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On The Hunt: Chapter 22
🕑 Added 2023-09-02 16:30:00 +0000 UTCThe fact that Umbridge had let her newfound power go to her head became evident in their History class a few days later.
Harry entered the classroom with Daphne in tow, and saw, to his surprise, the students from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff also present. His eyes met Susan’s who sighed and came over.
“Our schedules have been altered. History class has been combined for all years,” the redhead answered his unspoken question.
“What’s her game now?” Daphne muttered to herself.
“No clue, but if I had to guess, nothing good,” Susan replied.
Harry was silently musing about what the toad’s motivation could be. There were so many things he had expected her to do with this power, but consolidating the classes was not a part of that small list.
Being the High Inquisitor gave Umbridge the power to act out against all the professors. Harry thought she would go after Dumbledore’s staunchest supporters like McGonagall or Flitwick. He even expected her to take action against Hagrid. Her prejudicial views against those she deemed inferior beings were widely known to those who cared about the politics of their country. Yet, she had shown no indication that she had such an agenda.
But then it had not been much time yet. She could still do everything he thought she would do.
His thoughts came to a halt when a certain blonde veela entered the classroom. The lower half of her face was no longer hidden behind her scarf. She stood straight and proud, face upturned as she stared down everyone who looked at her. She oddly reminded him of Fleur when she had first arrived at Hogwarts. The haughtiness was uncannily similar.
It was her haughtiness that made him wonder what was up with her, because he could see it was neither natural nor normal. It was something Fleur had told him once when they got talking. She did not like the unwanted attention she got, and it irritated her. That was why she kept up that prideful veneer.
Beside him, Daphne also stared at her cousin who simply gave them a cursory glance before she quickly averted her eyes, walking over to the far left of the classroom. Lisa Turpin usually accompanied Gabrielle, but she was sitting with Morag MacDougal today. Harry and Daphne exchanged a frown.
“What’s up with the Frenchie?” Susan asked curiously. “Wasn’t she the eager one during that meeting? And now she acts as if she doesn’t even know us.”
“Must have something on her mind,” Daphne supplied with pursed lips, recalling when it all began.
She and Harry had lost themselves to their passion, and it both exhilarated and terrified her. The excitement was obvious. She loved Harry, and she loved the things he did to her as well as the things she wanted him to do to her. However, she was also terrified of the fact that he seemed to have such control over her body and desires already.
The marriage contract enforced by magic brought a couple closer. It was ancient magic at play, and she had known that when the topic had been brought up. The magic governing the sacred relationship between a witch and a wizard was not to be trifled with. Everyone knew that. It was for that very reason that pureblood witches were tied down to a suitor at an early age. That way, no one would dare to take advantage of them.
Thus, she was not surprised either by the way she and Harry had gravitated toward each other since the beginning or how certain desires had started to take hold of them whenever they thought about each other. A sense of loss always washed over her whenever she was far away from him, and she knew the same held for him as well.
Daphne had never expected she would feel such emotions. She had always been the calm and collected one. Her parents used to joke that all the traits of brashness had skipped her and materialized in Astoria with a vengeance. Thus, the feeling of being so out of control when it came to Harry was something new.
She was confident that they would have ensured they had adequate privacy when they were indulging in their desires if only their brain worked at the moment. However, it had not, and the result was there for her and Harry to see. Gabrielle walked in, right when she and Harry were almost entirely compromised, and since that incident, she had not faced them.
Daphne could only imagine the surge of emotions that must have enveloped her cousin’s mind. She knew Gabrielle had feelings for Harry, and she refused to believe that those feelings had gone away. Her idiot of a cousin might think that she was putting on a believable act whenever she was in front of them but her eyes screamed the truth for all to hear.
Gabrielle wanted to be with Harry but chose to walk away. Pride. That was one of the biggest reasons Daphne could think of, and in a way, she could easily understand and even applaud such resolve. It was not easy to watch someone you liked be with someone else, and no matter how much you forced yourself to move on, the reminder of those feelings whenever you thought of that person never failed to drown you in a pit of despair and helplessness.
For you to then see that person get intimate with someone else… that must be akin to a Cruciatus.
It seemed Gabrielle had chosen to choose the path of ignorance, and Daphne, not for the first time, felt remorse for her cousin. The guilt that she had come in the path of Gabrielle who, if she had not barged in, would have been with Harry, reared its ugly head again.
