"Come, Cygnus. I'm glad you accepted my invitation," Dorea Potter smiled, gesturing for him to take a seat.
Cygnus Black bowed respectfully and sat down on the couch. It was not the first time he had been to Potter Manor but the sight still seemed foreign, particularly considering how contrasting it was to both the Black Townhouse and his cottage by the bank of Tyne.
He had been afforded the luxury of being hosted in the family wing of the manor, which, although something he had expected, still flattered him. The room was much less formal than the public one, and he saw various family photos hung up on the walls.
His aunt Dorea had had trouble conceiving. Everyone knew how ecstatic she had been when James was finally born, and the joy was apparent on her face in the photo he was watching.
"He is my pride and joy," Dorea commented, noticing Cygnus staring at the first photo of hers with her son.
"Children always are," Cygnus replied. Dorea did not fail to notice the hint of bitterness in his voice. She sighed as she recalled the entire affair with Andromeda.
"How are things, Cygnus?" She asked casually as she poured some tea for him.
"It's all good, Aunt Dorea. The girls are back at Hogwarts which leaves only me and Druella at home most of the time."
"And your work? I heard you sold the store?"
Cygnus grimaced slightly.
"The market has saturated. It made sense to cut costs."
Dorea sighed.
"You know Arcturus would help if you asked, right?"
Cygnus chose not to reply. No matter how justified Lord Black might have been in casting Andromeda out of the family or banishing them up north, there was a rift between them that he could only hope to bridge.
"Look, Cygnus. I did not invite you here to insult you or anything. But you are a Black, and no matter what happened, you are family. Both Arcturus and I care about you, Druella, and the girls. And yes, I mean all three of them."
Cygnus looked at Dorea with a conflicted face.
"Andromeda visited a few days ago. She is expecting," Dorea smiled.
Cygnus stared at her in surprise.
"I know the philosophy of the Blacks. Traditionalists to the core, and staunch believers of blood purity. Not fanatical like a few but not very accepting either. However, don't you think your daughter deserves at least a word from her father now?"
Cygnus remained silent.
"She is hurting, Cygnus. She does not show it, but she wants her parents and her sisters back in her life."
"It is not my place to make that decision, Aunt Dorea," Cygnus replied with a sad smile. "Lord Black's instructions are absolute."
"Arcturus doesn't have to know," Dorea tried in a soothing voice. "If you are not comfortable with sending a letter, then I can arrange for you to meet her here. You have my word no one will ever know."
Cygnus looked conflicted. It had hurt how the whole affair with Andi had concluded, and he had felt a part of him being torn off when she had been banished, never to contact a member of the House of Black ever again. Several times his wife and his youngest daughters had asked to contact her. However, he had declined their wishes time and again. It hurt, but he was in no position to agitate Lord Black any further.
"Think upon it, Cygnus. No one is going anywhere."
Cygnus settled on giving a nod.
"Now, the main reason I asked you to meet concerns your other daughter. It has come to my attention that you have agreed personal terms with one Abraxas Malfoy for Narcissa to marry his heir?"
Surprised, Cygnus nodded.
"How do you know about this?"
"How I know doesn't matter. What matters is why Abraxas is doing this."
Confused, Cygnus asked, "What do you mean?"
"Think, Cygnus," Dorea sighed. "Narcissa is the daughter of a cadet line of House Black, one which has poor standing in the family. This is known to every household in pureblood circles. Why then, is Abraxas Malfoy agreeing to marry his heir to Narcissa when he could easily go for the heiresses of other pureblood houses such as the Parkinsons, the Selwyns, the Fawleys, or the Carrows? All those houses have heiresses, and all are the same age."
"Abraxas and I talked, and he gave me a very simple reason."
"That is?" Dorea asked inquisitively.
"That his son has become rather taken with Narcissa, and although our situation in the family is not very good, she is still a Black and a worthy woman to one day become the Lady of House Malfoy," Cygnus replied.
"I see," Dorea mused. "And what about her career? I remember she wanted to be an enchantress. What would become of it?"
Cygnus grimaced slightly.
"You know how these things work, Aunt Dorea. A passing fancy like that will fizzle in no time. And once she settles into the role of the lady of a prominent pureblood house, that avenue will close on its own."
Dorea frowned.
"And did you ask for Narcissa's opinion?"
