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On The Hunt: Chapter 15
🕑 Added 2023-02-02 17:30:00 +0000 UTCHarry put the letter down with a frown. His eyes focused on nothing in particular as he stared at the window while his thumbs fiddled with the piece of parchment.
As previously discussed with his betrothed, he had sent a letter to Gabrielle, telling her everything that had happened between him and Daphne. He didn’t know what he was expecting if he was being honest.
With a sigh, he leaned back and closed his eyes, trying to ignore the sting her letter carried. She had not said anything offensive, but the meaning hidden behind her words of politeness was clear to him.
Gabrielle was devastated.
That was the conclusion he could reach, and it left him with a nasty feeling.
Deep down, he had a feeling that something like this might happen. Probably that was the reason why he had been subconsciously programming himself to pull away from the French woman. His self-defence mechanism had been operating under the veil of regularity, enabling him to carry on with his responsibilities while simultaneously dealing with those emotions as best as he could.
A soft knock on the door to his bedroom prompted him to open his eyes and he flicked his wand. Leaning firmly against the headrest, he turned his head to look at Daphne, who came in and shut the door behind her with a small frown on her face. A similar piece of parchment was clutched in her hand and wordlessly, Harry held his letter out for her to take.
Daphne came to sit beside him and leaned against his side as she took the letter from him and passed him the one she had come in with.
Silently, the couple started to read before twin sighs escaped their lips.
“She only changed the names,” Daphne murmured.
Harry nodded as he looked down. The letters were perfect copies, with only their names being the difference. His belief was reinforced even more. Gabrielle was devastated. Harry didn’t know what to do.
“I’m sorry, Harry,” Daphne whispered as she looked down, and Harry turned to look at her. She looked at him sideways and bit her lower lip softly.
“I don’t know how to explain, but this reply certainly does drive the point home. She really wanted to be with you. And I know you would’ve wanted to be with her as well. If not for me, there would’ve been no obstacle in your path.”
Harry frowned and took her hand in his, squeezing softly.
“I told you never to blame yourself, didn’t I?” He chided softly, “No one forced me to agree to marry you. It was my choice. I knew the possible consequences, and I still went ahead with it. I won’t lie to you and say that this doesn’t affect me. I can only imagine how hurt she must be feeling. But you are not to blame, and I don’t want you to ever think that you are responsible for anything.”
Daphne sighed, “It’s easy for you to say.”
“I’m not wrong though,” Harry retorted, “tell me, you agreed to be open to her being the lady of House Black. How is it you being an obstacle then? You were ready to welcome her, but if she wants to be the only one in my life, then that is her choice. And she has every right to make a decision for herself. To be honest, I had this feeling that she would not be ready to share, Daphne. So don’t blame yourself.”
Daphne leaned her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, sighing softly.
“Don’t forget that she is a veela, Daphne,” Harry continued, “Veela are known to be territorial, so I am not surprised that she has made this decision.”
“Doesn’t it hurt?” Daphne asked softly, and Harry closed his eyes.
“I admit I had thought about being with her in the future, even though we never talked about it. But there is one thing I have come to understand in my life. There is no use in thinking about what could have been. If I keep looking back, I’ll never move forward," he stroked her hands softly.
"Gabrielle was someone I could’ve been with, but that is not possible now. She has made her choice and I respect it. All I am going to do now is look ahead for what is to come,” Harry stated firmly.
Daphne looked up at him searchingly, and Harry nodded.
“You are my future, Daphne. I have accepted you in my life, and even though what happened hurts, I am not going to think about it anymore. I still consider Gabrielle a very good friend of mine, and I hope she does too as well, but that chapter of my life is over. It’s time to move on, for me, and for you as well.”
He pulled her closer and Daphne hugged him firmly, her forehead resting against his shoulder as Harry stroked her blonde hair softly. It was as he told her. This was not an ideal world, and if Gabrielle had taken this decision, he would respect it.
The letters remained forgotten on the bed as they stayed locked in a soft embrace, both trying their best to console the other.
