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(Enchanting Melodies) Chapter 471: Still Leavings
🕑 Added 2025-05-15 14:01:53 +0000 UTCChapter 471: Still Leavings
4 July 2005, Rome, Italy
Fleur Delacour sat in her office, reading the report of the earnings of her holdings in France. She grew to love her time in this country, the freedom it provided, compared to how stifled she felt in France, with her father’s influence being everywhere she could see. Even after all these years, she still didn’t trust him not to involve himself in her affairs. Good intentions or not, she simply didn’t like how he handled his affairs and wanted nothing to do with them. Sure, that made the family holidays a bit awkward, but it was something she could live with.
Thankfully, Gabrielle didn’t have that compunction, and Fleur had hired her as the manager of her assets in France, and her little sister shone in that position. Well, calling them her assets was a bit of an exaggeration. They were technically all assets of the Black family, who, after Ragnarok, spread their influence very quickly throughout the continent, and even beyond.
Arcturus Black’s obvious involvement in fighting Grindelwald had granted the Black Family a form of prestige that she didn’t think was ever possible. The fact that the family’s Patriarch had personally spent a fortune hiring and training an army of mercenaries, that he managed to get the Lycans to join him, all to fight for humanity, just made him look like a hero.
Her own father, Sebastien Delacour, had gained similar acclaim, but not as much as the Blacks. Yet, it was enough for the man to essentially become Magical France’s unofficial leader for over a decade now. Where her father chose to use his popularity to increase his political influence, Arcturus Black decided to do it economically. Apparently, he was tired of politics and knew that it only took a single scandal to make it all disappear. Instead, he wanted to leave a legacy for the next Black Patriarch or Matriarch, and to be honest, it was very hard to describe the scale of the enterprise.
And she was in charge of most of it. Since graduating, Fleur had grown from managing the assets in Rome to taking care of the largest trading empire in Europe, and she had definitely enriched herself in the meantime. She was the most powerful woman in Rome, that was without a doubt, and she relished in that information. She was powerful, she was beautiful, and yet it all felt so empty.
Most people would have done anything to be in her position, but it just hit her one day that her entire life revolved around paperwork and numbers. She hadn’t learned any new spells in years or even enchanted anything. There was once a time when she dreamed of being an enchantress, of creating wonderful artefacts that people couldn’t even dream of.
She couldn’t help but wonder what her younger self would think if she could see her now. It was funny, with all these papers and meetings, it strangely reminded her of her father.
A knock broke the Veela’s train of thought, and she put a smile on her face and spoke up, “Come in.”
She did her best to hide her surprise as Arcturus Black strolled into her office, looking very spry for his age. He gave her a sly grin, “It’s been a while, Fleur.”
He sat down, giving her time to regain her thoughts, “I didn’t know you were coming to visit. I’d have arranged something.”
“And ruined the surprise?” the Black Patriarch joked back, “There’s only so much fun one could have at my age.”
The Veela rolled her eyes. “What can I do for you, Arcturus? Are you here for a new venture?”
“Not quite. It was implied that I should come visit you.”
“I don’t follow.”
The Black Patriarch rolled his eyes, “I found some clues in my manor, a few puzzles to solve. You can guess who left them to me.”
Fleur froze, “Is it him?”
“What do you think? It’s just like the brat to be this cheeky. I do know that he’s been around; he was present during the Malfoy wedding. I have to admit that the clues were pretty fun to solve, a few rune puzzles, a couple of curses to break. It took me the better part of the week to finish it. Well, I didn’t exactly finish it. All I found is an envelope with an address, this address specifically.”
This was pretty much confirming that it was Harry Potter who had done it. Arcturus Black was an expert when it came to curses, and if it took him over a week to break one, then it was likely something he had never seen before, something that very few people in the world could boast of knowing, including Harry Potter.
“Why do you think he sent you here?”
The older man hummed, “I think I have an idea.”
Fleur sat up straighter and waited for him to continue, which he did, “Believe it or not, in the last few years, I’ve gotten to know you quite well, as I’m sure you’ve gotten to know me. And I can tell that you’re not happy. I think that Harry sent me here to talk to you, in his own overly complicated way.”
The Veela wanted to protest, to say something, but just slumped down slightly, “I’m not unhappy.”
“But you’re not happy. I remember your first days here. You were jumping in your seat, enthusiastic about everything. Now, I look at you and see someone who’s just going through the motions. You lost your passion, Delacour.”
“I do love what we’re doing,” Fleur replied, “I love the business deals, the people we invest in, whose shops we promote. I do like my job, and people would kill for it.”
“Your job isn’t everything, kid,” Arcturus answered, “I think we both have enough gold that working doesn’t mean much anymore if you don’t enjoy it.”
“You’re firing me,” Fleur asked incredulously.
“No,” Arcturus replied, “Of course not. I’m telling you to slow things down a bit and start living. You haven’t even started dating, and you’re almost thirty. You can’t tell me that’s normal?”