"She did respond when I informed her about it. She is a good girl. She assured me she would behave as her station requires of her."
Dorea stared at her nephew for a long moment before she sighed.
"You sure are a thick one, Cygnus. Tell me something. Did it ever occur to you that your daughter might have agreed because she doesn't want to create more problems for you?"
Cygnus looked down.
"You know what kind of girl she is, Cygnus. Ever since she was little, she thought of her sisters before herself. I can wager everything I own that she does not want anything to do with Malfoy and is only agreeing to it because you have asked her to and she knows what would happen if she went against it."
"Malfoy is the best match I could have arranged for her," Cygnus tried.
"Man up, boy!" Dorea chided. "You are a son of the Blacks. Act like it. Who told you you couldn't arrange a better match for Narcissa?"
"You are talking about Peverell," Cygnus replied with a sigh. "I agree. He would be a much better match than anyone I could possibly find. I even received the young man's owl last afternoon. But you know how it goes, Aunt Dorea. Peverell is a half-blood. As you said, we are the Blacks, and only pureblood marriages are acceptable."
"Not even if your daughter loves the young man?" She asked gently. Cygnus' eyes widened.
"What?"
"Harry told me about it. How he wanted to have a proper relationship with your daughter before going for a betrothal. Since he contacted you, you better believe they have already expressed their intentions to each other."
"Narcissa…"
"That girl is the last to blame in all this, Cygnus," Dorea said sternly. "Don't forget how she was ready to sacrifice her happiness just for your sake."
Cygnus looked down.
"Has Andromeda's situation taught you nothing, Cygnus? How much will this family keep sacrificing in the name of blood purity?"
Dorea truly pitied the man. He had become a shell of his former self ever since the Andromeda incident. It was as if he had lost his sense of self-worth and was only there to cater to the whims of those he considered more powerful than him.
"You know what kind of a person Malfoy is," Dorea warned. "He is a poisonous snake in every sense of the word, and you better believe he has ulterior motives. After all, it's not a secret that Sirius loathes the prospect of being the heir and Regulus is but a child who can be easily taken out of the equation. In that event, your side of the family would be first in the line of inheritance since I am the youngest sister among us."
Cygnus' eyes widened as he thought about it. He'd never had any greed for power. He had been content with being a son of the House of Black. But the more he thought about what his aunt had just said, the more it made sense, particularly when he considered it was Abraxas Malfoy she was talking about.
Not to mention the fact that Lestrange had also broached the topic of marrying Bellatrix to his heir Rudolphus.
Both men were close, and a pit started to form in his stomach as he thought about it all. The signs were there, glaring at him.
Dorea stared at her nephew who seemed to be thinking furiously and she was finally thankful that she had managed to get through to him.
The moment she had come to know that Malfoy was trying to get Narcissa's hand for his son, she knew what was afoot. After all, she had already heard from Bellatrix during their last get-together how Rudolphus Lestrange had started showing a certain degree of interest in her, and how proud she was that she had managed to keep him away.
There was no way she was going to let those vultures get their rotten hands on her two grandnieces as well as the House of Black. Those girls would marry for love and with the blessings of their family, and she was determined to ensure it happened.
"Tell me, Cygnus. If Harry was a pureblood, would you have chosen him over Malfoy?"
"Without a doubt," Cygnus replied in an instant. There was no comparison at all.
Dorea nodded with a smile.
"I hope you'd think about what I've said before approaching Arcturus, Cygnus. And in case you are worried about Harry being a half-blood, I want you to know that I will personally have a talk with my brother about it. You will have my support if you choose Harry for Narcissa."
Cygnus looked surprised and Dorea chuckled.
"I've come to care for that boy as if he were my own blood, Cygnus. I have no clue why I feel that way, but it feels as if something connects us. Perhaps it's that string of fate that Mother used to talk about. And I care for our family as well. Not so much for Walburga, but you get what I mean," she chuckled. "I'll ensure they are happy, Cygnus, and take it from someone who married for love – Narcissa will be the happiest with Harry, not anyone else."
It was a few minutes later when a thoughtful Cygnus Black left Potter Manor and Dorea Potter chuckled.
"Well, looks like I'll soon be cashing in those favors my brother owes me. You better be grateful to your Aunt Dorea, Harry."
-Break-
Harry put down the letter from his aunt and smiled to himself. He had indeed approached the right person for this task. Truth be told, he had gotten the idea from the very man who had sent him to this new timeline.
