Chapter 19: New Year, Old Problems
On the last day of their holiday, Hermione once more awoke alone, but this time, instead of seeing her betrothed sat on the floor, his glowing body indicating that he was within his mindscape, there was only the sound of metal clashing with metal, a familiar teenage boy's voice laughing joyfully as the noise rang through the house.
Dressing in her robes, Hermione opened the door and had to duck back in as two blurry figures passed by their room, the Holy Knight of Ocean catching sight of Harry wielding Excalibur while opposite him, clearly overpowering, but not over-exerting the vitality of the Holy Knight of Thunder, was Sebastian, the two locked in what Hermione recognised as melee training.
Carefully stepping out of the room, Hermione watched as Harry parried and doubled-back on Sebastian's attacks, the steel of Excalibur matching Sebastian's sword, the older man clearly the superior swordsman as he went to attack every inch of the Holy Sword. Harry kept his weapon high, his strikes coming from above while his defence was either vertically-positioned or held across his chest, as if to defend his body from Sebastian's strikes.
'Having fun Sparky?' asked Hermione, slightly distracting Harry as he turned his head, the Holy Knight then having to duck as Sebastian came in with the edge of his sword. Stepping back, Harry held his sword before his face, before he lowered it to the side.
"I yield," he gasped, wiping his brow with the sleeve of his robe; to Hermione's untrained position, it seemed that Harry had been at this for some time, "How'd I do?"
"You still allow yourself to be distracted too easily," Sebastian commented, watching as Harry moved to Hermione's side, before the Order's Commander smiled as he added, "Though I guess where Hermione is concerned, you have a valid reason for distraction."
"Sorry Harry," Hermione told him, resting her head on his shoulder as Harry sheathed Excalibur, "I should have waited until you were done."
"No Mione," Harry replied, turning his head so that he could place a gentle kiss on her forehead, "Where you are concerned, I'd risk everything in a moment's distraction: you are the one distraction that I will never ignore, no matter what."
"Harry is right there," laughed the calm voice of Sirius, the Marauder poking his head over the banister from the stairs, "Is it safe to come out now?"
"Sorry Sirius," Harry sighed, "And yes, I was having fun Hermione: ever since I gave him the blade, Seba's been training me while we agreed that Elora would be your combat trainer, which leaves Felicia to train you with your powers and magicks and either Dante or Tyler to train me. So, what's wrong Sirius?"
"Minerva just gave me a fire-call," Sirius explained, "It's almost time to go and, according to her, Dumbledore wants to see you and Hermione when you get back to Hogwarts."
'It was inevitable,' Harry remarked, sighing deeply as he looked to Sebastian, "I'll need the Order with me and you'd better get ready for some serious emotional responses."
"As you command," Sebastian replied, Harry knowing that, now they were returning to school, he would fall back into his role as the commander of the Order. However, in all honesty, Harry was beginning to enjoy knowing that he had warriors and allies both as well as family and friends at his side: he didn't know whether it was because he was growing used to Sebastian's presence or whether it was because of the fact that, with every day that passed, they grew one day closer to Harry making his way to Camelot.
Dressing in their Hogwarts robes, Harry made his way down to the lounge where he and Sirius shared a farewell hug, the Lord of the Black Family whispering, "Next time you see me pup, I'll be a free man; oh," he then added, moving to the fireplace where he retrieved an envelope with Harry's name on it, "Here; that reminds me: Amelia wanted me to give this to you before you left. Something about an investigation that you asked her to perform regarding our not-so-favourite Potions Master."
"I know what this is," Harry nodded, pocketing the envelope and making his way out to the front garden where Remus was waiting, their current Defence Professor offering to Apparate Harry and Hermione straight to Hogsmeade given the summons they'd received. In an attempt to silence the oncoming storm that he could feel burning away inside him, Harry accepted the offer before he had Dobby send a message to Neville and Luna about them not being on the train.
It was time for the confrontation that Harry, in his own opinion, had been waiting all Christmas for…
HPHG
"Ugh," groaned Harry, clutching at his stomach, "Apparition; not my favourite mode of transport."
"You did well," Remus laughed, "Most people throw up on their first time."
'Can't imagine why,' thought Harry, trying to overcome the disorienting feeling that had filled his body when Remus had seemingly turned on the spot and, the next thing Harry knew, he had felt like he was being sucked down a swirling pipe before being dropped off outside Hogsmeade Village, the looming structure of Hogwarts School before them.
"Are you ready?" asked Hermione, seemingly healing Harry's motion sickness with a gentle kiss on his lips, "This won't be an easy encounter."
"I know," Harry replied, before he heard a collection of pops behind them as he added, "But it's all right: Seba's here with the Order."
Making their way up towards Hogwarts, Harry smiled when he saw Hagrid moving from his hut, the giant looking slightly sombre as he saw Harry waving to him. The happiness in Harry seemed to hit the floor as Hagrid then made his way over to them, his eyes filled with a dark foreboding as he looked to Remus.
"It's a good thing that yer 'ere 'Arry," Hagrid commented, his voice filled with a sadness that suddenly had Harry wanting Excalibur in his hand. "Dumbledore asked me ter come ter 'is office; Lucius Malfoy 'as made a complaint against me teachin's."
"Just please don't say that it's because of Buckbeak," Harry requested, his voice filled with strength and newfound determination.
"I wish I could 'Arry," Hagrid gulped, his usually friendly beetle-black eyes now threatening to fill with tears; Harry also felt Hermione suddenly clutching at his arm rather tightly, her own sadness and fear moving through their bond.
"But he's not dangerous," Harry snarled, "And what business is it of Malfoy's anyway?"
