Chapter 3: Chapter Three - The School Knows
Disclaimer: The Harry Potter universe belongs to the proverbial Duchess of Magic, JK Rowling, Scholastic, Bloomsbury, Warner Bros and some other high falutin' companies. No matter how much I whine about not owning anything related to the HP universe, other than a few fanfic plots, I do not profess to own - and would never dream of making any money off - JKR's wonderful world... Damn it!
Chapter Three - The School Knows
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—==(oIo)==—
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When all three rose, the next morning - by unspoken agreement - they waited for each other in their common room. Harry had also renamed it their 'living room' due to the connotations of it being a dorm, of sorts.
"Well?" asked Daphne. "Do we go down to the Great Hall and sit together... or apart?"
"We can do that?" asked a very surprised Hermione. "Sit together, I mean?" It also surprised Harry.
"Yes, actually," replied Daphne. "Due to the nature of our bond, we can sit together. Actually, it's supposed to even be encouraged."
"Then let's use this as a way to get rid of a couple of Weasleys out of our lives... now, rather than later," said Harry. "Are you up to sitting at the Gryffindor table, Daphne? You'll be facing some short term abuse, if you do."
With a firm nod, she replied, "Yes. We're seventeen; irrespective of our physical ages. We can do this."
"Books," said Harry. "If I remember correctly, I've got Herbology and COMC before lunch; and double Divination after it. Knowing what I know now, I'm dropping Divination. I'll use the time..."
"Hold it right there, Mister Potter," Daphne interrupted. "Why drop Divination?"
"I can use the time to self-study Ancient Runes; or, I was thinking of joining the third year class for that subject, which is on at that time," explained Harry. "I'll have to run it past McGonagall first, though."
"I'm glad to see you're taking a more active role in your studies, Harry," said a pleased but worried Hermione. "But, won't that interfere with the timeline?"
"The timeline's already a bust with our soul bond," said Daphne. "And, Harry's right. If he can better himself at Ancient Runes, it should pay off for us later. I can owl mother and have her send my last year's Ancient Runes text for Harry to use."
"But, won't there be questions asked?" asked Hermione.
"Of course," replied Daphne. "But, now that we know we're bonded to Harry. Harry can just say his future wives demanded it of him."
"And our Occlumency?" asked Harry.
"I've been practicing Occlumency since before I came to Hogwarts," replied Daphne. "As for you, two. You say you know nothing about it. If anyone pushes, we hint it may have something to do with the bond. Let them make the illogical leaps to a conclusion we want.
"Besides, the only one's who could ask, really can't anyway. For anyone to know we have strong Occlumency shields, they have to come at us with Legilimency. And, that's illegal to perform on minors without parental consent, in advance. Therefore, if they ask about it, they've admitted to committing a crime. So, we say nothing. And don't let yourselves be drawn into a situation where you admit to it."
Harry and Hermione both nodded. Harry said, "That's workable. Admit nothing... don't volunteer anything... let them guess."
"But, what if the Headmaster asks?" asked Hermione, fretful.
"You need to get over your near hero worship of the man, Hermione," Daphne frowned at her. "You know what that man's foolishness cost our world. He is not a help; he's a hindrance."
Hermione sadly nodded. "It's just..." and she shrugged.
"It's hard, I know," said Harry, cutting in. "I respected him almost as much as you did, Hermione. However... just as with you... my eyes have been opened to his machinations. He must not know we're from the future. If he finds out, he will do his absolute damnedest to pump us for information; and be unrelenting in that pursuit. We'll be watched, closer than ever before. He will firmly be in our way."
"Be Resolute should be our new motto," said Daphne.
When she saw the other two nod and set themselves clearly to their purpose, she said, "Now, let's go down to breakfast. Remember; we're fourteen year olds, again."
Gathering the books they needed for their classes, the three made their way downstairs.
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—==(oIo)==—
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Walking into the Great Hall, side-by-side, it seemed as if the rumour mill had already been running rampant. As soon as they stepped in through the doors, nearly all eyes turned their way.
Harry escorted both ladies around to the other side of the Gryffindor table and up along the wall. They took seat near where Harry and Hermione had sat the previous evening. This time, Hermione sat on his right and Daphne sat on his left.
After first looking at the curiosity of a Slytherin sitting at the Gryffindor table, talk around the other tables went back to whatever they were talking about before the three walked in.
It was Neville who first approached them.
Walking up from where he was about to sit when he walked in, Neville approached and asked, "Errr... Harry? Umm... why are you sitting next to a Slytherin at our table?"
"Because she sat next to me, Neville," replied Harry with a slight smile. "Instead of talking about her as if she's not here; why don't you ask her, yourself?"
Neville blushed. Harry didn't know if it was from embarrassment for his social gaffe; or, that he'd have to talk directly with a very pretty girl.
"S-Sorry," he stammered. Harry watched as he internally braced himself and asked Daphne, "Miss Greengrass? I hope I'm not being impolite; but, may I ask why you're sitting over here?"
Glancing at Harry and Hermione and asking the silent question, she turned to Neville and replied, "I suppose it'll be public, soon enough. Harry, Hermione and I are bonded."
That startled Neville to the core. "R-Really?" he squeaked.