The Veela froze, not expecting this point to be made. There was a reason why she never really looked for a partner. For one, she was pretty well-known, and most men either cared about her beauty, her gold, or her influence. Very few people tried to get to know her as a person, and she had given up after a while. And even then, the ones that never really clicked with her, “That’s not exactly fair.”
Arcturus scoffed, “You need to live your life. Believe me, I’d miss having you here, but I respect you enough to tell you that I don’t think this position is good for you, not anymore. You accepted this offer because it freed you from your father’s influence, but are you truly willing to replace one set of chains for another?”
She didn’t get to reply as golden runes seemed to appear beneath them. From it, a white rose grew, far larger than it could have naturally, before blooming. From inside, two small boxes enlarged themselves, a white one for her and a black one for Arcturus. They moved and stayed at their respective recipients.
Arcturus snorted, “Well, at least the brat isn’t lacking presentation.”
Fleur suppressed a laugh. Harry Potter became a godly figure for most of the magical world. She was one of the few people who knew that he was even still alive and relished in that privilege. She had to admit that she was caught with the hero worship a bit. She often wondered what would have happened if she had followed her father’s instruction and managed to seduce the boy. Would she be the one travelling the world with him? Would she had died in one of the many dangers he faces.
Nevertheless, it was hard to compare the gangly but intelligent boy she meant to this impossibly powerful legend, but even she found it extremely amusing that Arcturus still referred to him as a brat. She liked imagining the scandalised expressions on people’s faces if they heard it.
To be completely honest, Fleur had thought that Harry had forgotten all about her. They had barely interacted after the first task of the tournament that ended with his supposed death. Either way, she graciously opened the box, only to freeze as it dissolved, letting a heavy book fall into her hands. It had a small note on it that read, ‘These are my personal notes on enchanting. You mentioned once that it was your passion. Now, it’s time to follow it.’
And that was it. It wasn’t signed or anything. She opened the book in awe as she barely understood even the first page of the notes. She could barely make heads or tails of it, but she knew, deep down, that this could help catapult her into becoming one of the best enchanters in Europe.
She looked up towards Arcturus, only to see him staring at a portrait, with small tears in his eyes, which he quickly shrank, and he put it in his pocket, “Melania… I thought that I’d never be surprised by anything that boy did again. I guess that I’m happy that he proved me wrong.”
The Veela decided not to press. After all, there was no reason to. Instead, they stayed in a comfortable silence until Arcturus broke it, “He’s leaving.”
That brought Fleur short, “What do you mean? How is he leaving?”
“He’s been restless for the last few years, not enough mysteries to solve, I think. He only stayed because of Daphne, and she only stayed because of her sister. The sister who has just gotten married and started a life of her own. It was bound to happen, eventually. This was him saying goodbye while forcing us to talk. He always liked meddling in other people’s business.”
“But where would he go?”
“I have no idea,” the Black Patriarch retorted, before removing a bottle of Firewhiskey from his robes and conjuring two glasses.
He filled them and raised his own glass, “To Harry Potter.”
Fleur echoed, “To Harry Potter.”
[---]
4 July 2005, Athens, Greece
Blaise Zabini followed alongside his wife, enjoying the beautiful weather in Athens. They’d been invited suddenly by Perseus and Angelina, a few days prior, and surprisingly, everything just went smoothly. Tracy was easily able to get some time off, and the businesses he inherited after his mother’s, frankly suspicious, death didn’t seem to need his input after a while.
He’d merged a lot of his holdings in Rome with the Black trading empire, so that saved him a lot of work, but most of the shops in villages all across the country were still under his direct control, and he did open a few branches in Britain, Diagon Alley having bloomed after the Battle of Nurmengard.
A part of Blaise often wondered what would have happened if they hadn’t distanced themselves from Harry. He’d seen memories of the battle, and it was beyond insane. He would have been bitter by how infamous Harry and Daphne became, even if they were presumed dead, but honestly, he didn’t think he could have managed to deal with any of it.
Still, he and Tracy did take advantage of their friendship with Harry to write books about their antics in schools, and gain a bit of influence, enough to spearhead Tracy’s career in the ministry, specifically in the Department of Magical Transportation, and enough for his shops to be quite popular in Britain.
After things calmed down slightly, they were relatively comfortable, and Tracy was even doing his best to get promoted, and with rumours of Percy Weasley retiring to manage his brothers’ chain of shops, the position was open. This was a big deal, since it would finally grant Tracy a voice in the Wizengamot, and with it, a lot more influence.
His wife snickered as Angelina told her a story, and Blaise remained silent, not knowing how to talk to Perseus, as the other man was quite intense. How else would one describe the so-called Blade of Athens?
After what felt like an eternity of silence, he broached the subject, “So, how have you been? I heard that you’re planning on returning to Britain soon.”
The water elemental answered, “Angelina wants to spend more time with her parents. She also wants us to stay there full-time, and while I’m not opposed, my presence in Britain would unsettle things, both in Greece and there.”
Choosing not to delve into politics too much, he asked, “So, I’ve been meaning to ask. Why did you invite it here, especially on such short notice?”
“A raven made of ice gave me a letter, telling me to do so.”
That struck Blaise speechless, “What?”
