Reality twists 34/39
Nov. 26th, 2011 08:08 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
herumtreiberTitle: Reality twists 34/39
Chapter: Harry's revenge
Author:![[info]](https://p.dreamwidth.org/645e27cdd7f5/936704-172764/l-files.livejournal.net/userhead/16)
herumtreiber
Genre: Post DH, romance, adventure, time travel
Rating: R
Epilogue compliant? No
Chapter length: ~3,281 words
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or related characters, nor do I make any money from writing these stories.
Warnings for the fic: Angst, threesome, violence, noncon, character deaths (not the protagonists)
Summary: Harry/Draco/Daphne. Draco in Azkaban, plus time-travel. Explores the idea of powerful magic pitted against a nuclear bomb and the implications for the world. Noncon - evil Hermione and Ron – Atlantis may appear later on, and another meaning of the Prophecy. How a Time Turner can win a game. Very ecological use of the Fidelius charm; Dementors abound, but...
Table of contents
33. The wedding
Draco circulated among the wedding guests like a consummate politician, briefly saying hello to people he wanted to cultivate, ignoring grandly those that were beneath his notice. People noticed he was wont to fall in conversation with Muggleborns and Half-bloods, coaxing smiles whilst he ignored some uppity purebloods.
What they didn't realize was that Daphne and Draco kept a close watch on the other member of the Silver trio. After the scene with Patil, Draco was worried about more hecklers.
Draco noticed first the hulking figure by the hors-d'oeuvres table. The behemoth appeared to be murderously intent on disrupting the reception. His beady eyes followed the Gryffindor like a heat-seeking missile.
Harry heard the words he never expected to hear again. "Boy, come here!" He turned reluctantly and saw the face of Vernon Dursley, accompanied by his equine aunt Petunia, and their porcine son Dudley. The zoological family approached Harry.
The brunet looked around, subconsciously examining means of escape. He noticed Draco and Daphne hurriedly saying good-bye to their partners and heading towards him. At least he wouldn't be alone for this confrontation. He scowled fiercely at the moustachioed whale. "What are you doing here, uncle?"
Vernon grunted whilst he fingered the lapels of his expensive suit. "We were told by one of your friends that you lived in the magi… in the other world and there was no way to reach you, but today we could." Vernon produced a thick letter from his briefcase and passed it to Harry. "The director at your school left this with us, to be delivered to you two years after his death."
Harry read the letter carefully. It had Dumbledore explaining that he needed to live one month a year with his so-called family, so protection wards would be firmly established around Hogwarts. Dumbledore intimated that if Harry didn't follow this requirement, the wards would inevitably decay and cease, leaving the school defenceless against future attacks. The lives of the younger generations depended on Harry. All he had to do was live with the Dursleys for one month to avoid this.
Harry felt caught up in the throes of duty. It was his duty to go to his uncle's and endure their contempt. Yet this time he didn't feel compelled to seek danger. There were no extraneous voices in his mind forcing him to act like they wanted.
Whilst Harry pondered this, an Origami letter alighted on his shoulder. It was folded as a griffin; Harry vividly imagined Draco's wry smirk when making it. He read it.
Angel:
After you told us about your treatment by the Dursleys, Daphne and I seethed and wanted to curse them to death. However, knowing your tender sensibilities we refrained from doing anything. Nevertheless, I managed to study Vernon's finances and discovered he's borrowed money. After some finagling with the bank, I paid the outstanding loans; therefore you are the owner of your uncle's home. The same manoeuvre was done to get title to their two cars, they're yours.
Lastly, I found out where he worked, and bought enough shares of the company so that it belongs to me now. Of course I will follow faithfully your instructions regarding your cetacean uncle.
You can do what you want with them. If you curse them with the Unforgivables, we'll stand behind you. If you let them go scot free, we will also back you. It's your choice, as always.
Love,
D & D
Harry felt enormously warmed by the letter which bespoke the intentions of the two blonds toward him. This caused his Slytherin side to rise. He called Draco's elf, Trini, asking her to fetch three glasses of water which should have a truth serum developed for Muggles.
Harry gave the glasses to the Dursleys after the elf brought them. The three innocently drank the liquid, thus coming under the influence of the potion.