"Yes, Mister Longbottom," she coolly replied. "Do you doubt my word?"
Again startled, Neville stuttered, "N-no... no! Not at all. It... was just such a surprise, is all."
"Nev," said Harry, cutting in. With a smile he indicated the bench opposite and said, "Take a seat before you pass out from shock."
Hesitating a bare moment, Neville quickly sat opposite and asked, "When did this happen? How did this happen?"
"When, was late yesterday morning," replied Daphne. "How... well, that's a private matter."
"Sorry," Neville blushed again. "Of course it is. I beg your pardon."
Daphne gave a slow nod in return with a small smile.
To help out the boy who should have been his mate in the first place - if not for the carrot-topped arsehole who was fending everyone away behind the scenes - Harry changed the subject and asked, "Looking forward to your fourth year, Nev?"
"Oh," said Neville. "Yeah; sure, Harry." Then he pulled a plate towards himself and started loading it.
Harry was working on one of his tasks not directly given to him by his Grim Reaper, in making a closer friend of Neville; when Ron Weasley put in an appearance.
The boy first headed to sit at the table where he sat the previous night when he saw Harry and Hermione sitting with Daphne.
"Here he comes," Daphne muttered to Harry. "You let me deal with him, alright?"
Harry sighed and nodded.
Ron almost practically stormed over to stand near Neville's shoulder. His face going red with an expression of anger.
"Harry," he half-snarled, "Why is there a filthy snake sitting at our table?"
With an expression of cold fury on her face, quite well matched by Harry and Hermione, Daphne slowly stood in place and practically hissed back, "Mister Weasley, how dare you?"
At that moment, Ginny walked in, saw something was going on, and came closer.
Giving that a moment to sink in to Ron's head, she clearly said, "Why I'm sitting here is none of your business. However... since you so rudely demanded the information... Harry, Hermione and I... are bonded!"
That made Ron blanch in shock. And Ginny, who had also heard, cried out, "Nooo!" before she turned-tail and ran from the room in tears.
Professor McGonagall, who had been sitting at the head table and heard the start of the verbal exchange, hurried down. "Mister Weasley!" she exclaimed, appalled. "How dare you! Go to my office, right now. We'll be having words about your conduct, here, this morning."
Looking back at the Professor, Ron spluttered, "But, Professor! I've not even had my breakfast yet!" He then pointed at Daphne and said, "And she's sitting at our table."
"Do you think I'm blind, Mister Weasley?" asked the Professor. "Of course I know Miss Greengrass is sitting there. Now, go to my office... this instant!"
Looking as if someone had stabbed him in the back, stolen his Chudley Cannons bedspread and forced him to wear Slytherin colours all at the same time, Ron left the hall angry and fuming.
"Thank you, Professor," Daphne calmly said to the Professor. "That was rather... confronting."
Professor McGonagall nodded and said, "I apologise on behalf of Gryffindor House, Miss Greengrass. I shall be having heated words with Mister Weasley about his actions, this morning."
She then pulled a note from a pocket in her robes and handed it to Harry, "The Headmaster would like a word with you, in his office, immediately after breakfast, Mister Potter."
"As my Head of House, I request you join us, Professor," Harry firmly replied, not even opening the note.
Surprised, the Professor looked at Harry for a few moments before she said, "As you wish, Mister Potter. Please wait here for my return. I still have class schedules to hand out."
Harry nodded back and Professor McGonagall left the Hall, heading for her office.
As Daphne sat back down, Harry asked both girls, "Would either or both of you ladies care to join me in seeing the Headmaster?"
"I think we must," said Daphne. "We already know what he's going to want to talk to you about."
No sooner had she left when Malfoy, accompanied by his twin bookends, sauntered over from the Slytherin table.
"Again, Harry," Daphne muttered to him, "Let me deal with the ferret."
Harry gave her a slight nod in agreement before he turned to tell Hermione the same.
"Well, scarhead!" sneered the pompous idiot named Malfoy. "Word has it our Miss Greengrass has become bonded to you. It's such a pity her life's now ruined."
Daphne laughed at him. It was such a cruel, vindictive laugh, too. "Oh, Malfoy," she sneered. "How is it you managed to get yourself sorted into Slytherin when you behave like such a Gryffindor? So brash! So charge on in! Maybe someone should show you what the words cunning and guile mean in a dictionary. At least that way, you'll know how so unlike a Slytherin you're behaving..." she waved her hand at him "... with this nonsense."
Malfoy stood there fuming and glaring right back, before he spat, "You'll pay for that, Greengrass." And stormed off, again.
Daphne turned to Harry and asked, "Is that what he normally comes over here to do?"
"Pretty much," Harry shrugged. "I'm surprised we didn't hear the, 'When my father hears of this', nonsense."
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—==(oIo)==—
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Once Professor McGonagall returned with a still angry Ron in tow, she quickly handed out the class schedules to the now full table of Gryffindors. She skipped Harry and the girls and came back to them, last.
Ron sat right down the other end of the table near the seventh years, and refused to even look in their direction.
Professor Snape had been over, earlier, and handed Daphne her course schedule without a word. He did, however, manage to sneer at Harry while he did so.
