Harry was lying in bed, surrounded by his ladies enjoying the peace and quiet, compared to the chaos going on in the rest of the house, until Tonks spoke up.
"Harry, what are you going to do about your other lordships?", she asked.
Harry raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"
Penny looked at him and said, "She means you still need at least three more wives to fill the lordship requirements for your three remaining houses."
Harry sighed, "I don't know, every girl I've met besides you three either think I'm weird, want money and fame, or want me dead."
Fleur hugged him from behind, "I wouldn't say that 'Arry, I zink there are a few ladies who care about you greatly."
Harry shrugged and Tonks snickered, "Maybe there are enough to fill all the spots and you can have a whole coven, hahahaha."
Harry rolled his eyes playfully, "Oh please, like that's ever going to happen."
Little did Harry Potter know that, as they spoke, his other future wives were all going through their own struggles.
Pansy Parkinson had spent her whole life at the whims of others who sought to use her in one way or another. Her father wanted her to become a perfect Pureblood trophy wife and be used as a bargaining chip to gain more wealth or political power. Her 'darling' Draco wished for her to essentially become a toy doll to do what he wanted when he wanted. Even her grandfather, whom she loved and respected greatly, put many harsh expectations on her from the time when she was little.
The only person who wanted her to become independent and strong, which was awful for a traditional wife to be in Magical Britain, but then again, her mother was hardly one. She and her father married right out of Hogwarts, through an arranged marriage of course, and had her a few years later. Though, even from a young age, she could tell her family was far from perfect.
Her mother was often vulnerable to major bouts of depression, brought on by her father's heinous actions during and after the war. She never fit in with the other Pureblood maniacs that her husband surrounded himself with and was even brave enough to speak out against them occasionally. Unfortunately, her father had enough of his wife embarrassing him and decided to a pour some Draught of Living Death into her drink, which of course was ruled as a suicide attempt, and now her mother lies comatose in St. Mungo's under lock and key where she would never bother anyone again. Daphne once told her that a Wiggenweld potion might wake her up, but it's been so long that it might have no effect and that finally broke what little remained of Pansy's rebellious tendencies and dreams for the future.
She decided to create a public mask for herself by becoming the Queen Bitch of Slytherin, similar to how Daphne became the Ice Queen by being cold and stern in public and how Tracey masks her problems with jokes and turned into everything her mother tried so hard not to become. She followed her father's instructions to act like a proper fiancé to her betrothed, Draco Malfoy, and do everything he says no matter what. Five minutes after meeting him, she wanted to hex him into the sun, but time went on, and she eventually just accepted the truth about her horrible situation.
During her entire tenure at Hogwarts, she was forced to keep up her mask in order to avoid slipping into either depression or fear of not doing what Draco wanted. She saw how other students, even a few in Slytherin, looked at her in contempt but they never spoke out against her, fearing retaliation and she felt her soul die a little each time it happened. Everyone except for her friends, Daphne and Tracey, hated her and Pansy simply decided to bury those feelings down, lest she end up like her mother.
Then, she met Harry Potter at the Yule Ball and he actually claimed that they could be friends. She knew who he was, of course, as everyone did, but she always thought while growing up that he would be a stuck-up tosser like the rest of them, but when he got to Hogwarts, and she saw how timid and polite he was, she was very surprised. That mattered little, however, as he had made an enemy out of Draco, and thus, became her reluctant enemy. She would spend the next four years directly behind Draco and those two pet gorillas of his every time the blonde ponce mocked Potter and his friends, especially Granger as she was a muggleborn. Draco literally jumped for joy when Potter's name came out of the Goblet of Fire and the whole school turned on him, allowing the Golden Boy to fall further and further, making Pansy pity him.
Then the Yule Ball came, and Harry told her that she had the power to make her own fate and it was never too late, becoming the first person to tell her that. When she hung around him during the times when he was spending time with Daph and Trace, she saw he was brave and strong, but she saw something else in his eyes, something she saw in herself: loneliness.
Then, the Third Task happened, and Potter returned bloodied and beaten, claiming that You-Know-Who had returned. She thought he was crazy until the next day, when Draco told her that their time to rise to their full power and prestige was upon them and she realized that Harry might be right. An owl from her grandfather came a few days later that made her whole-body tremble, her father had been killed.
Her grandfather didn't give any specifics, but he mentioned that the man died fighting for a cause that only fools and monsters would support. She knew for sure right then and there that the Dark Lord had indeed returned, and everyone would pay the price. She felt many different emotions at the time: anger at Harry for killing the only parent she had (whether she hated him or not), disappointment in her father for not giving up on Voldemort's orders, sadness in being even more alone than before, and finally, slight joy in being free from her father's thumb. Although, as the summer went by, she realized it was only a matter of time before that freedom was taken away when she would have to marry Draco.
She was currently sitting in her room, when her House Elf Poppy walked in, "Mistress Pansy, Master Desmend requests your presence in the study."
Pansy sighed and nodded, making her way to the family study. Upon entering, she saw her grandfather, Lord Desmend Parkinson, sitting at his desk and despite being almost 70, he looked as strong as ever. It was the worst kept secret in Britian that Desmend disagreed vehemently with his son's choices and joining Voldemort's Death Eater cult, which is why he refused to give up his status as Lord of the House. He made sure to instill early on in her life to never fall down the same dark path her father did, which her mother agreed to, and continued to do so, even after her mother was emitted to St. Mungo's.
