The Quibbler, Special Addition to January Edition, Monday, January 13, 1997
Current Count of Suitors: 338
Excerpt from An Introduction to Veela, Chapter 9 - A Brief History: International
--January 6--
"What did you get?" Dean asked eagerly as he held the weekly pool sheet.
Harry smothered his chuckle as everyone looked at him desperately. It hadn't been since the end of November that anyone had won the pool and the last he'd heard the pot had reached a total of nearly two galleons. "A book and some chocolate," he replied.
"Yes!" Neville cried while everyone else groaned.
"Only one person bet on books or candy?" Harry asked in disbelief.
"We stopped doing that early on since he seemed so intent on dressing you," Hermione said wryly. "What's the title of the book? And what kind of chocolate?"
"That's my Hermione," Harry laughed. "More interested in a book than in chocolates."
Hermione huffed in pretend irritation. "Well?"
Harry smirked unrepentantly and replied, "The book is actually blank. It's a collector's edition binder specially designed to hold an entire set of cards from chocolate frogs or, in this case, Schokoladenfrösche, since evidently Germany has the best chocolate frogs."
"You completely mangled that pronunciation, Harry," Hermione said with a wince.
Harry shrugged and opened one of his treats. "And, no, I'm not sharing," he said and popped the squirming chocolate into his mouth. Neville chuckled as he counted his coins while some of the others around him clucked in disappointment.
Hermione opened her mouth to let loose a smart comment about not wanting any anyway but then closed her mouth sharply and said instead, "I understand."
Harry raised his eyebrows in surprise as he continued to chew his treat. Well, it seemed Hermione had ordered the second, more advanced, book about Veelas from the Veela Council. Although, why that shocked him he had no idea. He really should have expected it.
"Do you have enough candy with you?" Hermione asked worriedly. "I know..." She trailed off as Harry raised a hand with a slightly alarmed look on his face. Her eyes widened in understanding a moment later as she realized that this must be one of Harry's current tests. "Sorry," she apologized softly.
Harry shook his head and smiled at his friend. "That's all right. Thanks for worrying about me but I'll be fine." A submissive Veela required more and more calories per day the longer they went without mating – something to do with the gestalt of the metabolism in the biological drive to mate. The best way to get those calories was actually through pure sugar as it was only calories, and not nutrients, that were needed. He wouldn't actually start needing the extra calories until February – which was when he would enter Désespoir – but he had no objection to starting early. He pulled out another chocolate frog.
"You're...you know...," Hermione tried to ask without asking and waved a hand in agitation.
"Yes," Harry confirmed. He was indeed, as Hermione had evidently surmised, paying attention to just which of his remaining suitors addressed his physical needs by sending candy, although he wouldn't eliminate them just for not sending him sweets. Of course, he had several tests prepared for the dates, as well. He contentedly chewed on his second frog.
"How many did he send?" Hermione asked curiously.
"A box," Harry answered as he swallowed the last of the chocolate.
"A box?" Hermione asked blankly. "As in fifty?"
Harry nodded and pulled out another frog. "And he says he'll send another next week."
"And you're going to eat them all?" Hermione asked in shocked disbelief as she watched Harry open a third package.
"Absolutely," Harry said and bit off the frog's head.
--Michael - January 9--
"This is a fantastic view," Harry said to Michael, his half-Veela date for the evening, as he watched the boats on the river.
"I'm glad you like it," Michael said with a pleased smile. "I thought it would be nice to simply sit and talk for our time together, and eat of course."
Harry smiled back. "It is nice. What do you do for a living? And how do you feel about me not pursuing a career myself until my children are grown?"
"I'm pleased to know you wish to be a full-time parent," Michael answered easily as he poured tea for them both. "That is my preference, as well. As for my occupation, I am a traveling distributor for the rare potions ingredients harvested by my family. I spend a great deal of time traveling around the world."
"Really?" Harry asked, intrigued. This was a good answer in regards to his own desire to travel the world. However, he didn't want to always be traveling. "Do you have a home base, so to speak?"