"Will you be staying with a course schedule for Slytherin, or joining Gryffindor's schedule, Miss Greengrass?" she asked Daphne.
"Staying with Slytherin; thank you, Professor," Daphne replied. "I already have my schedule from Professor Snape."
"Very well," the Professor said. Turning to Harry she said, "I shall be by once the owl mail is delivered to take you to see the Headmaster."
"Thank you, Professor," said Harry.
Other than a copy of the Daily Prophet, Harry had no other mail. He did, however, hold Hedwig back for Daphne to send her parents a letter she'd written to them earlier, letting them know about the bonding. Hedwig seemed happy enough to take it. And Harry made sure she was given an extra rasher of bacon.
A minute later, Professor McGonagall returned. "If you've finished your breakfast, Mister Potter, we'd best be on our way to see the Headmaster."
Looking to Daphne and Hermione, Harry asked, "Ladies?"
With a nod from both, all three rose and made their way along the wall towards the head table.
When all three cleared the end of the table, and Professor McGonagall joined them, she said, "I believe the Headmaster only wanted to speak with you, Mister Potter."
"I'm sure it's an error on his part, Professor," said Harry. "After all, it's not difficult to know he wants to talk to us about the bonds."
With a gesture towards the doors and a smile, he said, "Shall we?"
The Professor only frowned and didn't respond. Instead she turned and led the way towards that year's entrance to the Headmaster's office. This year it was on the third floor.
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—==(oIo)==—
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As they approached the gargoyle guarding the entrance to the stairs to the Headmaster's office, Professor McGonagall firmly said to it, "Gummy Bears."
The gargoyle nimbly leapt aside and the stairs began to rotate upwards.
Still following the Professor, Harry gestured to the stairs for the girls to precede him upwards.
Coming out on the landing in the tower, Professor McGonagall had already opened the door and led them in.
"Ah!" said Dumbledore, from behind his desk. "Thank you for escorting young Harry to see me, Minerva. You may go."
Professor Snape was perched on his stool and lurking in the corner. Harry could see Dumbledore's familiar, Fawkes, the phoenix, sitting on his perch next to a low bookcase. The Sorting Hat sat on a nearby shelf.
"Thank you, Headmaster," replied Professor McGonagall. "However, Mister Potter has requested my presence."
At first a little surprised, Dumbledore said, "I'm sure that won't be necessary. You may go."
Harry, having heard enough, stepped past and said, "Nevertheless, Headmaster; I asked for her presence... as is my right to any meeting with you."
"Arrogant, Potter!" snarled Professor Snape. "Just like your father!"
"I wouldn't know, Professor," Harry calmly responded. "After all, someone betrayed my parents and got them killed, when I was but a toddler. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"
Snape surged to his feet; but, before he could retaliate, Dumbledore raised his hand and said, "Now, Severus! That was uncalled for. Please curb your outbursts towards young Harry."
"It definitely was uncalled for," huffed Professor McGonagall, quite scandalised. "Professor Snape, another outburst of the likes of that from you and I'll be placing you on probation!"
"Now, Minerva," tried Dumbledore, before Professor McGonagall cut him off.
"Don't 'now, Minerva' me, Albus," she snapped back. "Professor Snape will rein in his behaviour or find himself facing the School Board on a staff disciplinary hearing!"
Dumbledore sighed, turned to Professor Snape and said, "Severus, you will cease your ire towards young Harry. He is not his father."
Snape only sneered in response, but kept his mouth shut as he retook his seat.
With barely a hesitation Dumbledore turned back to Professor McGonagall and said, "Of course, as young Harry has specifically requested you for this meeting, you may remain."
Harry just snorted and shook his head in exasperation. It didn't pass unnoticed by anyone. Even Dumbledore frowned.
"Take a seat, please, Harry," said Dumbledore, indicating the single chair before his desk.
"I'm sorry, Headmaster; but, that would be quite rude of me to do so," Harry calmly replied. "After all, there are three ladies here, who should be seated before me."
"Of course, my boy," said Dumbledore. With a quick gesture of his wand, three identical chairs appeared alongside the first.
Harry guided both Hermione and Daphne into chairs, and waited for Professor McGonagall to sit, before he sat between the two girls. Daphne sat on his left, and Hermione sat on his right. He then looked at the Headmaster with a mien of curiosity.
Clearing his throat, Dumbledore adjusted his robes and his seat and said, "Now, Harry; I'd like to hear how this... bond... formed between you and these two lovely ladies."
"No, Headmaster," said Daphne. "That's a private matter between the three of us. It is not your concern."
Dumbledore's eyes lost that little twinkle of his for a bare few moments. He didn't even acknowledge what Daphne had said.
"Harry?" he asked.
"Headmaster?" asked Harry right back.
"I'd like to hear about how the bond came to be," said Dumbledore.
"I said no, Headmaster," Daphne snapped back. She then glanced at Harry and said, "You are not to tell him. It is a major breach of our privacy for him to even visit the topic."
"I wasn't going to, Daphne," Harry replied with a smile. "I happen to firmly agree with you."
Turning back to Dumbledore, Harry said, "Move on, please, Headmaster. As you've been firmly told, that particular topic is off the table."