"His son," Hagrid gasped, "'E said Beaky attacked someone out of rage jus' because 'e tried ter get close an…"
"Hagrid," Harry told him, his voice firm and his silver eye now shining with such brightness that it looked like there were lightning bolts actually coming alive within its glow. "Buckbeak is my familiar and I will fight tooth and nail to protect him: you're right that it is a good thing I'm here and I think I know the other reason that Ferret Senior is here. Come on, we've got a headmaster to see."
"Harry," Remus warned him, "Mind your temper: you may be someone pretty high up, but Lucius has been playing his twisting-the-story-game for years."
"Thanks for the warning Remus," Harry remarked, nodding to the school, "You'd better get inside: leave the meeting to me and, just in case, get in touch with Amelia and tell her about this, would you?"
"Sure Harry," Remus replied, moving towards the school while Harry took a familiar path up towards Professor Dumbledore's office – the password this time being strawberry bonbons – before he stopped and, turning to Sebastian, heaved a sigh before speaking.
"Seba, you come in with Hermione and I," he instructed the commander, "The rest of the Order can wait at the bottom of the stairs in case they try to make a run for it. As your Lord, I give you permission to use extreme prejudice and whatever means necessary to immobilize anyone that tries to leave or disrupt this meeting."
"That's all right Harry," Tyler commented dryly, his own eyes on the door as he added, "I don't think any of us want to be too close to anyone in that room: we'll do as you command."
"Thanks Ty," Harry nodded, before he turned back to the door and knocked, hearing the reply from Dumbledore that told Harry enough: this was not going to be a good meeting.
Stepping inside, Sebastian at his side, Hermione with her hand in his as if to try and avoid Harry feeling the need to call out his blade, the Holy Knight's suspicions were proven correct: Lucius Malfoy was indeed standing before him, his dark eyes filled with the same malice and hatred from the day that Harry had tricked him into freeing Dobby. However, next to Lucius was the last woman Harry wanted to see and yet she was here: Molly Weasley looked ready to kill someone while, next to her, the Dead Man Walking was, as Harry had envisioned, wrapped in a thick blanket, shivering furiously.
"Oh," Harry remarked, his voice feigning shock as he spoke, "I see my little spell finally wore off: tell me, Lord Malfoy, how is darling Draco?"
"Potter," snarled Lucius, but Harry cut him off with but a glare.
"Lord Potter," Harry added, removing his outer cloak and revealing his robe, the Potter Family Crest shown clearly on his right shoulder, trimmed in gold, but also giving Lucius a chance to notice Excalibur easily within reach of the Holy Knight. "To you, Lord Malfoy," Harry finished, looking now to Molly as he added, "And Lady Weasley: this is a surprise, my own Vassal House paying me a visit and in the same room as a Malfoy without shedding blood. Can someone call the Devil and see how Hell is enjoying its winter months because it must have frozen over?"
Hermione sniggered at Harry's joke while, behind the Weasleys, Harry heard a trill of amusement from Fawkes and even Professor Dumbledore, dressed in holly-berry red robes, managed a smile as he indicated a chair for Harry. "I am glad that you are here, Harry my boy; can you please take a seat so we can talk?"
"I'd sooner stand," Harry remarked, before he moved around the room and gently ran a hand over Fawkes' breast, the phoenix almost cooing softly as he felt the touch of the real Lord around here. "Now," Harry continued, "Why was I summoned here Headmaster and can you also explain why my familiar is being threatened?"
"Your…what?" asked Dumbledore, watching as Harry faced Lucius, a cold, calculating smile on the face of the Holy Knight as he answered the headmaster.
"The Hippogriff known as Buckbeak," he answered calmly, "On what charges are you bringing Hagrid up on this time Malfoy?"
"That man," Lucius replied, his voice as cold and clipped as ever, "Willingly allowed your…familiar to assault a proud pureblood heir and threaten the safety of my own son: had it not been for your…assistance, my son could have been injured as bad, if not worse, than young Mister Weasley."
"Uh-huh," Harry replied, before he gave a hum of confusion as he asked, "Tell me, Lord Malfoy, do you know how to tame a Hippogriff?"
"Of course," Lucius scoffed, "I am in correspondence with the head of the Department for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures."
"And," Harry continued, "According to their own guidelines, what is the one thing that you should never do to a Hippogriff?"
"Well…" Lucius began, but Harry cut him off again as he turned to the still-shivering Ron.
"What about you Weasley?" he asked calmly, "Since you were the so-called injured party and you were in the lesson after dear little Draco was nearly injured beyond repair: what is the one thing you should never do to a Hippogriff?"
"In-in-insult it," Ron stammered, his voice obviously weakened by the effects of Harry's little leaving present: a part of the Holy Knight actually began to wonder just how long the so-called injured party had been hanging there.
"Uh-huh," Harry replied, "And I can tell you from my own personal experience what happened in the lesson in question: first, Professor Hagrid introduced Buckbeak and I volunteered to show the class how to approach a Hippogriff. However, before I could perform the necessary routines, Buckbeak actually bowed to me and allowed me to stroke him, thus causing the bond between us that marks him as my familiar. Then, when Professor Hagrid rewarded me for my example and display of riding a Hippogriff, dear little Draco swaggered up and called Buckbeak a great, ugly brute."
"Well he was right," Ron laughed, not even noticing the folly he was doing, "Have you seen those things? I mean Gods above, they make trolls look like beauty queens."
"Perhaps," Harry agreed, "But I thank you Weasley, because you just provided me with a second voice: finally something you are good at: and, as if that wasn't bad enough, after the lesson, I had a meeting in the evening with Professor Hagrid and we were discussing Buckbeak when, would you believe it? Buckbeak makes one hell of a row, we all rush outside to see what all the commotion is and who do we find? One Ronald Weasley seemingly injured because of an attack that he says was all his own choice: yeah, and I'm the poster boy for Gringotts next beauty pageant…do they even have those?"
