Windbound 25/35

[herumtreiber]

Title: Windbound - 25/35
Chapter: Twenty-five
Author:herumtreiber 
Genre: post DH, slash, romance, adventure
Disclaimer: The world and characters of Harry Potter belong to JK Rowling. I don't make any money from writing these stories.
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None
Epilogue compliant? Epilogue complaisant
Chapter length: ~3,932 words
Summary: Draco/Harry, Ron/Hermione, Hannah/Dean, Justin/Daphne, Ginny/??? My take on the Marriage Law. Should they obey the government’s edict or fight it the Muggle way? This leads to marriage equality. Plus there’s a twist exploring how a Horcrux operates. Good!Lucius, finally:) Hufflepuff house is amply represented here.



Table of contents


Chapter twenty-four

January 19th 1999
Hogwarts

Draco went to his Potions class. He took it together with the Hufflepuffs and he sat between Susan and Justin. Susan was wearing her blond hair free, she was beaming.

Draco asked her sotto voce what was up as they got the ingredients and prepared to dice and cut. He valiantly took out the slimy frog eyes and put them in the cauldron. Susan answered his questions, murmuring, "Robert got accepted in that American university, Harvard and he's asked me to go with him!" She tugged at some strands of her hair as she continued, "I still haven't accepted. I need to discuss this with dad. But I'll probably go. I hear Harvard is in Massachusetts, and maybe I could attend Magical Healer School at Salem!"

Justin leaned in to add a vial of crocodile tears. Susan rolled her eyes and took out the hippogriff feather, making sure to taunt Draco about his misadventure with the enraged hippogriff.

Horace Slughorn approached the table daintily. He observed them and offered no comment. Truth to tell, he was miffed at the three students. He'd offered them a spot in the Slug Club and they had declined. Mr. Malfoy citing his homework, Miss Bones using the specious pretext of her onerous duties as Head Girl, and Mr. Finch-Fletchley citing urgent business requiring his presence in London. The recalcitrant students were missing the chance of their lifetimes!

Justin leaned towards Draco. He dropped his crushed forget-me-nots into the cauldron and said, "I need to talk with you, Draco. Soon if you please."

They were interrupted by the officious voice of Slughorn, "No speaking during classes, Mr. Finch-Fletchley. You will serve detention with Ms. Lehmke... and 10 points from Hufflepuff!"

Justin just tugged his curls hard, as Draco and Susan shot sympathetic glances his way. Eventually they finished the potion which Draco could brew flawlessly, since he'd learned it from his godfather. It was called 'Tempus celeritas,' it accelerated perceptual thought, so that it seemed that an hour had transpired, when in reality only one minute had passed.

Draco filled the required vial for Slughorn, not forgetting to fill their own, and he cleaned the cauldron using magic. The trio made their way to an unused classroom near Hufflepuff they had adopted as their own. The room looked cozy in black, yellow, blue and red draperies. They'd convinced a few house-elves to aid them.

Hermione's help regarding this had been effective. She had learned to treat the little elves with innate courtesy and stop meddling so much in their lives. She didn't harangue them any longer to revolt, she just offered competent advice.

Of course she still worked on other ways to free them but she no longer felt they had to listen to what she had to say and obey on the spot. That would be almost as bad as the way some masters treated them.

The elves had cleared the room and repaired the furniture that was left there. As a result the room looked cozy with several couches, two tables, several chairs, a chalkboard and a box brought by Justin, claiming it was to keep cool his stash of diet colas, which he fiercely protected from a marauding Draco.

Hannah was sitting on a couch, locked in a passionate embrace with Dean Thomas. Terry was looking at them with a bored expression as he discussed with Robert Lehmke  their obsession: science and magic.

Daphne walked up to Justin and embraced him tightly from behind. She gave him a glass filled with diet cola as she kissed his ear. She asked, "You look a little rattled. Had a bad class?"

"Yes, you could say that. Slughorn was being his obnoxious self. He is like that to everyone he doesn't want to impress. I wonder what Dumbledore saw in him to hire him."

Hannah commented, "The same thing he saw in Quirrell, Gilderoy Lockhart, and Mad-Eye Moody. It's weird that being all-knowing and all-twinkling, he always let the bad guys through to wreak havoc here."