Desmend gave a small smile, "Pansy, dear, how are you feeling?"
Pansy shrugged, "Ok, all things considered."
He nodded, "Good, I hoped that the grief would not overtake you, especially given the circumstances. I still find it hard to believe that my own flesh and blood could be so foolish enough to follow that monster to the depths of Hell, now quite literally doing so. Every day, I wonder what I could have done differently, but I don't want you thinking such things. He made his choices and those choices led to this. You couldn't have changed his mind; he was set in his ways before you were even born. Do you understand?"
Pansy nodded and he continued, "On to other business, then. With your father gone, a new heir to the House of Parkinson is needed and I'll be naming you. Also, any deals and contracts he made, while assuming he would become Lord Parkinson one day, I have voided, including his proposed contract to marry you to Draco Malfoy."
Pansy felt her heart stop, "W-what?"
Desmend sighed, "I'm not lying Pansy, you will lead this house upon my death, which given the current climate, might happen sooner than either of us would like. You are smart, talented, and can speak her mind when needed. It's also why I'm not going through with this proposed contract, not that I ever did, to betroth you to the Malfoy heir. I don't want you to end up like your poor mother or someone as bitter and cold as Narcissa. It will be alright, I never agreed to the contract in all the time since your father first wrote it up, everyone just assumed it would happen one day since your father would one day become Lord Parkinson, but that obviously can't happen anymore."
Pansy just sat there stunned until she said, "But grandfather, the Malfoy's won't forget this slight. They will most certainly seek retaliation and considering certain developments, we will be in danger."
Desmend shook his head, "I will most certainly have a target on my back for this Pansy, but here is still a chance for you to find an escape and perhaps happiness even. You will need a strong ally to protect you if I don't make it, and I'm not talking about the Greengrass's."
Pansy was confused, "Who then? No one is brave enough to fight Malfoy or his Master."
Desmend smirked, "There is one person, Pansy and his name is Harry Potter. At his trial last week, it was revealed that he has been emancipated and the smart people in that Hall noticed that he was likely holding in other secrets that have gone undetected by the Ministry. When he claims his lordship, assuming he hasn't done so already, he will have the political power to protect you if you make an alliance between our houses. I can tell he is already making plans to fight the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters, and you should get in close to his Inner Circle of trust if you want to survive. I will not live forever, Pansy and with your parents gone, no one will be able to save you from Malfoy and his cronies, except for Potter."
Pansy had her jaw dropped again, "I don't know if Potter will accept my friendship after all I have done in order to ensure my survival within Malfoy's Slytherin."
Desmend chuckled, "Life, much like magic, works in mysterious ways, Pansy. A person is only beaten when they give up all hope. If you remember any of my teachings, I hope it is that."
Pansy nodded and thought to herself, "Well, it seems I can't put this off any longer, I need to speak with Harry; about my father, the Dark Lord, Draco, everything. I wonder if Daphne and Tracey are having as many problems as me."
Tracey Davis was as far from a traditional witch, and by default far from a traditional Slytherin, as one could get. She was not born into a noble house, or any kind of family house for that matter, as her father had no claim to any mass fortune or title; rather, he was just an ordinary and hardworking wizard, who eventually became a successful healer at St. Mungo's. He married a muggle woman he had met on a trip, her mother, after dating for a few months and they had her a year later. They had been very lucky that her father had been best friends with Cyrus Greengrass since Hogwarts, as the young family of three had to hide away at Greengrass Manor until the Dark Lord fell and most of the Death Eaters were either imprisoned or hid behind their money. That friendship continued for another generation as the eldest Greengrass daughter, Daphne, became her best friend as they developed a bond closer than most sisters while growing up. Unfortunately, not everyone was very accepting of the fact that a Half-Blood no name was so close to the heiress to the future Lady Greengrass, especially all of the Purebloods.
Upon reaching Hogwarts, not even You-Know-Who himself could destroy the bond that Daphne and Tracey had forged, but that didn't stop the vainly hidden looks of disgust and verbal jabs when they were both sorted into Slytherin. It became very clear that no one wanted to befriend either of them, though many wanted to marry them either for their looks or (in Daphne's case) their money. Only Pansy Parkinson, of all people, turned out to be the only friend that the two could genuinely make, but they were ok with that. It was them against the world and nothing would change that, that is until they met Harry Potter last year.
She knew who Harry Potter was the second she saw him, and she was kind of amused that all the stories that all these girls grew up on were nothing more than that, stories. She didn't make fun of the guy or his friends like everyone else in her house did, that would make her a hypocrite considering what was said about her. She was always curious about the rumors concerning his end of the year adventures that made her gape in disbelief and she loved his performance as a seeker, being the Quidditch junkie she was. God, she wished she could play but that was a pipe dream considering the team was all males from prominent families like Malfoy. At the end of the day, though, she didn't pay attention to Harry and just treated him as a regular person and as a stranger she didn't know.
