Hadrianpotterpeverell
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HERE WE GO AGAIN
🕑 Added 2023-08-07 17:54:51 +0000 UTCChapter 18- The Summertime Ball-I
It wasn't nerves, as they called it. How hard can it be? He would not be out until an hour after the guests arrived. He was supposed to welcome them to the gathering. Address the group and let them socialise.
Harry gave himself a once over. When it didn’t matter usually, he had to look and play the part today. He was dressed to intimidate and impress. For some reason, despite his heritage, he was glad that he didn’t waste time with this nonsense. He had no time for politics. And he was sure that he would have preferred to stay away from them even if he had been trained to play.
“Don’t you look pretty handsome?” He smirked when he identified it as Daphne. “The dark and mysterious type in those robes.” He chuckled. “I would instead be playing some quidditch.” He shook his head. “All of this. I just don’t think that is it for me. Politics.”
“That doesn’t mean you can run from it. It is your duty, remember?” Harry nodded, albeit hesitantly. “Me playing along with many people does not make me a Potter, my dear.” He turned back to the mirror.
“There. All done and ready to go.” She whispered, linking her arm with his. He got a good look at Daphne. Flowing golden blonde hair, strapless bottle green dress with just a hint of cleavage visible. She had no make-up. She never used make-up, not that it was necessary. Daphne was just beautiful.
“Come on.” She tugged his arm. “Guests start arriving any moment now.” He walked downstairs with the young woman. The ballroom was decorated extensively. The ample, elegant space with high ceilings and tall windows let in the natural light. The walls were covered in rich, dark wood panelling, and the floors were made of polished marble, reflecting the brightness of the place. The room was filled with elegant furniture, including a grand piano, a chandelier, and a fireplace. The sound of music filled the place. Dorea and Euphemia had done an excellent job with the room.
“Arcturus and the others will be here shortly,” Charlus said as he stopped beside Harry.
“I remember the last time this ballroom was decorated was when I took up my Lordship. Father was alive back then, and I had never seen the man prouder than he was that day.” He faced Harry.
“I never knew why he was proud until I was in his position. Today, I realised how proud I am that the Potter family will be in the hands of a better Lord than our forefathers combined.”
Harry was embarrassed. He was not one to take kindly to such praises. But he never assumed that the compliments from people who meant something to him were extraordinary.
He wondered how James Potter and Lily Potter would have felt had they been alive when he assumed the mantle of Lord Potter.
He just nodded. That was all he could do. He heard the voice of Arcturus speaking, and he, along with Charlus, went on to greet them. It was a joint introduction of Harry into the pureblood society by the Potters and the Blacks. There had not been an instance of an heir decorating the Lordship of two prominent families recently.
“I see Dorea has managed to go overboard with the decorations.” Arcturus chuckled along with his brother-in-law. “Not just Dorea. Neither me nor James nor Harry had anything to do with it. Left it the ladies, and they have managed to do all this.”
“No Walburga then?” Charlus questioned, looking for the woman. “No, she will be here. It would not be simple if she decided not to turn up today. A lot of political drama accompanying it as well, to be precise.”
Harry tuned away from their discussion to welcome the rest of the Black family. He stopped short when one Narcissa Black greeted him. He felt his breath catch for a second time in minutes. She was dressed in black, an attire similar to Daphne, and her blonde hair was done up in an intricate bun, a few strands of hair let loose onto her face, accenting her beauty. Regal.
That was all he could describe Narcissa.
Daphne was extremely graceful. But Narcissa could pull it off without effort. It was the same in his previous timeline. The woman was two decades older than him, but she could give young women a run for their money. A beauty that was untouchable by mere mortals.
A younger Narcissa was damaging. The grace and poise. The smirk of the young woman, that damned smirk that damned Narcissa Malfoy smirk he was accustomed to.
“You have managed to clean up nicely.” She whispered as she swatted away what seemed like imaginary dust from his shoulders. The two stared at each other for a while, forgetting where they stood.
“Okay…” Arcturus coughed, interrupting their staring contest. “People will be coming in soon. You can make eyes at each other after the event is over.” He grumbled as Harry glared at the man. “Why don’t you just shut up, Arcturus?” Harry received a smirk from the man and carried on inside, followed by the rest of the family.
“What are you waiting for?” Harry questioned, looking at young Bellatrix. “Go on.” He instructed the girl who had lagged. “What is it?” Harry asked the girl, who was far from her cheerful self. “Come here.” Harry knelt at the height of the girl. “Go on, Bella. What is it?”
“I feel bad.” She whispered. Harry frowned in confusion and checked the girl’s temperature by placing the back of his palm on her forehead. “What is the matter, Bella?” He questioned gently.
