Chapter 38

WARNING: Minor lime scenes will begin from this chapter.

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Harry and Daphne were in the Room of Requirement making out hot and heavy. Daphne was sitting on Harry's lap, grinding against his erection, making him moan. Harry's hands were on Daphne's breasts, as he kissed her passionately.

"I thought," said Harry panting as Daphne wiggled in his lap "we were" She kissed his neck and nibbled on his earlobe "going to" he finished as he moaned again and said "studyyyy"

"Who said we aren't?" said Daphne, pushing him down to his back, and sitting on him and grinding against his erection as she kissed him. "We're just studying a different subject. You've been too stressed lately and as a good fiancée, I can't let that slide can I? Me enjoying it is just a side benefit" she said and moaned.

They kissed for another few minutes until finally, they came, dampening their underwear and uniforms. Panting, Daphne slid next to Harry, hugging and lying next to him. "Oh I love you so much" she murmured.

"I love you too" said Harry, kissing her neck. He flicked his wand to his hand and cleaned them both and their uniforms with a flick of his wand. He then turned over and went to sleep, nuzzling Daphne's face.

A few hours later, he woke up, idly wondering how Daphne had gotten him to loosen up as much as he did with her. He knew that he didn't like physical contact, though, with Daphne, it was something else entirely. He felt so comfortable with her, that he didn't mind the make-out sessions they frequently had. She didn't push him too much but gave him time to adjust and he had trusted her. And now, he quite enjoyed such moments he had with her, enhancing their physical relationship. He knew they were no way ready for sex, but what they were doing now was fine with him. He turned and kissed her neck to wake her; he loved her so much.

"Wake up, sleepyhead" he said softly. "It's time for lunch."

Daphne groaned and buried her face in his chest and said, "Don't want to."

"Oh, come on. I'm hungry. Let's go the kitchens instead, that way we don't have to socialize in the Great Hall" said Harry, as he nibbled on her earlobe.

Daphne giggled involuntarily. "You'll have to carry me" she muttered.

"Fine"

Daphne yelped as she felt Harry lift her in his arms, bridal style. He then positioned her over his shoulder, so that her upper body was facing the opposite side.

"Harry!" yelled Daphne. "I was kidding, now put me down!"

Harry grinned and playfully swatted her arse. "How was I supposed to know that? You told me to carry you to the kitchens and that's what I'm going to do."

Daphne wiggled and broke free from his grip. She glared at him and snarled "You're incorrigible, you know that?"

Harry laughed and led her to the kitchens, trading barbs with each other the entire time. When they finally entered, the elves cheered and the Head Elf said "We be proud to welcome you, Lord Slytherin. You be the first Lord Gryffindor-Slytherin ever! What can we do for Lord and Lady Gryffindor-Slytherin?"

Harry and Daphne looked at each other bemused until finally Daphne cleared her throat and said "We were wondering if you could provide us with lunch? We don't want to go to the Great Hall so -"

She didn't complete the sentence as they were quickly ushered to a grand table in a corner, with candles and flowers. Delicious food was served to them immediately.

"Wow" said Harry. "I never knew those two Lordships would make the house elves here so loyal to us."

Daphne swallowed her food and asked "Have you noticed anything different ever since you wore the ring? About Hogwarts, that is."

Harry toyed with his fork and answered slowly "I'm not really sure, but I have noticed changes. For one, I know many of the secrets of Hogwarts Castle, along with Gryffindor and Slytherin Castles as well. There was a reason castles were built at that time and not manors as witches and wizards were in grave danger due to muggle attacks. Muggle repelling wards weren't so strong back then; they were more of a recent invention. So they relied on a conventional fortress and heavy duty wards to keep them safe. It is easier to put up high powered wards around a castle than a small house, as the wards themselves would burn the house to a crisp. The castles, after a long time also became a source of magical energy. These walls themselves are imbibed with magic after a thousand years; in fact, according to the elves, I tapped into the magic of Potter Castle when I arrived there injured when I was seven years old. It's Old Magic, in that magic itself is sentient, as you know. That's what all our traditions and beliefs are based on. I can sense the wards around Hogwarts, but I'm not sure if I can take control of them. I've realised that just being Lord Gryffindor or Lord Slytherin cannot give me complete access to the wards, but having both gives me considerable power. The wards are controlled by the Headmaster, but I can override them if I feel the need to do so, which would then alert Dumbledore immediately. I also have two permanent seats on the Board of Governors which no one can take away, along with two seats on the Wizengamot. Together with the Potter seat, I have three votes. But votes aside, Most Ancient and Noble Houses have different influence as they're the top of the food chain so to speak. It will give me greater control and political influence, which would greatly help in case of new ventures or elections. Once I claim my seats, my power and influenced would be unparalleled by anyone in the country."

