Last Time

He would have to work harder than he ever had before, and build up his social profile too, if he had any sort of shot at the top office. The Prophet might have already ruined his chances, but he would still try. He had a year to rectify the damage they had done, he had a year to move all his pieces into place, and then, once he had graduated, his bid for the very top position would begin in earnest.
It would likely take several years to work his way up that high, no one would want an eighteen year old as the Minister, but he couldn't afford to wait too long, not with the state of the wizarding world currently. Perhaps if he changed some laws, passed his reforms, people would trust him more, and would be more willing to vote him into power. He only needed a chance, and he was going to do his damnedest to give himself that chance. He took a breath and smiled, running his fingers over Rabastan's chest. He could do this, he knew that he could.

Chapter Thirty – Train Journeys

Harry was never so upset, or disappointed, as when the day came for him to say goodbye to Rabastan, and board the Hogwarts Express to attend his final year at Hogwarts.

He'd held his tears back by the skin of his teeth as he held tightly to Rabastan, but his fiancé couldn't possibly miss the fact that his eyes had welled up. Harry was convinced that Rabastan had held him tighter, and for longer, because he was visibly upset at the thought of their parting.

He was on the train now, settling into a compartment with Draco and Blaise, and wishing that he was still at home with Rabastan.

"You look thoroughly depressed." Blaise told him, looking a little concerned.

Harry gave a half-hearted, one shouldered shrug.

"I know you're going to miss him, Harry, but as soon as we get to Hogwarts, we'll be kept so busy you'll barely have a spare moment to think of it." Blaise tried.

Harry sighed, and tried to stop sulking like a toddler. "It's more than that. Sit down, let me fill you in on what has happened before anyone else arrives."

Blaise sat next to him, and Harry quickly gave him a rundown of what had happened in the last few days. Xerxes had been unable to find any sort of spell or curse to help him, so Marcus' runes were still carved into his neck. Harry couldn't feel them, couldn't see them, and if he hadn't been able to remember the hideous pain of having them carved slowly into his flesh, he might have thought it had never happened.

"That's…that's…I have no words to describe how depraved that is!" Blaise hissed, his purple eyes wide and horrified. "You said he's going to try to drug you here, on the train?"

"Mother has given us enough snacks and treats to put Honeydukes out of business, so we won't have to buy anything from the trolley." Draco explained. "If he doesn't succeed here, now, he will undoubtedly try again, as soon as he possibly can. He needs Harry under his thumb, and the only way he can do that now is via potions."

"And Marcus has carved runes into you to help?"

"It won't work perfectly, but will greatly diminish the effects of any potion I ingest. Depending on exactly which potion is used, it could be rendered completely ineffective, or I could start showing some mild behavioural changes, but nothing should be strong enough to completely change my way of thinking. Not with those runes."

"Thank Merlin that Marcus actually likes you. He wouldn't have done that for just anyone."

Harry nodded. He was well aware of just how lucky he was that he and Marcus counted one another as friends. He didn't know what he would have done if he'd had to come back to Hogwarts, back within Dumbledore's sphere of influence, without any sort of protection at all. He'd have never slept easy again.

All talk of it stopped immediately as the compartment door opened and a very subdued Pansy peeked in. Gone was the self-assured girl, who was arrogant and snobby, and in her place was a tired, pale looking shade, and Harry felt a twinge of sympathy for her. Pansy didn't look like she'd slept at all in the last week.

"May I sit with you?" She asked, and her tone clearly said that she expected to be thrown out on her ear, perhaps with laughter.

"Of course you can." Harry said immediately, before Draco or Blaise could say anything biting or scathing.

Pansy dragged her trunk in behind her, and Harry helped her to stow it away safely. She sat the furthest from them, Harry and Draco were right up against the windows, and Blaise was sat next to the blond for now. Harry knew that wouldn't be the case when Astoria arrived, as her betrothed, Astoria had every right to sit next to Draco.

Theo arrived next, and he greeted Harry happily, brushing past Pansy as if she weren't there, and taking the seat next to Harry.

"How have you been, Harry? Have you been better since the Quibbler article?"

"Calmer at least." He insisted. "I did all I could to answer to those allegations, and I saw at the Ministry party that some are on my side, but there are those who believe that the Prophet's words are law."

"Fucking sheep." Blaise cursed. "If they had two brain cells to rub together they'd see through what the Prophet was doing."

"That's the problem. Most people don't use their brains, they don't want to think, they just blindly accept what they're told. They don't realise that the Prophet are running a smear campaign against me. It doesn't help that they're unchecked, and unchallenged by any other newspaper. They're the only fucking newspaper in Britain! I mean, how can that possibly be in any society? One newspaper? One news source? It's ridiculous! There should be multiple papers, multiple sources for news. That way the Prophet wouldn't be able to get away with posting whatever the hell they like and calling it news."

"Exactly that." Blaise agreed. "I only read The World News. There's no gossip column, no 'celebrity' pages, it's all just real world news, and guess what? That Prophet story about you wasn't deemed worthy enough for those pages."

Harry snorted, but he smiled too. "Because the Prophet made it up. It's not news if it's a made-up smear campaign."

Blaise nodded his agreement. "So you have the people who read just the Prophet, who believe they're reliable and only publish real news articles, and have likely turned against you. Then you have people like me who only read The World News, which is a reliable news source, and don't even know what the Prophet is printing to go against you, and then there are people who read both, who likely realise that the Prophet is a load of shit and don't believe what they wrote about you in that article either."

Harry chuckled. "It's just too bad so many people only read the Prophet in this country then."

Blaise shook his head. "You'd be surprised at how many people read The World News, even if they do read the Prophet as well. Don't give up just yet, Harry."

The door opened again, and Luna slipped in. "Hello, Harry." She greeted happily.

"Hey, Luna. How are you?"

"I'm very well, actually." She said, smiling at him. She stood in front of Theo until with a grumble he slipped sideways, and Luna claimed the seat next to him.

