章 46: Harry Gaunt - Chapter 46
Harry got a few looks while he waited outside. They'd glance at him, especially the girls, then hurry in when he finally glanced back. It was tedious. Harry had wanted to come in and see the common room with Bellatrix.
"Excuse me, are you waiting for someone?"
Harry swivelled around. Who was this?
"Yes, they won't be long." Harry tried to sound reassuring to the fifth-year prefect. She didn't look familiar, yet she looked as they all did with him, with caution. "Please, don't let me stop you." Harry stepped politely aside.
The girl didn't buy it though. "You're not supposed to be waiting," she said clearly. "I suggest you return at once to the Slytherin Common Room." She moved to the doorway with an air of confidence, as if she hadn't just told Lord Gaunt what to do.
"What's your name?" asked Harry before she could disappear inside. "Are you friends with Sirius? Evans perhaps?"
The girl stopped, glancing back. Harry could just see her inside the shadow of the doorway "Marlene McKinnon," she said clearly. "Pleasure."
"Harry Gaunt." Harry was wracked with realisation as she began to walk again. So this was her, Voldemort had wiped her whole family. "A pleasure."
She was gone.
The Fat Lady chuckled as her portrait swung closed. "You'll not be getting in here my lord," she sung. "I know all your tricks, believe me." She had enjoyed watching him while he waited. He was very dashing. "Problem?"
Harry was trying not to smile at her. She hadn't changed at all. "Oh no, no problem."
"Are you plotting something?" she said with alarm, her fan flicking closed with a snap. "Because if you are, I'll stop you. You won't get inside."
Harry raised his arms placatingly. She was very brave, it made sense he supposed as she waited for him to say something. "Bellatrix is inside." Harry made a point of staying put. "I'll go once she's out."
But admitting that was a mistake as the Fat Lady's eyes lit up with motherly interest. "Oh, I know Ms Black. She's such a lovely girl." Her fan opened up again and begun to fan. She shuffled towards Harry in her frame. "Tell me, are you to be married?"
It wouldn't do after all for a young lord to lead a lady on, that just wasn't proper.
"I don't know. I mean-" The Fat Lady stared him down from behind her fan. "-we haven't spoken of it yet."
She flicked it down again. "How odd. I would have thought Lord Black a better wizard than that. When I was young, my father arranged it all with such a handsome rogue." She teared up, then swatted her fan against the frame. "That swine. He left me, and for some horse faced water cow from the Netherlands. Have you ever been to the Netherlands?" she asked a little crazily.
Harry shook his head. But he had actually.
"I hope they drown." The Fat Lady fanned her face again like it was all too much. "And they did actually, my father had friends in the Netherlands." She looked back to Harry, she hoped he understood. "Speak to Lord Black, invite him to your manor for some tea. The Black's love tea, did you know?"
Harry was beginning to think she was going blabby. She had clearly been very good friends with the Blacks, perhaps that's why Bellatrix had simply walked in without a password.
"I'll do my best," offered Harry sincerely. "Thank you."
"You're most welcome my lord," she returned. "I am so pleased to see you. The Gaunt's were a wonderful family during my time. I knew Corvinus too." She looked at Harry warmly, they had a likeness, the same ears and way of walking. "Oh, they're coming."
Her portrait swung open and revealed Bellatrix, along with a complaining Sirius. "Would you please let go," he whined. "People saw."
He tried to escape as Bellatrix settled beside Harry with a final tug. "Fine, but don't run off." She let him go and looked to Harry. "Where to?"
Click.
The Fat Lady was watching them again.
"Uh, what about-"
She coughed.
"Have you met the Fat Lady, Harry?" said Bellatrix as she noticed their strange interaction. She assumed he already had, in the past. "She's lovely."
Harry nodded. The Fat Lady looked at him encouragingly. "Yes." He turned to Sirius. "Sirius, good to see you."
"Sure - uh, thanks." Sirius hadn't a clue what the portrait was doing, trying to freak out Harry by the looks of it. "I know a place we can go. Follow me."
Sirius turned and led the way, which was a nice change for Harry as he followed happily. "Come on Bellatrix," he said. "He's running off, quick."
"I am not running off."
Harry ignored Sirius for the moment. Bellatrix was talking to the Fat Lady. Exchanging words. Learning.
"She's great isn't she," said Sirius pleasantly from behind him. "The Fat Lady I mean. She always lets me in even without the password." She'd even let him in as Padfoot once. "Gaunt?"
Harry was nibbling his lip. "What?" He looked at Sirius. "Call me Harry."
"Harry then." Sirius glanced between him and Bellatrix as she finally left the portrait. "Never mind."
