15

Chapter 15

The Weasley twins stared down at the dark haired first year in horror. This couldn't be happening. They'd just been fooling around, playing gay chicken out of boredom, when Finkley had found them and jumped to the wrong conclusion. And now he was dead at the bottom of the stairs, and Harry freaking Potter was staring up at them like it was no big deal.

"Oh dear, looks like you boys might need some help."

George could feel Fred trembling next to him, and honestly, he didn't feel much better. Their entire lives were ruined. He didn't even know how it happened, not really. Everything sort of blurred into a panicked mess in his mind. Did he trip? Did he or Fred push him deliberately? Why couldn't he remember? His breath was coming faster, the edges of his vision beginning to darken. Clutching desperately at his brother's hand, he hunched over, spots swimming before his eyes.

A sharp slap to his face snapped him out of his spiralling panic, and he looked up to see a blank faced Harry staring down at where he was crouched pathetically on the floor. A quick glance showed Fred in a similar state with a matching hand print on his cheek.

"Breathe." Harry ordered. "We don't have much time to cover this up."

George stared up, feeling a ray of hope breaking through his shocked despair.

"Co-cover up?" He whispered.

"Did you want it to get out? I can't see anything good coming from that, so if that was your plan, it's a shitty one."

"What do we do?" Fred clutched at Harry's cloak desperately. "I don't know what happened, please, help us!"

Harry's face softened angelically and he lightly rested a hand on Fred's head, the saviour and supplicant in benediction. Feeling a mirroring hand grasp the other side of his cloak, he rested a hand on George's hair as well, fingers sliding down to cup the base of their skulls comfortingly.

"Everything will be ok," he soothed. "Just do what I tell you to, and everything will be fine, I promise."

George could feel tears welling in his eyes as he stared up at Harry; he knew Fred was feeling the same. He didn't know how this eleven year old boy could be so calm in a situation like this, but he had no doubt that if Harry said it would be fine, then everything would be. He felt a sudden and tremendous surge of loyalty towards the boy, and in response, the magic he and Fred shared stirred in a way they'd never experienced before, a dizzying sense of gratitude and relief washing through them. It churned restlessly, almost as if reaching out to the Potter Heir in response to his aura of calm control. Their magic was practically demanding they swear their loyalty on the spot, and it was everything the twins could do to wrestle it under control.

"Firstly, we need to move the body before anyone stumbles onto it. We also need to stage the corpse."

Eying the body critically, Harry hummed.

"He seems the outdoorsy type. Do either of you know where he used to frequent?"

Fred cleared his throat, realising he still had hold of Harry's cloak and scrambling to his feet with a blush.

"Ah, he used to sneak into the Forbidden Forest to collect potions ingredients. He'd sell them to the other students; we used to help him a lot in exchange for supplies for our pranks."

The 'since we couldn't afford to buy them' was left unsaid.

Harry nodded.

"Perfect. When he's noticed as missing, if asked, and only if asked, you will say that when you bumped into him on your way to the kitchens for a midnight snack, he told you he was going to collect some of these ingredients, but you don't know where. You offered to go with him, but he declined. You will say that he seemed very excited and mentioned something about it being rare, but that's all you know. Do not expand beyond that. You will not deviate from this story. Also, be aware that the Headmaster is a Legilimens; I suggest you begin reading up on Occlumency immediately if you haven't already."

Pausing, he tapped a bead on his cuff, and withdrew two business cards. Handing them to the redheads, he lightly gripped their wrists reassuringly.

"If you ever need help and can't reach me, take these to Snape; he knows what to do." Straightening, he quirked a small smile. "Now, put all of this nastiness out of your mind, pay a visit to the kitchens and enjoy a nice midnight snack. You should maybe bring some back to the common room for the other Gryffindor's to see you eating."

The twins looked at the cards, noting the stylised V on a plain shield on a white card. Their eyes darted up to Harry in shock, understanding the value of what they'd just been offered. They had no idea where Harry fit into the crime lord's budding empire, but they knew what was on the table, and how much of a risk Harry had taken in revealing his connection. It was reassuring, knowing that he'd offered up something so potentially damaging to even the scales. He knew their secret, and now they knew his. Tucking the cards away carefully, the boys nodded and headed off to the kitchens as instructed.

