CH 22

Then he stood up, took her left hand by the fingers, palm down, and drew her hand up as he leaned forward and gave the back of her knuckles a light kiss. Standing up straight again he simply said, "Thank you."

Surprising Harry, she lunged forward and grabbed him by each side of the head, half yanked him forward and firmly planted a chaste kiss on his lips. Letting go of his face and backing off a little she blushed, then proceeded to attempt to hug the stuffing out of him for a few moments. Just as suddenly she let him go and stood back. Her expression gave Harry the impression she was shocked by what she'd just done. "Tinky," he heard Cygnus call. "Six champagne flutes and a bottle of light champagne, please. The good stuff."

That broke the spell on the young couple as the other three ladies all came forward with squeals to see the ring on Daphne's hand. Harry stepped back and turned towards her father, not a little in shock, himself.

Cygnus walked around his desk with a wide grin on his face and offered his hand to Harry to shake, who took it with gratitude. "Congratulations, my boy. That was very well done!"

The next thing Harry knew, he was wrapped in a hug by Isabel. "You did that really well, Harry. Clearly, you've been studying the old ways."

With a sheepish grin as the woman backed off again, he said, "Yeah, I read a book on wizarding traditions, and another on the Ancient Houses. Between them, I learned what I needed to do and how to do it."

"An example of that perfect memory of yours, no doubt," she said, backing away.

Harry was next grapple-hugged by the youngest Greengrass who made a "Squeee!" sound as she did. She then stood up straight and planted a kiss on his cheek before backing off. "You're going to make it hard for any suitors for me to measure up to your standard, you know," she mock-scolded him.

Harry grinned at her and said, "They'd have to at least measure up to my standard to be considered even close to be worthy of you, my fair maiden."

After a hesitant look of surprise at Harry she turned to her father and said, "Ooooh! He did it again!" That earned Harry another grapple-hug by the younger girl before she suddenly released him and went back for another look at Daphne's ring.

Cygnus gave a little chuckle before he started handing out partially full champagne flutes to everyone.

After a toast to the couple Cygnus chivvied the ladies out of the room and offered Harry a seat at the occasional table in the other half of the room. Cygnus took the other one. Both were still sipping at their champagnes.

"It's my understanding the Potter's were in the habit of charming their betrothal rings beyond the standard auto-resizing and anti-theft charms. Is it the same with your two?" asked Cygnus.

Harry nodded and said, "Besides those, both rings have poison and harmful potion detectors that will cause the stones to glow on both rings, detection charms against the wearer being hit with curses and jinxes that will cause both rings to vibrate, as well as some small level of protection against both, there's also a peril detector that monitors the wearer's heartbeat and adrenaline levels - if either or both suddenly spike it'll be detected - and the rings will intermittently vibrate, and both rings provide some level of detection and counter against mind altering curses such as the Imperious, Confounding and Obliviation Curses, and cause both rings to double tap vibrate. Finally, there's a tracking charm on both rings that allows the other to track and find the partner. It's not long distance, but it's good enough for Hogwarts.

"If I thought there was any other protective charms I could think of to add to the rings I'd have them installed in a heartbeat. I'm still wondering if there could be a minimal Notice-Me-Not charm that was intent based that could be added, but the jeweller said he was still working on one that would be effective."

"And, why present the rings now?" asked Cygnus. "Though, I suspect I know why, I'd like you to confirm it for me."

"It's a combination of what I've read, what I've heard and what I suspect from my gut feelings," replied Harry. "First, our betrothal will not remain secret for long. I'm the supposed Boy-Who-Lived, so I'm considered 'newsworthy' for that alone. I'm the new Head of a Noble and Most Ancient House - and, apparently, the Heir Presumptive to another; the Blacks - and now betrothed to the Heiress of a third. Apparently just two of those three is very rare and always makes the front page of the wizarding world's newspapers when it's discovered. All three is unheard of.

"The Potters are considered a 'Light' House while the Greengrasses are, erroneously in my opinion, considered 'Grey' if not 'Dark'. So, there's obviously going to be quite a few people unhappy to learn of such a relationship between our two Houses. Such an alliance will, no doubt, upset the balances of power in everything from the Wizengamot down.

"I've learned there are quite a few people from all levels of society who would otherwise actively work towards snagging the supposed Boy-Who-Lived in an informal alliance, if not locked into a marriage contract with a daughter - or even a son - of their House. The Jeweller even said, and I quote, 'I dare say there will be many a young witch - and possibly some young wizards - who will be most distraught when it is learned you are betrothed and off the market, so to speak'.

"And, finally, neither of us are stupid enough not to believe there are Voldemort sympathisers who remain at-large who would like nothing better than to harm me, in any way, in the name of their master. Daphne is about to become too big and too easy a target, even though Hogwarts is supposedly the safest place in Britain, and it behoves me to protect her. I just hope I can.

"Is that how you saw it, Sir?" Harry finally asked.

With a small snort in response Cygnus replied, "Actually, your response was even more than my own suspicions. Plus, you've given me a few things to think about." Harry allowed the man his thoughts while he sat there thinking about how his life had changed so much over the past month and a half. He'd gone from being a poor boy who was forced to be the slave of a middle class British muggle family and forced to bed in a cupboard under the stairs; to the Head of a Noble and Most Ancient House, heir to another, betrothed to the heiress of a third, destined to become a Lord in his own right, and one of the richest people in Britain, muggle or magical.

Interrupting his thoughts, Cygnus said, "There's something you said I hope you could clarify for me."

Harry nodded and said, "If I can, of course."

"You said you were the Heir Presumptive of the House of Black. It is my understanding that position resides with young Draco Malfoy of the Magical House of Malfoy. His mother, Narcissa, is a daughter of the Blacks."

Harry frowned and said, "From what I understand the Heirship comes to me through two paths. Firstly, I'm the great grandson of Dorea Potter nee Black, who was the youngest sister of Pollux Black, the great grandfather of Scion Malfoy. That means we're equally positioned to become the next Lord Black. And it makes us cousins, of sorts.

"Secondly, the goblins informed me my godfather, Sirius Orion Black, named me as his Heir sometime during late 1980 or early 1981. And Sirius Black, according to the goblins, is the rightful Lord Black irrespective of his current accommodations within Azkaban - since the passing of his grandfather, Arcturus Black, a few months ago." Frowning, Cygnus said, "That should not be possible. Being convicted and sentenced to Azkaban of a crime that would see him spend the rest of his life behind bars, should see him magically stripped of any claim to the Lordship and it passed on to the next in succession. That would be you. And would mean you would also now be the Head of House Black."

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