Arcturus Black, for all his flaws, loved his sister dearly. If anyone could get through to him, it was Dorea Potter.
When he had told her everything, he had expected her to somehow contact Arcturus and tell him about it. He was not expecting a quick resolution considering the Blacks' policy of only marrying purebloods, and he expected there to be a confrontation with the man. With Dorea on his side, he thought she'd be doing the convincing, and it could still be the case.
However, she had gone a step further and knocked some sense into Cygnus Black. That was something he had not expected, no matter how welcome the development was.
According to the woman, Cygnus was happy with the prospect of him marrying Narcissa, which was something he already knew from the letter he had received from the man. Cygnus had explicitly told him that there was only one reason why he could not go forward with his proposal – his blood status.
The Blacks did not marry someone who was not a pureblood. Period.
However, with Dorea's involvement in the affair, Harry was fairly confident that it would change. He knew how much Arcturus valued her, and he had full faith in her ability to convince the man.
Now, he only had to wait until Dorea discussed it with Arcturus. Until then, Narcissa had no choice but to tolerate Malfoy's company.
'At least the ponce won't be able to touch her,' Harry thought in satisfaction.
He was currently sitting at the Gryffindor table for breakfast with all his friends sitting around him.
"What're you smirking for?" Frank asked curiously.
Harry looked at the boy and shook his head.
"Nothing. Just having a good day so far."
"The day's only begun," the Longbottom heir deadpanned.
"Doesn't mean it's not a bright one," Harry replied before his eyes fell on a certain blonde beauty who walked through the double doors of the Great Hall with her twin. "And somehow it gets even brighter."
His friends looked over where he was staring and they smirked.
"Any recent developments we should know about?" Fabian asked with a smirk.
Harry didn't bother to reply and simply gestured forward with his finger. They turned toward the Slytherin table and saw Narcissa take a seat with Bellatrix alongside the ponce's crowd. The blonde moron in question was staring at his plate with an ashen look on his face.
"That development should be enough for you all," Harry replied.
"Lucy's doesn't look too happy," Sirius snorted. "Merlin, he looks like he shat his pants and wants to punish his house elf for not cleaning it properly."
"We're trying to eat here, you dumbass," Gideon slapped the dark-haired boy on the back of his head. Sirius looked barely apologetic as he smirked at Harry.
"You sure work quick, mate. Not even a day and you've twisted his knickers. What'd you do?"
Harry smirked.
"Nothing much," he replied, returning Bellatrix's wink with one of his own.
He had to admit that in such a short time – only a day even – she had grown on him. He still remembered her words from the previous morning and how she had acted, and it was apparent to him what her intentions were.
However, given how she had played such a pivotal role in bringing him and Narcissa closer than ever before, he could easily deduce that she did not want to take him away from her sister.
But it was also obvious that she wanted him. Hell, she had outright admitted as much to his face.
There was only one scenario in which something was possible like that, and Harry chuckled every time he thought about it. It was something he was not going to ponder upon.
"But seriously mate, what's the deal with you two? And why's she sitting with Malfoy of all people?" Frank asked curiously.
"I won't go into specifics. Just know that it's only temporary."
"You and your non-answers," the boy shook his head in defeat and went back to his breakfast.
-Break-
Lucius Malfoy sat at the Slytherin table with his usual group. The lads were engrossed in their usual discussion but he paid little attention to all of it.
His mind was instead occupied with what happened early this morning.
Lucius was walking through the main corridor of the dungeons. The plan was coming along nicely. House Malfoy had almost secured the hand of the eldest daughter of the House of Black. Only the official signing of the marriage contract remained; one which was only a matter of time.
House business aside, there was another reason he had pushed for Narcissa Black as the Lady of House Malfoy. That reason had only one motivation – lust.
The woman was one of the most beautiful Wizarding Britain had to offer, and there had been numerous times he had jerked off to the thoughts of what he would do to her once he got the chance.
The mere thought of the temptress sent his blood flowing south and that was the only reason why he had left the Slytherin common room before everyone else. A nice, cold walk first thing in the morning to soothe himself.
It was when he was walking outside the courtyard that he saw him.
Harry Peverell.
He could not believe how much he loathed the man. He didn't even know this person not too long ago and now here he was. The sight of him coupled with the infuriating smirk on his face was enough to make him grit his teeth.