Bellatrix arrived with a happy skip. She took Harry's hand like always. "Well, lead the way then," she said to Sirius. "This better not be some cave you and Potter found."
"It's not a cave. It's a room." He walked off expecting them to follow, which they did without comment. "It's a bit of a walk though."
Sirius took them up across the enchanted stairs. There were a few students still about sneaking around, little first and second-years exploring the castle. Most of the older students had already returned to their common rooms to rest, recover after difficult days of adjusting to a new term.
Not that Gaunt would know anything about that, or Harry as he walked with Bellatrix behind. And another thing, him and Bellatrix, just how close were they?
"Up here." Sirius took them to a spiral staircase at the end of a corridor. "Not far now." Harry let Bellatrix go first, she still didn't let go of his hand.
Sirius was perturbed. He didn't know what to think, they hadn't known each other for very long, but he got the sense they did know each other: strange.
"I haven't been up here in ages," observed Bellatrix at the dusty wooden beams above their heads. They were in the roof bit, the walls were sloping up to the point of the A-frame. "It's falling apart."
"It's just old," rebutted Sirius. "Nothing at Hogwarts falls apart. It's magic." He led them down along the wooden floor. It was narrow. "Through here. It's not much but, we won't be bothered at least."
The door opened to a room that overlooked the grounds through a circular window. It was empty, not a place you'd like to stay for too long.
"Sirius, this is abandoned for a reason." Bellatrix held Harry back from entering the room. He wouldn't object to it, not with Sirius.
"What's wrong with it?" Sirius didn't see the issue. The floorboards only bent a little bit. "This won't take long."
"That's not the point!" She swivelled back to Harry in the doorway. "Harry." She looked into his eyes.
Sirius shifted uncomfortably. He didn't want to see them doing googly eyes.
"Alright," sighed Harry with a blink. "Sirius, take my arm."
"What? Why?"
"We're going somewhere else," said Bellatrix. "It's fine. Harry's going to take us." She'd already commandeered his other arm.
Harry nodded reassuringly. Sirius gave in and huffed over to them.
Crack.
It felt like pressing up against strangers in a lift, except this time, Bellatrix was there too for some reason.
Sirius soon fell away as they arrived within a room. It was boiling in here, and had blinds but no furniture. "This isn't much better," he said with an arm against the wall. "Can we just get this over with, I do know most of what my responsibilities are." He stood up straight and took a breath.
Bellatrix looked at him. "It's just a few things," she said. "Not much at all really." She tried not to shuffle, it was awkward talking to Sirius about this. He was childish.
"And what things are they? Did Arcturus know?"
Bellatrix nodded. Harry seemed content to let her do the talking.
"Then what is it?" Sirius looked between them. "Is it… sensitive?"
Bellatrix sighed. "Yes Sirius. I want you to annul both mine and Cissy's marriage contracts. Now, this instant." She didn't mean to sound demanding, but they could be home in a heartbeat with Harry here. "Will you do it?"
Sirius seemed to be processing it. "You're engaged?" he asked. "For how long?"
"Since the summer."
"The summer?" Sirius was stunned. "I had no idea. Tell me it's not to Lestrange and that sponge headed ponce…"
Harry stifled a laugh, as did Bellatrix for a fleeting moment. "Not quite, but if Arcturus had died and left House Black without a Lord, the contracts would have been my father's. And you know who's he's with, right?"
Bellatrix knew that Sirius had at least heard of the Pureblood Movement.
"Ohhh…" Sirius realised with a nod. "He'd have sold them, or got Reggie to do it." Sirius was beginning to hate his family, more at least than he'd done before.
"Reggie?" Harry shifted. "What do you mean?"
Sirius explained what he'd spoken about just a few hours ago. "And since Reggie's my heir now, he seemed to think Walburga might try to off me, then give the Lordship to him. He just can't shake her off like I did."
He heard Bellatrix huff with a bubbling anger, murmuring a few choice words about her Aunt.
"But that's for me to decide," warned Sirius. "Reggie's my brother, my heir. And that's the way it stays." He wouldn't be told what to do by Bellatrix. At least Gaunt seemed pretty relaxed about the whole thing.
"It's just the marriage contracts, we'll leave the rest you." Harry returned kindly. "But just to clarify, if you join the Pureblood Movement or assist them in anyway, our alliance ends." He looked carefully into Sirius's eye. "Understood?"
The room that had been so warm became cold. Sirius felt a shiver slide across him, he remembered very well what Harry was really like. "Of course," he returned under watchful eyes. "Let's get the buggers, it's their fault I am even having this conversation after all."
Sirius felt the cold recede. He wondered if Harry knew he was doing it, he really missed Arcturus.
"Good, shall we go then?" Harry presented his arm again.