"I'm glad to hear it." He said genuinely, throwing an arm around her and giving her a hug.

Before anyone got too settled, the door opened again and Daphne and Astoria were entering. Draco stood immediately to greet Astoria in the cramped space of the full compartment.

"Draco." Astoria said happily, placing her arms around his neck.

Harry watched with a grin as Draco's hands held around her waist, a little too low to be appropriate.

"Hands up a bit, Draco. I'd hate to tell father that you were groping Astoria in public." He teased.

Draco gave him an annoyed look, but Astoria just giggled, a little pink in the cheeks.

"Maybe I should tell father that I found you and Rabastan frotting with one another in the library yesterday!" Draco reminded him, and Harry threw his head back and laughed.

"You can't hold that against me." Harry pointed out. "He caught us himself not ten minutes later. He looked more exasperated than angry. Then he's caught me and Rabastan together too many times now, and all his punishments and angry rebukes haven't done anything, or stopped us, so he's given up. We just need to see through this year and then we'll be married and able to do as we please anyway. With this being our last year, Luna and Astoria excluded of course, I'm going to be kept far too busy to think about anything other than passing my exams."

"It's poor Rabastan who is going to be suffering." Astoria pointed out. "At home all day every day, waiting for you to come home to him, his thoughts driving him mad."

"Don't you mean more mad?" Daphne scoffed. "He's already half-insane. Is he still a dribbling, convulsing wreck?"

Harry was on his feet, his wand under her chin, before he'd even consciously thought about doing it. The urge to protect his fiancé was instinctual, and instantaneous.

"Say another word about him. I dare you." He said lowly, through anger gritted teeth.

"Harry." Theo said, resting a hand on his shoulder. "She isn't worth being expelled over. This is your last year, don't ruin everything you have worked for now."

Harry continued to glare at Daphne, breathing hard through the urge to curse her…or just straight up kill her. He blinked at that last thought. Was he angry enough to actually kill someone? The roaring in his head said yes…he was angry enough to kill Daphne at least. He relaxed his stance, bringing himself back from that angry edge so that he didn't do anything he'd regret, but he kept his wand under Daphne's chin, still glaring.

"Harry." Draco tried, standing up, but clearly unwilling to make himself Harry's target, as he stayed back and didn't touch him.

"If you dare say another word about him, it'll be your last." Harry warned her, before pulling his wand back carefully, and slipping it back up his sleeve.

The compartment seemed to take a collective breath as he sat back down, and a moment later everyone seemed to relax…everyone except Daphne that was, but then she had been on the business end of Harry's wand, which was no small thing considering Harry was still top of their year in Defence. Though, no, not just top of their year, he'd consistently gotten above Outstanding marks year after year. He could do things that he wasn't supposed to be able to do, like being able to cast a corporeal patronus at just thirteen when adults struggled to even get to the mist stage. He had always been gifted in Defence of the Dark Arts, and he saw no reason not to try to push his limits.

"You'll be in the same boat next year, won't you, Draco?" Blaise tried, going back to Astoria's comment, but ignoring Daphne's.

Astoria smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. She looked worriedly at Harry, as if she perhaps thought that he'd fly at her next for carrying on the conversation, but Harry wouldn't. She was betrothed to Draco, she was family, besides, she wasn't the one who had said anything disparaging about Rabastan.

"He will. He'll be the one stuck at home, fretting, while I finish my final year."

"I'm sure I can find a job to keep myself busy." Draco told her.

"You could always throw yourself into that Potion's apprenticeship that you wanted to do." Harry said calmly. "That'll keep you busy."

"Exceptionally busy." Theo agreed. "A Potioneer apprenticeship is gruelling. More than seventy percent of applicants drop out after the first month."

"Less than three percent actually go on to become Potioneers." Draco said, a hint of nervousness to his tone.

"If anyone can do it, it'll be you." Harry encouraged. "Not only will you get the Potioneers apprenticeship, you'll get the Potion Master's apprenticeship too, and you'll complete them."

"The chances of that are really slim." Draco insisted, but Harry wasn't having it.

"You'll get through both, you're clever enough, and determined enough, Draco." He said firmly. "You understand potions in a way others just can't. Creating a potion for you is effortless."

"It's not!" Draco told him. "It's hard fucking work!"

"No, me trying to create a potion is hard fucking work." Harry pointed out. "You might put in a lot of hard work, but you make it seem effortless. I'm surprised I haven't blown everyone into space by now. You're going to get through it, Draco. You'll be fine."

"Like you'll go into teaching." Draco said, a slight flush to his cheeks. He was changing the subject, and Harry considered teasing him some more, but ultimately decided to allow Draco to change the subject.

"I'm not going into teaching anymore." He said simply.

"What? I thought you wanted to be the Defence professor, or Care of Magical Creatures?" Draco pointed out.

Harry nodded. "At the start of last year that is exactly what I wanted."

"And now?"

"Politics." Harry said simply. He shrugged a shoulder. "I've decided to go all in for a political career. It's going to eat up so much of my time anyway, and I'm going to want that time to properly dedicate myself to it, without being distracted by anything else, like lesson planning or homework grading. It would be a disservice to the children under my care, and to the political aspect of my life if I try to split myself between them. So I've thought about it, and ultimately I've chosen politics. I believe I'll be happier, and using more of my potential, if I chose a political career over a teaching one."

"You'll be so good at that." Astoria told him. "You're already a trailblazer in the Wizengamot, father says so all the time."

"And not that you'll care, but it's also more fitting to your station. As the lord to two houses, it'll be better for you personally to choose a career in politics." Blaise told him.

"The critical point will be after I've graduated. I'm going to find the time this year to finish my law reforms, and I hope to have them finished and submitted by the New Year. Then the remaining months of the school term they will hopefully be passed through the Wizengamot, and then both the Wizengamot and the Council of Magical Law, and end up being passed as a law by the time I graduate. As soon as the exams are over, that is when I'll truly come out to shine."

