Not Your Usual Veela Mate

68 Coming Together

Friday, Sep. 20

"So..." Harry said when the silence in the room had begun to get to him. "How is it that you arrived so timely to save the day?"

Shayell gave the Elf a bright smile. "I was visiting with a dear friend of mine when Lucius' letter reached me. Once I was made aware of how utterly out of control matters had become here at Hogwarts I immediately packed up my bags to come here.

"How could I possibly stay away? I have never been fond of Albus Dumbledore, the man is too much of a meddler for my taste, but I never in a million years would have thought that he would actually actively attempt to interfere with a Veela bond," Shayell said, shaking her head in wonder.

This was not like the Albus Dumbledore she knew at all. Albus had never been able to keep his beak out of other people's business, but for most parts he never openly interfered with matters like this. Dumbledore usually opted to use much more subtle ways of manipulations, using a person's conscience against them. No, Albus Dumbledore was not above using guilt and misguided honour to get his way.

But to openly threaten a Veela and their bonded? Especially when the Veela in questions was a Malfoy? That didn't sound like Albus Dumbledore at all.

"Your thoughts, gentlemen? What exactly have been going on at Hogwarts for Albus Dumbledore to act so out of character? And I am not thinking of the mood enhancer you boys fed him. From what I've been told, Dumbledore's odd behaviour began long before the deplorable events of this morning," Shayell stated before Silverwind's grandson could start apologising again.

Lucius and Severus shared a look, a volume of matters being passed back and forth, before Severus sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"It is my belief that Albus has become so used to meeting no resistance to his plots and plans that he is incapable of dealing with the fact that his Golden Boy no longer feels beholden to him," Severus began slowly, carefully considering what he wished to say, and how much he wanted to reveal to the visiting royal, not wanting to betray any of the things Harry had told them in confidence.

"And what happened to cause such a rift between Harry Potter and his mentor?" Shayell asked curiously. As queen of the Veela nation she made sure to be well informed of the events taking place in the wizarding world, and it was a well established fact that the Boy Who Lived was completely in Albus Dumbledore's pocket.

Clearly something monumental must have happened for the boy to break his ties to the Headmaster so completely.

Harry snorted when Dumbledore was described as his mentor. When he was younger he probably would have agreed to that description, but having spent a month with Lucius Malfoy, and to some lesser degree with Severus Snape, Harry was slowly beginning to realise what a mentor was, and Albus Dumbledore had never fulfilled that role in his life.

"You do not agree?" Shayell asked, arching an intrigued eyebrow.

"Dumbledore has never been my mentor," Harry said with conviction. "None of the professor here at Hogwarts has done anything to support me outside the classroom. Quite the opposite, actually," Harry mused, recalling the times he had gone to McGonagall for aid, never seeing the way Severus flinched at the accusation.

"As for what happened to cause such a rift between us..." Harry trailed off, staring off into space as he considered what to say, carefully weighing how much he should make known about the issues he had with the master meddler trying to rule his life.

Coming to a decision, Harry settled more comfortable in his seat and turned his full attention on the Veela queen. "It all began the night after the third task of the Triwizard tournament.