Just then Hermione entered. She was carrying an armful of books as was her wont. Dean and Robert quickly helped her put the volumes on the table. The lone Gryffindor looked around her, and noticing a dish with delicious-looking cookies, made for it as she grabbed a goblet of pumpkin juice.

Draco looked sharply at his Hufflepuff friend. "What did you want to talk to me about, Justin?"

 "I wanted to tell you that I found a good place for our office in London, in a side alley next to Bond Street.

The curly-haired Hufflepuff shrugged. "I know that I'll go to Oxford to earn a Law degree, and you will do whatever Malfoys do after they graduate, but this could be a place for us to start our own business."

Draco looked at the ceiling as he mused. "I suppose I could go and study at the Wizarding Law School in Salamanca. I still don't know what I will do. One thing I know is that I want to follow the case of werewolf oppression instigated by the Ministry. I want to correct this injustice."

After she finished another cookie, Hermione said, "But I thought you hated them vehemently, Draco. After all Fenrir Greyback was a werewolf."

Draco turned to her. "I hated that man with a passion, that's right. I also don't like werewolves that bite people. However, I recognized that not all werewolves are bad people. Remus Lupin was an example of that. The man was courteous, brave, smart and likable...all that a man could hope to be. He was also a werewolf and it didn't matter.

Hermione nodded, taking another cookie she motioned with it to Draco. "But that's not all, I guess."

Draco nodded. "There's also the point that my little cousin, Teddy Lupin, might be a werewolf. If he is, I want him to lead a productive and happy life, notwithstanding his condition. I won't allow that someone discriminates against him because of something he didn't do."

Hermione wrinkled her brows. "Didn't you break all connections with the Tonks? Wasn't that what you said to Andromeda?"

Draco replied with a smirk, "I severed all connections with her, Granger. I did not mention Teddy at all. He is my little cousin, and I will care for him in the background if need be. He'll always have my support."

oOoOo

In Malfoy Manor, Narcissa was tucking her daughter Miriam into bed, after telling her a story. She had found it soothing for both of them. Miriam was still struggling to cope with the presence of several other children during school hours. She was very reserved and shy, but there were encouraging signs suggesting she was learning to handle other people. Still, it was a stressful thing for her to do. Therefore, after eating dinner, she was usually ready for bed.

The Muggle Kindergarten in Salisbury proved to be a congenial place. The teacher was a severe Englishwoman with strictly braided hair, Mrs. Benson. The group comprised 10 children from Salisbury and around the town. They learned songs, were taught the alphabet and had a nice time, barring the expected disagreements between the children.

Miriam was drowsy as she asked, "What happened to the dragon?"

"Well, they saw he was a Hungarian Horntail and therefore could not have eaten the princess, so they let him free. He flew away and he was never seen again in Schwann."

"I miss Conis!"

Narcissa answered gently as she tucked a strand of Miriam's brown hair between her alabaster fingers. "I'm sure you do, honey, but he's busy at school. I'm sure he'll visit soon."

Miriam sobbed as she repeated, "I miss him!"

Narcissa sighed as she gently rubbed Miriam's back and tried to calm her daughter. She mused that it had been far easier raising Draco. The miniature blond could be counted upon to demand things and if he didn't get his way, he'd pout and whine. Eventually the blond child tired and turned to ask for what was possible and all was forgotten. He rarely cried, he usually just plotted to get things done his way.

Miriam was more sensitive and she needed reassurance, especially in this rocky beginning. It was obvious that she missed Draco, and Narcissa remembered a distant mirror. "What if you could see him frequently, Miriam?"

The brunette girl answered shyly, "He would come here to see me?"

Narcissa hated to dash her hopeful mood but she had to be honest. "No, honey. He's busy at Hogwarts. However, there is a pair of mirrors, using them you can see the person from far away. Something like television. Do you know about TV, Miriam?"

Miriam nodded solemnly. Narcissa called on Seymour to fetch her copy of the Black Mirrors. She tried them on with Miriam and the little girl was excited about it all until she yawned hugely. Narcissa put her back in her bed, kissed her forehead and walked out, closing the door silently.

