"OK, Boss, we will go speak to the Queen of the Scots!" Sirius grinned and quickly changed into his Grim form, slobbering Ceph before he could protest.
"He is like a child sometimes," Harry muttered to his best friend. She merely smiled at him, then conjured a leash. Before Sirius realised, he had a collar and leash around his neck. He looked up at Hermione, his grey eyes wide.
"If you are going to act like a dog, then I will treat you like one," she told him sternly. Then the girl forced the dog Animagus to walk alongside them as they first dropped the brooms off and then walked back up to the castle. They stopped in a small courtyard where Sirius changed back to human, the leash disappearing.
"You, girl, are evil," Sirius proclaimed, getting a laugh from Harry and Hermione. The four of them entered the entrance hall looking up at the marble staircase. It being a Saturday, there were few students about, but those that were were wearing non-uniforms. They passed up the grand staircase to the first floor, passing by lots of gossiping portraits before they reached the transfiguration classroom and the Head of Gryffindor's office. Harry knocked on the door and waited.
"Come!" a sharp Scottish voice cried. Harry filed in first, followed by the other three.
"Hello, Professor."
"What do I owe the pleasure of three Blacks and Miss Granger?" She looked over them. Sirius was squirming, remembering his own days at Hogwarts and the stern professor.
"Professor, we would like to go to Hogsmeade for lunch. Cepheus needs to learn more about Dad and me," Harry spoke up first.
"It is not a Hogsmeade weekend, and young Master Black is only a first year," Professor McGonagall considered, but Sirius noted the tiny smirk on her face. As Hermione began to argue Harry looked around the office. Tartan was used liberally in the office as Harry noticed several knickknacks. A picture with a younger McGonagall and a girl in a beautiful Celtic frame.
He also noticed a shield on the wall, with a Celtic cross in the centre and crossed sword behind it. Must be an old crest of a Scottish Laird, Harry considered before turning back to Hermione.
"Technically, the school and classes have not officially started, and Cepheus is being removed by his father," Hermione argued.
"Well, you know your rules. OK, you have my permission as Cepheus and Harry's Head of House," the woman nodded.
"Thank you," Sirius jumped up, giving the older woman a kiss on the cheek.
"Sirius Black, I expect you to behave like an adult."
"Yes, Ma'am."
"Mr Black," she called out before the four left.
"Yes!" Harry and Sirius answered.
"Harry," she spoke exasperated, "I would like you to come to talk with me one day to discuss that request you made."
"Yes, Ma'am," Harry saluted her cheekily.
"Just like your father!" the transfiguration teacher muttered.
"I will have them back by dinner," Hermione promised with a laugh as the four of them left. The three Hogwarts students followed Sirius back onto the first-floor corridor and then into the main entrance.
"Potter, where do you think you are going?" a snivelly voice called out. The group stopped, turning to find Professor Snape at the foot of the stairs. Harry noticed Professor Umbridge, in her pink cardigan, was lingering nearby.
"Professor, it is Mister Black in the classroom or Lord Rendlesham if you would like to address me correctly, Sir Prince-Snape," Harry returned with a hint of rebellion.
"I asked where you were going?" Snape was goggle-eyed. This boy knew his real name.
"Father is taking my brother, Miss Granger and myself out to lunch in Hogsmeade," Hermione realised Harry had drawn himself up, appearing more noble-like.
"This is not a Hogsmeade weekend; the boy is still too young to leave Hogwarts," Snape returned, not realising how angry Harry was becoming.
"Sir Prince-Snape. Professor McGonagall, the esteemed Deputy Headmistress, and our Head of House has given us permission to leave the castle as classes have truly not started." Hermione slipped her hand into Harry's, causing the energy that was building up to die.
"I will speak to the Headmaster about this."
"That is well within your prerogative, sir, but we are now leaving, and you have no right to stop us," Harry turned on his heel leading Hermione from the entrance hall down the path towards Hogsmeade. They left a very bewildered Snape behind, who was rapidly becoming angrier. As they reached the gates of Hogwarts, Sirius and Ceph caught up.
"Why did you not say anything, Sirius?" Hermione asked curiously, not realising she was still holding Harry's hand.
"Harry had everything in order," Sirius replied simply.
"How they let a Death Eater teach at Hogwarts is beyond me; the number of Healers and Aurors they could have if not for Snape teaching is a catastrophe," Harry ranted. Of course, Harry had told Hermione all about the Pensieve and Snape's trial last year but had never questioned it until today.
