When Minerva and Shandra Pince stepped through the Floo into the large galleried hall at Beaumont, Minerva gasped and Shandra let out a small whisper of 'oh my goodness!'. They carefully put down the two pictures they carried, though two House-Elves immediately rushed forward and the portraits were hung in places which overlooked the great table. Shortly after, Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape appeared in their frames, watching over proceedings as they waited for various parties to arrive.
Minerva was instantly met by Harry and they hugged firmly.
They watched in silence momentarily as Shandra hurried over to greet Madame Hecate Tweazle, the Ministry of Magic librarian.
'Separated at birth,' Harry muttered and Minerva pursed her lips in censure.
Only because she didn't like to laugh. Indeed, they both wore the same expression of disapproval over their half-moon glasses with their glasses chains when they walked into the hall and saw the piles of books and the disorder and the lack of system everywhere. And worse still, there was food and drinks in the same room as the books...
Shandra immediately whisked any books away from the vicinity of the main table despite Mione's protestations and Madame Tweazle tutted loudly before they both huddled in a corner together, identical aquiline noses practically touching, turning over books and inspecting them for damage, before separating them into piles according to subject area.
Harry hadn't even asked them to help yet!
The hall was already alit with people. Minerva spotted Kingsley and Gawain Robards. George, Molly and Arthur, Neville, and Angelina arrived shortly after her. There were another two Aurors she didn't recognise and Hermione, Pansy, Luna, and her latest employee, Ron Weasley were there. And Draco Malfoy, of course, who seemed to be watching Harry like a protective mother hen. Minerva smiled to herself, assuming something had finally happened between the two men.
Ron was hovering awkwardly near Hermione who was thoroughly ignoring his presence and kept wandering off to talk to other people. There were also a couple of others too, Unspeakables, judging by the uniforms.
It seemed Harry had pulled together quite a meeting.
A House-Elf, who was introduced as Letty, rushed around, offering teas and coffees to everyone as they stepped through the Floo. Sumptuous breakfast choices were laid out on the long central table for people to help themselves. It appeared the House-Elves at Beaumont were enjoying having people to cater for.
'Sorry about last night,' Harry muttered quietly.
She touched his arm softly. 'I suppose you're going to explain what's going on when everyone's here.'
'Yes, sorry I didn't tell you in person first. I only really found out yesterday evening. I came straight to you but...'
'We'll do everything we can to help, Harry.' She was so worried for him. This many people gathered together, of such importance too, couldn't be a good thing. The previous evening had played on her mind too. That he'd finally taken the step to come up to the school, or perhaps whatever was wrong had overcome his anxieties. Either way, to see him suddenly rush away, clearly frightened... She'd barely slept.
'Sorry,' he looked into her hazel eyes but wasn't going to tell her yet, not when he was clearly going to tell everyone together.
'It's quite a place you've inherited, Lord Potter,' she teased to lighten the mood. Admiring the double height room and the gallery with its bookshelves and its wide wooden spiral staircase that lined one of the towering turrets right up to what appeared to be a fourth floor. And down into a basement too as she peered over a balcony. It made her smile, it reminded her of Hogwarts though it was more refined with the ornately carved dark wood balcony and arches lining the gallery.
'Did you know about this?' he suddenly accused, turning to her.
She smiled. 'I knew something of your heritage, I researched it thoroughly so that I could take you from that awful family. I didn't know you had a duchy and castle attached to your name. I suspected that as the Potter name is recorded as one of the Ancient and Noble houses, you might have a title.'
'We can blame Pansy, you know.'
'No, we can't,' she scolded. 'You would have found out on your birthday...'
'I know. Mum...' he paused. 'There's something else you need to know...'
She smiled softly, 'you and Draco?'
'Yes,' he said with a deep exhale. 'He's my soulmate.'
'You've bonded?'
Harry blushed but she tutted.
'I wasn't born yesterday, Harry. And Soulmate Magic has been around a lot longer than your tender twenty-two years of age.'
It was at that moment a highly excited Letty pushed a mushroom and spinach omelette under Harry's nose, demanding that he ate it as it was full of good proteins, and Dromeda stepped through the Floo, apologising for holding up proceedings. Harry was somewhat relieved by being saved from an excruciating conversation, no matter how worldly Minnie claimed she was; she was still his mum! He wolfed his omelette down as he greeted everyone. People made to take a seat at the long table but Harry immediately stopped them.