Harry watched them go, smirking faintly. Honestly, he couldn't have planned this better himself; the twins were his.

Turning to the patiently waiting Warthog, he ambled down the stairs, casually stepping over the Hufflepuff's body.

"In the absence of pigs, will we use Acromantulas?" Warthog asked dryly.

"Yep," Harry popped the p, rummaging through the dead boy's pockets in the hope of finding something worth scavenging. "I was thinking of nabbing one while we're there, as a present for Snape. Do you think you can Slide carrying both me and it?"

Warthog hummed, watching as her wizard shrunk the looted corpse and stuffed it casually in his pocket, the boy's liberated wand going in another one.

"Probably, as long as you don't go for a big one. I might need to draw more from you than usual though, and it won't be a pleasant trip for you."

Harry nodded.

"Alright. Will you be able to Slide to me from the castle if I'm that far away?"

"Yeah. The longer the distance the more tiring it is, and I honestly don't like doing more than short trips, but I can do it in a pinch if you have the reserves for me to tap. Go do your thing, and call me when you get there. I'll Slide to you, pick you up, and bring you and your prize back. Just don't expect me to do more than sleep after that."

"Isn't that all you ever do?" Harry retorted with a cheeky smile, deftly avoiding the playful swipe of her claws. "Alright. I'll call you shortly. Go put Draco to bed or something."

Warthog sniggered and ambled off to do just that.

Harry disillusioned himself and quickly made his way out of the castle and across the grounds, slipping into the forest without incident. Out of sight of the castle, he removed the charm and made his way deeper, his cloak pulled tight and his hood up. He was a lot smaller than the fifth year, but he knew that in the event that he was spotted wandering around the forest, that most centaurs couldn't really tell the difference between humans. It was a chance, but as long as his face was obscured he should be fine even if seen.

It was a long walk, but fortunately his forays into the forest with Warthog had given him enough knowledge to get to his destination without getting lost. He stopped every now and again, collecting a few plants and other bits and pieces that he could add to his 'gift' for Snape.

Noticing a few webs beginning to adorn the trees above his head, he concentrated and tugged firmly on his bond with Warthog, sighing quietly in relief when she slid out of the shadows next to him a bare minute later. While he was confident in his ability to take on a few small Acrumantula, he wasn't stupid enough to progress any further without a quick exit strategy. No matter how confident he was in his abilities, they were still very dangerous creatures, and he still had things to do tonight that would be very difficult to perform if his limbs had been ripped off by a spider that didn't know when to stop growing.

Cautiously, they ventured forward, senses on high alert. When they could hear the soft clicking of excited chelicerae, they braced themselves, taking on a defensive stance. Harry pulled out the Hufflepuffs wand, dropping his blood bonded wand into his other hand. He could feel it practically vibrating with anticipation, and he smiled as he activated the armour gem on his chest. Beside him, Warthog did the same, her already heavily muscled frame taking on almost massive proportions. She was completely covered in black wispy smoke, only her blue eyes shining through with an almost unearthly glow. Her outline was obscured to such a degree that it wasn't a huge stretch of the imagination to see her as some sort of manifested Hellbeast.

His own outline was similarly concealed, and he could see lambent crackles of toxic green flickering through his own smoke.

"Your eyes are glowing a weird green, and you seem to have large horns," Warthog observed. "You look ridiculous."

Harry raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment, focusing instead on the clicking he could hear coming closer.

The first Acrumantula to reach them was barely the size of a Rottweiler, and Harry kicked it away before it could get too close. It squealed as one of its legs broke under his foot, another breaking as it crunched heavily against a tree. Some of the other spiders grabbed it, dragging it away as it shrieked and thrashed, unable to defend itself against its cannibalistic brethren.