"You already are shining." Theo insisted. "My father also speaks of you in the Wizengamot. Never in nice terms, of course, but I can read the subtext of what he's saying, and while you're frustrating him so much that he rants about you, I realise from what he's saying that you're doing good. Really good."

"Suck his dick why don't you, Theo." Daphne sneered. "It'll be more dignified than crawling before him on your belly."

"Well it'll be the only dick here that you haven't already sucked." Theo shot back.

Blaise laughed first, followed by Draco, and Harry let out a soft, contemptuous snort, mostly at Daphne's face, which was a picture. She clearly hadn't expected Theo to answer her back, which is usually what would have happened. But Harry was sure that Theo had reached his limit by now, and with his little revenge plot coming to fruition soon, if he had still planned it for the winter holidays that was, Harry was fully on board with him not allowing Daphne to push him around this term.

"How dare you speak to me like that!" Daphne said angrily.

"No, seriously, Daphne." Theo said, his own anger rising. "Out of the four males in this compartment, how many dicks haven't you sucked? Just Harry, right? And I'll bet that that is because he refused to let you, and not because you didn't want to!"

Two high flags of colour on Daphne's cheeks proved that Theo was right. Harry had known that Draco had slept with her, he knew that Blaise had slept with her too, but then Blaise would have anything that moved so that wasn't surprising, but Harry hadn't known that Theo had also slept with her.

"Pansy is just as bad!" Daphne screeched, as if that somehow made her own behaviour better.

"I've been with Draco and Blaise." Pansy said quietly, from her little corner. "I've not been with Harry or Theo, or anyone else for that matter, not like you have."

"Well now you get to be with old Lucan Selwyn!" Daphne spat nastily.

Harry watched as Pansy shrunk back into her seat, and went as white as a sheet. He actually moved forward a little, as he expected Pansy to pass out at any minute.

"You'll let us know how the old man performs, won't you?" Daphne said, smirking now that she saw the reaction she'd gotten. "It'll be like old times, comparing how the boys performed with each of us. I want to know if you'll suck your husband's cock as enthusiastically as you did Draco's."

"That's enough!" Harry snapped.

"Oh, is the virgin getting all bashful?" Daphne asked of him. "All this talk of sex and dicks must be getting you a little flustered. Does your husband still have his cock, or is it still in his brother's pocket?"

"Get out." Harry commanded through gritted teeth.

"Hit a nerve, have I? Shall I take that to mean he doesn't have a dick? Then, all of those years in Azkaban, even if he did still have a dick, it's doubtful it would actually work. Maybe your betrothal to him was a ploy to stop you from breeding impure children."

"I said get out!" Harry hissed, and something on his face must have caught Daphne's attention, as she faltered a little, and drew back, but she didn't let it bother her, as she smirked at him, and let out a mocking laugh.

"I'll leave you to your impotent husband then. That goes for the both of you." She added, slipping her gaze from Harry to Pansy, before she stood and left the compartment.

"Harry, take a breath." Draco encouraged. "You'll ruin all of your future plans if you murder her."

"Only if I'm caught." He said easily, still glaring at the closed door.

"You should let the Nargles take care of her." Luna said softly from beside him.

"Have any mistletoe lying around, Luna?" Harry asked her, smiling.

"It is easily found."

Harry smirked, and an idea started forming in his mind. He would have to wait for Theo to implement his revenge first, if anyone deserved it, it was Theo for what Daphne had done to him over the years, but there was no reason why he couldn't take his own revenge…and Nargles would come in very handy with his own growing plans.

Harry had been forced to sit at the Gryffindor table for the welcome feast, because of the new students, but his mind was busy plotting and planning. He had a lot to do, and he'd only added to that with his growing thoughts of retribution to dole out on Daphne.

He'd hated having to go to the Prefects carriage on the train to meet the twenty-four prefects under his care. This was made worse by Hermione being the Head Girl. He'd known that she would be all along, as there was no way her achievements over the years wouldn't afford her that honour, but the fact that she had tried to hand him a pre-made schedule sheet that she actually expected him to follow, after all of their differences in the last year, was frankly laughable.

He hadn't gone so far as to disrespect her in front of the bright eyed prefects, but when the little meeting had been over, he'd silently handed her the sheet back with a scathing look, and made his way back to the carriage with Draco. He would look after the other students, he would look out for the first years, and he would patrol the corridors as was expected of him, but he'd do it on his own terms, and not anyone else's, especially not Hermione's…not now.

The prefects had charge of the new first year students after the feast, so Harry was free to go to his own private rooms on the fourth floor. He tapped the keyhole of the picture of the door with his wand, and it unlocked for him.

Harry inhaled deeply, and he smiled. He couldn't wait to make these rooms his own again. The first thing he did was go to his kitchenette and put the kettle on the cooker to make himself tea. The house-elves had thoroughly cleaned the room, and it was dust free and perfect.

He went to his bedroom and his trunk was neatly placed at the end of his bed, and with a swish of his wand, it opened and his clothes went to hang themselves in the wardrobe, or fold themselves in the dresser, while his plethora of books flew from his trunk to his little study room to line themselves up on his bookshelves. He would put them into order later. He liked to keep his set school books on a separate bookcase from his recreational books just for ease of selection, and then he would separate his other books into ones he needed to read for the Wizengamot, those he needed to read for his law reforms, and ones he needed to read for school work, like all of the Ancient Runes books that Marcus kept piling onto him. It would be nice to settle back in though, and start getting back into the rhythm of everything.

He would need to make a schedule for himself tomorrow, when he got his lesson plans from Professor McGonagall at breakfast. He intended to stay on top of everything this year, which included his classes, all of his homework, his runes tutoring with Marcus, his Wizengamot duties, his law reforms, and his charities too.

He went back out to his living room and he made himself a cup of tea. He would set up a little homework station for himself, he preferred to do everything at his coffee table, rather than at the little desk in the study room, but he kept all of his assignments and work in the study room so that he didn't lose any of it. He was a lot more organised now that he was under the Malfoy's care, and he was eternally grateful, because without a proper schedule, there was no way he could take on as much as he was, and he wouldn't survive the embarrassment of forgetting to do something important when it inevitably caught up to him.