Something must have shown on her face as she felt Harry take her hand in his and lift it to his lips, kissing her palm tenderly. Surprised, she stared into his shining emerald orbs full of so much love and compassion that she felt she could melt right then and there.
Susan had left already, presumably to sit with her friend Hannah, and it was only her and Harry standing near the back wall of the classroom.
“You’re doing it again,” he whispered gently, caressing her cheek. Daphne could not help but lean into his touch, making him smile.
“Can’t help it sometimes,” she replied.
“I understand. Remember it’s not your fault,” he reassured again. Daphne closed her eyes and nodded.
“Come, let’s get this over with,” he said, glancing at the figure of a pink-clad toad in human shape walking through the door at the front of the classroom. Daphne looked over and a grimace crossed her face.
They walked over and took the seat in the last row, far to the right. Neville and Tracey were sitting in front of them. It was the highest attendance a History of Magic class had probably ever had.
As soon as Umbridge reached the podium erected at the front of the class, she looked over and gave a sickly sweet smile that made more than a few students grimace.
“Tut… tut… tut… I see the standards of etiquette have fallen more than I expected. In my days, children used to show proper respect to their elders. I seem to recall I asked you all to greet me properly,” she remarked in her usual high-pitched voice laced with poisonous sugar. “Now, who should I call upon?”
She looked around the classroom and her eyes zeroed in on someone sitting at the far right.
“As, Miss Davis, how about a little demonstration? Come here please,” she called out.
A surprised Tracey looked up. She felt Neville give her hand a reassuring squeeze, his face uncharacteristically hard.
The half-blood from Slytherin slid out of her seat and walked forward, taking care to descend the short stairs carefully. She glared when a certain blonde ponce slid his leg out. The boy simply smirked at her and pulled his leg back in.
Finally, she reached the front of the classroom and looked at Umbridge.
“Now, Miss Davis, I believe you know it already, so I would appreciate it if you did not take too much time with this. Go ahead and show the class how to greet their teacher properly. I would like you to make sure it conveys the proper respect for your superior.”
Tracey stared, bewildered, at the harridan of a woman, and Harry felt a swell of anger erupt inside him. Beside him, Daphne clutched his hand firmly, no doubt keeping her anger in check. They could see how livid Neville was by the way he straightened in his seat. Neither of them had missed what Umbridge’s game was here.
‘So this is her game now,’ Harry thought, seething. ‘She knows she cannot come at me, so she is choosing to target my friends. Targeting a pureblood would be too dangerous, and she knows it. Perhaps her bias also plays a role here. Tracey is probably the most vulnerable target from our group, being a half-blood and in Slytherin.’
Many might have seen it as nothing, but they knew better. Umbridge had singled out Tracey. The reasons were not lost on anyone.
Their associates who were present in the classroom looked over at where Harry was sitting with Daphne and Neville and saw the fury beneath their stony masks. Neville was more expressive, openly glaring at the toad, but Harry and Daphne maintained their poker face. No one knew how challenging it was for them though.
Tracey looked at Umbridge and swallowed her pride. She straightened up and forced out a stiff, formal reply.
“Good morning, Professor Umbridge.”
Umbridge let out a wide smile and patted the girl condescendingly on the head. Harry had to grab Neville by the back of his robes when the boy made to rise. He glared at his friend when he looked behind him, instructing him to calm down. Neville gritted his teeth and turned away.
“Good girl. It’s heartening to see you show proper respect to your superior. Go take your seat now.”
Grinding her teeth in rage, Tracey forced herself to look away from the students who she knew must be either shaking in mirth or giving her pitiful looks. She climbed up the small stairs and silently slid into her seat. Malfoy was lucky that he did not pull the same trick again. She didn’t know if she could’ve held herself back after that humiliation.
Neville wasted no time in taking his girlfriend’s hand firmly and pulling her close.
Umbridge smirked and began her drivel.
“Your knowledge of History of Magic has been severely stunted by a subpar professor who should have been banished even before he died, and a subpar curriculum that holds little to no relevance. Goblin wars, although centuries old and an important part of Wizarding history, should not have so much prominence. That is why the Ministry of Education has decided to revamp the syllabus. You might notice you were not asked to purchase a book for the year. That is because I shall be distributing them to you right now.”