"Yes, in fact..."
--Alberto - January 11--
"Watch your step," Alberto cautioned as he led them along the wet and uneven stones that surrounded the magnificent fountain they were approaching.
Harry stepped carefully as he approached the fountain's edge then knelt and ran a hand through the water. "So you feel that Italy should help Britain in the coming war by sending fighters?"
"Most definitely," Alberto said with a firm nod. "The best way to keep the problem from spreading to the continent is to stop it at its source."
"And you would help fight?" Harry asked curiously.
"If my regiment was sent to help, of course," Alberto said stiffly.
Right. Bad answer. He wanted nothing to do with a mate who would willfully risk his life, especially for a civil war that should be of no concern to him.
--Franz - January 13--
"Do you have any interest in traveling?" Harry asked politely as he picked up his fork.
"It would be interesting," Franz said, flourishing his knife. "My country has many interesting sites we could visit on weekends. We could even go out of the country on my yearly vacation, perhaps to France."
Harry smiled insincerely. Wow, what variety. One more suitor down.
--Alexander - January 14--
"So you feel that the best way to deal with the centaurs is to create a reserve?" Harry asked, resolutely keeping his tone lightly curious.
"Of course," Alexander replied, completely missing the flash of disgust in his date's eyes. "They are completely incapable of interacting with humans on a reasonable level. The only way..."
Harry stopped listening to the man and mentally crossed him off the suitor list.
--Gustaf - January 17--
"I love to travel!" Gustaf said enthusiastically. "I spend as much time as I can out and about. And I have top of the line equipment!"
"Equipment?" Harry asked blankly.
"Of course," Gustaf said. "I enjoy civilization very much, but some of the most wondrous sites are nature's own artistry and can only be reached by walking. I have the best camping equipment money can buy!"
Harry blinked in bemusement. "What about portkeys?"
Gustaf looked horrified. "You cannot appreciate a site if you arrive by portkey."
"No?" Harry asked curiously. He'd never thought about including camping in his world travels. What an intriguing possibility...
--Aiden - January 20--
"You could build us as big a house as you wanted," Aiden said then added eagerly, "I could have a home gallery! With you by my side I could finally get the recognition I deserve." Aiden led them to his next work of art.
"Perhaps so," Harry said and checked another suitor off the list. The art was actually decent but the man left much to be desired. He might be independently wealthy but that didn't mean he wanted a narcissistic leech for a mate.
--Joshua - January 22--
"Britain needs to take care of its own problems," Joshua said with a bit of exasperation. "If they weren't so pig-headed about their muggle-born policies, they probably wouldn't even be in their current situation."
"So you want to stay away from the war?" Harry asked.
"Yes," Joshua said and looked Harry in the eyes. "I'm sorry if that bothers you."
Harry smiled. "It doesn't bother me."
--Draco - January 25--
"You look fine, darling," Chloe Malfoy said to her great-grandson for the fourth time that morning.
"I'm just nervous," Draco admitted reluctantly.
Pansy snorted in amusement. "And where has all your I-know-I-can-make-a-good-impression confidence gone?"
"Pansy," Draco nearly whined.
"You keep telling me that you know what he likes," Pansy said relentlessly.
"I do!" Draco protested.
"Then stop your primping," Pansy said unsympathetically. "Your glamour and voice alteration is perfect, though why he's letting you use them is beyond me."
"It was his suggestion," Draco said in irritation. "I told you that. He even promised not to attempt to look through the glamour."
"As if you wouldn't have asked anyway," Pansy said with just as much irritation.
Draco scowled, completely unable to deny the accusation.
"Don't scowl, darling," Chloe chided. "You want to look your best."
"You're sure nobody suspects anything about the family summons?" Draco asked apprehensively.
"Yes, darling, I'm sure," Chloe re-assured for probably the fifth time that morning. "I had your great-grandfather send a family-wide summons for varying days. Nobody should suspect anything. Now, do you have the portkey?"
