Chapter 3
Number 3 Foxtrot Lane)
Harry was more than eager to join the magical world, but he also had no desire to give up his relationship with Lacey. Her father said that he would help where he could, but Harry wanted to know just what kind of help would be required. As a result, he made sure to purchase books about wizarding culture to understand just what he was getting into along with more appropriate clothing. Taking a few days to read over the books in between meals, it became obvious that it would be even more tedious then he realized.
Wizarding culture had four classes of people. Purebloods, half-bloods, muggleborn, and squibs. Harry would be classified as a half-blood his father was a pureblood, and his mother was a muggle. Wizards didn't care who your magical parent was but the mere fact you had Muggle blood ruined things. In fact, he read about a group called the Sacred 28 which were the most important purebloods of all time, and what made them important was the lack of Muggle blood.
Now Lacey and her father were known as Squibs and if being a Muggleborn was bad, being a squib was worse. The greatest proof of that was Mr. Polkiss who was from a pureblood family, one of the Sacred 28 in fact, and yet he lived in Surrey instead of somewhere far better because he was a squib. The stigma of dating her might cause others to look down on her. Then again, that sounded too much like a reverse of the Dursley's and associating with anybody who reminded him of the Dursley's was not something he wanted to do.
The other problem, and one that was far more annoying, was communication. The magical world had no phones, and all mail was sent using owls. That meant he'd need to find a new way to talk to Lacey that wouldn't reveal magic to the world. Thankfully, a visit to Gringotts took care of that but in order to let his girlfriend know, Harry had to make the trip back to Surrey.
As Harry arrived at Lacey's home at Number 3 Foxtrot Lane, he could only hope that Piers wasn't around because he didn't feel like dealing with him. As the door opened, he saw Lacey and she had an odd look on her face, "What are you doing here Harry?" Lacey wondered.
Harry took a deep breath, "We need to talk about some stuff." Harry said nervously.
Lacey looked at him and had an odd smile on her face, "So you and Dad finally had the m word conversation" Lacey said with a grin.
Harry's eyes widened and a smile appeared on his face at the reply and what it meant, "That's right. Can I come in." Harry said happily. Lacey knew about magic and if that was the case, this conversation would be a lot easier.
"Absolutely." Lacey said and Harry walked inside deciding to save the usual couple stuff for later.
Lacey led him to a door that seemed out of the way from everything else and after they walked in. The room reminded him of one of his teacher's offices with a large desk that was currently bare and a small leather couch that couldn't fit more then a few people along with a bookcase off to the side. Something about the room felt different and as he looked towards Lacey, he watched his girlfriend press an area just by the door and watched as the room lit up. "Whoa." Harry said in awe.
"It'll be necessary if we want some privacy." Lacey replied before walking over to the desk and sitting down. Harry sat at the couch and braced himself.
"So. How do you know about magic."
"Because of a happy accident involving my best friend… well cousin Hannah."
Harry was confused, "Explain."
Lacey smiled, "I first met Hannah back in primary school during our first year. Thanks to a minor miracle, Piers and I were put in different classes, and I sat next to Hannah, and it wasn't long before we became fast friends. Our classmates used to joke that we were like sisters, and I didn't mind because we got along very well. Certainly better than I did with my actual brother Piers
About halfway through the year we were asked to talk about our favorite book for an assignment. Hannah looked upset and I asked her why and it was because she told me that she couldn't do the assignment because her parents wouldn't like her telling anybody about the book. I was confused and she made me promise to keep it a secret.
It turns out that Hannah's favorite book was about Harry Potter, a young wizard with messy black hair, and emerald green eyes who went on adventures all around the world despite being our age.
I was caught off guard not because the book sounded like it was anything bad, but because the character reminded me of you."
"I didn't think you knew me, and I certainly didn't know you." Harry interrupted.
"I didn't know you per say, but since me and Piers were in different classrooms, I would be brought over to his at the end of the day to make it easier for dad to take us home. You had the same name as the Boy with the same messy hair and cool eyes. That particular day, I remember as we arrived looking for you and when I did get a glance, I saw your eyes but before I could go up to you, Piers noticed and asked why I was paying attention to Dudley's freak cousin.
"So it's your fault that Piers started targeting me more." Harry teased. When they first started primary school Harry did his best to avoid any headaches and it worked for a time, but then out of nowhere Dudley and Piers started targeting him. It was annoying but there was nothing he could do, and he just dealt with the crap. Eventually he got tired of everything and just did what he wanted but that was much later.
Lacey blushed because she noticed that Dudley and Piers started picking on him, "I tried to tell him it was nothing but clearly that failed and I'm sorry."
"That's an interesting story but that doesn't explain what led you to magic."
Lacey blushed, "A few days later, I asked Hannah to borrow one of the books and she said it was okay, but I'd have to wait a day for some reason.
I did and when it was time for my dad to read me a story later that night, I asked him to read the book Hannah gave me. I still remember the look of shock of my father's face and he asked me where I got it. I told him that it was my friend Hannah's favorite book and dad got an odd smile on his face.
He said that he'd like to meet my friend Hannah, and we arranged for dinner at her house a few days later. It was during that dinner that I found out that Hannah and I were actually cousins and that magic was real. It was one of the craziest nights of my life"
"I bet." Harry chuckled.
"On the drive home, I mentioned to dad that Dudley's freak cousin looks like the boy from the books. He asked why I called him a freak and I said that I heard Piers say that."
"I can't imagine he liked that." Harry chuckled.
"He didn't and all he said to me was that I shouldn't judge you based on what Piers or anybody else says. Make your own opinion and trust that as much as anything." Lacey smiled.
"I'm glad he did that." Harry grinned.
"I am too because it allowed me to get to know the real you at Stonewall, and I certainly liked it. You weren't like the books but truthfully they were insane so that was a good thing."
"Speaking of Hannah, you mentioned she was going to a new school this year."
"She's going to Hogwarts starting this year, and I'm guessing you'll get your letter soon enough." Lacey smiled.
Harry grinned, "According to your dad I'll get it next month and I've decided to go. The Dursley's have done nothing for me and while I'll miss my friends at Stonewall, I feel like I owe it to my parents to at least try and understand the magical world a little bit." Harry mused.
Lacey smiled, "I understand that, but that means there's a few problems we need to address."
"Our relationship being chief among them." Harry acknowledged.
"Yep. I have no desire to lose you Harry but as you get further entrenched into the magical world it will become harder for both of us."
"I know but I still want you in my life. That's why I left the Leaky and took this risk" Harry said firmly.
Lacey beamed, "Well there's good news and bad news."
"I'm assuming the bad news is that the wizarding world for the most part won't take kindly to our relationship."
"Yep. The good news is that not all of the wizarding world are assholes and if you find somebody who's not intolerable, we can position things to make it more acceptable." Lacey smiled.
Harry was dumbfounded, "Are you really saying that you'd allow me to pursue other girls even though we're dating."
Lacey blushed, "The wizarding world won't accept you dating a squib, but if you find a nice pureblood girl. I can become a mistress and that means I can stay with you that way. It's not ideal, but if it would allow us to stay together, I'll manage. Besides, that threesome with Hannah wasn't so bad" Lacey smiled.
Harry couldn't believe it. He was getting a pass to go after anybody and since Harry was the type to focus on character as much as looks, he could easily find somebody that suited that purpose, "What did I do to deserve you." Harry smiled.