Harry tossed out a few overpowered stunners, taking out a handful of the smaller ones that tried to crowd around him. He loathed using the Hufflepuffs wand, it didn't suit him at all and fought him every step of the way, but he needed it to have evidence of use before he left it here for the search party to find. Tossing it aside under a bush, he flicked his wrist and caught one of Shot's grenades, hitting the button and tossing it into the growing hoard. He remembered to throw up a wide area silencing spell at the last second, laughing lightly when the resulting boom launched flailing spiders through the air like eight legged confetti, only for their maimed flesh to be whisked away by opportunistic nest mates in better health.

Using his own wand, he began to get serious. The smaller ones dying screams had worked to draw the larger and more experienced beasts, and he could finally have a little fun.

It was one of the benefits to using Acromantula for this task, he mused contentedly. He could get in a decent fight, and there'd be no evidence left of it when someone eventually stumbled upon the scene.

Flinging around exploding curses and cutting hexes with gleeful abandon, Harry couldn't help but laugh in delight. The screams and squeals of his arachnid victims was a heady rush, and he felt more alive than he'd been since he'd started at this Merlin forsaken school. It was amazing what a decent sleep and a little bloodshed could do to improve a boy's mood. He contemplated drawing his knife and getting up close and personal with the creatures, but common sense stayed his hand. Having a little fun was one thing, but it wouldn't do to get too enthusiastic before the job was finished.

"You're having fun," Warthog observed lightly as she dispatched another spider with a heavy swipe of her paw.

"Don't pretend you're not," Harry chuckled.

The larger ones had arrived now in sufficient numbers that the odds were well and truly evened, and Harry spotted one about the size of a Quarter Horse that he thought would do nicely for his present. "I want that one!" He pointed, starting to fight his way toward his quarry, his familiar eagerly tearing through spiders at his side.

"I thought you said 'small'!" Warthog snarked, eyeing their target.

Shrugging, Harry bared his teeth in a bloodthirsty approximation of a smile.

"It could be bigger, but we're probably about to run out of time."

Harry was relieved that Shot's armour held up against the Acrumantula as well as it did against spells and physical combat, given that he really didn't want to have to deal with being bitten by the things. While the venom probably wouldn't kill him thanks to Snake's regular venom doses, it would still make him very sick, and probably hurt like a bitch in the process.

"Hagrid's coming," Warthog informed him, her ears flicking under the cover of her armour. "If you're going to get your prize, you'll need to get it now; the oaf sounds like he knows something's going on."

"Right," Harry said, his wand dancing as it flicked around, spells flying as he cleared a path to his quarry. After several moments, he managed to get close enough to start his 'gift acquisition'.

"Get ready," he warned her, then plunged a hand into his pocket and pulled out the corpse. Tossing it on the ground at his feet, he cancelled the shrinking charm, then spun lithely and hit his chosen Acrumantula with a rather nifty but obscure euthanasia spell Sergei had taught him. It was completely legal, and was used to put down animals for meat or potions. It had the added benefit of leaving no magical residue that could interfere with the harvested parts.

Grabbing the leg of the crumpled arachnid before it could be claimed by its siblings, he thrust a hand into the smoke surrounding Warthog and grabbed her collar, feeling a strange pull from both his core and body as she Slid into the shadows, dragging Harry and his bounty with her mere seconds before Hagrid blundered onto the carnage.

There was a brief feeling of coldslimywrong and then he was pulled free of the shadows, shuddering and gasping as he collapsed to his knees.

"Oh, you were right about that being unpleasant," he moaned, fighting the urge to spill his stomach contents on the floor. He deactivated his armour, the smoke sucking back into the gem on his chest in seconds. Warthog staggered as she did the same, sinking wearily to the floor.

"Next time we decide to have some fun in the forest, I vote for bringing back a smaller trophy," she moaned, panting.

Harry chuckled breathlessly, slumping against her side as he caught his breath.

"We both know that won't happen. Are you alright?"

Warthog sent feelings of warmth and gratefulness through the bond, turning to her head to lick his hair a couple of times with a purr.

"I'm fine; not even a scratch; I'm just exhausted. Did you ditch the body?"

