Chapter 9
Harry woke up to the door being opened. He blinked wearily in that direction, then mumbled, "Well met, Heir Malfoy, Mr. Crabbe, Mr. Goyle."
The three Slytherins looked startled. Malfoy looked even more surprised when Ron and then Hermione echoed him.
"Well met, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger," Malfoy said slowly.
"Actually, I'm Heir Peverell-Slytherin-Gryffindor-Hufflepuff-Ravenclaw-Gaunt-Black," Harry corrected.
"But that's impossible!" Malfoy sputtered. "The Gaunt and Slytherin Lordships-"
"'Lordships,'" Harry pointed out. "I got the Heirships through conquest."
Malfoy stared at him.
"What did you need, Heir Malfoy?" Harry asked calmly.
The boy was about to respond when he saw Remus. "Who's that?"
"Professor Remus Lupin, one of the new Defense professors, and a friend of my parents'," Harry explained. "The other professor is my parent chosen by Magic, Professor Hunter Orion Black."
The three Slytherins gaped at him. "You -- Uncle Raven-" Malfoy began.
"You know Dad's actual name and codename?" Harry said with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes, he babysat me and several other children during the war, Potter," Malfoy said cautiously. "How do you know his real name?"
"He told me, and it was on my Blood Test," Harry explained.
"Do Granger and Weasley know-?"
"I'm going to tell them later," Harry promised.
"Tell us what?" Ron asked with a frown.
"Later," Harry said again. "Malfoy, could you tutor me in Potions? I'm shit at it."
Malfoy snorted. "Understatement, Potter. What's in it for me?"
"I'll accept your friendship," Harry replied after a pause.
"What!" Ron yelped.
"What makes you think I still want your friendship, Potter?" Malfoy asked shrewdly.
"My name not only carries the stigma of defeating a Dark Lord, but I have a lot of Lord and Heirships," Harry said mildly. "I do have some requirements for my Houses becoming allies with yours, but I can give you my friendship."
"Deal," Malfoy said automatically. He muttered something to Crabbe and Goyle, and they left. "May I sit down? I'd like to discuss those requirements."
Harry glanced at Hermione and Ron. They looked annoyed. "Two of them are that you treat my friends with more respect and remove the word 'Mudblood' entirely from your vocabulary."
Malfoy made a face. "Fine." He sat down.
"I'm going to tell you why," Harry added. "Muggleborns are forced into a world they know nothing about and are expected to follow wizarding traditions without being taught them. They are immediately viewed by most Purebloods as weak, which is why a lot of them work too hard at school. The Muggleborn book list stopped being required two years before I came to school, which is why Hermione and I never knew about Mabon or Samhain, or about wizarding greetings."
Malfoy stared at him.
"The Weasleys are poor because their great-great-grandfather broke a marriage contract with your great-great-grandmother," Harry continued. "Why should their descendants be punished for their ancestors' sins? And just because they're poor and disrespected now, doesn't mean they or their descendants will be poor or disrespected later. Already Charles and William Weasley have good jobs and reputations among most Dark Purebloods."
"So, respect someone now, so as to not become their descendants' enemy?" Malfoy hummed.
"Also, don't bully someone for something they can't control," Harry added sternly. "Unless thirteen-year-olds can get a job."
"No, but they can offer services at school," Malfoy replied. "Weasley, what are you good at?"
"Chess," Ron said automatically.
"You could start a chess tournament," Malfoy explained. "Each person wanting to participate puts in three Galleons, winner gets the pool. Or you could teach someone chess strategy for money."
Ron nodded thoughtfully.
The train started to slow down. "We can't possibly be there yet!" Hermione exclaimed.
Malfoy blanched. "Oh, fuck. My father said that there would be Dementors patrolling the school, apparently Pettigrew escaped the Ministry."
"Dad's going to be furious," Harry groaned, shaking Remus awake.
"Cub! What?" Remus asked.
"Dementors," Harry said flatly.
"What?!"
The train stopped and the lights went out. Isft snarled, and Lily woke up.
~Hatchling, what's going on?~
"~Creatures that suck out people's souls are patrolling the bus for the rat,~" Harry answered.
The door opened suddenly, and Malfoy let out a howl of pain.
"Sorry!" Neville squawked in alarm. "D'you know what's going on?"
"Dementors," Remus said firmly. "Sit down, sir wizard."
Neville sat down and there was a loud yowl; he'd tried to sit on Crookshanks, who now occupied Remus' vacated seat.
The door opened again, and Ginny's voice said, "Harry? Ron? Hermione?"
Remus sighed. "Sit down, Miss Weasley, Miss-?"
"Heiress Lovegood-Lestrange," said a voice dreamily. Neville sputtered in surprise. "They're going to target our compartment, Professor Moony. We have the most tragedy among us."
"Oh, no," Remus groaned. "Sit down, I'll deal with it."
Harry yelped; Ginny or her friend had tried to sit on him.
"Sorry, Harry!" Ginny then.
Finally, everyone settled down.
Slowly, the train became colder and colder. A sort of mist filled corridor. Remus chanted, "Expecto Patronum!"
A familiar dog, silver and transparent, soared out of Remus' wand and bounded down the corridor.
"Padfoot, huh?" Harry snickered quietly, and in the light of the Patronus, he could see Remus turn red.
"Who's Padfoot?" Hermione asked, puzzled.
"His mate," came Lovegood-Lestrange's voice serenely. Remus' eyes widened.
The mist disappeared at that moment, and the lights came back on a second later. The train began moving again, and Remus sat down, still blushing.
Ginny's friend had long, silvery-blond hair, bright blue eyes, and a dreamy expression. "Well met, sir wizards and lady witch," she said softly. "My name is Luna Lovegood."
"Well met, Heiress Lovegood-Lestrange," Malfoy said automatically. Everyone else echoed him, and he said, "How did you get the Lestrange Heirship?"
"Neither of my uncles have heirs, as they are unable to bear children," Luna said absently. "And they are not allowed to have the Lordship, so my father has it."
"Harry?" Neville whispered from Harry's other side. "Why are you sitting with Malfoy?"
"We're friends now," Harry said quietly. "I got him to stop using the word 'Mudblood' and to stop bullying."
Neville gaped at him. "How?"
"By offering him allyship with my Houses," Harry said dryly, showing him the rings briefly. Neville's eyes bulged in shock.
"I'm glad you found the raven, Lord Death," said Luna lazily, and Harry jumped in shock.
"Lord Death?" Ginny exclaimed, as Neville and Malfoy gaped.
"Shh!" Harry insisted. "I don't want anybody to know. I barely understand it!"
Luna reached into her bag and handed Harry an envelope. The Purebloods didn't recognize it, but Hermione did.
"Give this to raven, Lord Death," Luna told him. "It will help him find his soulmate and a way to bring him back."
Harry gave her a puzzled look but put the envelope in his bag. "Thanks."
Luna's eyes unfocused. "The Dark has been hated in a way it is not," she said softly. "The Light has been glorified in a way it should not. Only a balance can bring peace, and only the fawn can bring balance."
Silence. Then Ron said, "What the fuck?"