Daphne nodded slowly in understanding. "How soon do you want to run for the Office of Minister of Magic?" she asked, realising where his plans were headed.

Harry smiled slightly. This was one of the reasons he admired Daphne as much as he did. She had a sharp, keen mind and could understand and appreciate subtle actions and their impact. She may have a temper, but she was a consummate Slytherin; a tigress for real.

"I can't do it anytime soon" said Harry, thinking. "Fudge was elected in 1990, so once his term is up, I'll ensure that he doesn't stand for elections again. He's an idiot as well as corrupt; Malfoy's gold can be found in his pockets, I bet. I'll have to wait for someone else to take this place, so once that term is done, I'll be ready. I'll be in my mid-twenties by then, so it should be enough. I can't contest when I'm too young."

Daphne nodded. "There is no question of you winning, so that isn't an issue. But don't you want to try for the position of Chief Warlock? It could be done quicker" she explained.

"No" said Harry firmly. "I had considered it, but I don't care much about judicial power or being the speaker of the Wizengamot. I already have a lot of influence by carrying three votes of Most Ancient Houses, so I don't need to be the Chief Warlock just to gain favour and power over the members. Besides, as the Minister, it gives me executive powers; I can streamline the Ministry and make International diplomatic contacts, which is crucial if my long term plans are going to bear fruit."

"Point" muttered Daphne, looking into the distance. "But if you're the Minister, then that would mean -"

"-that you would have to enter the political sphere as well" finished Harry, looking at her directly. "That's something I'm counting on, as you have a knack for politics and with you sitting as the Lady Potter-Gryffindor-Slytherin, you can vote in my place. As the Minister of Magic, I can't use my family votes, but you can. You had already planned on it, right?"

Daphne smirked. "Of course I had. But now that you have realised that it would be beneficial to let me take those seats, I don't have to resort to blackmail" she said.

Harry snorted. Daphne was capable of doing it.

"How did the talk with Neville go?" she asked lightly.

Harry nodded and said "Done. Longbottom and if you are correct in your assumption, Bones are in."

Daphne smirked slightly. "Excellent. We need to move slowly, but before we leave Hogwarts, we have to try to influence as many of the younger generation as possible."

"Already on it" said Harry, getting up and helping her as well.

When they were about to leave, they saw a bunch of elves sobbing softly, and other muttering angrily. They went towards them and Daphne asked, "Are you all okay? Why are you crying?"

One of the elves looked up and said, "No, we be not, Miss Daphne. There be trouble in Gryffindor tower. One student be trying to free us by giving us clothes." The elf shuddered and spoke again "She be hiding hats and shawls in places so that we would take them and become free. This be an insult to house elves, Master Hadrian! The bushy hag be trying to kill us!" screeched the elf.

Harry's eyes glowed bright green. "Daphne what is she talking about?" he asked in a low voice.

"Now I get it" whispered Daphne in realization. "Granger has been acting strange ever since school started, and she had been distributing some form of badges since last term. As a Slytherin, they never came to me and others didn't care about her, so I never realised what she was up to. I thought it was nothing, but I heard someone mention something about House Elf liberation and how she was going to free all elves or something like that. I heard her talking about slavery; this must be it!"

"That bitch!" snarled Harry. "What is she trying to do, kill all the house elves? Why didn't you tell me this before?" he asked the various elves.

The elves looked down and said in a morose voice, "We be not wanted to disturb Master Hadrian. We thought bushy hag would stop after a while."