“Are you ill?”
“No.” She shook her head. “I am fine. But I am feeling uncomfortable. I feel like something bad is going to happen.” Harry hugged the girl gently.
“Everything will be fine, love,” Harry whispered into her ear. “It is just a feeling now and then. I get them too sometimes.” He continued. The girl nodded into his shoulder.
“I will give you a job. Will you do it for me?” Another nod. “Go to your Father and stay with him the entire night.” He said as she extracted herself from his arms. “Your father will make sure that you wouldn’t be troubled. Tell him everything and stay with him. Wherever he goes, you should go. Got it?” Bellatrix nodded her understanding, and the two began walking into the ballroom.
“You have been practising, have you?” Harry questioned and smiled as the girl brightened up.
“Yes!” She exclaimed. “The shield is almost close to being invisible. It is pale blue now; I will make it transparent in a few days. “ She vowed. “Take your time. At this point, you will be the most powerful witch in Britain by the time you are twenty.” He was not lying. How could he? He knew first-hand what the woman was capable of, and under the proper guidance, she would be a force to reckon with.
“I will do it.” She promised. “I want to be the most powerful witch in all of Britain.” No wonder the girl is a Slytherin. She was undoubtedly ambitious.
Harry dropped off the girl in her father’s hands, and he returned to one of the rooms in the back. He wondered what that was all about. He ignored the problem for now. He had more pressing issues at hand.
BREAK
“It’s time.” Harry heard Charlus speak from the door. “You ready?” Harry sighed as he got up from his chair and joined his father. “I guess I should get this over with.”
“You will be fine.” Charlus waved his hand dismissively. “Just address them. When you begin speaking, you will know what to carry on with.” He assured. “Don’t hesitate. They are looking for your favour, not the other way round.” Harry nodded. Charlus was right. He was not looking to impress anybody or gain anybody’s favour.
“Well, you first.” Charlus motioned towards the door, and Harry complied. With a deep breath, he squared his shoulders and began his walk into the room.
The room was quiet as he walked amidst the crowd, his head held high and when he reached the dias and faced the crowd, waiting expectantly for him. He gathered his thoughts and took a deep breath regarding the assembled guests.
“Welcome, esteemed Lords and Ladies.” He began, his arms outstretched. “On this particular day, I would like to thank you all for gracing us with your presence. Hosting this event as the Lord Potter Black gives me immense pleasure.” He said, pausing for a moment.
“I will keep this short. I don’t like to take up any more of your evening. Like every other change in this world, the Lordship might have changed, which is a way of life, but not the ideology.” He continued. “The Potter and Blacks have always been the leaders. It has been the same and will continue to be the same. They didn’t belong to any faction. They will continue to be the neutrals of the Wizarding World.” He looked around and continued.
“With that being said, please enjoy the night. Once again, thank you all for gracing us with your presence.” He stepped down from the dias amidst a pleasant round of applause. Harry walked to the nearby table, laid out and picked up a glass of wine. He raised the glass towards the other Lords and Ladies.
“To the future.” He received another round of applause and observed his father and uncle nod approvingly.
Harry joined his family, who were waiting for him expectantly. “Short and crisp,” Arcturus muttered. “The same thing that he said when he stood up there.” He shook his head.
“The two of you are more similar than necessary.” The two Potter males grinned.
“Look at that. It is frighteningly similar.” He grumbled. “Gits.”
“Anyway, now comes the part that I hate so much,” Arcturus muttered. “Get ready for a night of buttering session, Potter.” He smirked. “I would love to see Abraxus Malfoy conversing with you.” Harry’s jaw tightened considerably.
“Don’t react, Harry.” He continued. “Not today. Not when the entire magical society of Britain is here watching your every move, evaluating your abilities, strengths and weaknesses. He wouldn’t have the guts to show up here after what happened, but he is out of necessity. His not being here would have been a political suicide, which he would not want.”
“Just close yourself off and listen to them when they come to talk. Nod casually and keep smiling. If it is too much, just excuse yourself and go and dance.” His eyes flitted towards Daphne and Narcissa. That idea was way better than spending the day sucked up by many people he did not intend to see, and that was what he would do.
BREAK
“I don’t mean to pry, but we had no idea that Charlus Potter had another son, Lord Potter Black. One that is already stepping up to be a Lord.” Fenton Abbott said as he conversed with Harry.
“Ah, yes. That question has been rather popular today.” Harry chuckled. “That was expected. You turned up from nowhere, Lord Potter Black. The only Potter child we had heard about was young James, your brother. People didn’t expect you to assume the Lordship of both
Families.” Abbott explained.