Harry was incensed after they provided answers to his questions. They were luring him into an ambush! Around Privet Drive there were wards in place so he could not escape magically or physically. They intended to beat him, and rape him until such a time as their benefactor showed up and proceeded to tame a broken Harry.
What made it worse was that the Dursleys were aware of such a plan and didn't care at all. They just wanted the money they'd been promised if they helped. Harry felt tempted to Incendio the letter, but refrained from that, realising it could have clues.
The brunet ordered Trini to give the antidote to the traitorous knaves. As soon as the Dursleys were free of the potion, Harry shouted, "How dare you? I wash my hands off of you! I don't want to have anything to do with you ever again. Accio car keys!"
Two set of car keys came to Harry. He waved them around whilst Vernon growled. However he was restrained by a spell cast by Daphne.
"You are free to go, but you won't be able to go to your home. I should say my home. You are now penniless, and I'm sure you will soon face a disagreeable change in your job, Vernon. We'll see who is the freak then; I living in the lap of luxury, or you freezing on the street."
Harry took out his pocket dagger and made shallow cuts on his left and right arms. The rivulets of blood dripped down his wrists as he shook them, flinging the red liquid to the floor towards his erstwhile family. The three sported gobsmacked expressions.
"You three are dead to me and I don't wish to ever see you again."
The hapless Dursleys blinked out of existence. Harry had managed to get the gist of the Banishment Ritual right. The Whale Ones were indeed banished. They would never see Harry again, and they had no home.
They appeared in Privet Drive 4. After several hours the police came, they had been called by the new owner and advised that some unsavoury people may try to make their abode in Privet Drive so could they please check that his home remains undisturbed?
The police officers agreed. They didn't find odd the drawling, cultured voice of the owner.
oOoOo
In Malfoy Manor, Draco and Daphne embraced Harry, who was crying. The brunet ruefully thought that if this had occurred a year ago, he would have blindly followed the peril. A good puppet acting under Dumbledore's numerous spells.
The wedding took place. The maids of honour looked gorgeous in their silver-green organdie dresses. The best maid was the redoubtable Pansy. Neville was the best man.
Draco walked to his place holding the arm of his beautiful mother whilst Lucius muttered to himself, looking a little affronted. Daphne was led to the altar by her father Michael.
Harry sat in the front row. He didn't have time to commiserate by himself because he was ordered - by Andromeda - to look after the Malfoy babies. Antares sensed the solemnity of the occasion; he commemorated it by turning his hair a wild riot of colours.
Deneb sucked on a pacifier, he was wont to smack the person who held him. Harry thought sardonically that Deneb could well be Daphne's son; he had a nice scowl like her.
Harry looked at the blonds getting married and he didn't mind it that much anymore. He knew they cared a lot about him. They'd had the foresight to execute a perfect Slytherin revenge within the law. They presented information and asked him o make a choice, promising support no matter what. These feelings were more binding and important than mere wedding vows. Quite fragile, their intentions were beautiful and free; they should remain forever so, like butterfly wings.
Afterwards, they sat to enjoy the banquet.
Neville gave a toast. "I want to say I'm glad to be here and witness this union between two great houses and two great people." Winking at Harry, he went on. "I know they still wait for another to join them. When that happens they'll be very strong in love, and justice, and knowing Draco, revenge. I've learned there's much more to Slytherins than meets the eye or I wouldn't be here. May you be blessed with children and may you grow old together."
Harry was interested to note that there were hard feelings between Ginny and Neville. They didn't appear as thick as before.
oOoOo
After an exhausting wedding night, Harry wondered where Draco got all his stamina. He'd come two hours ago from making love to Daphne and that made Harry feel incredibly horny. The Seekers made love twice until finally Draco appeared to be worn down.
Harry lay down to sleep for a while. He woke up at 3:00 to see the dim lights of a laptop screen. Draco was writing stuff on his wedding night! He put on his glasses and observed attentively the screen. There were strange beams of light entering and leaving the portable machine at random intervals. Harry shook his head, wondering what it meant.
Draco was sleeping next to his laptop. His face looked young and carefree, an angel come down to Earth to save mankind. Harry wasn't too keen on beautiful metaphors, though. He rudely poked Draco and forced him to wake up.