Harry sighed and kneeled down. "Look" he said kindly. "Being Lord Gryffindor-Slytherin isn't just a status symbol. I already told you to talk to me if you have any problems. In the future, will you do that for me?"

The elves all nodded happily and answered "Yes Master Hadrian!"

Harry smiled and he and Daphne got out. But instead of returning to the Room, Harry cast disillusionment charms on them both. He closed his eyes and felt the people in the castle. The wards told him that Hermione was in the library.

"Come on" he whispered, they both headed to the library. Once there, he used wandless Legilimency on Granger to lightly probe her mind. She didn't feel anything, so Harry saw everything related to what she was doing about House-elves and more. And what he saw made his blood boil.

Trying to keep his anger in check, he grabbed Daphne's hand and pulled her to the Room of Requirement. Once there, he started pacing, muttering to himself. Finally, after a couple of minutes, Daphne asked, "Harry what happened? What did you see in her mind?"

Harry turned around, and Daphne could see lightning bolts in those glowing green orbs. "She's a bigot" he whispered. "Not in the sense that she believes that purebloods are above everyone else, but in that she believes that muggles are far superior to magicals. She calls us and our traditions barbaric and believes the magical world should become more like the muggle world, with her as the focal point of change. She is a narcissistic girl who only cares about her being first in class and wants to act superior by accumulating knowledge and telling others that she knows best. I get it that she wants to fight for the rights of house-elves; that's a noble cause, but she's trying to kill them by setting them free. She truly believes that witches and wizards don't use muggle logic" he sneered at the phrase "And that only with her help along with the great and mighty Albus Dumbledore, with her being the Minister of Magic can the Magical World improve. She wants to stamp out the purebloods and throw away their jobs and give them all to muggleborns and wants all witches and wizards to swear a magical oath to never attack muggles! Can you believe that? According to her, we shouldn't even raise our wands at those filthy barbarians, while they can attack us anytime they want which would essentially wipe us out! What's worse is that she wants us to help those muggles at a time of need, and integrate into their society and accept their stupid laws. In other words, she wants us to become slaves to those filthy muggles. I'm boiling mad right now" he said, his entire body glowing and bolts of lightning appeared, surrounding his body.

Daphne sat calmly in front of him, contemplating on what to do. She knew that Harry was very protective of the magical world and he truly believed that the threat posed by muggles hasn't been reduced due to the International Statute of Secrecy and that they would need to increase their protection if they were to survive in the future. And here was a girl who completely believed in muggle superiority and wants to subjugate witches and wizards, which has been attempted many times in the past by muggle rulers. He was understandably angry, and so was she. But she couldn't lose her cool. There was an unsaid understanding between them; when she was angry, he was calm. When he was angry, she was calm. It ensured that no one lost control. Harry being this angry was a very rare phenomenon; his patience much exceeded hers and he wasn't known for raising his voice either.

"I need to calm down" muttered Harry. He walked out of the room, and Daphne idly followed him. She followed him to the Astronomy Tower, where she saw him transform into a golden eagle. There was a storm now, with heavy rain with lightning and thunder. She just didn't understand how flying in such weather would calm him down. She watched for nearly an hour as Harry in his eagle form made various flying manoeuvres in the air. Finally, he came back to the tower and transformed back. He was soaking wet, so she cast drying and warming charms on him with her wand. Once he was dry, she went over and kissed him passionately. She felt his arms wrap around her waist as he reciprocated.

"Have you calmed down?" she asked finally.

"Yes" said Harry quietly. "But I need to confront Granger. I don't want the elves to lose faith in me."

"Agreed" said Daphne. "Do you want me to come or can you handle it yourself?"

Harry shook his head and said "I don't think a Slytherin student would help matters in Gryffindor Tower; your presence might make things worse. I'll handle it alone."

HP*LIGHTNING LORD*HP

Harry walked towards the portrait of the Fat Lady that guarded the entrance to Gryffindor Tower. The corridor was deserted when the Fat Lady bowed to him and said, "My Lord, how may I serve you?"

"Is Hermione Granger inside, Milady?" he asked politely.