Everyone’s eyes fell on the large stack of books that was on the floor beside the podium.
“Who would like to volunteer for help? No one?” Umbridge sighed in mock disappointment. “Miss Delacour, how about you? Please come over and distribute the books to every fellow student.”
Holding back their ire was much more challenging this time. Harry and Daphne glared at the woman, and they had to employ the full might of their mental fortitude to keep from lashing out.
Gabrielle looked at Umbridge in surprise. The woman kept her fake smile plastered on her face, but it was easy to spot the disgust in her eyes as she stared at the veela.
“We don’t have all day, Miss Delacour,” Umbridge’s voice had an edge to it this time, her lips curled slightly into a sneer.
Gabrielle’s fist clenched, fingernails digging into her ivory skin, and she gritted her teeth as she walked over to the front of the classroom. She brandished her wand and was about to levitate the books when she suddenly felt a spell coming toward her. Instinctively, she swatted the disarming charm away and looked angrily at a sickly smiling Umbridge.
“I did not give you permission to use your wand, Miss Delacour,” Umbridge said sternly, her eyes glinting maliciously. “There would be no wand waving inside this classroom. Put that thing away and distribute the books.”
Looking over at the back of the classroom once again, Umbridge smirked.
“Miss Davis, do come over and help Miss Delacour out. It seems the task is a bit too challenging for her.”
Tracey pulled her hand out of Neville’s grasp and stood up, her head held high. She walked toward the front and looked at the blonde girl who must be as livid as she was. They started distributing the books, ignoring the sneers from the asshole Slytherin crowd and the pitying looks the rest of their classmates gave them. Sympathy was the last thing they wanted right now.
Draco Malfoy was enjoying the History class more than he had ever before. It was a masterstroke on his father’s part to send this woman to Hogwarts. Although he found her disgusting and her personality was too vile for even his taste, he could not complain when she seemed so intent at keeping the undesirables in line.
He once again patted himself on the back for the little information he had given her. After the humiliation in the Defense class at the hands of that dumb auror Moody, this was coming. He knew even Umbridge could do nothing to Potter, and Greengrass was too big a name to be crossed. The same applied to Longbottom, whose grandmother would throw a fit if the squib cried to her. It was not worth the risk to target those three. However, that left their so-called friends, and they were fair game.
He had never liked Davis. The bitch was nothing but a dirty half-blood and every day, she sullied the good name of Salazar Slytherin by befouling his grand house with her filthy presence. Being Greengrass’ lapdog protected her from those in the house. However, this humiliation at the hands of a professor was neither an abuse of power nor something she could avoid unless she wanted a detention. It was the perfect way to get back at Potter and his ilk.
Delacour was a surprise, but one he was thankful to dear Pansy for. The bint was good in the shack, but it seemed her gossip skills had improved lately. She had been the one to tell him how the slut seemed to have hots for Potter, and that had made him recall how Potter used to run around with the child that she had been the previous year. In addition to being a worthless Frenchie, she was also a half-breed. Her place was not beside them but at their feet, servicing the superior purebloods. Soon, if he had his way, he would have her right where she belonged. He’d only ever had Pansy to satiate his urges with. He wouldn’t say no to a veela. It would also be a nice payback to Potter who had stolen Greengrass from him.
Umbridge had proven she was worth putting his faith in. She had a stumble in the previous encounter with Potter, and that had been enough to tell them that they needed to change tactics. It was evident that Potter was smart and capable enough to turn the tables on them. It was not a comfortable realization but it was something they had to accept.
Just because they could not have a go at Potter and the other two purebloods did not mean all was lost. The people he cared about and was closest to were fair game. Delacour for Potter and Davis for Greengrass and Longbottom. It was all developing nicely.
He smirked as the veela slid his book on his desk, and he openly ogled her, staring at her large tits that pushed against the thin material of her shirt. He licked his lips lecherously for good measure, ensuring she saw him. The disgusted look on her face almost made him chuckle. He thought about slapping her bum once she walked behind him. He knew he would get away with it. However, he was perfectly content in waiting. Playing with the slut was more fun.