Harry 'felt' the compulsion charm hit him and an immediate attempt at Legilimency. What Dumbledore didn't know was that the three were immune to the effects of compulsion charms. And Harry was already prepared for the Legilimency attack.
As soon as Dumbledore tried it, Harry was there, in his mind, before it. He grabbed the probe and absolutely shredded it, sending a powerful backlash back at the old man down the link.
Dumbledore snapped his head back and screamed as his hands came up from under his desk to grab either side of his head. His wand, which was in his right hand at the time, went flying. Using a bit of covert wandless casting, Harry summoned the wand to his hand as it sailed through the air, and surreptitiously pocketed it as he surged to his feet and drew his own wand forth.
"You bastard!" Harry screamed at the Headmaster, pointing his own wand right at Dumbledore.
The outburst was wasted, however, as Dumbledore began to slip sideways out of his chair and slump to the floor behind his desk, clearly unconscious.
Very quickly realising the old man was out of it, Harry immediately swivelled to point his wand at Professor Snape, who had also surged to his feet and drawn his wand. With Harry beating Snape to the draw, so to speak, the Professor froze in place, glaring back at Harry down the length of Harry's wand, with the softly glowing tip.
"What is the meaning of this?" exclaimed Professor McGonagall, also having drawn her wand.
"The Headmaster just tried a Legilimency attack on me!" snarled Harry. "I felt it; then he screamed and went down."
"He what?" exclaimed the Professor. The accusation didn't seem to surprise Professor Snape, though. He didn't even twitch at the word 'Legilimency'. He just glared daggers back at Harry.
"The Headmaster tried a Legilimency attack on me, Professor," said Harry, carefully lowering his wand as Professor Snape did the same. "I felt it. I... I don't know what happened after that."
Daphne said, "Legilimency on a minor without consent is illegal. I'm calling the aurors." She rose and made her way to the fireplace.
Harry saw the very small twitch at the corner of Professor Snape's eyes as Daphne said she was calling the aurors. The man had nerves of steel.
Harry heard the whoomph sound of the Floo powder hitting the grate in the overly large office fireplace, followed by Daphne's bark, "Aurors!"
Hermione, who'd been quiet until that point, plaintively asked, "Is anyone going to call Madam Pomfrey to see to the Headmaster? He might be really hurt!"
With wands well down between he and Professor Snape, Harry turned to watch Professor McGonagall cast a patronus of a small tabby cat. She sent it off with a message for Madam Pomfrey to attend the Headmaster's office for a medical emergency.
When he turned back to look at Dumbledore after he'd turned to watch Professor McGonagall, Harry saw that Professor Snape was crouching down next to what was clearly the Headmaster's slumped form.
"He's alive," he said. "But, deeply unconscious. I cannot revive him."
"Nor should you!" said Professor McGonagall, not a little affronted. "Albus didn't go down as a result of a Stunner, Severus. He went down to what appears to be backlash from an attempted Legilimency attack on Mister Potter. Leave him be for Poppy."
"Aurors are on their way," said Daphne coming back to join Harry and Hermione, as Professor Snape rose back to his feet.
With a pained look, he looked at Daphne and asked, "Is that really necessary, Miss Greengrass?"
"Yes, Professor," she stiffly replied. "Even if the Headmaster did not illegally perform a Legilimency attempt on Harry; he's still been, clearly, severely injured."
First to arrive was, of course, Madam Pomfrey. She immediately went to the downed form of the Headmaster. "What happened?" she asked no one in particular.
"It appears he may have attempted Legilimency on Mister Potter," replied Professor McGonagall. "This is the result."
With the sound of tutting and muttering under her breath, Madam Pomfrey continued her scans.
When she'd finished, she looked to Professor McGonagall and said, "Who was the idiot who tried to revive him?"
"That would be me," sneered Professor Snape.
"Foolish man!" she scolded him. Then, with a sigh, she said to Professor McGonagall, "He's suffered severe mental harm. I'm going to have to take him direct to the infirmary before I can even attempt to begin treatment."
"Fawkes!" snapped Professor McGonagall after only a moment's hesitation.
From where it looked mournful looking down at the Headmaster, Fawkes turned his head to look at the Professor.
The Professor asked the bird, "Can you take Albus and Poppy direct to the infirmary, please?"
With a light warble, Fawkes hopped forward off his perch, and dropped down onto the Headmaster. A second or two later, there was a flash of flame; and the Headmaster, Madam Pomfrey and Fawkes were all gone from the room.
"I guess we should head downstairs," sighed Professor McGonagall. "We'll need to meet the aurors beyond the gargoyle, anyway."
"I'll be in the infirmary," muttered Professor Snape. "Poppy is likely to be in need of my services." And, with that, he swept from the room.
The others followed him slower out the door.
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—==(oIo)==—
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Walking down the corridor from the Headmaster's office, they came across Madam Bones and two of her aurors come striding from the other way. Harry immediately recognised them as John Dawlish and Kingsley Shacklebolt.
"What is this I'm hearing of an illegal Legilimency attempt by the Headmaster, Minerva?" asked Madam Bones, all business.