He had been willing to make an ally of the man. His father had asked him to try and see if he could convert him to the right side. Alas, it seemed that avenue was permanently closed now. It was quite clear from the very beginning where his allegiance truly lay.
Even then, he wouldn't have hated the man so much, but he had to try to lay his hand on something that belonged to him. That was something he could never forgive.
The look of abject disappointment on the cunt's face, when Narcissa sat with him the previous morning and didn't even deign him with a glance, had made him silently roar in triumph.
He had expected the man to be moping about in defeat, but it seemed Peverell had a thicker skin than he had given him credit for.
"Well, a fine morning this is, right?"
Lucius didn't reply. The overly chipper demeanor of the young man standing in front of him was rather unsettling.
"Out on a morning run, Malfoy? Can't say I blame you. The wind feels nice at this time of the morning."
Lucius was getting more unnerved as he stayed and he was about to turn around to walk away when Peverell's voice stopped him.
"I heard about your upcoming nuptials. I guess congratulations are in order."
This time, Lucius allowed a ghost of a smirk to cross his face. Looking at Peverell, he replied, "I won't ask how you know about it, but thank you."
"I didn't congratulate you though," Harry chuckled. "I guessed that congratulations were in order. I might be wrong too. Pay attention, Lucius."
The smirk on his face broadened a bit as Lucius stared at Peverell.
"Bitterness, Peverell?" He asked. "Well, I shouldn't be surprised you seem so bitter about it, considering you had your sights on Narcissa yourself."
"That I do, Lucius. That I do," Harry replied with an easy smile.
Lucius pursed his lips and sighed.
"You did, Peverell. Not anymore. It is considered undesirable to have your sights on women who are spoken for. Didn't your mother teach you as much?"
Harry did not let the comment faze him as he continued smirking.
"Spoken for? Isn't that quite presumptuous of you, Lucius?" Harry chuckled, to his slight ire. "You shouldn't take me for some amateur like yourself or your band of buffoons. My intel tells me nothing is official yet."
"And? You're hoping to do what exactly?"
"Hoping?" Harry rolled his eyes. "I don't hope. I just do it. And I find it amusing that you think you've won this race… considering you were never in the running."
Lucius looked at the man with furrowed brows. Harry smirked.
"Tell me, Lucius. What does Narcissa feel for you? Adoration? Love even? Or does she loathe your very existence?"
"The hell are you talking about, Peverell?" Lucius gritted his teeth, not liking where the conversation was going.
"Nothing, just looking to see how delusional you are. I guess you are ignorant instead. Let me clear that doubt for you. Before I do that though, did you notice something peculiar about your interactions with Narcissa? A certain inability of yours when it comes to touching her perhaps?"
Lucius' eyes widened at Peverell's smirk and he snarled, "So it was you!"
"Partly, yeah," Harry laughed. "Merlin you've no idea how good it felt to see your sorry face after I got to know you were shocked like that."
"What did you do, you asshole!?"
"Me? I did nothing but help the woman I love to keep an unwanted leech away from her," Harry replied, his eyes hardening somewhat. Lucius' eyes widened.
"You dare!"
"Keep your wand in your pants, Lucius. You won't like the result," Harry warned with a chilling smile. Lucius grimaced as he recalled the memory of their previous encounter.
Harry smirked as the blonde put his wand away.
"Good boy," he praised patronizingly. "Now, you can thank Bellatrix for that, and Narcissa too. After all, both contributed to this."
Lucius listened, seething.
"It's a nifty little ritual devised by an ancestor of the Blacks to keep the paws of a certain cretin off his wife. Say what you may about those bastards but they sure are resourceful as fuck," Harry chuckled. "I digress however. See, I did that ritual with your hair and hers, and as you know already by experience, it worked splendidly. You can't even put your filthy hands on her now."
"You are a dead man, Peverell," Lucius seethed. "You dare interfere in the matters between two pureblood houses!"
"No interference, I promise," Harry replied innocently. "It was all according to Cissa's wishes."
Lucius' eyes widened at the way he called Narcissa's name.
"See, the ritual would work only if certain conditions are satisfied. First, the person doing the ritual must love the person he is protecting. Second, the woman must not want the other man to be touching her. And third, the woman must loathe the other man with every fiber of her being. It doesn't take a genius to figure out why you were affected."