Gabrielle gritted her teeth in rage as she walked past the horrid asshole that Malfoy was. She knew all about the pathetic boy and his wretched family. After all, the name of the Malfoys was famous amongst the old houses in France. They were peasants who had conspired against their superiors and stolen their fortune through a series of falsehoods and manipulation. Nothing had ever been proven, but the family had become rich overnight with no explanation other than a magically-enforced will. It all had happened roughly four centuries ago when the family crossed the Channel and settled in Wiltshire.
It came as no surprise to her that the boy was as wretched as his ancestors were. She cursed the fact that she could not do anything about him and walked away, her mind full of violent thoughts that no decent person should have. The veela was particularly angsty today, it seemed.
She put the final pair of books on the desk in the final row of the classroom, which happened to be the one where Susan and Hannah were sitting. She nodded to the redhead who squeezed her hand in silent support. Hannah was glaring at Umbridge. Once her little job was done, she walked over and took her seat by the wall. Her eyes were soon glued to the text printed on the cover of the book they were supposed to study.
It was the title that gave her a foreboding feeling.
THE TRUE HISTORY – A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF PURITY, CONQUEST, AND TREACHERY
“Do start reading, everyone,” Umbridge called out.
Everyone opened the book and started reading, and the more she read, the more her ire grew. It was not hard to miss the true motive of the woman here, and she glared at her book.
Meanwhile, the same held for several students whose faces were set into either frowns or glares as they read.
Harry had not opened his book, having no interest in reading whatever bullshit this horrid woman was prescribing. However, Daphne had, and he winced slightly when he felt her grip his hand tightly.
“What is it?” He asked in a whisper.
“Read. You’ll know,” she replied, her voice coming out in a hiss. It was enough to tell him that it could not be anything good. Against his wishes, Harry opened the book and started reading the introductory chapter.
The book was nothing but an instrument of propaganda. It prescribed how the wizarding folk were superior beings who were bestowed with this gift of magic after a few were betrayed by their brethren who were now called the muggles. The muggles also used to have powers of their own – powers that had been stripped of them. It also contained a synopsis of how humans who could use magic were superior to magical creatures in every sense of the word, and how they had conquered everything they had encountered.
It claimed that creatures like veela, half-giants, merfolk, and any others that resembled humans were a result of a dark ritual that had been performed millennia ago, aimed at creating a superior being to rule over all of life by stealing magic from wizards and witches. This being would have the traits of both a human and a creature – an abomination in every sense. The book said that it was the excellence of the wizards of old that had foiled such rituals throughout the magical world, leading to the formation of several unnatural beings who were the progenitors of many dark creatures.
The book also described magical creatures as abomination and evil, even suggesting that they should be kept under the boot of the wizarding folk lest they get any ideas and plot some heinous act of treachery.
It said that the so-called half-breeds were beings that were abnormal and had no place in existing, as they were a result of fornication between a creature and a human that it had ensnared by using its foul magic.
Those creatures were targeted the most, and the book tried to show how those creatures and half-breeds were inherently evil. It claimed that while magical creatures were mindless beasts who were incapable of reason, citing various attacks from acromantula and giants, the half-breeds were nothing but scheming and traitorous devils whose aim was to overthrow humanity and establish themselves as the superior being – just as it had been intended in those dark rituals. The only reason one could see them being friendly and courteous was because they intended to create a false sense of security in the minds of the wizarding folk so that they could attack from the blind spot at a time when no one could have foreseen it coming.
Things did not stop there though.
The book also theorized how history showed that muggles were evil and their continued existence was a danger to the wizarding folk. Once possessing supernatural powers themselves, those who lived now were incapable of understanding magic, as evident by the heinous acts of the witch trials and the burnings. Everyone knew the truth was something else, but this book was hellbent on enforcing the belief that muggles were dangerous.
It was written how and why the Statute of Secrecy had come in place, and why it needed to be upheld, lest the world be doomed to chaos and destruction.
Despite his anger, Harry had to admit that the book had cited several incidents from the annals of history to uphold all the points, and he would have believed many of those claims if he had not known the truth. Umbridge had gone for the classic route of propaganda.
Choosing a particular set of incidents and outright ignoring the others that were more prominent in both numbers and meaning to show that those were the norm and not outliers was a manipulation of historical events and nothing else.
Harry pushed the book a bit higher up the desk and leaned backward, glancing at Daphne who was staring at the book, livid. Her disgust was palpable, and her stoic demeanor was only spoiled by the way her eyes were narrowed and her jaw was clenched.