XXXXX
“Can I have a minute, headmaster?” Harry asked Dumbledore when the old wizard arrived in a swirl of flames, his familiar perched on his shoulder. The majestic phoenix peered inquisitively at Harry before giving a soft chirp and flashing away. Dumbledore smiled and gave a gentle nod.
Harry led them towards the living room which was thankfully devoid of people and waited for Dumbledore to take a seat before sitting opposite him.
“What is it, Harry?” the older wizard asked with a smile.
“I want to ask something of you, if it’s not too much of a bother,” Harry began. Dumbledore nodded for him to continue.
“As you know, Daphne and I are to be married one day, and the fact that we are betrothed will be public news at the next Wizengamot meeting. That would put her at considerable risk, and as much as I would like for her to keep out of harm’s way, I know it would not be fair to her. She is a fierce woman, and I would not disrespect her by treating her like some damsel in distress who needs someone else to save her.”
“An admirable thought," Dumbledore nodded, "What is it you want from me?”
Harry steeled himself and spoke clearly, “I was wondering if I could share the tomes you gave me to study with her. I know the spells are very taxing so it might be detrimental to her, so I would ask her only to limit herself to lower-level spells and proceed when she feels confident that she can handle the others. I have faith that she won’t take unnecessary risks.”
Dumbledore frowned.
“There is a reason I forbade you to allow anyone access to those tomes, Harry,” he reminded. Harry nodded.
“I know, headmaster. You believed Ron didn’t have the necessary mindset and Hermione had too much eagerness to control herself, which would’ve had severe consequences for their magic. But Daphne is a level-minded woman who knows how and when to restrain herself. I have full faith in her. And it’s not as if I’ll let her go overboard. I trust her to be mature enough to know that I’m restricting her because I want her to be careful, not to hold her back.”
Dumbledore sighed before looking at him with a small smile.
“You’ve come to trust each other quite significantly in such a short span,” he remarked. Harry smiled.
“I’ve come to really appreciate her. She brings something different to my life. I think I feel calmer when I’m in her presence. It helps that she listens and doesn’t shy away from correcting or contradicting me when she feels like it. I like that trait of hers.”
Dumbledore nodded.
“It makes me happy to know that the two of you have decided to make the best of this situation you have been somewhat forced into. It certainly speaks highly of your emotional maturities,” the older wizard praised. Harry bowed his head slightly. Dumbledore continued.
“Now, as far as sharing those spells with Miss Greengrass goes, I will not restrict you, but I want you to be very careful with what she practices and how much she casts those spells in quick succession. She must not put herself or her magic under strain. The effects could be catastrophic.”
Harry nodded solemnly.
“It means a lot to me, headmaster. And I will make sure she takes it easy and doesn’t overexert herself.”
Dumbledore nodded.
“Is there anything else you want to talk to me about?”
“We can discuss it in the meeting,” Harry hesitated for a moment before replying, which earned him a curious look. The two wizards stood up and walked towards the dining room which had been expanded to accommodate the members of the Order. Dumbledore took his seat at the head of the table opposite Sirius as Harry walked over to take his seat beside his godfather and Daphne. The blonde gave him a sweet smile when he squeezed her hand before looking at the headmaster who cleared his throat.
“Welcome to another meeting. Before we begin, there is something I would like to inform you all,” Dumbledore began. Everyone gave him their undivided attention, and the older wizard sighed.
“Consequent to the policy changes in the ministry, there have been several new appointments. Even though most are immaterial, there is one appointment we need to talk about. Following the retirement of Madam Marchbanks, Marcus Rowan has been appointed as the Head of the Department of Education. I received the official declaration a few hours ago.”
“Do we need to worry about Rowan? He was not one of the Death Eaters in the last war.”
“Indeed, he was not. However, the development is something we could have done without. Dolores Umbridge will be the professor of History of Magic for the upcoming year and beyond. It has been approved by young Mr Rowan.”
Similar grimaces came over almost everyone’s face as they digested the news.