"What's a Death Eater?" Ceph asked, trying to catch up with Harry's striding pace.
"Do you remember me telling you about the Dark Wizard Voldemort at the beginning of summer," Hermione turned to the boy as Ceph nodded, "well he has gathered a group of men and women to him that are called Death Eaters, very nasty people."
"Murderers, Rapists, thieves, monsters!" Harry muttered, getting a glare from Hermione.
"There are some truly evil people who work for HIM, but most of them are pure-bloods who believe in the purity of wizarding blood; they think those born from Muggles should not be allowed into wizarding society. They come in and change everything," Hermione continued.
"They are not wrong, though," Harry commented absent-mindedly.
"You what?" Hermione demanded; Harry knew he was walking a thin line.
"You know I do not believe in that purity crap, but Muggle-borns do not understand the wizarding world. No one teaches them about the traditions and how to live in the Wizarding World," Harry returned. "Think about it. I would not have spent four years fighting with Draco if I had realised, I had insulted him by rejecting the handshake. Yes, he said some rude things, but I had only met people who had terrible things to say about Slytherin."
"What are you saying?" Hermione was now very curious.
"We debated this over the summer. I have put forward a proposal to Professor McGonagall for a new class in Wizarding World culture, with a teacher like Narcissa," Harry explained. "Dad and I are also looking at the very possibility of opening a junior school to teach Muggle-borns before they arrive at Hogwarts."
"That is a great idea," Hermione seemed enthused.
"That reminds me, Ceph, every Saturday, you shall be having Etiquette lessons with Narcissa; it's already been arranged with Professor McGonagall," Sirius commented. Harry's grin was broad. "I don't know what you're grinning at; there's still so much you have to learn, so Draco and Neville will be joining you and Ceph in those Etiquette lessons."
"Arg, schoolwork on the weekend!" Cepheus moaned as Hermione spoke up.
"Ooh, can I join them?"
"As a Son of the House of Black, you will have expectations of you as well as being the son of a Duke," Sirius told the boy, then turned to Hermione, "I thought you would want to join the lessons, so Narcissa is OK with you coming to the lessons."
They chatted about this and that until they reached The Three Broomsticks. Inside was cosy, with several customers eating or talking, but most ignored the newcomers. Sirius briefly spoke to Rosmerta then they were led to a private room where they took a seat at the table provided.
"You knew we would get permission, you old dog," Harry grinned at his dad.
"Minerva cannot resist me," Sirius grinned back as Rosmerta came to take their order. "Let's have lunch first, then we'll discuss the serious stuff."
"OK."
"How have you found Hogwarts so far?" Sirius looked at the young boy, who appeared a little intimidated.
"I knew Mi had magic, but what I've seen so far blows everything out of the water," the kid replied enthusiastically, "Harry's taken me on a tour of the school showing me about Quidditch too, though he wanted to kiss with Mi, so he did not tell me much."
"Is that so?" Sirius barked out laughter as Hermione blushed a delicate shade of red.
"You are so dead, squirt!" Hermione whispered.
"Do you reckon you think you will make the Quidditch team?" Sirius asked.
"Well, I have not been on a broomstick yet," Ceph replied, glaring at Hermione
"If you are anything like me, then you'll be on the Quidditch team," Sirius winked.
"Oh, he is a mini-Marauder in the making," Hermione huffed but got a massive grin from Sirius. Ceph had heard them mention the Marauders before; he would have to ask about that later. They chatted about this and that as Rosmerta brought dinner to the table. The meal was thoroughly enjoyable, but as Harry leaned back and the plates disappeared, the atmosphere became tenser.
"What do you know about your adoption?" Sirius asked the eleven-year-old.
"On my birthday, I received the admissions letter from Hogwarts. I was so excited because Mi had been telling mum, dad, and me for years about it. But the day Hermione got back at the end of the fourth year, we both sat down with mum and dad," Cepheus explained. "After mum and dad had Hermione, they were unable to have children. However, they felt like their family was not complete. So, they adopted me a month after I was born."
"Thinking about it, that seems awfully quick to adopt a child in just one month," Hermione's logical brain kicked in. Harry loved it when she got logical.
"Did Hermione tell you I was in prison?"
"Yeah, but you were innocent. Everyone had made a mistake, and you had been thrown in jail," Cepheus returned.
"I am not going to repeat the story here as it is hard on us all, but not long before I went to jail, I was preparing to get married to my sweetheart Holly Du Vere, and then I got thrown in prison. I met with Holly several times, and she ended up pregnant with a little boy; now we know that was you."