Hermione couldn't help but laugh and, this time, it was Sebastian who smiled as Harry looked to Lucius, his eyes filled with victory as he added, "And your son, surprise, surprise, was boasting all about it and all he could say when I confronted him was: wait until my Father hears about this. I mean for Salazar's sake Lucius, can't you teach your son a new warning? He's worse than a broken record, but I gave him fair warning: Buckbeak is the familiar of a Lord of a Pureblood House and the last Pure Knight of the Elemental Order. If I even hear word of an executioner's Axe, then the only one on the chopping block will be Draco…with this!"
With that, Harry unsheathed Excalibur, Ron actually shivering with what Harry could tell straight away was fear while Lucius, hearing Harry's declaration, could only feel a sense of disbelief and horror.
"A…A Pure Knight?" he asked, "As in…"
"As in a Holy Knight," Harry replied, now revealing the Crest of the Knights as he held on tightly to Excalibur, "The Holy Knight of Thunder, to be exact; wielder and master of the Holy Sword Excalibur, Heir of Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin and new leader of the Elemental Order. So tell me, Lord Malfoy, what were you going to do about Buckbeak?"
"I…I…I…"
"Oh great," Harry sighed, "Another broken record."
"Like Father, Like Son," Hermione added.
"Shut your mouth, you useless mudblood!" snapped Molly, Harry's anger now spiking, an ominous rumble of thunder echoing through the room as the Holy Knight rounded on her.
"And who gave you permission to speak bitch?" asked Harry, "Why are you here anyway? Did you go begging to Malfoy here for a truce to defend your Ickle Ronniekins after I left him high and dry, or should that be high and icy?"
"You know very well what you did boy!" Molly hissed, Harry's silver eye now flashing dangerously; out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sebastian reaching for his own sword while Hermione stepped back: she could feel what was coming and, if Molly didn't shut her mouth, then the tempest was coming to Hogwarts. "You took the word of this mudblood over two prominent pureblood heirs and left them in conditions that would have seen them in St Mungo's for weeks: what right have you to leave them there? My poor boy could have…"
"ENOUGH!"
The roar was so loud that, in every part of Hogwarts, portraits and ghosts all stopped, while back in Dumbledore's office, the Hogwarts Sorting Hat was now speaking, one of the portraits in the office now holding not a previous headmaster, but a familiar Founder.
"Godric," Harry gasped, "What brings you…"
"Not just me Harry," answered the first Lord Gryffindor, "All of us: Alistair, if you would?"
"Of course Godric," the hat replied, before he seemed to glow all of a sudden, a silvery cloud rising from the hat, the look of the cloud actually making Dumbledore look frightened.
"Now Godric," he remarked, "I have a fully-working Pensieve and…"
"And Hogwarts sees all old man," Godric hissed, before he looked to Harry as he added, "Harry, could you place the hat on your head and think about the incident in question?"
"Of course Godric," Harry replied, moving to the Sorting Hat where, as soon as he placed it upon his head, all those present bore witness to the events of the last week of term;
Flashback
"Is anything amiss here?"
"No Harry," answered Lavender Brown, "Oh, but Hermione did come in earlier; then she got a letter."
"A letter?" asked Harry, "From whom?"
"Well…you," Lavender answered, "Didn't you ask her to meet you in the place where you first became friends for a private discussion…"
She didn't get a chance to finish; Harry had turned on his heel and raced down the stairs, moving towards the girls bathroom where he had first made friends with his brown-haired betrothed, Excalibur's blade suddenly glowing as it sensed magic at work here.
Harry didn't bother with subtlety this time: a familiar feeling of protectiveness rose within him, seemingly summoning the four winds from all around him as he stood before the door, Excalibur shining brighter than ever. Using only his will to protect his girl, Harry summoned the power of the wind and coalesced its energy into a single, powerful tornado that sent the door flying off its hinges, just as a familiar cry came from within.
"Hermione!" Harry roared, moving like lightning, his eyes narrowed dangerously, his silver eye suddenly looking more like a fog barrier than its usual shining lightning appearance as he saw just what was going on.
Crabbe and Goyle, hearing Harry's cry, had turned to intercept the threat, but not before Harry had called on the power of his Storm side and used the time of year as an inspiration. Sweeping Excalibur forwards, Harry sealed Crabbe and Goyle in place, a veil seemingly made from ice and snow freezing the two gorillas where they stood, the sound of a cubicle opening and, before he knew what was going on, Harry found himself under attack from a brown-haired missile.
'Kitten?' asked Harry, suddenly discovering his bond to be stronger than before.
'Sparky?' asked Hermione, 'It is you: I'm sorry; I was only trying to help: he tricked me.'
'Hush Kitten,' Harry replied, running his hand through her brown hair, looking over her shoulder as he told her, 'I'm here now.'
Gently nudging her aside, Harry stood tall and proud as he declared, "There's only one person in this school those two thugs would listen to: show yourself Malfoy!"
Malfoy appeared from the same cubicle that Hermione had been in, but he wasn't alone: Ron Weasley accompanied him, his trousers almost undone, his face showing a look of rage and a shiner that would be there for some time.
"You…sick…bastards," Harry snarled, "What the fuck were you thinking of doing to her?"
"Teaching filth like her a lesson she won't forget," Ron laughed, "She took away our friendship Harry; she needed to be punished. After all, I'm the only one who could ever truly love her: what could you love about someone like her?"
"Oh I don't know Ron," Harry replied, the hurricane that had been building up now blowing through the bathroom, Ron and Draco being pushed against the wall where they hung like ornaments, Ron's trousers now falling to the floor with the impact of the wind. Harry, keeping a very close eye on his Hermione, continued, "Maybe it's her kind heart, her willingness to forgive and forget, her honesty, her sheer raw magical presence or maybe, just maybe, I love her for being her."