Professor McGonagall sighed and said, "Albus has been taken to the infirmary, Amelia. We're heading there, now."
With a nod, Madam Bones indicated to Dawlish and Shacklebolt to hurry right there. Both men trotted off while the rest walked.
"I take it the Headmaster was severely injured in the attempt?" she asked.
"It appears so," replied the Professor.
"And, upon whom did he make the attempt?" she asked.
"That would be me, Madam Bones," Harry cut in.
The stern woman turned to look at Harry for a few long moments before she gave a small grunt and looked back ahead.
"Any witnesses?" she asked.
"All of us, plus Professor Snape," replied the Professor. "He's headed directly to the infirmary to see if he can aid Poppy."
"His wand?" she asked.
"I have it," replied Harry. He then reached into his pocket, withdrew the elder wand and handed it to the lady.
She took it in her left hand. With her right, she popped her own wand into her right hand and cast the reveal former cast charm, Prior Incantato, on the wand as she continued to walk.
First up was the Legilimency attempt, next was the compulsion charm, then another compulsion charm, then the conjuration for the three chairs, then a cast Harry didn't know but thought might be a desk tidy charm.
With a sigh, Madam Bones popped her wand away, reached into her pocket and withdrew what Harry recognised to be an evidence bag for a wand. She dropped the Elder wand into it, before sealing it and dropping the bagged wand into an inside robe pocket.
"Now yours, Mister Potter," she said, holding her hand back out to him.
Harry sighed and said, "Please remember that my wand was used to cast the Dark Mark at the Quidditch World Cup. And that I was found blameless for it." He then handed the wand over.
Using her own wand, Madam Bones scanned it by again casting the reveal former cast charm on it. The first one to come up was the reveal person charm he'd used outside their apartment the night before; and the second was the Dark Mark. She stopped there.
"You haven't cast anything with your wand except a revealing spell since before the World Cup?" she asked him.
"No, Ma'am," he replied.
She handed his wand back to him. "Then, clearly, you didn't hit the Headmaster with a curse of some fashion."
"No, Ma'am," he said again, as he repocketted the wand.
On his first trip out of the school he planned on buying three wand holsters with anti-summoning charms on them.
_‗_
—==(oIo)==—
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When they all walked in to the infirmary, Madam Pomfrey seemed to be berating Shacklebolt while Dawlish and Professor Snape stood back out of the way and apart. Professor Snape appeared amused.
"What seems to be the problem?" asked Madam Bones, striding in and immediately taking charge.
Before Kingsley could even say anything, Madam Pomfrey replied, "Your aurors are attempting to apply magical restraining shackles to my patient. I cannot allow that until my patient has been stabilised. I may need him to be able to use his own magic to aid in healing."
With a frown, Madam Bones said, "Secure him to the bed, but use null-magical restraining shackles to do it. I don't want Albus using wandless casting until I allow it."
Turning to a scandalised Madam Pomfrey, she said, "Sorry, Poppy; but I cannot afford him... deciding to depart from us... before I've had a chance to question him."
"I assure you, he's not going anywhere, Madam Bones," the medi-witch glowered back. "I doubt he'll be on his feet for quite some time."
Both aurors had already stepped forward and secured the Headmaster's wrists to the frame of the bed on either side of where he lay.
With a huff, Madam Pomfrey stepped back to the bedside of the Headmaster and checked. Then she looked up at Professor McGonagall and said, "I'm going to need to call in a mind healer from Saint Mungo's. This is beyond even me."
"Do it," said Professor McGonagall looking back with a short sharp nod.
_‗_
—==(oIo)==—
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While they were waiting for the mind healers to arrive and do what they needed to do, Madam Bones took Harry aside and began the questioning part of her investigation.
Harry told her about the bond forming the previous morning, and refused to say how it formed as it was a private and personal matter; told her how they asked for a private apartment from their Heads of House the previous night; and how the Headmaster summoned him to his office, that morning, after breakfast. Harry then went on to say he suspected the Headmaster would want to question him about the bond, though it was not his place to do so; and that he took Daphne and Hermione with him so they, too, could tell the Headmaster it was none of his business. He told her how that, as soon as he refused the Headmaster's not-so-subtle demand to tell him for a second time, he felt the compulsion charm attempt, immediately followed by the Legilimency attempt.
"One of those compulsion charms was attempted on me," said a very miffed Daphne.
"What happened after that happened so fast I can barely understand it," said Harry. "I felt the attempt and it... shattered or was shredded... on something, I think, is the best way to describe it. Do you think it might have something to do with the bond?"
"That's my best guess, Mister Potter," replied a clearly annoyed Madam Bones.
Harry then moved back to Professor McGonagall as - first Daphne, and then Hermione - were called over and interviewed. Finally, Professors McGonagall and Snape were interviewed.
When Professor McGonagall moved to talk to Madam Bones, Harry asked, "Anyone tell them anything about the bond other than it existed?"
Both girls said, "No." However, it clearly upset Hermione a little to do that.
All that time, Harry watched the pair of mind healers that had arrived from Saint Mungo's converse in low voices over the prone form of the Headmaster. On no less that three times, one would hold the old man's eye lids back to reveal the eyeballs, while the other would cast spells.