Then, she got paired up with him in Astronomy and her world would change forever as she finally met someone who she could count as another friend, which he proved by telling them that Draco wasn't meant to be Lord Black and guaranteed that the real heir had no interest in forcing Daphne's sister, Astoria, to marry him. Tracey could tell that Harry was not meant to reveal that information, which she knew could cause massive ramifications in the Magical Britain, but he did it anyway just to give Daphne some piece of mind. After that, she decided to get to know Harry a little, and she was happy that she wasn't disappointed as he proved to be charming, brave, kind, and a loyal friend. When his name came out of the Goblet of Fire as his entire house, including Granger and Weasley, she was very nervous for her new friend and his already fragile mental state, but he came back strong and ready to survive the tournament and she swore that she would be there for him so many people would confuse her for a Hufflepuff.
She watched him conquer one of the most dangerous dragons ever to exist with a crazy spell and no one was cheering as loud as her, same when he saved two hostages in the Black Lake. As the year went on, she got to know him on a more personal level and she could tell that every time they hung out, whether in a group or them alone, that his burdens seemed a lot lighter, and she would never forget what he told her a few months ago.
"You know, Trace, I would have given anything to have a friend like you when I was a kid. You're smart, funny as hell, brave, loyal to a fault, and you don't care what anyone says about you. I spent my whole childhood on the whims and hatred of others, that I gave up trying to live life to the fullest, but I think that if I had met you then, I would have experienced this happiness I have now much sooner.", he said once, shocking her to her core.
The, the Third Task happened, and her heart stopped for a minute when she saw the state he was in when he returned from the maze, not recognizing the slight feelings of jealousy she had at seeing those three girls embracing him until much later. She visited him in the hospital many times, and she could feel something deeper growing within her regarding Harry, but she couldn't tell what. She was terrified of losing him and wanted more of him in her life, she knew that much. Honestly, it was as if she-.
Her thoughts trailed off as she realized, "OH, SHIT! I'm in love with Harry!?"
"Well, I'm glad to know someone has caught your eye, I was beginning to wonder. So, when do we get to meet this, Harry?", chuckled a feminine voice.
Tracey whirled around to see her mother and her father standing there, the former have an evil grin that promised endless amounts of teasing and questions and the latter looking like he is contemplating using one of the Unforgivable Curses.
Through gritted teeth, her father asked, "Yes, I would like to meet this…Harry."
Tracey grumbled over her big mouth causing more trouble, "Never, I-I made it up to…fool you. Yeah, got you. Now, what's up?"
Neither of her parents seemed convinced, but decided not to push it, "We were actually coming to tell you pack your things for Hogwarts now, you'll be spending the last few days of summer at the Greengrass' and will be living there for the foreseeable future and so will we."
Tracey went wide-eyed, "What are you talking about? What's going on?"
Her parents were unusually serious as they exchanged nervous looks before her father said, "We'll explain once we get there, this is serious Tracey, no time for dillydallying or your jokes. Get moving, we'll be leaving in an hour."
Her parents turned around and now Tracey groaned at having more troubling thoughts being placed on her. Harry and her feelings, the return of a potentially dangerous Dark Wizard, and now her parents were acting weird. "Ugh, what happened to the days when I could goof off, becoming an adult sucks. I wonder how Daph's doing right now?", she thought.
Daphne Greengrass possessed many of the qualities that an heiress to an Ancient and Noble House is meant to have in spades. She was beautiful, smart, cunning, focused, strong, and above all, was willing to do anything for her family. She was also a total Ice Queen as she was cold and sometimes condescending to anyone who wasn't close to her, especially those lecherous boys in Slytherin who eyed her like a piece of meat. She hated that mask she was forced to wear all day every day outside her dorm room when she was alone with Tracey and Pansy, but she had to if she wanted to scare off all of those horrid men. No, she learned long ago who the only people she could truly love in such a world full of political and social corruption and prejudice were and she was fine with maintaining that status quo.
Then, a year ago, her parents sat her and Astoria down and told her that Lucius Malfoy was sniffing around to sign a marriage contract between his son Draco and Astoria as he needed a Lady Black when he took up the title of Lord Black. She started raging and cursing while her poor sweet sister started crying, until her father told them that he denied Malfoy's request, but he also said that the Wizengamot will begin putting pressure on them since the Black line must continue and the corrupt government of Purebloods will see Astoria as the perfect choice. The only reason she was safe was because she will become Lady Greengrass, that, and her temper.
She spent the first weeks of last term at Hogwarts in a foul mood, scaring off more than usual, until Harry bloody Potter of all people gave her some peace. When Tracey told, her what Potter had said to her about how there was another Heir Black, she thought it another cruel trick by a git looking to screw with her. But then, she received a confirmation letter from Gringotts stating there was indeed someone else who would take the title of Lord Black instead of Malfoy. She jumped for joy, much to the shock and amusement of her sister and friends and thanked Harry profusely for giving her hope and even told him he can have anything he wants, but she was surprised when he told all he wanted was the secret about the Black title maintained and her happiness.