"What?" asked Draco, "A sick, bookworm of a Mudblood who thinks she's good enough to share the same breathing space as purebloods like us?"
"Malfoy," Harry growled, "Wrong question!"
Excalibur's blade began to crackle and spark, Harry's silver eye now glowing with the full power of the elements at his command as he pushed his sword outwards, the blade unleashing a torrent of white lightning that struck Malfoy, Harry's voice cutting into him. "That's for calling her a Mudblood!"
He then turned his lightning on Ron, the red-headed asshole screaming as the full power of the storm coursed through him, "That's for doing what I sincerely hope you weren't trying to do."
Lowering Excalibur, Harry then sheathed his sword, placed his hands together, a torrent of ice, snow, fire and lightning all coming together as he looked to the two guilty party, his voice now like thunder as he boomed, "And this is for trying to think that you could harm my Hermione and get away with it!"
Thrusting his hands out, Harry watched as the four elemental powers coalesced and struck the two still hanging wizards, Malfoy suddenly becoming a mix of ice and fire that formed hard crystal, sealing him in place while Ron was less lucky; the snow and rain from Harry's summoned storm enveloped him before the lightning appeared to burnish the collection of elements, freezing him in place, both of them looking more like Christmas Tree decorations than proud wizards.
Lowering his hands, Harry stepped back, the winds dying down, Hermione moving slowly to his side as she asked, "How…how did you…"
"You'd be surprised what I can do when my girl is in danger," Harry remarked, before he put his arm around her and kissed her on the lips, Hermione melting into his embrace, Harry then aware of her hand going to his pocket as they parted.
"Why didn't you confirm that letter with the bond?" asked Harry, placing his forehead against Hermione's, "I would never deceive you Kitten; you know that."
"I do," Hermione replied, "I'm sorry Sparky: I did consider confirming it, but then something appeared to call me here; I think the parchment was laced with charms."
"Did," Harry asked, a growl to his voice as he held Hermione, "Did…they do anything to you?"
"They tried," Hermione replied, "Malfoy said he wasn't going to soil himself with me, so Ron told me that he was going to make sure I was his: Harry, I was so scared."
"Hush Kitten," Harry replied, running a soft hand through her hair, "I'm here now: they'll never touch you again."
Flashback End
When Harry removed the hat from his head, he was met with a mixed reaction that moved through the room: while everyone had been watching, Amelia Bones had turned up and had seen everything and now she was trying her hardest not to throw up, while Ron was just staring, Molly looked almost offended and Lucius was stone-faced.
"Well," Godric finally spoke up, "Thank you Harry; now, I think it would be best if you took Hermione to the Wing; she'll need some calming down."
True to his words, Harry saw that Hermione was in Sebastian's embrace, her eyes unable to look upon the memories of what had almost happened; stepping forwards, Harry looked to Lucius and, with all the strength that he could muster, he hissed, "Tell Draco this: he tries to touch her again, even helps to orchestrate her kidnapping again and the last thing you will see of him is the bars of his Azkaban cell and that's if I let him live!"
Lucius had no reply;
Harry, turning back to the table, faced down Dumbledore as he then added, "And you, old man, stay the hell out of my life: how you could allow something like that to happen and to blame me? You're no great wizard, Albus Dumbledore: you're a monster!"
"And how fortunate that you were there Harry," Godric added, "Because with this in effect, I can do this!"
As everyone watched, Godric snapped his fingers, before there was a roar like a lion being shot and, when everyone turned to the source of the noise, they gasped in a mixture of shock, justice and horror:
Ron Weasley's Gryffindor Lion was gone;
In its place…was a Slytherin Serpent…
HPHG
Safely back in the Wing, Harry avoided questions from Tonks – who had followed them as per Amelia's request – as well as the other Order members and managed to make his way up to their bedroom, Hermione soon finding herself in the arms of her betrothed, her shakes and tearful sobs breaking Harry's heart but also dousing the fires of his anger as he held onto her.
"I'm so sorry Kitten," he whispered, running his hand through her hair, "I should have asked Seba to take you out of there."
"N-not y-your fault," Hermione sobbed, "You did the r-right thing S-Sparky: what d-d-did Godric do to R-R-that Dead Man Walking bastard?"
"Unsorted him," Harry replied, running a hand over Excalibur's blade as he explained, "I felt it: Ron was removed from Gryffindor by the will of the Founders; because I used the hat, Alistair, to see the memories, Godric had that right: Ron was immediately resorted into the only other House available. Guess they thought him more of a, in his words, slimy snake than a proud member of the pride: either way, I still won't allow him to do anything to you."
"I know you won't," Hermione replied, snuggling into her boyfriend's embrace as she brushed her lips against his, "That's why I love you so much."
Chapter 19 and it appears that Harry has the advocate he thought he did: Hogwarts herself, but can Ron find a way to get revenge or will the school stop him at every turn?
Also, what was it about Harry's mantle that seemed to frighten Lucius Malfoy so much?
Keep Reading to Find Out;
Next Chapter: Harry discovers some home truths about Severus Snape and confronts the man about them: can the past finally be laid to rest? Also, Professor Flitwick wants a word with Harry about his Advanced Charms work and Hagrid has a rather interesting lesson for the Gryffindors; plus, it's the end of the year and Hermione has a secret to tell Harry…
Chapter 20: The Black Unicorn
The next morning, amidst a whirlwind of emotions that threatened to consume him, Harry found his way down to the Lion's Wing Common Room, his hand holding tight to the letter that Amelia had sent him; in his rage and anger against the Malfoys, the Dead Man Walking – though now he was a Slytherin, he was that – and Dumbledore, Harry had completely forgotten about it, but now, seated in front of a warm fire, Harry peeled the envelope open and read the letter:
Lord Potter (Harry)
I am sorry that the results of my investigation that you requested last summer have taken so long; combined with meetings, barricades against the information and discovering the home truths that you requested have taken their time. However, at the end of it all, I think you'll find the information that I present to you very informative.