"You endured treatment that no human being should ever endure from a fellow human and instead of letting it break you, made you into a man of great integrity and discipline who can deal with any challenge that comes his way." A voice said from the walls that Harry and Lacey recognized was that of her father.
"How long have you been listening father." Lacey frowned.
"Did you honestly think you could walk into my personal study and just talk without me knowing what was going on. Given how nosy Piers is I'd need to have safeguards since there are a few things in here that would give me away." Silas said to the duo.
"Touché." Lacey said with a wry grin and Harry understood completely.
"By the way, if you two want to catch up, feel free as long as you don't do it in my office." Silas teased.
"As tempting as that is. The last thing I need is to run into Piers." Harry admitted.
"Piers in spending the summer in a youth detention center along with Dudley and his gang. With you gone, they found a new target and this boy had a brother in the special forces. After the brother… made his feelings known to the boys, he called the police, and they were arrested. Needless to say they won't get in the way of you and Lacey"
"Good to know." Harry smiled.
"Yeah. Now let's go make some magic Harry." Lacey smirked.
Harry could only chuckle at the joke he and Lacey went off to 'catch up' as her father put it. His mind was at ease and now the only thing left was to wait for his Hogwarts letter to know exactly what he'd need for his new school.
(Scene Skip)
It was the middle of the afternoon when Harry got a knock on the door. Making his way over, he opened the door expecting to see Tom or Silas but what he didn't expect was to see Daphne Greengrass in a green blouse with some black pants and silver and green trainers, "Please come in." Harry said politely.
"Thank you Heir Potter." Daphne replied as she walked in and shut the door..
Harry turned towards her calmly and to Daphne's pleasant surprise he grabbed her right hand with his, "Technically it's Lord Potter but I digress. It's a pleasure to see you again Heiress Greengrass." Harry said before leaning down and kissing the back of her hand.
If he was looking up, he'd see Daphne blushing heavily before a mask of indifference returned, "It appears that you read those books I mentioned." Daphne spoke as she tried to gather herself.
"I did but enough about that. What brings you to my little slice of heaven." Harry replied before going to his bed and sitting down.
"My father overheard Tracey talking about running into you at Diagon and he made the suggestion, that I try and befriend you before we start our journey at Hogwarts." Daphne said with a hint of annoyance.
"From the look on your face, that doesn't sound like something you wanted to do." Harry replied unsure what to make of this.
Daphne sighed, "Here's the thing. When we arrive at Hogwarts, we'll be sorted into one of four houses. Ravenclaw, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and finally Gryffindor. Hogwarts uses an ancient, and frankly beat-up, hat which looks into our minds and reads our innermost thoughts to sort us. My thoughts would lead me to Slytherin and given who you are that means…"
"It means nothing. In case you've forgotten our last meeting Heiress Greengrass, I told you that I was raised by Muggles and not in some castle. Whatever you read about me that caused Tracey to be so fascinated by the fact that I called you pretty, is false. For all you know, I could end up in Slytherin just like you." Harry answered.
The Stoic expression of Daphne Greengrass vanished in a flash, and it was replaced by one that was a nice mix of hope and embarrassment along with a small blush. She didn't want to befriend him because she assumed he'd be the Boy Who lived and the Golden Boy of Gryffindor. Now, the possibility existed that he would be in Slytherin and in that case, there was something she had to do. "In that case I must apologize for offending you Lord Potter and I'd like to request an alliance." Daphne said as hope was renewed.
"No." Harry said quickly
"I see." Daphne said with a slight frown before getting up and preparing to leave.
"Hold on Heiress Greengrass. Where are you going." Harry frowned.
Daphne stopped, "You just said that you don't want to offer an alliance. I'm afraid there's not much more to say after that."
Harry internally groaned because he saw a lot of things like this in reading about pureblood culture and he found it tiresome, "Instead of an alliance, which makes zero sense because we've just me, I'd like to offer is a friendship."
"A friendship." Daphne said as though the concept was foreign, which it pretty much was."
"That's right. You can come see me at the Leaky just as you have today, and I can tell you bits and pieces about my life so you can get to know me as a person. Naturally you can do the same about yourself because if we're going to be allies, I'd like to know who I'm allied with.
We can even use the time to discuss things you know about Hogwarts that might be useful and other aspects of magical culture that books don't explain as well."
"Anything else." Daphne wondered.
"Three very specific conditions that I want you to follow." Harry smiled.
Daphne narrowed her eyes, "What are they?" Daphne frowned. For all his talk of friendships the fact he was setting conditions was frustrating.
"First, you call me Harry because it feels awkward if you call me my last name."
Daphne was taken aback by that, but she had to remember he was raised by muggles, "I'll try but don't be surprised if I mess up." Daphne said bashfully.
"That's fine. Second. I do not want you to tell anybody about our conversations. I'm going to be revealing deeply personal and deeply private information to you and from what little I've already learned I know that people will definitely use a lot of it against me."
Daphne paused because there was no guarantee that her father wouldn't press for information, "Agreed. Though I have a feeling that there are things that others SHOULD know since most of the magical world views you as I did and will expect you to act the way I did when we first met." Daphne replied.
Harry nodded, "Third and finally. Can we stop being so bloody formal when we talk."
"May I ask why?" Daphne frowned. She was raised to be as he described and not doing so would be difficult.
"Because it feels like we're business associates talking about deals that will make us millions of pounds… or I guess in this case Galleons. I don't want to feel like I should be wearing a bloody suit when I'm talking to a friend about their day." Harry said politely though the irony wasn't' lost on him that he was making a deal as he did.
Daphne cracked a smile, "That's agreeable but you'll find that very few people in the wizarding world are genuine friends. Case and point are me and Tracey. While I call her my friend, our relationship was established because her family was a vassal to mine. I can try and be less formal, but it will take me time." Daphne admitted.
"Then it's a good thing we have the rest of the summer for you to get used to that." Harry smiled.
"I guess so." Daphne said back still trying to figure out what to make of this. Harry was different from everyone she ever met.
"So are you doing anything for the rest of the day."
"Why do you ask?" Daphne said with a slight frown.
"Because now seems like the perfect time to get to know my new friend." Harry replied.
Daphne's frown turned into a smile, "In that case. My name is Daphne Elizabeth Greengrass. It's nice to meet you."
"Harry James Potter. The pleasure is mine Daphne."
Daphne, "So Harry. Since you don't spend your time being trained by incredible wizards and going on adventures. What do you do for fun." Daphne asked deciding to at least start learning about the real Harry Potter.
(Scene Skip)
Harry had to admit that he'd gotten used to things at the Leaky and with his birthday a few days away he reflected on everything that was going on with a smile. Daphne came over a few times to talk and he could safely say they were on their way to being friends.
With the help of her father's house elf, Lacey stopped by a few times to 'catch up' with him and make sure he didn't forget her. Shadow would pop in out of nowhere and moments later Lacey would arrive with a big smile on her face. Shadow even cast privacy and contraceptive charms to ensure they didn't disturb anybody else and make sure he could properly enjoy his girlfriend.
A week ago Hannah stopped by much to his surprise. She was in Diagon Alley to get her things for school and remembered Lacey mentioning he was at the Leaky and decided to visit. He finally got a good look at the Hogwarts uniform which was pretty plain in his opinion but that uniform wasn't on for long as Hannah used her new wand to cast a privacy charm and contraceptive charm on her body so they could 'catch up'.