“The undersecretary? She is the one who sent those Dementors, right?”
Moody nodded towards Harry and stared ahead.
“So, Fudge has indeed planted his stooge at Hogwarts,” Cyrus frowned.
“She’s a vindictive woman. If she can send Dementors to silence someone, it doesn’t make me feel good to know that she will be around Hogwarts students,” Arthur Weasley frowned.
Dumbledore stayed silent as he stared at Harry.
“Don’t worry, Mr Weasley,” Harry replied, “I’m getting kinda excited about it to be honest,” he remarked as he looked at the Weasley twins with a smirk. The twins smirked back. Dumbledore saw the exchange and chuckled as McGonagall frowned beside him but said nothing. Anticipatory grins were shared around the table.
“Moving on to another matter,” the headmaster continued, “The agreement for marriage between the House of Potter and the House of Greengrass shall be announced in the next Wizengamot meeting. You can be sure that a lot of players will not like this development, so I want you to be adequately prepared. Although your contract does protect you, Miss Greengrass, I would still implore you to prepare as best as you can. As Harry has stated many times already, you will be one of the prime targets.”
Daphne nodded firmly. She knew what the future entailed, and she was prepared to face whatever followed. Harry gave her hand a comforting squeeze and she smiled. It felt good to have him be so supportive of what she wanted. She knew it was not easy for him to see her so willing to put herself in the line of fire, but he respected her enough to know that she could face the challenges laying ahead with her head held high. She couldn’t express how much she appreciated this quality of him and how much it endeared him to her.
“Now, you said there was something you wanted to talk about, Harry?” Dumbledore implored. All eyes turned towards Harry who nodded.
“Yes. First I want to ask how far the auror investigation has progressed regarding the Dementor attack.”
Kingsley frowned alongside Tonks.
“Not much, I’m afraid. There is no paper trail, and a few employees who could’ve been useful were made to retire in the past week. Madam Bones knows of our suspicions and she is probing, but there is nothing for us so far to convict Umbridge with,” the imposing auror admitted. Harry sighed.
“I guess I was too optimistic,” he muttered.
“It’s not too surprising, to be honest. Bureaucracy is a slow-moving engine. And Umbridge being in a position of power has some strings to pull herself. It’s obvious she took the non-conventional route,” Tonks replied. Harry nodded.
“She must have someone who did it for her, right?” Daphne wondered out loud. She had been livid when she had found what had transpired behind the scenes. It was pure luck that Harry had not been present there.
“The toady did everything herself,” Moody interjected.
“Just how much did you scan her mind, Mad-Eye?” Sirius asked with a chuckle. Moody snorted.
“Like I said, the toady’s shields are not worth shit. Try it and she’s an open book. Also, lad,” he turned to look at Harry, “you won’t find anything to link the toady with it. Believe it or not, that one is slippery.”
“What do you mean?” Harry asked with a frown. Moody sighed.
“The toady was careful. She ordered the Dementors herself. So, unless you can make those two Dementors talk, there is nothing you can do to prove that she was behind it all. The one who cast the killing curse in Privet Drive was arranged by that bastard Malfoy. Good luck trying to convict him as well.”
“Fucking Malfoy,” Cyrus seethed. Evelyn poked him on the side, silently chastising him for the language. Harry shared an amused look with Daphne at that.
“Well, there it goes then,” Sirius remarked as he leaned back and stared forward, “this avenue is closed for now. Unless we manage to discover something, we can do nothing to bring her to a trial.”
“What if someone pumps the toad full of Veritaserum, questions her, and gets the truth out of her that way?”
Cyrus shook his head at the Weasley twin who had asked the question.
“Testimony under Veritaserum alone does not count as evidence, Mr Weasley,” Cyrus replied with a small smile, “and even if it did, the case would be dismissed on grounds of evidence being obtained by unlawful means. Even the head of the DMLE cannot do it unless there is an official warrant, and Umbridge has kept her tracks clear. We cannot get a warrant with her name as things currently stand.”