Enclosed is a magical copy of the official Last Will of Lily and James Potter, both of whom revised their wills the day before they…well, you get the idea, but here is the information that you requested on one Severus Snape.
As you heard, he does indeed owe a life-debt to one James Marcus Potter for saving his life from a werewolf in their younger years; my research puts the time of the life-debt around their third or fourth year. However, and here is the irony, there are many recorded cases of Snape trying to claim he has fulfilled his debt to you and your Father; however, the identity of the werewolf in question is unavailable.
I have also discovered that, in the event of the death of one Sirius Black, your Mother, Lily Alexandra Evans, placed an edict against Snape saying that he was to become your honorary godfather and guardian and that, in this time – though you may wish to tell him yourself – he was to be given this message:
"I forgive you!"
Whatever this means, I am unsure, but it may be in your favour to visit Professor Snape and speak openly with him about this; show him this letter and the enclosed will as evidence and make sure he does not show them to Dumbledore. I fear that Dumbledore may have tried to manipulate the situation away from what Lily and James wanted;
Should you have anything else that you need of me, do not hesitate to contact me;
Awaiting our next meeting;
Amelia Bones
Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement
Ministry Of Magic
PS: the time for the Dog Star's Second Coming has been arranged for the anniversary of the coming of the Storm.
Looking to that last message, Harry felt a mixture of rage and unconfirmed sorrow brewing inside him: his Father had risked his neck against a werewolf to save that biased teacher's life and now Harry was being treated like scum on his shoe?
'No,' he thought, 'Not anymore: but that last message…'
Reading through it several times, Harry's mind clicked as he translated what was obviously a well thought-out message: the Dog Star was the constellation that held the name Sirius, as in Sirius Black; Second Coming must mean his trial and the anniversary of the coming of the Storm: well, there was only one Storm at Hogwarts.
Harry James Potter, Holy Knight of Thunder;
'My birthday,' Harry clicked, 'Sirius' trial has been set for my birthday: hope that Dan and Emma won't mind this.'
Summoning a parchment and ink, Harry quickly wrote two replies: one to Amelia, thanking her and adding that if anything changed, then he would contact her and then a second reply to Dan and Emma, telling them to inform Sirius of the news as well as providing a copy of the letter from Amelia.
Calling on Dobby, Harry sent his loyal friend to issue the replies while he turned his attention to the other pieces of parchment; as soon as he lay his fingers on them, a sudden warmth rushed through him that seemed to tell him what the letter had informed him.
'Maybe I should have waited before sending the reply to Mum and Dad,' he thought to himself, opening the first of the parchments: it was the will of his Mother, Lily;
I, Lily Alexandra Evans, being of sound mind and body, do hereby grant the following inheritances to the following candidates:
First, to my good friend Remus John Lupin, I leave 500,000 Galleons to buy yourself some new robes and to provide you with the means to have the home and life you always wanted; to that end, I also leave you with the Deer Cottage in Wales as your new place of residence; you were always a good friend Remus and you tried to do the right thing; now keep it up and please, Moony, watch out for Harry;
Next, to the old dog who I trust with my son's life, Sirius Black; I leave you 100,000 Galleons and you WILL take them; just think of them as an allowance to spend on Harry because I also leave you with the official guardianship of my only son and, if he so wishes, I leave you the right to be known as his Daddy; I know James won't mind;
To my distant relative – and I mean EXTREMELY DISTANT – Petunia; I leave you with a one-way ticket…straight to hell! You deserve nothing; not Harry, not the family gold, not even the Manor; if anyone even thinks of sending Harry to you, they will find themselves in for a world of hurt when they meet me on the other side; have a nice life Tuney, because I know I will;
To Severus Snape, my oldest, first and truest of friends, I leave 25,000 Galleons and the following message: I forgive you and I'm sorry that I let my love for James affect how I saw you; you are not a Death Eater and you should know by now that I am no Mudblood; you are the bravest man I ever met and, were it not for our House differences, there may have been the chance I could call you the Father to my child. So, to that end, I leave you the right to call yourself the honorary godfather to my son Harry; please Severus, he's my son as well as James' and, if you can raise him as well as I would hope and reconcile your relationship with Sirius and Remus, then you can consider the debt owed to me and James fulfilled;
Finally, to my son and the brightest star in my life, Harry James Potter, I leave you with two things: first, I leave you with the remainder of the Evans Family Fortune and the ownership of the Evangelion Castle in Ireland; your life is your own now son and, other than Sirius, Remus and, hopefully, Severus, you are free to decide your own destiny without anyone's help;
Second, I leave you with the family legacy: you see Harry, your Daddy and I are descendants of an ancient band of warriors known as the Holy Knights and you, as a Twice-Blessed Knight's Heir, are a powerful Pure Knight: if James is right, then you will be known as the Holy Knight of Thunder; however, because of your Twice-Blessed heritage, it is possible that you may be recognised as worthy of the mantle of Arch-Knight, the leader and ruler of the Holy Knight's domain of Camelot. Do not be afraid of your powers or your allies, but ensure that those who you choose as your allies are in fact worthy of your trust; choose the right kind of girl as your beloved for when you choose her, she will be bestowed with the powers of the Knights as you have been, so follow your heart and not your head.