While his love life was thriving, there was the matter of telling his Stonewall friends about his transfer and he came up with a solid excuse.
He was cleaning up at his Aunt's House and found letters addressed to him hidden away in a side area. According to those letters his parents left him a massive inheritance and the only way for him to claim it in full would be if he successfully graduated from the super elite private school that his parents went to, and that he would be transferring there starting his year. He claimed that his aunt hid the letters because the money would go to her should he not graduate and that's why he attended Stonewall.
They went along with it, but they made Harry promise to keep in touch, which he would do thanks to something he had set up to talk to Lacey. "Note to self, once my new house is fixed, bring them over to visit" Harry mused. Stonewall changed his life for the better and he'd be damned if he didn't let his friends enjoy the fruits of his labor. It would require him to adjust the plan with Gringotts but with Dumbledore paying he didn't mind. His musing was broken by a knock on the door.
Making his way over to the door he opened it and was met with a sight that he wouldn't soon forget. "Hello Harry." Daphne Greengrass said with a blush on her face and for good reason. Daphne was in a long-sleeved green jacket above a silver v cut blouse that showed off a very healthy amount of cleavage and black joggers that hugged her body perfectly along with her traditional green and white trainers. Her hair was down as always but he noticed there was a bit more makeup then usual. If they were on a date, it would make sense but not an announced visit like this.
Harry raised an eyebrow, "Not that I'm not happy to see you but what's going on." Harry frowned.
Daphne sighed because as she expected Harry saw through this. In their early conversations it was obvious that Harry was ridiculously smart and would also easily see through this and decided to come clean, "A few days ago my Hogwarts letter arrived but due to the unique circumstances. My father saw this as an opportunity."
"Explain."
"Hogwarts students who are half-bloods that live with Muggles or who are Muggleborn are typically introduced to Hogwarts by one of the heads of house and escorted to Diagon Alley. Since your circumstances are slightly different, and since the supplies are all the same, my father thought I could use this chance to escort you around myself." Daphne explained.
Harry groaned, "In other words your father took advantage of the fact his gorgeous daughter was friends with a naïve Boy Who Lived and wanted to use the letter as an opportunity for you to seduce me and get favor with House Greengrass in the process."
Daphne couldn't hide the blush on her face from Harry calling her gorgeous and the fact he hit it on the nose, "Pretty much." Daphne replied. The irony of it was she was considering doing the same thing before her father ordered her to do it.
Harry could only shake his head before he went over to his closet and grabbed his favorite hooded jacket, "Let's go." Harry said with a wry smile.
"Okay." Daphne said glad that he wasn't annoyed at her.
(Scene Skip)
Thanks to hiding his appearance, the trip was pretty anti-climactic. The first stop was to a trunk shop so Harry could carry around his books. With Daphne's help Harry chose a high-end trunk with 7 different compartments and that could be shrunk and had a featherlight charm for easy transportation. After that they went to Flourish and Botts. Harry decided to use the trip to ask Daphne about the Harry Potter books that she and many others read as kids.
It turns out that somebody wrote a seven book series on his adventures, and he made a note to sue them for using his name without permission later. Once that was done, they got his textbooks and left. From there they went for the school supplies. Most of it was easy. but when it came time for Potion's supplies Daphne took command. Her family ran an apothecary, so she knew just what he needed and made sure that he had exactly what he needed to excel even if it went slightly against what the school wanted.
"All that's left is your robes and your wand." Daphne said as they made their way to Madam Malkins the local robe shop.
"Thanks. Hopefully this is relatively empty." Harry sighed as they walked in. He would have to take off his hood and thus far the trip had been drama free.
'Welcome in dears. Hogwarts robes." An older woman said.
"Yes for both of us. I'll go first." Daphne said.
"Alright. Young man wait here while I deal with your intended." The older woman said with a smile.
Daphne blushed, "I'm not his intended Madam Malkins" Daphne said quickly much to Harry's amusement.
"My mistake. Let's go dear." Malkins said before Daphne and the newly named owner walked behind the curtain.
Harry simply chuckled while he was waiting and looked at some of the clothing. It wasn't bad and he decided to talk to Daphne about other clothing afterwards. About 10 minutes later Daphne was back and now it was his turn.
"Let's go young man. If you don't mind can you take off that jacket so I can measure you."
"Of course but I'd rather do it behind the curtain." Harry said quickly.
"Very well." Madam Malkins said before they walked in. This was a pretty good trip so far if he was being honest.
(Scene Skip)
His robes purchased and put away, Harry and Daphne made their way to the wand shop and the final stop. "Okay so here's the deal. Old man Olivander is a weird one, but he'll give you the wand that suits your magic. Be ready for his idiosyncrasies." Daphne warned as they left Madam Malkins.
"Got it." Harry smiled
The last leg of the trip was silent at the start because Daphne was caught up in what Madam Malkins said. There she was with a boy her age dressed in a pretty fancy outfit. Since casual dating was pretty much not a thing, she could see how somebody could think what the good madam did. Harry made it clear on multiple occasions that he found her attractive, and she was starting to fall for him. Considering how he valued honesty, she decided to see just what Harry thought about her, "Hey Harry."
"Yes." Harry replied calmly.
"What did you think when Madam Malkin mentioned that I was your intended." Daphne wondered.
"I won't be answering that question." Harry said quickly.
"And why not." Daphne said with a frown.
"You and I have the beginnings of a marvelous friendship and answering this question, creates a no-win situation for both of us." Harry said diplomatically.
"Explain?" Daphne asked curiously.
"You're obviously going to report to your father about our day together and what happened at Madam Malkins and my reaction will be the most notable event.
If he believes that I have actual interest in you he'll insist you do everything you can to turn that interest into a future marriage contract, and a place in the house I will eventually build. If he thinks that there isn't notable interest he'll turn his attention to somebody else and your ability to see me will be limited or taken away" Harry explained.
Daphne was in awe of Harry yet again, "For somebody who didn't know about our world until recently you sure have quite the insight into it." Daphne praised. He was absolutely correct on everything and that was why Daphne was so annoyed in the first place. She and Harry had a good thing going and the only thing that could ruin it, would be if Pureblood politics got in the way.
"I've spent the last month and a half in the Leaky with very few people to talk to. Reading books is pretty much all I've done along with exercising and getting used to magic." Harry smiled. He read over all the pureblood culture books Daphne got him multiple times so he would be ready.
Daphne cracked a smile, "Fair enough, but you haven't answered my question."
"And as your friend, I won't be." Harry grinned.
"Alright." Daphne said with a wry smile as they finished the trek to Olivander's
(Scene Skip)
Olivander was every bit as odd as daphne said and it began with him appearing out of nowhere before spouting off about his parents and their wands along with the same for Daphne's mother and father.
With that done it was time for their wand, and it turned out that all Olivander did was hand them a wand and see if it works for them. As they did with most things that day, Daphne went first, and she ended up with an 8-inch wand with ash wood and dragon heart string. "Let's see what the great Harry Potter will do." Daphne teased.
Harry simply rolled his eyes as Olivander, "Alright. I guess here we go." Harry smiled as Olivander measured him for a moment before choosing a wand.