“We will be curious. Our lives revolve around politics. We seek to gain every information, every advantage and every opportunity, especially for the families on the Wizengamot.” He paused, looking around. “Every Lord here is present here hoping to gain a favour, knowledge, or an ally.”
“So you cropping up out of nowhere is a cause of curiosity and maybe something favourable for the other lords. They smell blood. They smell blood, especially when it is the Potters or Blacks in question.” He continued. “When it comes to your family, we are interested. Period.” Harry nodded his agreement. That made sense.
He excused himself from the man and returned to the area where his family was present. He was fed up with the politicking he had subjected himself to. If it were unnecessary, he would have just walked away from all of this, but being able to talk through a group of people was a necessity.
It had been a busy evening. The Bones, Longbottom, Rosier, Greengrass, Crouch, Davies, Macmillan, Prewitts, Weasleys, Slughorn. These families had been all too eager to talk to him. He was not too opposed to conversing with them either. Druella’s family was a pleasant surprise. Evan Rosier. This was the first time he had met the man; from first glance, Harry could see that he was extremely simple. He found no hint of deception when he spoke to the man. He had to be cautious. He remembered Moody telling him about the man responsible for losing his eye.
The other faction didn’t approach him. They didn’t talk to him. Of course, they won’t. Why would they? If they valued their lives, they better stay away.
Out of nowhere, he was accosted by Narcissa. She held his arm in hers and dragged him away.
“Where are we going?” He questioned, knowing perfectly where she was taking him.
“Let’s go and dance.” She whispered, and Harry smiled.
Several couples were already dancing to a slow tune, and Harry and Narcissa joined the fray. The couple glided across the dance floor, their movements in perfect sync. The man's hand was at the small of the woman's back, and she rested her hand on his shoulder. They were both smiling, their eyes locked on each other.
The music was slow and romantic, and the couple seemed lost in their world. They moved effortlessly around the dance floor as if floating on air.
The other dancers around them seemed to fade away, and the couple was the only two people in the room. They were utterly absorbed in each other. Harry’s smile didn’t falter for a second as his eyes never seemed to leave those of Narcissa. Narcissa, though, revelled in his attention. She made sure that his eyes didn’t wander.
When the couple stopped for a break, Harry immediately went to Daphne. She had kept to the shadows. He was sure that hardly any of them present knew she was with the family. She observed that Harry was walking towards her. She cleared her throat, shooting a grin at the young man.
“Enjoyed yourself?” Harry hummed softly but didn’t answer. He took her hand in his, pulled her to her feet and led her to the centre of the room. Daphne resisted. “No.” She whispered and dragged the man away.
“What are you doing?” Harry questioned as he left himself to be pulled away from the room. Daphne just continued walking out and only stopped when they reached her regular spot in the garden of the Potter Manor. She turned around and met his eye.
“Today is entirely about you and only you, Harry. I am trying to avoid prying eyes as much as possible, and I have successfully done so. My dancing with you will inadvertently lead to awkward questions and put you in a spot. What will you tell them?” She asked.
“How is that relevant?” Harry questioned. “Dancing with you is not so complex, Daphne. It is just a dance.” She tutted irritably. “You never learn. In your position, everything matters. Narcissa is family, so there won’t be much, but I, on the other hand, am a stranger. That will just make things bad.”
“I promised myself I would dance with you, Daphne,” Harry whispered. “I will keep my promise.” She huffed and made to speak, but Harry held up his hand, preventing her from speaking.
“I will respect your decision, and with fierce disapproval, mind you, but nothing stops us from dancing out here.” Daphne stared at him. “Here?” Harry shrugged. “I fucking own this place, Daphne. I would like to see anybody tell me not to do so.”
Daphne blushed and looked away at the fierceness in his eyes. “Fine.” She whispered.
She inhaled deeply when she felt his hands on her waist. She turned back to face him and, at his expectant look, placed her hand on his shoulders. They swayed gently to no tune. They didn’t need any music to dance, and the silence of the evening was enough for the couple. Harry twirled the girl around slowly, his hands travelling to the small of her back immediately after.
Daphne felt a lump form in her throat. She had lied. She wanted this. She was desperate for this. She may lie to him, but she could not lie to herself. She was putting on a face of bravado, but all the while, hurt that she could not dance with her Harry the same way Narcissa got to. She was not able to dance with her husband-to-be.
How can she tell him? How can she tell him that they were engaged to be married, and yet, here she was, categorised as his friend? What more could she do? It was impossible to tell him the truth. How can she? He was kind enough to help her through this mess, and yet, when she broke the news to him that the two were to be married soon, wouldn’t he think she was lying? Wouldn’t he think that she was taking advantage?