"Yeah, I left it behind," Harry said vaguely, not taking chances with nosy portraits or ghosts stumbling onto them. Hauling himself wearily to his feet, he shuffled to the door of the small room Warthog had brought them to. "Catch your breath, then once we hand this over to Snape, go get some sleep; you've well and truly earned it."

Warthog chuffed in agreement, dropping her head onto her paws as she guarded the Acrumantula until Snape arrived to take it off their hands.

Harry walked slowly down the corridor, his body aching. With how busy he'd been since starting Hogwarts, he simply hadn't had the time to devote to his usual physical training regime, and he was feeling the difference now. Still, now that he had his ring, he could finally get back into reasonable shape and stop slacking off, he thought cheerfully.

Reaching the door to Snape's rooms, he knocked firmly. Technically he wasn't supposed to know where they were, but with Warthog sniffing around for him, he wasn't going to remain ignorant for long.

The door flew open to reveal a sleep mussed Potions Professor, and Harry peered up at the dour man innocently.

"How did you find my rooms?" The man blinked in confusion, still more asleep than he'd like to admit.

"Are you really surprised?" Harry smiled cheekily. "I rather thought you'd be more interested in why I'm using that knowledge at," he paused to glance at his watch, "half past three in the morning on Boxing Day."

Snape blinked again, then dragged a hand over his face.

"Alright, let's go with that question then. Why are you here at this Merlin forsaken time of the morning?"

"Because I have a present for you!" Harry beamed.

"A present," Snape repeated flatly. "And you decided to wait until now to give it to me? Why didn't you just give it to the elves to deliver with the rest of the presents Christmas Morning?"

Harry blinked, looking faintly bewildered.

"Well, aside from having only just gotten my hands on it, I didn't think you'd appreciate waking up to an Acromantula the size of a horse on the end of your bed."

Honestly, the look on Snape's face made the whole ordeal totally worth it.

The next morning at breakfast, their meal was interrupted by gaggle of sombre Professors.

"I'm very sorry to disturb your meal, but we have some sad news. It appears that Mr Finkley entered the Forbidden Forest last night for reasons unknown. It is my great sorrow that I must inform you that he did not make it out alive. Hagrid arrived on the scene, but was unable to rescue him in time." Dumbledore paused, the twinkle absent from his blue eyes. "His parents have been informed, and the other students will be informed when they return in the New Year. If anyone has any information on why Mr Finkley was in the Forest last night, please come and see me."

The Twins glanced at Harry for the briefest of seconds. Sipping his coffee, the younger boy looked back, raising an eyebrow curiously before returning to his breakfast. Remembering that they'd been instructed to only offer information if asked, they returned to their meals too, whispering conspiratorially together as was their habit. The fact that this allowed them to avoid the pale blue gaze of a certain Headmaster was merely a bonus.

"He was probably collecting ingredients," a sixth year Ravenclaw girl offered, barely lifting her eyes from her book as she ate methodically.

"Ingredients, Ms Romany?" The Headmaster enquired gently. "Ingredients for what?"

"Potions, Sir," Romany looked up, blinking owlishly at finding herself the sole focus of every gaze at the table. "He, um, collected potions ingredients and sold them to the other students. His parents are in that business, you know? They taught him how. Lots of students get their supplies from him; he's cheaper and fresher than the Apothecaries in Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley, and his stock is always the best quality. If he was in the Forest, that'd be why."

Harry and the Twins felt like it was Christmas all over again; with Santa having delivered the most tremendously improbable but massively useful gift. This Romany girl was practically doing their job for them!

"I see," Dumbledore murmured, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "Thank you Ms Romany, that was very helpful."

Romany nodded, returning to her book and breakfast.

Harry was amused to note that for someone not in the business, she took the death of a schoolmate with surprising calm. Still, he wouldn't try to recruit her. His research on her had shown her to be extremely intelligent, but completely book bound. If it wasn't in text, she didn't believe it possible. Rather like Hermione might have been without his intervention, he mused. Either way, there was no room in his organisation for someone so narrow minded, they'd only be a liability. Not to mention, she had just proven herself far too eager to offer up information.