"Yes, ma'am," Draco said, patting his robe pocket.
"And your gift?" Chloe asked.
"Yes, ma'am," Draco replied again with another pat.
"Then you had best get going," Chloe said firmly. "You need to be there in five minutes. Pansy and I will amuse ourselves until you return."
"Five minutes!" Draco cried and nearly ran to the door.
"Decorum, young man!" Chloe called sharply, stopping Draco in his tracks. "The room you need to go to is merely two doors down. Surely it will not take you that long to walk there like a proper gentleman."
"Yes, ma'am. Sorry, ma'am," Draco said as he stopped and took several deep breaths. He quickly regained his equilibrium, nodded to his friend and great-grandmother, picked up his cloak, and left the room. As he'd been admonished, it took only moments for him to arrive at his destination, even walking like a proper gentleman. He knocked politely on the door.
The door was opened and Draco was ushered into the room by a guard he recognized from several pictures in The Daily Prophet. "Please put all magical items on the table," the guard said, indicating a small table off to the side of the sitting room he'd just entered.
Draco did as bid and watched as the second guard verified the destination of the portkey and examined his wand, gift, and cloak. He remained in place as the guard then scanned him for additional magic. "I'm wearing a glamour," he supplied. "I have authorization."
"Yes, sir," guard two said. "I was told, but thank you for informing me."
Draco nodded and stood patiently as the guard continued his inspection. Several minutes later all the tests were passed and guard one knocked on, and then disappeared through, the door that led from the receiving room of the hotel suite to the common area. He knew where the door led because he'd been to The Rose Inn often enough to know that the suites were all arranged similarly. Harry and his chaperone arrived moments later.
Draco smiled at his date. Harry was wearing a heavy wool robe in deep green that was decorated with black piping and stitching. It was a nice robe, but still an appropriate choice for the "outdoor casual" suggestion Draco had made when he confirmed the meeting time. And he was carrying the cloak Draco had given him. "You look very nice. The green suits you well."
Harry returned the smile. "Thank you."
"I have something for you," Draco said and picked up the book he'd left on the table to be inspected.
"Does this mean I'll miss Nichol on Monday?" Harry teased lightly as he accepted the book, deliberately touching Draco's hand to feel his magic, and examined the cover.
Draco chuckled. "No. I think she would be upset if I did such a thing and I certainly don't want that. This is merely a souvenir to remember today."
"A souvenir?" Harry questioned then grinned. "Is this where we're going?"
"Yes," Draco said. "I thought perhaps, living with muggles growing up, that you had likely never been to a magical zoo and that you might like the chance to see one. Was I mistaken?"
Harry's grin widened. "No! This is wonderful! I did go to a muggle zoo once but I didn't really get to enjoy it. And I've never been to magical zoo."
"I'm glad to share with you, then," Draco said, pleased at Harry's response.
"Do you mind if I leave this here?" Harry asked, lifting the book about the zoo that Draco had given him.
"Of course not," Draco said reassuringly.
Harry left the room to put away his new book and Draco eyed the chaperone curiously. The man's identity was one of the great mysteries favored by the gossip columns. Draco nodded respectfully towards the man and wondered if his identity would ever be revealed.
Harry returned to the room and said, "Shall we?"
"Certainly," Draco said and intercepted Harry's reach for his cloak. "Please allow me."
Harry smiled and allowed Draco to help him into his cloak. Once Harry was cloaked, Draco returned to the table and replaced his wand, donned his own cloak, and picked up the portkey. He held it out and watched as the chaperone and guards placed their hands upon it first and only then did Harry reach for the large metal ring. He smiled and said clearly, "Chadwick Zoo."
"Damn it," Harry muttered angrily from the ground moments later.
Draco reached down a hand. "Let me help you up."
"I hate portkeys," Harry complained in frustration as he accepted the help to his feet.
"Next time try standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and about a foot apart front to back. Like this," Draco said and demonstrated the suggested stance. "It also helps if you bend your knees slightly."