For the first time, Perseus smiled at him, “I wanted to see your face. But yes, that’s what happened. It appears that Harry Potter wanted us here, for some reason.”
As if the world itself had heard Harry’s name, the ground beneath them started to tremble, and a crack formed between them. Thankfully, it stopped rather quickly, and only four small boxes appeared from the crack, each one flying towards each of them.
Tracy was the first to open hers, and the box dissolved, letting a small book appear in front of her. Her eyes widened, silent, and Blaise asked, “What is it?”
“It’s proposals and suggestions about how to upgrade the Floo Network back home. This practically guarantees my promotion. There are plans here that could take years to finish. This is insane.”
Hesitating, Blaise opened his own. The box dissolved once more, and the man found himself grasping what seemed to be a golden staff with hundreds of microscopic runes carved all around it, making it hum with power with every move. He could feel it synergising with his family crest, amplifying its effect. He conjured an eagle made of light and froze at the ease he felt it. This was a legendary artefact, one that he could pass down to his children. He found himself dumbstruck.
He didn’t even register as Perseus held a glowing shield as well. The man hummed and said, “A very impressive gift.”
Finally, it was Angelina who opened her own and saw a very simple small necklace with a glowing blue stone on it. It seemed too small for Angelina to wear, but the woman gasped as she saw a small note written next to it, ‘For your daughter. May she be forever protected by the sea.’
Perseus gave Angelina a piercing look. “You’re pregnant?”
His wife nodded and he leapt forward, sweeping her off her feet, before groaning, “How could he know before me. I’m your bloody husband.”
“I don’t know,” Angelina retorted, “I only found out a few days ago. I didn’t even know that it was a girl.”
“Is that why you’re so insistent on going back to Britain?”
“I wanted her to go to Hogwarts,” Anglina replied.
Perseus hummed and nodded, “I’d have accepted, you silly woman.”
Blaise and Tracy then finally unfroze and leapt forward, giving the happy couple their congratulations. Yet, when Blaise looked at his own note, ‘May this gift light up the world for your family forever,’ he felt sad, for some reason.
Harry always liked to be cryptic, but this just felt… final, for lack of a better word.
Nevertheless, as the night progressed, Blaise forgot about the note a bit. It would take him years to realise that Harry was saying his goodbyes.
[---]
7 July 2005, Stonehenge, Britain
Harry stared at the World Tree, still letting off its faint golden glow. Other than destroying the Light and Dark, this was probably his greatest achievement. It only almost destroyed the fabric of time and killed him.
Daphne stood next to him, giving him a faint smile. “Why did you pick this place?”
Harry returned her smile, “I suppose I wanted to see it before leaving.”
“What? One last look at your proudest achievement.”
“It’s also powerful enough to act as an anchor when we decide to go back,” he retorted, “So, how did your family take it?”
“Astoria was inconsolable, and so was my mother, but my father handled it well enough.”
Harry rolled his eyes. “Why am I not surprised? At least we left our goodbyes.”
The blonde scoffed, “You call what you did a goodbye. You just sent them gifts with some obscure messages on them.”
“Hey! Arcturus and Fleur got it. I think even Perseus got it, but didn’t say anything. The others will get it in time,” his face turned serious. “Are you sure about this? We can still wait for a bit.”
“For the hundredth time, Harry, I’m ready. I made my decision.”
Harry’s response was a grin, “Fine. Where do you want to go?”
“Why don’t you pick? Let’s see if you can find a world that I’d like.”
“Making it a competition, heh?” he replied, “Fine. I know the perfect place.”
With some concentration, he raised his hand, his scythe appearing out of thin air, and he slashed the air, creating a breach, while channelling the void between the worlds. It took him a while to navigate the sea of eternities, to find what he was looking for, and then, his eyes glowing, he turned back to meet his wife's eyes, and smiled, “Goodbye, Britain. Hello, everything.”
And just like that, he grabbed her hand and stepped into the breach. The rift sealed shut behind them, as if it had never been opened. The World Tree shimmered faintly in their wake, bearing silent witness to the end of an age.
AN: This is it, the Epilogue of the story in the Harry Potter universe. I hope you guys like it. I’m planning on uploading the first chapter of the continuation of Harry and Daphne’s multiversal adventures next Saturday, which would be in Westeros. I have a few ideas with the lore, which I’m kinda excited to explore. I already have a general outline of the next few chapters, but I’m not particularly attached to it. So, if you have other ideas, please let me know in the comments. It's not exactly set in stone.
Tomorrow, on the other hand, I’m going to upload the next batch of Arcane Tinker chapters, and on Saturday, with you having a taste of pretty much everything, I’ll make a poll. Either stick with AT, stick with the EM crossover, or do a hybrid of both, with a weekly poll of you deciding the ratio of chapters for that time. I’m leaving it up to you to decide. As usual, please let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions.
Comments
Travis Freeman
It's would be kind of funny for Harry to appear before the kids when they time travel back. Have some fun at them and leave.
Garri Sarkisov
Loved the story. It had all the elements we all wanted to see and imagined when we were growing up looking at magical possibilities of the Rowling magical world