Meanwhile, Gabrielle had finished reading the piece of hateful propaganda a few minutes ago already and since then, she had been glaring at the table with her book shut in front of her. The voice she had already come to hate jolted her out of her thoughts and she looked over, the glare still prominent.
“Miss Delacour,” Umbridge called out sternly. “It seems you are not interested in following the instructions. Fifteen points from Ravenclaw. Do come over here with your book.”
Seething, Gabrielle stood up and got out of her seat. She walked over to the front and stared at the vile woman with utter loathing.
“Miss Delacour, I would like you to read fourth the paragraph about the hardships perpetrated by magical creatures and the like,” the woman stated with her poisonous smile plastered on her wretched face. She did not miss the evil glint in her eye, or the way she was looking at her.
Everyone in the class quickly turned the pages and looked at the paragraph the woman had asked her to read. Harry’s eyes widened when he saw what it was and what was written.
Ignoring the way a few students sitting in a certain area of the classroom were gleefully staring at her, Gabrielle turned the pages and looked at the paragraph. She roughly skimmed through it, her eyebrows rising with each word she read until her hands were shaking in rage. This foul bitch!
“Miss Delacour, I believe I told already that we don’t have all day. Fifteen points from Ravenclaw for wasting the valuable time of the class. Start reading.”
Her voice wavered, but she did as she was told, even though she wanted nothing more than to burn this vile woman with the strongest fireball she could conjure. The veela was raging inside her, and Gabrielle had to use all her willpower to keep her at bay.
“One of the most dangerous half-breeds known to the magical folk is a veela. Although looking enchantingly beautiful, there lies something as dark and dangerous under the surface. Each veela has an allure, which is the power to ensnare the males, and there have been numerous instances of one using her allure on either the powerful or the wealthy. The veela uses this charm to rape the wizard to bear his offspring, and once the deed is done, she disposes of said wizard, thereby staking claim to his belongings through the child that is born. It has been an age-old practice for veela conclaves to conduct vile rituals that revolve around the carnal arts and it is believed this is where their continued power of allure comes from. Over the centuries, the sacrifices made in this ritual have helped the veela spread around the world in carrying out this underhanded and vile deed.”
One had to applaud the way the girl had managed to keep her composure after being humiliated in such a manner. However, Umbridge was not done.
“Continue, Miss Delacour,” she instructed, looking oddly pleased with herself.
“It is theorized by several historians and even academics that magic itself cursed veela with the ability to bear only females. There has never been a male born to a veela. It is believed that this was the only way to somehow prevent outright usurpation of a family line. It is certainly not a solution, and the vileness of this breed of creatures does not stop here. The massacre of—”
Gabrielle stopped reading, her eyes unseeing.
“Miss Delacour, I don’t believe you have finished reading it. I can see there are a few more lines remaining,” Umbridge chided.
Gabrielle heard the voice distantly. She had been having a bad few days. Her emotions had been all over the place, and the last thing she needed on top of everything was the utter crap she had to put up with in this class.
She had taken it all in stride, somehow managing to keep the raging veela inside her under control. However, she found she was not fully resilient, and finally, the dam broke.
Gabrielle let out a screech of rage and the book in her hands exploded. Fragments of burning parchment flew in all directions as she stood in the middle, seething.
The class erupted into pandemonium as Umbridge cried out, “Miss Delacour! What is the meaning of this!?”
Enraged, Gabrielle turned toward Umbridge, whose eyes widened when she looked at her. Instead of an enchanting blue, her eyes had turned a shade of malevolent amber as she glared at the woman.
“M-miss D-delacour! S-stop this m-madn-ness!”
“Harry!” Daphne hissed as she shot to his feet, and he was not far behind. They quickly rushed over as Gabrielle turned toward Umbridge. The horrid woman had pushed her too far, and no matter how much they would have loved her to get the comeuppance she sorely deserved, Gabrielle could not take the law in her hands. She would be the one persecuted. They knew it.
The veela screeched harshly, her face morphing into a mix of a harpy and a human as she conjured a fireball in her hand. Umbridge’s eyes widened in abject fear as the violent ball of inferno shot toward her and she wailed loudly, cowering in terror.
A loud blast echoed around the classroom as the students at the front of the class cried out and rushed away from the explosion. Everyone looked over at the front once they were at a safe distance, but they could see nothing through the massive column of fire that covered the entire front of the classroom.