Harry examined the proffered stance in interest. "This helps?" he asked curiously.
"It helps me," Draco admitted. "I don't care for portkeys much either. I've not fallen often since I started using this stance."
Harry nodded. "I'll try it," he said eagerly. "Anything to help."
Draco chuckled and offered his arm. "Come, let's leave the receiving area. We can pick up a map on our way out. Is there any place in particular where you would like to start?"
Harry finally took a look around his current location. They were in a large open room full of circles painted on the floor. As he watched, several more groups arrived in a circle only to quickly leave towards one of several sets of double doors in all four of the walls. "Do you know where the snakes are?" he asked curiously.
Draco glanced around quickly then nodded towards one wall. "That way," he said. "Do you see the picture of the snake above the doors?"
Harry looked towards the indicated wall and did indeed see the stylized snake, amongst other drawings. "Clever," he said.
"Yes," Draco agreed and offered his arm again.
"What's your favorite section?" Harry asked as he took the proffered arm and they started walking towards the appropriate exits.
Draco glanced down at Harry and considered his response. Other than continuing to conceal his true identity, he had decided not to lie during this meeting and to be as complete in his responses as possible, but should he reveal this particular secret? He had thought the subject might come up – they were visiting a zoo, after all – but as of this morning he still hadn't decided whether or not to share his ability. He decided he would; it would be interesting to see Harry's response. "The aviary is my favorite section," he said slowly. "I can speak to songbirds, you see."
Harry stopped abruptly and looked up with wide eyes. "You can?" he asked in astonishment.
Draco nodded slowly. "Yes," he said seriously. "It's actually a common trait in wizards to be able to speak to a particular group of animals."
"It is?" Harry asked in disbelief.
"Yes," Draco answered and urged Harry to start walking again. "It's generally an indication of what type of familiar the wizard can bond to."
"Really?" Harry asked, still astonished. "Why have I never heard of this?"
Draco snorted and said bitterly, "Oh, because bonding a familiar is a trait of dark wizards so, of course, being able to speak to an animal is also a trait of dark wizards. The very powerful, like you, tend to develop their particular animal-speaking ability spontaneously upon their first true interaction, intentional or not, with the target animal group."
"The boa," Harry murmured in sudden understanding.
Draco raised a curious eyebrow but did not pursue the comment. "The average wizard has to purposely discover their ability through a series of intentional interactions with animals from various species groups."
"But they don't because it's a dark gift," Harry concluded.
"Partially," Draco agreed as they neared the exit. "Mostly, however, it's because they don't even know that they can. Like all supposedly dark arts, the knowledge that it's possible to bring forth an animal-speaking ability, as well as how to do it and how common it is, has been suppressed by the Ministry. Probably eighty percent of British wizards and witches could speak to an animal group if they were taught how to develop their ability."
"So the fact that I can speak to snakes...?" Harry asked in fascination.
"Simply means that should you choose to bond to a familiar, that that familiar will be a snake," Draco replied as he led them towards the map stand. He picked up a map and handed it to Harry then picked up another for himself as a souvenir and placed it in his robe.
Harry was quiet for several minutes as Draco led them towards the reptile house. Did Voldemort really give him his parseltongue ability? Or was he always just destined for a snake familiar? Or had Voldemort's curse changed his familiar, and its accompanying language, to snakes from something else? He'd probably never know. It wasn't until the group entered the new building that Harry said, "That's very interesting. I never knew that."
"As I said, it's not commonly known in Britain," Draco said. "It's not as bad in mainland Europe."
Harry snorted. "Yet another reason to detest the Ministry," he said in annoyance.
Draco chuckled. "True," he said then asked curiously, "So what are they saying? Anything interesting? Or is it all about when is their next mouse?"
Harry laughed lightly and spoke briefly with the nearest snake. He kept an eye on Draco as he did; the response of his suitors to his parseltongue ability was one of his tests during these dates. Any suitor that responded negatively was going to be eliminated. He was not going to suppress any of his abilities due to someone's prejudicial beliefs. In fact, he'd already eliminated four suitors for this very reason.