In closing, I can only say that I hope that those mentioned have a nice life and that, in my own way, I loved each and every one of them, even those I didn't really love – that's you Petunia;
Now my soul can rest in peace and my spirit can soar within my son;
I will always be with you Harry; be safe, be strong and know that you are loved;
Lily Evans – Mum
Tears of loss and memory threatened to consume Harry for the second time in a month: the message that he had seen in Godric's Hollow, in Albion House; it now had meaning and, with this, Harry would be able to get the answers he had sought from that lying, deceitful greasy-haired git known as Severus Snape.
'A Twice-Blessed Knight,' he thought, looking again to that little tidbit of information, 'No wonder I was told that my powers would match those of all seven Knights and, now that I look back, I realise that Godric and Emrys were right: I have acquired a new Anointed: Neville. Now, let's see what my Father's real last wishes were.'
Wiping his eyes, Harry opened the second parchment and read the information within:
I, James Marcus Potter, being of sound mind and body – not a word Moony or Padfoot – do hereby grant the following inheritances to the following candidates:
First, to my brother in all but blood, Remus John Lupin, I leave 250,000 Galleons and the Marauder's Journal as well as a wish; get yourself a life Moony and don't, no matter what, don't you dare abandon my Prongslet; he is everything to me and, if you even think of allowing Albus anywhere near him or the Family, you will pay;
Second, to my second brother in all but blood, Sirius Black, I leave an apology: I hope you can forgive me for buying into Dumbledore's lies about you and the Black Family; as proof of what our kinship means to me, I leave you with the rights to the Potter Family Home of Albion House and the title of godfather to my little Harry; he is all we have left Siri, take care of him;
To one Snivellus…sorry Lily, Severus Snape, I leave the following message: I'm sorry; I shouldn't have singled you out because you were different and because you were a Slytherin; Remus was always on your side, though you may not know it, and, if Lily's will has been issued, you'll see what the both of us would like; accept that duty Snape and your debt to me will be paid;
Finally, to my Prongslet, Harry James Potter, I leave everything I am and everything I own: you are now Lord Potter – as of your 11th birthday – and you are also the legitimate owner of Potter Manor in Canada and the full fortunes of our family, including the lineage that Lily and I have bonded to after so many generations;
You Harry, are a Holy Knight, an ancient warrior whose power comes from the elemental forces of nature; your mantle will be the Holy Knight of Thunder but, because of your lineage – both Potter and Evans being descendants of the First Knights – your power will be greater than all seven knights combined and you will be known as the Arch-Knight, the commander of the Holy Knights and the rightful Master of the Knight's command post of Camelot.
I hope that you do not fear this destiny Prongslet as you will not be alone in it: you will have Padfoot – Sirius, Moony – Remus and, if he chooses to accept my apology and Lily's message, you will also have Severus on your side. On top of that, you will have your Defenders and soldiers of the Knights, known as the Order of Pendragon. You should meet them soon and, if by the time you see or hear this will, you have met them, then know that their number one concern in their lifetime is keeping you alive and strong. They are all trustworthy and all subservient to the legacy and commands of the Holy Knights; they will protect you Prongslet, so take care of yourself;
Make us proud Harry, we love you very much;
James Potter – Dad
'Mum,' Harry thought, his cheeks now wet with tears, 'Dad: I'll make you proud; I'll keep my power as strong as it is and I will honour your wishes, I swear it.'
Loosening his hold on the parchment, Harry let the copy of the last wills fall to the floor, his hands and body shaking with loss as he allowed himself to feel the full brunt of his pain for what he had lost because of the lies and manipulations of one man.
As he sat there, Harry suddenly felt a pair of arms snake around his neck, a familiar female voice whispering in his ear, "What's wrong? What did you see?"
"My whole life has been a lie," Harry replied, "I wasn't meant to go near the Dursleys and I wasn't meant to be punished because of Dad by Snape; Hermione…I…I…oh I miss them; I miss them so much."
Hermione, moving around the chair, took her boyfriend into her lap and lay his head on her shoulder, feeling his tears and his pain not only on her body, but within her mind, her hand moving through his dark hair as she let him cry, her own eyes on the parchments at their feet.
"I know you do Harry," she replied, "I know."
HPHG
Harry didn't waste time;
No sooner had he recovered from his sadness and his loss-induced tears than he was on his feet and moving down towards the dungeons, Excalibur in his hand and Hermione at his side, the Holy Knight of Ocean having told the Order that this one was personal, so they should stay in the Wing. Reaching the dungeons, Harry began counting doors until he found the Potions Laboratory; recalling what he had seen and done one year before when he and Weasley had been impersonating Slytherins, Harry moved two more doors down before he stopped and knocked hard, the reply from within not exactly friendly.
"Who dares to cause such an infernal…" the door opened and Severus Snape revealed his face, "Potter! I should have kn-"
BANG!
With the force of a hurricane, both man and door were thrown aside, Severus now being pinned to his seat, Hermione – who once would have gasped in horror at the sight of them attacking a teacher – now stone faced as she stood at the door, keeping people out and them in.
"You!" snarled Harry, his silver eye now flashing with a full lightning storm, "You lying, treacherous greasy-haired bastard! I want a word with you and I'm not leaving until I'm done."
"Who the hell do you think you are Potter?" asked Snape, his eyes narrowed as he found himself bound by the swirling winds of the hurricane, the office, much to his surprise, not even affected by the weather.
"Who do I think I am?" Harry repeated, "I think I am Harry James Potter, son of Lily Alexandra Evans and James Marcus Potter, Holy Knight of Thunder, Twice-Blessed Knight's Heir, Lord of the Elements and owner of the Holy Sword Excalibur; I think I am the new Lord to the Potter and Evans fortunes and I think, Snivellus Snape that I am the one who you are going to listen to for once and, if you don't, I will see you in Azkaban!"