'I don't think we need to be that formal...' Harry suggested, all too aware of what he'd seen through Voldemort's eyes and the parallels. He noticed that Draco looked relieved. He sat on the arm of an armchair that had been pulled into the room the previous day, Draco was sitting in the chair already, nursing a mug of tea. Harry took a sip of his own black coffee. 'Thank you, all of you, for coming. It seems all a bit dramatic to be summoning you, especially as I know some of you have been in similar meetings and we hoped this was all in the past, I'll start by staying this isn't like the build up to events four years ago. However, I need to ask that we start by all agreeing to a Binding Vow of Secrecy. If you're uncomfortable with this, I understand and you are welcome to leave before we proceed.'
No one moved beyond George taking a noisy slurp of his tea.
'Right...' he cast the spell, murmuring quietly, and noting the widening eyes of those who were not so familiar with his ability to perform wandless magic. 'Thank you,' he said, as the tendrils of white binding magic faded from between them. 'First things first, the location of Beaumont Hall is a secret, I ask that it remains that way. Second, I have a problem and I've asked you here either to simply keep you in the loop of what's happening or to ask for your help in any way you can. Obviously, I don't want this information getting out into the public domain.'
Harry paused, allowing the gravity of the situation to sink in. There was some shuffling of feet but no one spoke. It was, he found, particularly comforting to feel Draco's presence beside him and he couldn't help thinking back to their schooldays when this would have been a prime opportunity for Draco to try and gain a hold over Harry. He welcomed the change and the moment cemented the feeling of life being more settled now they were no longer warring.
'Some of you have been aware for a while that I have been able to perform wandless magic, perhaps not so obvious is the fact that my magic is becoming wilder, occasionally accidental. It tends to leak out if I'm highly emotional. This, for the most part, is controlled. I manage it through various means like meditation and running; Hercules helps too,' and Harry ruffled the dog's hair when he sat to attention at the mention of his name. 'However, of late, I have found it's taking longer and longer runs. During the last twenty-four hours or so, I've need to use intensively difficult or complex magic for prolonged periods to actually make a difference. Things have changed substantially in that sense.' He paused again, offering his audience a chance to keeping absorbing what he was saying. Draco and Mione were the only ones who really knew the extent to which the magic veered towards uncontrollable.
'By longer runs,' Draco interjected, 'he means daily two hour runs which clean the pavements as he grounds his magic back into the earth...'
George gave a low whistle and there were a certain number of open mouths.
'Is it dangerous?' Molly asked.
'For me or you?' Harry asked slightly sarcastically.
'For you,' she looked so worried and he regretted his tone.
'Sorry, Molly,' he muttered. 'It would appear it might become so, for me and anyone close by me.'
'So, we ostracise you!' George said, teasingly.
'Thanks mate,' Harry smirked. 'Though potentially not the answer, it might be the only solution for the moment. But it might also aggravate the current situation.'
'Meaning?' Neville asked.
'Frustration, isolation, rejection, are all symptoms likely to make Harry's condition worse,' Draco said. Harry could feel Draco's hand on the small of his back, rubbing reassuring small circles under his shirt against his skin. He found it soothing and calming.
'What's your position in all this, Malfoy?' asked Ron, drawing his eyes away from Mione for once.
Harry sighed, 'he's my soulmate. For those who don't know, we reconnected in April, he's been living at Grimmauld Place since May due to the fire at his London house and we bonded twenty-four hours ago. You might spot the correlation. Though my accidental magic has been escalating in ferocity for longer than that, our situation seems, to a certain degree, to have exasperated it.' He said it matter-of-factly and carried on as if he'd said nothing extraordinary, though he did catch sight of Snape rolling his eyes and sneering as if to say of course he's your bloody soulmate. 'Which presents a unique problem in itself...' Harry continued.
'...that you can't be without Draco but being with him initiates tension and makes the magic more volatile,' Luna said for Harry.
'Quite.'
'Can't you just... I don't know... control it?' Molly asked.
