Chapter 21
Harrison had just received a letter from Albus Dumbledore. He had also received a piece of parchment that told Harrison the list of spells that were on the letter.
He hadn't looked away from the parchment yet.
Compulsions:
Trust Albus Percival Wolfric Brian Dumbledore
Trust Molly Weasley
Hate Draco Lucius Malfoy
Hate Severus Tobias Snape
Hate Blaise Zabini
Hate Pansy Parkinson
Want to return to Gryffindor
Well, now Harrison knew he couldn't trust Dumbledore.
"Hedwig," Harrison whispered softly to the white owl, "I want you to deliver this paper and this letter to Amelia Bones." He pulled a piece of paper and a quill out of his bag.
Well met, Madam Bones.
The headmaster just sent me this letter with several compulsions on it. I've provided the paper listing the compulsions. I would like a restraining order on him.
Yours in Service,
Harrison James Potter
Lord Gryffindor-Hufflepuff, Heir Merlin-Peverell-Slytherin-Ravenclaw-Black
Harrison charmed the papers to stick together and handed them to Hedwig. She nipped his finger affectionately and soared out of the dormitory.
"What was that?" asked Draco, as he entered their dorm.
"Got a letter from Dumbledore," Harrison said shortly. "Had a bunch of compulsions on it."
Draco growled, his eyes glowing.
"I sent the letter and the list of compulsions to Amelia Bones," Harrison added. Draco relaxed a bit and came and sat next to him on the bed.
"Tell Uncle Sev about it, your Head of House is supposed to accompany you when you're meeting the headmaster," Draco told him, pulling him closer and resting his chin on Harrison's head.
Harrison scowled. He hated being short.
That reminded him.
"Your mum's a Healer, right?" Harrison asked him.
"Yeah -- why do you ask?"
"I don't trust Pomfrey," Harrison said vaguely. "Can I talk to her? I'll let Remus know I'm with a Healer."
"Sure." Draco stood up again and pulled Harrison down to the common room.
"How are we going to get to her?" Harrison questioned.
"Greg," Draco said in response, and the boy looked up from the couch. "Cast a cutting curse on my leg."
"What?" Harrison demanded, as Greg pulled out his wand.
"The Hippogriff was the only time Pomfrey healed me," Draco told Harrison, wincing a bit when Greg cast the spell. It barely grazed Draco's shin, but he was still bleeding a lot. "I only trust Mum, especially since Pomfrey trusts Dumbledore too much." He reached inside of one of the skulls on the mantlepiece and pulled out a fist of Floo powder. Then Draco knelt in front of the fireplace and tossed the powder into the flames.
"Malfoy Manor!" he called clearly.
Harrison let out a squawk of alarm when Draco put his head into the blue flames.
"It's all right," Greg told him. "It's kind of like a fellytone, but with Floo."
"Telephone," Harrison said distractedly.
"Mother? Father? Ah, Nipsy, are my parents home?" A pause. "Can you fetch Mother, then? I'm in need of healing assistance. Thank you." Another pause. "Calm down, Mother, I'm fine!" Draco said exasperatedly. "Yes, Greg and Vince were practicing the cutting curse and hit me with it. Also, I wanted to introduce my mate to you. May we come over?"
Draco pulled his head out of the fire and Harrison helped him stand up. "Greg, tell Snape I'll be late."
Greg nodded, and Draco pulled Harrison into the Floo.
"Malfoy Manor!"
The two of them spun out of the common room and stopped abruptly. Harrison almost tripped, but Draco stopped him.
"Draco, for Merlin's sake," said a very exasperated voice. "Stop telling your friends to curse you when you need to talk to me!"
Harrison straightened up and almost choked on his spit.
They were standing in a huge green-and-silver parlor, with several elegant, silk couches and chairs, a coffee table, bookshelves, and a pool table of all things. The floor was made of dark silver marble with a dark green serpent pattern, and the walls and ceiling were bright silver with eerie green lightning bolts. The chandelier was a huge, gaudy obsidian thing with crooked red candles.
"Draco, why is your house bigger than your ego?"
"Oy!" Draco sputtered, as Harrison turned back to grin at him.
He had met Draco's mother at the Quidditch Cup, but he hadn't been paying much attention. She looked a lot like Draco, but her hair was a darker blond instead of bleached. Her eyes were blue instead of silver.
"Heir Black," Narcissa Malfoy said kindly. "Welcome to Malfoy Manor."
"Thank you, Lady Malfoy," Harrison said politely. "I asked Draco to bring me here so I could talk to you. I don't trust Madam Pomfrey, either. And she's not a full Healer."
Narcissa pursed her lips. "You are my son's mate; you may call me Cissa. Draco, I assume you made excuses for your first class?"
"Yes, Mum," Draco agreed. Harrison realized that Cissa had healed Draco while he'd been gaping at the upholstery.
"Good. Come with me." Cissa led them out of the room.
The rest of Malfoy Manor was just as Slytherin-y and posh as the parlor. Harrison counted no less than fifty snake patterns.
They stopped in a cozy chamber at the end of the hall. The carpet was very soft and midnight blue. The walls and ceiling were a slightly lighter midnight blue with galaxies painted on it. In the center of the room was a large hospital bed and beside it, a shelf with several potions. The room was brightly lit by the stars on the ceiling and walls.
"I love this room," Harrison declared, grinning.
Cissa smiled warmly. "I'm glad you think so, Heir Black. Please, take a seat."