Draco appeared honestly fascinated. One test down, four to go. "Snakes are actually fascinating conversationalists," Harry said. "They love to gossip."
Draco laughed. "How amusing," he said. "Does this one have any good stories?"
"He says not much has happened yet today. We are his first guests," Harry replied with a smile.
"Well, will you tell him hello for me?" Draco asked.
Harry laughed again and did as asked. "He wishes you luck," Harry translated back.
Draco smiled and nodded towards the snake in thanks.
"How do you feel about the rights of magical beings?" Harry asked suddenly as he pulled Draco towards the next enclosure.
Draco stared at Harry uncomprehendingly for a moment, completely caught off guard by the question given their prior topic of conversation. He shook his head and smiled as he answered in amusement, "I believe they should have equal rights with wizards. I'd be an awful big hypocrite if I didn't think that, now wouldn't I? I am half-Veela just as you are yourself."
"Maybe you would be," Harry agreed as he read the information on the rainbow river snake. "Or maybe you simply feel that all other races are inferior to yours."
Draco raised an eyebrow and nodded his acknowledgment of that point. "True enough. But, no, I don't feel other races are inferior to me. I do feel that certain races are incompatible."
Harry looked up and noted Draco's sincerity. "Like what?" he asked curiously.
Draco smirked and said, "Mer-people and centaurs, for example. They may be on friendly terms but I'm afraid I can't really see the two of them having children together."
Harry laughed and said, "That's true."
"I also feel that goblins are fairly incompatible with just about every other species," Draco said.
Harry frowned and asked, "Why would you say that?" He pulled Draco to the next enclosure. Black bog snake, non-venomous.
"They are very, very strict and violent," Draco answered. "Not to mention, how shall I put this, intolerant in the extreme."
Harry cocked his head and gave Draco his full attention. "Will you explain?"
"Of course," Draco said, glad to see that Harry wasn't dismissing his words out of hand. "Goblins have very demanding childrearing practices. There are certain things that a goblin child is required to learn at each year of life and they are tested on every birthday. Failing the test is usually fatal. Only half of all goblin children make it to adulthood."
Harry looked taken aback and said quietly, "I had no idea."
Draco nodded solemnly. "Most wizards don't, as cross-cultural awareness isn't commonly taught," he said. "So you can see why there are so few goblin hybrids. No other society is inclined to allow their children to be treated so harshly."
"Do they test the females as strictly as the males?" Harry asked curiously.
"Yes," Draco answered with a wry smirk. "In that they are very nondiscriminatory."
"I guess that's a point in their favor," Harry said with a short laugh.
"Goblins also don't believe in medical assistance," Draco continued. "Diseases must be fought off without assistance. If one receives an injury which would result in a permanent disability, the victim is simply killed."
"Merlin," Harry said in horror. "I had no idea they were so harsh."
"They are. They're also very aggressive and socially intolerant," Draco said. "Anybody who speaks or works against the established hierarchy is eliminated. A goblin either follows the rules set down or they are killed. They're not like wizard, or Veelas, or any number of other races where different viewpoints are tolerated or even encouraged. As you can imagine, this outlook makes social relations with other races rather difficult."
"That's very interesting," Harry said in surprise. He'd never realized until just now how little he actually knew about the other sentient races. Maybe he should actually read one of those books he'd received about magical being rights. "Are other races like that?"
"There are no other races quite so harsh as the goblins," Draco replied, "though there are other things that make certain races incompatible. For instance, magic herself decreed that werewolves and vampires would be enemies. A werewolf and vampire could be the best of penpals, but the moment they met each other... Well, a rather nasty fight would ensue. That's just the nature of their magic and there is no sense in trying to fight a losing battle."
Harry nodded thoughtfully. It wasn't the answer he had been looking for, and not one he had received to date, but it was reasonable and based on facts instead of blind prejudice. "I read about that in Defense. What about muggle-borns?"