“Additionally, it would give her the avenue to file a countersuit against us for illegal use of a ministry sanctioned magical object, which would see the accused behind the walls of Azkaban for at least twelve months as well as a minimum fine of twenty-five thousand galleons,” Kingsley added. George nodded and sat back.
“We cannot touch her legally. That’s the gist of it,” Harry sighed. Daphne held his hand under the table, and he smiled slightly before squeezing back.
“Was there anything else, Harry?” Dumbledore asked with a smile. It was heartening to see the Order members intermingling and discussing ideas while broadening their horizons.
“There is something, but we can discuss it at the end of this meeting,” he replied. Dumbledore nodded.
Moody tapped his staff against the floor, and a few sparks emitted before fizzing away. Everyone turned to look at him.
“I asked you lot to start training almost a month ago. Some of you have joined, and I’ll say you leave a lot to be desired. Those who have not yet, you better get your asses in line and start working.”
His piece done, he leaned back and started to chew the dry fruits placed on the table. Abashed, people looked at each other. Dumbledore chuckled internally.
“Well, you lot heard the man. You better start picking up the slack and get to work. Remember what’s at stake here,” Sirius remarked with a smirk.
A few people gave him the stink eye which Sirius promptly ignored before Dumbledore continued.
“Now Arthur, you told me you had something to share?” He asked. They turned towards Mr Weasley who sat straight and looked at Dumbledore.
“Yes, headmaster. Amos Diggory wishes to join the Order. His son Cedric has also been assigned to Bill’s squad of curse breakers as a junior member and they will be returning to Britain in two weeks. Amos has agreed to attend the Order meeting once Cedric returns and they will take the oaths together,” he informed politely. Dumbledore smiled.
“They are certainly welcome,” the old wizard remarked, “Is there any other matter we should discuss?”
No one spoke for a moment until Daphne took charge, “How long do we expect for Fudge to remain in his seat?”
Dumbledore stroked his beard thoughtfully, “We do not have the power to call for a vote of no confidence yet. Even if all the neutral houses agree to vote in our favour, we shall be five votes short.”
“What if enough pressure is created on him?” Harry interjected.
“Like what?”
Harry looked at Cyrus as he replied, “The lawsuit I have filed against the ministry is bound to deal a major blow when the ministry loses it. What if something happens around the same time that erodes his image even further?”
“Do you have something in mind?”
Harry stared at the table, his voice gruff as he answered, “What if there is an attack on Azkaban, and something happens to Voldemort’s most faithful?”
Eyes widened around the table at that proclamation as Daphne gripped his hand tightly.
They were talking in the aftermath of their discussion about Gabrielle when they started to talk about the war. Daphne was the one who expressed slight relief that Voldemort didn’t have his most maniacal followers out on the streets wreaking havoc when Harry said something that took the wind out of her proverbial sails.
“What if something were to happen to them?”
Daphne’s eyes widened at that. Shocked, she abruptly turned to the side to stare at Harry who was looking down at his lap.
“Are you serious?”
Harry turned to give her a penetrating stare, and Daphne's heartbeat skyrocketed at the intensity of his gaze.
“It is a given that Voldemort will soon break his followers out of Azkaban. Can you imagine what catastrophe people like them will cause? Can you imagine someone like Bellatrix Lestrange walking amidst civilians clad in a glamour? Tell me I am wrong in thinking that we should take that opportunity away from him.”
“But Harry, what you’re suggesting is...”
“Hear me out, Daphne. I am not proposing we kill them. But what if we do something else?”
Daphne’s eyes widened at that, and as he explained what he had in mind, she had to agree that it would be a great course of action if they could somehow pull it off.
“What do you mean, Harry?” Dumbledore asked sternly. Everyone was looking at him with wide eyes apart from Moody, whose eyes had a gleam of interest in them.
“I hope you’re not thinking what I wish you’re not thinking, Harry,” Sirius remarked, his voice uncharacteristically grave and carrying with it a hint of a warning.