Narcissa thought about how to get the Mirror to Draco. Using an owl could be dangerous for the Mirror, and she couldn't Apparate and leave Miriam alone in the Manor. Damned Lucius! He was probably gallivanting around with his friend Jason while Narcissa got to do all the hard work.

Fortunately for Lucius, just then he came out of the Floo, wearing an expensive Armani suit and brushing his white-blond strands, which were ash-covered in places.

Narcissa recruited him into taking the Mirror to Hogwarts. A disgruntled Lucius Apparated to the gates of the castle. He walked in and entered the Dungeons and finally his son's room. After waiting half an hour for the boy to appear, Lucius got bored and left the Mirror on the table, with a covering note.

oOoOo

People started leaving their cozy room. As Hermione made to get up, she got an interesting stare from Draco. A slightly upturned eyebrow that seemed to suggest he wanted to speak with her.

When they were left alone, Draco cast privacy charms. He also took out the Serpent's Map from his bag. He quickly perused it to make sure no invisible audience was present.

Satisfied for the moment, Draco looked up, staring intensely at Hermione. "How is your wandless magic coming along?"

She answered excitedly, "I'm doing really well. Just under one minute for most spells."

He said admiringly, "You are doing better than me, Granger. Good for you! What about Occlumency?"

"I can construct the mental image of the castle in around thirty seconds."

He frowned, "This is great news, Hermione. But you have to be faster."

Draco started pacing to and fro, wringing his hands in quiet despair.

He turned to the brunette girl that had proved her mettle in so many ways. "I'm afraid, Hermione. I know what the Anglo-Saxon warriors must have felt when they beheld their mortally wounded King Harold in Hastings a millennium ago. They knew that the kingdom had fallen to William and the upstart Normans. There was absolutely nothing they could do."

Hermione was scared. During their Eighth Year she had never seen Draco like this. "Can you tell me what is going on? Maybe having another person's point of view will offer more solutions."

Draco apparently took resolve out of thin air. He squared his shoulders and looked at Hermione. "There's a test we must make. Can I cast Legilimency on you and see what the results are?

Hermione nodded. Draco took out his wand and moving it lazily and effortlessly, he intoned 'Legilimens.' Hermione entered the magical trance quickly. She had become quite proficient at the knack of reaching another level of thought while remaining simultaneously in this world.

She had a little trick up her sleeve. She'd mentally designed the defenses of her mind to be a metaphorical castle. The ramparts, the moat, everything was in place. All she had to do was deal with the bridge and things would fall into place. She could do this easily, having done most of the work beforehand.

So Hermione defended herself against Legilimency.

After trying to read her mind for one minute, Draco ceased the attack, saying admiringly, "Well done, Hermione. As always, you impress me with the caliber of your mind."

He shrugged wearily. "At any rate, we can proceed."

With a very serious expression, he asked Hermione, "Tell me, have I changed?"

Hermione blinked, wondering how that could worry Draco so.

"Of course you have changed a lot, Draco. You're no longer  the snobby prat we used to detest. You don't support the Pureblood supremacy theory. You're my good friend, as well as the good mate of Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. I'd say you are a changed man. Glad of that, really."

"Then the old me is completely dead?"

"No, I can see moments when the old you comes out strong like when you chastised Andromeda. It's just that it is part of a new whole now. It's like a Wagnerian opera where you discern a leit-motif and you  recognize it throughout the different acts but it doesn't overwhelm it. It  definitely informs the whole opera though."

Draco grabbed her elbow. "Then tell me, Hermione, has Harry changed?"

She rubbed her face, becoming more worried. "Sure, he's changed a lot. He's much more thoughtful and wise. He has become a respected leader."

"Has he changed completely?"

"No, of course he hasn't done so. He remains the boy I grew up with, the one who wants to save everyone. You should know, Draco as he saved you himself!"

Draco sighed as he replied wearily, "I think the Wizarding World - including yourself - consider Harry a living demigod, an avatar come here to defeat the forces of evil."