As was the norm whenever Harry grew angry, a bolt of lightning struck both sides of Severus' desk, the Potions Master now losing all his snide remarks and his sneering looks: Potter had not only frozen Malfoy and Weasley in place for attempted rape, but he had forced Hogwarts to put that Weasley in Slytherin and stood up to Lucius. Not to mention the power he had just to tame those elements as well as he had done, even if it had been in anger, it had still been powerful.
"Calm your storm, Lord Potter," Severus gasped out, "And you have my full attention; I swear it."
Drawing the power of the winds back into his magic, Harry reached into his pocket and withdrew the three pieces of parchment from Amelia, before he placed them on the desk and, in as much of a calm voice, he commanded, "Read them!"
Taking the parchments, Severus began to read the information, all the while aware of Harry using his magic to repair the office and all that had been broken, Hermione giving him a soft kiss on the cheek as the Potions Master continued reading; when he got to the part concerning him, the eyes of the Slytherin Head widened and, as he looked from the letters to Harry, he asked, "Is…is this…"
"Real," Harry finished, "Those are my parents' official Last Will and Testaments and they both quite clearly not only offer you an apology, but also say that my Mother forgives you and, as if that isn't enough, they willingly entrust you with my life should one Sirius Black be unable to look after me."
"But," Severus gasped, "I was told…I never…oh my God…what have I…"
"Done?" finished Harry, "Well let's count them off shall we? You insult a boy who knew nothing of magic or his heritage of having nothing but a desire for fame; you threaten me several times with expulsions and abuse when I got enough of that at the hands of my so-called caring relatives; in fact, Snape, the only time you ever did anything for me was in that Quidditch match when you stopped Quirrell from killing me."
"Potter," Severus whispered, looking back to the letter, "Lily…oh Merlin…I never…I didn't want…"
"She still cared for you," Harry told him, "I don't know what you did to upset her, but if she forgave you for it, on her death bed I might add, and then she entrusts you with the life of her son, what does that tell you? That she wants to keep the rivalries going so that her soul can never rest in peace or that she chooses to leave the past where it is? In the past!"
"But," Severus gulped, "Everything you did; all those times you let arrogance and recklessness…"
"That was because I didn't know better," Harry explained, "Haven't you seen it sir? In the past five months, so much has changed in me and I'm allowing it to continue changing me: I have the girl of my dreams, my magic at full strength, friends and allies, a family that loves me and soon I will also have my godfather and a new lease on life, but what could that mean if my parents' memories are being dishonoured by someone like you? Someone they choose, willingly, to forgive and offer the olive branches of hope and friendship? What do I do then Professor Snape?"
Severus, looking again to the letters and wills, gave a sigh before he looked to Harry, seeing the Holy Knight in a new light; as he stared into those heterochromic eyes, the Potions Master actually felt a set of mental defences being lowered, before a soft, trusting voice, told him, "Take a look if you want; you'll see I'm telling the truth."
Severus…didn't take a look; he could see it in the eyes; though they were dry as stone, the Potions Master knew from experience when someone had been crying and had shown true pain and wanted nothing more than to set it right. Time was, Potter…no, Harry wouldn't have dared to blast the door down like he had done there; he wouldn't have had the power, never mind the balls.
"Is it too late?" Severus asked, his voice low and asking only for forgiveness, "For things to be put right."
"No," Harry replied, "The life debt is still in effect until you choose to accept me as who I really am; that's what the will is saying: my parents, Lily and James, are offering you the chance to do the right thing. If you want the chance, Professor…Severus, then I'll give it to you and use Excalibur's magic to cancel the debt, but I don't want us as enemies…not when my Dad apologised and my Mum forgave you. Please…"
Severus looked up suddenly, his eyes wide as he saw Harry was now standing across from him, the boy on his knees before the Potions Master, his free hand extended in friendship and a unity that Severus had only ever truly felt around Lily; what she had said in the letter: were it not for our House differences, there may have been the chance I could call you the Father to my child.
"Lily," Severus whispered, extending a hand to Harry, but, instead of placing it in Harry's hand, he gently clasped the boy on the shoulder and, in a calm, true voice that didn't sound like his jaws were glued together, he added, "Harry, thank you for bringing this to me: I, Severus Snape, ask your forgiveness for everything and ask that you can trust me as well as you do your protectors."
"You have my forgiveness Severus," Harry told him, looking into those dark eyes of the Slytherin Head, "And, if your words speak truth, I would be honoured to call you my friend and a member of my external family."
While the two shook hands, as if to seal the deal, Severus noticed the look on the face of Hermione Granger and, for the first time in his life, there wasn't a single thing about the Gryffindor that bothered him;
For when he looked at her, Severus saw tears in her eyes that he knew were for more than Harry's offer of redemption;
It was for their future…
HPHG
Severus was as good as his word;
After they had shook hands, Harry had willingly invited the man an open invitation to Albion House with the condition that he doesn't tell Dumbledore anything of their meetings. After hearing about what had happened and what Harry had said to the man, Severus gave his word in magic and on Excalibur that his only ally was Harry and his team. As he put it, "Light, Dark, Grey; it won't matter to me; all that matters now Harry is that we can honour the memories of Lily and James. So yes, I swear on my magic and on the power of your sword, Excalibur that I will stand with you in the battles that are to come."
Now that the holidays were over, Hogwarts began to get back to normal, albeit the truly frosty response that Ron Weasley was given now that he was a member of the Slytherin House. It surprised Harry that neither Fred, George or Ginny acknowledged the boy's presence and that the only Gryffindor who still stood with Ron was – surprise, surprise – Percy Bighead Boy Weasley.