It was after that, through all his time spent with Tracey, that she began to take more notice in the boy whose legends and stories she wrote off as an ego trip and false rumors. He was perhaps the first boy she noticed who didn't care about her wealth or her looks and was very kind to her and her sister, but she also noticed something else. She realized, especially after the Goblet of Fire incident, that he also had been wearing a mask just like her to hide his true feelings, and she saw that under that mask of happiness and bravery was sadness and loneliness. She did her best, when she saw him, to ease off those feelings of his and she think it worked and for some reason that she couldn't explain, she really enjoyed spending time with him. When the Third Task ended and Harry was injured, claiming alongside Dumbledore that the Dark Lord had returned, she thought he had gone mental. That was until Draco had called all the Slytherins together in the common room claiming that the time to retake Magical Britain and return it to its proper glory was upon us, and that made her realize that things were about to get much worse for them.
Harry though, when she last saw him, was all smiles and confident as ever and told her that his secret friend had been accepted as the next Lord Black and would be ascending to the title soon, and no plans to marry Astoria. That was really the only piece of good news they had all summer as their parents kept them in the house all summer and her father was getting more and more anxious as the days came and gone. The Greengrass's, while respecting Pureblood traditions, didn't practice most of them anymore and that was why they considered a neutral family and had no stake in the last war. The Death Eaters like Malfoy, however, never forgot that and now they will do anything to ensure her family's money and status was their' s…one way or another.
Daphne was brought out of her musings by her sister, "What are you thinking about so hard?"
She shook her head, "Nothing, Stori. What are you doing here?"
"Mum and dad want to see us, they seemed serious.", Astoria said.
Daphne narrowed her eyes, but nodded as she followed her sister to the family room. There, they saw their parents, Lord Cyrus and Lady Roxanne Greengrass, loving parents who were stern in their beliefs and rules, but also fair and loving. The adults told their daughters to sit down, and Daphne had a sense of De ja vu back to their conversation a year ago, which didn't bold well.
"We wanted to tell you girls that the Davises will be staying here for the foreseeable future, and when you two and Tracey go back to school, we want you to take extra precautions to protect yourself.", said a gravely serious Cyrus.
Daphne had alarm bells ringing in her head, "Does this has something to do with what Harry Potter and Professor Dumbledore said at the end of last year…about You-Know-Who?"
Cyrus and Roxanne tensed up as her mother said, "Do not go looking around for answers to questions you shouldn't ask, Daphne. I know your friends with Mr. Potter, but you shouldn't get too close, because there many people looking to make an example of him, and I'm not just talking about Fudge."
Daphne frowned, "Harry's nice and a real friend, he told us that Astoria wouldn't have to marry that prick Malfoy as someone else will be Lord Black."
Cyrus nodded, "Yes, I still can't believe he is in possession of such a secret, once that gets out, all hell is going to break loose. All the more reason to be cautious around him since he is now public enemy #1 and Malfoy could still try to force one of you to be a wife for his son, especially now since Pansy Parkinson might not to have to marry him."
Daphne and Astoria went wide-eyed, "What are you talking about?"
Roxanne shook her head, "You will both find out the next time you see her. Now, we need to get ready to greet our guests. And Daphne, when did Mr. Potter become Harry? You never refer anyone by their first name ever, except for Tracey and Pansy."
Daphne stuttered and blushed, "W-what are y-you implying, mother?"
Roxanne smiled, "Nothing dearie, now come, let's get the house ready. When they get here, we will be heading to Diagon Alley to collect your new school supplies for the new term."
Astoria followed her mother out, but Cyrus held her back, "I mean it Daphne, things are getting worse out there and will continue to do so. I won't be able to protect you at Hogwarts, so you need to surround yourself with people you can trust to keep you, Astoria, and Tracey safe like the Bones heiress you used to be friends with or someone else. I love you Daphne, and I just want you to be safe."
Daphne gave a genuine smile that she reserved for family, "I love you too, father."
Cyrus and Daphne hugged and went towards her mother as her mind went ramped with thoughts and plans. "You might not want me and the others near Harry father, but I think he might be the only one who can help us, and maybe the country."
Hannah Abbott, if anyone saw her right now, would assume they're looking at a corpse as her hair was undone from her usual ponytails and wild, she was pale with bags under her red eyes, and her face was as expressionless as it had been all summer. That's what happens when you realize you're responsible for your own mother's murder.
Hannah loved her mother more than anything, she taught her so much about life and magic, always with passion and love. "Magic has no power without love behind it.", she always said. It was her mother always telling her that made her believe love and friendship was the most important thing in the world and it made her strive to show kindness and goodwill towards all, eventually letting her be sorted into Hufflepuff.
When she got to Hogwarts, she went out of her way to be kind to everyone she came across, regardless of age and house affiliation. For a while, she was completely content in her life as she had great parents, her long-time best friend Susan Bones, good grades, and the respect of her peers and professors. However, she wasn't proud of all her actions during her first few years as, during her second year, she bought in to the fear and hatred against Harry Potter and even helped ostracize him like many other Puffs all because she was too meek and gave into peer pressure. Eventually, it would be revealed that he was innocent, and she felt horrible, but every time she tried to apologize, he didn't seem to accept or caring towards her and that hurt her more than she dared to admit; eventually, they just ignored each other.
After third year ended, Ernie MacMillan (another Hufflepuff in her year) took an interest in her and whose family was trying to get her parents to sign a marriage contract. Her mother was hearing none of it and even went as far as to tell her to stay away from Ernie due to rumors of his father being involved with the Death Eaters. Hannah shrugged that off, though, and proceeded to date Ernie behind her back, something that Susan repeatedly told her was foolish. At first, everything was great as Ernie seemed to be a perfect gentleman and could do no wrong, but then Ernie got a lot more possessive and grabbier, often making her uncomfortable. He was also telling her how she should not be so kind to lesser people with no family power.