"Why didn't you know about me? Is my biological mother alive?" Cepheus questioned.
"What do you know about the houses?" Sirius responded, confusing the boy.
"There's Gryffindor, Slytherin—" Harry interrupted him.
"You know dad is a Duke, correct?"
"The Duke of Anglia?" Ceph remembered.
"In both the Muggle world and ours, there are nobles, but the Wizarding world puts more stock on the nobles. Our government is ruled by the Wizengamot, made up of the Ancient and Noble Houses, Ancient Houses, and the Noble Houses. They are joined by the heads of the Ministry departments plus recipients of the Order of Merlin. There are also the Greater Houses. However, they do not partake in the Wizengamot," Harry explained, "The oldest houses are the Ancient and Noble ones. There used to be ten; now there are four, with a fifth about to become extinct."
"The Houses of Black, Longbottom and Selwyn are the oldest families from even before the Wizengamot. In essence, we could be Wizarding royalty," Sirius continued. "The House of Black has always been neutral, neither light nor dark. However, as the last Head of the House withered, several members turned to the dark, putting the House's reputation down. The House has many enemies.
"When I started at Hogwarts, I was the first to be placed in Gryffindor for hundreds of years. Even though I could be described as someone on the light side, some were not happy and began to manipulate events to gain power," Sirius shared a look with Harry and Hermione. "They decided it best I forget I had children; they hoped I would remain in Azkaban forever. However, I managed to get free, and with your brother, I was able to return my memories, but it took a lot of research to discover you."
"I still feel weird hearing, brother," Harry tried to lighten things up, getting a laugh from everyone around the table.
"Tell me about it. I am still struggling with the fact I have two children, let alone ones that are both teens, well, almost," Sirius grinned.
"How do you feel about this?" Hermione asked the boy.
"William has been the only father I have ever known, so it feels like I get a second one. Harry, I always knew he would be my brother one way or another," Ceph smirked at his sister. Harry quirked an eyebrow at the girl, who looked mortified.
"You are definitely my son," Sirius laughed even harder at Hermione's misfortune. Harry slapped the man around the back of the head. The man grumbled, "I could ground you for that,"
"Seriously, you won't ever ground me," Harry replied.
"Now that's a challenge," Sirius told the teen with a glint in his eyes.
"As much as I would love to see this display of parent-child power struggle, we have to get back up to the castle," Hermione told them. The group gathered their stuff before saying goodbye to the Animagus outside of the pub. As they walked up to the castle, Cepheus was relatively quiet.
"What's going through that head, pup?" Harry asked, nudging the boy a little bit. The eleven-year-old smiled up at him. Even though he had known Harry was his brother for a little under a day, he could tell he really liked the older teen. He had been hearing stories about Harry for years; now that he found out Harry was his brother, he could not be more pleased.
"Is he always like that?"
"Dad?" Harry asked, getting a nod, "He has always been a bit of a joker, but Azkaban damaged him. He still loves life, but he can be earnest at times."
"I spent the last three weeks of summer with him. He is a very loving father. He is a lot like our dad in a way," Hermione added.
"What am I going to call him? I feel like it will be a betrayal to call him Dad." Ceph uncharacteristically chewed his lip. Harry noticed Hermione did that a lot; he must have picked the habit up from her, he thought.
"Dad would not be upset over that; he is your biological father, after all," Hermione soothed the boy.
"You can call him Padfoot, Snuffles or Sirius until you feel ready," Harry suggested. "Now, let me tell you some stories about the Marauders."
"Who are the Marauders?" Ceph asked with innocence.
"Now, you cannot tell Fred and George, but the Marauders met in their first year—" Harry proceeded to tell Cepheus stories about their father and the Marauders.
They talked all the way back to the Common room, where Harry started to show Ceph how to play wizarding chess. Neville joined them, blasting Harry out of the water. Harry was watching Ron, who seemed to alternate between glares and looks of envy. Ginny also was watching the party closely. It was now dinner time, so the group made their way towards the Great Hall.
"Harry!" a voice called out as they stepped onto the ground floor. Susan Bones, another fifth year, approached them, then curtsied slightly, "Lord Rendlesham, a pleasure."
"Erm," Harry tried to remember his etiquette lessons.
"Lady Bones, always a pleasure," Neville kissed her hand, then murmured to Harry, "she is the last heir to the Bones family, an Ancient family,"
"Lady Bones," Harry kissed Susan's hand, noticing the glare Hermione was giving.