Suddenly, the flames started to get sucked into a swirling mass of energy. They stared, shocked beyond belief, at the staggering form of Gabrielle Delacour who was still half-transformed and glaring at a figure to their far right. They were jolted out of their staring when another bolt of red struck the veela, sending her tumbling over, unconscious. Meanwhile, a few stared at the swirling mass of energy that sucked the flames entirely in no time before it dissipated into nothingness as if it had never been there.
Shellshocked, Umbridge stared up at the one who had saved her life, and she gulped at the look of utter rage in those emerald pools that were burning with a desire to bury her right then and there. She had never put much stock into the magical power of Harry Potter before, believing him to be nothing more than a pushover who had the backing of several powerful wizarding bloodlines. However, now, she was not so sure of her previous assessment.
Harry stared Umbridge down, wanting nothing more than to just do what Gabrielle had almost done. Yet, he knew he could not do it. Umbridge deserved to pay for everything she had done in her vile career, and a quick death was too little a price she deserved to pay. He shared a look with Daphne who had been the one to take down Gabrielle. There was no way a regular witch or wizard would have managed to subdue an enraged veela with only a couple of stunners, but his girl was not a pushover. Harry was proud of the fact that she had grown so strong and capable in such a short time.
Daphne looked at him and nodded, indicating she had Gabrielle under control.
Turning toward the toad, Harry said stoically, “Are you alright?”
Umbridge gulped slightly as she stood and she nodded stiffly. By now, the entire crowd of students and the group that made their secret circle in particular had arrived at the front of the classroom, staring ahead in concern. Even Zabini, for all his apathy, looked perturbed. They all knew what had almost happened in this classroom.
“I’m f-fine, Potter,” Umbridge managed before her eyes fell on the unconscious figure of a half-transformed Gabrielle and she snarled, “This… this half-breed… she dared to attack me! She attempted to murder me in front of everyone! I’ll have her hide for this!”
Harry and his little group glared at the woman and he saw a few of them inch their hands toward their wands. He shook his head discreetly, nodding when the hands receded.
“See!” Umbridge cried out, pointing toward the unconscious girl and looking at an ashen-faced class. “This is their true color. Look what they can do! These half-breeds are dangerous to every witch and wizard out there! Such arrogance that it dares to attack someone unprovoked! Now you all understand how true everything about these abominations is!?”
“You vile bitch!” Tracey cried out as she glared at Umbridge. Neville quickly wrapped his arms around her waist, grunting and pulling a raging brunette back toward him who was doing everything to break free of his firm grip. She kicked about in the air, to no avail. “You are a vile, disgusting cunt, Umbitch! Don’t you dare play the victim here! This is all your fault, not hers! You provoked Gabrielle! You’ve been humiliating her for so long it was fucking obvious you had an agenda! If anyone’s true colors are exposed, it’s you! You toad-fucking half-breed!”
“You!” Umbridge hissed, enraged beyond belief. Spittle flew out of her mouth as she pointed a pudgy finger at a seething Tracey. “Detention for the entire year with me, every evening! Don’t you dare be late! For now, I have a criminal charge to file with the DMLE. I’ll see this murdering half-breed rotting in Azkaban for this!”
Turning toward the classroom, Umbridge snarled, “Dismissed!”
They watched the woman give Tracey a hate-filled glare which the girl returned manifold.
Shaking, the students slowly started to file out of the classroom, and under Umbridge’s piercing glare, Harry and his group followed suit. Harry looked at Daphne before he gestured toward Gabrielle, and she gave an imperceptible nod. There was no way they would be leaving her to Umbridge.
The door to the classroom shut behind them violently, shaking the hinges. He turned around and buried a surge of anger when he saw Malfoy walking ahead with a smirk and a spring in his step as if he had accomplished something. His simpering bint Parkinson walked beside him clutching his arm and smirking at something he said.
Malfoy was truly a lost cause, and he could not wait to bring about his ruin. He was sure he would relish the day it happened.
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To be continued…
Comments
Chad
He could call in the life debt she now owes him
GhostnKC
I'm curious to see what a pissed of Harry is going to do. Will he finally be told about his lordship? Will he come up with another way to get at the toad? Oh the endless possibilities. It makes me grin to think of what could happen.