"You can call me Harrison," he told her as he bounced onto the bed. Draco rolled his eyes. "Shut up Dray, I'm not a posh noble."
"Yes, you are."
"I don't want to act like one."
"Boys," Cissa said in a sternly amused tone. "I assume you want me to cast the Medical History charm?"
Harrison nodded.
Cissa pulled out her wand, then tapped Harrison on the head with it. "Medica Historis!"
A thick scroll of parchment appeared out of thin air. Cissa caught it before it could fall onto Harrison lap. Draco was instantly sitting beside him, arms wrapped around his waist and face in his hair. Harrison sighed and leaned back onto Draco's chest.
"We have a lot of work to do, Harrison," Cissa said calmly, her eyes on the parchment. Her eyes were burning with fire.
"Wait. I thought I just had to have a special diet or something," Harrison said worriedly.
"You will also have to take a nutrient potion with every meal," Cissa corrected him, "and we have to re-break several of your bones, as they did not heal properly when you were younger. This process is going to take several days."
"Can't you just vanish the bones and re-grow them?" Harrison frowned.
"They will re-grow the exact way they were before." Cissa handed him the scroll and headed over to the potion shelves. "Draco, please contact Severus and tell him Harrison is being treated for long-term abuse. Tell him to be vague when Dumbledore asks which Healer is treating him. And tell him that Harrison is in a secure ward."
Draco nodded and dashed out of the room.
Cissa pinched her nose, now pale as well as angry. "Harrison, there is something in that scroll that I did not want my son seeing. I assume you have no idea what it is."
"What what is?" Harrison frowned.
"Do you have any idea what a Horcrux is?"
-------
Medical History:
Summary: mis-healed bones (untreated), scars (untreated), Horcrux (untreated)
Age 0-1:
None
Age 1-2:
Sprained ankle (treated properly)
Age 2-3:
Watching a parent die (untreated)
Killing Curse (untreated)
Blood Curse (untreated)
Horcrux (untreated)
Hypothermia (untreated)
Malnutrition (untreated)
Age 3-4:
Malnutrition (untreated)
Hypothermia (untreated)
Age 4-5:
Burn on right hand (untreated)
Broken finger (untreated)
Broken hand (untreated)
Sprained wrist (untreated)
Malnutrition (untreated)
Hypothermia (untreated)
Age 5-6:
Burn(s) on right hand (untreated)
Broken finger(s) (untreated)
Mild concussion (untreated)
Eye strain (treated)
Scar on stomach (untreated)
Scar on back (untreated)
Malnutrition (untreated)
Hypothermia (untreated)
Age 6-7:
Belting, resulting in bleeding and bruises (untreated)
Broken ribs (barely treated)
Broken finger(s) (untreated)
Mild concussion (untreated)
Eye strain (treated)
Malnutrition (untreated)
Hypothermia (untreated)
Age 7-8:
Broken hand (untreated)
Broken arm (barely treated)
Sprained ankle (untreated)
Belting, resulting in bleeding and bruises (untreated)
Infected wound (treated)
Chicken pox (treated)
Age 8-9:
Bruised ribs (untreated)
Broken nose (barely treated)
Eye strain (treated)
Malnutrition (untreated)
Hypothermia (untreated)
Age 9-10:
Bruised ribs (untreated)
Broken nose (barely treated)
Eye strain (treated)
Malnutrition (untreated)
Hypothermia (untreated)
Age 10-11:
Overeating (untreated)
Eye strain (treated)
Malnutrition (untreated)
Hypothermia (untreated)
Age 11-12:
Overeating (untreated)
Blood Curse (barely treated)
Choked (treated)
Minor scrapes and bruises (treated)
Malnutrition (untreated)
Age 12-13:
Overeating (untreated)
Malnutrition (untreated)
Age 13-14:
Overeating (untreated)
Minor scrapes and bruises (treated)
Malnutrition (untreated)
Age 14-Now:
Malnutrition (untreated)
"No, I don't know what a Horcrux is," Harrison said tiredly. "And what does it mean, Blood Curse?"
"There are different types of Blood Curses," Cissa said slowly. "Was there a time during that year that you had an encounter that left you unconscious?"
"N- wait, Voldemort-" she flinched "-I mean, You-Know-Who was possessing Quirrell and was trying to steal the Sorcerer's Stone and tried to choke me but got all burned up."
Cissa frowned a little. "The closest Blood Curse I can think of, based on your description, is if a sire tried to kill his heir."
Harrison stared at her. "There's no f*cking way I could be You-Know-Who's heir."
But you're Heir Slytherin, a little voice whispered in his head. And you don't really trust anything anymore.
"The Dark Lord did have an heir," Cissa whispered after a long pause. "He disappeared a few days before your birth was announced."
"F*ck no! I'm not dealing with this!" Harrison snapped. "I can handle seeing Vol -- You-Know-Who as not evil, or not as evil as Dumbledore says, but I don't want to be his f*cking kid!"
"Harrison," Cissa said gently, "I don't know every single Blood Curse. It's just a possibility."
Harrison scowled. "You think it's more than just a possibility."
"Yes," Cissa admitted. "But you don't have to think of him as a father, Harrison. Most people believe that you can't choose family, but I believe that family is someone who makes you feel happy, safe, and loved."
Harrison's heart jerked. "Well, I don't choose him," he said shakily.
"You don't have to," Cissa promised.
"What do we do now?" Harrison asked quietly, indicating he didn't want to talk about this anymore.
Cissa straightened. "We need to start with the Horcrux. There are several ways to remove a Horcrux...."