Quickly finishing his meal, Harry swallowed his last mouthful of coffee, and stood, Draco by his side. Warthog was still asleep on his bed after their late night adventure, and Harry made a mental note to ask an elf to bring her some food.

Professor Snape too, it seemed, had finished his meal, and was delicately wiping his mouth with a napkin.

A quick glance between them and Harry set off toward the dungeons. The rest of his team would be along shortly.

The duo stopped short when the Bloody Baron appeared in front of them, drifting through a wall to intercept their progress.

"Nicely handled," he intoned, staring down at the eleven year old who had caught his interest. "I think you might be needing this. Come with me."

Harry and Draco glanced at each other, shrugged, and followed the spectre curiously.

The Baron led them through a series of winding hallways, and into a secret passageway that branched off a hallway a little way past the Slytherin Common Room. It exited into a completely disused section of the dungeons, filled with enough dust and debris to have Harry wrinkling his nose in disgust and lifting the hem of his robes to ensure they didn't become coated in filth. He absently wondered why the House Elves hadn't cleaned here, it seemed out of character.

The Baron finally stopped in front of a painting depicting a pretty young blonde girl laying curled up in what appeared to be a large plot of Nightshade.

"Wake up, Deidre," the ghost said gently. "I've brought you a new friend."

The girl stirred, and slowly sat up.

"Roman?" She asked sleepily. "Is that you?"

"Yes, Little One. Did you sleep well?"

Harry and Draco looked at each other as the ghost and portrait exchanged pleasantries, completely baffled. They'd never seen nor heard of the Baron being so gentle with anyone; to be honest, it was extremely unsettling. Not to mention that they'd never considered he might have any name beyond 'The Bloody Baron'.

"Deidre, this is Harry Potter," the Baron regained their attention. "I believe he is worthy of the secret you guard; will you let him in?"

Deidre looked at the two boys, and tilted her head curiously.

"Which one of you is Harry?" She asked, pulling a lock of hair over her shoulder and winding it slowly through her fingers.

"That would be me, Miss Deidre," Harry stepped forward, dipping his head slightly in an approximation of a bow. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

The portrait giggled lightly.

"Just Deidre is fine, as long as I can call you Harry," she proposed.

"Certainly, Deidre," Harry charmed, bringing out Smile Number 18.

The Baron huffed, rolling his eyes in exasperation.

"Stop flirting with her, boy. You're too young and she's too old. Besides, it's what she guards that I wanted to show you."

Harry glared icily at the ghost, his magic dropping the surrounding temperature so drastically that the faint dripping in a nearby corner suddenly changed to the sound of ice chips hitting the floor. Their breath misted before them, puffing into the frigid air even as a slight breeze stirred around the dark haired child.

"Don't. Call. Me. Boy," he demanded.

The Baron eyed him warily, becoming aware for the first time that this boy might actually be powerful enough to damage or expel him completely if he chose. Few wizards or witches had the raw power to directly affect a ghost, most needing a complex set of runes and rituals to amplify their spell.

"I apologise," he stated stiffly.

Harry eyed him for another moment or two, then drew his magic back, the corridor returning to its previous temperature.

He hated when people called him boy. It was such a common term, but every time it was directed at him all he could hear was Vernon Durley roaring it angrily, and he kept bracing, expecting to feel the heavy thud of meaty fists on his young flesh. He knew that he should probably get some sort of therapy for the continued flashbacks, but in all honesty the thought of opening up to anyone enough to truly deal with the issue was more than he could tolerate. He'd spent years building up a thick wall around himself, and he wasn't sure he was capable of the level of trust that would be required for therapy to work. Not even his Hounds knew he still suffered flashbacks and nightmares about his time with the Dursleys.

"Shall we continue?" He asked coldly.

Nodding, the Baron turned back to a wide eyed Deidre.

"Would you let us in, dear girl?"