Harry asked him what the deal with the laptop was. The blond explained he'd read in a website that the hard disk of a computer fragments with time, so he used a spell to join the separated parts.
He also used a charm to increase the virtual memory of the machine.
Harry had the strong urge to smack Draco upside the head. He refrained, knowing that only someone like Daphne with a lithe physique and deathly glare could get away with it.
Instead he asked Draco to operate the machine and see how it fared.
Inwardly he was chortling, picturing himself shouting "I told you so!" whilst Draco's laptop went belly up.
He was chagrined to see that the machine worked perfectly well, better than new. Harry recalled Draco's magical and mechanical skills when he fixed the Vanishing Cabinets which the Death Eaters used to enter Hogwarts. The blond was gifted with his innate understanding of magic as applied to the hardware of Muggles or wizards.
To distract a pouting Harry from his gloating, Draco mentioned the letter Dursley had brought. Harry opened the night table and handed it to the blond.
Draco fingered the thick paper. "Don't think the letter comes from Dumbledore. It's much more convoluted, not at all like the relentlessly suave way of the former Headmaster."
"Who is it from then? Can't you tell?"
"I know a spell that can reveal who wrote something." Draco swished his wand elegantly while muttering the Latin words. The letter glowed briefly and a golden globe appeared above it with the name of the writer. 'Seamus Finnigan.' Harry stammered, "S.. Seamus, why would he want to hurt me?"
Draco shrugged whilst he handed back the paper. "Finnigan wrote this. He's just a minion of someone powerful enough to charm the letter. They know your history and want you broken or gone."
He held Harry's right hand, his thumb touching his wrist. "Before I forget, the bonding rings are portkeys. They'll to take you to the Manor or if it is too dangerous here, to our home in Toronto. The password is Excalibur."
oOoOo
The next day Harry met Neville for lunch in Diagon Alley. First they had ice-cream at the old place that used to belong to Fortescue. Now it was a small café which sold delicious flavours of the treat.
Neville spoke about his job as Herbology teacher; he admitted grudgingly to Harry that he was having difficulties with Ginny. It seemed she put her career as a Seeker above her relationship with him. Often he went her apartment and cooked dinner. Ginny would show up hours late, wolf down the meal and go straight to bed, not bothering to speak with him.
Her teammates flirted shamelessly with her and Ginny allowed this. If Neville objected, she branded him as an uncontrollably jealous person. It was more than any sane person ought to take. He left her that morning. Ginny pitched a fit, trying to get him to stay, promising that she'd change and things would get better.
But Neville knew better.
After their lunch and hugging Neville good-bye, Harry Apparated to the alley behind Atelier Potter. He sauntered up the steps, entered the old building and opened the door to his studio. He opened the curtains and let the magnificent light in. The sunbeams fell on his current project; the painting of smirking young man, and a blonde, sneering young woman. Between the two half-drawn figures, a black-haired man stared at Harry with eyes as green as the painter's. He called the work, "The Silver Trio." There were blown photos of the occupants of the painting around which he used to paint the portraits.
oOoOo
Time flew by. Narcissa found a new occupation in relentlessly planning the bonding ceremony as if she were a general intent on invading a foreign country.
She sank her teeth into the ceremony because it was small and intimate, which she could ruthlessly use to show off her organizing talents. Of course Antares and Deneb always managed to throw wrenches into her brilliant plans, but she loved them.
Antares was proving to be quite a protective big brother. Narcissa treated Deneb's strawberry mark in his throat with respect, knowing it came from Dark Magic. He was a delicate child who cried easily. No one noticed that when he did, his birthmark pulsed a violent dark red colour, the colour fading when the baby stopped crying.
The baby searched for Antares in any room. The tots loved Draco, too. Deneb with the innocence of a toddler and the small Metamorphmagus with more intent to persuade like a budding Malfoy and Black.
The Malfoys loved Harry. Beginning with Draco, going to Narcissa and her sister, and ending with Deneb and Antares. Even Lucius had warmed to the brunet though he wouldn't admit it.