On the other hand, Harry was in a similar thought process. Here he was, dancing with the woman he was engaged to. A woman who was everything to him, and yet, he could not tell her that they were engaged. Here she was, discussing the repercussions of him dancing with his fiancee. He reluctantly agreed to appease the young woman from worrying.
“You were brilliant, you know?” She whispered, her voice sending shivers down his spine. “Short and crisp. Down to the point. You certainly made an impression on the Lords and Ladies in the room.”
“Thank you.” Harry smiled. “Shall we get back inside?” Daphne nodded, albeit reluctantly. “Yes. People will begin to wonder where you are.” Harry and Daphne interlocked their arms, and they retreated inside the ballroom.
“Harry?” Bellatrix came running up to him. “There is somebody who says that he wants to talk to you.” She said, catching her breath. “He says it is very important and urgent. That your audience would be most appreciated.” She pointed to the group of people at the room's far end.
Harry frowned when he was directed towards Lestrange and Nott. As he excused himself from Daphne and began to walk to the group, Bellatrix held his hand. “I told you I was not feeling well, didn’t I?” Harry nodded. “When that man spoke to me, the feeling increased greatly.” She whispered. “I….I felt scared.” Harry frowned in confusion.
“I will look into it.” He assured the girl. “I won’t let anything happen to you, Bella. That is my promise.” He placed the girl’s hand in Daphne’s. “Go.” She urged when he looked at her. “Don’t worry about her. Leave it to me.” Harry nodded thankfully and made his way over to the group of people Bella mentioned.
He recognised Lestrange, Nott and Travers but couldn’t identify the fourth man. He reached the group, and the four men turned to face him. He didn’t speak a word, only stood waiting expectantly.
“Lord Potter Black.” He knew that voice. He had to applaud the sheer audacity of the man. He had not expected him to arrive today, yet here he was.
“I see that you have recognised me.” He continued. “I genuinely lament that our first meeting was under unfavourable conditions. I hope you are sensible enough to understand why I did what I did.” He shook his head. “Had there been any other way to get my men out of the station, I would have taken it. Sadly, that was not the case. I had to hold her hostage.”
“You have some nerve, showing up here after what you tried to pull,” Harry said, looking around and ensuring nobody was listening. The Dark Lord sighed dramatically. “The downside of doing something revolutionary, young man. You are supposed to take certain risks, and only then will you reap benefits.”
“You should leave,” Harry muttered, staring the man in the eye. “Your letter was nothing more than a piece of thrash according to me, and it will remain so. You have wasted your journey to my place today.” Harry replied. “I have no intention of joining your cult, nor have I any interest in your idealogy.”
“I wouldn’t push it away so soon, young man.” He replied smoothly, a smile plastered across his face. “At times, you will fail to see what specific actions might lead to in the future.”
“Threat?” Harry chuckled. “I fail to see what is funny, Lord Potter Black. Believe me when I say that I will be highly successful in my plan.”
“No chance,” Harry replied, looking the man in the eye, trying to gauge a reaction and succeeding when he noticed the sign of annoyance creeping in his eyes. “This stupid plan of yours, trying to solidify your power by using these idiots who fail to see that they are being played,” Harry nodded towards Nott, Lestrange and Travers. “I, on the other hand, can smell your plot a mile off.” He chuckled.
“This plan of yours will fail miserably.” The anger on the man’s face was palpable. He was seething.
“And how?” He questioned through gritted teeth. “How can you be so sure that this plan will fail?”
“Ah…I have my ways.” Harry shrugged. “All you need to know is that you should keep away from my family,” Harry warned, his eyes hardening considerably.
“Threat?” Tom Riddle asked with a smirk. “I don’t give out threats, Tom.” Harry cheered mentally when he observed the slight widening of the man’s eyes, his skin, although disguised, paling slightly.
“Don’t fuck with me. I mean it.” Harry whispered, pushing his magic forcefully, his eyes pulsing green with power. “Now, leave my house and do so without making a sound. You have overstayed your welcome.”
“There is no in-between, Potter. This isn’t your speech. You are with me or against me. I have a good idea about where we stand.” He began his walk out of the room. “You asked for it, Potter.” He grinned maliciously as he left the room with the other three men.
Harry watched them leave and immediately approached his family. Chalrus noticed the urgency in his stride. “What is the matter, son?” He questioned. Harry looked around the room.
“Something is about to happen, Dad,” Harry whispered, trying to scan every inch of the room as the guests began to vacate. “Something bad.”
TBC—-----