Lucius' eyes widened even more.
"I'll surmise it for you anyway so that your inbred little brain can remember it. Narcissa and I love each other and she loathes your entire existence. Congrats. You truly hit a jackpot there."
Lucius simply stood there, gritting his teeth in rage.
"And guess what? The ritual shall remain in effect as long as she continues to loathe you. You better believe that means your whole life. Even if by some fluke of a chance you manage to bag her, which you better believe won't be happening, you won't be able to touch her."
There was a long moment of silence as Lucius stared, disbelieving everything he had heard. He recalled his interactions with Narcissa Black and a wave of fury shot through him.
"How did… how did you get my hair?" He asked, seething.
"I'll have to thank Bellatrix for that. She was the one who told me about the ritual and gave me both your hairs too. Say what you want about the woman but she loves her sister," Harry smirked.
"That fucking bitch…"
Suddenly, he recoiled as a wave of soapy water struck him right on the mouth. Furious, he looked over to see Peverell standing casually, holding his wand by his side.
"That was for swearing. Go on, wash your potty mouth properly."
"Peverell I'll kill you!" Lucius shouted as he reached for his wand, but before he could even move, Harry had him frozen in place.
Like a hunter stalking his prey, Harry walked toward Lucius Malfoy with a menacing grin etched on his face.
The Malfoy heir's eyes rolled around in their sockets as they followed his movement around him.
Harry came to a pause right in front of Malfoy and smirked.
"You can't do anything, Malfoy. You might think you have power, but it's all worthless. You never had Narcissa, and you better believe you never will. You can't touch the hair on her head, let alone do anything to her. She despises you, and she loves me. Always keep that in mind from now on whenever you look at her."
Sneering, Harry released the hold he had on the blonde and made him stagger a few steps. Malfoy barely managed to keep himself upright.
"I was okay with letting you go on as you wished, Malfoy. But you had this idea of bothering a sleeping dragon. Shame you never paid much attention to the Hogwarts motto," Harry smirked.
Lucius kept glaring.
"You should've known that there would be consequences for your actions. I let you and your cronies off with a warning last time, and yet you dared to go to your bootlicker of a father to get you the woman I love. Now that… is unforgivable. You said you would kill me? Boy, you have no idea what I've been through. You're not even an insect in comparison to what I've faced," Harry finished with a sneer.
"You talk too much, Peverell," Lucius snarled. "It's only a matter of time before everything is finalized, and once it is, you better believe I'd break that bitch. I'll make sure she forgets even your name."
"You are free to try," Harry smirked, barely keeping his rage under control. "You give her too little credit. Just because she has not shown it yet doesn't mean she lacks the poisonous fangs of a serpent, Malfoy. I won't even need to do anything. She will take care of a pest like you on her own."
Lucius did nothing but scoff as he turned around to walk away.
"And Malfoy," Harry called out, prompting Lucius to pause mid-stride. "I'll be careful if I were you. Bellatrix doesn't like you, and I believe you know how sadistic she can be."
Gritting his teeth, Lucius Malfoy stalked off, leaving a livid Harry Potter staring at his retreating figure in silence.
He glanced at the blonde sitting beside him and he saw her talking to that maniacal sister of his. Truth be told, he was indeed scared of Bellatrix. There was something about her that always gave him the chills, and he had heard several others admit the same. No one could pinpoint what exactly it was, but there was something off about the dark-haired woman.
As if feeling his eyes on her, Bellatrix glanced at him and smirked. Lucius quickly averted his eyes.
He knew he could not touch Narcissa, and Bellatrix wouldn't let anything happen to her sister either. Furthermore, Narcissa was a very capable witch in her own right – easily her twin's equal but without the unhinged tendencies. He knew she could hold her own in a fight.
Sighing he looked at his barely-eaten plate and frowned. Just what was he thinking? Narcissa was to be his wife and the lady of his house. No matter how confident Peverell had been during their encounter, there was no way he could hijack the betrothal. The Blacks had a strict policy of pureblood marriages and he knew they would never agree to one of their own marrying a half-blood.
He also knew that after their idiot eldest daughter eloped with the mudblood, there was no way Narcissa would follow in her footsteps. He could imagine Bellatrix going ahead with the madness, but Narcissa was too prim, proper, and obedient to resort to something like that. There was a reason why she was adhering to her father's words and sitting with him.