"Of course, Roman," she dimpled, and allowed the portrait to swing open, revealing a door made of some sort of dark coloured wood.

"Welcome to my private study," The Baron smiled wanly.

Harry's eyes widened despite his best efforts, and he gently reached forward to open the door. He could feel the aggressive snap and zing of powerful wards sliding across his skin as he touched the wood, and drew a sharp breath.

Instantly, Draco had his wand out defensively.

"Harry?"

Harry winced as the magic seemed to 'taste' him, then sagged in relief as it found whatever it was it was looking for and settled into a welcoming hum.

"I'm alright, I think. What was that?" He eyed the Baron.

"A ward I developed," the Baron said proudly. "It will protect a space against all who do not have permission to be there. It can only be passed to a new holder with the permission and approval of the previous, as well as the agreement of its Guardian, which in this case is Deidre."

"Clever," Harry admitted. "I assume the Guardian is to prevent the Holder from handing over the ward control under duress or magical influence?"

"That's right," the Baron smirked. "I knew I chose right in you."

"Out of curiosity," Draco interjected, "what would have happened to Harry if he hadn't had the approval of you and Deidre?"

"He'd have died," the Baron shrugged nonchalantly, "and his magic would have been drained to strengthen the ward."

Harry and Draco stared at the ghost flatly.

"What?" The ghost looked back at them. "I couldn't have just anyone stumbling onto my work, and if they weren't really worthy I certainly didn't want them knowing the location; they might have figured out a way to pick the ward apart given enough time!"

Harry shook his head, and put the matter out of his mind. Pushing open the door he stared around the revealed room, carefully keeping his childish delight contained behind his habitual blank expression.

The Baron huffed, the boys underwhelming reaction clearly a disappointment.

"Well, go on in! Merlin, it's not like anyone just handed you the keys to a vault full of secrets and materials collected by one of the greatest spell crafters of his age or anything!" His expression was bitter, and he folded his arms crossly.

"You're acting very strangely," Draco stared at the ghost, brows furrowed. "Completely out of character, in fact."

Sighing, the spectre dropped his arms, shoulders drooping slightly.

"Well, I rather got stuck in my own legend, you know. Being 'The Bloody Baron'. When I first came back as a ghost, it was quite traumatic, and I just assumed ghosts were supposed to be brooding and ominous, and frighten the little children. It wasn't until much later that I realised that I could be however I bloody well wanted, but by then I had a reputation to maintain. I was the House Ghost for Slytherin, and they all seemed to look to me to be some sort of example and enforcer, and so I just…" He trailed off, looking lost.

"Rolled with it?" Harry offered absently.

"Yes! Just so," the Baron smiled wistfully. "But now I've finally found someone worthy of my legacy, and he brought along a lackey, which is honestly just good planning," he nodded approvingly, "and so I now have two people I can finally be myself with! Well, aside from Deidre of course, but the poor dear is only active when the rooms are being used. She couldn't really stay awake after I died to keep me company."

"So now that the wards have shifted to a living person again, she'll be awake and you can talk to her more?" Draco asked. Seeing the Baron nod happily, he smiled sarcastically. "Good, then go bother her for a while and leave us alone."

"Draco, don't be an ass," Harry sighed. "Just because he didn't pick you to be the next ward holder, and called you a lackey, is no reason to be rude. I mean let's face it, the man is dead, his whole life is already gone to shit; no need to make it worse."

Draco snorted in amusement, but mumbled an apology.

The Baron sniffed, but accepted, though not without muttering a few sly comments about 'insolent albino's the size of a rodent' that earned him a steely eyed glare from the blond child.

"Draco, go and get Snape and the Twins please."

Harry turned back to the room, confident that his order would be carried out without question, and cast a quick cleaning spell. The room may have been preserved untouched for the last nine hundred odd years, but that also meant that there was roughly nine hundred years worth of dust accumulated on every surface imaginable.

Applying more power to the spell, Harry watched as the dirt was whisked away and vanished, leaving the room bereft of grime, but still messy. He glanced around in distaste. Private study or not, there was no excuse for being so lazy. How did the Baron manage to think in such a mess, let alone find anything when he needed it?