January soon disappeared and the spring term was well underway; in all of his lessons, Harry's magical knowledge and use of his skills came in handy: the three he found himself enjoying most of all were Care of Magical Creatures, Advanced Charmcasting and Defence Against The Dark Arts; Hagrid had started them on other avionic creatures and, one Friday afternoon lesson at the end of January, he gave them a topic that surprised Harry.
"Is everyone 'ere?" he asked, seeing the Gryffindors and Slytherins gathered, "Excellent; now then, after yeh all did so well with the 'Ippogriffs, I decided ter ask the Ministry fer a few special favours; tell me, 'as anyone ever seen a Unicorn before?"
Several hands went into the air, namely Harry, Hermione, Neville and Draco, all of whom had seen the unicorn in their first year when Hagrid had taken them into the Forest.
"Well," Hagrid explained, "I can tell yeh now tha' these unicorns ain't going to be like any yeh seen b'fore: follow me."
Following Hagrid, Harry looked over to the professor's hut where he saw Buckbeak lying down and enjoying the cool springtime air, the feathers of the Hippogriff ruffling in the wind. Facing forwards again, Harry tapped Hermione's side as he asked, "Fancy going flying later? I promise nothing bad will happen to you."
"I'd love to," Hermione replied, before she looked at him out of the corner of her eye as she asked, "On Buckbeak?"
"I haven't seen him in a while," Harry replied, "Might make a good way to ease off some of the nerves I'm feeling."
"We'll have to ask…oh," she suddenly gasped, looking forwards again, "Hagrid: they're…beautiful."
Following her gaze, Harry found himself agreeing, but, when he saw it, he didn't believe his eyes: before him was indeed a unicorn – its pale horn and gorgeous, magical silver eyes shining in the light of the woodlands – but other than the basic appearance, this unicorn's furry coat was a sleek shade of black. It had four powerful hooves and a mane that appeared to be made from silk hairs; either side of the black unicorn were a pair of large black feathery wings that were tipped with silver along the outer edge.
'Black Unicorn Feathers,' Harry thought, 'Like what Ollivander said was in my wand, but, other than the wings, what's the difference?'
"Now," Hagrid spoke up, "I do want ter warn yeh that unless 'e trusts yeh, don't even think of tryin' ter approach 'im, and listen this time, yes?"
"Yes Professor," the class replied, Harry feeling slightly aware that Hagrid was probably addressing the Slytherins with that remark.
"Now," Hagrid continued, "Can anyone tell me anything abou' the Black Unicorn?"
"Only that its feathers are used in wandmaking," Harry spoke up, his eyes on the magnificent beast before them, "I have one such feather in my own wand."
"Tha's an excellent example Mr Potter," Hagrid beamed, "But do you notice anything else? Anythin' that may seem a little bit different ter a normal unicorn?"
"The…mane?" asked Harry, "A normal unicorn has a mane of hair, but it's usually centred around the horn."
"Right again," Hagrid exclaimed, "Five points ter Gryffindor; now, fer those who don't know; a Black Unicorn is considered ter be quite a rare beast; their wings, as you see there, are the result of the horse-like creatures known as Pegasus while the black 'orn is a sign of affinity not ter the day, but with the power o' night: Black Unicorns, yeh see, are nocturnal creatures and their manes, as Mr Potter said, are used to guide the wayward travellers in the lost mountains. Unlike a Hippogriff or a Manticore, they're not really dangerous, but if you're lookin at one up close, do not blink when yeh lookin into his eyes. Also, Black Unicorns are not ridin' creatures; they're free spirits whose feathers, 'orn and coat are hunted by poachers because of its rarity; sad really."
"They're still beautiful creatures," Harry whispered, before the class all gasped as the Black Unicorn stepped up to Harry and Hermione and seemed to nuzzle them, before puffing at Harry's black hair and Hermione's face, both of the Holy Knights reaching out with their hands slowly and gently, the Black Unicorn nuzzling Harry's hand.
However, as Harry ran his hand over the horn, something completely unexpected happened: the black unicorn's horn snapped clean off, the beautiful creature looking to the horn sadly before he puffed Harry's cheek again.
"What happened?" asked Neville, watching as the spot where the horn had been began to glow, a mysterious almost slimy surface covering the stump on the unicorn's head.
"It 'appens when a unicorn ages," Hagrid explained, "Tha's another reason they're so rare: Black Unicorn horns are stronger than diamond and have been used for weapons and riches; when they age 'nother year, the 'orn snaps off and it takes a lunar cycle fer a new one ter grow; 'Arry," he added, seeing the unicorn nudging Harry's hand, "I think 'e wants yeh ter 'ave his 'orn."
"Wow," Harry whispered, petting the creature softly as Hermione just stared in awe, her own eyes watching as the unicorn spread his beautiful silver-tipped wings and bowed to him in a style to Buckbeak.
Returning the bow, Harry reached out with his mind until he found the consciousness of the creature, 'Thank you,' he whispered mentally, 'I will take good care of your horn; I promise.'
Then, as the students watched, the unicorn seemed to turn and retreat into the woodlands, before there was a rush of wings and the beautiful creature took to the skies, Hermione's eyes now on the ground. Following her gaze, Harry gasped in awe when he saw what was now lying at the feet of his betrothed;
A beautiful, silver-edged Black Unicorn feather;
'Looks like he wanted my mate to have a gift as well,' Harry told her, before he scooped up the feather and subtly placed it in Hermione's pocket.
Chapter 20 and there you have it: for those who were wondering about Black Unicorns, there's your explanation, but why would Harry and Hermione be offered gifts and what will they do with them?
Plus, can certain other parties of the past forgive Severus as easily as Harry and Lily have done?
Keep Reading to Find Out;
Next Chapter: Professor Flitwick wants a word with Harry about his Advanced Charms work and it's the end of the year and Hermione has a secret to tell Harry…