Draco's plans to get Iolande a laptop so he could record their electronic conversations failed miserably due to her abnormal rejection of any electric thing. The blond had to devise other plans to gain access to the wanted information until one day he managed to pass by a classroom where Iolande and Severus talked. After casting notice-me-not and Muffliato charms, he was able to comfortably listen to their conversation; smirking when he realised things were going fine with Severus.
He stepped out of the classroom featuring a smile like the cat that ate the canary. He Apparated to the Manor because he knew his godfather would be suspicious if he saw him grinning like a loon.
The following day Harry persuaded his mates to go to the Marauder's Cottage. He was peeved to note that Draco carefully packed his laptop and many CDs, muttering that there was information he needed to have.
Daphne winked at Harry whilst she asked, "Draco, do you know a place to play Quidditch in Toronto?"
The blond snorted. "Can't say I do." Eyeing covetously the suitcase with the laptop, he muttered, "I'm sure I can find it using the Muggle web."
Harry mumbled, "Nerd!"
Reacting to Daphne's prodding with her foot, he scowled at Draco. "Want to play one-on-one? Or are you scared?"
The blond smirked. "You wish, Harry, you wish."
oOoOo
They played with the Snitch that Draco had given Harry, using their latest brooms. Daphne declined being the referee, having watched how both boys cringed when she ventured herself to referee the game. After she confiscated the time-turner from a disgruntled Draco, the game began.
It was all the two ever wanted, the feel of the air around them. They were excited by their competition and the knowledge that they were in secure hands. The Seekers could be themselves if only for a while. Harry and Draco wanted this game they played to last forever.
But it ended too soon when Draco caught the Snitch. The blond could not help but gloat a little whilst Harry half-heartedly glared at him.
He didn't mind Draco winning at all. He was a superb flyer; being free of restrictions had improved enormously his game. Harry smiled at him. "I reckon you could be a professional Quidditch player."
Draco shook his head. "No, Harry. It may be a glamorous profession, but I want to do something more than entertain people. I want to leave the world a better place than when I got here." He gazed sadly at the clouds, a faraway look in his eyes. "At least Voldemort made me realize how narrow I had been in some things."
In England they inevitably were caught up in the preparations marshalled by Generalissimo Narcissa. Before the bonding ceremony, they celebrated Harry's and Deneb's birthday.
Their Slytherin friends, Neville and Ginny were invited, though the redhead didn't show up. They all had a very good time.
Draco was alarmed to note how strained Lucius seemed. Twice the elder Malfoy asked for news about the Company's developments, he was obviously worried out of his mind.
oOoOo
On August 2nd 1999, the weather was cold and windy. The Silver Trio got up and dressed in their finest clothes for the bonding ceremony before they had breakfast with Andromeda and little Antares. She explained that Narcissa was taking care of Deneb. The blond toddler had a bad night, crying uncontrollably.
Draco went to his mother's bedroom to see them, and as he opened softly the door he watched his mother cradling his brother Deneb who indeed looked worse for wear.
They had an uneventful morning and in the afternoon, the guests congregated. It was only the immediate family, the Slytherin friends and Neville.
The rings were exchanged and the vows pronounced. The wizard who presided over the ceremony, an old man with a long black beard who reminded Draco of Dumbledore, looked around at the people sitting in the chairs in the middle of the garden. "Is there any one who objects to this bonding? If so speak up now, or forever hold your peace."
It was then that the bright summer scene became crazy. An inexorable sense of doom suddenly permeated the very air whilst Draco's Conception charm went haywire, oscillating from one year to 67, settling on 8886 years.
Malfoy knew then that he was going to face the gravest threat ever to his life and family.
He observed the chairs and saw a signal in the Malfoy code. He motioned for his mother and Andromeda to come to him. "You have to get out; behind this fern is a Vanishing cabinet that will take you to Hogwarts. Take it and we will go when we are able!"
Narcissa started to remonstrate but Draco was inflexible for once. "Get out, mother! Do you want to become a pawn here? If the worst happens I've provided for you, Ant and Deneb."
The pops of Apparition were like the sounds of hooves on the cobbled streets.
Andromeda held Antares close to her chest, stepped to the Vanishing Cabinet and was gone.
Harry suffered an overwhelming deluge of depressing thoughts but having Kissed a Dementor, he wasn't that affected. He was able to see the dark-cloaked figures Apparating into Malfoy Manor. He even identified his former classmate, Seamus Finnigan.