He had also promised to carry on teaching Defence to Astoria, Luna, Blaise, and Draco, so he would need to fit that into his schedule too.

Harry took a sip of tea and looked around at the familiar room. He felt comfortable and relaxed here, and he most certainly did better on his own, without anyone around him. It was nice to be able to leave his things lying about without fear that anyone would take or damage any of it…or look at any of his private notes, either about his law reforms or the Wizengamot.

He went to the settee and sat down, placing down his tea cup. He summoned some parchment, his quills and ink, and he set them on the coffee table, how he liked them.

He took a piece of parchment, and a quill, and he dipped it, and then started writing down things he wanted to try to teach to the two younger girls, and to Blaise and Draco too, maybe Theo if he was interested. He didn't want to do anything that required any heavy thinking, not right before bed, and certainly not with the exhausting day he was expecting to have tomorrow.

Harry put the Patronus charm at the top of the list, he was of the opinion that everyone should try and learn it. Dementors were no small thing to try and combat, and a person's only hope was a Corporeal Patronus. He had loved teaching it to the DA, and despite knowing that many of them had turned against him in light of his adoption, he still didn't wish the Dementors on them, so couldn't bring himself to regret teaching them to protect themselves against the foul creatures. The more people who knew the Patronus charm the better in his mind.

He added some advanced spells, some curses, and things he had found useful, and which would protect his friends and family too. He would try to teach them throughout the year, as much as he could, because it was doubtful that he'd be able to spend the time teaching them anything once he was graduated, and embarking on his political career in earnest. He would always look after them, though. They had come to mean the world to him. Like Hermione, Ron, and all the Weasleys had once been.

He pushed those thoughts aside, it still hurt to think on it, that they had turned their backs on him just because of his adoption. His fist clenched. He was stronger than that now. He was Lord Potter-Black. He was an adoptee of the Malfoy family. He was going to be married into the Lestrange family. He would be strong and he could overcome the betrayal.

Harry drank his tea, and put his list of things to teach the others aside, and he went to his bedroom. Tomorrow classes started, and tomorrow his workload would threaten to bow his shoulders, and this was his last night of relative peace and relaxation. He was sure that as soon as tomorrow night he would be a stressed wreck, trying to figure out how to fit everything he needed to juggle into a schedule like a jigsaw puzzle. He blew out a breath and turned off the lights, heading to bed. It would do him well to get a full night of sleep before any of this started. He had no idea when the next time he'd get to sleep a full nine or ten hours would come.

As soon as Harry had gotten his lesson timetable after breakfast the next morning, he had started trying to schedule everything out. He would need to focus more on Arithmancy this year, to bring his Exceeds Expectations up to an Outstanding, but he would also need to keep up with all of his other subjects too. Marcus would kill him if he got anything other than an O in his final exam for Ancient Runes, and he had threatened to stop tutoring him the moment he started showing signs of slacking off, which would mean that Harry would absolutely fail his final exam in June. He couldn't allow that to happen.

"Mister Potter." McGonagall interrupted on her way back down the Gryffindor table.

Harry looked up at her, a little startled to be addressed a second time, after he'd already gotten his timetable.

"Yes, Professor?"

"I have you named as the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain still, do you wish to accept the position this year?"

Harry bit his lip, and considered it, then looked at his rapidly filling schedule that he was making for himself. Did he want to play Quidditch? Did he want the responsibility of captaining the entire Gryffindor team? He'd always enjoyed just flying more than he had actually playing, but he did find it good stress relief, and if ever he would need stress relief it would be this year. It was also his last year to play, and he'd played through every year of Hogwarts. It would be nice to finish with the Quidditch Cup, and he liked teaching his young team, and the reserve team too, all of his tricks.

"Potter?"

Harry looked up at her, and he smiled. "I'll carry on for now." He said. "But if my schedule becomes too much later in the year, I'll pass the captaincy on to someone else, and retire from the team. I do like playing Quidditch, but my academics are more important this year. I have too much I want to do to threaten it for a game."

"It was this attitude that saw me putting your name forward for the Head Boy position." McGonagall told him, looking proudly to the badge pinned to his robes. "You have done so well in this last year. Your parents would have been proud of you."

Harry was shocked speechless at hearing that, and too choked up to reply, he nodded his head gratefully.

McGonagall smiled at him, likely understanding that he was too full up to reply verbally, and went back to the top table, and almost before she'd taken two steps, as he'd likely been hovering close by, Draco came and sat next to him, and snatched his timetable from his hands, comparing it to his own.

"We're in every class together." He said, smirking in a very satisfied way. "I can look after you better now."

Harry chuckled. "You didn't need to do that last year."

Draco gave him a look. "You were very ill last year." Draco reminded him…as if Harry had somehow forgotten that little fact.

"I know, and I got through it. I'm completely fine, Draco, and off of all of those potions now. I'm healthy, and I'm going to be fine."

"I want you close." Draco said firmly. "He's going to try to give you something to change your behaviour. The closer you are to me, the sooner I'll see the change and call father." Draco added under his breath.

Harry sighed, but he nodded. He could understand that, and he knew that Draco was worried. Hell, he was worried. He blew out a calming breath, he'd done all he could to protect himself, Marcus had seen to that.

Harry caught himself just before his hand rose to touch his throat. Rubbing at it would certainly be a red flag. He took another breath and looked to Draco.

"Everything is going to be fine." He said, with more certainty than he felt.

"I'm still going to keep you close. It doesn't matter what you say to me. I have a responsibility to you as my younger brother."

Harry scoffed at that. "All of one month older."

"Exactly eight weeks older." Draco said pointedly. "But it doesn't matter if it had been eight minutes, I'm still older than you, and that makes you my responsibility, Harry, regardless of what you think of it."

"This Pureblood culture is bullshit."

Draco gave him a stern look this time, and Harry grinned cheekily at him.