"Go where?" Sirius glanced at it.
"Home Sirius," said Bellatrix. "The contacts will be in Arcturus's office." She beckoned him over. "We might need to visit Gringotts too."
Sirius was about an inch from Harry's hand. "Gringotts…" He thought about it. Damn, that was his money now. "You'll owe me for this." He took Harry's hand. "Let's go."
Harry smiled as he took them away. They'd definitely need to go to Gringotts.
Sirius was a good man.
~~~~~~~
Harry quite enjoyed his time waiting in the Gringotts lobby, he wasn't allowed in you see, House Black business, not Gaunt. But Bimock their Account Manager had actually done Harry a favour when he'd went him away, Harry was now sat upon a comfortable bench looking out across the people passing by as they queued for their money.
It was just past five in the afternoon, the wizarding rush hour when everyone hurried off to the bank to make withdrawals before it closed. There were even a few Hogwarts students queuing up, just like him in their robes for all to see. Hufflepuff. Ravenclaw. Harry was the third. "I wonder what they're doing," he said to himself. He leant to one side to get a better view. The girl had arrived at one of the tellers, the Hufflepuff, and was at once having difficulty with the Goblin.
Harry tried to guess what it was. She probably didn't have any money. "And what about you…" he flicked his gaze to the Ravenclaw, a tall boy in his seventh-year. "Rich." His posture said it all, as if the bank and its staff worked only for him. "Half-blood, got to be."
Which was curious, maybe it was a bit like James and Lily had been - most Pureblood heirs would never consider actually marrying a Muggleborn. Even Sirius, who Harry knew would have been told by Arcturus not to do it.
But then again as Harry rubbed his chin, times were changing, they could thank Tom for that and his little uprising. "Oh no, not you again." A woman came and sat beside him. Harry sighed without shame. "Stop sending me letters."
Euphemia seemed to enjoy his suffering, but was so happy to have found him. "And good afternoon to you as well my lord. Lovely day."
Harry felt obliged to talk to her. She was his grandmother after all. "Lady Potter," he greeted. "What brings you here."
She didn't have a job. Olivander's didn't count as she opened her purse and rummaged inside.
"Space enlargement?" Harry looked at the opening critically.
"Yes, very handy." She glanced up. "How did you know? I concealed them very well, even the Ministry don't notice when I pop-in to visit." Though Euphemia hadn't been in quite some time as she retrieved a letter. "For you, my lord."
Harry looked at it. This was exactly why people didn't like her. "Thank you." He took it politely, setting it aside beneath his hand. "I'll read it later."
"Do you have time now?"
"No. I am people watching." Harry set his eyes on the Ravenclaw boy again, who with a walking stick gestured for a man to move his bags. He had a butler?
"I know who that is." Euphemia followed his gaze. "Do you?"
Harry put the letter in his lap. "No, I've not been at Hogwarts very long."
Euphemia shuffled along the bench in her elegant robe. "Understandable," she offered. "Shall we play a game?" She indicated the lobby with her head. "I know everyone, I do, really I do. But if I don't, I can figure them out."
She was implying something. Harry kept his eyes on the Ravenclaw. "Your point?"
"I can't understand you." She looked almost sad at the truth of it. "I do one thing wrong, and you avoid me like the Dragon Plague. I send letters, I come in person to speak to Greycup, but still I cannot reach you." Euphemia looked down at her lap. There was something about Harry Gaunt that demanded her attention: his walk, his look. Even his voice.
She just wanted to help him, like she'd said during his meal at the Leaky Cauldron.
"I don't need your help. Not anymore." Harry had only just returned to the past when they'd met, he hadn't researched what being a Lord would mean, hadn't sold a Dragon or bought a house. He didn't have Bellatrix.
"I know." Euphemia stated. "You're allies with Black now." She just hoped Arcturus wasn't taking advantage of Harry. "But enough of that, shall we play? It's a simple game. You pick a person and tell me what you see, and I'll correct you."
"And how exactly is that a game?" Harry looked idly at the people passing by. "There's no reward in it."
"Ah, but there is." Euphemia raised a finger. "If a single speculation you make about a person you see is correct, I'll tell you something you wish to know. And if it's two, another something." She waved her hand to indicate 'and so on'.
Harry decided humour her. "And if I am wrong?"
She shuffled closer to him. "I get to ask you a question." She'd been thinking about this, what to ask him. "Sound fair?"
The people kept up as they walked around them, talking and chatting while Harry sat there, wondering if it was really the Gaunt's that were crazy. "Alright." He sat back against the bench. "Him, the Ravenclaw."
Euphemia said she knew him, they'd start with a sure win for either of them. "Half-blood."