What took his breath away was the fact that Seamus had an ominous black glove which didn't seem natural.
35. The hidden Horcrux
Chapter: Harry's revenge
Author:
Genre: Post DH, romance, adventure, time travel
Rating: R
Epilogue compliant? No
Chapter length: ~3,281 words
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or related characters, nor do I make any money from writing these stories.
Warnings for the fic: Angst, threesome, violence, noncon, character deaths (not the protagonists)
Summary: Harry/Draco/Daphne. Draco in Azkaban, plus time-travel. Explores the idea of powerful magic pitted against a nuclear bomb and the implications for the world. Noncon - evil Hermione and Ron – Atlantis may appear later on, and another meaning of the Prophecy. How a Time Turner can win a game. Very ecological use of the Fidelius charm; Dementors abound, but...
Table of contents
33. The wedding
Draco circulated among the wedding guests like a consummate politician, briefly saying hello to people he wanted to cultivate, ignoring grandly those that were beneath his notice. People noticed he was wont to fall in conversation with Muggleborns and Half-bloods, coaxing smiles whilst he ignored some uppity purebloods.
What they didn't realize was that Daphne and Draco kept a close watch on the other member of the Silver trio. After the scene with Patil, Draco was worried about more hecklers.
Draco noticed first the hulking figure by the hors-d'oeuvres table. The behemoth appeared to be murderously intent on disrupting the reception. His beady eyes followed the Gryffindor like a heat-seeking missile.
Harry heard the words he never expected to hear again. "Boy, come here!" He turned reluctantly and saw the face of Vernon Dursley, accompanied by his equine aunt Petunia, and their porcine son Dudley. The zoological family approached Harry.
The brunet looked around, subconsciously examining means of escape. He noticed Draco and Daphne hurriedly saying good-bye to their partners and heading towards him. At least he wouldn't be alone for this confrontation. He scowled fiercely at the moustachioed whale. "What are you doing here, uncle?"
Vernon grunted whilst he fingered the lapels of his expensive suit. "We were told by one of your friends that you lived in the magi… in the other world and there was no way to reach you, but today we could." Vernon produced a thick letter from his briefcase and passed it to Harry. "The director at your school left this with us, to be delivered to you two years after his death."
Harry read the letter carefully. It had Dumbledore explaining that he needed to live one month a year with his so-called family, so protection wards would be firmly established around Hogwarts. Dumbledore intimated that if Harry didn't follow this requirement, the wards would inevitably decay and cease, leaving the school defenceless against future attacks. The lives of the younger generations depended on Harry. All he had to do was live with the Dursleys for one month to avoid this.
Harry felt caught up in the throes of duty. It was his duty to go to his uncle's and endure their contempt. Yet this time he didn't feel compelled to seek danger. There were no extraneous voices in his mind forcing him to act like they wanted.
Whilst Harry pondered this, an Origami letter alighted on his shoulder. It was folded as a griffin; Harry vividly imagined Draco's wry smirk when making it. He read it.
Angel:
After you told us about your treatment by the Dursleys, Daphne and I seethed and wanted to curse them to death. However, knowing your tender sensibilities we refrained from doing anything. Nevertheless, I managed to study Vernon's finances and discovered he's borrowed money. After some finagling with the bank, I paid the outstanding loans; therefore you are the owner of your uncle's home. The same manoeuvre was done to get title to their two cars, they're yours.
Lastly, I found out where he worked, and bought enough shares of the company so that it belongs to me now. Of course I will follow faithfully your instructions regarding your cetacean uncle.
You can do what you want with them. If you curse them with the Unforgivables, we'll stand behind you. If you let them go scot free, we will also back you. It's your choice, as always.
Love,
D & D
Harry felt enormously warmed by the letter which bespoke the intentions of the two blonds toward him. This caused his Slytherin side to rise. He called Draco's elf, Trini, asking her to fetch three glasses of water which should have a truth serum developed for Muggles.
Harry gave the glasses to the Dursleys after the elf brought them. The three innocently drank the liquid, thus coming under the influence of the potion.