"That look doesn't work on me." Draco said. "You might have everyone else wrapped around your finger, but not me."

"Give me a little more time." Harry replied.

Draco snorted a soft sound of amusement. "I know that look now. It'll never work on me, even if your fiancé does visibly melt every time it's directed at him."

Harry laughed. "Well, he has very good taste, if I do say so myself."

Draco smiled at him then. "All of this 'Pureblood bullshit', as you so claim it, is what has brought you to this point, Harry. You wouldn't be here without it, so try not to be so vocally disapproving. Just remember that you wouldn't have Rabastan without the betrothal practices of Pureblood culture."

"I know that, but some of it is bullshit, and you can't tell me otherwise." Harry insisted.

Draco just sighed, but he did drop the subject.

"We have double Potions first." Harry said after a few minutes of silence. "A nice, easy start to a Tuesday morning." He added sarcastically.

Draco nodded his agreement. "Straight into Ancient Runes afterwards. That'll be a killer too."

"Tuesday is going to be one to watch, if ever I'm going to kill anyone, it'll be today, in double Potions."

"I will partner you, if I'm able, to limit any damage you do." Draco said seriously, giving him a look. "If we're doing individual work, sit next to me, and I'll help you understand what we're doing."

Harry nodded. "I'm not as terrible as I once was, but I certainly appreciate the help."

"Well you managed to scrounge an O for your exam, so that must be true to some extent. Though how you managed to do it is still up for debate."

Harry chuckled, and checked what else they had on a Tuesday. "Herbology after lunch, and then Astronomy, and Charms."

"Merlin!" Draco suddenly cursed. "Look at Fridays, are they trying to kill us off?"

Harry went to the end of the schedule, and he groaned empathetically as he saw what Draco had. Double Runes to start, Potions, Transfiguration, double Arithmancy, and then a trip to the Astronomy tower for an hour between ten and eleven at night.

"Two double lessons in one day? Potions and Transfiguration as well?" Draco threw a hand through his hair, and he was looking stressed already, and it was only Tuesday.

"We're light on Defence." Harry said, frowning at his timetable.

"It'll be more practical work this year, Harry. We don't really need to study a lot for Defence. You don't need to worry anyway, you're so good at Defence that you could have one lesson a week and still get an O at the end of the year."

"I'm more than happy to carry on tutoring you, Blaise, Astoria, and Luna. I'll even tutor Theo if he'd like. I don't mind."

"It might be too difficult this year, Harry." Draco pointed out.

Harry shook his head. "No. I'll make time to help you all. In exchange I will take Potions tutoring from you, and more French lessons from Blaise."

Draco smiled, then laughed. "Alright then. Drink your milk."

Harry looked with distaste at the small glass of goat milk, that he had entirely forgotten about, and he picked it up and drained it in one go, as if it were a potion. He would never like milk, he could blame the Dursleys for that. In fact, he could blame the Dursleys for a lot of things.

"What are you doing here?" Draco asked, looking at the schedule Harry was writing out for himself. "Are you actually planning every single minute of your time?"

"Pretty much." Harry sighed, looking at what he'd done so far.

Now that he had agreed to remain as the Quidditch captain too, he would have to put aside at least two hours every Saturday for training and practice. He would have to hold try-outs as well, as soon as he could, to replace Katie Bell, who had graduated in the summer, and now he was in need of a new Chaser for the team. He hoped to find someone who at least fit in well with Demelza and Sarah, because he already knew that he'd never find a replacement who was as good as Katie had been right off the bat.

"Come on, we'd better set off to the dungeons." Draco said, but he looked a little excited to Harry, a little too happy to be going to lessons, and he was definitely a lot more eager for this double dose of torture than Harry was.

Harry groaned, but dutifully stood up, putting his unfinished schedule back into his bag. He knew that the homework was going to be piled on now that their final year had rolled around, and he didn't have a severe illness to hide behind any more, and he wouldn't put it past Snape to set an essay requiring two rolls of parchment in their very first lesson.

Harry shouldered his backpack, and followed after Draco, heading to the Slytherin table first and foremost to pick up Blaise, and then trudging down to the dungeons. He wasn't going to enjoy this double period, and he was very sure that he wasn't going to enjoy the workload that was going to be piled onto him either.

Harry had been correct about Snape setting two rolls of parchment for an essay on the potion they had been forced to brew in their very first lesson back at Hogwarts. The oily git was getting to be predictable.

If that wasn't bad enough every single teacher, in every lesson, had the same idea, and by the time that Saturday rolled around, Harry felt that he had already been in school for an entire month, and not just four days.

He had invited Draco, Blaise, and Theo to his private rooms for a sort of homework club. Astoria had been given an invite, but had turned it down in favour of being with her own year mates. Harry suspected that she just didn't want to be a distraction to Draco.

Harry laid out a plate of biscuits, and set up some tea for all of them, and then sat and stared at his own homework pile. It was worse than even he had feared. He had essays for every subject except Astronomy, and on top of essays, their professors had also set equations, charts, questionnaires, and in the case of Ancient Runes, translation work. They had at least three pieces of homework for each subject.

There was a knock at the door, and Harry went to open it. He smiled at seeing Draco's harried face, as he hefted his book bag, and an armful of notes and books, into Harry's rooms without preamble, slamming them down on the coffee table and slouching.

"Thank you for inviting us, Harry." Theo said politely.

Harry nodded. "I just thought it would be quieter here, given that there's only four of us, as opposed to the library, or the Great Hall, which will have more people."

"We have everything we need here too." Blaise said, sitting down next to Draco. "You have a kitchen and a bathroom."

Harry nodded and handed out tea, before sitting himself opposite Draco, and next to Theo.

"Do you want to tackle Potions first, Harry, or Defence?" Draco asked, looking between both essays, which he had started.

"I've already finished all of the Defence homework." Harry said, shoving a hand through his hair in frustration.

"Of course you have. Give it here then." Blaise cajoled him, smiling, and holding out an expectant hand.