"Try this one Mr. Potter. 8 ½ inches ash wood with unicorn heart string."
Harry grabbed the wand and focused his magic but as he tried to cast a spell the wood completely exploded.
"Oh dear." Olivander frowned and Daphne was stunned.
"I take it that doesn't happen often."
"No it does not and since I don't want any more of my wands destroyed, I believe that the best thing to do would be to have a custom wand made for you." Olivander said with an odd expression on his face.
"A custom wand." Harry said curiously and Daphne was in awe but said nothing for the moment.
"Yes and in order to do that we'll need to come over here and select your materials." Olivander said firmly.
"Alright" Harry replied, and they walked over to a counter. Olivander stood behind said counter and pressed something before a panel moved and a series of boxes appeared.
"These are wand woods. Simply put your hand over them until you find one that suits you."
"Alright" Harry replied, and he followed the old man's instructions before stopping on a wood near the end.
"This one." Harry said and Olivander's eyes widened.
"My word. You've chosen Elder wood. One of the most difficult wand woods there is but a powerful one. Next we have the cores." Olivander said before tapping something as the woods were replaced with more boxes.
Harry did the same thing as before but unlike before he felt two powerful reactions and neither closer than the other, "This one and this one are about the same." Harry said before pointing out his results.
Olivander smiled, "Mr. Potter I must confess that the wand I am about to make may be one of the most powerful that I've ever created"
"Why's that." Harry wondered.
"Because my boy. You've chosen the horned serpent and the thunderbird core. This wand will make you a frighteningly powerful wizard if you master it but only if you master it." Olivander smiled.
"Sounds like fun." Harry said with a grin. He liked a challenge, and this wand sounded like it would be one.
"Indeed. I'll need some time to get this wand prepared unfortunately."
"Alright. While we're at it can you get a wand holster for me, one in black sounds pretty good." Harry said happily. A wand was critical to his new life and making sure it was safe was priority one. A holster would do that and with practice he could manage pretty easily
"Of course. You'll have to come back here for both tomorrow, but we can pay for everything else now."
"A wand holster for me also. Green if you don't mind." Daphne spoke up finally.
'Of course." Olivander smiled.
The two teens paid for their wands. Normally it would've been 10 galleons each with a 7 galleon wand and a 3 galleon holster, but Harry's ended up being 28 because a custom wand was a whopping 25 galleons. Harry gladly paid for it and after putting his hood back on, the two teens walked out.
"You never do anything easily do you Harry." Daphne said with a grin.
"Nope and that's part of my charm." Harry replied.
'Whatever you say." Daphne smiled and they walked back to the Leaky. She had to admit that she was glad Harry didn't answer that question because she didn't want their relationship to change. Hopefully her father wouldn't be too mad.
(Scene Skip)
Daphne took a deep breath as she left her families Floo and made her way over to her father's office. The short trip felt longer because she didn't know how her father would react. As she arrived at the door, she knocked on it softly and waited. "Come in." her father said Cyrus said in a stern tone and she walked in. Cyrus Greengrass had a square face light skin and dark raven hair with brown eyes. He was currently dressed in some casual clothes as he waited for his daughter to arrive.
"I've returned from my latest outing with Lord Potter." Daphne spoke up in the formal tone.
"Was there anything of note." Cyrus inquired.
Daphne wasn't surprised at all by the question, but even though she didn't get answers he wanted, there was something that might help her, "Lord Potter is destined to be an extremely powerful wizard. The first wand Olivander gave him exploded and after picking materials he ended up with an elder wood with a thunder bird and horned serpent core." Daphne revealed.
Her father raised an eyebrow, "That is powerful. It's not very often that a first year has a custom wand."
"Agreed. He's destined for greatness." Daphne said calmly.
"Good. So any idea what to make of him." Cyrus wondered.
Daphne took a deep breath, "Lord Potter understands our society far better than I would've expected for somebody who just learned about it, but he's also made it clear that he doesn't particularly care for it."
"What do you mean?"
"As you know from previous reports he only seeks my friendship, and our talks have focused more on me as a person than my status as Greengrass heiress." Daphne said knowing that would work for now. As Harry pointed out, actual romance would ruin what they had.
Cyrus paused to take in his daughters words before speaking again, "What do you think of him as a person" Cyrus wondered.
Daphne took a deep breath because this was the risky part, "I think that of the various wizards I've interacted with, I would put Harry at the top of my list as far as preferred candidates for a betrothal. However, I've only scratched the surface of his personality thus far." Daphne answered.
Cyrus cracked a smile which Daphne wasn't sure was good or bad "Tell me something dear. If Harry were to be sorted tomorrow, where would he go in your opinion."
Daphne blinked because she had to think about it for a second and the answer made her smile. "If I was being honest. He would make a fine Slytherin or Ravenclaw. He is very cunning and clever and his thirst for knowledge is something to behold. With only the books I told him he grasps pureblood culture to the point that it's hard to believe he was raised by Muggles." Daphne explained.
"Good to know." Cyrus wondered.
"So what does that mean moving forward." Daphne wondered.
"That we won't know truly anything about Lord Potter until he stands amongst his classmates. I'll leave how to handle things to you moving forward." Cyrus said calmly.
"Thank you father." Daphne said happily. Her friendship with Harry was here to stay and she couldn't be happier.
"Of course. The fact that he is the way he is promises great things for the magical world moving forward. Go and rest Daphne I'm sure you've had a long day."
"Thank you father." Daphne replied before leaving. To anybody who saw her they'd see the typical ice queen demeanor that she employed to deal with her fellow purebloods but internally she was smiling because she could continue to do things as she pleased with Harry.
Notes:• Thus the harem begins. Lacey is the head of the harem while Daphne and Hannah are up there also. Will others join eventually, yes. Will I be swayed into adding people that you may like no. So don't ask.
• Multiple times in this chapter I mentioned a method for Harry to keep in touch with his Stonewall friends. That will come into play in the next chapter.
• This chapter also establishes the type of Harry that I'm going to have for this story. He's a powerful characters who's also steadfast in his beliefs and ways and also won't take too much crap from people. I don't have an obvious comparison as far as anime characters are but get ready because this Harry will be something else.
Chapter 4
Number 3 Foxtrot Lane)
Most years Harry's birthday was an absolutely miserable day with Vernon giving him nothing more than a fifty-pence coin and Dudley engaging in the lovely tradition that was birthday punches from the moment he knew what they were. Harry got no cake, no friends, and obviously no actual party. Just the Dursley's reminding him of how little they cared. This year would be a different story, "Happy Birthday Harry." Lacey Polkiss said happily alongside her father and Hannah as they sat inside the dining room of the Polkiss residence. Her mother made a brief appearance to say hello, but she didn't stay for the party.
"Thanks guys. It's nice to have an actual birthday celebration for once." Harry said happily.
"Yet another reason to hate the Dursley's." Lacey scowled and Hannah looked visibly annoyed as well.
"The less said about them the better. Though I wish the Stonewall gang was here to celebrate with me."
"Yeah but the gang knows not to contact you over the summer after Vernon cursed out Rose." Lacey shuddered.