However, the thought of the woman being with him only because she felt it was her duty and that it compelled her to do something she loathed also did not sit right with him. He wanted her to be his, to claim her, to own her. There was no way he could do anything like that if she harbored so much hatred for him.
If Peverell was to be believed, Narcissa loathed him. However, he had never felt any vibes from her that pointed to that. Instead, she had always been courteous. For the first time, he wondered just how good she was at putting on an act.
A part of him wanted to deny everything Peverell had said. That Narcissa did not despise him, and that Narcissa did not love him. But something told him that Peverell had not uttered even one lie during their encounter.
If that was true, then he had to do something. There was no way he could live with this ritual hanging over his head. If it remained in effect, then even if he married the woman, it would be worth it only to his father. Not to him. He wanted her for different reasons, but if he could not even touch her, then the arrangement was nothing but a resounding failure for him.
There must be something that could salvage the situation. There had to be. He refused to believe he had lost before it had even begun.
He glanced at Narcissa once again, only to find her smiling while staring into the distance. He looked over where she was staring at and another wave of rage coursed through him.
Peverell gave her a smile from the opposite table before his eyes fell on him. Lucius felt as if someone poured a bucket of ice-cold water over him as he looked into those chilling eyes that seemed to freeze his very soul. His hands shook with fear and rage and he almost made the mistake of grabbing the blonde sitting beside him. He stopped himself almost too late and looked down at his plate.
From his spot at the Gryffindor table, Harry Potter smirked at the way Lucius Malfoy was acting. He had stunned the blonde ponce. He knew the asshole had never seen it coming.
But it was nothing. Malfoy's bad days had only just begun.
In his original timeline, Harry hated both Draco and Lucius. Things had not changed in this new timeline at all. He still loathed Lucius. For obvious reasons, Draco was not in the picture, and he would never be.
He took his eyes off Lucius Malfoy and resumed his staring contest with Narcissa who was all too happy to continue. It was oddly cathartic to be able to do something as innocuous as this in the view of everyone and he knew just like him, she was enjoying it a lot.
Their staring contest, however, was suddenly interrupted when an owl landed in front of Narcissa. The blonde beauty blinked and gingerly took the letter from the owl. The moment its package was delivered, the owl flew away.
Harry wondered who the letter was from. The owl looked like one owned by rich pureblood households and he had a hunch as to who it might be.
He just hoped his hunch proved true.
On the Slytherin table, Narcissa stared at the familiar owl in surprise and took the letter from it. The owl flew away without a second thought and for a few seconds, she stared at the calligraphy on the envelope.
"Who is that from?"
The voice of the man sitting beside her made her grimace slightly. This was the time she dreaded the most – spending it with the ponce of all people. Not to mention his wretched friends who were nothing short of disgusting.
Earlier, she might have given in to decorum and replied courteously, but after what happened the night before between Harry and her, she was in no more mood to entertain him.
Lucius was surprised when Narcissa blatantly ignored him and stuffed the letter inside the pocket of her school robe. He watched, his rage growing slightly, as the woman stood up with her twin in tow, who had the gall to smirk at him. They walked away without a backward glance.
There was only one thought running about in Lucius' mind at that moment.
'Just what the fuck happened?'
His musing was cut off when a ball of parchment suddenly hit him square in the face. He looked up and glared at the only person who had the gall to do that. The asshole simply raised an expectant eyebrow before gesturing toward the piece of parchment that had fallen on his plate.
He noticed his associates watching him with frowns but he gave them no heed. He picked up the ball of parchment and opened it. The words made him seethe.
"You were never in the running, asshole. And you'll never be. She's mine. Just give up and save me some effort. You'll save yourself from a humiliation too."
Seething, Lucius crushed the ball and pulled out his wand, lighting it up in flame. He watched the ashes fall all over his plate before glaring at Peverell. He gritted his teeth when the bastard winked.
'I'll kill that asshole, even if it's the last thing I ever do,' he thought to himself with a malicious snarl as he got up and walked away, leaving his associates to rush after him.
On the Gryffindor table, Harry smirked as his friends grinned.
"You surely did a number on him, mate," Sirius remarked in wonder.
"But what exactly did you say to him that riled him up so much?"
Harry chuckled.
"Nothing. Just gave him a little taste of reality."
TBC.
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