Harry looked around the table, taking in every face. All the gathered members looked apprehensive, apart from Moody, who stared at him with a calculating gaze.
“We can be sure that Voldemort will break his followers out of Azkaban sooner rather than later. That is a foregone conclusion. We cannot stop him from attacking, and his attack will be swift and precise. You can be sure of that. But what if we act first and take that advantage from him?”
“Killing unarmed people, even if they are the worst of the lot? You’ve got some nerve, boy,” the scratchy voice of Benjy Fenwick sounded out for the first time, and Harry turned to stare at the deformed man.
“Who said anything about killing them?” Harry asked with a small smile as he looked at Sirius and Cyrus before turning to stare at Dumbledore.
“What if we break them out of Azkaban?”
They all stared at him with wide eyes, and a few moments of silence followed before Cyrus caught his bearing and asked disbelievingly, “You want to break those Death Eaters out of Azkaban!?”
Harry nodded.
“If we manage to create a prison to hold them after we break them out, it would take away a massive asset from Voldemort. Once it happens, we could put further pressure on Fudge’s administration. Once the dark faction realises that their beloved companions might actually be dead or missing, I don’t think it would take much for us to procure those five votes,” he remarked confidently.
“And with direct majority resting with us, we can appoint a minister of our choice as well,” Daphne finished.
“You two thought this up?” Cyrus asked in surprise.
“More or less,” Harry replied, smiling at Daphne, “the break-out part was my idea. Using it to get rid of Fudge was Daphne’s.”
“You two are scary together,” Sirius remarked honestly. The young couple chuckled.
“So headmaster, what do you think?” Harry asked. Dumbledore looked thoughtful, and there was an undercurrent of excitement around the table as they stared at him.
“We will need a secret place to hold them. A prison with wards strong enough to repel attacks from Voldemort himself,” Dumbledore mused.
“What about Nurmengard?” Elphias Doge asked Dumbledore softly, who frowned and shook his head.
“Nurmengard is under the official control of the ICW. We cannot use it. Furthermore, it would be prudent if this prison was hidden behind strong, concealment wards so that Tom remains unaware of their survival or location. We have to remember that they are connected to him through that mark, so the wards need to be capable enough to mask the magic,” Dumbledore explained.
“I believe I might have a solution to that. We will discuss the prison later, but I believe that end of the plan won’t be an issue,” Sirius remarked with a thoughtful look.
Dumbledore nodded.
“If that is the case, then this is a brilliant plan. We need to start working on it right away,” Arthur Weasley remarked.
Harry and Daphne exchanged a look and nodded.
“It would require intensive planning on our part. We will need the best wands we have to offer to conduct this operation. I think we should deliberate on it properly at a later date,” Cyrus proposed. Dumbledore nodded. With nothing else of note, the meeting was adjourned.
Everyone left until only Harry, Daphne, Fred, George, and Tonks remained sitting together.
“Well, you surely set your sights high, eh, Harrykins?” Fred began.
“Not to mention the missus who’s equally ambitious,” George added.
“Merlin, you two deserve each other,” the twins finished together.
“I have to agree,” Tonks interjected with a smirk, “Bloody hell Harry! I couldn’t have thought up such an idea even in my wildest dreams! I mean, raiding bloody Azkaban!”
“The idea came to me out of nowhere, to be honest,” Harry remarked, “it was only when Daphne said how relieved she was that those Death Eaters were not free that I thought about how brilliant it would be if they were taken out of the equation entirely.”
“Like they said, you two deserve each other. Sirius was right, you two are scary together,” Tonks remarked with a grin. Harry and Daphne chuckled.
“One week more,” Harry leaned back on the chair and sighed.
“Can’t believe I’ve already been here for almost two weeks,” Daphne remarked in wonder. She had no idea how time had passed so quickly.
“Being busy all day long does that to you,” Tonks replied with a smile.
“I can’t understand how you two can keep practicing your fighting skills for hours on end down there,” Fred chimed.
“Even we can’t work on our products for so long,” George nodded.
Harry chuckled and exchanged an amused look with Daphne.