"Now that is all out of the way, Harry, I would love for you to meet with the other heirs, and perhaps we can renew some old alliances," Susan suggested. Before Harry could answer, a voice spoke.
"Harry won't want anything to do with a lowly house like yours; he's got the power of the Black's behind him," Ron strode up, puffing his chest out.
"You would know a lot about lowly houses, wouldn't you, Weasel?" Draco sauntered up to the group, "feeling a bit inferior now that Black has new friends."
"You would know everything about being inferior, wouldn't you? You're not even worth the sh—"
"What is going on here?" Snape's silky voice rang out.
"Just having a discussion about House business," was the surprising reply from Draco. The potion master's eyes widened, his only indication of shock.
"Well, perhaps you could take it elsewhere; you are blocking the entrance hall," Snape replied coldly, striding into the hall.
"When and where?" Harry asked before Ron could start again
"10 am tomorrow, and we will meet in the Great Hall," Susan smiled at him, then skipped off towards the Hufflepuff table. Harry gave Draco a quick nod as the blond left for the Slytherin table. Ron tried to walk alongside Harry but found Hermione and Neville on either side of him.
"You don't want to be friends with them; they're just rich twits, thinking they're better than everyone else," Ron started ranting. Neville shrugged as Harry looked his way. Harry was beginning to see what some had been telling him; Ron had kept people from being his friend in the past.
"I'll see what they want, then leave," Harry replied in a tone that did not allow for arguments. They took a seat at the end of the table like they usually did, with Ron nearly shoving Cepheus out of the way to sit near Harry. The teen himself stared angrily at the redhead as Hermione helped the boy back onto the bench. Then all of them realised none of the food appeared. Harry looked up to see the Headmaster had stood up.
"I am sorry for disturbing you before we have another lovely meal. However, I did not get to finish all my announcements last night. Firstly, Quidditch try-outs for all houses will take place the week after next," Harry caught Angelina's eyes, who gave him the thumbs up, "as the Yule ball was so successful last year, we will be reinstating it this year, but it shall be opened for all those third years and above."
"This is fantastic," Harry heard Ginny say as everyone began to talk about the news.
The following day Harry found himself with Draco in the Great Hall, meeting up with Susan Bones. After the initial meeting, she led the pair through the classroom. Inside there were already four people, Harry knew Neville, Hannah Abbot, and Ernest MacMillan, but there was a small boy he did not know.
"You know Lord Grossmont, Lady Abbot, and Lord MacMillan. This is Sullivan Fawley from the Ancient House of Fawley," Susan Bones introduced them; the second year looked nervous with all the older students. "His Grandmother is the current Head of the Fawley's."
"This is not all the heirs of Hogwarts," Malfoy commented.
"No, this is what is left of the Potter Alliance," Bones explained.
"Potter Alliance?" Harry queried.
"The Potters are a Noble family. Some say they descend from the Peverell's, but they were as politically active as the Blacks, though they were generally known as light wizards and witches," Bones explained, "Potter should be one of the Ancient and Noble Houses, but certain factions have stopped that for several hundred years, but they were damn strong. They began the Old Alliance with Abbot, Longbottom, Bones, Fawley and MacMillan."
"If you knew about the Potter's beforehand, why did you never approach me?" Harry asked, taking a seat in the circle of chairs.
"We have tried. Ernie, Hannah, and I all tried to approach you but were pushed away by Ronald. He told us you knew and did not want to get involved with that business," Susan answered, a little upset. Harry looked to Neville, who nodded his head.
"I asked in my first year. I grew up hearing about Alice Longbottom and Lilly Potter, the best of friends. I looked forward to meeting my godbrother, but you were so nervous. I was not the most forward person back then," Neville explained. "Ron told me you were happy being a normal boy, that you wanted nothing to do with being Lord Potter or reviving the old alliances."
"Wow, I knew nothing about the noble houses until this summer," Harry looked at the gobsmacked faces of the others.
"We want to bring back the Old Alliance. When we are old enough, we could do some profound changes in the Wizengamot, especially with you being a Black now," Susan seemed excited.
"So, you are not about pure-blood purity?" Harry asked, getting a huff from Draco by his side.
"While we are not superior to muggle-borns or muggles in general, we do think they come into our world and change things without realising it," Ernie spoke up.
"Your Grandmother voted for the implementation of the Muggle-born Act," Harry stated looking at a rather uncomfortable Ernie.
"The Wizarding World is old fashioned, but there is a lot that works. We need to be more inclusive and try to modernise our world," Hannah spoke up.