"So, if I understand correctly, this is my study now?"

"Correct. And everything in it also."

"Excellent," Harry murmured. "This will solve quite a few issues. I'm going to clear the desk for the moment, but when I have some time later I'll go through everything properly. I may have questions."

"I will make myself available," the Baron bowed his head slightly then drifted out of the room, leaving Harry behind in the hurricane of parchment.

Glancing at the large piece spread open on the desk, Harry thought it looked like some sort of half finished ward schematic, and made a mental note to send it to Shot and the Hounds to go over; they'd give him a summary later if it was anything he could use.

A wave of his wand and things were levitated into a corner, leaving the desk bare. He didn't want to shrink anything, since he didn't know if there were devices or the like buried amongst the parchment that might not react well to it.

Settling himself at his desk, he took out the latest packet of letters from his kids and started reading, waiting for his people to arrive. The Ghosts reported that they were putting themselves through intensive training before beginning Hogwarts the next school year, cramming as much information on every topic they could. Apparently Marcel and Trent had bonded over an interest in medicine, and Trent had hinted that he might like to apprentice under the Healer once he was old enough to handle the task. Harry smiled at that, pleased. Marcel might bitch about being saddled with children, but it was clear that he'd made the effort to engage with his charges.

Tink had sent a letter on pink paper, and Harry could smell a faint whiff of perfume coming from it. It was a lightly floral scent, and suited the bubbly girl perfectly. Her letter was as he expected, gushing about her excitement for Hogwarts and how much she missed him, a few amusing anecdotes about the other Ghosts, and requests for more books on assorted obscure topics that had caught her interest. There was no doubt in Harry's mind that the fairy like girl would end up in Ravenclaw, which would be something of a shock for the relatively quiet and reserved House. Withdrawing a blank piece of parchment, he jotted down a note to approve an expansion of the Ghosts library. While it wasn't currently lacking, he would never deny a request for something so useful.

Sarah Hanovan's letter was a surprise. Her correspondence was unusually long for the reserved girl, and Harry's eyebrows climbed as he progressed down the page. It seemed that the young girl had developed something of a crush on Trent, and after plucking up the courage to make her feelings known, found herself subjected to his ridicule.

Shifting uncomfortably, Harry delicately placed the letter in the centre of the table, eying it as if he thought it might attack him at any moment. This was not his area of expertise.

His horrified contemplation was interrupted by a very welcome knock on the door. Dierdre appeared in an empty oil painted landscape on the wall in front of his desk, smiling winsomely.

"The blonde boy has returned, and he's brought some friends," she beamed.

"Let them in," Harry smiled back at her.

Moments later the door opened to admit Draco, Snape, and the Twins as requested. Blaise trailing in behind them was an unexpected boon as Harry had a moment of clarity at the sight of the boy.

"Blaise," he said loudly, causing the Italian boy to jump slightly at the volume. "Have you ever been in love?"

"Er, no?" Blaise responded, completely baffled and sharing an unsettled look with the rest of the group.

"You have now. Deal with this, draft me a reply, bring it back." Harry brandished Sarah's letter at him, then paused, adding, "and no poison, she's too young to marry him, it would be pointless."

Blaise gingerly took the paper, and upon skimming the letter, he cringed. Good thing his mother had started his training early, or he'd be in all sorts of trouble with this task.

"Why me?" He asked petulantly.

"Your mother is a serial widow, is she not?"

"Well, yes," Blaise admitted cagily.

"Then you're uniquely qualified to deal with this situation. If anyone knows how to manipulate the lovesick, it's a Zabini."

Sighing, Blaise spun on his heel, exiting the room before his new boss could delegate any more inexplicable awkwardness at him.

"Everything ok, Harry?" Draco asked, his expression caught somewhere between genuine concern, and smug glee at the other boy's discomfort.

"Girl trouble," he muttered.

The Twins opened their mouths, expressions mischievous, but Harry held up one finger warningly.

"Don't," he stated. "Just, don't."