“Oh? Is it like that?” Tonks asked teasingly, prompting confused looks from the pair.
“What are you talking about?” Harry asked with a raised eyebrow. Tonks snickered and winked at the Weasley twins, who quickly gave the pair matching smirks.
“Oh! Ooooh! So that’s what it is. Nice. Nice.”
“Indeed. Everyone has something unique. You do yours, Harrykins,” George gave him a thumbs up.
Daphne looked at the three in front of her with narrowed eyes, before Tonks looked at her and gestured towards Harry with her eyes and made a kissing face. Her eyes widened and she flushed.
Tonks laughed, which propelled the Weasley twins to dissolve into hysterical laughter. All the while, Harry stared in confusion at the laughing trio before looking at a blushing Daphne.
“I give up,” he muttered and closed his eyes.
XXXXX
“Come on in,” Sirius opened the door to his study with a smile and stood to the side. Harry entered and sat down, rolling the paperweight on the desk as Sirius joined him.
“Here,” the old marauder poured some firewhiskey into a glass and passed it to him.
Harry took a small sip.
“So, what is it?”
Harry looked at Sirius and held out two parchments towards him, who took them and started to read.
Harry leaned back and kept drinking while Sirius read both with a frown before he sighed.
“Can’t say I blame her, to be honest,” Sirius replied as he set the letters down in front of him. Harry pocketed them back.
“Will you be okay if House Black went extinct? I know you’ve joked about it often, but right now, it seems like a real possibility,” Harry inquired softly. Sirius chuckled.
“I don’t give a toss about this house, Harry. If you really feel that there is no possibility of you having two wives, then it’s perfectly fine. Also, there is a possibility that you and Daphne might have two sons, so there's that. But even if you don't, this house can go extinct. I won't shed tears over it," Sirius remarked.
Harry stayed silent as he stared at the table.
"I know you held out hope, but if it’s not meant to be, what else can you do?” Sirius asked rhetorically. Harry sighed.
“It did feel kinda shitty, to be honest.”
Sirius smiled sadly. “Harry, you’re not the first, nor the last to not be with someone you once wanted to. Life took you in a different direction. You accepted it. When you agreed to the betrothal, you knew there was a strong possibility that you might not be with Gabrielle. But you still agreed to go ahead with it.”
Harry nodded.
“Sometimes I forget that despite how much responsible you might act, there is still that teenager within you. It happens, Harry. Try to forget it now. That’s all I’ll tell you. There is no benefit in thinking about what could’ve been. You need to truly look forward. I agree that sometimes it might not be so easy, but you have a duty towards Daphne now,” Sirius said, “Man I sound hypocritical saying that,” he muttered in the end. Harry chuckled.
“Yeah, you’re right,” Harry sighed, “I just thought you should know, that’s all,” he finished his firewhiskey and put the glass back on the table.
“I’m here for you if you ever want to talk,” Sirius smiled. Harry nodded.
“Thanks, Sirius. Mind if I trouble you with something else?”
“Yeah, what is it?”
“I’d like to visit the Potter vault in Gringotts tomorrow. Think you could join me?”
Sirius smiled in understanding.
“Ready to finally do it, huh?”
Harry nodded.
“Should’ve done it weeks ago. How about after breakfast?”
Sirius shrugged, “Any time works for me tomorrow.”
“Goodnight then,” Harry nodded.
“Night, Harry,” Sirius smiled as he watched Harry walk out of the office. He walked over to the seat and lowered himself into it with a sigh before fishing out a photograph of a couple playing with a certain emerald-eyed toddler.
“Man I miss you two sometimes,” he whispered, staring at the toddler zooming on his toy broom as the dark-haired man whopped before being berated by a hysterical redhead and he couldn't help but chuckle.
XXXXX
To be continued…
Comments
TheslayerofZ
I'm just wondering if Gabriela comes back into the story because she has a nice thing going with Harry
GhostnKC
The story has been good until this one. Now it's going in a direction that is exciting and makes this story better.