'No, it appears not easily, at first I thought it was just a case of living with door handles falling off around me. Now, it appears that any lapse in concentration or distraction could prove dangerous. I accidentally destroyed a room yesterday and we tried an experiment last night; I attempted to direct the excess magic while distracted by a, um, tense situation. I was trying to redecorate the bathroom in the east wing but the power was in no way controlled, if anything, it was amplified. Afterwards, we found all the bathrooms upstairs had been changed, exact replications of each other. That wasn't intentional...'
'...RUBY!' suddenly exclaimed Luna at the appearance of the House-Elves bringing more tea and coffee for the visitors.
'MISTRESS LUNA!' the little elf beamed. Especially when Luna dropped to her knees and drew Ruby into a hug.
'Oh I see, it's alright for Luna to hug Ruby but not me,' muttered Draco to Harry.
'I didn't know you were here,' said Luna, inspecting Ruby. 'Are you okay, are you happy?'
'Most happy, Mistress Luna. It is very proper here at Beaumont and I is now looking after Master Draco and Master Harry, personally. I is very proud to be doing so. And you, Mistress Luna, you is looking much happier and healthier than you is back at the manor...'
'Ahem!' Kingsley cleared his throat and Luna looked up at everyone watching the interaction with somewhat surprised looks on their faces.
'What?' said Luna. 'This is Ruby, Draco sent her to look after me when I was being held captive at Malfoy Manor...'
'Oh yes, Master Draco is insisting I bring food and drink and bedding and warm clothing to try to help and to look after Mistress Luna. We is keeping it most secret because otherwise Master Draco is getting in trouble with his father and the mad man with no nose.'
Harry watched Draco dip his head in embarrassment as suddenly all eyes in the hall were looking at him, some of them with marked expressions of sudden fondness or welcomed smiles and nods of approval. Draco's ears had gone distinctly pink. In contrast, Harry felt overwhelmingly pleased by finding out another little secret about the past which he doubted Draco would have mentioned. He knew Draco considered it more than shameful that Luna had been held captive. It was typical of this 'new' Draco not to considering sharing with Harry, let alone a room full of people, another way he helped during the war.
'Most commendable,' said Kingsley with a smile. 'But perhaps we should return to the matter at hand.'
'Sorry, Mr Minister sir,' Ruby bowed as she rushed away.
'How dangerous are we talking?' Arthur asked.
'Fatal,' Mione said quietly, though everyone heard her.
No one spoke for a while.
'Well, that's a bit of a downer for a Friday morning,' George said eventually.
'What's causing it?' Minnie asked quietly, her hazel eyes studying Harry with concern.
'We don't know. My colleague, Unspeakable Chloe Flaubert, and I have done some research into the matter,' Hugh Rambures spoke up. 'We came up with several options but nothing tangible...'
'Which are?' Snape sneered from his frame.
'Unspeakable Hugh's report...' Chloe said slightly defensively as she faced the black irises of the portrait.
'Regrettably, I didn't receive it to read,' Snape ridiculed.
'...concluded that Lord Pot...'
'...Harry,' Harry interjected, stopping Chloe in her tracks.
She looked at Harry with raised eyebrows at a further interruption.
'Sorry, but just call me Harry.'
Hugh smiled, amused. But he had been in the meeting when Madame Gide had made such a fuss about Harry's inheritance and his title.
'Professor Snape,' Hugh bowed to the portrait, managing to do so somewhat sarcastically. 'My apologies, I shall remember, going forward to ensure you are included in the circulation of our discoveries. I had no idea you were so interested in our highly-confidential research.'
'Rambures,' Snape scowled. 'You were a prick at school too.'
'Indeed, though perhaps not as much as some of my peers. I notice your temperament has not improved in death. For your information, we concluded that Harry has either absorbed some of the Dark Lord's power when they duelled; that he contains the leftover power from the Elder Wand as its last owner; that it's related to him possessing all three Deathly Hallows; that he's simply a powerful wizard...'
'Actually,' Mione said. 'It's unlikely to be related to the Deathly Hallows at all. We've found several records of similar conditions, beyond those who have been in contact with Harry's Invisibility Cloak, there's no record of contact with any of the Hallows.'
'And if I was "simply powerful", I imagine it would be a bit more controlled.'
'But you can't deny you are somewhat more powerful than most, you know, being a Vanquisher of Dark Lords and what have you,' teased Draco.