Everything came to a head during the Yule Ball last year when, Ernie had decided that enough was enough and grabbed her forcefully and her mind knew what was about to happen and she was too weak to do anything. Then, out of nowhere, Ernie was blown away and frozen in place by the last person she ever thought would saver, Harry Potter, whom she had demeaned and mocked. He rescued her, brought her to a safe place for comfort, and even went as far as to share a personal part of his life that was hard to talk about; needless to say, her entire worldview had been shattered that night and she felt ashamed of what she had become over the course of the last year. For the next few weeks, she saw Harry spending time with Susan, and to her surprise, he asked if she wanted to join. "You've been through a lot recently, you shouldn't have to feel alone, I know what that's like. I know we have never gotten on the right foot, but I'm willing if you are.", he told her.
After that, she did her best to be friendly with Harry and everyone else she had wronged while she was with Ernie, her mother had been quite angry when she told her everything. However, when all was said and done, her mother held her and told her she was proud of her for making things right. It was also the last time she saw her mother alive.
After Ernie got off light with punishment, mainly due to Ministry interference, as they only suspended him for the rest of term and he'll be returning this year, her mother confronted Ernie's father, stating there would be no contract and any further incident would cause a blood feud between their houses. Her father was not pleased when she did that, but he did understand and would support her, but then, her mother went missing at the beginning of June. The Aurors, including Susan's aunt, searched high and low for weeks, but found no leads whatsoever.
Then, on the day of term, Amelia Bones came to her dorm personally with a solemn look and told her that her mother was gone, by the killing curse no less. She wailed in Susan's arms for close to an hour as the whole Hufflepuff common room heard her crying and screaming. When she calmed down, Professor Sprout told her that the headmaster agreed to let her go home then instead of taking the train, so she said goodbye to Susan and Amelia took her home to be with her depressed father. After the funeral a few weeks later, she and her father were approached by Ernie and his father practically demanding they sign the marriage contract or there would be further…consequences. She had realized in that terrible moment that the MacMillan family had arranged her mother's murder and all she wanted to do was pull out her wand to blow his head off, but her father held her down tightly until after the Macmillan's left.
She cried herself to sleep that night, not that she was sleeping that well to begin with, as she realized that she was responsible for her mother's death. If she just kept her mouth shut, her mum would still be here to help her and wouldn't feel so alone. When she told Susan all this, her friend repeatedly reassured her that it wasn't her fault, but she was so lost in her own grief that she didn't bother to listen.
Hannah was lying in bed when father walked in, "Hannah, sweetie, how are you feeling?"
Hannah weekly responded, "How do you think?"
Her father sighed, "I don't want to upset you further, but I want to be honest with you so you can be prepared. The Macmillan's have gone to the Ministry to push the contract forward through unofficial channels, and they'll start pressuring me to sign it. Given the more unsavory rumors about a potential…change in leadership for the country, the most I can do is delay it until after you can complete your OWL's this year and then you'll spend your last two years betrothed, getting married after you graduate. I'm sorry, Hannah."
Hannah shook her head, "It doesn't matter, anymore. So long as you and Susan are safe, I'll be alright. These changes you're talking about, does it have to do with anything with Voldemort?"
If she wasn't so depressed, she would have laughed at the usually serious John Abbott go slack jawed and eyes bulge out of his head, "Are you insane!? Don't say that name!"
Hannah shrugged, not really caring anymore, "Whatever, dad. He's going to hurt us either way, you might as well not bother fearing the name anymore. So, I'm guessing I'm right."
John sighed, "Nothing has been confirmed, nor will it so long as Fudge is in charge and Malfoy whispers in his ear, but I've seen all this before during the last war. The disappearances, the Pureblood mania, and the killings."
Hannah flinched, but he continued, "Regardless, we need to prepare for the future, no matter how awful it may be. I…have never been very good at saying the right thing, your mother was always good at lifting other people's spirits. That's why I loved her so much, my Sarah. All I can do is protect you to the best way I can, but that's not saying much. I love you, Hannah and so did your mother, don't you think your responsible for what happened. She wouldn't want that, just remember the good and not the bad, that's what she always said."
Hannah gave a ghost of a smile, "Thanks, dad. I'll be down for supper later, after I finish packing. I can at least enjoy one last year of freedom at school."
Her father nodded and left Hannah to her thoughts. She finally got of bed and started packing, still lost in the fog of all her problems and how she feels like just giving up. She stops and thinks to herself, "Harry, what would you do?"
Susan Bones sighed to herself for what felt like the thousandth time as she stared down at her recent edition of the Daily Prophet, which was once again slandering her good friend Harry Potter. Ever since the Third Task, when Harry returned from the Maze half-dead, all bloody hell has gone loose. Her aunt has been coming home overworked and furious at both the unexplained disappearances and dealing with Fudge, she even started making Susan take more self-defense classes. Something was very wrong, and her aunt wasn't telling her, but she knew it had something to do with You-Know-Who like Harry had warned everyone about and Susan had never been more convinced he was telling the truth.