"Yes, My Lord" replied the Fat Lady. "She entered about half an hour ago. Do you wish to enter?"

"Yes please" said Harry, reinforcing his mental shields as his emotionless mask went back in place.

The painting swung open, revealing the portrait hole. Harry calmly walked in as if he owned the place and looked around the Common Room. When he entered, the people inside stopped talking and instead stared at him. How had he entered the tower? Did he know their password?

"Potter!" yelled Ron Weasley. "What are you doing here? This is the Gryffindor Common Room, you're not welcome here!"

Harry rolled his eyes. "I'm looking for Hermione Granger. Where is she?"

"Why should we tell you?" asked Welasey, going red in the face. Harry merely raised his eyebrow. Well, it seemed someone had a crush on Granger.

"I'm not here to flirt with her, Wealsey" said Harry, much to Ron's embarrassment. "You can have her and marry her for all I care. I need to talk to her; where is she?"

When one of them responded that she was in her dorm, Harry simply flicked his wand and silently cast the Patronus charm. The giant thunderbird emerged from the tip of his wand and disappeared. Harry folded his hands against his chest and started at the fire, waiting for Granger, while the rest looked in awe, discussing his Patronus. Finally, Hermione Granger came down.

"What do you want, Potter?" she snapped. "I was busy doing something important". In her hands were small fluffy hats and gloves.

"That's precisely the reason why I'm here" said Harry in a quiet voice. The common room was quiet now, wanting to know what was going on. Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil, the two gossip queens of the school took the best seats so that they could watch.

"Stop what you're doing" he said. "Stop trying to trick the house elves into freeing themselves. While your idea of giving them more rights is a noble cause, the way you're going about it is not. So stop it."

Hermione went red in the face due to anger. "I knew it!" she screeched. "I knew that you wouldn't support my campaign ever since I saw you summon that poor elf a year ago. How dare you condone slavery? That's barbaric! I'm surprised that no one has tried to stop it yet; it just shows how backward your thinking is. House Elves need to be free; they need wages and sick leave and better working conditions. I can't believe the Ministry of Magic condones this! Making them your slave is monstrous! Why, in the muggle world -"

"Oh, don't act all mighty Granger" snapped Harry, his eyes glowing. "I'm pretty sure you arrived at this conclusion just by reading your stupid books, didn't you? Tell me, Granger, have you actually met a house elf before?"

"Of course I have" said Hermione loftily. "I saw you summon that elf a year ago and I also saw Lucius Malfoy mistreat his elf. That shows what backward thinking is pre -"

"That's not what I meant" said Harry. "Have you personally spoken to them? Have you asked them if they're happy? Have you asked them why they need to bond with witches and wizards?"

"They're obviously brainwashed by -" began Hermione, but she was cut off.

"So, you came to your own conclusion did you?" asked Harry in a deadly voice, bolts of lightning surrounding his body. Many of them close to him edged away due to fright while others were in awe of his sheer magical power. "That's the problem with you, Granger. You read what is given in one book, not verify it with others, not look at the real life scenario and jump to conclusions! And now, that's what you have done in regards to house elves."

"Let me enlighten you Granger" said Harry. "House elves have always existed in our world, but they are not the only form of elves. There are wood elves which exist in the forests all over the world, but they are very, very rarely seen as they prefer to remain isolated due to the danger of them being hunted down. High Elves exist who are considered by many as one of the oldest sentient magic species, but they too prefer an isolated environment and haven't been spotted for hundreds if not thousands of years. All these types of elves have a specific purpose, just like witches and wizards do. House elves are a species meant to serve. That is their function! If you rob them of their ability to do their job, then they lose the will to live as they have nothing else to live for!"

"Slavery -" began Hermione, but was again cut off.