"Wrong." Euphemia wiggled up beside him. "He's a Pureblood of course, honestly Harry." She leaned away so he could cross his arms. "Why did you attack that Auror in the alley?"
Harry stiffened. He'd almost forgotten about that. "He was afraid of me. That wouldn't do."
Euphemia listened intently. "But why attack him? To prove it so?" She out across the people. "He was badly hurt Harry, his family almost lost him."
"That was not my intention. And that was more than one question." Harry uncrossed his arms and put the letter in her lap. "Rich."
Euphemia picked it up. "Wrong, he's poor. And a distasteful poor if there ever was such a thing." She sniffed as she watched the pretentious boy swat with his cane. "He pretends, borrows, we both know where that leads."
Harry made a grumbling sound. "House Gaunt is no longer in debt, you can thank me for that. Now ask."
Euphemia straightened in excitement. "I'll ask again. Why did you do it?" She wanted to grab Harry's arm and shake it. "You'd have thrown everything away just to avoid paying a fine?"
That did the trick. Harry took an angry breath. "On your way here how many Aurors did you see?" He turned to her, his knee nudging her away. "How many?"
Euphemia counted quickly in her head. "Five. I saw five."
"Not one then?" Harry checked. "Five?"
She nodded stiffly.
"Then there's your answer. You can thank me later when the alley doesn't burn to the ground." Harry shifted back, correcting the cold that had settled over them.
Euphemia was unfazed. "Does that happen often?" She looked at him pensively. "The cold. I must say that's very unusual." It just seemed to be another puzzle piece for her. "Another?"
Harry took a moment, then indicated a handsome man passing by. "Adulterer." He smelt of perfume. "And only when I am angry."
Euphemia nodded. She watched the man with distain. "Correct." She patted Harry's arm. "Well done. He's a dreadful man."
Harry didn't care if the man was dreadful or not. He leaned his arm away. "Why are you so fixated on me?" he asked instead. "You carried that letter around on the odd chance you'd run into me?"
"That's two questions."
"It's the same question." Harry said forcefully. "Now answer me. And don't lie."
Oh, Euphemia tilted round at his narrowed eyes. That was impressive. "You're a Legilimens-" Something sharp poked at her mind. "-and entirely unnecessary." She rubbed her head.
Harry smirked a bit.
"And to answer your question," she said. "I can only say that you intrigue me. I've met many people, but none quite like you or in your circumstances."
"And?" Harry wanted a bit more than that. "That's not a reason to harass me."
"I know, and I don't mean to. I just…" Euphemia looked down at her dress. She wasn't alone in her predicament. "…have nothing better to do. You'll find Harry that life can be quite plain when you're rich. Go again."
She settled in beside him. Harry was good company as he looked between the people. He'd been wrong about the Ravenclaw but this time, the Hufflepuff seemed a sure thing. "Muggleborn."
Harry indicated the girl still arguing with the teller. She'd really gone for it, arguing over something as the queue grew in larger.
"Wrong." Euphemia smiled in blissful victory. "Her parents are squibs. They live a difficult life."
The queue shifted on as the girl was finally escorted away. Nobody liked squibs, even Goblins.
"Go ahead then."
"Are you a Parselmouth?"
Harry's eye twitched. "Yes." He started scanning the crowd. "Him. He's a squib."
Euphemia looked. "Muggle. He just likes the fashion."
Harry grit his teeth. "Ask."
"Are you to marry soon?"
"What?" Harry blinked around to an amused Euphemia. "N-no. Why would you think that?"
She shrugged at him innocently. "Because I've been asked by more than one hungry Lord if you're available." She quickly giggled at the look on Harry's face. "For their daughters Harry."
"Yes, I know. But you said it strangely." Harry rubbed a hand across his forehead. "Last one." He looked around and spotted a child, looking lost. "He's lost."
There. She couldn't rebuke that.
"Wrong. He's a beggar." She pointed a finger from her lap. "Watch. They'll throw him out any second now."
Harry did. The boy seemed to subtly speak to the passing people, asking. He couldn't be a wizard; no muggle child would do that. "He's a squib."
Euphemia nodded. "Exactly. He doesn't know the muggle world. It's as I said, they live a hard life." She reached across and set the letter in Harry's lap. "Whose side are you on?" she asked.
Harry looked back at her. She looked at him without fear.
Harry did something then that he wouldn't normally have done, he gave her something, a dream that he'd once never dared to linger on.
Euphemia world became dark. Then there within her mind stood a couple in the garden of a muggle house, a man and woman with a baby in her arms. There were three more children stood around them, all smiling and distracted while the photo was taken. It was Harry, and where once stood a gap at his side, now stood Bellatrix with a beaming smile.
That's whose side he was on, no other.
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