The Stonewall gang consisted of Harry Hannah and Lacey, alongside Rose, a blonde-haired girl who was from a family of artists but chose to pursue fencing instead. Considering she was captain of the school's fencing team and a U-11 National Champion it was a good investment. Cid, a black-haired boy who said that one day he'd be Superman and got along with Rose. They didn't date, but Rose very clearly liked Cid and there was a bet amongst the rest of the group as to when she would finally bite the bullet. Kyle, a lazy black-haired boy who had horrifying instincts but was painfully lazy, and Liz a fight junkie who was Kyle childhood friend. Liz had a sister named Sarah who went to Stonewall but preferred to hang out in the science lab. She was an honorary member of the group as far as they were concerned.
The summer after his first year at Stonewall, Rose called Harry wanting to see how he was doing and Vernon screamed at her cursing her out saying that I don't want any of you freaks calling. She was really upset and called Lacey who calmed her down.
"That was not a good day for me." Harry shuddered. Vernon beat him pretty bad for that.
"Can we talk about something else." Lacey sighed because the last thing they wanted to talk about was Vernon and Petunia.
"Anything come to mind?" Harry asked curiously.
"Actually yes. Have you been able to talk to the Stonewall gang about the fact you won't be coming back to Hogwarts."
"Yep. I used a special service set up by Gringotts for half-bloods like me who want to communicate with muggle friends without risking the statue. Any letter I want to send is brought to Gringotts by Hedwig and they send the letters away for me using a special mailing company that uses only people familiar with magic. The reverse also applies and thanks to that I've spoken to everyone already.
As for what I told them. I said that my mother left me a massive inheritance that I can only get if I graduated from her alma mater, a super elite private school in Northern Scotland. I didn't know about it until now because my Aunt hid the truth from me since she will get the money if I fail to graduate." Harry explained.
"Smart decision. Gringotts is incredibly reliable, and you can trust them to get things done. As for the service, it definitely makes things easy. Honestly I was going to propose using Shadow once you got to Hogwarts" Silas praised.
"I might do a combination of both. After all only Lacey knows about Hogwarts."
"Fair point" Silas admitted.
"Speaking of Hogwarts. Did you get your letter yet." Hannah wondered. Hogwarts has a special scroll that writes down the address of any student who is eligible. Considering Harry wants to stay hidden, that would complicate things especially considering what they knew."
"I did a few days ago. They listed a Gringotts box as my address and I simply replied while telling them that I also got my supplies." Harry smiled. He was pretty sure that if Dumbledore saw the Gringotts box as an address he'd back off regardless since he pissed off the goblins.
"Good. Which means all that's left is for me and Hannah to give you your present." Lacey replied with a wry smile on her face.
"Just make sure he doesn't give you a present of your own Lacey." Silas warned.
"We know dad." Lacey said with an eyeroll.
Not long after that a cake was cut and Harry opened one final group of presents from the Stonewall group. While those were nice, another threesome with Lacey and Hannah truly made this a happy birthday.
(Leaky Cauldron)
Harry was all smiles as he heard the knock on the door that signified the arrival of Daphne Greengrass to his little slice of heaven. Daphne had become a constant in his life since their first meeting. She was not only fun to talk to, but an amazing resource for anything and everything magical. The most important thing she told him about was people to pay attention to and most importantly avoid.
To his admitted surprise Daphne got him a unique birthday gift in the form of book that contained 15 different spells and charms that young wizards were taught by their families prior to Hogwarts. Opening the door, his good mood faded when he saw the troubled look on Daphne's face, "Is everything okay Daphne?" Harry wondered.
Daphne said nothing and simply walked over to his bed and sat down as she faced his desk, "Do you remember our first meeting in this room Harry."
"Yes. You were annoyed that Tracey blabbed about me to your father, and he did what most purebloods would do in that situation, try and take advantage of an unexpected opportunity." Harry replied.
Daphne cracked a smile, "Yes and that opportunity was everything I could've asked for and more. For the first time in my life I had a genuine friend. Not a pseudo servant like Tracey or one of the people my family associates with because of alliances but an actual friend. We could talk about regular stuff and as you put it, make sure it didn't sound like a business transaction. Coming to see you was usually the highlight of my week because of how much fun it was to talk to somebody not as Heiress Greengrass but as Daphne Greengrass. Unfortunately, that's almost over.
Hogwarts starts in a week and while I'm pretty sure you won't be sorted into Gryffindor and thus become an archrival of mine, from everything I've learned from my father and others, Slytherin still won't take kindly to us being friends because of how the people in that bloody dorm think."
"So where does that leave us" Harry wondered as he voiced the question that Daphne no doubt kept asking herself over the last week.
"That's the problem Harry. I don't bloody know. The girl in me wants to cling to our friendship as much as possible but the pureblood in me is telling me that it will only lead to frustration as I watch you hang out with people and know that I can never be one of them. It's driving me absolutely insane." Daphne frowned.
"Then I'll make the decision for you Daphne. Our friendship stays and no matter where I get sorted, I'll do what I can to spend time with you. The Slytherin's may not like it, but if I've learned anything from our time together it's that I have a lot of political power as Lord Potter, and I'll flex every ounce of it I can in order to maintain our friendship" Harry said firmly.
"Alright." Daphne smiled and she felt a massive burden lift from her body.
"Feel better." Harry said calmly.
"Yes which is why there's something I want you to do for me." Daphne said calmly.
"What's that." Harry wondered.
"My plan is to arrive at the station around 9:30 AM so I have time to relax before the train leaves. I want you to join me on the train by using the Point Me spell from the group of people that I know. I'll be sitting with Tracey and other people I know so be ready for that." Daphne said firmly.
Harry smirked, "I couldn't help but notice that you said people you know and not friends. Am I your only friend Daphne." Harry smirked.
Daphne sputtered at that, "Just do it Harry." Daphne said looking away so Harry couldn't see the blush on her face.
"Got it." Harry smiled.
Daphne smiled back and with the unpleasantness done, Daphne and Harry started talking about what they were up to in the final weeks leading to Hogwarts.
(Scene Skip)
With a few days to go Hogwarts began, Hannah made one final visit to the Leaky to see Harry, "Hey Harry I've got a question for you." Hannah wondered as they relaxed in bed following their latest romp.
The summer romance with Harry has done wonders for her confidence and compared to the shy meek girl she was before, she was far more outgoing. A part of her very much wanted to introduce her best friend Susan to Harry so he could do the same thing for her. Susan has a massive crush on him and talked many times about how nice it would be to meet him. Susan's boobs were massive, and Harry was very much a boob guy and given her circumstances she'd fit what Lacey wanted also. She ultimately didn't because Susan would ask a lot of questions that were better of unanswered as far as she was concerned.
"What's up." Harry wondered.
"This probably sounds strange considering we've been having sex all summer, but do you think your relationship with Lacey will change how you interact with other wizards and witches once Hogwarts starts."
"It already has." Harry replied with a cheeky grin.
"I'm not talking about us Harry."
"Neither am I. I've actually been talking to a witch named Daphne Greengrass for most of the summer and… it seems you don't like her." Harry frowned noticing how Hannah's expression soured at the mention of his other friend.
"I wouldn't say I don't like her, but the Greengrass family is an interesting one as far as the magical world is concerned."
"Explain." Harry wondered. He and Daphne spoke about her family but hearing about it from the perspective of another person would be useful to him.
"You know how in muggle schools you have the popular kids the jocks and the nerds."
"Yes I do." Harry chuckled.