One of the mind healers had approached Harry and asked him a few questions about what he felt in the attempt, and if there was anything else about it that Harry could tell them. Not really knowing what happened, but still leaving out how he deliberately and almost unconsciously shredded the probe, Harry couldn't - wouldn't - tell them anything that would help them.
Eventually, it was decided to transport the Headmaster to Saint Mungo's, where they'd be working on him there. That told Harry the Headmaster was in a worse way than he thought, and neither would he be back on his feet any time soon.
'At least he'll be out of the way for a while,' he thought with a mental sigh.
When Professor McGonagall returned to them, Harry said, "In all that's happened this morning, Professor; I forgot to tell you I'm withdrawing from Divination."
Looking at him sharply, the Professor asked, "Oh?"
With a nod, Harry said, "With the aid of these two lovely ladies I intend to do self-study to see if I can catch up with them in Ancient Runes."
Surprised, the Professor said, "I'm happy to hear that, Mister Potter. I'll inform Professor Trelawney you're a withdrawal."
Harry smiled back. "Thank you, Professor," he said.
After Madam Bones interviewed Professor Snape, she allowed everyone to leave and to 'go about their business'. Harry and Hermione headed for Care of Magical Creatures, as it was far too late for Herbology. Daphne had a free period.
"Stay safe, Daphne," said a concerned Hermione to the girl.
Daphne smiled and promised she would. She was off to find Tracey.
_‗_
—==(oIo)==—
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In Care of Magical Creatures, Hagrid tried to get the class interested in a creature of his own design, Blast-Ended Skrewts. Once the other Gryffindors arrived, they learned from them they'd spent almost all of the class squeezing bubotuber pus out of recently matured bubotuber plants. Of course, they already knew that. Neville also promised to give them a copy of the homework for the class at lunch.
Harry and Hermione had arrived a little early and it looked promising that Ron wasn't going to turn up. But, that was never going to happen. As he'd managed to miss most of breakfast, Ron had used the opportunity of morning tea to stuff himself half-silly. He then arrived late for the class, wiping his face with the sleeve of his robes as he came jogging across the lawn from the castle.
Harry and Hermione were standing on the other side of Hagrid from the castle, looking through one crate of four containing the creatures. Harry almost groaned; but, it was Hermione's jab and very direct look that stopped him before he really began.
Ron tried to run over and join Harry and Hermione, but Hagrid grabbed him by a fistful of collar and directed him to the other 'Gryffindor' crate.
The Blast-Ended Skrewts looked like deformed, shell-less lobsters, horribly pale and slimy-looking, with legs sticking out in very odd places and no visible heads. There were about a hundred of them in each crate, each about six inches long, crawling over one another, bumping blindly into the sides of the boxes. They were giving off a very powerful smell of rotting fish. Every now and then, sparks would fly out of the end of a skrewt, and with a small 'phut' sound, it would be propelled forward several inches.
Nothing but deep affection for Hagrid could have made Harry and Hermione pick up squelchy handfuls of frog liver and lower them into the crates to tempt the Blast-Ended Skrewts. Harry couldn't suppress the suspicion that the whole thing was entirely pointless, because the skrewts didn't seem to have mouths.
At the end of the class an hour later, where they still didn't discover what the Skrewts liked to eat, Harry and Hermione quickly washed their hands in the tubs provided and headed back up to the castle. Ron came hurrying after them.
"Oi!" the boy called, hurrying up behind them. "Harry, mate!"
"Oh, Merlin," groaned Harry.
"Well, at least the skrewts are small," said Ron as he finally caught up to the pair of them as they made their way back up to the castle for lunch.
"They are now," said Hermione in an exasperated voice. "But, once Hagrid's found out what they eat, I expect they'll be six feet long."
"Well, that won't matter if they turn out to cure seasickness or something, will it?" said Ron, grinning slyly at her.
Hermione had said something to that effect to Malfoy when he complained about them. "You know perfectly well I only said that to shut Malfoy up," she replied. "As a matter of fact, I think he's right. The best thing to do would be to stamp on the lot of them before they start attacking us all."
As they walked in through the doors of the castle, Harry said to Ron, "Daphne will likely be sitting with us, again, Ron. If you can't handle that, don't sit next to us."
"What?" he spluttered. "But... mate!... I reckon she's bewitched you, or something! She's nothing but a..."
Before Ron had a chance to finish, Harry grabbed the redhead by the front of his robes and yanked him in close. "Don't even think about finishing that sentence in my presence, Ron," Harry quietly snarled. "You cannot bewitch, as you put it, a bond. It's there and it's eternal. We are bonded. If you can't keep a civil tongue in your head around Daphne, then it would be best if you didn't even try to sit next to us at table."
Giving a mouth-gaping Ron a bit of a shove away from himself, Harry glared at the boy before storming off into the Great Hall.
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Hermione had already entered the Hall while Harry was berating Ron. And she was currently sitting with Daphne with just enough room for Harry to sit between them.
Harry entered still in a very annoyed temperament. And basically dropped his bum into the seat between the two girls. Hermione had parchment, ink and quill out and was copying from another sheet. The original was in Neville's handwriting, so it must be the homework from the Herbology class.