As one of only two remaining members of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Bones after her parents and the rest of the family were killed, minus her aunt and herself, Susan knew just how dangerous the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters were. She often spent much of her childhood crying about how she never knew her parents and how she envied all the other kids at school when she saw them interact with their mothers or fathers. She still loved her aunt, though, who gave up all her happiness and worked twice as hard to raise her right and more importantly, safe. One positive thing though was she learned to appreciate her loved ones and despite her shy and happy demeanor, she would fight with her life on the line.
She smiled to herself when she thought about Harry, and how close the two friends had become since last year, though Susan wanted more. Like every girl her age, she grew up on stories of the Boy-Who-Lived and how dreamy and brave he was, so you can imagine everyone's shock that Harry seemed almost as timid as her with little to no knowledge about the Magical world he saved. However, to Susan, he was perfect in almost every way since he polite, smart, brave, and shared many of the pains that her other friends couldn't understand. They never really spoke in length during their first three years, but she considered him a friend and always stood up for him whenever someone tried to ruin his reputation like her own fellow Hufflepuffs did in her Second year. Last year, though, they became close friends, and she supported him when he was clearly in a bad place mentally and emotionally, promising him that she would stand by him, and she had eventually realized that she was in love with him.
After he came back from the Third Task, she felt immense jealousy when she saw her old Housemate Tonks, the Beauxbatons champion Fleur, and Penelope Clearwater embracing him like lovers, but she didn't say anything, only making sure he was okay afterwards. Then, to pour on the bad news, Hannah's mother was killed and there are no suspects and no evidence, and Susan has had to comfort her best friend all summer with little to no success. Now, the news is being biased and her aunt's going to snap, leaving Susan to wonder what she could do to help.
A knock on her door interrupted her thoughts as her Auntie came in, "Susan, are you ok? Have you been reading that drag again, I have half a mind to cancel the subscription?"
Susan shook her head, "It's fine, I just hate how Harry is being slandered for telling the truth."
Amelia raised an eyebrow, "You believe him?"
Susan nodded vehemently, "Harry wouldn't lie about something about this, and considering the stories he told me about during his time in Hogwarts, I believe that the Dark Lord has returned to bring terror to our country again."
Amelia was shocked slightly at her usually shy niece be so fiery, "What kind of stories?"
Susan fidgeted, "Stuff you probably wouldn't believe without concrete proof or knowing Harry like I do. Though it would definitely show that something is wrong and has been wrong ever since we got to Hogwarts."
Amelia just stared without an expression for a minute before she said, "Well, I'll just have to speak with Mr. Potter when I next get the chance. For now, though, I want to spend our last day going over some practical defensive spells. I'm afraid you won't likely be doing much of it this year in DADA, and I want you to be prepared should any of young Harry's claims turn out true."
Susan tilted her head confused, "What are you talking about, what's DADA going to be like?"
Amelia just looked frustrated, "You'll find out tomorrow, just be careful and don't do something too foolish this year, though this is you we are talking about, and you never get in trouble. I sometimes forget you're my brother's daughter since all he did was get in trouble, kind of like your darling Harry."
Susan blushed and her aunt smirked, "W-what do you mean?"
Amelia chuckled, "Oh nothing, dear. I'm sure Harry is going faint when he sees how much you've grown this summer…in all areas."
"AUNTIE!", Susan screeched as her aunt just laughed at her embarrassed niece.
Su Li was usually a shy and reserved girl who valued intelligence and hard workers, but now she was walking around her family's home with an angry face instead of her trademark small smile. Her father was throwing another one of his parties with all of his business partners and their families, or rather their important male sons who will become titans in their respective fields one day in Magical China and other countries. Of course, her father wasn't interested in showing off her or her accomplishments, only her good looks and what she offered as a wife.
Su was born as the sole heir to the Li family fortune as her mother could never have any more children after complications with her birth, and while parents raised her with her love and were proud of her, she could tell her father wanted a son. It really wasn't a surprise last May when her father told her that he was feeling out potential suitors for her, she was too shy to even protest.
Even from a young age, she studied hard for long hours I order to stand out from all the other students and show her father that she was smart enough to run their businesses by herself without any man running what was meant to be hers. While he did acknowledge her impressive grades and treated her like a princess, he was still to stuck in his Pureblood and traditional values, just not a bigot like they are in Britain. Eventually, she gave up on wanting to change his mind and just wanted to have a little freedom before she had to share her life with someone that she probably didn't like. Therefore, she asked to study at her mother's old school at Hogwarts, where no one would really care who she was and maybe have some fun before she had to settle down; although, she wasn't exactly an expert in fun, usually with her head in a book.
Her father eventually relented, thanks to her mother's pleas, and she was off to Hogwarts, and her becoming a Ravenclaw was no surprise and for a while, it was great. As time went on, though, while she was learning a lot and the people treated her kindly, she really didn't have any friends or stories to brag about after three years, except for her friend Cho Chang and a quirky girl in the year below her named Luna Lovegood. When Fourth Year started, she just decided to keep to the books and forget about having adventure or escaping her fate, until she met Harry Potter when sat next to her in Charms class.