"Well in the magical world she's one of those girls who would certainly be on the popular side. I don't know how much she's mentioned, but the Greengrass family is the head of the Gray faction in the Wizengamot or the magical court system in our world. They've traditionally straddled the fence and as far as many are concerned that means they'll go wherever things are most beneficial and that makes them difficult to read."
"That's about right. Daphne told me the same thing. Where would House Abbott be." Harry wondered.
"We're firmly a light family but we're not so light that we think of Dumbledore as the live all end all as far as things go."
"I see." Harry said calmly. One of the things he's kept close to the vest was Dumbledore's involvement in his life. Neither Daphne or Hannah knew about it to this point and he very much intended to keep it that way for as long as he could.
"All I'll say is, be careful around her." Hannah warned.
"I am but that's not what you were concerned about is it." Harry smiled.
Hannah sighed, "No. It's just. I have another friend on the magical side who I haven't told about us being friends. I considered it a few times, but given her personality she might complicate things and not in a good way."
"Like how?" Harry wondered.
"Her aunt is the head of the DMLE which are the magical cops. While she's painfully shy, she has a unique sense of justice."
"I'm guessing you want to tell her about our friendship but you're worried that telling her too much will lead to complications none of us need." Harry assumed.
"Yes." Hannah admitted.
"Well we can discuss that before you leave.." Harry replied.
"Sounds good and since her boobs are even bigger than Lacey's I'm sure you'll like her." Hannah grinned.
Harry was pleased with that news along with the implication, "So are you going to do for her, what Lacey did for you." Harry asked..
"Maybe. Out of curiosity, how much does Daphne know about Lacey."
"She knows that I lived with Muggles and that I've lived at the Leaky, but I haven't mentioned Lacey yet."
Hannah was surprised by that, "Really. I'd think the fact you have a girlfriend would come up at least once when she's been over." Hannah said with a frown.
"It hasn't because Daphne was the one who introduced me to pureblood politics and most of the odds and ends about the magical society. Thanks to her, I know that showing all your cards is not exactly a wise move."
Hannah nodded, "Agreed. Though if she's a potential lover, that goes out the window."
"Potential lover?" Harry said as though the term was foreign to him..
"Look me in the eye and tell me that you haven't thought of fucking Daphne at least once since she's been over." Hannah said with a wry smile.
"Many times." Harry smiled as his cock throbbed with joy at the prospect.
"In that case, you should tell her about it the next time you see her. Right now, I'd like to enjoy that cock one more time myself." Hannah said in a teasing tone.
"Sounds good." Harry smiled as he spun on top of Hannah and prepared to enjoy her one final time before the dorms of Hogwarts complicated things for them also. Still, in between the hot sex and the talk of a busty redhead Hannah did have a point. Maybe it was time to reveal Lacey, to the magical world.
(Scene Skip)
The very next day Harry opened the door to find Lacey waiting for him in a blue minidress that hugged her body perfectly with thin straps for easy removal and a pair of blue shoes with white socks that she could easily take off. It was almost a shame he had no plans to actually have sex, at least not yet, because that outfit had him more than ready to go, "As much as I'd love nothing more than to tear that dress off you and fuck you senseless one last time. I think change of plans was in order." Harry smiled dressed in a black jacket with a green polo shirt some black jeans and some blue and white trainers.
"If I didn't know any better I'd say you were dressed up for a date." Lacey said with a grin.
Harry grinned, "That's right and the girl I'm going on a date with is you." Harry smiled.
Lacey widened her eyes, "Are you saying."
"Yep. I want to show the magical world my beautiful girlfriend." Harry smiled.
"But what will people think about that. I mean I'm a squib and you're… you." Lacey said nervously.
"I don't care what they think. They were useless when I was dealing with the Dursley's, and they haven't helped me since." Harry smiled.
Lacey beamed, "In that case. SHADOW" Lacey shouted, and the loyal elf appeared.
"What do you require mistress." Shadow wondered.
"Sorry for summoning you back but can you conjure up a pair of sunglasses for me. Harry and I are going on a date and the last thing either of us want is for anybody to try and get a photo of me." Lacey smiled. Typically she would have Shadow bring her to the hallway and walk over and she knew Hannah did the same. Still, having a pair of glasses would theoretically make things much easier."
"Of course. Master Silas actually has just the thing in mind." Shadow smiled before snapping his fingers. Soon a pair of black sunglasses appeared on lacey. The young woman didn't know it but the charms on the glasses would prevent anybody from getting a good look at
"Then let's go" Lacey said happily as she put on the glasses, and they walked downstairs. The bar was pretty full for it being the middle of the day and Harry couldn't hide his smile at the way the bar went silent when he appeared into the main area with Lacey and approached the bar to Tom's surprise.
"Kid. You sure about this." Tom wondered. Harry made a point to never eat in the Leaky because he wanted to avoid attention. The fact he was doing so and had a girl with him was shocking. He knew that Harry had girls over thanks to the bed sheets, but the fact he was walking with one publicly was a surprise.
"Oh yeah. Give us a seat." Harry smiled.
"Alright." Tom chuckled as he led them to a table as the murmurs quickly began to appear in the bar.
"It can't be."
"Is it really him." patrons muttered.
"So this is why you wear a hoodie all the time." Lacey teased.
Harry was about to respond when a middle-aged man with white hair approached, "Are you. Are you Harry Potter young man" the man said in a loud voice.
The jig was up, and it was time to play crowd control, "For everyone watching and murmuring. I am indeed Harry Potter the Boy Who Lived. As much as I'd love to talk to all of you I'm currently on a date with my wonderful girlfriend and I'd like to give her my undivided attention If you're patient and willing to wait, I can answer any questions you want." Harry said firmly and in a tone loud enough for everyone to hear.
"That was subtle." Lacey snorted.
"It got them to control themselves. As long as they stay that way, I'll be fine." Harry smiled.
"I see." Lacey praised and they focused on their date.
Admittedly it was pretty peaceful and, for the most part, people stayed away. A few people who came in after his speech did try to approach him just for others to stop them in their tracks.
"As far as last days at the Leaky go this was pretty fun." Harry smiled.
"Yep. Now you'll be off to Hogwarts and there will be all those witches hoping to be number two." Lacey smirked.
"Yep. I have a candidate already actually and no it's not Hannah."
"Good. She'll keep you nice and warm until holiday's when I have you again." Lacey smiled.
Harry could barely hide his joy, "What did I do to deserve you." Harry said unsure of what else to say.
"You gave me a chance despite your history with my brother." Lacey answered solemnly. The fact he gave her a chance despite Piers was a minor miracle and one she was thankful for every day.
"Anyway. What do you want to do now." Harry wondered.
"I want to walk around Diagon alley with my boyfriend."
Harry smiled, "In other words you want to show yourself off for a bit before calling Shadow again once we hit Gringotts."
"Yup. The girls know who the competition is and since I'm not going to Hogwarts, people will be curious. Both of us win."
"Sounds devious." Harry smiled.
Lacey and Harry finished up and paid for their meal before leaving for Diagon Alley. As was the case during lunch, people came up to him, but most seemed focused on their shopping. Harry suspected that because of it being the last day before Hogwarts started, people were focused on getting their business done before kids left for Hogwarts. Either way, Harry would certainly see Lacey later. They quickly arrived at Gringotts and Harry went up to the teller.