Harry rolled his eyes.
'Are there other common denominators?' asked Kingsley.
'No, not as far as we can tell. Though we think we've found two cases in the Potter line but we haven't found any information on it yet,' said Pansy. 'I'm going to check in the archives at the Ministry this morning. To see if they throw any light on Stephan and Ector Potter.'
'Are there any other symptoms you're not telling us about?' Minnie asked and Harry saw she was thinking of his visit the previous evening.
'Last night, I'd had a conversation with Mione and Draco, wondering where the magic came from. A little later, I went to Hogwarts,' he ignored the looks Draco and Mione gave him. 'There, I could feel the magic of the place, intensively. I was unconsciously drawing on it. I... it was too dangerous. I could feel the power overwhelming me. I could have Apparated out of the school using the latent magic of the school but... I recognised the danger; I probably would have gone boom just from drawing that much power. I had to leave. It seems I draw the magic from the environment I'm in.'
'So, you move to a non-magical environment,' Snape suggested.
'Thank you, Severus, most helpful advice. That may stop me exploding but perhaps I'll implode instead. I'm sure you'll be happy about that. Maybe you've got a spare portrait I could share with you.'
Hercules barked and he felt Draco press his fingers against his skin under his shirt.
There was a repeat of 'thunks' as several door handles left their doors.
He sighed. 'That tends to happen a lot when I'm on edge. Sorry Ossy.'
'It is not being a problem, Master Harry.'
'Harry, what do you want us to do to help?' asked Molly.
'I think that it is, in some way related to the Beaumont. Although there were hints of this before, namely through my ability to do wandless magic, the situation has changed considerably since just before I came of age and inherited the Hall and since Draco has come back into my life, both of which have happened since April. I do have a sense of peace here. I can tell you now, I wouldn't be going back to Grimmauld Place to live. There is an affinity with the Hall which can't be broken. Ossy believes the answer may be here, either in one of the books or the journals left my ancestors. He has started to retrieve all the books from storage. As you can see, I've a lot of books here at the Hall and there're more in Fleamont's office but there's no order to anything. I wondered if Madames Pince and Tweazle could advise in organising and cataloguing and Mione and Pansy could organise research groups...'
'Draco, Pansy and I been looking for any clues, we've started cross-referencing anything we can find, mainly looking for previous cases and I've just started looking at the origins of magic.'
'I'm not expecting everyone to stay to help,' Harry said quickly. 'Kingsley, Gawain, I understand you need to get back to the Ministry and I'm asking that Neville acts as my second-in-command in my absence - I think it's only sensible that I don't come into the office for the time being. There's too much underlying magic at the Ministry and the danger it poses to others is too great.'
Kingsley nodded, 'I understand, Harry. Take the time you need. You too, Ms Granger and Ms Parkinson. And keep me posted on your progress. I'll call in over the weekend. We can run things remotely, if needs be.' He stood to leave, his long Boubou robes swishing around his legs as he moved to the Floo.
Harry waited until the flare from the Floo had died down after Kingsley, Robards, and the other Aurors had left. 'I understand if anyone else wants or needs to leave. Arthur, I know you have work and George, the shop, but I wanted you here because you're family.'
Arthur stood up and walked towards Harry, he held out his hand and then changed his mind and hugged Harry instead. 'Take care, Harry. I'll call in to collect Molly on my way home, I'm sure she'll be wanting to stay and help.'
'Thanks, Arthur,' Harry said quietly into his ear as they hugged. 'Stay for dinner. You too, George, bring Angelina.'
Arthur nodded and made his way to the Floo with George, who patted Harry on the back with a grimace and an apology for not staying but a promise to come and help over after hours.
'When you're done with the all sentimentality,' Snape sneered from his portrait. 'Perhaps the Headmistress would be so good as to allow my Godson to take a copy of Godelot's Potions Moste Potente back to Hogwarts. I can supervise him brewing Chelidoniom Miniscula, it will help settle Potter's emotions in a way rather similar to Wolfsbane.'
Harry looked to Draco who was supposed to be going into work.
'I've cancelled my appointments today, you great idiot,' Draco muttered as he stood up.
Ossy was by Harry's side, pulling on Harry's arm. He beckoned him closer and Harry leant down to listen to what the elf had to say.