Harry was incensed after they provided answers to his questions. They were luring him into an ambush! Around Privet Drive there were wards in place so he could not escape magically or physically. They intended to beat him, and rape him until such a time as their benefactor showed up and proceeded to tame a broken Harry.
What made it worse was that the Dursleys were aware of such a plan and didn't care at all. They just wanted the money they'd been promised if they helped. Harry felt tempted to Incendio the letter, but refrained from that, realising it could have clues.
The brunet ordered Trini to give the antidote to the traitorous knaves. As soon as the Dursleys were free of the potion, Harry shouted, "How dare you? I wash my hands off of you! I don't want to have anything to do with you ever again. Accio car keys!"
Two set of car keys came to Harry. He waved them around whilst Vernon growled. However he was restrained by a spell cast by Daphne.
"You are free to go, but you won't be able to go to your home. I should say my home. You are now penniless, and I'm sure you will soon face a disagreeable change in your job, Vernon. We'll see who is the freak then; I living in the lap of luxury, or you freezing on the street."
Harry took out his pocket dagger and made shallow cuts on his left and right arms. The rivulets of blood dripped down his wrists as he shook them, flinging the red liquid to the floor towards his erstwhile family. The three sported gobsmacked expressions.
"You three are dead to me and I don't wish to ever see you again."
The hapless Dursleys blinked out of existence. Harry had managed to get the gist of the Banishment Ritual right. The Whale Ones were indeed banished. They would never see Harry again, and they had no home.
They appeared in Privet Drive 4. After several hours the police came, they had been called by the new owner and advised that some unsavoury people may try to make their abode in Privet Drive so could they please check that his home remains undisturbed?
The police officers agreed. They didn't find odd the drawling, cultured voice of the owner.
In Malfoy Manor, Draco and Daphne embraced Harry, who was crying. The brunet ruefully thought that if this had occurred a year ago, he would have blindly followed the peril. A good puppet acting under Dumbledore's numerous spells.
The wedding took place. The maids of honour looked gorgeous in their silver-green organdie dresses. The best maid was the redoubtable Pansy. Neville was the best man.
Draco walked to his place holding the arm of his beautiful mother whilst Lucius muttered to himself, looking a little affronted. Daphne was led to the altar by her father Michael.
Harry sat in the front row. He didn't have time to commiserate by himself because he was ordered - by Andromeda - to look after the Malfoy babies. Antares sensed the solemnity of the occasion; he commemorated it by turning his hair a wild riot of colours.
Deneb sucked on a pacifier, he was wont to smack the person who held him. Harry thought sardonically that Deneb could well be Daphne's son; he had a nice scowl like her.
Harry looked at the blonds getting married and he didn't mind it that much anymore. He knew they cared a lot about him. They'd had the foresight to execute a perfect Slytherin revenge within the law. They presented information and asked him o make a choice, promising support no matter what. These feelings were more binding and important than mere wedding vows. Quite fragile, their intentions were beautiful and free; they should remain forever so, like butterfly wings.
Afterwards, they sat to enjoy the banquet.
Neville gave a toast. "I want to say I'm glad to be here and witness this union between two great houses and two great people." Winking at Harry, he went on. "I know they still wait for another to join them. When that happens they'll be very strong in love, and justice, and knowing Draco, revenge. I've learned there's much more to Slytherins than meets the eye or I wouldn't be here. May you be blessed with children and may you grow old together."
Harry was interested to note that there were hard feelings between Ginny and Neville. They didn't appear as thick as before.
After an exhausting wedding night, Harry wondered where Draco got all his stamina. He'd come two hours ago from making love to Daphne and that made Harry feel incredibly horny. The Seekers made love twice until finally Draco appeared to be worn down.
Harry lay down to sleep for a while. He woke up at 3:00 to see the dim lights of a laptop screen. Draco was writing stuff on his wedding night! He put on his glasses and observed attentively the screen. There were strange beams of light entering and leaving the portable machine at random intervals. Harry shook his head, wondering what it meant.
Draco was sleeping next to his laptop. His face looked young and carefree, an angel come down to Earth to save mankind. Harry wasn't too keen on beautiful metaphors, though. He rudely poked Draco and forced him to wake up.
Harry asked him what the deal with the laptop was. The blond explained he'd read in a website that the hard disk of a computer fragments with time, so he used a spell to join the separated parts.