"The bond between a house elf and a witch or wizard has existed for thousands of years. That is the way for them to survive. Without the bond, their existence has no meaning, as they don't know anything else! They were born to serve! Unlike in your precious muggle world where humans enslave other humans, we don't do that. Because Old Magic herself has created a species who serve us to help better ourselves so that we can improve our society! Every society needs others who cook, clean, do the housework, take care of the children and other essential things! In the muggle world, it is done by other humans, while in the magical world it is done by house elves! You can't expect them to accept wages because they have no use for it! What do you think they would do, go to a party? Watch a movie? Their inherent magic itself provides them with whatever they need, and coupled with the magic they get from witches and wizards ensures that they are self-sufficient. They use the magic received from the bond to reproduce, and you trying to free them shows that there is someone out there who wants to kill them all! You'll basically turn into a Dark witch to them! Please, don't try to bring in your vaunted muggle ideas into the magical world where it is neither wanted nor necessary" said Harry heatedly.

"But of course you need muggle ideas!" screeched Hermione, her hair become bushier by the minute. "The Wizarding world is still stuck in the dark ages and only adapting to the muggle world can bring them out of the funk! There isn't even the concept of divorce in the magical world, while it exists in the muggle world. Polygamy exists here for God's sake. Only if we remove such barbaric laws and traditions could the magical world ever hope to be as advanced as the muggle world."

This comment brought outrage from many of them sitting in the common room. Nobody missed the part of Granger called them all barbaric, and many of the purebloods couldn't believe that she would think that the muggle world could even compete with the magical world.

"Let me tell you something Granger" sneered Harry, his aura flaring. "Don't compare the muggle world to the magical world, and don't you fucking dare question our traditions and beliefs and impose your beliefs on us. We don't want that. You think the muggle world is superior, isn't it? Please, enlighten us. Just what do muggles have that we don't? You mentioned divorce, right? Well, let's test that. Hey, Fred, George, do you know what divorce is?" he asked the Weasley twins sitting there.

"Ahm, no idea, Harry" said George confused. "What is that? Is it some kind of cure for a disease?"

"Aha!" said Hermione triumphantly. "See? They don't even know what it is. This proves that -"

"-divorce doesn't exist in the magical world" finished Harry. "Do you know why, Granger? It is because unlike muggle marriages, in case of witches and wizards, the husband and wife are bonded for life. To those who don't know, divorce is a muggle term that describes a situation where a husband and wife split after marriage and go their separate ways. You see Granger? They are disgusted to even hear of such a thing. That's because when a man and woman are married through blessings of Old Magic, it creates a sacred bond between them. They don't cheat on each other; they don't feel the need to divorce the other. Whatever we do, we have a reason. There is a similar bond between parents and their children as well. As for Polygamy, if you're interested to know, has not been seen in our world for a few hundred years. It exists only in law, in case the heads of noble families decide to marry another to continue their line."

"The Ancient and Noble House system is outdated" said Hermione stubbornly, going red in the face. "It shows the magical world isn't democratic like the muggle world. This clearly discriminates muggleborns as they don't have access to such influence as the Ancient Houses. We muggleborns face so much prosecution and we don't get high position jobs!"

"Oh, give me a break!" shouted Harry. "Just what is it with you and wanting to bring more of the muggle world into everything? Get your facts straight Granger. Elected representatives and Magical governments have existed for much longer when muggles were still struggling with corrupt monarchy. The Ancient Houses exist for a reason. They are the old families of a community, and hence are powerful and have access to family magic. They were the ones who founded the magical governments and enacted all those laws in the first place; they were the ones to introduce the concept of elected representatives and thus, for all the work they have done, they have hereditary seats. In our Ministry of Magic, the Wizengamot is comprised of Ancient and Noble Houses, Ministry Department heads, those who are young and elderly alike, holders of Orders of Merlin and the remaining nearly half of them are elected by the people! Even being the Lord of an Ancient and Noble House isn't easy. While no one can deny us the seat, just because we were born in the family doesn't give us the right to sit there. We are evaluated by a panel of Wizengamot members who test our knowledge about magical law and if we're worthy to sit there for legislative and judicial sessions."