Halfway through the hurried hissed conversation, Harry reached out and grabbed Draco's arm, preventing him from leaving.
'Ossy says none of the books can be taken out of Beaumont, they are rumoured to be protected by Wards and will result in a most terrible curse, which he wouldn't specify or he'd not quite sure about. Either way, I'd prefer it if Draco didn't test whether this is true or not. Ossy also suggests that any sedative that also has diuretic properties is not a good idea, any dehydration is liable to complicate my concentration.' Harry glared at Snape, not really meaning it but old habits die hard and he'd done nothing but sneer and wind Harry up since he'd 'arrived'.
'Perhaps a simple Calming Draught, Severus?' suggested Albus.
Severus sneered again and commented on the long-term addictive nature of calming potions. 'Perhaps a Squib Potion?' he scorned.
Harry ignored Snape's jibe but consented, 'maybe the Calming Draught,' as he thought of how he dredged magic from the environment. 'Though we need to consider that I might need to keep my wits about me too.'
Snape snorted 'what wits?' softly but Harry ignored him again.
'Albus, do you have any ideas?'
'I'm afraid I'm rather stumped for the moment, my dear boy, but I'm sure something will spring to my flighty mind shortly.'
Harry wanted to growl in frustration. 'Has anyone considered I might have been cursed, that this the result of dark magic?'
The colour drained from Mione's face, 'but that's a whole other arena of research.'
'And it can't be ignored. Let's face it, whether it stems from Voldemort or someone else after him, there are enough people who want revenge for what I've done and if there are no common denominators in the histories of previous cases then perhaps it points to a curse...'
People were looking at Harry with wide eyes.
'That actually sounds like intelligence, mate,' Ron grunted in amusement.
'I'm not Assistant-Head Auror for nothing, you know. There's more to me that knocking out a few fast-defensive spells and saying "Expelliamus" a lot. I may have been somewhat distracted at school, what with one thing or another, but I do actually have a brain.'
'Sorry, mate,' Ron looked worried. 'Just, you know, not all of us have the privilege of seeing you in work mode...'
Harry took a few deep breaths, he needed to control his anxiety, already he could feel the magic soaring and Hercules was nudging his hand. He hadn't felt this on edge since being at school.
'Excuse me,' he said and marched from the room and took his frustration out on the W.C. just off the hallway. He barely needed to think before the magic was directed into refurbishing the small room, opting for black and white mosaic tiling that matched the hallway. His focus was narrowed down to minute detail and patterns and he temporarily forgot about the troubles he was facing.
Draco waited for Harry with Hercules outside the small cloakroom area, listening to Harry's magic being directed furiously around the small space. When Harry emerged, he looked calmer but Draco could sense how tightly wound he was. Wildness edged his green eyes.
'You alright?' Draco asked softly, running the back of a finger softly over Harry's cheek.
'It's getting worse,' Harry said, taking his hand and pulling Draco outside into the stableyard so they could walk. Hercules walked protectively by Harry's side. 'Everything seems to be escalating fast and I feel constantly like I'm going to lose control. I can't be around people. I didn't want to react to Ron; he was just speaking in humour but... I think a Calming Potion might be a good idea. I feel immensely volatile. And I'm really worried about Teddy, I'm keeping him out of this because I don't want to worry him but what if something happens.'
'Why didn't you tell me about going to Hogwarts last night, H?'
'I was scared, Dray. I am scared. I can't go back in there. There're too many people, too much emotion, too much magic. I can sense Molly's fear, Snape's scorn, Ron's disbelief, Pince's awe. I can feel everyone's magical signatures. It's too much. Can you and Mione take over? I'm sorry to put this one on you...' he felt close to tears from the building intensity.
'Hey, Harry, we'll sort it. I'll get the Calming Potion brewed first. I'll go to Grimmauld and do it there, I know I've got the ingredients and it won't take long to do, an hour tops. What will you do?'
'I want to talk to Luna. Why didn't you tell me about Luna at the manor?'
'There wasn't anything to tell. It was between me and Ruby and her. It wasn't a big deal.'
'It is, you know. And always the little things, they can have the greatest of impacts. Did you see how people were looking at you? It's Luna we're talking about, people are so protective of her.'
Draco shook it off. 'Perhaps they'll start to realise I'm not a bad person...'