He also used a charm to increase the virtual memory of the machine.
Harry had the strong urge to smack Draco upside the head. He refrained, knowing that only someone like Daphne with a lithe physique and deathly glare could get away with it.
Instead he asked Draco to operate the machine and see how it fared.
Inwardly he was chortling, picturing himself shouting "I told you so!" whilst Draco's laptop went belly up.
He was chagrined to see that the machine worked perfectly well, better than new. Harry recalled Draco's magical and mechanical skills when he fixed the Vanishing Cabinets which the Death Eaters used to enter Hogwarts. The blond was gifted with his innate understanding of magic as applied to the hardware of Muggles or wizards.
To distract a pouting Harry from his gloating, Draco mentioned the letter Dursley had brought. Harry opened the night table and handed it to the blond.
Draco fingered the thick paper. "Don't think the letter comes from Dumbledore. It's much more convoluted, not at all like the relentlessly suave way of the former Headmaster."
"Who is it from then? Can't you tell?"
"I know a spell that can reveal who wrote something." Draco swished his wand elegantly while muttering the Latin words. The letter glowed briefly and a golden globe appeared above it with the name of the writer. 'Seamus Finnigan.' Harry stammered, "S.. Seamus, why would he want to hurt me?"
Draco shrugged whilst he handed back the paper. "Finnigan wrote this. He's just a minion of someone powerful enough to charm the letter. They know your history and want you broken or gone."
He held Harry's right hand, his thumb touching his wrist. "Before I forget, the bonding rings are portkeys. They'll to take you to the Manor or if it is too dangerous here, to our home in Toronto. The password is Excalibur."
The next day Harry met Neville for lunch in Diagon Alley. First they had ice-cream at the old place that used to belong to Fortescue. Now it was a small café which sold delicious flavours of the treat.
Neville spoke about his job as Herbology teacher; he admitted grudgingly to Harry that he was having difficulties with Ginny. It seemed she put her career as a Seeker above her relationship with him. Often he went her apartment and cooked dinner. Ginny would show up hours late, wolf down the meal and go straight to bed, not bothering to speak with him.
Her teammates flirted shamelessly with her and Ginny allowed this. If Neville objected, she branded him as an uncontrollably jealous person. It was more than any sane person ought to take. He left her that morning. Ginny pitched a fit, trying to get him to stay, promising that she'd change and things would get better.
But Neville knew better.
After their lunch and hugging Neville good-bye, Harry Apparated to the alley behind Atelier Potter. He sauntered up the steps, entered the old building and opened the door to his studio. He opened the curtains and let the magnificent light in. The sunbeams fell on his current project; the painting of smirking young man, and a blonde, sneering young woman. Between the two half-drawn figures, a black-haired man stared at Harry with eyes as green as the painter's. He called the work, "The Silver Trio." There were blown photos of the occupants of the painting around which he used to paint the portraits.
Time flew by. Narcissa found a new occupation in relentlessly planning the bonding ceremony as if she were a general intent on invading a foreign country.
She sank her teeth into the ceremony because it was small and intimate, which she could ruthlessly use to show off her organizing talents. Of course Antares and Deneb always managed to throw wrenches into her brilliant plans, but she loved them.
Antares was proving to be quite a protective big brother. Narcissa treated Deneb's strawberry mark in his throat with respect, knowing it came from Dark Magic. He was a delicate child who cried easily. No one noticed that when he did, his birthmark pulsed a violent dark red colour, the colour fading when the baby stopped crying.
The baby searched for Antares in any room. The tots loved Draco, too. Deneb with the innocence of a toddler and the small Metamorphmagus with more intent to persuade like a budding Malfoy and Black.
The Malfoys loved Harry. Beginning with Draco, going to Narcissa and her sister, and ending with Deneb and Antares. Even Lucius had warmed to the brunet though he wouldn't admit it.
Draco's plans to get Iolande a laptop so he could record their electronic conversations failed miserably due to her abnormal rejection of any electric thing. The blond had to devise other plans to gain access to the wanted information until one day he managed to pass by a classroom where Iolande and Severus talked. After casting notice-me-not and Muffliato charms, he was able to comfortably listen to their conversation; smirking when he realised things were going fine with Severus.