"You mentioned muggleborns and their rights" said Harry, cutting off Granger who wanted to speak. "Do you realise that you're talking to the son of a muggleborn? Who told you that muggleborns don't get top jobs? I can give you the names of three elected members of the Wizengamot who are muggleborns. My mother was an Unspeakable when she was alive, and she was a muggleborn. Dirk Cresswell, the newest Head of the Goblin Liaison Office is a muggleborn. Twenty-five per cent of the Ministry workers are muggleborns. Are you saying that they aren't successful? Why, have you heard of Miller's Magical Mirrors? The proprietor is Serena Miller, a muggleborn! She was named the Businesswoman of the Year in the International Magical Business Magazine. So, tell me, in which sense are we barbaric?" he sneered at the last word.

"What in the world is family magic? Why weren't we told about such things? We should all have access to such things as well!" shouted Hermione.

"Family lines have different characteristics and traits" explained Harry. He knew that others were listening, so it was a good idea to explain it properly. "It might be something as simple as eye colour to magical powers. The Abbott family has been known for their ability in Earth magic; the Longbottoms have produced outstanding potioneers; Ollivanders have a long history with wand lore; it's different for different people. The Black family has a dominant trait of metamorphagi. Magic developed over generations and it becomes ingrained in the blood of the members itself. This is a long process, and it depends on the will of Old Magic itself, so it's not a fully controlled process. Thus, they have their own spells and wards and other inventions which are passed down from one generation to another -"

"You mean you have access to magic that others don't?" screeched Hermione. "You can't do that! The Ministry must seize all those and give it to the public so that it can be read by all. I can't believe you're allowed to do such things as hoarding knowledge! You -"

"We all have our own family secrets Granger!" said Harry angrily. "Do you think this doesn't happen in the muggle world? Do you think you have access to all the libraries in the world? I would like to see you try to get into the oldest and most secure libraries without permission, just by claiming that it shouldn't be locked! Stop judging the magical world by your knowledge of the muggle world! They're completely different! There's Old Magic at work here and it isn't something as simple as -"

"Now what the hell is Old Magic?" laughed Hermione. "You talk as though magic is sentient; as if that is possible. Magic is just a tool which -"

"SHUT UP!" shouted Harry, while other purebloods too shouted in outrage. "This is what we don't like! You were introduced to the magical world just three years ago, and you're already spitting on our traditions and beliefs which have existed for thousands and thousands of years! For Merlin's sake Granger, stop trying to convert the magical world to your so called advanced muggle standards! WE DON'T WANT IT! I'm not saying that we are perfect; yes, there is corruption; yes, muggleborns face scorn, but this is the reason for it! You enter into our world, spit on our beliefs and try to change who we are! And no one likes that! Why can't you just let things be? If you want to change something for the betterment of the society, the society has to agree to it. You can't singlehandedly change something just because you feel it is inappropriate; that's called tyranny, which is what Voldemort tried to do!"

Harry waited for Hermione to speak, but when she didn't he responded calmly "Look, Granger, I don't care about your beliefs about the muggle world. Just don't impose them on us. And leave the House Elves alone. They came to me crying about what you have been doing, and I needed to take action so that no one got hurt. Again, I don't mind you prosecuting those people who don't treat their elves well; I'm all for it. But don't try to give the elves clothes as it is harmful to them. Good night."

With that, Harry left Gryffindor Tower, not noticing Hermione Granger furiously march back to her dorm.

The argument between Harry and Hermione spread throughout the school like fiendfyre. Purebloods, Half-bloods and muggleborns alike could be seen talking about it. The purebloods were seething about the fact that Granger had dared to say that they were backward and barbaric, while the half-bloods too felt offended by her words. But the biggest surprise had been the muggleborns. Everyone had thought that they would have ganged up against Harry, but they had done the exact opposite. They actually understood where he was coming from as many of them had been ridiculed for the strange happenings around them when they were growing up which they realised later to be accidental magic, and understood that both worlds were different. Many of them approached Harry, and asked him questions about the working of the magical world, and he was more than happy to explain it to them. He even personally escorted them to the library and showed them the wide range of books which served as introductions to muggleborns and explained more about the magical world. Of course, some of them had scoffed and glared at Harry whenever they saw him, but they were very few and far between as compared to the general muggleborn student population. Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, on the other hand, were shooting death glares at Harry whenever they saw him. Pretty soon, the word reached the ears of Albus Dumbledore and Harry was summoned to his office.