Entering the LeStrange Vault, Harry watched as Ragnok nullified the Flagrante and Gemino curses, making it so the treasures within wouldn't burn and multiply.
"You may collect the cup," Ragnok said, watching with sharp eyes as Sirius walked into the Vault.
Sirius didn't dally and practically ran to the cup; he wanted this to be over with as quickly as possible. Picking up the cup, Sirius barely withheld his shudder as the Dark magic washed over him. As he was no longer renouncing his magical affinity, Sirius found the presence of powerful Dark magic almost intoxicating. It wasn't an exactly pleasant experience, but it was overwhelming.
Seeing Sirius struggle, Harry held out his hands as he rejoined him and Ragnok at the doors to the Vault.
"Let me have it, Sirius, its magic doesn't affect me," Harry told his godfather.
Taking a breath, Sirius handed the cup over. As he was no longer touching it, its presence wasn't as bad - he could still feel it, but it was diluted.
Placing the cup into his pocket after wandlessly shrinking it, Harry turned to Ragnok. "Thank you, my friend. I understand that doing this was difficult for you, but know I appreciate it and all you have done for me. May your Vaults never empty and your enemy's blood run cold," Harry said.
Ragnok inclined his head. "I thank you, and may your gold overflow. However, we shall never speak of this again," he said with finality.
Harry sent Sirius a look. "Never," he promised.
Instead of returning to Ragnok's office, Harry and Sirius said their goodbye and returned to Grimmauld Place. Having the extra two horcruxes on him had made Harry feel almost giddy, their presence soothing him.
Going to his room, Harry carefully dispelled the charms and hexes around the box containing the diary and placed the ring and cup inside.
Looking at the diary he had a moment of intense longing - he could talk to Tom….
He quickly buried the desire; the soul piece in the diary wasn't really his soulmate he had to remind himself—and it was also a soul leech. If Harry used the diary he would have to be careful - the spells on it would easily drain him of both his magic and his life.
~
After collecting the ring, the rest of the summer weeks flew by for Harry. This was the first summer that he was completely free to do whatever he wanted and although the lack of purpose was frustrating, Harry soon found ways to amuse himself.
Spending most of his time in the library, Harry soon found books which drew and captured his attention, most notably a book on Parselmagic. Why the Black family library had such a book when there was no known Black family Speaker, Harry didn't know, but he was grateful. Although the book was small, Harry found the spells inside quite interesting. They were not necessarily Dark, but Harry doubted they would be legal in this pro-Light government. Most of the spells in the book were basic; all they required was the user to speak Parseltongue—they were mostly charms and a few minor hexes.
However, there were some much Darker spells that Harry vaguely recognised from the last war - spells Harry had assumed Voldemort had created. There were spells which left the victim without blood as theirs boiled from within, spells which trapped a person in their nightmares unable to escape, spells which caused hair to grow inwards. These spells Harry did teach himself - he had no real plans on using them but one never knew. This system of lazily learning spells continued throughout the summer, broken only by trips out with Sirius and Remus and visits to his friends. Never had Harry had such a peaceful break.
~
August Wiltshire
20th
1992,
Malfoy
Manor,
When Harry had received Draco's invitation to visit him for the day, he had accepted without concern. He had really come to like this Draco; sure, he was still slightly pompous and his views on muggleborns and muggles were outdated and needing change, but he liked the boy. He had a dry wit that Harry appreciated, he was intelligent, and he wasn't obsessed with Harry's fame. Oh, Harry didn't doubt that it had initially been Harry's status as the Boy-Who-Wouldn't-Die that drew Draco in, but getting to know him, they had actually become true friends. Shockingly enough, Neville and Draco got on ridiculously well too - Draco's more outgoing sarcasm mixing well with Neville's sly cunning. They had been writing to each other and swapping ideas about how to get back at Ron this year.
Arriving at the manor via Floo, Harry stumbled out and, after straightening himself, saw that it was slightly less perfect than it had been last time.
Draco, who had been waiting, saw Harry's look and snarled, "The bloody ministry fools came again and searched the manor."
Realisation hit Harry remembered the threat Grimmauld searched. "I found nothing?"
and he of having gather they
"No, but it's the second time this summer. It's Dumbledore and his pet weasels - I swear that man is getting worse."
"Hopefully the old coot will stop once we're back at school; he has enough problems being Headmaster without meddling in our families' affairs," Harry placated.
Soon enough Harry had distracted Draco into forgetting about the old coot's persecution against Dark families and the two boys spent the morning flying and chatting about the up and coming school year.
"Father has been trying to find out who the new Defence teacher will be, but apparently Dumbledore hasn't officially announced it yet," Draco grumbled as they sat in the gardens, drinking some iced tea an elf had gotten for them.
Once again, Harry was surprised he hadn't seen Dobby. "If they're awful, I'll just do what I did last year and teach myself," Harry said.
Seeing Draco's look of intrigue, Harry expanded on his sentence. "I made a study group last year. We all taught ourselves and helped each other. You're welcome to join us, we usually meet in the library after classes."
Draco smiled slightly. "I would like that. Perhaps I could bring a few of my Slytherin friends," he said cautiously.
Harry didn't allow his face to change, but inside he was wary. He didn't really know any of the other Slytherins; even as enemies, like he had been with Draco, he didn't know any of them. However, he didn't want to exclude anyone just become of their House so he nodded. "Sure, bring them along. I don't really know that many Slytherins to be honest."
Draco nodded his head once. "Well, there's Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle - you've got to have noticed them, they're the brainless lugs that tend to follow me around. They're alright I suppose, but you can't have any form of conversation with them—at least not one when you gain any reply. Then there's Theodore Nott - he's alright but he doesn't really speak to anybody and keeps to himself. I can't really say much for him, he doesn't even sit around in the common room much. Finally for the boys there's Blaise Zabini; he's my best friend in Slytherin, you'd like him. He's half Italian and from a Neutral family. He's the boy you've probably noticed daydreaming in classes, but he's probably one of the smartest people I know. He's also the gossip king of Hogwarts - anything you want or need to know, Zabini can find out. Even I don't know how he gets some of his information. Don't worry though, he's a great friend, very loyal."
Harry smiled at Draco's descriptions. He had never really spoken to Zabini - a few threats and grumbled words here and there, however he had seen how in later years he and Draco had become close, especially after the Dark Lord's return. Nott he had never even noticed until the war, the boy really was a quiet wallflower and the other two… well, Harry honestly had no desire to get to know.
"For the girls in Slytherin, there's Bulstrode, she's the rather... well... she's the larger girl." Draco's hesitance on his description of Millicent left Harry fighting laughter. True, Millicent wasn't blessed with great physical beauty, but to hear Draco scramble to say so made Harry smile.
"She's alright though, great sense of humour for a girl. Then there's Tracy Davis, she's a half-blood but you wouldn't notice - her and Daphne Greengrass are always together, they're annoying to be honest, always whispering and giggling. Finally, there's Pansy Parkinson, she's actually my other best friend. She pretends to be a total girly-girl in classes and around school, but she's actually ridiculously smart and very practical. She says she acts like that so people underestimate her, which is true as I know everybody thinks she's a fool. It's like me - I know everybody thinks I'm a cold and heartless Slytherin who relies on my family name, which is fine as then they will underestimate me too."
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