Harry had put all of his work into separate folders, just to keep everything organised, so he handed over the folder labelled as Defence Against the Dark Arts, and took Draco's Potions notes to try and get that hellish essay out of the way.

"Have you finished anything else?" Theo asked him.

"Astronomy and Herbology. I'm almost done with Charms too. It's Potions, Transfiguration, and Arithmancy that're the problems for me."

"Have you finished that essay for History then?" Blaise asked him.

"Haven't even started it. I figured I could just throw a load of bollocks into it and Binns wouldn't even notice."

"Harry." Draco said in a warning tone. "You have to do your work properly. Don't force me to tell father that you're cutting corners. He won't be happy."

Harry sighed, but nodded. "I just have no interest in any of Binns' lessons. I want to learn about actual history, maybe political history which would actually be some help to me, not frigging goblin rebellion after goblin rebellion. It's painting them in a bad light."

"How so?" Theo asked.

"Because it's only showing their negative history. The goblins have done so much for us as a whole, and we don't learn about anything other than their rebellions against wizards. They're treated as less than contemptible, and are viewed almost on the same level as house-elves, and it's a disgrace. They are not lesser than us!"

"You have some very strange views, Harry." Blaise pointed out.

"I don't care. You should all read some of the books that I have, in my pursuit of bettering myself for the Wizengamot. Our nation owes a debt to the goblins for all they have done for us over the centuries, and how do we repay that? By teaching students, and impressionable children, that all the goblins have ever done is rebel and rise up every couple hundred years. It's unashamed prejudice, and I won't have any part in it."

The three others were silent, staring at him, and Harry realised that he'd gone on one of his impassioned speeches again. Then Theo surprised him.

"Do you have those books still? I'd like to read them."

Harry blinked at him, and Blaise and Draco turned to stare at him as well.

"Of course. I can lend them to you." Harry said, standing and going to get the books in question.

"Why do you want to read them?" Harry heard Draco ask as he went through to his little study room. He could still hear them perfectly.

"I'm going to be Lord Nott after my father, and following Harry's example is better than following my father's. Learning to be impartial, and unbiased, is going to be difficult after listening to prejudice my entire life, but surely if every member of the Wizengamot was unbiased, unprejudiced, then our governing body would be much fairer, and more effective. Harry has the right idea, so I'm going to follow his example, and I'm going to unlearn all of my biases, and make myself better, so that when I sit the Wizengamot, I can be a better person."

Harry was so proud of Theo, and he was glad that they had become friends. Now he just needed to work on Blaise and Draco as well. And Astoria and Pansy too. The more people he could get thinking, and casting off their biases, the better.

He'd never let himself hope that his stance on certain things would lead to him opening minds, but that is exactly what had happened. It would likely never work with Rabastan, and certainly not Rodolphus, but if he could get the younger generation thinking for themselves, and actually learning by themselves, and throwing off lifelong, ingrained biases, he could maybe, hopefully, make the future a little bit brighter, a little bit more inclusive, and tolerant.

"Here you go, Theo. These two books are the ones you want. You don't have to read through them all, the sections of goblins are in the index pages, and though they are rather long, they're very informative." Harry explained, handing over the books.

"Thank you, Harry. I will return them as soon as I'm done."

Harry nodded, and then set himself back to his homework. He needed to get all of it done, and the sooner the better. He hadn't touched any of his extra-curricular books, or projects, in the five days he'd been back at Hogwarts. What worried him, and was stressing him out the most though, was that he hadn't even had the time to write to Rabastan. He hadn't even touched his law reforms since he'd arrived, and he wanted, needed, to figure out a better schedule for himself. One which included at least a little bit of free time for him to write to his fiancé, and allowed him to finalise those law reforms.

Rabastan read the rushed letter that Harry had sent him with a fond smile. He'd known that Harry's final year would be stressful, and that his fiancé would be inundated with homework, so he didn't mind the lack of written correspondence with Harry. He'd known that it would happen.

But still, reading the rushed letter, in which Harry assured him that he would write as often as he was able, gave Rabastan a small burst of affection for Harry.

"How is Harry doing?" Rodolphus asked as he walked into the room, taking one look at his face and knowing that what he was reading was a letter from Harry.

"Very well, if a little stressed from all the work he's piling onto himself. He is most definitely taking on too much, Dolphus."

"He's not going to be told, Rabastan. It's a mistake that he needs to learn on his own." Rodolphus told him firmly.

"I don't want him collapsing due to exhaustion, or making himself sick again."

"There is nothing that you can do to stop him." Rodolphus told him, giving him a glare. "Harry is a force unto himself, he will do exactly as he wants, regardless of anything that you say, because he fully believes that he can take on everything he's doing, and keep on top of it. We know better, but he doesn't, not yet. But he will, and if he carries on as he is, then it'll be soon."

Rabastan frowned at his brother. He didn't like hearing it, but he couldn't refute the assessment. They both knew that Harry was trying to do too much, especially in his final year of school, and that it would lead to stress and exhaustion. But Rodolphus was also right in that Harry wouldn't be told. It was one of those mistakes that he had to make for himself, in order to learn from it. He was in the mind-set of the invincibility of youth, and until that mind-set was changed, Harry would carry on thinking he could take on such a heavy workload with no consequences. Rabastan just didn't like the thought of Harry collapsing due to exhaustion and overwork, however, and he was worried and stressed himself.

Then there was the court case that Harry was to be a key witness in. Dolores Umbridge. Rabastan had seen the permanent scar she had caused Harry through the abuse of a contract quill. I must not tell lies. Rabastan felt sick when he thought of that scar permanently marring Harry's skin. The same as he felt when he'd gone to Fiji with Harry and seen all of the scars on his body. He was just seventeen, and he had so many scars, it was a disgrace. He vowed that he would try to find where those muggle beasts lived, and then he would kill them for the pain and damage they had done to his beloved.

As one, both Rodolphus and Rabastan hissed through their teeth, and their right hands went to their marks, which were burning with their Lord's call.