"How did Ron take it?" she asked, not looking at him and while still writing away.
"He's still of the one-track mind Daphne's 'bewitched' me," grumped Harry. "Of course, that completely leaves you out of the equation."
"Problems with Ron?" asked Neville, from opposite.
With a grumbling mutter as he watched Ron go and sit down with Seamus Finnegan and Dean Thomas, Harry nodded. "He clearly has no idea about bonds, how they form, or what they mean. You'd think, as a pure blood, he would."
"Steady, Harry," said Neville, cautioning him. "It's not all that surprising. Soul bonds are extremely rare. The fact you've formed identical bonds with two witches at the same time is phenomenal. I cannot recall such a thing ever happening before."
Harry sighed and said, "I guess you're right. It just Ron's bigotry is really getting to me. I already have to put up with his petty jealousy, laziness and poor manners. I'm just not willing to put up with any more of anything else. I thought Professor McGonagall was going to set him straight, this morning. That doesn't seem to be the case."
When Ginny came and joined them a few minutes later, the three automatically became very careful around her. They knew she was going to try to hit them with potions if she wouldn't, or couldn't, accept the status of the bonds. Even then, she might not know enough about bonds to still try – if what Neville said was true.
She spoke about inconsequential things, and didn't mention overhearing about the bond, at all. That worried Harry, at least. He suspected she was unwilling to believe the news about the bond and would try to potion them, soon enough.
However, she didn't seem to make any sort of move, in that regard, as none of them saw her being furtive and none of them became suddenly sick. That did not mean, however, they weren't going to remain on their guard around her; especially when there was food or drink around.
When it looked like the three of them were done, Daphne said, "Shall we head for the library before we need to head for our afternoon classes?"
"That sounds like a good idea," said Hermione.
Harry nodded, looked to Neville and Ginny and said, "Excuse us. Daphne and Hermione are going to start teaching me something about Ancient Runes."
The three then rose to leave. As they did so, Harry could see the look of longing that flitted across Ginny's face as Harry started to move away.
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As they walked down the corridor towards the library, Harry said to the two girls, "I'm sorry; but, I got real tense when Ginny came and sat near us. I don't know how well I faked away from how much I currently dislike her."
"You weren't the only one, Harry," said Hermione, giving his hand a squeeze.
"She's right," said Daphne from his other side; his left.
'When did they develop this order?' he thought. 'Me, in the middle, makes sense. But, Daphne always takes my left and Hermione takes my right.'
The two girls led Harry to a table in the back of the library. And, after they dropped their school bags onto its surface, Hermione said, "I'll go look for information on potions; and potion detection charms."
"I'll look for the introduction book to Ancient Runes we used last year," said Daphne. "It's too early for all the copies to have been checked out yet. And I haven't heard word back from my parents about my text from last year."
Thinking a bit, Harry said, "And I'll see what the library has on soul bonds."
After searching the shelves, Harry came back with three books on the subject of soul relationships, one of which covered soul bonds. Daphne and Hermione were already waiting for him with books of their own.
Taking a quick look at them, Harry said, "We might want to just check all these out. Don't forget, you two have Arithmancy, this afternoon."
"We know," said Daphne. A quick check through the books, and Daphne kept her four, Hermione put aside two of her eight, and Harry discarded one. He discarded it because it simply didn't match what they already knew.
"Alright," said Hermione. "I think it'll be these."
Daphne nodded and said, "Agreed." Then she looked at Harry and said, "As you're off this afternoon, how about... once we get them checked out... you take these back to our apartment and see what you can find out about the potions and the bond. We'll join you as soon as class finishes. Then we'll see what we can teach you about Ancient Runes."
Harry nodded and said, "Sounds like a plan."
The three quickly reshelved the books they weren't taking, checked out the books they were, and headed off. Harry even escorted them to the Arithmancy classroom before he headed up to the seventh floor.
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When the girls finished for the day, the double period of Arithmancy, they hurried up to the apartment.
"Well?" asked Daphne as she walked in and saw Harry sitting on a couch with parchment, ink and quills scattered across the surface of the coffee table in front of him.
"Afternoon, ladies," he said. "To start with, I'll go through the potions. If they're the ones I think they are it's unsurprising we had moments of... non-lucidity... from them the last go around."
Both sat opposite Harry as he sorted through his notes.
"The big one... the love potion... I'm pretty sure it's Amortentia. And, of course, it's not really love we're talking about. It should more rightly be called an obsession or lust potion. At least, I seem to remember that was Molly's potion of choice for Arthur..." a glance at Hermione saw the girl nod back. "After the initial dosing, it needs to be renewed no more often than once every two days, lest those close to the 'victim' notice sudden changes in behaviour. It's also not to be given no less often than once every three days if it's to remain effective.
"The normal vector is either direct or, in concentrated form, in a drink. So, that means, for that particular one, we only need to watch what we drink. It also cannot be given with something alcoholic, as alcohol quickly breaks down the effect of it. And, given too strong the dose, the victim can quickly develop an allergy to it. So, it needs to be carefully administered to maintain long-term use. And, we know Molly has figured that out already.