'You know people realised that years ago.' Harry stopped and pulled Draco around so he could kiss him. 'I wish you could stay with me today. You calm me down immeasurably.'
'I want to be with you too, but Luna will help with that too. I'll take charge inside and get the potion done. And hopefully with lots of us researching for Hermione, we'll come up with something. What do you want with Luna anyway?' Draco took his hand and they began walking again.
'I was talking to Tilly yesterday and we had some ideas about the estate grounds that my grandmother started. Euphemia was really into her rare-breeds. I wondered if I could get Luna on board. What do you think about employing Luna as our game keeper and giving her free-reign to set up some breeding programmes for magical and non-magical creatures?'
'It's your estate.'
'Hmmm, I rather think it's our estate, unless you're thinking of buggering off now you've had your wicked way with me.'
'No chance. You're stuck with me now, Potter. And do you really think I'll want that with anyone else after sampling the best?' He smirked evilly and Harry knew he was plying the compliments now so he could get his own way later. 'Besides, we've Bonded, I'm yours for keeps. Anyway, I think employing Luna sounds like a fabulous idea. So long as I can get involved too.'
Harry smiled and wove an arm around Draco's waist and pulled him against him as they walked. 'Whatever you want!'
'I thought we already established that you shouldn't make offers like that to me, I'm a conniving Slytherin...'
'I can handle you...'
'Hmmm. Somehow, I don't doubt you. I think you've got me wrapped around your little finger. My father will be turning in his grave again.' Draco smiled like there was nothing in the world that pleased him more. 'What else will you do today?'
'I'm meeting Mr Gulliver, the estate manager, at 10am, I thought I'd take Teddy, I think he'll like exploring the grounds some more. And I then I need to direct an awful lot of magic. I need to move the bookshelves from the gallery and maybe renovate some more bedrooms in case anyone wants to stay or maybe I should just polish the patio, centimetre by centimetre. The interesting thing is, here, outside especially, I can't feel my core pulling magic from the environment but it settles me to pour it back into the house and grounds. Perhaps it's in a conduit loop here that balances itself out as I restore the place.'
Draco stopped walking and pulled Harry towards him. He leant forward and kissed him softly. 'We'll get to the bottom of this, H.'
'Thank you.' The tenderness in his actions and words helped Harry considerably. He wanted to melt into him, to hold Draco like this as just the two of them, away from all these troubles. Draco took his hand and led Harry around to the front of the house.
'Don't come in, just wait here,' he squeezed Harry's arm sympathetically. 'I know it's tearing you apart. I know you want to be with your family and friends, that you want to be helping but you can't for the moment. Let me get Luna and Teddy and I'll explain to the rest of them.'
Harry waited outside and when Draco entered the hall everyone stopped talking to look at him. He ignored them and rounded on his Godfather's portrait, thoroughly furious with him. 'I'm disappointed in you, Severus. You're being a petty and vindictive bastard. Don't wind Harry up. This isn't a game. If you cause any harm to him because of your inconsequential and belligerent grudges, believe me when I say I will eviscerate every damned portrait of you which exists. And then I'll destroy every potion lab you've ever worked in and wipe your name from the annuals of history. I don't care if you're supposed to be a war-hero, at the moment you're being a cantankerous pain in the fucking arse. Back off! If you don't want to help, then just piss off.' He didn't care if Severus looked contrite or not. With his lips pursed, Draco turned his back on him and faced the room, ignoring the various mix of open mouths and amused smirks. He found the redhead he was seeking. Weasley's face dropped like a stone when he realised he was next. 'Same goes for you, Ronald Weasley, though Harry knows you didn't intend it to be malicious, unlike some, but he's very on edge, unsurprisingly,' he paused and took a deep breath. 'Apologies for the outburst. Harry will not be joining us for the moment but will be around. It's too dangerous, for both him and us. He's asked that Hermione and myself to take over. Mione will be in charge of the research, I'll simply oversee things where needed. The priority is sorting the books into some semblance of order and moving them all into north wing. We're happy to turn to Madame Pince and Madame Tweazle for advice and guidance here. Luna, Harry would like to see you outside, I'm just going to get Teddy and then we can set to...'
Draco took the winding spiral stairs two at a time as there was a scrapping of chairs.
***