"State your business wizard."
"I was hoping to speak to King Ragnok." Harry said politely.
"One moment please." The teller said before saying something in goblin tongue. "Walk over wizard." The goblin said.
Harry walked over to the office with Lacey in awe of what was going on around her. Eventually they arrived at the office and the goblin guards let him in.
Lacey kept her feelings to herself since she didn't want to offend anybody until she saw Ragnok.
"So this is the future Lady Potter. My you are something." Ragnok praised.
'Thank you sir. I just hope he minds having the daughter of a squib as his future Lady."
"I don't mind one bit." Harry smiled before pecking her on the cheek.
"I see and I take it Lord Potter wanted to show you off for a bit before taking you home."
"Correct sir."
'Well that's fine. I assume she's already a part of your letter service." Ragnok smiled.
"She was the first person I put on the list."
"Excellent. Don't worry no matter who enquires about you, Gringotts will keep it secret. Most of the time we are very good to our clients." Ragnok smirked.
"Thanks. I wouldn't want people trying to get to me through Lacey. It's why she has on the glasses."
"I understand" Ragnok smiled.
"Thank you. SHADOW!' Lacey called out and the Polkiss elf appeared.
"Will young master be joining you milady."
"As tempting as that is. Harry has a bunch of people waiting for him to do an interview. He'll be by later tonight. I assume" Lacey smiled.
"Absolutely. Shadow I may call for you since it's a bit of a pain to get up to Surrey."
"Understood and I await your call." Shadow replied before he took Lacey and left.
Ragnok smiled before his expression turned serious, "It sounds like it's time for your first interview. Are you ready." Ragnok teased.
"I should be.." Harry smiled.
"Excellent. Now get out of here because time is money, and you are currently wasting mine."
"See ya Ragnok." Harry chuckled before leaving.
(Scene Skip)
Harry returned to the Leaky and he saw that a small stage was set up on the Diagon Alley side with Tom waiting for him on a small stage as various people waited for his return. Once everyone could see him he heard many people shouting and asking questions as various cameras flashed.. "Alright everyone. Our boy is back and let's act like civilized wizards here and answer questions one at a time." Tom shouted as Harry approached the stage and stood in front of them.
An older man spoke first, "How does it feel to be starting Hogwarts at last."
Harry smiled, "It's amazing. For the past twelve years I lived with Muggle relatives, and it felt… wrong to say the least." Harry replied. As much as he hated the Dursley's he had a feeling revealing the truth would be an incredibly stupid idea.
Everyone went silent in shock, "Are you saying that the Boy who Lived books are a lie. That our hero was raised by Muggles" A middle aged man spoke up with clear disgust in his voice.
"Yes I am and in fact, I've been working to sue the creator of the book because not only did I not approve of them using my name and image, but I didn't know they existed until a family friend told me about them a few months ago."
Everyone started murmuring but a woman spoke next, and Harry narrowed his eyes as she began to talk, "You mention a family friend, but you were seen not too long ago with a young woman who rather conveniently is not here. Care to explain." The woman said with an acidic tone.
"Enough of you Skeeter.." Tom scowled.
"Why Tom, I'm just trying to find out the truth. What's wrong with that" The woman replied. Harry heard about Rita Skeeter from Silas and Daphne. She was the ace reporter for the Daily Prophet the top wizarding newspaper but according to Daphne she was a horrible woman.
"In which case I suggest you drop that Quick Quote Quill you're using Miss Skeeter, or this will all end." Harry said firmly knowing full well what might happen.
"Very well." Rita replied replacing the quill as promised.
"I'll be taking your previous notes also, or no more Leaky Cauldron for you." Tom said firmly.
"Fine." Rita said coldly before handing over her notes with a scowl on her face and pulling out a regular quill.
"Anyway. I lived with my muggle relatives who didn't' like me and I lived a tough existence to say the least."
"Were they abusive." Rita wondered.
Harry smiled at the predictable question, "No. We didn't get along and there were a lot of arguments between, but it never got that bad. Ultimately they kicked me out a few months ago.
A family friend who actually knew about magic found out and told me about the Leaky and how to get there.
When I arrived, Tom recognized me and after asking what was going on, offered me a place to stay for the summer. Since then Tom's watched over me and told me what I'd need to do to prepare for Hogwarts." Harry said diplomatically. It was a half-truth and would serve his purpose. A part of him would love to weaponize these people against the Dursley's but they weren't worth the headache.
"How did you end up with these relatives of yours." A women in her upper 30's said with a scowl. She had wavy blonde hair and fair skin and if he was being honest quite the bust.
"Funny story actually. According to my Aunt, she heard a loud crying that infamous Halloween night and found me on their doorstep around midnight. I don't know who left me there, but they left a note that practically forced them to take care of me."
"Hold on. Why were you sent to these muggles and not to this family friend who's clearly aware of the magical world." The blonde asked as a follow up.
"I don't know you'd have to ask the person who left me there. What I do know is that I was left with the Dursley's, and it was a tough existence."
"What's the connection between the family friend and your girlfriend" The blonde woman asked.
"Watch it Skeeter." Tom warned.
"It's fine Tom." Harry shrugged. "The family friend lived in the neighborhood and knew about me, but considering somebody went through a lot of trouble to leave me with my relatives, they didn't want to get involved. The girl I was with is related to that family and we met when I came over to hang out" Harry smiled. Half-truth again but it would serve its purpose.
"I see. Rita said calmly.
"Your parents were members of the Noble House of Gryffindor during that time at Hogwarts. Do you think that you'll follow in their legacy there." a younger man about mid 30's asked curiously.
Harry was pleasantly surprised but stayed calm, "That will be up to the sorting hat. For now, the only legacy of my family that I plan to follow is that of Lord Potter." Harry said before showing off the Lordship ring to the shock of everyone there.
"Aren't you a bit young to be a wizarding Lord." Skeeter frowned.
"SKEETER!" Tom shouted clearly annoyed by Rita's questioning..
"It's fine Tom and I get it. Under most circumstances I would be too young to be a Lord, but I am the Last Potter left and because of that I have a legacy to uphold. Will it take time for me to get used to my role? Absolutely. That being said, I intend to do my best to honor my parents the best I can." Harry smiled.
"Well said Lord Potter." Rita smiled.
Tom was getting annoyed, and he realized that things were getting tricky, "I'm afraid that's it everyone. Harry's had a long day and I think he could use some rest." Tom said firmly.
The crowd dispersed after that though, most of the group blamed Skeeter for asking the questions that she asked. Harry didn't mind too much since she allowed him to expose quite a bit.
"Sorry about that lad. Skeeter is… she's a handful."
"It's fine. Well I've got my story out to the world." Harry said cheekily.
'That you have, and tomorrow's issue of the Prophet promises to be something special."
"It will. If you don't mind can you make an extra-large dinner tonight? I'm going to spend a little more time with my lovely lass, and I'll be starving as a result."
"Sounds good Harry. It's been a pleasure to have you at my bar." Tom beamed.
"Thanks." Harry replied and they walked back into the Leaky for one final dinner.
(Greengrass Manor)
Daphne Greengrass walked into the dining room with a dark blue sweater and joggers on ready for one final meal with her family before she left for the express. She was already packed and ready but seeing her family once more would be a nice thing. She spotted her father with his typical morning tea and the paper, but her eyes went to the headline and food was the furthest thing from her mind, "Dad. Can I see the paper." Daphne asked curiously.