Hermione opened her mouth but Draco held up his hands. "As a demigod, he is all-knowing and wise, of course, as behooves such a powerful being. Any radical change in that direction could be explained due to his mythical status and would soon be ignored. Following this point of view, you forget something. Harry is a person, he should be allowed to have flaws like a human being. They would not detract from his prowess but add to it, reminding us that we, too, could be heroes one day."

Hermione frowned in thought. Draco had a valid point. Most students and teachers were in awe of Harry.

Draco went on. "According to this viewpoint, any change of Harry's toan apparently wiser and all-knowing being is greeted warmly. It goes without saying that they don't much care about Harry's weaknesses, only his strengths. They are counting on him to save them from future evil overlords."

Draco pointed to the stone wall of the room. "Tell me then, Gryffindor princess. How did powerful and wise Harry react to my kidnapping?"

Hermione replied warily, "At first he didn't want to do anything, but then he rallied to the cause and participated in the repeated searches for you throughout the castle."

"How was I rescued, Hermione?"

"You should know as it was Teddy's hand which activated the Serpent's Map and allowed us to find you."

"Then answer this, Granger. How come the almighty Potter didn't think to look up for me using his Marauder's Map?"

Hermione paled and staggered. She had never thought of that, and she should have! The Trio was used to employing the Marauder's Map to look for other people in Hogwarts. Harry still had it, as Hermione had seen it a week ago. Yet he never saw fit to look up Draco's whereabouts using the Map, though he professed to like Malfoy so much!

Draco flicked his wand with verve and accio'd a filigreed Pensieve he'd put on the corner. The device floated until it was upon the table near the chair where Hermione was seated. He took out a vial from his robe, opened it and poured the liquid inside the Pensieve. He said gently, "I need you to look at something, Hermione."

A nearly hysterical Hermione replied, "Why are you doing this, Draco?"

"Because I can't do this on my own. You are the only one who can help me. Together, we'll deal with this."

Draco motioned to the broiling liquid of the magical device. "This happened some weeks ago."

Hermione submerged her face in the Pensieve and entered a memory.

She could tell it was night. There was a ferocious wind coming through the windows that moved the flames of the sconce, casting strange-looking shadows that danced in all directions. The nervous hooting of the birds alerted her to the fact that she was in the Owlery. She didn't find their hooting especially calming as Harry claimed.

There was a figure leaning on the wall. She recognized the curly blond hair, the gaudy rings and the outlandish eyeglasses. Here was Rita Skeeter. She wished she could physically affect the memory. Then she would force Skeeter to turn into a beetle and keep her confined for six months!

The next figure that approached, sauntering like a king, really unsettled the brunette. It was Harry!

As Harry started talking to Skeeter, she studied him carefully and noticed things she hadn't really seen before. The way his eyes twinkled whenever the mood took him, the careful way Harry negotiated each step towards Skeeter. His complete confidence.

Harry told Skeeter about the measures being discussed to throw out the Marriage Law. He reminded her that she had promised her support for the Law and she had to keep offering that support or bad things would happen to her. He said all this in a seemingly benevolent tone.

The interview ended and Harry started to walk away. He said good-bye to Skeeter and turned. His eyes appeared cruel and calculating one moment, twinkling with glee the next.

The memory ended. Hermione came up gasping.

oOoOo

Draco guided her to a chair. As she sat down he offered her some cookies and plain water. "A few weeks ago, while I was idly playing with the Serpent's Map, I noticed Harry's and Skeeter's presence in the Owlery. I was dumbfounded. Why would they meet? What did Skeeter want?"

Hermione took a sip from the water, breathing uneasily.

"I already had my doubts about Harry's behavior. This just accentuated those ominous thoughts. I could not confront Harry directly, so I decided to seek the information with Skeeter. I met her some days ago," Draco paused and pointed to the Pensieve. "And she offered this memory."

"How did you get her to give you the memory? Did you use Imperio?

Draco smiled bitterly. "Of course I did no such thing, Granger! I merely suggested that there were bad things she could face. The Malfoy influence surely weighed heavily on her mind." He collected the memory and put it in the vial again, using the wand.