Snape cleared his throat, obviously eager to get down to business.

Harry straightened, taking on a more businesslike mien.

"Close the door, if you please," he requested.

Snape did as asked, then with a nod of approval from Harry, conjured four chairs in front of the desk.

Harry meanwhile flicked his wand, setting up additional silencing and privacy spells. Once the room was secured to his satisfaction, he placed his wand on the desk, and leaned back, hands steepled in front of him.

"Right then, who wants to go first?" He smirked.

The Twins jerked, glancing at each other then raising their hands.

"Dibs," they called.

Snape and Draco rolled their eyes but didn't argue.

"We want to swear loyalty to you. Will you accept?" They spoke together.

Harry pursed his lips, then made a rather uncharacteristically impulsive decision.

"Before you swear anything, I want you to understand exactly who and what you're committing to. If after you know, you find it's something that you cannot be party to, Professor Snape will obliviate you and we will proceed as though your offer had never been made," the Twins nodded their agreement and Harry continued. "Draco already has some idea of what I'm speaking of, but I believe that more detailed and accurate information is in order, going forward. Professor Snape, would you care to share what I'm sure you've managed to deduce by now?"

Snape raised an eyebrow, black eyes locked onto Harry's green.

"Mister Potter here, is not an associate of the notorious Crime Lord known as Vahan, as he has led us to believe." He paused dramatically. "He is, in fact, the Crime Lord himself."

Harry clapped his gleefully, beaming at the older man.

"Oh bravo," he called. "Very dramatic! I especially liked the atmospheric pause, really gave the big reveal an extra kick."

Snape folded his arms over his chest, radiating a sense of smug, theatrical self-satisfaction.

"I knew it!" Draco jumped to his feet in excitement.

"You did not, now sit down," Harry ordered.

Draco sat with a pout, sulking as Snape and the Twins snorted in amusement.

Turning back to the red haired devils, Harry raised an eyebrow.

"So now you know. Considering my reputation, which to be honest, is only the tip of a very large iceberg, do you still wish to offer your vow?"

"That's bloody-"

"Brilliant!" The Twins breathed in awe.

"We want in!"

"Alright," Harry smiled, standing and moving around the desk so that the twins could grip his hands as they knelt at his feet. "Swear to Vahan as well as myself; I'm not fond of leaving loopholes."

Taking the proper position, the Twins gripped their Lord's offered hands.

"We vow this day and every day henceforth, a solemn oath of loyalty and devotion to Harry James Potter, and the office of Vahan should that title pass upon his death to another. We dedicate ourselves, mind, body, magic, and soul, to his service, forsaking all others at his command. May this oath bind us until such time as we are formally released from our vow, or give up our lives in his service. Obedience unto death; so mote it be."

"Your oath is accepted, so mote it be," Harry intoned formally, feeling the bonds snap into place against his core.

The Twins climbed shakily back into their chairs, but before Harry could return to his seat, Draco had dropped to his knees and reached pleadingly for Harry's hand.

"Me too," Draco demanded.

Harry raised an eyebrow, sceptical.

"This isn't a competition, Draco," he scolded gently.

"I know that," the blond huffed. "I've been thinking about this since you rescued me from that guy in the woods when we were kids, but it never seemed the right time until now."

"You of all people know what you're getting into with this, so I will accept only if you're completely sure."

Draco nodded firmly.

"I am. You already hold my loyalty, trust, and respect. As my forebears served their Lords like slaves, let me now serve you of my own free will; so mote it be."

"Your vow is accepted, and I formally extend to you the protection of both House Potter and Vahan for as long as you serve; so mote it be."

Draco sagged, then settled back on his chair with a content expression.

Harry cast a sideways glance at Snape, who sighed.

"I swore an Unbreakable vow to protect you the day after you were orphaned, for reason you already know. Offering my loyalty as well seems like a logical next step. Will you accept?"

Snape's hooded eyes practically glowed with his intensity, and Harry's lips stretched in a satisfied smile in return.

"I do," he stated, lightly touching Snape's extended hand.