This time it was Draco that pulled them to the next display. He was silent as they both read the description of the flying tree snake. He'd figured this question would come up and had prepared his answer but he didn't want to sound rehearsed. Eventually, he looked down at his date and saw Harry looking at him expectantly. He kept eye contact so that Harry would know he wasn't lying and replied, "Personally, I've not met many that I liked. However, that doesn't mean I agree with the current Dark Lord's agenda that they should all be summarily eliminated."
Harry uttered a noncommittal sound and led them to the next enclosure. He stared at the lizards there, not bothering to read the description this time, and asked, "Why don't you like them?"
Draco knew that his answer to this question could get him summarily dismissed. Nevertheless, he relayed his feelings honestly. "Muggle-borns come into the wizarding world and almost immediately start insulting the wizards' way of life. They insult how wizards dress, how we travel, and even what goods and services are and aren't available. And then the muggle-borns have the audacity to get insulted themselves when it's pointed out to them how rude they are being and get offended when the wizard-raised don't want to include them. They insult our culture and our heritage and call us backward and stagnant and lazy, but woe betide any wizard that calls a muggle backwards for how they treat women, or stagnant for worshiping their Christian God according to two thousand year old rules, or lazy for not learning how to work with their environment instead of simply trying to conquer it. Wizards are just prejudiced, of course, it's not that muggle-borns are refusing to adapt to the culture they've been invited into. Tell me, Harry, how much would you want to include someone in your life if they insulted you every other sentence?"
Harry gazed at Draco solemnly but didn't answer.
It wasn't a negative response, so Draco continued. "I don't believe that muggle-borns should all be hunted down and killed," he said strongly. "However, I also don't agree that they should be brought into the wizarding world and sent to a wizarding school with only a month or two of warning and absolutely no knowledge of wizarding culture. Plus, there are things that a child raised in a magical environment simply picks up over a period of eleven years of life that a muggle-born simply doesn't know. Because of this, the first-year classes at Hogwarts cover a lot of basics. This is great for the muggle-borns, but the wizard-raised children learned these things when they were five. It causes a lot of resentment in the wizard-raised children that their education is being compromised by the muggle-borns."
"The current situation is truly horrible. Only one muggle-born out of twenty stays in the wizarding world. The rest simply return to their muggle origins. Here we are inviting these people into our world, teaching them at the cost of our own children's education, and for what? Nothing. They just go right back out into the muggle world. Why invite them in at all?"
Harry stared at Draco silently. This was another question with a valid, yet still unexpected, answer.
Draco looked off to the side and said, "I apologize if I've offended you, but I'm afraid that that is what I believe."
"And what would you do if you were in charge?" Harry asked softly.
Draco looked back at Harry in surprise. He'd waxed a bit more passionate that he'd intended and had been certain that he'd just blown his suit completely out of the sky. He was definitely shocked to be given more of a chance to explain his beliefs. "I would have the parents contacted at birth and have the child raised bicultural at the very least," he said quietly. "Most of the problems lie in the fact that the muggle-borns are simply dumped into an almost entirely foreign situation with no education and no support."
Neither boy said anything for several long moments. Finally, Harry tugged Draco over to the purple-crested river lizard and said, "Tell me more."
So Draco and Harry walked around the reptile house and then the aviary – where Harry got the opportunity to listen to Draco talk to some birds – while Draco expounded on his theories of early intervention and how the wizarding world could get the benefit of the muggle world with much less risk than currently.
Conversation vacillated between serious and light as they explored additional parts of the zoo and ate lunch at a small café. Eventually, the allotted time was nearly over and they returned to the receiving room where the chaperone pulled out a return portkey that deposited them in the reception area of The Rose Inn.
Draco escorted Harry back to his suite and thanked him for a wonderful morning/early afternoon.
Harry leaned up and kissed Draco on the cheek and said, "Thank you. I had a wonderful time." He then left through the connecting door without a backward glance.
Draco touched his cheek and gave a silly smile and completely ignored the amused smirks of the guards.