He moved his hands imperiously."There is one more thing you have to see, Hermione, before we proceed further. This memory occurred some days ago." He directed his hawthorne wand against his temple and intoned the spell. The silver strand began collecting at the end of the wand. Draco moved the wand toward the Pensieve and Hermione couldn't help but note how shiny the memory was.

oOoOo

She submerged herself in the memory and arrived at a room richly furnished. The chairs and desk were of an austere, classical design reminiscent of Rococo. An exquisitely wrought metal sword with scabbard hung on the wall. On the desk there was a filigreed jewel box. She didn't need to see anything else to know she was in the office of a goblin, and a powerful one at that. She had read that only the most important goblins had access to their swords.

She looked behind the desk intently, seeing a short and dark-skinned goblin, whose very long fingers perused a book of some sort. He wore a pointed hat.

On the other side of the desk sat two blonds: Lucius and Draco Malfoy. Draco looked tense and worried though most people would have missed that. However, Hermione had gotten to know the blond really well and could tell his moods even under that Malfoy mask.

The goblin said, "You have won the battle against the Marriage Law. You should celebrate! Instead you seek mysteries and if I do not comply you will withdraw the Malfoy monies from Gringott's and move them with those awful Swiss Kobolden!"

Hermione walked up to the goblin, and looked at the book he was holding.

"I am forced to comply. Hear well, then, for I will not repeat myself. One week after the Final Battle, a wizard came to consult with us about a grandiose plan he had to finally end the blood feuds that have been hurting the humans for so long. Coincidentally that plan would mean a big profit for Gringott's. All that was required of us was to obey the forms and look the other way as control passed from the pureblood heirs to be born years hence to the caretakers named by the Ministry."

Hermione saw that the goblin was sweating profusely.

"This plan, as you must know, is the Marriage Law. It seeks to abolish the difference between Purebloods, Halfbloods and Muggleborns by marrying them one to another. The powerful wizard was convinced that would end the wars for good. For us, the bonus of the plan was to gain control over the Pureblood fortunes that are forever locked to Gringott's due to those pesky Inheritance charms. The casters never thought about this flaw, though. When the rightful heirs are born, we would wrest control of their finances from the Purebloods' hands due to friendly judges decreeing divorces just as the Ministry wanted, granting guardianships according to our will."

The goblin took out a handkerchief made of the richest silk and wiped his brow. "Gringott's would receive 20 per cent of the profits. Given the sizes of the purebloods' fortunes, this insured great income for many years and now it has come to naught!"

Lucius asked, "Woodgrinder, who was this wizard?"

The goblin replied exasperatedly, "The redoubtable Harry Potter, who else? Who else would have the pull and contacts in the Ministry to do what he has done? Who else could have Shacklebolt under his thumb and play him like a puppet?"

Hermione gasped, staggering back.

The goblin continued. "The Vanquisher of Voldemort possesses undeniable political charisma. He's not afraid to use it, though he uses it sparingly and wisely. Reminds me of someone I used to know."

oOoOo

The memory ended and Hermione was again led to the couch. Draco offered her some pumpkin juice.

Hermione blubbered, "But why? It doesn't make any sense, Draco!"

Draco sat down beside Hermione and nursed a diet cola he had managed to liberate from Justin. He replied grimly, "On the contrary, it makes all the sense in the world, Hermione. Who was paired with whom? If I remember correctly, Lavender was my fiancée and the Weasel snorted lustily, as if he already knew. Weasel got you, his dream lady. Harry got Ginny. Coincidentally, he'd asked Ginny out but she had the courage to turn him down. But now, obeying the Marriage Law, she had to comply to their courtship and eventual marriage."

Hermione took deep breaths, reminding herself she had face worse things during her quest with Harry. A Harry that appeared hardly recognizable now.

"In fact, the Golden Trio managed to get the partners they wanted. At least pertaining to Harry and Weasel. The rest of us were paired with whoever was deemed convenient or easy to use. Lavender must have seemed docile to the future handlers. This would suggest that Harry and the Weasel knew about the Marriage Law beforehand. It argues that they, or at least Harry, created it."

Hermione asked in an agonized voice. "But... why?"

"Harry is trapped, and it is up to you and me to rescue him." Draco continued in a mournful voice. "But this is not all. The worst is yet to come, Hermione. It can be summarized in two words."

Chapter twenty-six