She knew of Harry, like everyone else, but being a foreigner, she wasn't exactly infatuated with his legend, something he apparently was quite grateful for. The two became fast friends as the year went on and she was one of only four Ravenclaws who believed that he didn't enter his name in the Goblet of Fire willingly. He was everything she wanted in a partner with his bravery, intelligence, kindness, and he was very handsome and slowly, but surely, she started to fall for Harry, but there was nothing she could do. She knew her father would likely never approve the match, even though Harry did come from a wealthy family, her father would never approve of her marrying a foreigner especially now with Harry's reputation being dragged through the mud.
"Su, sweetheart, can you come here? I want to meet someone.", she heard her father call her.
Su groaned but put on a fake smile and made her way towards her father, who was conversing with the head of the Sung family and his son. They exchanged some pleasantries and Su reluctantly made small talk until the son, Ken, opened his mouth.
"So, Su, what's it like studying in Britain? I hear things are not well for the English, and your headmaster is spreading lies, along with that supposed savior of theirs, Henry something."
She gritted her teeth and said, "Harry, Harry Potter."
He nodded, "Right, I hear he is some sort of degenerate who consorts with half-breeds and spits in the face of traditional values."
Su dropped her fake smile and glared with a scowl, "Harry Potter is a kind and brave man, who never had anything handed to him unlike other people in this room!"
Everyone in the vicinity stopped talking and looked at Su in shock, who went pale at what she just said, and looked over to see her father was not happy with her. He motioned over to her mother to take her away to cool off, while he likely did damage control. She didn't hear much of what he was saying to the guests before her mother dragged her away, but she heard him say things like she was under a lot of stress and was anxious due to the trouble in England.
Eventually, her mother dragged them to the pond outside where no one was around and asked her, "I know you hate this, but what happened back there?"
Su shook her head, "Nothing, I'm just sick of guys like that who badmouth people who actually have to work have for what they have and are actually decent human beings."
Her mother raised a brow, "All people or just Harry Potter?"
Su froze, "What do you mean?"
Her mother sighed, "You forget I was a Ravenclaw too, Su. I know by your letters and reactions how you feel about that boy, but you need to forget about that. I know it's unfair, but you need to be realistic and remember that you two come from different worlds and have different expectations set for each of you. I know arranged marriages are, by nature, loveless, but your father and I were arranged, and we grew to love each other, and I have faith that whoever you marry will give you a life full of love and happiness. I'll leave you out here to cool off and I want you to think long and hard about what you want and what you're willing to compromise."
Her mother left to head back out to the party, leaving Su on the bench to her thoughts. She thought about what her mother said and there was always a chance, no matter how small, that she was right about arranged marriages. The problem is that she thinks she's already in love, and any future husband her father marries her off to won't compare.
The Gryffindor Chaser Trio, composed of Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet, and Katie Bell, were often thought of as one mind and body as they did everything together and if it wasn't for the fact that they looked different from each other, most would believe them to be triplets since they are closer than most sisters. Angelina was the leader and took on the older sister role that allowed her to deal with any problem on the pitch or off. Alicia was the serious and sarcastic middle sister who had problems she never shared with anyone but them. Finally, Katie was the wild youngest sister who was a free spirit and the heart of the group. Together, though, they combined their unique traits to do anything they set their minds too.
Angelina was born into a well-off magical family where her father worked as a manager for Quidditch players and her mother was the Operations Manager for the Holyhead Harpies, it's how they met actually. As a young girl, she practically grew up on the Quidditch Pitch, but she didn't realize how talented she was at the sport until she tried out for chaser on the House team and immediately knew what she wanted to do after graduation. It would also be where she would meet her two best friends Alicia and Katie, whom she knew that as a trio, would convince any team to sign all of them. She also cared for her other teammates like Oliver Wood and the Weasley twins, one of whom she used to have feelings for, but the one who had a special place in her heart was Harry. She remembered when Wood introduced the shy and jittery boy who looked like he only had one meal a day and she thought they were doomed for failure, but boy, did he prove her wrong in that first game when they won by him actually swallowing the snitch. They became good teammates and even better friends from there as she loved teasing him and looking out for him where she could. Then, the Goblet of Fire incident happened, and she foolishly allowed herself to believe that Harry had cheated, and it wasn't till later that she realized that he was suffering from the isolation from Gryffindor House and for the first time ever, she finally felt what it was like to lose. She, Alicia, and Katie eventually wised up and apologized to Harry and he seemed willing to start fresh with unlike the rest of the House, but she should have done it so much sooner, but she was afraid of being isolated like Harry. "Some brave Gryffindor you are.", she thought about herself bitterly.
Alicia did not have what many would call a happy childhood, as her father often abused her and her mother even from a young age, both physically and verbally, being a bitter man who couldn't handle the responsibilities of being a family man and felt they somehow held him back from his dreams. One day, he came home drunk and beat her mother so bad that she had to be sent to St. Mungo's and her father was sent to Azkaban for thirty years after an investigation. Her physical scars healed, but she gained the mentality that she could never bring herself to trust another man ever again, but she did learn not to live in fear anymore. She eventually found a talent as a Quidditch chaser, quite ironic since her father always blamed her for being the reason, he could never achieve his dream of going pro, and met her two best friends Angelina and Katie. Then, in her third year, she met her new teammate Harry Potter and while her other friends just saw him as naturally skittish and reserved, but to her, it was like looking in a mirror as she could tell he had likely gone through the same pain she had. She wasn't sure about letting another person learn the darker parts of her past, even Angie and Katie only had a vague idea, but soon enough, she and Harry trusted each other enough to share some of their experiences in small therapy sessions that actually helped both of them move on and they became good friends. Then, after Harry's name came out of the Goblet, all of those old feelings of betrayal reared its ugly head and she cut him off. As time went on, however, and she saw the terrors he went through in the tournament and the pure sadness in his eyes, she knew she was wrong and had done what she promised Harry she would never do, abandon him. She and the others apologized, but she doesn't know if Harry will ever forgive them, she wouldn't.