They stood as one, and conjured their masks and black robes, dressing as quickly as they could, before, with a final look at one another, they spun on the spot and Apparated to their Lord's current home.

They landed a moment later and they headed quickly up the gravel path to the dark manor ahead of them. They were not the only ones here, and not the only ones to be called.

"A full meeting." Rodolphus commented needlessly, but Rabastan heard the excitement, and anticipation, in his brother's tone. Something big was going to happen.

It was likely that this was a meeting to deal with the vote for the next Minister for Magic, that they would be getting orders to support Pius Thicknesse, and bribe, coerce, and threaten others to do the same, and perhaps some of them would be getting orders to take out Amelia Bones. Rabastan knew that Rodolphus would relish that order, if indeed it was ordered of him.

The two of them went to their place at the very long table, recognising almost all of the other Death Eaters present by their individual masks. Their grandfather was stood behind the head position of the table, as one of their Lord's most loyal and valuable followers, and one of his oldest surviving friends, he had earned the trust and respect of his position at their Lord's back, and Rabastan was proud to be related to him.

Rodolphus sat at their Lord's right hand, and Rabastan sat next to him. Unfortunately Bellatrix was to his other side, but she was sat attentively staring at the high backed seat at the head of the table as if their Lord were already sat there, and she paid him, nor her husband, any mind.

Snape had the honour of sitting at their Lord's left hand side, and directly opposite Rabastan was Rhadamanthus, glaring at him as if just his gaze alone could bore a hole through his head. Lucius Malfoy had the pleasure of sitting to his other side, with Corban Yaxley on his left.

Others were filling in the lower half of the table, including Mark Flint and his son Marcus, who was steadily moving positions up the table. His understanding and work with Runes was valuable to their Lord, and the things he could do with those Runes were terrifying, and he was tutoring Harry to do the same. Harry was already a force to be reckoned with, if he had the same understanding of Runes as Marcus did, then he would be a very formidable person.

There were a few Death Eaters that he couldn't name. Those whose masks were newly crafted and unrecognisable. New additions to their ranks. Below all of these new additions, and held in complete and utter contempt, was Pettigrew, cowering on the left hand side of the table, right at the end. Rabastan smirked, as he remembered Harry casting a perfect Cruciatus curse on the rat. Harry was growing, and he was going from strength to strength, he'd only needed an opportunity, and the support of a caring family, one who loved him. He had two now, the Malfoys and the Lestranges.

Their Lord came sweeping into the large, cavernous room, and surveyed them all through gleaming red eyes. Rabastan's spine reflexively pulled straighter.

"Dolohov, switch places with Sarpedon." Their Lord commanded softly, on the way to his seat, his snake Nagini slithering at his heels.

Rabastan smirked at the public favouring, as Dolohov was forced to move a seat lower, and Sarpedon Carrow moved a seat higher. His last mission must have been a success, and a storming one at that, to have Dolohov pushed lower down the table.

"I have called you here collectively, as I have a mission for you all. The election is coming up, and we cannot risk losing it. Pius Thicknesse must win."

"I will kill Bones, let me kill her, my Lord." Bellatrix burst out passionately, her chest heaving.

"It's not that simple." Snape cut in. "If you kill Bones, there will be a delay in the election, while someone else is selected to run against Thicknesse, and the campaigning will start again. Thicknesse needs an opponent, and we cannot choose who it might be."

"You raise an excellent point, Severus." Their Lord praised, smirking. "Undoubtedly Bones will be a popular candidate, but we need Thicknesse to win. This is where you all come into the matter. I don't care what you do, or how you do it, but ensure that Thicknesse wins this election."

Rabastan rumbled his agreement to the order, along with everyone else at the table. There was little he could do personally, or any of the rest of them who were escapees of Azkaban, but they could wear their Death Eater robes and masks, and they could threaten those who proved to be unwilling to cast their vote for Thicknesse.

Harry was going to be a real challenge, as this would be his first voting experience, and he had proven time again that he was stubborn, and a law unto himself. If he was seen to back Thicknesses' campaign publically, then many others would do the same, just because he was doing so. The issue was actually trying to convince him that backing Thicknesse was for the best, and to ignore his own thoughts on the matter. Rabastan sighed silently as he thought of that, the chances of actually getting Harry to vote blindly, without forming his own opinions, was slim to none.

"We put all other matters aside in favour of this." Their Lord told them. "We must have Thicknesse in place before our plans can move on. Lucius, will young Harry interfere in this matter?"

Lucius considered the situation, but he sighed, as he came to the same conclusion that Rabastan had.

"I don't believe that he would interfere purposefully, my Lord." Lucius said smoothly, calmly. "But trying to convince him to vote for Thicknesse might pose some…difficulty. He will undoubtedly wish to research both candidates, and will then choose whichever person he believes will be the best option."

Those red eyes flashed with anger for a moment, and then their Lord calmed, and smirked, and Rabastan relaxed a fraction.

"If Harry cannot be convinced to vote for Thicknesse, then ensure that he does not publically back Amelia Bones." Their Lord commanded. "If he will not vote for Thicknesse, then make him keep his vote private. I do not want to read any articles, see any photos, or hear any quotes of him endorsing Bones in any way, am I clear?"

"Yes, my Lord." Lucius insisted, but he looked as worried as Rabastan felt. Would Harry cooperate, or would he do as he wanted regardless? They could only sit him down, and explain the situation to him, and then Harry would decide for himself what he would do.

"Rabastan, I expect you to aid in this matter. As Harry's lover I would expect him to listen to you, if he doesn't listen to his father."

"Yes, my Lord." Rabastan agreed immediately, but he was still just as worried. Harry would no more listen to him than he would Lucius if he had his mind set.

"That was all." Their Lord insisted. "Charlie, stay a moment."

Rabastan stood to leave the room, walking calmly, confidently, and on his way he saw that 'Charlie' was one of the lower level Death Eaters, one with a new mask, sitting stiffly, his back ramrod straight. The only one not moving in a sea of black robes that were heading for the large double doors.

