Chapter 24
Harry had his wand in his hand before he even opened his eyes, and his attacker was in an incarcerous before his head had left the pillow.
“Harry,” Hermione’s familiar voice admonished.
Harry reached for his glasses on the bedside table and frowned apologetically as he ended the spell. “Sorry, ‘mione,” he winced, watching as the witch gracefully stepped from the ropes that had been holding her to the wall.
She pursed her lips as she banished them. “I am glad you managed to get some sleep, but I’ll have you know that I’m entirely against using Dreamless. You’re nearly impossible to wake up when you take it, and one of us always ends up at the nasty end of a wand.”
“Yeah, well, I can’t sleep if I don’t take it,” Harry grumbled, although perhaps two bottles had been an overkill.
Hermione attempted to look sympathetic, but, in a very Hermione-like manner, quickly got to business. “Mrs. Malfoy and Draco will be arriving any moment. You should get ready.”
Harry nodded absently, his mind already filled with thoughts of vassals and lords. “Have you ever heard of the right of conquest before?” he asked as he dressed quickly in the robes Hermione thrust at him. “I think we may be able to find the Lestranges with it.”
“I’ve come across it a lot in my readings on bonds recently, actually,” Hermione said, waving her wand to neatly make the bed, before primly sitting on the edge. “Lords could invoke it after defeating another Lord in battle, and the defeated Lord’s allies would become their own.”
Harry nodded slowly. “Bellatrix said something similar last night. But she kept saying the word ‘vassal’ – whatever that means.”
“Well, a ‘vassal’ in muggle English is used to refer to a subordinate in a feudal system. I suppose that makes sense, since the last references to people invoking the right of conquest seems that I’ve seen date back to the Middle Ages,” Hermione said, throwing a hairbrush at him. Harry rolled his eyes- they both knew it would do nothing. “But no-one’s used it in centuries – how will it help us find the Lestranges?”
Harry shook his head. “Apparently Voldemort’s corrupted slave bond thing that he used to make the dark mark made the Death Eaters his vassals. According to Bellatrix, since I defeated him, I can invoke the right of conquest. His vassals would become my vassals.”
“And you’d be able to track them down,” Hermione surmised. “It’s an interesting theory. Do you even know how to invoke it?”
“No, but I know someone who will,” Harry said grimly.
Narcissa Malfoy nearly collapsed as she stepped out of Harry’s floo and into the formal sitting room of Grimmauld Place. Draco emerged from the green flames quickly after and was by her side in an instant, gently holding her elbow.
Harry winced. Where the woman had once been regal and frightening, she now in equal parts seemed weak and terrified – deathly pale with dark shadows under her eyes. Her pureblood rearing, however, seemed to not have faded as she attempted to curtsey low to Harry. He cursed and caught her other elbow as she nearly toppled over again.
“Mrs. Malfoy,” Harry greeted gently. “Why don’t you sit down?”
Narcissa smiled weakly and lowered herself into an armchair. “Please, my lord, call me Narcissa.”
“Only if you call me Harry,” he said.
Narcissa gracefully lowered her head. “I’m afraid I cannot do that, my lord.”
Harry wanted to argue but caught Draco’s hard glare. He paused. Addressing Narcissa, but looking directly at Draco, he asked, “Because I’m your son’s employer, because I’m letting you live in my house, because I’m the Head of the House of Black, or because your son, and you by proxy, are my vassals?”
Draco’s eyes widened slightly, telling Harry all he needed to know. Narcissa laughed in surprise. “I see you have indeed been studying the Old Ways,” she said in delight, some strength seeming to return to her. “There were some amongst us who practice that were concerned you would not take the necessary steps.”
Harry removed his gaze from Draco’s and inclined his head. “Your son is a talented instructor, Narcissa,” he complimented, lying through his teeth. “And, as ‘your Lord’, I’d ask that you call me Harry, at least in private company.”
“Very well then, Harry,” Narcissa said, still smiling. “Your manners have improved drastically in the time my son has been working for you.”
Draco hissed, “Mother!” His cheeks burned red, and Narcissa patted his hand, as mothers were wont to do after embarrassing their child. In other circumstances, the interaction would be almost normal, but Narcissa’s hand shook terribly as she performed the action, and Draco was eyeing Harry far too nervously.
Hermione and Ron soon entered the room, the latter carrying an unbearably cute Teddy in a tiny version of some dress robes. Harry stood and took the infant, who gurgled in delight and changed his hair from dark blue to black briefly, before returning to his currently-preferred style of bubblegum pink.
“Narcissa,” Harry said, lifting Teddy high into the air before placing him on his hip, “This is your great-nephew, Teddy Lupin.”
The witch smiled, her eyes twinkling with something akin to regret. “Pleasure to meet you, Edward,” she said quietly. “He looks like his grandmother.”
Harry nodded, his throat sticking slightly. He actually had no idea if Teddy looked like his grandmother, having only met Andromeda Tonks once and embarrassingly mistaking her for Bellatrix, but his godson’s wrinkled nose when he was grumpy certainly reminded him of Tonks, and Harry supposed she must have gotten the expression from somewhere. He sat down, shifting his godson to his lap, and waved his hand, transforming Narcissa’s chair into a rather comfortable looking wheelchair. “I was wondering if you’d like Ron and Hermione to show you around. I just need to talk to Draco about something quickly.”
Hermione raised an eyebrow at Harry, glancing at the very vulnerable infant bouncing on his lap, before escorting Narcissa out of the room, asking a vague question about Pledging ceremonies. Harry considered for a minute before shaking his head and regretfully handing his godson back to Ron. It felt like eons since he had spent quality time with Teddy, but he really didn’t think he should be present for this particular conversation.
Ron paused before taking him, eyeing his best mate carefully. Harry raised an eyebrow until Ron nodded and took Teddy. At the door he turned and said quietly, “Careful.”
“Not Him,” Harry said lowly, before turning to Draco. Ron closed the door.