Katie, like many muggleborns, was in awe of the magical world when it was first introduced to her five years ago, she had always been an adventurous spirit and where could she hope to find more adventure than in a magical school. She took to everything related to magic rather easily, but she never felt more alive than the first time she rode a broom, and it was then that she knew she wanted to spend the rest of her life flying high in the air, which led her to try out for the House team and she became a chaser alongside her new friends, Angelina and Alicia. She was a year younger than them by a year, but once the three fell into a rhythm, on and off the pitch, they became known as the Chaser Trio and everyone knew that they would one day change the face of Quidditch, especially for female players like Gwyneth Jones did. A year later, she met Harry Potter, the freaking Boy-Who-Lived, and while he wasn't what anyone was expecting, she still thought him brave, sweet, cute, and a hell of a flyer as they developed a strong friendship. Then, that blasted Goblet revealed his name and she forced to watch from the sidelines as her friend continued to go through more hardships than he did the three years previous, from what he told her about his adventures, and her heart clenched from what she saw, and it was then that her longing for him meant that she was in love with him. She grew jealous when she saw Clearwater, that pink haired Auror, and Delacour spend time with him, but she knew it was her own fault for isolating him and not telling him about her feelings. She talked with Angie and Alicia, and they finally acted like proper Gryffindors and apologized to Harry, and he agreed to try to move past what happened and that he missed them, which made her heart flutter, but she still couldn't tell him her feelings.
These were the collective thoughts of the three young ladies who were in the yard of Angelina's home, practicing for the new Quidditch season. Losing out on a whole year would be usually detrimental, sometimes career suicide, to getting seen by scouts, but the three of them have been sought out by the major team's representatives almost their entire tenure at school. Though, with this being Angie and Alicia's last year, every game will count to prove to the scouts that they're worth signing and work best as a package deal, they'll be on the bench their first year anyway, so it doesn't matter if Katie has another year of school before being signed. They had been outside running drills and practicing, but the rust was apparent, and they all mentally checked out thinking about Harry.
They were taking a breather on the lawn when Angie sighed, "Okay, we need to clear the air."
Alicia raised a brow, "About what?"
Angie exhaled loudly, "About Harry."
Katie flinched and Alicia froze as Angie continued, "We fucked up last year when we didn't speak up for Harry and we almost lost a person who means so much to us. Now, with all this crazy shit going on he's going to need us."
Alicia sent a not to discreet glance at Katie, "Maybe something a little more."
Katie blushed slightly, "I told you I'm not telling him. I've decided to give up on that."
Alicia shook her head, "Unbelievable, you love him but won't tell him and you're going to end up letting him walk straight into the arms of those other girls. Who knows what they've been doing all summer?"
Katie balled her fists and growled, "I don't want to talk about this, we need to focus on helping Harry when school starts."
Angie nodded her head, "Harry's going to be targeted by everyone, students from all Houses, a few of the teachers, reporters, government wankers, dark wizards, and even the Minister. They might try to control or even sabotage his life on every level, which could hurt him long-term, especially in his OWL year. So, I think we should try to study and practice spells with Harry, so he can prepare for the OWL's, without the fear of getting screwed over, and we could practice for our NEWT's."
Alicia nodded in agreement, "That sounds good, though, it'll be a miracle if we can convince him to stay on the House team with us, since he hates Gryffindor now."
Katie shook her head with a sad smile, "That's what makes Harry special, despite all that's happened to him, he really doesn't allow hate to rule his heart. He does genuinely hate some people like You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters, but the rest he just ignores or considers precious to him. I didn't realize how much I meant to Harry and vice versa, until last year."
The other two girls just nodded, also better appreciating their bond with Harry after realizing how much they had missed him. Angie and Alicia had very little kind words to say about the boys in Hogwarts, the Weasley twins were nice and were handsome, but nothing serious ever came about with them, Oliver Wood was also a good bloke, but he was gone now. Every other boy at Hogwarts, with the exception of Harry and his friend Neville, was a pervert, an arse, a bigot, an idiot, or a nutter. Harry was kind and brave, and really handsome-. "Wait, Handsome!? Where did that come from?", thought both Angie and Alicia before shaking away such thoughts.
Katie was oblivious to their thoughts, but spoke up, "I agree with Angie, we need to show Harry we care and that we're serious about getting his forgiveness. School, Quidditch, politics, it doesn't matter, I'll help Harry however I can."
Alicia smirked, "Really, anything?"
Katie fidgeted, "Y-yeah…why?"
Alicia smiled brightly, "Maybe we could convince him by joining him in the showers after a game and give him a triple blowjob?"
Angie spit out her water as a barely noticeable blush appeared on her face and Katie…fainted.