He stepped out of the classroom featuring a smile like the cat that ate the canary. He Apparated to the Manor because he knew his godfather would be suspicious if he saw him grinning like a loon.
The following day Harry persuaded his mates to go to the Marauder's Cottage. He was peeved to note that Draco carefully packed his laptop and many CDs, muttering that there was information he needed to have.
Daphne winked at Harry whilst she asked, "Draco, do you know a place to play Quidditch in Toronto?"
The blond snorted. "Can't say I do." Eyeing covetously the suitcase with the laptop, he muttered, "I'm sure I can find it using the Muggle web."
Harry mumbled, "Nerd!"
Reacting to Daphne's prodding with her foot, he scowled at Draco. "Want to play one-on-one? Or are you scared?"
The blond smirked. "You wish, Harry, you wish."
They played with the Snitch that Draco had given Harry, using their latest brooms. Daphne declined being the referee, having watched how both boys cringed when she ventured herself to referee the game. After she confiscated the time-turner from a disgruntled Draco, the game began.
It was all the two ever wanted, the feel of the air around them. They were excited by their competition and the knowledge that they were in secure hands. The Seekers could be themselves if only for a while. Harry and Draco wanted this game they played to last forever.
But it ended too soon when Draco caught the Snitch. The blond could not help but gloat a little whilst Harry half-heartedly glared at him.
He didn't mind Draco winning at all. He was a superb flyer; being free of restrictions had improved enormously his game. Harry smiled at him. "I reckon you could be a professional Quidditch player."
Draco shook his head. "No, Harry. It may be a glamorous profession, but I want to do something more than entertain people. I want to leave the world a better place than when I got here." He gazed sadly at the clouds, a faraway look in his eyes. "At least Voldemort made me realize how narrow I had been in some things."
In England they inevitably were caught up in the preparations marshalled by Generalissimo Narcissa. Before the bonding ceremony, they celebrated Harry's and Deneb's birthday.
Their Slytherin friends, Neville and Ginny were invited, though the redhead didn't show up. They all had a very good time.
Draco was alarmed to note how strained Lucius seemed. Twice the elder Malfoy asked for news about the Company's developments, he was obviously worried out of his mind.
On August 2nd 1999, the weather was cold and windy. The Silver Trio got up and dressed in their finest clothes for the bonding ceremony before they had breakfast with Andromeda and little Antares. She explained that Narcissa was taking care of Deneb. The blond toddler had a bad night, crying uncontrollably.
Draco went to his mother's bedroom to see them, and as he opened softly the door he watched his mother cradling his brother Deneb who indeed looked worse for wear.
They had an uneventful morning and in the afternoon, the guests congregated. It was only the immediate family, the Slytherin friends and Neville.
The rings were exchanged and the vows pronounced. The wizard who presided over the ceremony, an old man with a long black beard who reminded Draco of Dumbledore, looked around at the people sitting in the chairs in the middle of the garden. "Is there any one who objects to this bonding? If so speak up now, or forever hold your peace."
It was then that the bright summer scene became crazy. An inexorable sense of doom suddenly permeated the very air whilst Draco's Conception charm went haywire, oscillating from one year to 67, settling on 8886 years.
Malfoy knew then that he was going to face the gravest threat ever to his life and family.
He observed the chairs and saw a signal in the Malfoy code. He motioned for his mother and Andromeda to come to him. "You have to get out; behind this fern is a Vanishing cabinet that will take you to Hogwarts. Take it and we will go when we are able!"
Narcissa started to remonstrate but Draco was inflexible for once. "Get out, mother! Do you want to become a pawn here? If the worst happens I've provided for you, Ant and Deneb."
The pops of Apparition were like the sounds of hooves on the cobbled streets.
Andromeda held Antares close to her chest, stepped to the Vanishing Cabinet and was gone.
Harry suffered an overwhelming deluge of depressing thoughts but having Kissed a Dementor, he wasn't that affected. He was able to see the dark-cloaked figures Apparating into Malfoy Manor. He even identified his former classmate, Seamus Finnigan.
What took his breath away was the fact that Seamus had an ominous black glove which didn't seem natural.
35. The hidden Horcrux