"I am not my grandmother, I would not have voted for the Act to go through, though I do believe a class in our traditions and History might be a good idea," Ernie replied, squirming. Harry leant forward watching the boy sharply then eagerly looking around the assembled group.
"Neville and I have given our oaths to one another. Do we do something similar?" Harry asked after a moment or two of scrutiny.
"You what? Harry, you cannot be going around giving out oaths all over the place," Draco pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Erm, why is Malfoy here? He is not exactly the alliance type," Ernie looked at the blond nervously.
"If we tell them, we will need oaths," Harry looked at Draco, who shook his head, before nodding.
"They will need to take oaths to the Black-Longbottom Alliance," Neville said with a grin surprising Susan, Ernie, and Hannah.
"Do you think Sullivan might be a little too young to take an oath?" Harry asked the group. The dark-haired boy looked up at Harry.
"I know I am only in my second year, but I have been learning about my family and oaths all my life. The Fawley's were once a great friend of the Potter's, just behind the Longbottom's. I would like to be allied to you," Sullivan spoke clearly with a maturity beyond his years. The group each gave their oaths, except for Neville, who was already oath-bound to Harry.
"Draco will no longer be a Malfoy, probably after the Christmas break His Grace will annul the marriage between Lucious Malfoy and Narcissa Black. Draco will be absorbed into the House of Black and become one of the sons of Black. He is also my close cousin," Harry explained, almost laughing at the faces of the other teens.
"He has been horrible for the last four years. Did you brainwash him?" Ernie asked, a nervous laugh bubbling up.
"No, Harry did not. I realised how deranged Voldemort was. After spending the summer with Harry, I realised Muggle-borns were not as bad as they seem; look at Granger," Draco told them a little testily.
"I liked you better during the summer. You were not as grouchy," Harry responded.
"I did not have to play a part then."
"You will get used to them like this," Neville promised.
"Now I think we should bring some more heirs into the alliance; there are a lot of Darker families in the Wizengamot," Harry suggested.
"There are several heirs we can speak to; Higgs, Urquhart, possibly Zabini," Hannah suggested
"Zabini?" Harry raised an eyebrow.
"He is not bad, perhaps I can bring in Theo," Draco added, blushing slightly. However, no one noticed except for Harry.
"We need to get a few of the Greater houses moved up to Noble to improve our standing," Bones spoke aloud.
"I have heard about the Greater houses several times but do not really know much about them," Harry admitted.
"They are minor houses, those that did not have enough gold or standing or were not old enough to become one of the Old Houses," Draco explained.
"So can the Houses move into higher ones?" Harry asked.
"Yes, Longbottom and Greengrass only became Ancient and Noble Houses about six hundred years ago. There is a way of petitioning the Wizengamot for a House to have a higher designation. Some, like the Malfoy's, will never get that because they only came to this country a few hundred years ago," Neville lectured.
"Wow, I wish I had known this years ago," Harry commented. "I think we should try to bring Danica Selwyn on board, I have met Lady Selwyn, and I think they would be powerful allies."
"I agree," Neville said.
"I am not so sure; she is a sycophant. A little devil in disguise," Draco grumbled.
"Aww is someone having problems with a child," Harry teased to the astonishment of the rest of the group except Neville.
"You do not see her; she follows me around and tries to be involved in everything I do."
"Sounds like she has a crush on you," Neville laughed at the blond.
"You wait until a girl starts following you around, then I will be the one laughing,"
"He already does," Harry replied, getting a look from his friend.
"Oh, do tell. This is a new development," Draco grinned.
"Have you not noticed Luna Lovegood following him around, she seems mighty interested in our Nev," Harry outright laughed at the expression on Neville's face. He got a thump on his arm for his troubles. Harry and Draco continued to tease Neville, then the group got talking as they became more familiar with each other. Harry managed to tease Sullivan out of his shell to join in with the older teens. Just before dinner time, an owl knocked on the window. Ernie jumped up to allow it to come in. The animal flew in, gently landing on Harry's shoulder, holding out a letter for him.
"Thank you," Harry offered the animal an owl treat from his pocket. The owl barked once, then left out of the window as Harry turned the letter over to read.
Dear Lord Rendlesham,
We have completed the Potter vaults audit; though you have now been recognised as a Black, you are still a Potter. We would like your presence at your earliest convenience to discuss some of the transactions found and any solutions moving forward. We would also like to discuss other blood-related business.
May your gold overflow,
Maglugg