Cyrus Greengrass smiled, "You mean because of your new friend's interview. Believe me it's quite telling." Cyrus said with a grin.
"Yes." Daphne frowned as she sat down.
Cyrus folded up the paper and handed it to his daughter and waited to see her reaction. As Daphne read the paper she found herself more intrigued by what Harry had to say, and it was on brand for him. The news about the girlfriend was a surprise, but not a bad thing, "Well. Now so much of what's going on makes sense." Daphne smiled.
"Explain." Cyrus asked curiously..
"Up until our first interaction. Harry knew absolutely nothing about interacting with other wizards and pureblood culture. He told me as much when he said he was living with the Muggles. However, in all our time talking about his life before Hogwarts, he's never mentioned this girlfriend."
"It's obvious he doesn't want people knowing about her." Cyrus suggested.
Daphne agreed but only somewhat, "Not quite. He doesn't want the WRONG people knowing about her. That thing about her being a family friend is a lie or at least half-truth. She's absolutely a girl he met during his time with muggles who's connected to magic. Most likely the daughter of a squib if I had to guess." Daphne mused.
"That would make sense. However, I'm more curious what that means for you two." Cyrus wondered.
Daphne took a deep breath, "Harry is certainly attracted to me. He said something under his breath during our first meeting that suggested as much. Also, no matter how calm he may have acted at the time, I could see the way he looked at me when you set me up on that date. His actions and feelings didn't quite add up, at least until now."
"Explain."
"Harry very much likes this girl, and he has every intention of making her Lady Potter. The problem is that he's also well aware that her status as a squib means that a relationship would be frowned upon by society. In order for them to stay together he needs someone who likes him enough to accept her in the relationship"
."
"So where does that leave you." Cyrus wondered.
"In prime position to get a mistress contract." Daphne smiled.
"I see and I assume you're okay with that." Cyrus asked curiously.
"I am. The only way House Greengrass lives on is if I accept a mistress contract anyway and he's the best candidate by far of the children our age." Daphne admitted.
Cyrus Greengrass smiled, "Between you and me Daphne, if things had been different you'd probably have a contract with Harry by this time anyway.. James Potter was a good friend of mine and the idea of my daughter being with somebody raised by him was extremely appealing. Then things happened and well, I've had to step back. If he's ultimately the one you choose, I'm fully behind it." Cyrus smiled.
"I see." Daphne blushed almost on cue Tracey and Astoria arrived. Astoria Greengrass was just like her older sister with blonde hair and ice blue eyes. While she didn't possess the model-like body of her sister, her slender frame and B cup breasts meant she was well on her way despite being only a year younger.
"Good morning father." Astoria said politely already dressed for the day in some casual clothes."
"Good morning dear. Daphne and I were just discussing an interesting article in the paper." Cyrus smiled.
"Let me see." Tracey smirked and she read the paper while her father summoned a house elf to make the breakfast for everyone. Things were off to a fun start for the Greengrass family.
(Hogwarts)
Albus Dumbledore was absolutely furious as he sat in his office. The article about Harry revealed that Harry was raised by muggles who didn't care much for him and the circumstances that led him to those Muggles. He lied to many about him for years and now the truth was out. He wouldn't be surprised if Minerva gave him a lot of grief for this, but that was a minor annoyance at best. "The Greater Good is in danger." Dumbledore frowned. The boy from that interview was confident, strong, and assertive. There was no chance at all of him going along with what he wanted at this point.
The girl he mentioned was a problem also and Arabella gave no indication that she knew anything about her in the reports. The only chance now of things getting back on track is if he was put in Gryffindor. His musing was interrupted when the runes near his office picked up on the arrival of his deputy and Flitwick wanting to speak with him. Dumbledore swore because the two were the last people he wanted to deal with right now, but he couldn't just delay the inevitable and let them in.
The duo arrived moments later and the expression's on their faces told him everything he needed to know.
"Albus. Care to explain why you put Lily's son with her sister of all people. I may not have read her will, but I know for a fact that Petunia was the last person she'd want to raise Harry." Flitwick smiled.
"I'm more concerned with the fact that he was kicked out earlier this summer and yet he didn't think to contact you. Surely you've met with the boy since that fateful night." Minerva frowned. She left dealing with Harry to Albus and that appeared to be a massive mistake.
"I have not." Albus admitted.
Flitwick smiled, "That mistake will cost you dearly Albus." Flitwick chuckled.
"What do you mean Filius." Minerva frowned and Dumbledore was equally curious.
"Did you notice how the article mentioned the fact that Harry had his Lord's ring."
"Yes. That is highly unusual."
"It is but to be fair Harry's situation is also very unique."
"Explain." Minerva frowned as Dumbledore gulped nervously. He wasn't' going to get Flitwick to back down and things were about to get ugly for him.
Flitwick smiled at the look of annoyance on Dumbledore's face "Albus's decision to use his powers to seal the Potter will and to name himself Harry's magical guardian is technically a violation of the agreement Gringotts has with the Wizengamot from long before Albus or I was born. If I remember correctly, King Ragnok himself is the account manager so for him to agree to that, meant that Albus would've at the very least been forced to adhere to his duties as guardian. Among those was bringing Harry to visit on his 8th birthday."
"But Albus didn't do that." McGonagall frowned.
"Yes and that enabled Ragnok to unseal the will and execute it the moment he saw Harry at the office. Harry of course would be named Lord Potter as the final member of the house and given that his last guardian violated his duties, the new guardian would be somebody in the will or potentially he could act as his own."
"That's quite a lot of power for a young man." McGonagall sighed.
"It is, but the more important part is the will itself. If Albus did more than just neglect harry, he could be in a nightmarish situation and so could Hogwarts."
McGonagall looked towards Dumbledore nervously, "I've discussed the matter with Ragnok, and it's resolved." Dumbledore answered.
"Well considering you here, that's a positive sign at least. Now you just have to deal with Severus and his 'issues' with the Potter family. Flitwick said with a knowing smile.
Dumbledore sighed, "Rest assured I've discussed the matter with Severus. I trust him to be responsible and respectful."
Flitwick and McGonagall gave each other a look that suggested otherwise, but arguing with Albus would be pointless, "Very well. At the very least this will be an interesting year." Flitwick acknowledged with a grin.
"That it will." McGonagall sighed. Harry Potter was joining Hogwarts in the same year as many prominent heirs and heiresses. This was going to be an interesting school year.
Notes:• Harry's friends are references to Cid and Rose from Eminence in the Shadow and Krai Liz and Sitri from Let this Grieving Soul Retire. I had to change some names to sound normal but oh well.
• Some might be asking how Lacey can go to Diagon Alley. Well the answer to me is that she's the daughter of a squib so she has some magic in her. Not nearly enough to actually matter but enough to see Diagon and all its glory.
• Hannan and Susan is a dynamic that will be dealt with down the road.
• Daphne is also about to get interesting, and this is just another sign of what's to come.
• For those coming from the AN this is the simple version of what happened. When I first set up the chapters, I had the first chapter as a prologue. When I uploaded everything here, I naturally didn't adjust that, so this chapter was skipped. Sorry.
• Also I have a discord, and the link can be found on what will be chapter 5 once the restart happens and on future chapters.