"Next, is the loyalty potion... Fidelitas. It's actually very similar to Amortentia, with only a few ingredients changed. For it, too, the effect is closer to obsession than loyalty. It, too, needs to be renewed no less often than once every three days, and no more often than once every two days. It, too, needs to be carefully dosed lest the recipient develop an allergy to it.
"What I've not been able to determine yet, is: if the loyalty and love potions are so similar, how Molly's able to get around the allergy and or poisoning problems when you're dosing someone with both at the same time. The potion books don't answer that.
"Finally, we have the repulsion potion... Invidia. This one is used to have the ingester focus on the worst faults and habits of the target. It's also a weakened version of the Hate potion. Again, it's not so much hate, as it is an extreme version of detesting someone for their faults.
"The repulsion potion can be dried and administered in powdered form, or kept in liquid form. However, it can only be absorbed through the stomach or other soft tissue; not through the skin. So, as with the other two, it's main vector is via food or drink. But, alcohol doesn't have any affect on it, and can even enhance its effects."
"So, you two need to watch what you drink, and I need to watch both food and drink," said Daphne.
"Actually, we don't know if Molly's been able to make any... shall we say, improvements... on any or all of the potions," said Hermione. "That means we need to keep an eye on both food and drink for the love and loyalty potions, anyway. Plus, even if it's effects are greatly diminished if in the food, they'll still make us violently ill."
"That's where the potion detection charms come into play," said Harry, moving parchment aside to pick up another couple of sheets. "We're not worried as much with poisoning attempts, as we are with mind altering potions... as all three clearly are. For that, there is one charm that would cover the three. It won't detect which mind altering potion it is, but will detect that one's there. There are other detection charms that will identify which of them are present. And the charm Specialis Revelius willidentify what ingredients are in something."
"So, you can tell what potion was used by what the ingredients are in whatever it was placed within," said Hermione, understanding.
"Only a true potions master can make a professional appraisal of which potion has been used," said Daphne. "The general one is all we're going to need. Once it's detected, we can make a complaint and let the experts handle it from there."
"Those were my thoughts, too," nodded Harry. "However, there's another vector that may be – problematic."
"Oh?" asked Daphne.
"Yeah; Amortentia can be used in aerosol form," explained Harry. "That is, it can be used in a perfume. I daresay, considering their similarities, so can Fidelitas. Odour-bearing molecules from a perfume – diffuser – can carry tiny drops of the potion in the air. The victim could then end up inhaling them through the lungs. Don't forget; the lungs are also soft tissue."
Daphne shook her head in denial before she explained. "Yes, Amortentia, I know, is sometimes used in perfumes. However, it's never strong enough to have more than a very mild effect; or last more than an hour or two after the perfume is removed. It would be ineffective for what the Weasleys are trying to accomplish."
"We know it won't work on us, but will it still make us sick?" asked Hermione.
"Let's hope we never have to find out," muttered Harry.
"That aside, how does the charm work?" asked Hermione.
"Like any other charm," said Harry; "intent, incantation, wand gesture and focusing your magic. Get them right and, if the target area has been dosed with a mind altering potion, the specific object will glow bright blue for a few seconds."
"But, we'll have to do that in public," said Hermione. "People will see."
Harry snorted and said, "Hermione, what is Alastor Moody's constant cry?"
"Constant vigilance," she replied. Then realised what Harry was driving at. "Of course. Now that he's... supposedly... here, it makes sense some students would adopt that maxim. Why not us?"
Harry smiled and nodded in response.
Sitting back, he said, "Now that we have a fair idea of when to expect the next dosing attempt... tomorrow morning at the earliest... and we have a way to detect if the attempt has been made... before we start on Ancient Runes and homework... Hermione, do your parents receive a copy of the Daily Prophet?"
"No," she replied. "I didn't want to risk them discovering just how dangerous Hogwarts really is; and then using that as an excuse to pull me out of school. Why?"
"Because it's not going to be very long before the story of our bonding reaches the ears of at least one journalist for the Prophet. As soon as they have the story, they'll run with it," said Harry.
"And, if my parents received the Prophet, they'd be alerted at the same time," nodded Hermione. "Yet another reason I'm glad they don't."
"Next," said Harry. "Starting the day after the story breaks, we can expect to start receiving hate mail. Remember what happened after that nonsense Skeeter wrote about Krum, you and me?"
Hermione winced and unconsciously wiggled her fingers. "Yeah," she said.
"Well, the same is very likely to happen... again... regarding our three-way bond," said Harry. "The only difference is, this time it'll happen earlier in the timeline; and it'll be us two and Daphne, rather than us two and Krum."
"He's right," said Daphne. "So, starting immediately after the news of the bond is published, you no longer directly touch incoming owl mail. Where possible, Harry and I will deal with it until we can get it stopped. And howlers are getting torched with an incendiary charm as soon as they arrive and before they can... howl."
"Then we should also learn a poison detection charm, while we're at it, anyway" sighed Hermione.
The three then set to work learning the two specific detection charms before heading down to the Great Hall for dinner. Homework and Ancient Runes would wait until after the evening meal.
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CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
H3llhound2dea1h
H3llhound2dea1h Once again this is not my work. Original work is written by Sinyk on fanfic.net
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