"Do you think Harry will heed you?" Rodolphus asked. "I can have words otherwise."

"No. Don't you dare threaten him, Rodolphus!" Rabastan hissed angrily.

"We have orders." Rodolphus told him, narrowing dark brown eyes.

"Going straight into threatening him won't work." Rabastan insisted. "He will do the opposite all the more. Harry isn't one to be coerced, or threatened, Dolphus, let me handle this."

"You're too soft on him!" Rodolphus growled. "You'll fail in your orders to our Lord."

"I won't, but I will not allow you to threaten my fiancé!" Rabastan growled right back. "I know how to handle Harry, how to get him to think things through. I can get him to think this is the best thing all around, but I need you to stay out of it!"

Rodolphus didn't look too pleased about that, then he hated failing their Lord in everything, and he would do anything and everything in order to achieve the goal of their Lord. He liked Harry, Rabastan even believed that Dolphus loved him in his own way, he was sure, but that wouldn't stop him from threatening, or even harming Harry, if that is what it took to follow their Lord's orders. Rabastan had once believed that he would be exactly the same. Now though…now…when it came down to it, and he thought about whether he would rather harm Harry or risk failing an order…no…he would never, never, be able to harm Harry. Not even if it meant taking a punishment for failing an order. He could never harm Harry.

Rabastan Apparated back home, and from the receiving room he went straight to the side cabinet in the parlour, and poured himself a measure of Firewhiskey. He knocked it back in one hard swallow, and eased himself down. Harry wouldn't want any of his family harmed, he was soft hearted, but that would play into their favour. Even if Harry wanted to back Amelia Bones, even if he wanted to shout it to the heavens, if on the other hand it meant his family suffering for the choice, or being harmed, Rabastan was almost completely certain that Harry would choose to remain silent, or even back Thicknesse, to keep them safe.

Exhaling and feeling the stress leaving his body, and feeling more secure now that he was more sure that Harry would agree to back Thicknesse, he went and sat down, as his grandfather and brother came to join him.

"Harry needs to be made to see things from our point of view." His grandfather said before he'd even really cleared the doorway. He went to the side cabinet and poured himself a drink, as Rabastan had, before going to sit down and sipping on it.

"Leave him to me." Rabastan said firmly. "Our Lord gave this mission to Lucius and I. Not to either of you."

"I don't want to see that boy harmed." Xerxes said with a growl.

"And you believe that I do?" Rabastan demanded. "I will do anything to keep Harry safe. To protect him! Anything!"

"I didn't mean to insinuate that you would want to see him harmed." Xerxes sighed, sitting back more comfortably. "I've come to admire that boy, he's going to do great things when he is a little older, and I won't have anything happening to him."

Rabastan eased down and sat back himself. He sighed. "We all know that Harry is stubborn, but I don't believe for a single moment that he would back Bones if it meant putting his family in harm's way."

"Not even if it meant furthering his own political goals?" Rodolphus asked.

Rabastan let out a single, sharp burst of laughter. "Do you know him at all, Dolphus? Harry cares more for family than he ever would about himself, or his ambitions. He would have been a Slytherin otherwise."

"Under that Veritaserum test, he said he was supposed to be a Slytherin. That was where he was supposed to be sorted." Xerxes mused.

"But he chose Gryffindor." Rabastan insisted. "He put friendship, and family ties, before his own ambition. He would have done better in Slytherin, he would have likely met his ambitions much sooner, but that wasn't what he wanted. Family comes before ambition, no matter what he wants out of his life, family will always be at the top of the list."

"I hope you're right, Basti. We can't have Harry interfering in these matters, not after he swore he wouldn't meddle in our Lord's plans after his adoption."

"Leave it to me." Rabastan said, knowing that he would have a better chance of getting Harry to listen.

Rodolphus would threaten him, and Harry's hackles would rise, and he would refuse to back down on principle as per his stubborn nature. His grandfather would cajole and condescend, and make Harry feel patronised and stupid, and he would refuse to do as he was bid out of anger and humiliation.

His best chance was to sit him down, and calmly explain the situation, and not hold anything back. It was time to have an honest conversation with his fiancé. He would have to try to get Harry to agree to meet him for a dinner date at The Garnet Swan this weekend, so that he could see and explain in person, as quickly as possible. It wouldn't be easy given Harry's heavy work schedule, but this was exceptionally important, and it couldn't wait. Harry needed to back Thicknesse, or at the very least he needed to not publically support Bones. With the debates coming up soon, and the vote on everyone's minds, it was imperative that he spoke to Harry as soon as possible, so that he didn't cast his support for Bones before Rabastan could explain the situation to him. He really hoped that Harry could spare him an hour or two in the evening on Saturday, this conversation couldn't be put in a letter, he couldn't floo call him, and he couldn't visit him in person. Harry needed to be the one to come to him, and then Rabastan needed him to understand the situation, and agree with him.

He sighed again and slumped a little. He was almost certain that Harry would put his family first, he knew his fiancé, and he would put Galleons on Harry choosing family over ambition, there was just a tiny niggle of doubt in the back of his mind that was constantly reminding him that Harry was stubborn, that Harry was wilful, that Harry refused to be pushed around or dictated to. He would write a letter to Harry, and hand it to Lucius to take to Hogwarts. He would floo call his friend and book a private room for this weekend at The Garnet Swan, in the hopes that Harry agreed to a dinner date. He hoped that Harry understood the situation, and agreed with him. Rabastan didn't want to think about what might happen if he didn't.

A/N: After the completion of my new fic, Servus ad Harenas, I have now come back to this fic. This is the only chapter I have, and next week will be RotD, but after that, everything will be up in the air, but I do hope you readers enjoyed this chapter, things are moving along nicely, and Harry is now back in school. We have more Wizengamot scenes coming up, and then both the Umbridge trial, and Theo's revenge. Things are going to start getting exciting again.

StarLight Massacre. X